Review of Shiki
(First part of review contains light spoilers)- A refreshing vampire anime that goes back to the tradition of vampires actually being scary- which I vastly prefer over the glamorized, seductive-type vampires seen in most modern media. It's hard to find a genre to place this anime into. It is part mystery, part horror, part gothic, even part thriller. The mystery was definitely the weakest part of the show. The first two episodes focus on the death of a girl and what the cause could have been. Of course, there is no real mystery for the viewer as most know going in that it is indeeda VAMPIRE anime. Unfortunately, the first third of the show is rather dull as we see Dr Ozaki trying to figure out what could possibly be causing the vast amount of deaths. It is frustrating seeing him try to work this out for so long and I just wanted him to find out so the show could move on already. REST OF REVIEW CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS.
The second third consisted of the doctor trying to convince the town that vampires- or "shiki", were the cause of the deaths. The scene in which this is revealed however does give an immense amount of catharsis as we see the humans take out a passionate revenge on one of the vampires. The show really picks up pace now as their is virtually an all out war breaking out in this sleepy little Japanese village. The last third of the show is a gripping thriller in which takes place a desperate battle for survival- the vampires wishing to exist and the humans wishing to survive.
I have heard complaints that both sides are too horrible and that there is no one to root for in this show. I disagree. Both sides are terribly flawed and do bad things, and you may find yourself switching sides a few times. I ultimately sided with the vampires after the OVA which displayed human behaviour at it's most barbaric. I'm sure you picked a side eventually also, this show created a lot of debate in it's wake (adding to the enjoyment in my opinion). So yes, whilst I loved the story once it got going, and the OVAs are great also, the first part of the anime was way too slow and it does have to be suffered through to understand the anime unfortunately.
The art is OK, nothing to rave about. It is certainly very stylized but I enjoyed it. The hair does look very strange though, out of place I think, and it looks like everyone has some kind of coloured gunk in their hair. The dark eyes to let the viewer keep track of the vampires was a nice touch and helps the series remain coherent. The first OP is very catchy and has a spooky vibe, it kept me coming back through the boring episodes. The second OP is not as good, but luckily the series picked up by then so you don't need it to keep you coming back.
At it's high points (the OVAs and final third), this series is a masterpiece of thrill and moral dilemma- a solid 10/10, at it's low points, it is very slow and boring. Overall I give this anime a 7/10. It is good, and I think worth being patient to reach the intense conclusion.