Eyes of a Vampire: Shiki Style
So I've been considering doing another anime review (the last one was kind of fun to write), and I decided to go ahead and do one for Shiki. This anime doesn't seem to be as known as other vampire titles, so I felt like it deserves a good mention.
Shiki originally started out as a novel written by Fuyumi Ono. A manga version was adapted from 2007 to 2011, and the anime was made in 2010. The anime itself is twenty two episodes long, and has the odd distinction of having two 1/2 episodes for numbers twenty and twenty one (20.5 and 21.5). These were actually done for OVA as fillers for some of the minor characters, and I will admit that they were quite effective at adding to the overall story. The series is currently released in the U.S. through Funimation in an eight disc, BluRay and DVD bundle (the price is quite afforable too).
To start off, Shiki is a vampire story (Shiki literally translates to Corpse Demon) that is set in a tiny, isloated village in the mountains of Japan. The village, Sotoba, only has 1300 residents, and everyone seems to know everyone there. The trouble starts when the few residents in one of the most isolated areas are found dead. Although the circumstances seem a bit strange, because of their age it is believed that perhaps they succumbed to the heat of the summer. However, strange deaths soon begin plaguing the village after mysterious new residents move into an area overlooking it that the villagers call Kanemasa. It's noted that they moved into the newly build English manor looking house in the middle of the night as well.
Shiki features many different characters, though some stand out more than others. Among these characters is Natsuno Koide-Yuuki, a teenage boy who moved to Sotoba the year before with his parents. Natsuno hates life there, and desperately wants to leave and never return once he can get into a university. Unfortunately for him, he's pulled right into the middle of the vampire invasion (so to speak), after the girl who has a die hard crush on him begins stalking him (She was one of the first vampire deaths and 'rebirths'). After believing that he's dreamed of her appearing in the room of his best friend Tohru Mutou, Natsuno is stunned when Tohru suddenly dies a few days later. After investigating more though, and learning the truth, he is targeted by the vampires to be gotten rid of, along with the two other kids that learn the truth as well.
Two other stand out characters of the village are the town's main doctor, Toshio Ozaki, and the Junior Monk, Seshin Muroi. It's with these characters that the lines between right and wrong seem to blur slightly, and I feel like this really gives Shiki's story a good edge that you don't see much in the genre. While a lot of vampire stories tend to either glorify or denounce vampires, Shiki takes it a step further in making the viewer question just what it means to be human and be alive. While I'll stop short of giving anything away, I will say that the turning point of the humans learning that the vampires are real and the reason that so many are dying becomes rather gut wrenching at times, not to mention the feelings of those who have been turned.
As for art, I find Shiki to be made up of a very unique style. Each character seems to have their own unique look to them, which many times seems to be unusual in anime, if that makes sense. Yet, it's very easy to feel like they all fit in this world, and gives the anime a bit more of a realistic feeling (Hopefully that all makes sense
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Perhaps my favorite part of Shiki though is the vampires and the initial reactions to their presence appearing in the village. In fact, when the series first starts amping up, Ozaki and the other medical professionals believe that it may be a new epidemic, and even though they go through many medical terms and thoughts, they just can't quite piece it all together. The vampires themselves fit many legends well, although they do have a small distinction with some that I won't give away. They hypmotize their victims so that they might continue to come for their blood, they cannot enter a residence unless invited, and only die from sunlight or being staked through the heart. One of the most memorable moments in the anime has to due with Dr. Ozaki learning of their weaknesses from experimenting on his own turned wife (again, be warned that although not really graphic per say, these scenes might stay with you for a long time).
To be honest, I think gut wrenching describes some of the final episodes the best. Again, while it's not overly graphic, it's also not for the faint of heart due to the violence of some of it.
All in all, I find Shiki to be a hidden gem in the world of horror anime, and recommend it to those who enjoy a good vampire story. It's available to watch online and be purchased ( as I mentioned). Hope you all liked my second ever review 
Trailer Here:
