Shiki: Corpse Demon

[masamuneehs]

So, of course I have found only one of the newest animes (outside of fansubbing) in the past month, to be anything more than mediocre, and, of course, it's the one that doesn't have a topic on this forum.

GotWoot? how far you have fallen!

During a fiercely hot summer in Sotoba, a peaceful and quiet village with a population of 1300 people, a series of bizarre deaths begin to occur. At the same time, a strange family moves into a long abandoned mansion in the region.

I've been watching the episodes from a group called 'Umee' This is not one you're going to want from bad groups, because it is heavy on time-stamps, and name printings.

edit - the good Vampiric Minion Kraco has found umee torrents. See below.

Good cast, music, and proper use of SFX. Art style is crisp and often gets the spooky aspect dead on. Premise and execution are gold, and I like most of the characters. Pacing is a bit wacky, especially in the first episode. Surprisingly funny at times. This is my pick for 'serious anime of the summer'. In fact, I think it's the only serious anime of the summer...

[Kraco]

Episode 1 - umee
Episode 2v2 - umee
Episode 3 - umee
Episode 4 - umee




- - - - - - - - -


I found it funny how the fancy style girl died so early. In fact that made it somewhat hard to deduce who's the main character of the show - assuming it even has one. After the girl died, I expected the dude she was dreaming of (Natsuno; Shinta reminded me of the name) to die soon as well and thus considered him a poor candidate for a main character. I have only watched three eps so far, and after those the doctor seems like a character who might manage to stay alive for a while. I still expect the dude to draw the short stick. I should watch the fourth ep to see if he already did.

[shinta|hikari]

I thought it was obvious that Natsuno is the main character. Am I alone in this thought?

Episode 4 freaked me out a little bit, and that is pretty hard to do.

[masamuneehs]

i was shocked 'pleasantly so' when the girl actually did die. after they found her i had this bad vibe like 'now she's going to be a haughty vampire girl', but, well... this show seems to be above that. it was also very weird to see the blonde woman from the castle out and about and just talking to people during the daytime...

the weird decay sound effects that they use for 'music' sometimes really gives me the willies.

at first i was really turned off by the "there are at 1300 people in this village and you will meet every one of them before episode 10" approach of throwing all the characters at us right from the get go. it's still ridiculously confusing and i can't remember if some people are related or not or how they know each other. but the important thing is that all of the characters have personalities of their own, and that really sells this series to me.


unfortuantely, i have to agree with shinta. i think that while the doctor needs to be important in this early phase when they're figuring everything out, once it gets passed that, he's vampire food, and it's Natsuno who has to step up.... too bad he's the one character i really don't like...

[LunaticCat]

Really good episodes so far.especialy 4 and 5 where great. But I hope they'll stop with the whole medical-language thing. I can't follow at all

I wonder if you can tell whos going to die from the intro (the scenes where the people lose their "skin" and you can see the skull), wich has btw. a nice theme song.

[masamuneehs]

i took a break from this show to stockpile some episodes. watching them now, and, well, i really can't remember a mystery/thriller as good as this one in years.

it's really amazing how well this show is turning out. they haven't choked on the massive cast size yet, and it's amazing how well developed and personalized even the fleetingest of characters are. and this doesn't detract from the personalities of the major players, who all have their nice little wrinkles.

this really is a perfectly functioning example in the "impossible event takes place in the most realistic fashion possible" genre. the whole show is grounded in reality, so the premise and plot events (combined with the ridiculously spooky music and jeepers-creepers effects) really feel like they've got alot more gravity to them, and it just draws me all the way in.

Umee has released episode 11
http://www.baka-updates.com/groups/info/name/Umee

Umee's subs aren't the best. they still have too many typos, but they do a shockingly good job with all of the medical terms and the translation on the whole is more than adequate.

why the fuck are none of you fuckers watching this show? still getting Narutard boners of HotD and otaku chuckles out of loli comedy?

[RyougaZell]

Im watching this, though with Commie taking so long to release an episode I just recently jumped to another group (not Umee... can't remember which one though... and I think I've only watched up to episode 9).

Overall Im quite surprised at the number of named characters with unique personalities.

[The Heretic Azazel]

I have been streaming it on Hulu, it's pretty solid.

[RyougaZell]

I just saw episode 11. What's the deal with the heavy spoilers or fast-forward on the ending sequence??

[Buffalobiian]

I just saw episode 11. What's the deal with the heavy spoilers or fast-forward on the ending sequence??

Dunno, but it has me wondering why 12 isn't out yet... (taps impatiently)

this really is a perfectly functioning example in the "impossible event takes place in the most realistic fashion possible" genre. the whole show is grounded in reality, so the premise and plot events (combined with the ridiculously spooky music and jeepers-creepers effects) really feel like they've got alot more gravity to them, and it just draws me all the way in.

^ this. Straight up no-nonsense vampire lore that works. That's quite an achievement.

I didn't quite get the priest's reference though, and why the loli vampire withdrew after that.

Regarding that "spoiler" ED, I can only guess that the good guy (even after just marathoning it, I can't remember their names, lol) didn't inject or perform any hypnosis on Natsuno, so at least it's voluntary - and he doesn't HAVE to die, as long as he doesn't get sucked dry.

[Marik]

Dunno, but it has me wondering why 12 isn't out yet... (taps impatiently)

Because there was a 3 week hiatus after the last episode. Episode 12 doesn't air til the 14th.

[Buffalobiian]

Because there was a 3 week hiatus after the last episode. Episode 12 doesn't air til the 14th.

Hmm, damn. Thanks for the info Marik.

By the way, I've been watching Owari-subs. They're good.

I hope the priest and the loli vamp continue their nightly meetings. They contrast well with the other people duking it out - and for one their (sort of) understanding isn't derived from romance.

[Buffalobiian]

Okawari - Episode 12

For consistency:

Previous Shiki eps by Okawari

[masamuneehs]

umee released 12 also
http://umee.is-fabulo.us/


what i love, and what endlessly frustrates and intrigues me in this series, is the ploddingly thickening sense of despair. in this episode we got a new cast member who, really, was one of the last big hopes left for the town, but he was attacked just like everyone else.

the kids are trying to fight back, but there's only two of them, and they're not only naive, but easily outfoxed. The biggest show of defense, by the hospital director, was outshown by timely intervention by Tatsumi's infiltrating via the director's unfaithful wife.

Even Yuuki couldn't stand up against Tohru, and his father being swayed so easily by talk of 'sophisticated acquiescence', his mother clearly already having been attacked, the Shinto witch being shamed, and everything else, well, hell. it's the first time in a very long time where i look at a show and say 'the good guys are absolutely fucked'.

the vampires are going to win. they're going to win. and it's not like any of those "feel good" shows where the good guys, upstarts or whoever, put up a good fight, only to have a not world-ending loss at the end. from the way this show looks, and from every single message conveyed in every OP and ED ever (I liked OP1 way more than OP2, but ED2 is pretty nice, baring the standard vampires=nakedness theme), every single person in this ridiculously huge cast is going to end up either a vampire, dead, or party to the vampires' plot (i'm looking at you, Shrine boy).


it's very strange, and i don't know the last time i felt this way, but i'm desperate for some sign of optimism for the good guys. i'd LOVE for them to be able to pull off a victory, and i'm the guy who is always rooting for the bad guys. i think it has alot to do with the fact that the vampires come off as so arrogant and entitled. they not only feel superior to humans, but THEY, the fucking bad guys, have the "we know we're going to win because we know we're in the right" thing going for them, and that feeling's so entrenched in every aspect of this series that i can't help but side with the poor, pathetic, hopeless, fumbling good guys.

jesus fucking christ this show is awesome.

[Buffalobiian]

the kids are trying to fight back, but there's only two of them, and they're not only naive, but easily outfoxed. The biggest show of defense, by the hospital director, was outshown by timely intervention by Tatsumi's infiltrating via the director's unfaithful wife.

When did that happen? Ozaki's wife let Tatsumi in? I thought Tatsumi was a rare vampire that wasn't bound by any rules of weakness (except maybe you must drink blood or die).

(You're talking about how he entered their clinic and took the recovering grandma right?)

(I liked OP1 way more than OP2, but ED2 is pretty nice, baring the standard vampires=nakedness theme),

Visually, the new OP/EDs wipe the floor with the old ones. OP2 started off pretty good, but it fell short at the end, but I still found it pretty alright. I share your thoughts on ED2.

My only complaint with this show is that stuff takes so goddamn long to happen. It makes the weekly wait too long, and the 23mins too short.

[masamuneehs]

When did that happen? Ozaki's wife let Tatsumi in? I thought Tatsumi was a rare vampire that wasn't bound by any rules of weakness (except maybe you must drink blood or die).

i remember there was a scene where, shortly after Ozaki's wife arrived, she was seen having lunch or something with Tatsumi, and talking to him rather friendly-like. since there seems to be some very typical Japanese sexual tension between the hospital director and his wife, i thought it was something sexual, like, he was used to her cheating on him. It also coincides with the line before Tatsumi enters, which is "We can't come in... unless we're invited." I was rather sure this meant that Tatsumi HAD been invited into the doctor's personal grounds, and although i can't remember what episode it was where he was talking to Ozaki's wife, it's what i think the reason for him showing up is.


i like how this episode really seemed to solve the issue with the disappearing people. they're not being bullied out. they're just being caught and sold as food to the vampires, and it's being covered up with the "oh, they left town" thing. that's really diabolical, especially considering the scene where the lame, squeeky-voiced guy (i never remember his name) first eats as a vampire, killing that small child. ugh.

Tatsumi is certainly something else. he's a Daywalker for sure, just like the male Kanemasa guy. since he has the ears, i was figuring he was some cross between a Japanese style demon (tanuki or some such) and a Western vampire, but I'd need to go back and re-watch all the episodes again to figure it out.

one thing was for sure, those dogs in this latest episode sure explain the mysterious "elimination" of the nearby village that took place at the very start of the series. not sure what the relationship between the dogs and Kanemasa is, but Tatsumi sure seems to be subservient to them in the same way those dogs were, literally, on a Kanemasa leash. He might be special because he's a Daywalker, and maybe more, but I had the feeling that Tatsumi is totally lower-level than the real-deal vampires in the Kanemasa household.

[RyougaZell]

that's really diabolical, especially considering the scene where the lame, squeeky-voiced guy (i never remember his name) first eats as a vampire, killing that small child. ugh.

I was under the impression the guy (I also forgot his name) went to the glass that time. And we didn't see him appear again as of yet.

[Buffalobiian]

i remember there was a scene where, shortly after Ozaki's wife arrived, she was seen having lunch or something with Tatsumi, and talking to him rather friendly-like. since there seems to be some very typical Japanese sexual tension between the hospital director and his wife, i thought it was something sexual, like, he was used to her cheating on him. It also coincides with the line before Tatsumi enters, which is "We can't come in... unless we're invited." I was rather sure this meant that Tatsumi HAD been invited into the doctor's personal grounds, and although i can't remember what episode it was where he was talking to Ozaki's wife, it's what i think the reason for him showing up is.

I always understood their relationship to be something like an arranged marriage or something where they share no real feelings with each other. It kinda makes no sense since Ozaki's mum hates her though.

[Buffalobiian]

Umee - Episode 13

[Buffalobiian]

Umee - Episode 14

















-------------------------------------------

Holy. Shit.

This show knows how to draw suspense. Despite how the course of events to follow were pretty clearly hinted from Ep 12's (or was it 11?) preview, I sat there watching it all unfold in eager anticipation.

I guess the said could have been said about the series to date as well. We the audience had a pretty good idea they were vampires already as soon as those bite marks came up, but it only hindered the flow by a little. (I'll admit I was pretty frustrated at how "stupid" these people were. They're vampires, how hard is that?!)

I guess an element of horror is where your mind is ahead of what's happening, and you're cursing things bound by the physical realm because they're too slow - like wading from a pursuing monster. Your mind is faster than you (or this anime) are.