Irishchatter
To be honest, it was pretty slow to find out who were actually the culprits killing and dazing people. After wasting by watching 4 episodes of this, I just gave it up. Why bother making this into a 24 episode series? As a vampire fan, I'm massively dissapinted because I honestly thought this anime series was pretty good from the beginning but instead just disgust me mid way.AVOID!
xodanielcasterox
Out of all the vampire movies/TV shows I've seen in my years, this is the show that really made me ponder. Yes, they kill people. To live. That's it. There may be some who enjoy the hunt and eventually they do but to live is is their priority. And they made the point that it's no different than humans killing animals for food, and I can't argue with that. So what is evil? Wanting to live? In a way, when you think about it, we are vampires too. No food is ever given without taking a life. Animals, plants, and even our own people. Look at the Donner Pary, for example. This kind of reminds me of 'Salem's Lot and Interview with the Vampire; Vampires come to a quiet little village and some vampires don't always agree with the method or the sacrifice they have to make to survive, but they eventually become what they are. So after watching the whole series, who are we suppose to root for and who to blame, the humans or the vamps.There are some scary scenes but mostly just visually. The voice acting is decent. There's some sad moments that actually surprised me; I didn't think those situations would hurt my heart. The music is haunting, beautiful and unforgettable. Shiki is one of my favorite anime and the perfect way to address the harsh realities of vampires and also relating to them. I hope it will have an impact on you because it did to me. Bigtime.
bijou39
I've watched the entire series and I can see why there's no season 2 and none is expected. I've read the following reviews and everyone is praising the anime for its animation and it being a well-written story.Although I found the animation to be beautiful, I can't say the same for the storyline. Its mundane and filled with so many religious overtones that it takes away from the viewer enjoying what could have been a successful anime series. I don't want to give away too much but the ending was hard to stomach because of something that the local priest, Seishin Muroi said that the Shiki wasn't at fault and that God had abandoned them. This seems to be the centralize theme of the series which is trying so hard to stand out and not be your typical vampire anime.Shiki is a success in Japan as a Manga and truthfully, should remain a Manga.
Max Prodanov
Shiki is a story that gathers pace and becomes more and more interesting as it goes on. I haven't read the novel, but having seen the anime, this wasn't immediately obvious after the first couple of episodes. It's a relatively simple premise at first - vampires trying to take over a small village, protagonists teaming up to stop them. Some of the characters are shallow and stereotypical at first and their behavior is often counter-intuitive. But as the plot and characters start to develop, as the story unfolds, everything changes very quickly for the better. In the end, it's a profound and deeply engaging experience.To backtrack a little, I was expecting something like "Higurashi no naku koro ni" (When Cicadas Cry), and although Shiki isn't as complex, it keeps your mind moving, and, very importantly, it doesn't become preachy or easily predictable. Without spoiling the story too much, there's a very satisfying moment near the end, which is followed by a graphic turnaround (the hunt in the sewers) that makes you rethink your position completely. Personally, I love this game with the reader/viewer's moral compass - to make them choose a team, to make them cheer, and then to show another side of the story that totally changes their perspective. I don't doubt this was well done in the novel, and I love how it was done in the anime. I would recommend Shiki because it's a surprisingly deep story.