It's finally 2013. Happy New Year fellow anime fans! Let's give a few final thoughts to 2012, with the very last day of 2012 seeing the release of the second instalment of Shiki, titled Shiki Part 2.
Shiki approaches the legend of the Okiagari (or ‘Shiki’, which means corpse demon) - bodies that have risen up and transformed into Vampires. All hell breaks loose in the village of Sotoba. The village’s Doctor soon becomes suspicious by what appears to be some kind of epidemic (or so the rest of the people of Sotoba think), with a large number of the villagers being claimed by death since the summer. But what is really going on is that many of the dead are transforming into blood-thirsty creatures of the night, as the Shiki attempt to take over Sotoba. The Doctor soon takes note and begins investigating, or shall I say experimenting (on his wife who dies very early on, making this issue personal) and eventually becoming all-consumed by the problem at hand and eradicating it.
Where some of the dead rise, eventually becoming Shiki, some will just begin decomposing, with death officially claiming them. So when a Shiki tries to turn a human, it doesn’t guarantee success. But for those who do make it into full Shiki mode, I guess you could say that for those Shiki, the moon begins to look down upon them, because the sun cannot, ultimately becoming one of their greatest enemies (the sun burns them alive, as goes many vampire tales). That, and their thirst for blood. However that is not the case for all, with a subspecies whom have escaped the chains of what makes the Shiki supposedly weak. The ‘Jinrou’ as they are known, have the ability to walk about during the day and can also survive on normal food. They have strengthened physical abilities and heightened senses, surpassing those of a human. The fascinating thing is that Jinrou have not died, however they do come very close to death when they eventually do transform into this rarity.
This is certainly not your typical vampire story. Sure, at first you begin rooting for the humans, naturally. But after some time (and with some clever storytelling) you will soon find yourself seeing things from the Shiki’s perspective. Many perceive vampires as monsters of the night, pretty much because there is the knowledge that in order to survive, a vampire must feed, with that food being human blood. But as you progress further and further into the story, the humans take this situation as that of a kill or be killed scenario, with the thought that if they don’t rid their village of the Shiki, they’ll soon find themselves victims themselves. So, ultimately the humans kill with the intention of ridding their town of this apparent problem. The humans face the concept of having to kill family and friends who have now risen, people they have known for a very long time, making it all the more disturbing, especially because their means of killing is in no way quick, or kind, but instead slow and torturous (which can at times feel a touch uncomfortable to watch). The humans don’t just have blood on their hands towards the end of this, but all over them, literally. They make the vampires (some being people who they know) suffer. Dragging them into the sunlight, killing them in various horrendous ways. And then you wonder just who the monsters really are. Human or Shiki?
The Shiki need to drink human blood in order to sustain themselves. Needing to kill in order to survive. However, ultimately there is a choice whether to drink or to starve, and for those who feel the thought of hurting people just to survive in their new form is wrong, find themselves questioning things and making that vital choice between their (after)life and someone elses. I find this ultimate personal battle intriguing, exhibiting that the personalities of these Shiki seem very much intact since they were in their human form.
Having not seen the first part (prior to watching this), I still found it easy enough to get the gist of where this anime was going. I like the way it approaches the vampire genre. The sadness, loneliness and battles that the characters come across. We get to know many of the characters and their backstories, exploring the different perspectives, allowing us to gain a better understanding behind why these characters act that way they do.
Shiki Part 2 is out now from Manga Entertainment.
Review by Samantha Buttigieg