For me, this has been one of the best episodes of Shiki so far. it’s great to finally have another good horror series airing and this series is certainly pushing the right buttons. This episode continues the string of deaths throughout the village, but you can now really see how people are starting to change as the “epidemic” continues on.
Natsuno, who probably is the closest to the truth, is now finally trying to take measures to prevent himself from getting bitten. We also learn a bit more about Toshio and his father. A great doctor, but I can really see him lose his nerve when he’s failed to save so many lives. Seishin in the meantime is also very much trying to do something to solve the crimes, and he also has been close with his assumptions that something strange is causing the diseases. I blame this on his spiritual upbringing: with normal epidemics this would indeed have been useless, but this mindset is vital in this story, when suddenly we have a bunch of vampires that are attacking. If these three people would meet, and discuss their theories, they would probably crack the mystery. As shown at the end of this episode, where Toshio realizes that Vampires could possibly be behind everything.
I also love how this series has been developing some characters off-screen. When was the last time we saw Kaori and Akira? Well, they haven’t been sitting still as it turns out. It’s perhaps a matter of luck that Akira was able to see that vampire, but still, it just shows how these two have just continued with their lives and don’t just stop moving when the plot doesn’t need them for a while.
Also, I feel that the creators are building up to something with Masao’s dead body. It’s like they really wanted this guy to not have a burial, which is why they made him such an idiot who is hated even by his own family. Does that make him unique though? I’m not sure, really. I mean, in a village full of old people, I suspect that there have been more people who perhaps lived alone and therefore had nobody notice that they died. The difference here is probably going to be his connection to Natsuno.
Also… Ikumi. the horrifying image of what harem girls might turn into when they turn past seventy…
Rating: *** (Awesome)
It is pretty screwed up how nobody noticed that Masao is dead. I know he is not liked but hated so much that they forget to bring him food… wtf?
Well, at least when he resurrects the food will be nearby…
I was wondering how this series would reveal that the cause behind the deaths were vampires, and I feel it handled the turning point of the realisation very well.
Now im wondering whether everyone that was affected turned into vampires, or only certain people have been turned into vampires and others have remained deceased. If so, why.
Well, in that episode, at the end Kaori and Akira are investigating the castle because the guy (don’t know which is which) saw one of the dead villagers enter it. So I guess we can say that none of the dead stay dead and they all come back to life. But I agree that this episode was one of the best, I just love all those parts with the little vampire girl and the monk(or priest/writer, I’m not so sure)!
Huh? I thought they did notice Masao’s death, they held a wake for him (one of the girls asked Natsuno if he was going to go to it, he said no then she said he was ‘cold’ for saying that, etc.).
And lol, psgels, at your comment about Ikumi – at least Seishin’s mum provided a nice contrast earlier, we can see where he gets his pretty looks from…
DISAPPOINTED.
yet again they fail to deliver on key scenes.
Megumi by window scene – Its not enough that it appeared WAY TOO EARLy, the whole mood was ruined yet again.
The portrait scene was way more powerful and artistic in manga, while animators yet again went with a short way and created a random generic moving painting.
The Church scene. Animators continue using light and colors in the place which is supposed to be dark and gloomy colorless, shadowy, etc.
The end of church scene. I felt like watching fairy tail damnit.
The end of episode. They did not play the doubts enough. It was like The Doctor suddenly went “oh well i was wrong!~ The supernatural and fantasy explanation makes TOTALLY COMPLETE Sense”….
Of course I am happy that they continue to follow the manga plot, but I am feeling that the director/animationstudio/etc is just too incompetent to correctly and carefully adapt the manga and portray the atmosphere/art/unique-ness of scenes.
And that feeling grows with every episode. Its not like they even try…Even if this show still remains one of only three watchable things this season, I’m still disappointed.
I really thought that Masao will never die… Black Sheeps never die… I guess i was wrong
@Unknown-Voice: Well that is you oppinion, but please don’t make it sound like it is a solid fact.
Compared to the novel I found the manga to be heavily lacking and found myself unable to take it seriously through certain passages, mainly because of the art but also due to other minor things.
The anime brings most of that missing stuff back, due to, in my oppinion, great music, great colouring and changing certain things around a bit.
It’s all a thing of what perspective you look at it from.
did anyone notice how megumi’s eyes look normal in one of the scenes before the OP? inconsistency or hint?