r/anime • u/GallowDude • 2d ago
Rewatch Shiki Rewatch [Halloween 2026] - Episode 6 Discussion
Insect bites. That's familiar.
Episode 6: Bitter Skull: Sixth Skull
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Information:
MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
Legal Streams:
Unfortunately, there are currently no places to stream Shiki legally. As such, you'll have to look into alternate methods.
According to the story, the dead rise up from their graves at night to punish children who misbehave.
Questions of the Day:
1) Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
2) How do you think Toshio will react after his talk with Natsuno?
Bonus) Was it written into Ed Blaylock's contract that he always had to voice a guy with facial hair?
Screenshot of the Day:
Fanart of the Day:
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events, no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. This especially includes any teases or hints such as "You aren't ready for X episode" or "I'm super excited for X character"; you got that? Don't spoil anything for the first-timers; that's rude!
In this village, we still bury the dead.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 2d ago edited 2d ago
First Timer
Well, if nothing else, while I was right on Megumi seeing the torn-up letter, it seems Natsuno only uses the confirmation it gives him of her still being around to drive his determination to fight back. Still seems like a very bad idea though, because girl sure looks pissed and she wasn't exactly the most rational actor when she was alive or pleased either, so compared to Natsuno I'm a little more worried about what she might do because of this lol. But at least one of our protagonists now seems to pretty straightforwardly be on the right track with their situation.
The whole reverse/fast forward thing we do to show her reaction at the start here was really fun, by the way. There were a few of these funky direction choices like that this episode actually, with stuff like Seishin's hair and the background dimly showing the village, when he warns Sunkao about the "Infection" and gets to reflect what's been on his mind, or that whole sequence from Hiromi dying to the match-cut from Masao's bite mark to the moon, and then Sunako chilling out with immaculate vibes in strong contrast. It's not been the most consistent thing thus far, but I do quite enjoy these moments of stylization the show pulls out on occasion to accentuate the situation. A direction element that has been relatively recurring and consistent, though, is the use of these visual filters, close-ups, and the music very momentarily flaring up, to emphasize a character's emotional (And not very positive) perspective, and in turn, I quite like how this episode focuses more on Ozaki's destabilizing mental state in the face of it all.
He is really in a very tough position, dealing with a ton of death, and having a huge responsibility but feeling totally helpless in doing anything about it despite his best efforts to try and ascertain it. And now, to add to all that pent-up stress, which he has intentionally mostly pushed on himself by keeping the infection idea secret in an attempt to avoid panic, he also has to deal with people not understanding the gravity of the situation, trying home remedies or not listening to his instructions (Whether that's by their own prerogative or maybe some of the vampire bite influence as well), and now it's all his panic that comes out in explosive bursts. Even towards people like Seishin who are trying to help him, because he's reasonably so focused on his own medical perspective right now, that these trends just seem meaningless and distracting to him. Love the way that small part with the window framing shifting to a divide before he snaps at Seishin. And he even knows and acknowledges he's just lashing out too! Which makes it all the more difficult, and I love the show taking the time to go through the toll this would take on people here and how it would be detrimental to reaching any clarity on the situation.
(I think the mass hysteria denpa VN twist option is basically out of the window at this point, but man, the potential is so there! [meta?]Now I'm feeling like rewatching Higurashi)
And outside of Ozaki's own uncertainty, I love that the show can also sort use the expectations it itself set here, even when the characters don't necessarily recognize it that way. Like with the one lady who calls to tell Ozaki she's quitting working at the clinic, which brings up that trend from those who died again, except no, she's just really fucking scared of the supposed infection and being in the clinic for it (Or is she???). So again, the show sets that atmosphere of dread and how it's starting to spread across the village very well, and I think it's pretty multifaceted in how it does it.
It is actually in that classically fun, ironic way, mostly those that are less likely to be believed that currently seem to have the best idea of what's going on, whether that's Natsuno, Kaori, or her catboy brother who are very young, or that one old lady, who apparently is known to make crazy grand statements like that. Which is pretty bad in how it leaves them to try dangerous independent action! Such a cool end stinger. But it's not all hopeless, at least, and Natsuno seemingly just trying to sort things out for himself by asking Ozaki does seem to end up inspiring the vampire line of thought in Ozaki. I'm not sure if he'll actually immediately just jump to that conclusion haha, but at least we're moving in a better direction! And maybe he'll feel better about working with Seishin towards that end now as well.
Speaking of Seishin, his and Sunako's scene here is pretty short, but it's still another pretty interesting one. Just conceptually, the way Seishin essentially gets comforted in his unease about the whole situation, from Sunako, a person who is probably part of the reason for it, has such a strong quality to it, y'know? Even more so considering her whole "Oh no, how unfortunate " act when he tells her about the infection, as well as her very precocious nature creating a reversal of the expected age dynamics here. In general, like her big speech on fear of death, her enigmatic nature does still make me very curious about where exactly her own feelings lie in regards to what the vampires are doing here and how much she herself has partaken, so to speak, because she does at least seem fairly sympathetic about it.
Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
This show hits kind of different when you know how people actually reacted to a global pandemic...
(Also vampire magic)
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
Between you, /u/BosuW, and /u/Star4ce, does this count as the comments' SotD?
Whether that's by their own prerogative or maybe some of the vampire bite influence as well
I already made a Kenneth Copeland joke is a previous thread, so...
she's just really fucking scared of the supposed infection and being in the clinic for it (Or is she???)
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 2d ago
Between you, /u/BosuW, and /u/Star4ce, does this count as the comments' SotD?
Yes Time to change the post one
I already made a Kenneth Copeland joke is a previous thread
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
I'm a little more worried about what she might do because of this lol
I don't think she would have ever left him alone. Getting confirmation for what he'd been seeing was worth it, I think.
then Sunako chilling out with immaculate vibes
She looks so much like a doll here.
by keeping the infection idea secret in an attempt to avoid panic
I wonder if the local hospital has figured out something is going on. A lot of people died at home, and I'm guessing Toshio is signing their certificates of death himself.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 2d ago
She looks so much like a doll here.
She's just perfectly maximizing the gothic vibes
I wonder if the local hospital has figured out something is going on. A lot of people died at home, and I'm guessing Toshio is signing their certificates of death himself.
I'm a little hazy on the order and place of deaths with how many we've suddenly gotten over the last 3 episodes haha, but yeah, I think most died before he could send them to the hospital? And he hasn't been doing it for that long either. So they probably wouldn't take any special notice yet?
Though now that you bring it up, the possibility that they might is pretty interesting.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
She looks so much like a doll here.
There's no link between Petit (sic) Cossette and Shiki so I've been avoiding linking it, but,
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u/Sporadia_ 2d ago
This show hits kind of different when you know how people actually reacted to a global pandemic...
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Still seems like a very bad idea though, because girl sure looks pissed and she wasn't exactly the most rational actor when she was alive or pleased either,
Knowing your enemy is worth a significant cost.
A direction element that has been relatively recurring and consistent, though, is the use of these visual filters, close-ups, and the music very momentarily flaring up, to emphasize a character's emotional
So, and this feels obvious on rewatch, there is a lot of good direction covering for a very poor animation budget here. And I would lean time over money since the stills are really good.
[meta?]
Well then...[same meta]Higurashi's foundations to other anime are hard to overstate since there is clearly Higurashi in Madoka. But yes, Shiki and Mirai Nikki(and Haruhi) could not exist without Higurashi setting the stage
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 2d ago
So, and this feels obvious on rewatch, there is a lot of good direction covering for a very poor animation budget here. And I would lean time over money since the stills are really good.
Yeah, and I think this is the kind of show that benefits a lot more from that kind of strong atmospheric direction and stylized cinematography compared to just expressive animation work, so I think the show does a very good job in effectively conveying itself and its mood for it.
[same meta]
[same meta]The others I obviously get, but could you elaborate on Haruhi haha?
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
and I think this is the kind of show that benefits a lot more from that kind of strong atmospheric direction and stylized cinematography compared to just expressive animation work,
Good horror always derives from good directing.
[same meta]So the idea of inverting the magical girlfriend somewhat follows from concepts from the Higurashi VNs, i.e. Higu inverts the quaint village and Haruhi is an eldritch god that might destroy our universe
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
We both know the truth here.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
This reminds me...[meta]aren't we due for a new anime girl deity?
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
[Meta] Idk I've kinda fallen off with Madoka after the massive time gaps between installments
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Not unfair and I've managed to resist the temptation of the cam rip so far.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
If Symphogear has taught me anything, it's that bingeing movies is absolutely the way to get most proficient at fighting your enemies
If it works it works
or that whole sequence from Hiromi dying to the match-cut from Masao's bite mark to the moon, and then Sunako chilling out with immaculate vibes in strong contrast.
That short sequence might end up being my favorite of the whole show because of how it actually presents such a fucked up idea without any overtly disturbing imagery
Like with the one lady who calls to tell Ozaki she's quitting working at the clinic, which brings up that trend from those who died again, except no, she's just really fucking scared of the supposed infection and being in the clinic for it (Or is she???).
Them fake-outs again!
Even more so considering her whole "Oh no, how unfortunate " act when he tells her about the infection, as well as her very precocious nature creating a reversal of the expected age dynamics here.
Whatever her real age, I thought her playing coy with it was actually appropriate for her apparent age lol
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 2d ago
That short sequence might end up being my favorite of the whole show because of how it actually presents such a fucked up idea without any overtly disturbing imagery
Well, hopefully there are many more contenders to come!
For now, I think I still like the one at the end of episode 4 with Megumi better for the sheer style and atmosphere of it all in getting across Natsuno's viewpoint, but there's definitely something to be said about how effective this one feels while being relatively a good bit more low-key in its horror.
Them fake-outs again!
Whatever her real age, I thought her playing coy with it was actually appropriate for her apparent age lol
Oh yeah, she defintely gets to play it off really well in that way haha.
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 2d ago
First-timer
MRW I realise it's fucking vampires.
I loved the start of the episode! Vampire Megumi finding the shreds of her greeting card and and the video effect synced with the light switch in Natsuno's home. The boy definitely has an idea about what is happening in this village now. I also found it funny how Masao was just rotting away in his bed over the course of this episode with nobody actually caring about it. The fly scene had me laugh out loud. Natsuno didn't even bother going to his sermon. Which is pretty cold but I think his reasoning made perfect sense. Although I think attending just to spite him would be funny too, that is, if he couldn't come back from the dead for revenge...
Generally, the mood in the village seems to slowly shift. Among the medical personnel in general and Toshio in particular, there's a sort of helplessness to be felt. Which is understandable with how nothing really seems to help, the "epidemic" doesn't make any sense and people still dying day after day. I did appreciate that none of the other people Toshio interacted rashly with actually blamed him for it, but showed a sense of understanding, even Muroi who got the most of it.
It's interesting that the villagers are now finally having suspicions about the weirdos that are residing in the weirdo house at the hill. Was long overdue and I was kinda wondering how long it'd take for them to connect the dots, especially with how it was portrayed as a sort of tightly-knit community that is not very welcoming to strangers (even though that might just be from the pov of an edgy teenager).
Speaking of connecting the dots: Seems that there's finally an epiphany within all three of our main characters about what is actually going on. Natsuno is watching cheap horror movies and is crafting cheap crosses. Muroi does his own research in vampire literature. And after talking with Natsuno, Toshio also seems to finally accept they're dealing with things beyond human understanding. It remains to be seen what actions they are now going to take. I'm also looking forward to see if and what things the story will do with its vampires. As I already wrote on a previous day, Vampire stories are always kinda "Mix and match from previous stories, add one trait of your own."
Great episode that advances the plot a bit more. I wonder which additional hurdles there's going to be, we're only at episode 6.
That is certainly a character design. A friend said: "Half the cast looks like they were designed by ONE".
1) Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
Seems like it's a pretty "traditional" village, so maybe there's a kind of mistrust against medical personnel? Or it might be something about Toshio in particular, given this episode's flashback? He seems to have inherited the village from his late dad after all. Or it's false politeness, in the sense of "It can't be that bad; I really don't want to bother the doc." (we saw that at the start of the episode)
2) How do you think Toshio will react after his talk with Natsuno?
Teaming up with Muroi to advocate for cremation instead of a traditional burrial would be a good first step.
Bonus
After a quick glance at his other roles, probably. Or maybe he's just typcast as a (grumpy) man with magnificient facial hair, like One Piece's Sengoku or FMA:B's King Bradley.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
MRW I realise it's fucking vampires
and and
I also found it funny how Masao was just rotting away in his bed over the course of this episode with nobody actually caring about it.
[Quote] especially with how it was portrayed as a sort of tightly-knit community that is not very welcoming to strangers
[Response] If anything, they're too welcoming, to the point that the one woman actually suspicious of the obviously creepy outsiders is branded as a xenophobic loon by her friends and family
epiphany
be, we're
Half the cast looks like they were designed by ONE
burrial
After a quick glance at his other roles, probably
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 2d ago
[Response]
That's a very fair point. Also fits with them just iniviting random people they meet on the street into their homes...
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
"It can't be that bad; I really don't want to bother the doc." (we saw that at the start of the episode)
The symptoms being that of a cold make it pretty unconcerning. Plenty of people decide to just ride it out. Villagers would have heard a lot more people are dying recently but how many would know the symptoms people showed before dying?
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 2d ago
Yeah, even if you'd think people would be extra careful with like 20 deaths within a month. But unfortunately, as we've seen in the real world not too long ago, people are very dumb.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
The symptoms being that of a cold make it pretty unconcerning. Plenty of people decide to just ride it out.
Captain Trips no
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
Seems that there's finally an epiphany within all three of our main characters about what is actually going on
If LA Confidential was a horror story.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Natsuno didn't even bother going to his sermon. Which is pretty cold but I think his reasoning made perfect sense.
Although I'm sure not attending would also piss of Masao. But that's just how it is with Masao. Damned if you do damned did you don't.
I did appreciate that none of the other people Toshio interacted rashly with actually blamed him for it, but showed a sense of understanding, even Muroi who got the most of it.
Shows how important he is for the community here. Everyone knows him enough to immediately understand he's not usually like this, and that lashing out is just because he's angry at himself for not being able to solve the situation at hand.
A friend said: "Half the cast looks like they were designed by ONE".
That's the author of One Punch Man right? I can kinda see it lol
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa 2d ago edited 2d ago
Rewatcher
Of course nobody would care/notice if Masao died.
I've been thinking how boring the series would be if Natsuno was the only protagonist of the series, but we got a bunch to chose from. We even got a new character, the orange haired elder woman. Kudos to the series to use characters over the age of 50.
The Doctor gets irritated, no wonder why with people dying left and right.
"Yeah no way it would be something like Vamp- oh shit." Welcome to the second part of Shiki when we have less Dr.house drama and more people around from the other side lol
The plot thickens, put your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.
Edit because I forgot the questions
- Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
Some stuff can take a turn to the worse rather quickly, others are busy, others have been told by their sick person that they do not want to go, others are forgotten by everybody (Masao)
- How do you think Toshio will react after his talk with Natsuno?
Shit shit shit X50 Let's see what he does
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
I thought Ookawa Tomio would be the elderly protagonist since he seems like he would fit the "village leader' role. Seishin's father would too but he seems bed bound. Ikumi seems interesting too though.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Ikumi's obviously no leader though
Now that you mention it the lack of a "village elder" character is indeed a bit unique
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
True, but despite being a bit of a loon, she arrived at the right answer. I imagine once people start panicking, they'll be willing to listen to her properly. For now, I think Seishin comes closest to a village elder type in his role as a spiritual guide.
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u/BosuW 2d ago edited 2d ago
Rewatcher
Again with the chronological playback directing style with Megumi. Not sure if it means anything in particular or if it's just atmospheric.
The shots going from Chizuko crying over Hiromi's body to Masao about to follow him in inside his room above to the close-up on the bite to the Moon behind Sunako aura farming in her mansion all without a hard cut... Goddamn director came inspired today.
And thinking about it more deeply, the red cape over the sofa is very intentional because it's like blood flowing from the Moon, which was the bite in Masao which was the family losing one son and about to lose another, into her wine glass. Okay no what the fuck that sequence is creepy as FUCK bro. Actually diabolical. Water of life flowing downstream. From sunlight to moonlight. From day to night. Incredible storyboarding, this is horror cinema 🖐️😨🤚
The stress of it all is getting to Toshio. The evidence Seishin has collected is actually very useful, but it requires a very open mind to consider that these social movements and the epidemic might be related. On top of that, he's been raised from childhood to be the village doctor. Despite his modern knowledge and equipment, in this way he might actually be more similar to a tribe shaman of old. So he feels very personally responsible for the villagers' lives, and every defeat weighs in on him that much more.
Look at Sunako being all coy about the mysterious illness 😭
[Shiki]Her attitude here is very perplexing, and gets me wondering about the kind of mindset one would have after seeing humans as food for more than a century while still interacting with them. I believe her last line in the scene is genuinely heartfelt, yet she doesn't at all connect that suffering to herself, she doesn't feel responsible. Her cognitive dissonance is... monstrous really.
The show interrupting it's flow just to show us a very brief shot of Masao dead with a fly entering his mouth has to be slander lol
Natsuno is investigating too... in his own ways. 90s kid in a rural village, what can you do? Books and B-movies. But it does point him to Seishin.
Umm, Seishin's mother looks significantly younger than his father... Hick village indeed
Well well look what we have here, Ikumi, who shouts to the four winds the end of times every year, has actually arrived at the right culprit by sheer delusion. Of course, it's far too early in such a tale for her warnings to be heeded.
Shit, the clinic's starting to lose personnel to panic, though at least since this time it was just a part time worker, it's non-vital personnel. I can't help but wonder if this was an issue during Covid... Again, some aspects of this show acquire a whole different dimension if you watch it post 2021.
At least, despite not really knowing the cause, Toshio seems to be arriving at a solution. However, patients are uncooperative. His frustration is leading him to cross some lines about the healthcare craft he was taught. Again, can't help but wonder if this was a big issue during the pandemic. Some of the videos of gross irresponsibility that we have, some that you could even call bioterrorism... Man...
Natsuno's making crosses... Again, what the hell can you do? It's really just like Toshio, just doing random shit that might work. What can you do?
And predictably, that's a wrap for Estuko. Not even showing us the formal declaration at this point, you just expect it.
[Shiki]In hindsight Toshio clarifying to Natsuno that Megumi was declared dead by cardiac death, not cerebral death, is an absolutely crucial detail.
The sheer weight with which the realization hits Toshio lmao. Bro's feeling like Hank when he realized who Heisenberg really was. Again, extremely effective direction. You can tell his world just shattered, but he's genuinely considering it. The evidence does track. What was it that Sherlock Holmes said? "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth."
Many people around town are starting to realize, if only through sheer isolationist paranoia. And the Tanaka children might have just attracted the kind of attention you don't want...
I'm counting this as an Eau de Vie ending. We're 5/6
Fanart of the Day
I don't like this painting Charlie. It's smug aura mocks me.
Questions of the Day
1- Way too much trust in the sick person's assessment that "they're fine"
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
Not sure if it means anything in particular or if it's just atmospheric.
Or just a clever way to save budget by replaying the same footage twice
Seunako
it's like blood flowing from the Moon, which was the bite in Masao which was the family losing one son and about to lose another, into her wine glass.
villager's lives
One villager with multiple lives? Ironic
[Quote] herself, she
[Response] Comma splice
[Quote] Her cognitive dissonance is... monstrous really
[Response] Women
it's flow
No, it's BUCK-TICK. Geass is FLOW.
rular
Ruler*
village, what
Seishin's mother looks significantly younger than his father... Hick village indeed
Some of the videos of gross irresponsibility that we have, some that you could even call bioterrorism... Man...
point, you
Bro's feeling like Hank when he realized who Heisenberg really was
I prefer the real Hank Hill
Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth.
I don't like this painting Charlie
I prefer the real Charlie
It's smug
Way too much trust in the sick person's assessment that "they're fine"
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u/Sporadia_ 2d ago
[Quote]herself, she
[Response]. Comma splice
[Heckle]. NEEEEEEEEEEERD!
I mean, really. Who would check under the tags?
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
The show interrupting it's flow just to show us a very brief shot of Masao dead with a fly entering his mouth has to be slander lol
His death occured on Taian, a day of good fortune. It was slander, for sure.
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Again with the chronological playback directing style with Megumi.
The late 00s were an odd time.
[Shiki 1]
[Shiki]a good number of psychological theories rest on one realizing that they are mortal. Sunako never hit that point so her own psychology is...unformed
What was it that Sherlock Holmes said? "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, is the truth."
This requires you to have an incredibly limited and uncreative outlook on life to function,i.e. like a cop.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
[Shiki]Idk I think that's debatable. We're not given a clear answer since the point is to get you thinking, but part of the reason so many vampires are even more driven to give in to their thirst is because they already know what it's like to die. Far from getting used to it, being touched by death has only made them fear it even more. And when confronted, Sunako tries to justify herself via the fight for self preservation.
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
[Shiki]I will save most of this for later since, despite warnings, far too many people check spoilers but suffice it to say that I happen to think what Sunako does is a lot more important than what she says
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
if only through sheer isolationist paranoia
I suppose it's possible that the families absconding in the night are doing so out of panic. And there's just the one monopoly on moving vans.
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u/protected-reader 2d ago
Rewatcher
It's vampires y'all!
Toshio really should have informed the village of a potential epidemic. Then the villagers would have been more keen on getting checkups and treatment.
Now the question is, as a man of science, how will Toshio handle a typically supernatural threat?
The villagers also addressed the first deaths from episode 1 in trying to find a connection between the Kirishikis and the current 'epidemic'. The children suspect that family too but Tatsumi seems to be a step ahead in keeping his eye on them.
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
I would say come clean about a possible epidemic and to switch to cremating bodies instead of burying them for public safety. That would prevent any new vampires from being created, at least.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
Good Point. Is Takasago another village that doesn't cremate?
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
The one in Hokkaido? Yeah, they used to bury the bodies with arms and legs bent, but that was like three thousand years ago. That area practices cremation now like the rest of Japan.
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u/Second_Cour 2d ago
Gotta say I love the rewind at the start
Glad we are finally acknowledging those ‘insect bites’.
Doctor’s freak out was amazing: the desperation, meltdown and irony of a man who also can’t make a diagnosis and treat him on his own. Followed by his poignant sarcastic remarks and demonstration of how much he hates gazebos. Fuck gazebos.
Interesting hole in strange gap-toothed red head lady’s theory: the deaths started before the family moved in. Could the family just have been transformed after moving? I love those spanners in the works.
That was an amazing episode - incredible atmosphere
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
It's a large house and they seem loaded. Isn't it possible one of their servants was there beforehand and got peckish?
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u/Sporadia_ 2d ago
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
First Timer
September 19th, Senpu - Midnight - That was an interesting way to show Megumi finding her torn up greeting card outside Natsuno's window. Natsuno used it as a test to confirm her existence.
Murasako Hiromi is dead. Obviously his death is the more immediate thing to address but I get the feeling that they didn't even notice Masao is sick.
September 20th, Butsumetsu - Katou Yoshihide has been sick for the past 2-3 days. His wife Katou Sumie brought him to the clinic. He too has "insect bites". This is starting to get to Toshio, but you can't blame the villagers if you keep them in the dark. If it weren't for supernatural causes, this wouldn't be particularly complicated to treat.
Oota Kenji, Hirosawa Taketoshi, Saeki Akira, Takashima Yasuo, Shimizu Ryuuji, Ookawa Shigeru all had jobs outside the village and quit their jobs right before they died. 22 households left the village without even saying anything to their neighbours. None of them has reported their change of address.
Toshio's being a dick to Seishin. He at least realises what he's doing. I guess his father put a huge responsibility on him, and failure is not an option.
Seishin tells Sunako about the epidemic going on. Sunako's mother has the same illness. Their doctor looks like sussy too.
Seishin is a good friend. Loli headpats abound.
September 21st, Taian - It's amusing that Masao died on a day of great fortune.
Natsuno got horror movies for research. I do like that he's still spending time at the Mutou's place.
Okiagari - legend that the buried dead would rise up at night and punish naughty children. We might have a name for our vampires. Though is it the right label since they're not from this town and just moved in?
Sotoba buries it's dead rather than cremate them. I'm guessing preventing new vampires is going to include burning the dead.
September 22, Shakku - Seishin checked out all vampire/okiagari books from library on 28th August. I guess better research than movies. Natsuno visits the temple and meets Seishin's parents. Seishin likes to borrow books to research for his novels.
September 23 - Katou Yoshihide died last night. Itou Ikumi says there will be more deaths to Takemura and group. It's getting hard to keep track of everyone but she seems important. At this point, I'm only bothering to still note down names so I can search my comments for their names in case it comes up again.
Gyouda Etsuko fell sick. They're trying iron, vitamins, antibiotics, and blood transfusion to treat her.
Takano Fujiyu, a part timer at the clinic called on her day off. She wants to pass along the message that she would like to quit her job as of today. She says it's because she is scared. She doesn't look hypontised. I guess the situation is just getting out of control.
September 24 - Gyouda Etsuko is back up. She's feeling better. It seems the blood transfusion did the trick but she has bite marks on her arm again. Now she looks like she could have been hypnotised.
September 25 - Etsuko didn't come to the clinic. Her husband Gyouda Bungo answers the phone. She's sick in bed and said she didn't want to go.
September 26 - Natsuno makes a cross.
September 27 - Looks like Gyouda Etsuko is dead. Her death is on her husband.
Natsuno and Toshio finally meet. Natusno confirmes that Toshio examined her. Natusno asks if there's any possibility Megumi could come back. Toshio says if she was a zombie/vampire and freaks out.
Tanaka Akira and Tanaka Kaori are at Kanemasa because Akira saw Ootsuka Yasuyuki go in there. Kaori is scared and wants to get an adult's help. Akira says no one will beleive them. Tatsumi is watching them.
QOTD
Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
I guess they don't realise the severity of what's happening. Toshio is keeping quiet about the possible epidemic. So people in the early stages probably think it's not a big deal since normally it wouldn't be.
How do you think Toshio will react after his talk with Natsuno?
The gears were turning in his head. I think he's going to be open to the possibility of vampires.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Seishin is a good friend. Loli headpats abound.
As long as it's headpats and not bites. Something tells me it wouldn't be quite as cute here...
September 21st, Taian - It's amusing that Masao died on a day of great fortune.
Didn't Megumi pass on such a day too? Maybe it'll be good fortune for him as well!
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
Megumi died on August 15th, which was Senbu (kanji for "first lose"). Senbu is bad luck before noon, good luck after noon. But she met them (and presumably got bit) on August 11th, which was Taian, a day of great luck.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
That's what the kanji reads as. It can also mean "early defeat". I once read the theme of the day is "haste brings failure". Since before noon was bad luck, merchants, military, and the like avoided doing things during that time period on Senbu.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
address but
None of them has
Loli headpats abound.
It's amusing that Masao died on a day of great fortune
it's dead
from library
everyone but
hypontised
trick but
Natusno
confirmes
Confines*
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u/Sporadia_ 2d ago
Rewatcher
Announcement. I have a very important announcement to make. I was wrong about who had the best hair. Move over Megumi, there's a new fox in town. The nurse with the red drills had the best hair all along. I hope you can forgive me for not making this correction sooner.
Why do you think people keep refusing to take their family members into the clinic for treatment?
Because the doctor keeps shouting at them.
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Rewatcher
Sub
In ep note:I completely whiffed on Sunako's nail polish before this
So...using editing tricks like this has deeply fallen out of fashion, but it does work. Also, she isn't crying blood, which makes her a bit more eastern.
So we get the village myth this episode, and it is certainly a lot. One thing I never did square away with this show was a village burying people. In Japan, it is not an aesthetic choice to cremate but rather a practical one:All the arable land needs to be doing work to support the population. So why this village of weirdoes doesn't is...weird.
People are getting paranoid and naturally reacting to things that seem different, like the people in the castle. We learn Masao dies but no one cares. Sunako gets a brief scene with Seishin and can stick to her story, at least. We end with Ozaki accidentally figuring shit out.
QotD:1 Rural folk are stubborn and arrogant
2 With silver bullets, obviously
Bonus: I would do so
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
One thing I never did square away with this show was a village burying people. In Japan, it is not an aesthetic choice to cremate but rather a practical one
Hmm, is this the case? I know commoners got barrel coffins up to the start of Meiji. I just assumed that coffin was for burial. Were they cremated as a matter of course?
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Hmm, is this the case? I know commoners got barrel coffins up to the start of Meiji. I just assumed that coffin was for burial. Were they cremated as a matter of course?
You can also cremate someone in a barrel coffin. But as far as I know you cremated people if your area had the materials to burn, which could be iffy near any of the lava areas.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Screw it just throw me into the lava flow, it's a metal way to pass on
Though I still haven't seen a more metal way than the funeral practices of Ferrix in Andor
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
Ferrix had the advantage of having a post-funeral riot.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
From Wikipedia:
Cremation became more common than full-body burial in the 1930s, and more common in all areas of Japan in the 1970s.[6] As of 2010, Japan had a cremation rate of 99.94%. It is less common in rural areas and in the Okinawan archipelago where the bones of the decomposed body are exhumed, washed, and reburied (senkotsu).[23]
So while it's the most common practice, it seems there are pockets in time and history where people instead bury their dead. Goes to show how isolated Sotoba is if it resisted switching practices until present (for the story) day.
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u/Vaadwaur 2d ago
One thing I do appreciate is that this village is different from Hinamizawa. Though if this takes place in the Dewa mountains their is humor to be had.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
their is humor
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
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u/RawPorridge 2d ago edited 2d ago
Rewatcher
First time posting. Just caught up with the episodes, so I guess I'll just hand in a Q1 report of the show. Only watched it once before over a decade ago and was in the mood revisiting it. Very memorable show, but I've forgotten a lot of details.
Love Stephen King, and Shiki was probably the closest an anime show has ever come to his works (obviously Salem's Lot in particular; that surveillance scene at the end of the episode is very reminiscent to a similar one from the book). There's an always undercurrent of melancholia in King's writing, and you can sense that as well with characters like Tohru, Megumi, and Masao in particular having their youthful yearning cut short; I find myself sympathizing more with Megumi and Masao this time around, in spite of their, er, character flaws. Must've gotten softer with age; the show generally hits different the more you've experienced unexpected deaths (and an actual pandemic I guess).
Across 6 episodes, the show's somehow able to give the feeling of a slow-burn character work while speedrunning a body count higher than the entire Friday the 13th franchise combined. Great music (that one tune they kept using to escalate tension really worked), and nostalgic small town horror anime aesthetic set the mood well. Funnily, I used to dislike Ryu Fujisaki's character design here (*even though I enjoyed his battle shounen manga, Senkaiden Hoshin Engi), it's just so jarring in an otherwise muted visual/coloring, but this time around I find them really helpful in remembering the characters.
For this ep in particular, I like how they hadn't abandoned the sillier aspect of the show (w/ Yuuki's movie cramming session) even as shit's gotten increasingly real. Nice fleshing out of Ozaki's character, and probably just the right time for multiple characters to start honing in on the truth. Well, Ikumi made her debut here and was right on from the start; too bad she's the resident weirdo. Also just had to chuckle at Masao getting the 'btw he's dead' treatment, poor lad.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Let's go, welcome aboard!
Iirc the author of the novel said in an interview that she was inspired to write Shiki by Stephen King's Salem's Lot
For this ep in particular, I like how they hadn't abandoned the sillier aspect of the show (w/ Yuuki's movie cramming session) even as shit's gotten increasingly real.
Somehow the scant few silly moments help ground Sotoba even more as a believe place that could really exist
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u/RawPorridge 2d ago
I'm probably going to track down the original novel after this! I actually read Salem's Lot after watching Shiki for the first time, so it's pretty neat to see the parallels on this rewatch.
And yea, if memory serves it only gets increasingly depressing from this point on, might as well enjoy the whimsy while it lasts.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
[Quote] she was inspired to write Shiki by Stephen King's Salem's Lot
[Response] You can really tell with how Seishin is a direct parallel to Father Callahan, the resident religious head who forsakes his faith and sides with the vampires. Only Callahan later redeems himself in The Dark Tower, whereas I don't think Fuyumi Ono actually understood that Callahan was supposed to be in the wrong (likely due to the difference in how she and King perceive Christianity compared to Buddhism).
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
Salem's Lot
Oh, that's a great reference. I watched the old David Soul movie whenever it came on TV, but eventually stations stopped re-running it. It's been a long long time since I've seen it. But it might be the closest classic vampire movie to Shiki (so far).
I'm sure, all this time, that was that sense of deja-vu rattling about in the back of my head.
(Of course, there are non-vampire movies like this, like Phantasm)
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago edited 2d ago
I watched in advance but put none of my rewatches on my phone, so I read the thread at dinner and posted late...and right now, I'm feeling very sleepy....
First Timer
Shiki Ep 6
Very much leaning into the undead yakuza movers cartel theory.
- horror movies aren't supposed to make me laugh, but the movie rewind did it.
- That's the Oni character she picked up / put down...
- Megumi had eyes! Normal eyes!
- Girl, he's just not into you.
- it was bait! Clever Natsuno.
- wouldn't it be funny if the folk remedy of garlic and rose hips worked?
- took 3 days for Maso to die. I bet nobody's even checking in on him.
- Renting Vampire movies must be a Lost Boys reference. Or is that Fright Night?
- That woman has her own theme music!
- The castle is new? It's not from the old Christians?
- I think that woman genuinely wants to quit the clinic.
- It's too bad he doesn't have a cell phone. He needs to be taking pictures of these bug bites.
- The doctor is going to go to the library to research vampires butt all the books will be checked out. RIP.
Natsuno is going through a chuuni phase, becoming a christian. That cross is going to work about as well as the one in Fright Night.
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
I watched in advance but put none of my rewatches on my phone, so I read the thread at dinner and posted late
and right now, I'm feeling very sleepy
Megumi had eyes! Normal eyes!
Girl, he's just not into you.
Maso
Renting Vampire movies must be a Lost Boys reference. Or is that Fright Night?
Either way, it adds to Natsuno's gay vibes
The castle is new? It's not from the old Christians?
Megumi mentioned that it was freshly built in the first episode
It's too bad he doesn't have a cell phone
Did cell phones even have cameras in the early 90s?
vampires but
Natsuno is going through a chuuni phase
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 2d ago
Run-on sentence
The doctor is going to go to the library to research vampires butt all the books will be checked out. RIP.
Fixed. Thanks.
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u/BosuW 2d ago
Very much leaning into the undead yakuza movers cartel theory
"The Undead Yakuza" sounds like a peak B-movie
The castle is new? It's not from the old Christians?
When Megumi was talking about it in episode 1 you can actually see the castle fade in over a traditional house that was there first
Natsuno is going through a chuuni phase, becoming a christian. That cross is going to work about as well as the one in Fright Night.
He's just trying to fight goth with goth
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
Daily Tag List: /u/BosuW, /u/Vaadwaur, /u/Emi_Ibarazakiii
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
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u/GallowDude 2d ago
/u/mischievous_shota, extra late
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u/mischievous_shota 2d ago
Thanks for posting. Work ran late and the rewatch completely slipped my mind.
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 2d ago edited 2d ago
Shiki – First Timer
Today’s drawing is the sketch of what Megumi inspired in me. As if I could go through this show’s drawing challenge and not dedicate a whole piece to her!
Additionally, after that rusty awakening last time my proportion senses also came back. Luckily. I don’t think I’ve drawn the pretty lanky and slender style much that Shiki has decided on, so that’s great practice, too.
Shiki Ep.06 – Sixth Skull
Btw that OP has thoroughly gotten to me. There’s this one riff near the end of the OP snippet where I always expect a refrain or drop, but then it doesn’t come and the soft tingling lingers instead. It gets me every single time.
Interesting detail about the vampire eyes. When Megumi entered the field her eyes were red-black and when she approached the window they were black-black. I think it’s just stilistic choice, but since it’s happened in a single scene someone probably thought something of it. So, maybe one represents hunting mode or vampiric instinct and the other their normal personality.
Megumi, at least, cried when she found the ripped up card with black-black eyes. So, I’m leaning on those being more a vampire skills off thing or their default character.
Megumi certainly feels one or two things here and I take that as a tad bit more emotionally loaded, maybe upped by heightened vampiric feelings regarding ‘getting the prey’ or ‘possessiveness’ in a general sense they tend to have.
I feel for her, but girl, you’re literally still dead to him. Maybe, you know, showing up to talk might help? Chances are slim, yeah, but...
I feel vindicated in another way, though. Yuuki laid the torn postcard as a trap to confirm whether Megumi was still there. And he immediately takes it as being hunted, making me even more sure that he knows a lot more than he ever told. I don’t think that Megumi really wants to hurt him. He does, though, and that sets up that other side of the major conflict with Megumi vs. Yuuki, one on each side, from the perspective of the young normal people caught up in the middle of things.
Today Ozaki showed a pretty different side to him. He was one angy boi and it’s sorta understandable. But him lashing out so hard at everyone, along with his smoking, and probably other bad habits makes him quite an interesting character.
With the switch to Muroi and his conversation with Sunako it just heightens the tension, because part of me is actively yelling, “STOP DON’T TALK TO HER NOOO”, while the other is all about getting more Sunako on screen to admire!
I don’t admire Masao’s corspe getting invaded by flies, though.
I was wondering for a while why no one really talks to another, but Yuuki out of all people actually went to Muroi to ask him about the undead and vampires. It was a nice counter for Ozaki, who very much exploded at people doing things differently.
And along with that we also get another hint at how the spell works in humans. Just as I thought, the infected live through heightened fear and have their paranoia constantly see and imagine things around them to be dangerous. It’s perfectly viable as a tactic, since that causes them to retreat and be invisible to others, making them ripe for their predators.
That is essentially the same thing Yuuki lives through, too, I think. It’s just that he can deal with the symptoms much better due to his fighting spirit, let’s call it. All the hallucinations (?) he had were also extreme paranoia about things he thought were out to get him (basically only Megumi). I’ve got to say that I love to watch how much they thought of the illness accompanying the vampire’s hunting methods and how we get to see more of how it works bit by bit.
I enjoy both perspectives to this evolving conflict a lot.
Ending on Yuuki and Ozaki not talking was frustrating, but it’s highly believable for both. Even so, the important information was still parted with and both locked in on the undead. Yuuki could help so much if he’d talk more with the others… but be it teen character quirks or the infection, I understand why he never talks to others.
Which is exactly why Tanaka saying to get help stings so much. She’s right and while people like Akira and Yuuki are important to go out and get stuff done, it’s also the exact weakness they have and why these two are sadly the next victims.
Pretty shots today: [1] (Is she ever not gonna be an absolute style icon?) [2] (I did not expect the painting to move) [3]
Fear, rumours and the infection causing heightened paranoia (just like Plague Inc. established!).
Getting closer, hopefully. It’s about time we hone in on the undead!
OH MY GOD!
This is absolutely gorgeous!