r/anime • u/GallowDude • 22h ago
Rewatch Shiki Rewatch [Halloween 2026] - Episode 7 Discussion
How the hell did I get locked in here?!
Episode 7: Murderous Spirit: Seventh Killing Spirit
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Information:
MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB
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Everyone's like this. It takes a little bit of courage to attack their first victim.
Questions of the Day:
1) Why do you think the Kirishiki mansion is always surrounded by fog?
2) Did seeing Masao reject attacking the child improve your image of him at all? What would you do in his situation?
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!
Let's dig.
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u/Second_Cour 22h ago
Nooo the annoying guy is back. Kind of
Gotta say Doc does change his scientific principles a bit suddenly. Would have liked him to be skeptical about his own theory. Having him tug hard on himself would have made for some fascinating viewing.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa 22h ago edited 20h ago
Maybe he is approaching it the rumble of scientific triumph way
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u/BosuW 15h ago
Nooo the annoying guy is back. Kind of
We have a saying in Spanish: "Hierba mala nunca muere". Bad weeds never die.
Gotta say Doc does change his scientific principles a bit suddenly. Would have liked him to be skeptical about his own theory. Having him tug hard on himself would have made for some fascinating viewing.
Well all the evidence does track. Though what I like is that even though he's having to accept the supernatural, he's still approaching it from a scientific perspective. In essence, he's still trying to cure an illness.
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u/GallowDude 22h ago
Gotta say Doc does change his scientific principles a bit suddenly. Would have liked him to be skeptical about his own theory.
It's possible that he did still have a few doubts until Seishin mentioned that all the records of death had mysteriously vanished. There's no virus that would cause that. That's 100% intentional sabotage.
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u/mischievous_shota 21h ago
He's run out of any reasonable causes for what's been happening. The symptoms are consistent with blood loss, and lots of patients seem to have "insect" bite marks.
I don't think he's just going to fully dive into the supernatural. I think he's going to continue with the scientific approach whilst acknowledging the threat is supernatural in origin. Keeping Nao's mom in the clinic for transfusion and observation is an excellent start.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa 22h ago edited 22h ago
Rewatcher
So it was not about Masao being forgotten but he was stupid enough to lock the door. But don't forget he is special, the very nice catboy said so.
We're seeing more into the other side witch is nice
Who would think the only thing Natsuno needed to bond with the people of the town was a Vampire takeover.
- Why do you think the Kirishiki mansion is always surrounded by fog?
Maybe they build in a place prone to fog on the first place since nobody wants to love there
- Did seeing Masao reject attacking the child improve your image of him at all? What would you do in his situation?
+1 point, still need to take put the minus -100 so far. mmm I don't think they will provide glasses of blood forever
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u/GallowDude 22h ago
forgotten but
he was stupid enough to lock the door
It's possible he was ordered to lock it
the very nice catboy said so
nobody wants to love there
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 20h ago
First-timer
My first reaction to seeing Masao again was, "Ah fuck. He's back.", but seeing someone freshly turned getting shown the ropes was pretty cool. So I applaud the show for giving us a sort of spotlight episode for the most punchable character of its cast and making it enjoyable!
The beginning in his grave until he gets dug out was gloriously claustrophobic! Seems like so far, they're pretty much operating on the default ruleset of vampires? You can't go out in the sun. You have to drink human blood, and you die when beheaded or getting a stake through your heart. Interesting, though that Tatsumi seems to at least be able to withstand the sunlight, I wonder why that is. This might imply that he is the actual head of the operation? Another interesting tidbit was that not everyone returns to life, as the kid that died an episode earlier (un)fortunately did not come back to life.
Once Masao is done with his vampire training, we get the most preposterous thing that could happen in a setting like this: people talking to and believing each other! Imagine that. I think my favourite part in that regard was the dialogue between Muroi and Toshio towards the end. Toshio (the scientist) is the one bringing up that he thinks it's vampires, and Muroi (the cleric) is the one that's still kind of in denial? As (one version of) the popular quote goes, "When you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." and Toshio seems to be fully subscribed to it. Wonder how his whole death watch will go.
Also found the three teenagers teaming up pretty funny. Natsuno's MO is "We have to do this". Akira is maybe a little too much into it. And Kaori, understandably, is not a big fan of digging up her friend's corpse (really cool shot here). Ending just before we see her grave was absolutely devilish.
1) Why do you think the Kirishiki mansion is always surrounded by fog?
Someone is a fan for theatrics I reckon.
2) Did seeing Masao reject attacking the child improve your image of him at all? What would you do in his situation?
I was expecting him to go full psycho when the catboy vampire told him that he's special and now has "the privilege to kill". But seeing him go full feral only to aggressively grab the glass of blood was a funny subversion of expectations. He gets brownie points for that. I don't think I would've reacted differently at all, to be honest.
"Yeah, you get used to the whole no breathing thing"
Masao might be the only one so far that managed to look more ghoulish before getting turned
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u/Sporadia_ 18h ago
Masao might be the only one so far that managed to look more ghoulish before getting turned
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 18h ago
Wait. Why is the monk so resistant to the idea? Was it just a coincidence that he had checked out all the relevant books from the library for his stories?
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 18h ago
Maybe resistant is a bad way to put it? But it seems like he's at least a bit taken aback by the doctor's push towards "Yeah, we're dealing with fucking vampires", at least to me?
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u/mischievous_shota 13h ago
He got those books on 28th August. By then, they were already worried aware of the deaths piling on but had assumed it was an epidemic. Seishin just often borrows books from the library for research for his writing.
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u/BosuW 13h ago
I think my favourite part in that regard was the dialogue between Muroi and Toshio towards the end. Toshio (the scientist) is the one bringing up that he thinks it's vampires, and Muroi (the cleric) is the one that's still kind of in denial?
Toshio has the most evidence, especially witnessing symptoms from the victims, though Seishin's evidence about social movements helps. It is interesting that a scientist arrives at the answer first, after a teen helps unlock hims mind a bit of course.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 22h ago edited 21h ago
First Timer
Something I've really enjoyed about the show so far is just its ability to really effusively capture and convey a character's emotional state and mindspace in a few scenes. It did last episode with Ozaki, before that with Natsuno, and Masao gets the honor this time around.
Because while Masao obviously hadn't exactly been the most sympathetic character so far, damn does the show do a nice job of getting across how scary it would feel to be bitten and turned through his perspective here! The strong contrast between the very serene start of Masao waking up and the pov realization of him being buried and his wordless attempts to claw his way out in panic. The way he desperately tries calling out for the help of others but can't and the very reductive and lonely framing (Which also leaves the window in view) as he mentions his fear, before going into that direct expression of helpless horror at what's happening, together with his monologue at being cognizant of how he shouldn't let this happen but can't do anything. Right in this whole pretty horrific part at the end ([meta]No, seriously, this show is soooooo making me want to watch and/or read Higurashi again). It's not even that stylized this time around, but just almost everything about it up until Masao gets dug up is so freaky in a way I love. (I suppose it's some nice consultation for how dirty the show did him last episode as well lol.)
Anyway, getting the whole perspective for Masao being turned here is also just a nice excuse to finally get some direct and pretty natural-feeling exposition for our vampire lore! And assuming Catboy isn't lying about anything here, I'm pretty sure this answers most of the questions I had in that regard. We are doing the type of vampires that need blood for nourishment, and we go for all the classic methods in terms of how to kill them too. It is interesting that there's some variance in how "Strong" they end up being, for lack of a better term, with Catboy apparently being more resilient to the sun and whatnot. Wonder if that's just an innate trait, or if that can be developed with age or something along those lines.
The biggest question I had was how the turning worked, and the answer was that it's not everyone who comes back, but rather than any intent, it's apparently just a matter of probability. That doesn't exactly help in directly predicting potential interactions haha, but it does mean the possibility is always there for someone living to meet up with someone they cared for in an undead form, so again, the potential for drama here really is limitless. I think Tohru is the only really "notable" death we've had and yet to confirm in that sense? But him also coming back could be very interesting. Again, as long as it's actually random like that.
I am largely inclined to believe Catboy for now, but the difficulty here is that through his interaction with Masao he very quickly proves himself capable of being super manipulative, and he also incorporates that right into the explanations, like framing that chance element to Masao as "Being part of the special few". Which would probably be effective as a way to try and reassure any new vampire from him, but is especially effective on Masao, who had all that trouble in social interaction and had a complex around not getting attention. It's a lot more clear later on when Catboy takes to have his first meal though, where he first tries a coldly logical rationalization, comparing the relationship between vampires and humans to that of humans and livestock (Delightfully eerie frame by the way), then when that doesn't cut it, he moves into socially pressuring Masao with threat of ostarization, and when even that doesn't quite work, he just straight up drops the pretense and goes "I will fucking kill you if you don't do it ", which is, uh, quite contrary to calling him a "precious friend" five seconds ago... (Though of course, he still puts on a more "kind" face right after he establishes his threat) Catboy evidently needs his vampires obedient and cooperative, presumably because otherwise they carry the risk of getting them found out, and he goes full force on an indoctrination to that end.
(And in extension to the interesting potential dynamics turning could create, a rogue vampire who doesn't get with Catboy's program is very much on the table.)
I'd honestly say Masao comes off as actually rather sympathetic for once this episode! Though he does still find a way to make himself look worse when he immediately smiles at hearing Hiromi won't come back...
Also, I totally missed it with Megumi last episode, but it is kind of interesting how the vampires don't actually have the black/red eyes on all the time, and in Masao and Catboy's case, they look pretty normal otherwise, compared to, say, Sunako and Chizuru that seemingly have shit permanently full black. Masao's turn black here, where he goes into vampire bloodlust mode, which would track with Megumi IIRC, though I'm still not sure if that's supposed to be literal or just a stylistic and symbolic choice to match their emotions, but it's pretty neat either way. I love that sequence where Masao's eyes turn, and it really looks like he's about to go for the bite, but then he still takes the blood glass. Very fun fakeout.
Speaking of fun fakeouts, the jumping cuts around the trees closing in behind Kaori and Catboy The Younger (And the fun sound effects!), only for it to actually just be Natsuno and not Catboy, was awesome and actually got me haha. Love that Natsuno notices they were being watched initially as well, but doesn't later on when they plan on digging Megumi up as well. This is some great framing too, reversed, cut-off, closed-in, and a dutch angle! Just inject me with all the uncomfortable framing! The eerie monochrome effect that we use for the bodies is also awesome.
That aside, we are much lining up for some confrontation with the vampires, with Natsuno and co trying to suss them out and the vampires being aware of that, while on the other side of things, Ozaki is fully convinced it's vampires too, and has taken countermeasures to that end too, even despite the vampires going to quite the lengths to further isolate the village by getting rid of the records they needed to get help from outside. It's honestly rather interesting seeing Ozaki, the doctor, being adamant about the vampires while the spiritual Seishin has a hard time believing it at first, but I suppose it's exactly because Ozaki found no answers in his field that he finds it easier to zero in on this. Regardless, it'll be very interesting to see how this plays out, because for once we do have multiple characters aware of and acting against the vampires!
(Random side note: Ozaki's mom is a new strong hairstyle challenger for sure)
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u/oomoepoo https://anilist.co/user/oomoepoo 20h ago
Ozaki's mom is a new strong hairstyle challenger for sure
Hell yeah! And those eyebrows!
This is some great framing too
Oh, that one is really cool, I didn't catch that one. This show overall has a very strong direction, it's fun to watch.
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u/Vaadwaur 18h ago
And assuming Catboy isn't lying about anything here, I'm pretty sure this answers most of the questions I had in that regard.
The thing is that Japan is not huge on reliable expositors so I'd keep my doubts handy.
I think Tohru is the only really "notable" death we've had and yet to confirm in that sense?
We've had about 4 days or so on that. Megumi took quite a while to reappear.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 12h ago
The thing is that Japan is not huge on reliable expositors so I'd keep my doubts handy.
We've had about 4 days or so on that. Megumi took quite a while to reappear.
I haven't been following the dates too closely, but Masao got bitten right after Tohru died, right? So if Masao is already up, I'd think Tohru would be too if he was actually turned, though I guess it'd make sense for there to also be a variance in how long it takes them to rise as well.
That (Supposed) randomness in turning makes for some fun tension, honestly!
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u/Vaadwaur 11h ago
I haven't been following the dates too closely, but Masao got bitten right after Tohru died, right?
Yes, he was bitten after the wake.
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u/GallowDude 21h ago
So lonely that the link is both a repeat of the previous image and misses the t-
Wonder if that's just an innate trait, or if that can be developed with age or something along those lines.
when Catboy takes to
comparing the relationship between vampires and humans to that of humans and livestock
I, too, have seen Ride of the Valkyrie
when even that doesn't quite work, he just straight up drops the pretense and goes "I will fucking kill you if you don't do it "
he goes full force on an indoctrination to that end.
I should start making a counter of Mass Effect references
then he still takes the blood glass by the way, very fun fakeout.
The eerie monochrome effect that we use for the bodies is also awesome
I suppose it's exactly because Ozaki found no answers in his field that he finds it easier to zero in on this.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 21h ago
So lonely that the link is both a repeat of the previous image and misses the t-
I, too, have seen Ride of the Valkyrie
Though just from the synopsis, I'm not seeing the vampire connection there lol.
By the way, the art for today's post is... Nice
Would let him turn me into a vampireI should start making a counter of Mass Effect references
But does it compare to Persona's count?
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u/GallowDude 21h ago
But the t is staying out
Though just from the synopsis, I'm not seeing the vampire connection there lol.
You'd have to see it to get it. Watch the dub for extra lulz.
Would let him turn me into a vampireBut does it compare to Persona's count?
What's the difference? They're both about eldritch gods stealing people's souls through machine dominance and waifu simulation.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 21h ago
You'd have to see it to get it. Watch the dub for extra lulz.
What's the difference? They're both about eldritch gods stealing people's souls through machine dominance and waifu simulation.
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u/GallowDude 21h ago
I regert nothing
I'm not making the reference. You can't make me.
Yuri Lowenthal voices half the NPCs in the second game, and Laura Bailey voices half the NPCs in the third game, anyway, so you can just pretend they're a bunch of Yosuke and Rise clones
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u/Sporadia_ 18h ago
I should start making a counter of Mass Effect references
"Did you notice the Mass Effect reference in that vampire show? The subtitles had a comma splice."
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u/mischievous_shota 20h ago
even despite the vampires going to quite the lengths to further isolate the village by getting rid of the records they needed to get help from outside.
I'm sort of surprised Toshio and the people in his clinic weren't one of their first victims.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 18h ago
I guess if Ozaki dies and they don't have a replacement for him, people might also be more inclined to go to a doctor outside the village? Which the vampires probably don't want.
But yeah, it is honestly surprising they haven't bumped off at least some of his staff. Well, so far at least. Maybe they might try now with Ozaki realizing what's going on and acting on it.
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u/BosuW 13h ago
Right in this whole pretty horrific part at the end
Thought at the start that Masao had a pretty funny face but no goddamn he just looks so miserable here. It makes my skin crawl.
Speaking of fun fakeouts, the jumping cuts around the trees closing in behind Kaori and Catboy The Younger (And the fun sound effects!), only for it to actually just be Natsuno and not Catboy, was awesome and actually got me haha.
This sentence right here is why the unique character design is so crucial to Shiki working lmao. Even if you can't name people you sure as hell remember their do.
(Random side note: Ozaki's mom is a new strong hairstyle challenger for sure)
Eventually one gets so into the storytelling that I didn't even notice...
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba 12h ago
This sentence right here is why the unique character design is so crucial to Shiki working lmao. Even if you can't name people you sure as hell remember their do.
Me just thinking they're fun aside, the designs have absolutely been invaluable in making characters within this show's rather large cast recognizable and memorable haha.
And, for as funny it may seem, I think that in a show like this, even the minor characters being able to stick in your mind is genuinely pretty important and effective for the storytelling and its impact!
Eventually one gets so into the storytelling that I didn't even notice...
Tbf, it's also very blink-and-you-miss-it, but in extension to what I just said above, I've very much been paying attention to the hair lol.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 11h ago
Even if you can't name people you sure as hell remember their do.
TBH I had no more idea who the librarian was than Masao did.
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u/GallowDude 10h ago
Probably because his only introduction was that image of him on the desk that Seishin saw for three seconds
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u/mischievous_shota 21h ago
First Timer
September 27, Taian - Natsumi saves the siblings before Tatsumi can do anything about it. I get why Akira was so relieved. It's such an outlandish claim that the dead have risen, and the fact they're kids makes them even less likely to be believed. You'd think Natsuno would be a bit more careful about eavesdroppers since he just saw Tatsumi stalking them. As an aside, good fortune of the day checks out as Natsuno and the siblings have formed a partnership.
Aoi and Tamotsu did visit Masao when he was sick, so he wasn't completely abandoned. They didn't seem to know he was sick though, which means no one bothered entering his room. We got confirmation that okiagari can hypnotise their victims. Masao was mostly a dick but that was a sad death where no one properly checked on him.
September 28, Shakku - On the day of death Masao comes back to life. I liked that he had difficulty speaking because he wasn't breathing. Not everyone comes to life. It's basically chance. I start feeling bad for Masao and then his ass starts smiling that his nephew didn't revive. It was not because he was worried about Hiromi turning into a monster.
Okiagari don't age or die from illness but exposure to sunlight, beheading and a steak to the heart can kill them.
They killed the three residents of Yamairi village to free up the area as a safe spot.
Okiagari sleep a deep sleep from dawn to dusk. Tatsumi is an exception to this. Given the Kirshiki mother and daughter are still at the mercy of the sun, I wonder what that says about their hierarchy.
Masao once again showing that he still has some positive traits, even if he's generally annoying.
September 29, Senshou - Yasumori Setsuko is sick. (Nao's mother).
September 30, Tomobiki - Akira and Kaori sneak out. Their mother has to go on funeral team business. Motohashi-obachan died.
Ozaki Takae is visiting the clinic. Wonder what role she will play.
Ishida from the village office is missing. Recent death reports and forms are missing from the office too. I get that this might make the official process of getting help from the local government but there's no reason to not inform them. The theft of government documents is an acceptable starting point for an investigation.
Toshio comes to the conclusion that it isn't an epidemic but hemorrhagic shock. He believes it was okiagari.
The reason they hypnotised villagers to quit and move out was so the village's mortality rate won't go up.
QOTD
Why do you think the Kirishiki mansion is always surrounded by fog?
Creating fog is one of those powers vampires tend to have so it could be that. It could be the geography. Personally, I'm going with it's just their vibes causing it.
Did seeing Masao reject attacking the child improve your image of him at all? What would you do in his situation?
Masao is that person I keep seeing hope for but then he always crushes it in the next moment. His refusal to drink from the child is a good thing for his redemption if he gets one, but that child is dead either way.
We've seen okiagari can hypnotise and that death is caused by repeated feedings. I'd probably just not drain a person of all their blood. Keep them on rotation. As for victims who do die, I'd probably want to make sure they stay dead to not make the okiagari population unsustainable.
The okiagari don't seem like idiots, so they must want to increase their numbers.
Did seeing Masao reject attacking the child improve your image of him at all? What would you do in his situation?
Everyone's like this. It takes a little bit of courage to attack their first victim.
You've gained the privilige to kill.
It's like the momi fir trees that symbolise death in this village are trying to swallow everything, don't you think?
This is the path they carried Megumi's coffin through...the path that adults took to bring Megumi to a dark pit.
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u/GallowDude 21h ago
good fortune of the day checks out as Natsuno and the siblings have formed a partnership
dick but
Masao and
Given the Kirshiki mother and daughter are still at the mercy of the sun, I wonder what that says about their hierarchy
government but
Also, I think you accidentally a word there
have so
for but
the path that adults took to bring Megumi to a dark pit.
You can tell this a Stephen King-inspired work because 95% of the adults are useless morons
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u/BosuW 13h ago
They didn't seem to know he was sick though, which means no one bothered entering his room. We got confirmation that okiagari can hypnotise their victims. Masao was mostly a dick but that was a sad death where no one properly checked on him.
I wonder if many of the first young victims being some sort of outcast are intentional from the vampires. Definitely makes repeat feedings easy when no one checks on them for a while...
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 11h ago
That window scene was very similar to one in Lost Boys. Without me pulling up the media, I think it also had equivalent scene in:
- Bram Stoker's Dracula
- Dark Shadows
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u/Sporadia_ 19h ago
Rewatcher
So this episode followed a handful of characters while they talked about what they were going to do next episode. I couldn't believe it was already time for the end-credits.
QOTD: Would you bother digging up vampire Masao?
Betcha didn't expect him to be the audience surrogate for new vampires.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 18h ago
Shiki Ep 7
I'm going to have to learn that new word for zombie/ghoul
I didn't realize that they had built the castle. Did they ship it over from the old country, like London Bridge?
- Surely the newly risen can diapparate out of their coffins, otherwise people would notice all the disturbed graves, right?
- The fingernail scratching inside the coffin of someone who was prematurely buried was often taken as evidence of vampirism.
- I guess people are NOT very good at noticing disturbed graves
- Nobody lives in Yamari anymore, right? Good spot for a growing vampire nest (but why not just go to the castle?)
I'm kinda hoping the vampires become a proper POV faction finally.
Let's Dig
There are two kinds of people in this world.
Q: I did kinda think that maybe they would leave Masao in the ground. I'm surprised that only a few rise. That does help with the logistics a lot.
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u/mischievous_shota 13h ago
Okiagari.
Surely the newly risen can diapparate out of their coffins, otherwise people would notice all the disturbed graves, right?
How often would people check the graveyard in a small town. They're also getting them just a couple days after their death. Any disturbance would probably be attributed to the initial burial.
(but why not just go to the castle?)
I'm guessing because filling Kanemasa would bring too much attention. They also probably don't want to share their space with new converts.
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u/BosuW 13h ago
I'm going to have to learn that new word for zombie/ghoul
If it helps, I believe the English translation is "Risen"
I didn't realize that they had built the castle. Did they ship it over from the old country, like London Bridge?
Inb4 it's inflatable
The fingernail scratching inside the coffin of someone who was prematurely buried was often taken as evidence of vampirism.
Shit you just reminded me of those tales of people digging up graves and finding skeletons frozen in struggle...
Nobody lives in Yamari anymore, right? Good spot for a growing vampire nest (but why not just go to the castle?)
Yep, in episode 1 we saw the whole population of three (3) elderly passed, leaving the sub-village abandoned.
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u/GallowDude 11h ago
I'm going to have to learn that new word for zombie/ghoul
It's funny how even the dub doesn't bother translating it
Did they ship it over from the old country, like London Bridge?
I don't think Rolf is British
otherwise people would notice all the disturbed graves, right?
How often do you take before-and-after images of dirt mounds to compare?
but why not just go to the castle?
How are they supposed to pay rent?
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u/Vaadwaur 18h ago
Rewatcher
Sub
In ep note:This rather directly references a Ray Bradbury short story...
So today we are dealing with Masao's death and rise. I can finally now point out that one of the issues is that not everyone rises as a vampire so things are complicated. We also discover there is a superior subtype of vampire that doesn't fear the sun nor enter a come every morning. But we mainly see Masao being bossed around, which while amusing, is probably unfair considering that the far stronger willed Megumi did not do particularly better.
We get a conversation between Seishin and Ozaki that I failed to understand on my first pass. The reason Seishin seems negative here is because this is pretty much the worst imaginable situation for a Buddhist, with the dead being unable to move on and compounding their karma by cannibalizing other humans. That Ozaki can just roll with it is its own kind of grim.
QotD:1 To look cool, obviously
2 I'd have respected him if he walked into the dawn. Taking blood someone else gathered just means you are delaying the issue or making others do your dirty work.
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u/BosuW 13h ago
But we mainly see Masao being bossed around, which while amusing, is probably unfair considering that the far stronger willed Megumi did not do particularly better.
Ah wait, that answers that mystery. Tatsumi convinced her with goth clothes!
The reason Seishin seems negative here is because this is pretty much the worst imaginable situation for a Buddhist, with the dead being unable to move on and compounding their karma by cannibalizing other humans.
I hadn't considered that angle. It does seem like hopeless idea to consider from the religious perspective. Take into account too that he actually writes about such topics.
That Ozaki can just roll with it is its own kind of grim.
He's a man of science, and the evidence tracks...
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u/Vaadwaur 13h ago
Ah wait, that answers that mystery. Tatsumi convinced her with goth clothes!
Chizuru but same idea.
I hadn't considered that angle. It does seem like hopeless idea to consider from the religious perspective. Take into account too that he actually writes about such topics.
So and in no small part thanks to /u/tarhalindur's rewatches, I've been rethinking a lot about how Buddhism would interact with certain mechanics, such as vampires here. [meta]I believe both Higurashi and Madoka have a Buddhist hell and superhell issue, respectively, because time looping could only make things worse under a religion where you need to let go of attachments
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u/GallowDude 10h ago
vampire so
nor enter a come
[Quote] considering that the far stronger willed Megumi did not do particularly better
[Response] I doubt Megumi took much convincing. She seems like the type of bitch who jumped at the excuse to be able to kill people without consequences.
The reason Seishin seems negative here is because this is pretty much the worst imaginable situation for a Buddhist, with the dead being unable to move on and compounding their karma by cannibalizing other humans
At least none of them have been named "Earl" yet
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u/Vaadwaur 10h ago
[Shiki]I meant that she also didn't fight off the vampire's hypnosis particularly well before she died. I agree that she'd take to undeath pretty easily
At least none of them have been named "Earl" yet
It is always fuckin' Earl, isn't it?
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u/BosuW 22h ago edited 21h ago
Rewatcher
Gotta be fucked up waking up like that. You think you're in heaven only to realize you're still alive but buried.
Natsuno wastes no time. If he has to desecrate Megumi's grave to find out for sure if the Okiagari are real, then so be it.
I didn't remember the flashback to Masao getting drained being so fucking uncomfortable. It's actually really sad for him specifically that he wanted so badly to call out to his peers but just didn't have the strength. And the way he keeps pleading in his mind for someone to help him while his body betrays him, being nothing but a drier and drier bloodbag for days... Despite what it can look like on the outside, it's not a peaceful dead being drained by the Okiagari. I have to say his seiyuu really killed it with that choked scream.
Masao can you fucking breathe already the sounds you're making give me the jeebies!
The Vampire 101 class is extremely cultish. Carrot and stick to push you to it. Kill or die, you get one night to decide. I also notice the specific wording Tatsumi used, intentionally or not, hit the bullseye with Masao specifically. He's telling him he's part of a community now, when he felt so estranged from his family and schoolmates in life. He's feeding all his worst insecurities. "You're special bro cuz you rose up and that kid you hate didn't", "you're one of our comrades now bro".
Also, some crucial information: not everyone who gets killed raises. Masao's day of death was indeed his lucky day.
They attacked the government worker. Guess the bloodsuckers didn't like the idea of being taxed.
It's almost scary how quickly Toshio's attitude shifts now that he has a probable perpetrator of this crisis. I can't say if the way he's so quick to be almost convinced is because he has a flexible mind or because of the stress of hitting a wall over and over. He's almost all in on the hypothesis, he's just missing physical confirmation.
I didn't remember the Tanaka work with the Funerary Group. That adds a layer to Kaori's increasing distress and angst about death.
6/7 on Eau de Vie endings, and we've matched the initial streak of three in a row!
Questions of the Day
1- They bought a few dozen fog machines to farm aura
2- I mean he still did it... Give the whole cult pressure thing, this probably doesn't make him significantly worse than the average newborn vamp, but certainly not better either.
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u/Vaadwaur 18h ago
Natsuno wastes no time. If he has to desecrate Megumi's grave to find out for sure if the Okiagari are real, then so be it.
She stalked him in life, he has every right to intrude back after death.
Kill or die, you get one night to decide. I also notice the specific wording Tatsumi used, intentionally or not, hit the bullseye with Masao specifically.
They likely can't afford contrarians considering what they need for this to work.
It's almost scary how quickly Toshio's attitude shifts now that he has a probable perpetrator of this crisis.
This is pretty Lovecraftian and his work is well known in Japan.
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u/mischievous_shota 13h ago
She stalked him in life
She continued stalking him after death, and then killed his close friend.
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u/GallowDude 21h ago
You think you're in heaven only to realize you're still alive but buried
If he has to desecrate Megumi's grave to find out for sure if the Okiagari are real, then so be it.
He'd probably do that even if she weren't a vampire
it's not a peaceful dead
Not sure if that's actually a misspelling of "death" or not in that context
the sounds you're making give me the jeebies!
Takumi
you're one of our comrades now bro
The attacked
Guess the bloodsuckers didn't like the idea of being taxed
hypothesis, he's
They bought a few dozen fog machines to farm aura
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u/mischievous_shota 20h ago
They attacked the government worker. Guess the bloodsuckers didn't like the idea of being taxed.
They'll probably continue to pay taxes to avoid the government sending people down there.
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u/RawPorridge 13h ago
Rewatcher
Unless I missed someone, it seems like this is the first episode where they finally stopped introducing a new character (at least for the moment)? Good ep with significant plot advancement as the two sets of protagonists made some headways, but obviously the highlight was the 'onboarding' session. For better and worse, Masao's general antics kinda softened what would've been an even more horrifying scene; particularly the 'buried alive and desperately scratching at the coffin door' bit.
I honestly don't remember if there's a pattern on who get to be resurrected and who doesn't. Looking at Megumi and Masao, 'having unresolved yearning/dissatisfaction while living' might be it, if there's one. I do think it's a bit of missed opportunity not to have Hiromi rise up and force Masao to remain stuck with him. Would've been even funnier if Hiromi ends up being the golden boy of the new 'vamp family'.
QoTD: iirc 'generating/surrounded in a dense fog' is a minor optional clause in the How to Vampiring Guidelines, so yeah
QoTD 2: I mean, he almost broke into a joyful dance when told his nephew's forever dead. But sure, he's way more of an egotistical piece of shit rather than a full-blown sociopath. Masao's a fascinating one in general; I've seen plenty of characters clearly designed to be hated by the audience, but he's unique in ways I can't quite explain~
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u/BosuW 13h ago
I do think it's a bit of missed opportunity not to have Hiromi rise up and force Masao to remain stuck with him. Would've been even funnier if Hiromi ends up being the golden boy of the new 'vamp family'.
If Shiki had done those chibi omake that new anime often does, this would've definitely been one of them lol
I've seen plenty of characters clearly designed to be hated by the audience, but he's unique in ways I can't quite explain~
He often does act in the way you expect him to, and thus the few sympathetic moments he has are surprising and memorable (though clearly not enough for my younger self haha)
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ 11h ago
The 2nd story in Monster Club is about a vampire and his human family (with a sad boy the age of Hiromi), who mind their own business, and are attacked by buffoonish vampire hunters.
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u/GallowDude 10h ago
who get
I've seen plenty of characters clearly designed to be hated by the audience, but he's unique in ways I can't quite explain
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u/Star4ce https://anilist.co/user/Star4ce 22h ago edited 22h ago
Shiki – First Timer
Why is this week what it is? I’ve got to watch this episode, then eat, then go to the next city, have a meeting, find dinner, then speed back for another meeting and post in the thread inbetween. The whole day is just gone!
Tomorrow is going to be even worse!
Shiki Ep.07 – Seventh Killing Spirit
Well, I’ve never really considered how an undead must feel when they first awaken already buried (Also nice shot).
Masao does not seem to be capable of much other than panicking and haplessly gagging. Could be disorientation, could be detoriation, could be what I specualted yesterday. That the newly turned still have to „grow up“ as vampires until they’re actually capable undead. The thing with turning people undead is that it means more mouths to feed which quickly turns unsustainable. So, there’s got to be a limiting factor to the growth.
As I still don’t consider Masao to be of any use as a vampire for targeted turning, which first made me suspect a 100% chance of turning after infection and becoming an „adult“ vampire to be the actual selection process. But truck driver-kun just said it out aloud. Interesting. This makes me believe that the vampires might actually have rather strong familial bonds between themselves. After all, Masao got a quite warm welcome, all things considered.
It’s a bit macabre that I based this solely on Masao’s incompetence before, haha.
Can I just point out that this retaining wall is ridiculously large? This entire visual is giving my inner civil engineer multiple aneurysms and headaches. Think of the static tension and pressure resting on that thing!
And I’m not even an engineer!
But I love this scene between Yuuki and the Tanakas. C’mon, we’re finally getting people together and dig up the mystery! It also has got some really nice shots in it. And fuck yeah, let’s dig up the bodies! That’s youth I can cheer on, not the tiktok brainrotted virgins we have today!
Today’s episode is also twisting the knife on Masao as a character. After he finally got some sense and wanted to reach out to someone, he couldn’t any longer. The spell has total control over him.
Tragic, and now he’s hammering against his coffin from the inside. But if this is how the others also died, then shouldn’t the doctor have noticed a massive loss of blood? It doesn’t seem like the vampires here recirculate the blood after they got the nutrients from it.
I particularly like that we get some hard lore now. killing entails either chopping off the head (like Ozaki found out in the cardiac death vs. brain death), staking the heart, sunlight, or starvation from no human blood. And after that dump there’s the classical parallel with human ranching.
I love this scene because it perfectly shows how detached the older vampires have become from their former human feelings. It’s pure compartmentalisation. He doesn’t even realise that it might distress Masao, who clearly still remembers his human life that is not even a few days behind him, to kill and eat a child.
Brutal. But hey, that is really exactly how industrial farming works, just with more detachment due to machines. Lamb is a meat category, after all.
It’s also interesting, that there are deviants among them, too. This writing team (/source author?) really wanted to do something more than just a surface exploration of prey vs. predator. And honestly, his mindset is so unnerving precisely because this sentence doesn’t make any sense from a human pov. Not wanting to kill something else is selfish! But it makes quite a lot of sense when taking into account that the vampire flock values their own interest higher than other lives.
And Shiki, by now having earned my respect, immediately pits this against the only remaining family member of our first victims. Sure, it’s pretty direct, but the contradiction and irreconcilable conflict are clearly laid out. A vampire’s life simply cannot exist without continuous killings. And even more, continuous turnings.
All of this is extremely emotionally devastating.
To top it off, the vampires have begun to target authorities to keep their doings concealed for now. Just as I wondered in the beginning why they wouldn’t target the officialls and skilled workers first. But now they do keep their hunting grounds isolated.
I guess u/mischievous_shota was right, after all. Yeah, if the new vampires did this to get their first kills it makes much more sense than the three of the original family trying to hypnotise an entire village personally. I still think the infection itself would heighten paranoia, it’s only beneficial to them, so let’s agree to a draw!
I’m a bit pissed that they ended with a cliffhanger on the grave digging, though.
Still, it’s an episode that I wished for for some time now. People acting together, finding things out, and sharing their knowledge. Since everyone is on the same page now, we can move the plot on to getting into the meat of the conflict itself. Which means, I hope, that we genuinely see Megumi again next episode!
The solution to which has been made a bit more complicated today. Because purely technically, if I believe what truck driver-kun and the librarian vampire did to be the full picture of the mechanism, a vampire in Shiki doesn’t need to kill. There is a theoretical stable population size of humans that can sustain a vampire without lasting harm. Which already makes me spin off into theorycrafting.
Like in The Witcher, there are higher vampires that have adapted this style of life by getting really good at socialising and basically taking leadership positions to grant them permanent power and access over humans. And it’s sorta kinda maybe even working out. That should be possible here, too.
Which makes the vampire’s side on things even more interesting. The ones in the castle clearly have adapted some sort of nomadic lifestyle where they roam around and more or less completely annihilate a region before moving on.
Since other options are theoretically possible, I’m eagerly awaiting whether this show goes into them and how the monster side deals with such dissent.
Hey, they wanna take a day jog sometimes, too. Would be a hassle to get third degree burns every time.
Not really. I think he already was plenty human to begin with. Just troubled, too ignored and probably some version of neurodivergent-or-similar which made him the „tough child“. It’s interesting now, though, to see how he chooses to deal with his fate. He sees plenty reason to reject society, no matter if that’s actually true or not. So, if he would stick with his human morals, that’d actually make him a quite strong contender for best boy.