Shiki, Ep. 10: Or, The Reason To Watch This Show

It Took Ten Eps For A Masterpiece.

Not that I’m going to spoil except in the spoiler space, but this is a show that has been accused of starting slowly. This is not wholly without merit. Although we, the viewers, know better, the villagers either suspect nothing, or believe that there is some sort of epidemic that must be kept quiet to prevent panic, and so forth. Only our main character, Natsuno, is tipped off early on that something different is at work here.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the climax that takes place in episode 10 is simply not something that a normal story could have produced. In one blow, every bit of foreshadowing, building things up, creating tension with characters who know that there is no magic solution that will save everyone, and so forth, is justified in spades.

But, I shall say no more outside of spoilers.

What Happened: show

Rating: 10/10. I won’t say that for what preceded this, which I found interesting, but which many would have found slow-developing even as it got interesting, but this is nothing less than a horror masterpiece.

Largely, I don’t really care what happens after this, I will still consider this a show well worth watching. Next week should include info about the background so that we might have some clue as to the why of what’s taking place, which I certainly want to know, since there is a backstory to it that we don’t know yet. (Those who have not read the novel, anyway. I have not.)

But, I write these words for people like one friend of mine who watched two episodes and quit because it wasn’t moving fast enough. Also, for people who will never watch the show, or who genuinely don’t care about being spoiled.

Really, it’s not what happened that impressed me, it’s not even why, it’s how, and making the moment count. I respect that as a writer.

Anyway, those are my thoughts about it. Sorry that they are a little late, I have been a bit ill with a cold, but I hoped this would be interesting as an issue of culture, and not just entertainment.

J Sensei

About J Sensei

Blogger, writer, linguist, former Japanese> English translator, rusty in French, experienced in Japanese, fluent English native. Writing for Technorati.com and various blogs. Skype: jeremiah.bourque (messages always welcome). E-mail: [email protected]
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