(L) Shiki

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by Kleeyook

I don't understand why so much pity for those shiki. The villagers just do the right thing by sending them to the grave again.

I sort of agree here. I don't have issue with Shiki's needs for survival, it's the way they went about it that's problematic. They certainly have had other options if it was just blood that was needed, but in actuality they just wanted to subjugate Sotoba against the will everyone else. Acting like monsters certainly didn't help matters either. The Shiki "turned" Villagers aren't made by choice and they will be forced to live a cursed existence forever while being emotionally and physically scarred.

[Manic]

Hopefully we get some conclusions for Akira and Kaori. Of course have to see also how Megumi dies. Could be connected to Kaori or Natsuno could do it himself. Should be a busy last episode.

that would be a great ending to the whole megumi situation. Drag her infront of those 2 and let them have their chance, if they choose to, to have her pay for ruining their family.

[klare]

sadly the villagers went a bit too far by killing even suspicious humans, this is not what the doctor intended when he started the fight back

looking forward to the ending of probably the best series in 2010

and this is good news: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...aired-episodes

[Bern-san]

toshio if you just listened to the sexy nurse maybe rit-chan and tohru could have survived, although they looked that they were dead or just near death when the villagers came (i suppose by looking at their more or less calm faces). toshio should know that there were shikis like those two

ok i like masao's sister, finally someone killed masao (i never hated a character so much)

hope to see natsuno killing megumi, a shame we don't see him a lot

always like the parts of seishin's story, didn't expect that

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

What end was that - did I miss something? The only end I saw was the one I wished we'd rather not seen.

Originally Posted by orion

Well that nurse is still alive. She's the luckiest character in the series. Rit-chan didn't kill her. The wolves couldn't kill her and she knows how to climb a tree.

Oh right. I paused it at that point just to post that and then my computer broke down on me.

And to add insult to the injury they gave her coat which she didn't bother to put on properly when she had every reason to.

Why do they keep trolling us with this fan disservice? I've never cared for fan service from the start. Why should I have to suffer?

[Manic]

hope to see natsuno killing megumi, a shame we don't see him a lot

yeah thats one think i dont like about the story. Him and megumi are some of the more interesting characters, and they sort of disappear in the later eps.

[KaedeF]

Originally Posted by Manic

yeah thats one think i dont like about the story. Him and megumi are some of the more interesting characters, and they sort of disappear in the later eps.

Me too. I want to see them again in their awesome attires.
Toshio stole all the spotlight in recent episodes. Natsuno and Toshio, what is the protagonist now? They have been keeping Natsuno away for too long.
And I hope they wouldn't kill off Natsuno. If not, I will be pissed.

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by KaedeF

Me too. I want to see them again in their awesome attires.
Toshio stole all the spotlight in recent episodes. Natsuno and Toshio, what is the protagonist now? They have been keeping Natsuno away for too long.
And I hope they wouldn't kill off Natsuno. If not, I will be pissed.

Funny enough, Natsuno's role and involvement weren't large in the original novel, according to readers. The main characters were really just Toshio and Seishun.

[Manic]

yeah i already knew about his outcome in the novels. Its one of the things that the manga and anime did right, but i think they should have focused more on him and the kids side of the story. I dont like Seishun story at all, i think its some of the more boring parts of the series. I would have enjoyed it more if they cut him out more and used nats and the kids instead

[karice67]

^
That would have been difficult, considering that one of the main features of the original story was the contrast between Toshio and Seishin, two childhood friends who both succeeded their family lines reluctantly, and who both reacted differently in this situation.

The focus on Natsuno in the middle part of the story actually drew the attention of viewers away from that.

[orion]

Originally Posted by karice67

^
That would have been difficult, considering that one of the main features of the original story was the contrast between Toshio and Seishin, two childhood friends who both succeeded their family lines reluctantly, and who both reacted differently in this situation.

The focus on Natsuno in the middle part of the story actually drew the attention of viewers away from that.

But Natsuno was more interesting, better looking and a better dresser than Seishin.

Natsuno and Tooru and Megumi and Kaori were in similar situations. One side felt trapped and the other accepted living in the town. Natsuno's way out was to get good grades and leave. Megumi's way out was to become a Shiki. Seishin's way out was to attempt to commit suicide.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Manic

...I dont like Seishun story at all, i think its some of the more boring parts of the series. I would have enjoyed it more if they cut him out more and used nats and the kids instead

And I have the exact opposite reaction: Seishin and Sunako are by far the most interesting characters in this show, for me. As well as the hardest to understand.

[Hooves]

Originally Posted by orion

Megumi's way out was to become a Shiki.

Yeah, Megumi's only way out of the town she seemed to hate so much was to become a Shiki, but of course she actually never planned on becoming a Shiki on purpose, it just had to occur to her.

For some reason... The reason they keep talking about Seishin's novels is because its actually happening in the anime between the doctor and him, but that is just a strange speculation that came to me all of a sudden.

[karice67]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

And I have the exact opposite reaction: Seishin and Sunako are by far the most interesting characters in this show, for me. As well as the hardest to understand.

And I have to agree.

What Tatsumi said about Sunako this episode was interesting:

"Things eventually collapse. Everything will disappear. But Sunako confronts it and struggles against it."

If we think about it that way, then the village, though maintaining it's existence now (refer to Seishin's essay near the start of the series), would eventually collapse anyway. Sunako decided on it as the ideal location for a Shiki village for a number of reasons, but she wanted to create something she could preserve indefinitely (even if the logistics of trying to keep such a large population of Shiki alive would come back to bite her. I wonder if she even thought that far ahead...)

@orion
I believe Tohru and Kaori weren't too fussed, but leaving that aside, I think Seishin's conflict is far more interesting because he CAN'T JUST LEAVE. He's the heir to the position of head monk, and like it or not, that's what everyone around expects of him. I'm not sure if everyone here understands the weight of that expectation - the head monk is effectively the leader of the village. As there is no one else who can succeed the position, Seishin has the responsibility to remain, no matter how much he wants out.

It would REALLY be nice to get the full story behind the head monk's decision, because we might then have a greater insight on Seishin.

Originally Posted by Hooves

For some reason... The reason they keep talking about Seishin's novels is because its actually happening in the anime between the doctor and him, but that is just a strange speculation that came to me all of a sudden.

I think it's more like a reflection of both their individual stories. However, whilst the doctor chose one way, Seishin chose the other, the latter of which is what's represented in Seishin's novel.

[Manic]

well to each their own, i just dont like the monk and never cared for sunoko either. I liked the 1st half of shiki more than this half. I thought it was gonna be cool once nats turned into a shiki but we dont see him doing much.

[KaedeF]

Originally Posted by orion

But Natsuno was more interesting, better looking and a better dresser than Seishin.

I second that.

I actually like to see the young ones more. But the contrast between Toshio and Seishin is something interesting to see as well. But I still don't feel for Seishin, since I still don't fully understand as to why he wanted to commit suicide. The despair explanation and the reference to the brothers in his novel still got me puzzled. What made him fall into despair to the point that he even became an ally to the human's enemy or predator? I wish to have more insight into his past.
About Sunako, I dunno, I just don't care about her. It's not like I hate her though.

[Shiroth]

Toshio will always be my favorite character of the story, though i'm also in the camp that would say that Seishin and Sunako are by far the most interesting part of the story. Their early interaction scenes were gold, and it's those scenes that started to form something between the humans and Shiki.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Toshio will always be my favorite character of the story, though i'm also in the camp that would say that Seishin and Sunako are by far the most interesting part of the story. Their early interaction scenes were gold, and it's those scenes that started to form something between the humans and Shiki.

But in the end she just drained him of blood so the predatory relationship remained.

[Key Board]

Seishun is someone who does not think with this head but rather his heart

It's further complicated because he is a latent misanthrope

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by KaedeF

I second that.

I actually like to see the young ones more. But the contrast between Toshio and Seishin is something interesting to see as well. But I still don't feel for Seishin, since I still don't fully understand as to why he wanted to commit suicide. The despair explanation and the reference to the brothers in his novel still got me puzzled. What made him fall into despair to the point that he even became an ally to the human's enemy or predator? I wish to have more insight into his past.
About Sunako, I dunno, I just don't care about her. It's not like I hate her though.

Seishin felt commiting suicide was the only way he could escape from his responsibilities. Personally, I think he should have just grown a set of balls. The Shiki offered him another way out: the destruction of the village. I can't remember if that line was in the anime or not:

Spoiler for manga:

In chapter 12 of the manga, he said he wished for the destruction of the village from the bottom of his heart. That's the true reason he sided with the shiki and refused to help Toshio. His "high principles" were nothing but an excuse he used to not have to dirty his own hands. That's why I was kind of happy to finally see him doing something in the latest episode. He's not acting like a coward anymore, he's finally fighting for his freedom. Cute lolis are amazing motivators.