Shiki

When I saw the rather high ratings on this anime here on IMDb and some anime related forums I decided to give this series a try even though the story line sounds admittedly rather shallow and uninspiring.

Now that I have finished watching the series I was surprised to experience that the plot and characters are indeed a lot deeper and more interesting than I would have expected them to be. It's hard to talk about the series without spoiling a lot so all I will say is: "Shiki" is a well written, creepy and exciting story without any unnecessary fan service or romance (which I really appreciate nowadays...) and worth the watch if you aren't just looking for a "quick anime fix" but want to be told a gripping tale about which actions are or aren't morally acceptable when threatened by impending death and misery.

8/10

Dramatic throughout, unlike most anime this isn't based purely on teenagers at school being promiscuous, in fact there are no school scenes involved at all which makes for a decent story without wondering about if there were going to be style changes in the animation or overly exaggerated almost nudity.

There are some very good character build ups, which leads to tense moments in the series. This series got to me in a slow burning way, characters die who you don't expect too, things happen that way too, which is what should be expected of a good horror plot.

The story line is almost as expected towards the end of the series, however it gets a lot more graphic as the mysteries unfold. Nicely put together guys, I'd look forward to another possible season of this..

Shiki is a brilliant take on the mentality of small towns and how it relates to mob justice.

It's portrayal of the ethics and morality of critical choices is second only to that of Monster.

Those seeking action and quick resolutions I'd suggest skipping this, but anyone who enjoys a well crafted tale should really take the time to watch this.

The animation style is a bit dated, but it holds up pretty well.

At first I read about Shiki on various rating sites as I was looking for an anime on horror and dark themes. Little did I realize that I was going to stumble upon a vampire story. If I would had known it was a vampire story I am sure my interest would have faded out, and I am glad I didn't. The story starts slowly, but doesn't bore the heck out of people with unwanted episodes. It is direct and it grows on you. The music is also really well matched, as it suits the darkness that is there in the anime. The series makes you wonder whether the plight to survive can make us all into monsters, or is it just that there is a monster waiting to come out in each and every one of us? Happy watching! ;)