Product Details

• Actors: John Burgmeier, Jerry Jewell, David Wald, Lydia Mackay, Cherami Leigh
• Format: Animated, Limited Edition, Widescreen
• Language: Japanese, English
• Subtitles: English
• Dubbed: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Funimation
• DVD Release Date: May 29, 2012
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B007BMIGRO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,252 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Based on a manga by Fuyumi Ono and Ryu Fujisaki, the eerie vampire adventure Shiki (2010) takes place in Sotobamura, an isolated village of 1,300 people "surrounded by death," i.e., it's set amid forest of a kind of pine tree used to make grave markers. Even at its liveliest, Sotobamura feels dead to the local teenagers, who want to move to bigger, more exciting places, especially perky, fussy Megumi. But when a foreign family moves to an enormous chateau they've built at the edge of the town, Megumi and other locals begin dying of a mysterious disease. Dedicated Dr. Ozaki, who runs the local clinic, discovers the deaths are linked to anemia, but none of the patients show any sign of injury or internal bleeding. Ozaki and sullen teenager Natsuno suspect the deaths are connected to okiagari, undead creatures who stalk the night. Unlike Hellsing and other recent vampire anime, Shiki is genuinely creepy and disquieting, rather than a simple gore fest. Director Tetsuro Amino skillfully builds a suspenseful tone that may remind horror fans of When They Cry. The character designs are odd, with hair that suggests awkward paper sculptures, but what they do is so interesting, the strange appearance becomes unimportant. Shiki is not a series to watch alone late at night, but otaku will be waiting impatiently for the conclusion of this intriguing series. (Rated TV MA: violence, grotesque imagery, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

(1. First Blood, 2. Second Decay, 3. Third Tragedy, 4. Fourth Death, 5. Fifth Deceit, 6. Sixth Skull, 7. Seventh Killing Spirit, 8. Eighth Night, 9. Ninth Coffin, 10. Tenth Mourning, 11. Eleventh Slaughter, 12. Twelfth Decay)

Product Description

From the studio that brought you Black Butler and Fullmetal Alchemist emerges the psychological thriller that will send you to bed with a cross in hand.

When citizens of a secluded village begin dying off in alarming numbers, the sole hospital's head doctor tries desperately to save his patients - but his efforts are in vain. Entire families are wiped out while others desert their homes. All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones' corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Haunting, hallucinogenic and unnerving to the core, Shiki stares into the hearts of both the hunter and the hunted. Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster?

See all Editorial Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can I Come In? March 12, 2012

By RavenRing

Format:Blu-ray

Sotobamura is a small, secluded village where the old customs, such as the burial of the dead, are still practiced. Life in Sotobamura is calm and boring. When three old people die in the outskirts of the village, it is marked down as old age or heatstroke. But when a healthy teenage girl expires, it starts to look like the deaths might be connected. The local doctor, Toshio Ozaki, starts to see a pattern--light anemia followed by sudden and inexplicable death-- and suspects an epidemic. But what sort of disease causes its victims to quit their jobs before dying? And what about those families that disappear in the middle of the night in moving vans?

I've always been partial towards the idea of vampires in stories, but I rarely like the sort of stories that have vampires in them (a contradiction, I know). But Shiki manages to create a excellent atmosphere of creepiness and uncertainty. The story moves on at a rather languid pace, but it is never boring. Shiki has the sort of feeling of a horror movie, but it isn't scary. The vampires are rather pretty, but very creepy.
The story follows a range of characters and not all of them survive, which makes it even more interesting. Shiki is more a story about a village, rather than a character. Not that the characters are unimportant or boring. Most of them are quite likable, which makes their situation a little sad.

I really enjoyed Shiki. But I don't think it is a show for everyone. It's biggest appeal is the atmosphere, and if you don't get drawn into it, then there isn't much left for you. When giving this series a try, you should watch at least 3-4 episodes before passing judgment. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

PS Shiki is based on a book by Fuyumi Ono, who also wrote the source material for the Ghost Hunt and The Twelve Kingdoms anime.They are very different from Shiki, but both are good so you should go check them out :)

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect horror series May 11, 2012

By R. Lusk

Format:Blu-ray

Shiki,translated in english as "corpse demon", begins with a series of mysterious deaths in a tiny rural village called Sotoba. Even though many of the victims display the same mysterious symptoms, the towns doctor can't pinpoint the cause of the deaths. They begin around the time a new family moves into a mansion, overlooking the small town. Unfortunately, many of the townsfolk are too focused on their everyday lives to notice that something strange is going on and for some that mistake proves to be fatal.

The village doctor, Ozaki Toshio, begins searching for the cause of the deaths and eventually discovers that the village is being targeted by undead creatures similar to vampires. Another man,Seishin Muroi, the junior monk of Sobata finds himself torn between two worlds, either of which he may not be able to return from.
At the same time, Natsuno Yuuki, a young man who truly hates life in Sobata discovers the same shocking truths as the doctor and searches desperately for a way to put an end to the threat once and for all.

The animation and soundtrack to this series are amazing. This series is genuinely creepy but so fun to watch. The first few episodes are abit slow but it's a good setup and worth the wait. It's hard not to want to continue on to the next episode to see what happens next.

Themes included are guilt, anger and redemption. I found this anime to be very moving and insightful. I highly recommend everyone check this one out. This series will definately have you asking yourself, "Who are the real monsters in this story?"

The english dub is very good and the artwork and animation by Studio Daume is awesome.
This is a perfectly spooky series to watch with your significant other.
It's worth owning this one for sure.

P1 contains episodes 1-12 on 2 DVDs and 2 Blu ray discs.
P2 contains episodes 13-22 on 2 DVDs and 2 Blu ray discs including the two part OVA 20.5 "Twentieth Mourning and Offense" and 21.5 "Twenty-First Slaughter and Offense".

Disc 1 extras include an Episode 1 commentary with Mike McFarland,Jerry Jewell,David Wald and John Burgmeier.
Disc 2 extras include an Episode 12 commentary with Mike McFarland,Chris Burnett,Ian Sinclair and Alexis Tipton.
The extras also include some TV preview featurettes,OP and CL songs, and Funimation trailers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars shiki omg June 30, 2012

By David

Format:Blu-ray

At first i was doubting this anime but once i got to ep 4 i was hooked. i ended up watching the hole set in 2 days and i will watch it all over again. It hits all good points. there is love, action, star crossed lovers, and some really bloody scenes. so not for any one under 14. and there are some parts that bring tears to your eyes. btw this aint some twilight story. it is really dark moments. and some WTF moments. i say it is a 100% buy.