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This is my first review XD. I watch a lot of anime but I feel that Shiki deserves a higher rating because of it's wonderful storytelling.

Story:
Finally, an anime about the brutality of vampires, they are not just sparkly beings who you'd want as a boyfriend (-___-'). The romanticism of vampires (i.e. Vampire Knight, Night Walker, Vampire Hunter:BL, etc...) although good (I still love romantic vampires) just fantasizes the idea of seduction and pleasure. Of course they have supernatural powers and charisma so they are often shown fighting forces of greater evil (a more evil vampire or other demonic creatures) as part of the action ... genre. They gloss over what it is to be an actual vampire (I guess because producers assume you already know what a vampire is).

After all the lovey dovey, fighting evil/crime... I find Shiki to be the most refreshing vampire anime I ever watched.

Shiki brings you back to the basics. It is an anime about the existence of vampires itself. It brings to light what you already know about vampires and thus a midwife's tale becomes reality in a small rural town far away from modern society. Emotions ranging from disbelief to acceptance from the villagers are portrayed. When a Shiki bites your neck, s/he will continue to do so until you're dead. You see the deterioration of health, gaunt faces, pallor, and eventual death of the victim. I also like how medical terminology are used to describe various conditions and symptoms of the patient. You see fear and hear screams of desperation. You see that Shiki burns when they are in contact with sunlight, something that I think most vampire anime avoids. You see how the only way to kill them is to sever a major blood supply to the brain or heart. You see their fear of religion and that one cannot enter unless invited. You see that it also about survival. The choices are: 1) you die 2) you rise 3) you rise and need blood 4) you rise and refuse blood 5) you fight back 6) you rise and you fight back...there may be more but I listed what came to my mind first.

It's also about morals. What do you when you find out that your town is slowly being replaced with the undead? Do you return back to your family? Will they accept you? I want them to come to this side so I kill them with the hope that I'll have someone to be with. I don't want to be shunned by society...Shiki still retains their human personality, thoughts, and emotion. This is why I feel like Shiki has a lot of dimension.

Art: I thought the hair was weird at first but I got use to it. It's kind of interesting how gravity defying it is and how oddly clumped they are >___