Shiki 5-6
She's a Maneater...
To make it up for a nonexistent post last week, I reviewed the current one up to speed along with the previous in one go. I have no excuses except for a working Saturday and loads of admin stuff that I had to deal with at Metanorn. So, without any further ado and before discussing the psycho obsess-ridden pink-haired girl, I would like to offer a minute of silence for Tohru-chan’s demise…. *After one minute* You can start reading now and shame on you if you didn’t pause for a minute! =P If I had reviewed Shiki last week, I would’ve started with a scream: did Daume just troll me? All that weird sequence was a dream?! HUH?! As it turns out that’s not what happened; Natsuno clearly remembered the nocturnal encounter with Megumi, who sucked the liveblood out of his best friend.
RIP Tohru! Return only if you can control your urges a la Louis or else please don’t, kthxbai
「 Shiki 5 & 6 – Fifth Deceit (第偽話) & Sixth Skull (第髏苦話) 」The events in both the episodes flow well together and I’m actually relieved to do this combined rather than only posting about my utter fangirl sorrow for Tohru’s quick death and elation over Masao being hunted by a random librarian turned vampire (He’s going to be one annoying bastard when he comes back but we’ll deal with that later). It was hard to see Tohru’s getting the early ticket not only because he was one of the most likeable characters of the series but also for the sense of semblance and belonging that he provided to Natsuno, who has been a loner since he moved to the village. Alas, he would never go for a long drive with Ritsu and poke Natsuno anymore… But, wait, who am I kidding? Isn’t this series all about rising dead and the like? I just hope he turns out to be a good little vampire, which is an IF as I have my doubts over Megumi doing a number on him to completely end his life out of spite.
Don’t let the daddy issues get you down, Toshio
With progressing episodes, the death toll is increasing as well. We don’t have a specific number but I can guesstimate to 30+ by the frustration of Toshio and depression of Seishin till the current timeline. During the hunt for clues, Seishin found a pattern in people working out of town quitting their jobs and sudden moves by the families of affected without any information on change of address. To Toshio such clues are mundane, the amounting deaths are bothering him to the point that he’s yelling at his patients, bossing them around and pushing everyone away. All of this is fueled by flashback of his father, who seems rigid from the angry-man breed. Not that it’s anything bad, Toshio feels the burnt of uselessness as the protector of the village for people are dying under his watch.
Here, here, boy...
Seishin is plagued by the same deaths and can’t find peace even in his sanctuary, where Sunako prances in to disturb him with her loli existence. Of course, he still treats her like a little girl and sympathizes with her conditional disease. His aloofness is proven when he warns her of an unidentified disease spreading across the village. Sunako also feigns ignorance and pats his head like a kid, feeling sorry for the two friends who aren’t able to communicate. Tch, Seishin, if only you knew. It’s interesting to note that she hasn’t shown any outwardly hostile behaviour towards him except for going batshit crazy when he tried adding –chan to her name. I feel she’s playing with him like a predator plays with its prey. When would she make her move, depends on her motives that are still pretty unclear.
Trashing never felt sooo good
I was happy to note Natsuno’s emoness vanishing altogether and him transiting towards badassedary rather than whining. I squeed over his defiance of trashing the summer card Megumi wrote to him, knowing fully well that it would cause a very unfavorable reaction. He did it with confirmation that it was indeed she who drained Tohru. His resolve spoke louder than words that he was not going to run scared or be killed on the whims of a stalker girl. However, it’s sad to see that he doesn’t have the power of Google for research so he resorts to scanning the video store (good promo shot, Daume!) and library to find some vampire goodness. He’s unable to borrow the book on Vampire History from Seishin as he’s not home but has a chance meeting with a very irritated Toshio on the way. He confirms his conclusion about the corpses, who rise from their graves after death. He also sows a seed of doubt in the good doctor’s mind about zombies and vampires, leaving him grasping for the only supernatural explanation of anemia: those bloody vampires (BINGO da se~).
Eeeeeek! I hate cliffhangers!
Ikumi Itou (that oba-san with red hair) speaks reason like Akira that things started going downhill since the Kirishikis moved to Kanemasa. The latter keep a watch over the Kirishiki residence where Akira had sworn to see Yusuyuki enter the mansion, who is supposed to be long past dead. Even when the sixth episode didn’t have scary moments like Megumi’s cracking bones after rising from under Tohru’s bed, the initial replay-sequence and the ending cliffhanger of Tatsumi keeping a watch over the kiddies was teeth-grinding nonetheless.
Random shot of Sunako sitting in her living room with a glass filled with blood? Nay sir!
Getting to the theories on siring vampires, it’s still unclear how it happens in the world of Shiki. From all the vampire movies/literature I’ve gone through, there are two ways that one can become a vampire: the most popular is being drained of blood and then drinking a vampire’s blood to rejuvenate the body from death, the other is being drained on different occasions and slowly transforming into a vampire. The fang marks are clear on the recent victims without any hint towards the preying vampires making them drink their own blood so maybe the second theory applies here. Also, it’s still to be seen if all the bitten victims rise from the dead or not.
Time to figure things out, man! Gambatte~
In the next episode, I hope Akira and Kaori get out of Tatsumi’s clutches and join forces with Natsuno (this was hinted in OP ages ago). It’s also about time for Toshio to realize the possibility of vampires and start working on the Kirishikis. Even if they have a live-in doctor, he can always visit Kanemasa feigning curiosity over the nocturnal disease that Sunako and Chiziru share. The Kirishiki mansion seems like a beehive collecting not only the victims but their families and probably feasting on them? I’m just worried about the amounting number of vampires, which would mean more bloodlust, leading to more deaths. Would Sotoba become a vampire town if things continue like this? More deaths are definitely on the cards. Though, I have expectations running high over Toshio, Seishin, Natsuno and Tanaka siblings for figuring things out.
Sixth episode had a lot of weird angles that blend together in a very eerie manner. Like Hiromi’s parents crying over him but you end up seeing a shot of a dead Masao with a fly sticking out of his mouth (yeah, ewww). The ambience is brilliant as ever with not a single sound wasted. The OP keeps on creeping me out but for the life of me I never fast forward it and let it play every time I watch a new Shiki episode. It’s also disturbing to find myself humming the ED in the shower as if it was a proper version of I’m singing in the rain. This series is affecting my mind… =.=;; So, before I lose it, Ja ne~
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ooo~ sounds very nice, would love to give it a try...
Tofu
Vivi
Suu
It is very interesting that several villagers are piecing things together. I didn't expect Toshio to get close to suspecting vampires, but it seems they implied that the idea has now passed through his mind, at the very least.
The Tanaka siblings look very vulnerable at the ending. It is difficult to imagine how they would defend themselves if attacked. The best hope anybody has at this point is to share this information, and stick together.
I would seriously look forward to what Toshio cooks up for them. From the current preview of episode 9, it seems clear that he will observe the vampire transformation/affect from the patient in observation.
I'm curious about the countermeasures that Toshio is going to take against the vampires once he fully accepts that conclusion. We have to remember that he's just a mere doctor and Natsuno is a mere high school student. I guess that's what make this series so damn eerie and uneasy, these don't seem to be your typical vampires who weaken at the sight of crosses and die by being stabbed by stakes. These things seem to take on qualities of Japanese ghosts, adding a sense of bloodlust you'd find in western vampires.
You have a point there and I too am looking forward to knowing more about the myths that apply to these vampires because they don't seem to be your normal blood suckers. There must be a reason for calling them demon corpses.
About time that ugly whatever guy got bitten, was getting on my nerves ^^''
Same sentiments. But he's back though… =.=;;
Ano~ THAT DUDE WAS OUT IN SUNLIGHT!! WTF VAMPIRE FAIL!!!
It seems he's more than blade he's an effing Diclonus! xD
Who does that vampire think he is, going out in the sunlight, Blade?!
I haven't watched 5 or 6 yet, but I'm kind of happy the creepy dude was bitten, even though I feel kind of sorry for him, since he's such a weirdo and all…
GAH* that guy……………. I can't stand him at all… AGREED!!
Vivi, I can bet you don't feel sorry for him now that he's back and is the same ugly son of a gun with fangs. =.=;;
Baku, I hated being right about him rising again. He's going to be one whiny vampire. >.<''