Review of Shiki

Hello, this review is oriented towards the undecided viewer thinking to give Shiki a try, hence it is spoiler-free. I hope you find my review useful, here it goes: Story (9/10): The pace of the story is exponential, meaning the climax is found in the last few episodes of the anime. This can be detrimental for the viewer who is an avid action enjoyer, but if you manage to get over the first half of the anime you will be delighted with a satisfactory second act, where characters/things previously established come into action. I highly praise this anime for having a conclusion for every character andplot point. Some conclusions can be unsatisfactory, but the story-tellers took the time to give an ending to the story of each of the characters, which is always appreciated and fills the gaps that some other animes fail to fill.

Art (7/10): Shiki implements the generic style of art style for the early 2010s era, highly colored art, characters with anti-natural hair colors and exceedingly illuminated backgrounds. This does not mean the art is bad, to the contrary I am quite fond of it. Making it unique for this era style of anime, but since the art-style is not unique for the anime or outstanding I'd say (7/10) is a good grade.

Sound (10/10): This is the area where Shiki excellls. The background music in combination with the dramatic scenes going around makes the skin shiver. I am giving this a (10/10) because of the OSTs, not the opening/endings which I think are below average compared to other animes of the era such as Angel Beats, HighSchool of the Dead or Steins; Gate.

Characters (8/10): There is a large cast of characters which is great for a 22 episode long anime. THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ANIME, so do not expect all mighty MCs fighting waves of shiki (vampires) Blade-style. The characters most of the time make rational assumptions/actions, it may feel otherwise different for the viewer, since the viewer gets all the information from a general point of view. After saying that, the characters will sometimes feel quite stubborn, this is a weak point that can affect the watching experience for the more proactive viewer.

Enjoyment (8/10): Aside from the stubborn characters and boring dialog from time to time. Shiki has an easy to follow plot, creates some questions to the viewer, presents a moral dilemma for the viewer, the plot is consistent and the characters feel mortal and flawed. I'd say this is a good anime to watch alone or with a friend/partner. The outstanding part of the enjoyment section are the plot skin shivering moments with the OSTs in the background, especially those parts where the characters find redemption at last.

Overall (8/10): Shiki is an excellent representation of the early 2010s era style of anime, featuring HD colorful art-style, an exceptional OST selection, flawed and sometimes stubborn characters and an interesting story that brings some moments that make the skin shiver!

Is it worth watching?: Absolutely yes!

If you doubt watching it: Remember the 3 episode rule, watch 3 episodes, if after those 3 episodes you are still in doubt, continue for another 3 episodes, repeat until you conclude the anime or are absolutely certain that you are getting bored/disinterested.