When I started this month-long project, part of the reason I’d had the idea in the first place was because I wanted to call attention to some lesser-known, older, and potentially out-of-print or unlicensed episodes or series under the guise of creating a Halloween listicle. Having said that, I think it’s important to note that not every overlooked series is older or even especially difficult to get a hold of. Take Shadows House. While I don’t think the show is a secret to anyone who’s kept up with seasonal anime the last several years, it’s a series that I think deserves to be more well known than it is.
The series begins in a mansion high atop a hill, owned by the reclusive and mysterious Shadows family. During a strange ritual, the members of the family (who are in fact very shadow-like, shrouded in thick black soot that they dispense from their bodies) join with their “living dolls,” who serve as their faces. After the bond is formed, the two must work at learning to be in sync with one-another, or else face the consequences.
The two characters we spend the bulk of our time with initially are Kate, a member of the Shadows family, and her living doll Emilico, a bright, cheerful girl with an earnest disposition. As Emilico undergoes her training as a servant to the house and she and Kate develop their relationship further, they begin to feel unsettled about the culture at play within the mansion. Eventually lies, coverups, power-plays, mysterious disappearances, and other factors lead Kate to learn more about the true nature of the Shadows, as well as the fate that awaits her and Emilico if they continue to go with the flow.
Shadows House is one of those series that doesn’t necessarily give off an accurate impression of its tone based on the key art and character designs. One might be forgiven for thinking that the series was a lot cuter than it actually is, for example, just based on Emilico’s looks and personality. However, the series at times dabbles in psychological manipulation, body horror, and general gothic spookiness that just happens to be modulated a bit by Emilico’s upbeat and straightforward personality.
Aside from its atmosphere, though, I think what distinguishes Shadows House for me as a series worth watching are the character relationships. Throughout the first season we meet several other shadows and their living dolls who are also in Kate and Emilico’s training “class,” and watching them grow closer and aid in Kate’s investigation of the Shadows is another satisfying aspect to the story. We also meet several of the older living dolls, including the “star bearers” who have some degree of control over maintaining order around the mansion. As we learn more about their roles, we also become privy to the (probably obvious) fact that Kate and Emilico aren’t the first to question their eventual fate.
The second season of the show leaves off much the same way as the first – with a very open-ending that makes one hope for another follow-up season. All the more reason to get more people to watch the series and make it popular, I suppose!
Shadows House is available to watch on Crunchyroll.