Occasionally I'm in the situation where I become very enthusiastic about an anime series that begins in such a way where it would not necessarily seem likely for that to happen. Even as a fervent advocate of the value of criticizing first episodes, I recognize that there are times where a show's very humble beginnings may eventually lead the viewer in very compelling directions (though I maintain that shows which begin in a fundamentally terrible way are unlikely to improve).
We're watching the 2010 anime series Shiki this Fall in the anime club I attend. It was a series I was reluctant to put forward as a voting candidate, not because of its quality (which I think is surprisingly good overall), but because I'm well-aware of the general tastes of the anime club (and by extension, I would even say most groups of anime fans) and how many people tend to prefer light-hearted series rather than ones which are complicated, morally-ambiguous and dark. This makes sense in that comedy is something that seems additive relative to the number of people there are to share it (unsurprisingly to me, Nichijou seems to be doing very well in the same club thus far), whereas suspense and drama are fundamentally more personal experiences and public expressions of anxiety or fear tend to be disruptive (nervous, inappropriate laughter during death scenes, anyone?). Still, I was swayed by a friend and the show garnered many more votes than I expected, so here we are.
Based on first week reactions to the show (and my own memories about how I reacted to the first few episodes), I thought I'd spend a little bit of time talking about the aspects of it that appeal to me. I don't expect for there to be any spoilers here, but if you're planning to watch the show and prefer to remain completely detached from any discussion of general themes or plot devices, it might be best to read this another time.
I've spoken of this before, but just to reiterate, one of the measures that I use of what constitutes a good piece of media is its ability to remain present in my mind for an extended period of time. There are certain anime series that I find to be constructed in ways that lend themselves to re-examination periodically, and their themes, genres and subject matter are as disparate as can be. Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of those series that's seems new and fresh every time I watch it, and I've interpreted many different things from it depending on what sort of issues are present in my life at the time. Mononoke is a similar case, as is Dennou Coil. Even Casshern Sins, which has unfortunately been mocked and reviled by a lot of people I know (including other critics), has fascinated me since I first watched it because of its engaging and creative deconstruction of religious thought, including both Biblically-centered and Goddess-based beliefs. Similarly, Shiki introduces a very unsettling moral dilemma that has, in its own way, haunted me since I first finished watching the series.
Shiki honestly left me cold for the first few episodes. I didn't like the way that the series looked (especially the character designs, though I eventually grew to appreciate their otherworldly qualities), and I didn't really appreciate the pseudo-humorousness with which Megumi, the selfish, cosmopolitan teen character, was introduced. Most of the characters aren't likeable to begin with; many of them never really become likeable. The plot takes a while to get going. Some of these things might seem like deal-breakers in and of themselves, but I ended up really enjoying the series as the plot continued to evolve and unfold. I think that the deciding factor in my eventual investment in the series was its refusal to offer any clean-cut, easy answers to the central moral dilemma of "who is allowed to live or die?"
The series is based on a series of novels by author Fuyumi Ono, who's probably most well-known in anime fandom for her series of fantasy novels (and the anime adapted from it), The Twelve Kingdoms. Having read the English translations of the Twelve Kingdoms novels released by Tokyopop, one thing that I can safely say is that Ono has a knack for character development and presenting characters in ways which don't always delineate a simple dichotomy of "good" and "bad." I have no way of confirming whether the Shiki novels are similar, but I suspect that they are; the Shiki anime series thrives on questioning and re-examining whether what many of the characters are doing is right or wrong, instinctual or consciously-chosen, sympathetic or selfish.
There's a certain repeated element in the series of characters' fundamental natures being revealed as they're faced with the reality of their own deaths (and occasionally their own second lives). This isn't the type of story in which characters are suddenly and completely redeemed by their actions; a selfish, manipulative person remains manipulative and selfish, in spite of how tragically their story may unfold and how we may be trained to react to it. Sometimes, though, subtle hints of ethical behavior are revealed in those whose personalities are otherwise disagreeable. In fact, that's one thing that strikes me as fundamental about this series; beauty and outward kindness aren't always equated with "goodness," manipulation and stalking is seen for what it is rather than mistaken for some sort of cute character affectation, and characters with what I'd simply call "poor attitudes" are often revealed as ethical and able to work for the greater good. People are shown as a combination of several factors and motivations that make them who they are, rather than people who are swayed by the whims of the story or audience expectations. In short, the characters are many times proven more realistic in the complex and sometimes contradictory ways they seem to behave.
I think, though, that the biggest reason this series appeals to me is that doesn't shy away from presenting a central ethical conundrum that doesn't have an easy answer, and I admire that about it. I think that most humans are familiar with the harsh rules of nature and the predator/prey relationships that define each being's place in the food chain, but this series dares to ask whether those rules still apply when both sides of the equation are sentient and intelligent. Does one being's right to survive override another's right to live? Is the predator now committing murder because it requires us as food for survival? While that may seem to some like an easy judgment call, this conundrum has provided me with many an hour of internal reflection and debate. And that, to me, much more than whether or not the show "looks pretty" or makes me "feel good," is the marker of a good series.
The number of votes really surprised me, which makes me happy! I think the idea of "horror" anime is off in the wrong direction in most people, and this is a great way to show people that not all horror anime is Higurashi. Once the pace picks up a little more, I think everybody will enjoy it.
I had many of the same things to say about the show in my own review(s) (http://anime.about.com/od/shiki/Shiki.htm). The people you think are the sympathetic ones aren't, and vice versa -- and there is a really chilling through-line about how ordinary people can be compelled to do really terrible things with the right motivation.
I was just reading "This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen", by Tadeusz Borowski, a concentration camp survivor who wrote about his experiences in all-encompassing detail. Unlike many other people in his position, though, he wrote about the goings-on in the camp using the word "we", not "they". He considered himself fully complicit in what had happened, even if he was a prisoner, and let neither himself nor anyone else off the hook. When I read his words about thousands being gassed only a few yards from where he and a few fellow convicts were having a soccer game, I remembered that scene in this show where the women gaily serve tea after murdering several of their (former?) fellow neighbors. If you haven't encountered the book yet, track it down; I think a lot of what Borowski brings up re: complicity with evil is directly related to what's going on at the heart of this story.
I think what hit me hard about this anime were exactly the types of scenes you mentioned - regular people with such an emotional disconnect from the fact that mass death is happening right on their doorstep, and some of them are even participants in the killing. I guess in a way it must be some sort of coping mechanism we all have; to remain aware of the atrocities might honestly mean the loss of one's sanity. The truthfulness of how this was reflected in Shiki continues to haunt me.
I'll look into reading that book, it might end up making a nice follow-up to this post.
Ugh, yes. Higurashi (at least the one season I managed to tolerate), is nothing but gore porn IMO.
I'm hoping that MAS will get into it, or at least that the people who don't enjoy it will respect those of us who do and vacate the area rather than sit and giggle inappropriately. I enjoy watching anime in a big group (one reason why I still come to MAS, another being that I have a massive anime library that I like to share), but there are definitely downsides.
I should tell you about the time I snapped on someone in MAS when they giggled and made yaoi jokes during the big death scene in Kaze no Yojimbo (lol, I would have been 23 at the time, I hope I've matured since then!). In any case, I hope the same thing doesn't happen during the last couple of episodes of Shiki, because I would like to maybe be able to get in a good cry (I'm all about the emotional catharsis, lol).
Hmm...I hadn't voted for this one because the description and clip were entirely forgettable for me, indeed once it was announced as a winner, I had to go back to the Votaku screen to remind myself what it was.
The fact that it's by the same writer as Twelve Kingdoms is encouraging--I remember that series took a while to get engaging, but then hit on all cylinders.
The first episode with Megumi reminded me strongly of Kamikaze Girls at the beginning, and I imagine in a lighter series she would have gone off to the big city and learned an important lesson about the value of small town life. Lost in her own little fantasy world, it's not surprising she was easy prey for what appear to be some sort of vampires.
The second episode's protagonist's dickishness would be a bad thing in normal stories about small town life, but here just might save his neck. He's not nearly as likely to let sympathy trick him into helping out suddenly returned dead people.
And here, as in Skull Man, we see the horror/mystery theme of isolation. The town's in a natural cul de sac, with only one road out, and difficult terrain with poor visibility in all other directions. Within the valley, the village is actually several separated clumps of prople; one clump can be wiped out without anyone noticing anything wrong for a day or two. Megumi and the male protagonist have both isolated themselves from the other villagers by their personalities. Fatally so for Megumi.
I'll also say that it's smart for the vampires to officially arrive a couple of weeks *after* the deaths start; keeps the more genre-savvy characters from connecting the dots too easily.
This show invites comparisons to Higurashi, but that's really unavoidable. After all, the basic plot is the same: Strange things happen in a rural Japanese town over the summer. I'm more than willing to give this one a shot, but it probably won't be as enjoyable as Higurashi was for me. I'm sure it's a good anime, but I don't know yet if it's a good horror anime. I'm a seasoned horror fan, but something really has to get under my skin and creep me out in order for me to think it's a good piece of horror. A couple of the last episodes of Higurashi really did that for me. Was it overly gory? At times, yes. Would I recommend it being shown at club? No. Was what was presented incredibly effective? Yes.
I watched Shiki last year and was very impressed with it. I agree that the first few episodes don't seem to go much of anywhere and the character designs are initially off-putting, but the series really builds well. You'll really enjoy some of the later episodes where the ethical lines are completely blurred. After watching the last episode, I think my take was, "Guh."
It's definitely not a feel good series and there's plenty of gore, but it never does the ridiculous whipsaw of slapstick-to-yandere-gore fest that Higurashi did. There are real human and societal themes explored, and there are no easy answers. I do plan to rewatch this sometime in the future.
My biggest problem with Higurashi (aside from the graphic gore), was its almost awkward juxtaposition of moe elements with horror. I think that it relied too thoroughly on the shock value it garnered from coupling typically cute characters with ultraviolence. It was striking and memorable for me, but in the bad way (I almost couldn't finish watching it when one of the twins threatened to pull the main character's fingernails off). I do think its way of telling its story was unique (at least, at the time it was made).
But that's just me. I'm not really a big horror fan, but the horror films and anime that I do like deal more with psychological material than straight-up blood and gore. This is also why I liked Blood-C a lot; while it was probably one of the most violent series I've ever watched, I still saw within it very strong psychological elements (in its particular case, the brainwashing of women).
Actually, one thing I appreciate about this series is that no-one is really "genre-savvy;" there's no immediate assumption that vampires or vampiric creatures could actually exist, so there's a strong search for a medical explanation before things start really kicking into high gear. Will this frustrate the audience? I bet it will. We have the benefit of seeing all the different points-of-view this series has to offer, so we connect the dots more readily than any of the characters can on their own. We also have the foreknowledge that this is a series with inhuman creatures, whereas none of the townspeople has any reason to suspect anything of that nature.
Maybe I'll make it into a Book Club title sometime down the line. I think that I could stand up to that treatment, especially considering all of the concurrent plotlines and "big" themes it incorporates. I continue to be impressed by how ambitious the show turned out to be in regards to the story it was attempting to tell.