Shiki is about a small Japanese rural town that is pretty much completely separated from the outside world for the most part. There is a large Western Mansion set up into the hills that has been vacation for some time. That is until a unique family moves into it.
A young teenage girl desperately looking to leave the rural community and make her way to the rich and wonderful world of the big city decided to visit the new family one day. The next day she is found deep in the forest not a mark on her in a very sick state. The doctor can't figure out what is wrong with her and she soon passes away a few days later. And thus begins the domino effect of towns people falling ill and dying in rapid numbers. The towns people are mystified as to what is happening and the Doctor doesn't have a clue either. The only people with a clue are the kids who suspect something is off with the town.
Fast forward a bit to like the last 5 episodes or so when the rest of the town has finally come around to the notion that perhaps it is a bit strange that people are disappearing coming back and working only at night. The Doctor has become well aware of what is happening in town and is now the enemy of the Vampires. We works with one of the kids that figured it out well before hand but was turned into a day walker to set up the family and turn the remaining towns people against them. With the trap sprung and the towns people aware of the Vampires it's an all out war as both sides struggle to survive. But in the end after all the bloodshed is done it's the towns people who are able to crawl out of the ruble of their once nice and quiet town to watch the sun rise once more on their Vampire free town.
To be honest at first the series was really slow to start and even though the art was interesting you almost want to drop it from a lack of plot development in the early stages of the game but then at the half way mark it goes on a slight vacation with a big cliffhanger and comes back faster and harder than ever and keeps you hooked while you watch the battle between humans and vampires play out in some of the bloodest conflicts that I've seen in a while. This isn't your cute and cuddle vampire tale by any means that's for sure.
It is interesting as well that it makes the head vampire out to be the very childlike young gothloli character and gives you reason enough to somewhat want to care for her plight and even ends with the possiblity that she did survive in the end. I thought that was a rather interesting little twist of the story as well as the doctor's experiments on his wife turned vampire.
All in all I'd have to say this was an enjoyable series that did after a while remind me of the much older 'Salem's lot. I don't know if it'll make it's way to DVD though but being a Vampire story it has a good chance.
Check out the trailer.
