Shiki Episode 21.5

Twentyfirst Slaughter and Malice

Alex: Eeek, what a chilling episode to end the series with. The episode is essentially a complete recap of the series, through the eyes of the side-characters. One of them is a regular working woman who works at that drive-in from episode 1 who’s supporting her elderly mother, and the other is a regular housewive. This episode treats you to their slow decent through madness as the epidemic sweeps over the village.

Sadly, what with this only having 20 minutes to retell the series, it IS a little bit rushed and extra time would have greatly been appreciated. However, if you’re willing to use a little bit of imagination, this was yet again, a brilliantly powerful episode.

-has a sudden urge to rewatch the series…-

Shiki Episode 20.5

Twentieth Mourning and Malice

Alex: Almost a whole 6 months after that rip-roaring conclusion, the absolutely stunning OST finally comes out, with 20ish tracks i’ll keep on my iPod. Accompanied by it is episode 20.5, something to add into the series. Looking at the timeline, this is when the humans were hunting the Shiki, so I was expecting a treat.

Holy. Shit. I was speechless after watching this. I shuddered, I winced, and I was speechless. I see why this was cut from the TV series…it’s basically the conclusion to Nao Yasumori, that Shiki from the first part of the anime with the blue hair, and how she gets brutally hunted down and staked to death by the humans. It was fitting end, and a brilliant extra episode of Shiki. Especially at the end where Hasagawa took mercy on the Shiki by killing them instead of leaving them to burn. A perfect example of human nature, and a part of what made Shiki so brilliant. Bring on 21.5~:3

I don’t talk about noitaminA much, but Shiki is probably my favorite to come out of it. Stuff like Tokyo Mag, AnoHana are good for 11 episodes, but the timeslot is able to do so much more than that. It’s able to create masterpieces if it spends the time to make a 22 episoded series.

Shiki Episode 22

Final Hunt

Alex:And it ends.It was an absolutly fantastic ending, and easily ranks among the best endings i’ve seen in an anime. With a little bit of thought, there aren’t any trails left unresolved.

It’s ironic, really. In the end, nobody won. Only a small handful of villagers escaped from the village before it burnt to the ground, and only Seishin and Sunako escaped the village. Everyone else died or burnt to a crisp. The humans threw aside everything that the race they belong to stands for, and went on a slaughter, but in the end, they lost more than they gained.

A completely breathtaking finale to what was already a breathtaking series.

Shiki Episode 21

Twenty-First Slaughter

Alex:Its slightly disturbing how they throw dead bodies in a pile, stab the one thats moving and then move on to eat rice cakes and drink tea without even cleaning.

Its just disturbing how well this show captures the human nature.

Goes without saying, amazing beyond words yet again.

Shiki Episode 20

Twentieth Mourning

Summary: Oooh climax~:3

Alex:Ya know, it’s not the whole horror factor of this series that gives it such an amazing climax. It’s not even good verses evil, as we’ve got Ritsuko to show us that Shiki aren’t bad people.It’s a portrayal of two species of people who are both locked in a deathmatch fighting to survive. And the way it manages to do this never ceases to stop being utterly gripping and one hell of a watch from start to finish.

That’s all I have to say for this episode. Just…if you read this blog and you haven’t started watching Shiki yet, then watch it.

Mimi: What a bloodbath. @_@

Shiki Episode 19

Nineteenth Coffin

Summary: The counter-attack begins.

Alex: Brilliant. Amazing, epic, awe-inspiring…call it what you want, but Shiki’s latest episode was just that good. But arrrgghhhh…it’s the kind of episode I hate to talk about. If I said anything about it, it would just simplify the genius behind everything and make the episode seem lesser. So I decided to take more screenshots~:3

Anyway, I loved the mentions of Mushi-Okuri in this episode. The actual thing is when they parade through fields to get rid of demon locusts and stuff.The irony behind it was just ❤

Also, anyone who loved the first Shiki OP should try listening to the exit trance remix n,n It’s seriously hardcore :3

Shiki Episode 18

Eighteenth Night

Summary: Epic spoilers ahead…

Alex:If you didn’t get it from the summary, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVN’T SEEN THIS EPISODE. This episode features some major turnabouts and i’m going to talk about them. If you havn’t seen this episode, it’ll spoil it for you. You’ve been warned o 3o

This was the start of the counter-attack, and it was all spurred on by some very clever acting of Doctor Toshio’s. Thanks to him, he basicly brought Chizuru out into the middle of the festival and exposed her as not having a pulse and being a risen. The whole stoning thing may have been a step too far, but well…it actually felt amazingly powerful to see people counterattack by throwing stones at her. It’s safe to admit that none of the villagers will let her live. I’m betting that’ll provoke some kind of response from her husband…but if he isn’t a Shiki, then what can he do? Wave his trademark gun at people? Methinks there’s something more to him than is being let on.
Then there was the fight between Natsuno and that stupid bluehaired freak >_> Whilst it wasn’t much of a jawdropper, it showed some strong points. Like Natsuno’s living with his father who knows all about the risen, and that Natsuno’s a warewolf who doesn’t need to suck blood. And Akira’s alive and being used as bait to make Natsuno behave according to the Shiki’s wishes. What I found interesting is as to why the warewolf, the superior version of the Shiki, is acting as the servant to them. If anything, shouldn’t it be the other way around…?
And a bite isn’t enough to kill someone? Natsuno must have bitten Toshio to bring him out of the batty ladies control, but shouldn’t that have done him in? If that’s the case, then why is Toshio up and walking? Do the Shiki need to drink blood daily to kill or something? That could be a good method to use against them.

This show isn’t about good or evil. And this episode really made that point, and drove it home. With 4 episodes left to finish…well, it can only get better from here.17 episodes of build-up have already made this series a masterpiece…so I can’t wait to see what it becomes when it uses that buildup.

Shiki Episode 17

Seventeenth Killing Spirit

Summary:Toshio gets bitten

Alex:I don’t actually know what to say. I don’t think i’ve ever seen a series which kills the entire cast.Obviously, the big thing here was Toshio giving up and getting bitten by that female vampire, who’s the master of the castle’s wife.It was a very strong scene where Toshio finally admitted he can’t do anything, and just wants to see the village die out and have nobody but him left in it.The priest also walked into the castle and was seen getting drugged, so uh…yeah.

But…what’s left? Everyone died and became a Shiki, the end?I know this series has something huge in development, but I just can’t figure out what it is.

Shiki Episode 16

Sixteenth Skull

Summary:Akira takes things into his own hands.

Alex:SHIT THAT CLIFFHANGER WAS AMAZING.The music, the screams, the art…that gave me the creeps >.< AKIIIIIRAAAAA D;
Okay, so….this episode was almost as brilliant as previous episodes, but for a completely different reason. This episode showed what Natsuno and Toshio are planning,a bit of backstory on the “Queen Shiki”, and the latter part of it was focused on Akira and his sister, since Megumi convinced the risen father to bring his wife over.And that cliffhanger with Akira…was oh my god.But it brings up a question- Does that werewolf follow select people around or something?He’s always in the right place at the right time..hm..

Shiki Episode 15

Fifteenth Deceit

Summary: Natsuno returns

Alex:Talk about setting the stage :O This episode of Shiki was as haunting as the last, but for its amosphere instead of what actually happened.Whilst it was all this big build-up around Toshio which would lead the inevitable, the way it was perfectly written and crafted made it nothing short of a masterpiece.

The only thing which is letting the series down at the moment is Seishin. After last week, I was hoping he’d do something, but instead, he just walks away and pretends nothing happened. The episode was built around Toshio finding nobody to turn to, and how nobody wanted to believe in the risen, but Seishin is a priest. Don’t priests get interested in affairs like this and take a central role?