Review of Shiki

SPOLIERS BEWARE!!! PLOT SUMMARY: Shiki is a supernatural horror anime that revolves around a remote Japanese village that finds themselves fallen prey to a series of vicious vampire attacks. Okay, so wow! I was really not expecting to enjoy this series as much as I did. I mean, the plot sounds generic enough, and the animation isn't very appealing compared to other anime, but this series really is a hidden gem among all the other popular horror animes out there. Not only are the characters and their traits brilliant for the story, but the message of the anime is what really makes it so great STORY: Simply put, aremote Japanese village is experiencing strange deaths at an alarming rate. Even more strange however, a foreign family recently moved into the village, and it doesn't take long before Toshio Ozaki, a brilliant doctor, begins to piece everything together: The new family is a group of shiki (vampires) and they plan to kill and eat the entire village to create a new village of entirely vampires.

It may not appeal to you, that's how I felt when I first read the synopsis. But there is an entire underlying element to this anime, one that gets inside the watcher's head and makes them question their own morals.

When Dr. Ozaki discovers his wife is a vampire (about halfway through the series), he is faced with a grave decision. Will the kindhearted, intelligent and logical doctor put down his wife, or show her mercy? It's these kind of situations that make you think, "I wonder what I would do in these situations...." and that builds a great connection between the anime and watcher, something I feel is very important into making a good show: a show that involves the audience. Shiki is a perfect example of how a show should involve it's audience. And what better way to do that than make them question their own morals?

As the villagers retaliate and kill the vampires mercilessly, we see two very different sides to them. From the beginning, we were placed on their side, wanting them to discover the true source of the vampires to end them once and for all and survive. It's only natural we would instinctively side with the protagonists first. But during the second half, we are shown this story from the perspective of the Shiki, who reveal they only hunt and kill for survival, and that they never truly wanted to cause such chaos. The middle of the series is where the watchers are split in half. Who should we root for, the vampires trying to survive, or the humans trying to survive?

ART:
Blankly put, not very eye catching. While the dull color scheme perfectly fits the story, the character designs area bit nonsensical. even so, I'm sure many people will appreciate the unique artwork anyways and find some way to enjoy it.

SOUND:
The voice acting is really very well done, in both sub and dub. The actors clearly portrayed vampires and humans in genuine despair (especially Chizuru, who had such a heartbreaking death that her pleads for help can haunt the audience.) The soundtrack is also phenomenal. Please listen to it if you have the time, you won't regret it!

CHARACTER:
Fantastic. What I liked most about it is that every single character mattered. Even the smaller, more insignificant ones had there chance in the spotlight. Every single one had an impact on the story and impacts them in some way. The personalities are distinct, and I'm sure everyone can find a favorite character. The cold and smart Natsuno Yuuki, or the mysterious and cute Sunako?

Another thing I would like to add is the character development. The Shiki's go from murderous beings to innocent creatures we almost feel sorry for, and the villagers go from victims to villains ans they brutalize the Shiki in horrible ways out of pure anger. Natsuno Yuuki also becomes sort of selfless in a way, which contradicts his orginal "I don't care about anyone but myself" attitude. Dr. Ozaki also becomes ruthless too, as he performs terrible experiments on his vampire wife to discover a way to kill the Shiki effectively.

ENJOYMENT:

One of my favorite animes, and quite possibly the best horror anime of all time. I have seen people complain about the pacing, and how "It took over 50% of the series for them to discover who the vampires were," but that's just the realism. I'm sure if people were dying mysteriously in your village, you wouldn't suspect vampires instantly. I understand it may have been slow for some, but I enjoyed the pacing. It felt like I was in the village with the citizens.

OVERALL:

A definite 10/10 experience. Supernatural horror fans who are interested in deeper subjects such as human morality will enjoy this anime. The idea of not knowing who the true monsters are, the vampire Shiki, or the villagers who hunt them down and kill them is brilliance and I commend the author for weaving such an intricate story from such a standard plot. It is two species fighting for survival, with the audience caught in the crosshairs. The villagers may have "won" in the end, but at what cost? Losing 99% of their village in a fire, trauma for life, questioning their character as they are forced to live the rest of their lives knowing they killed their undead family members? Maybe the Shiki won instead. Maybe the idea that the villagers will never truly find peace afterwards means the Shiki got what they wanted. The village, and both the species that fought for it, are now completely destroyed.

Now begs the questions, is it wrong to want to live? Is one life worth more than another? The Shiki did not ask to come back to life, is it wrong to kill others for survival? Was coexisting ever an option? What became of the villagers afterwards, or the last surviving Shiki? These unanswered questions are left to the audience to figure out for themselves, and there is truly no right answer. There is no right or wrong to Shiki, and that makes it an incredible anime.

Death is terrible for anyone. Young or old, good or evil, it's all the same. Death is impartial. There is no especially terrible death. That's why death is so fearsome. Your deeds, your age, your personality, your wealth, your beauty... They are all meaningless in the face of death

-Sunako