Shiki – 09
And the resolution to our cliffhanger is…
After last week’s cliffhanger, I’m sure everyone is dying to find out what happens next. You want me to tell you now, right? It’s a matter of our main character living or dying, afterall. Well, guess what? We have to wait another week. We’ve been trolled. This episode focuses on what happened at the Ozaki clinic as they kept Setsuko under their care. All together now, at the top of your lungs: WHYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!
Seeya next week, kid
Despite this tension that will eat at me for another week, the show must go on, and episode 9 still gave us a lot of action. Seishin agreed to wait with the Toshio (once again, proving to be a really loyal friend). Toshio makes some smalltalk, asking Muroi about his latest novel. We’ve seen snippets of it before, but now Muroi actually explains it. His new novel, Shiki (how ironic), is about a heretic who wanders the wilderness. Everything he touches turns out bad, such as turning well water into mud. His brother, however, is the opposite and brings joy and fortune wherever he goes. Even so…this gentle man is killed by his brother. I’m pretty sure this whole novel business will have a lot of parallels to what’s happening here in Sotoba~
Does this mean Natsuno secretly has a brother who’s a trap?
Toshio’s side of the dialogue is about less nebulous things, such as explaining how the okiagari mechanics might work. They slowly drain the blood of their victims over several visits, seeing as how humans can generally survive until their blood level reaches 50%. Seishin counters, saying that the victims would notice and fight back. Toshio deftly replies that it may be similar to how you can’t feel mosquitoes when they bite you, and some sort of narcotic may even be involved. The okiagari are somehow able to control their victims with hypnosis.
Even mosquitoes are terrifying when done in a Shiki montage
The results of staying of all night show very clearly on Toshio’s face, in the form of massive bags under his eyes. The nurses start to worry, and the ugly fat one (you don’t expect me to remember her name, do you?) asks Toshio if she can help. He refuses, and heads outside to his trusty bicycle only to be confronted by another woman. This time: his wife, Kyouko.
She has been sent to stay at the clinic to try to make sure Toshio doesn’t kill himself with work, but she doesn’t seem too concerned herself. To add to Toshio’s stress, his overly strict mother appears to lecture both Toshio and Kyouko about all manner of things. DON’T make me repeat her stupid rants. -_- She nags about EVERYTHING and is the epitome of annoying. She even bugs Toshio for not having an heir.
“What’s wrong with you?! Why can’t you two do it more often, huh?!”
It’s getting dark, and Toshio and Seishin are having another manly slumber party at the clinic. Ritsuko makes some sandwiches to bring to Toshio because she’s a woman because she’s nice. =D ALSO: her sister is adorable, love the hair. Cute nurse girl decides to walk through the forest alone at night. Yeah, nice idea. Shiki is done with just teasing us, the okiagari aren’t afraid of anything so now we can come to expect more action! Ritsuko spots Nao, trudging through the trees. This is getting to be almost as creepy as the previous episode~
Night #1 at the clinic is surprisingly eventful. How eventful? How about Nao is scraping her fingernails against the windows…of the second floor. Toshio dramatically opens the blinds, revealing those unmistakable crimson eyes. Setsuko opens her eyes suddenly in a hypnotic trance, ready for her nightly blood-sucking just to add to the horror. It’s official: Team Adults have met the okiagari, much like Team Teens.
Toshio yells at her not to come in, so she doesn’t. That simplifies things, right? Setsuko is even feeling better (despite remembering her visits as Nao to be extremely vivid dreams). Problem solved, just don’t invite the undead people in! Oh, too bad Kyouko doesn’t know of this. While trying to rejuvenate a listless Toshio, she sees Tatsumi outside the clinic. GODDAMNIT, WOMAN! LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE NOW!
Night #2 at the clinic, and the climax of the episode drifts ever closer. Seishin points out that okiagari can only enter houses they are invited into, and then those houses become “okiagari hotspots,” if you will. They predict that Nao will most likely return, but get much more than what they bargained for. It’s about time we had a blackout.
Here she comes~
The clinic is the only one without electricity. As soon as Seishin goes downstairs to turn on the back-up supply of power, CRAZY begins. Nao appears again, this time taking a different approach. She calls Setsuko outside. If you can’t go in, bring your prey out. Powerless to the hypnosis, Setsuko tries to stagger past Toshio out the hospital room.
It’s pretty insane downstairs too. The door slams as soon as Seishin enters the room with the power switch and he is greeted with the silhouette of Megumi who is knocking on the glass window. This would be creepy by itself, but now we have practically the entire cast of okiagari standing there. There’s no Masao, but I think that’s a good thing. Seishin is only slightly consoled by the fact they cannot enter, and breaks out of his fright to turn the power back on and head back to Toshio.
He comes back just in time to see Tatsumi abusing Toshio. He quickly jumps back, grabs Setsuko, and jumps out the window. But not before smirking and saying that they won’t kill Toshio…yet. Something about it being their orders. Setsuko then has a “happy reunion” with Nao and the other okiagari (i.e. she is gang-bitten). Once again, Toshio loses to the vampires.
The last few seconds are thankfully related to Shizuka waiting in Natsuno’s room. We see Megumi dashing off to his house, a determined expression on her face. Could she be there to actually….save him? Cliffhanger, again. Things had better be cleared up next time!
Bonus Scares:
And this week on Highschool of the Dead…wait, what?
BUUUURN!!! OHOHOHOHOHO~
Ritsuko’s sister is adoorraaableee
Tatsumi is jaaaccckkkeddd. Look at those arms.
My exact reaction upon realizing the episode ended in another cliffhanger.
End Thoughts: Wow, this episode is on par with the last one. Way to keep it up, Shiki. I like how everyone is on the same page now, and we have both Team Teens and Team Adults trying to solve the mystery in two different ways. Not sure if I like how they had one episode for the kids and one for the adults, it might be better to just put both in one episode. I don’t want to have one team set to pause while the other team does a bunch of stuff!
My one qualm with this episode was that stuff happened right on night one. They could’ve built it up just a little bit. Same with the blackout, everything happened and ended so quickly. This was a big event, there should be more tension! Shiki usually takes a long time, and now I’m complaining that it’s too fast <_< I don’t know, this show just has weird pacing sometimes.
Now, there are two ways Tatsumi could have gotten in that clinic. At first I thought Kyouko invited him in, since she met him before and she’s not exactly the cautious type. But if he’s allowed in, you would think the other okiagari would be allowed in as well. Method number 2 would be that Tatsumi is just special. He can walk around during the day, so we already know he’s an exception. The issue with this is that it makes Tohru inviting him over near the beginning of the series seem pointless. Well, guess I just officially convinced myself Kyouko let him, and only him in now. XD What do you guys think? :3
Toshio’s wife…Let’s talk about her. XD His wife does not look like the type of woman he would pick. Toshio looks kind of annoyed around her, I don’t think he loves her very much XD I don’t think she cares much either. What a weird relationship. I find her a teeeensy bit annoying too.
Preview: I had a fail moment and looked for the preview in the subbed version I download, but there is none. Flags gave me a heads up and then I looked at the raw and found it. Derrr….oops. Next episode we finally get to see what happens to Natsuno, which seems to be a lot. Not only is he in the room with Shizuka, wielding a wrench, but he encounters okiagari TOHRU. TOHRU IS BACK GUYS!!!!
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
Love the summary and caps thxs for the hard work and fast release 😀
My comments on this ep are:
1)damn, I wanted to see that creepy girl eat those parents
2)Not only Natsumo’s parents are stupid…but also THE NURSE. I could only think “WTF r u doing taking “snacks” to the Doctor when nobody asked you? I know she tries to be nice…but that doesn’t justify her stupidy…middle of the night walking near/in a forest…we know there are shiki, but there could normaly b wild animals or who knows…even a rapists…ANYTHING”
3)I was hoping for the doctor to slap that old woman, you know to make her go back to her senses…yeah…right
4)Toshio’s wife is ugly and I absolutely don’t like her …she seems like the character that it is just there to annoy anyone and do stupid stuff, perhaps like…INVITING THE VAMPIRES IN. Can she die next ep? does she die in the manga? tell me a lie, and say she does 😉
5)I do like the pace of the anime…the fast pace of this ep made me grabbed my pillow and wonder if it was going to end soon (cuz I would have been mad if they cut it when grandma became dinner)
6)Me likes Tatsumi Xd and wonders why the shiki didnt kill them…could it have been too obvious if they die or “became sick”?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Why, thank you~
Ughh yeah, she’s not being very street smart at all. Couldn’t you not decide to make sandwiches last minute in the dead of the night? You should’ve made them for him in the morning -_- *shakes head* country folk…
LOL I would LOVE to see Toshio slap someone. Maybe he’ll beat his wife or something. (sadly, I doubt this). The sudden appearance of a wife is always annoying -_- And yes, her character seems to only exist for the sake of being the dumb broad who screws everything up. Although, I can’t realllly call her dumb, she just doesn’t know about okiagari and is acting normally. =p I’m just going to tell you she becomes the new main character now to make you suffer, kekeke~
The pacing is pretty good, it’s making these episodes feel like they’re in turbodrive mode now. 8D I especially appreciate all the Tatsumi too. When I see him I just go O_O at his manly muscles. I always picture him as lanky in my mind for some reason..maybe because of his horns/ears/hair tufts that look like ears
POWUH: 600-699 and Romance Expert with 652 comments
well in the manga she
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POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
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POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 74 comments
Hoho….no preview, huh? Looks like someone should have watched the entire ED sequence. Next week holds the introduction of VAMPIRE TOHRU!!! Man I can’t wait.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ugh but the ending song is soooo borrrrinngggggg T.T I guess I have to go watch it again now, mostly for the sake of vampire Tohru. I’ve been waiting for this!
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 74 comments
Also, doesn’t Tatsumi look fabulous with his full body arm cut-off overalls?
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 94 comments
Did anyone besides me rage at the end of this episode? My rage pointing at the end how everything went from OH MY GAWD IF I KEEP HER HERE, it’ll be okay~ To vampires “gang banging” the grandma…. And ALLL because of a vampire that cheats in the middle of daylight….. Tatsumi…………………………. you and Masao need get blown to ashes with a BFG…..
Other than that…. Nao oh Nao how you made the whole anime not a good time to watch at 8 P.M at night with me sitting next to my Loli sister. Gotta give the credit to Nao in made me scream/giggle like a girl at night (and mind you I am living in an apartment..).
Sigh* gotta wash the underwear this week….
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Naw, no rage here. Someone died in a terribly violent way, of course I’m happy~ n_n And did Tatsumi get in because he’s special or because Kyouko let him in? =p Because if Tatsumi is just special he could kill the entire village so easily -_- He needs to get nerfed or something… But I still like him~
Nao creeping through the forest is win, in the creepy way (I think I found a gif of that scene lol). Why on earth are you watching anime with your loli sister? XD You probably scarred her!
…Ew. <_<
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 94 comments
11 years old still classify as a loli at least in my books…
Fun fact* She watches H.O.T.D,Shiki, and Sekimatsu Occult Academy with me!
:shakesfist I’m such a proud niichan~
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Oh, ok, I was picturing like 6… She’ll be fine then. Damn, I wish I had a sibling so I could watch anime with them (I’d force them to like it).
:thumb: You have done a good job, Baku. YOU HAVE DONE YOUR DUTY.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
DID YOU SEE THE PREVIEW!!?? DID YOU SEE THE PREVIEW!!!??? OMG!!!! HE’S BACK!!!!! ALL 2D and MOVING, TOHRU IS BAAACCKK!!!!
poor mother. everybody’s like, sucking her. nao is such a beeyotch, basically turning all of her family members into vamps (>..<)
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I SAW IT, I SAW TOHRU-CHAN~!!!! 8D Tohru and Natsuno..reunited!!
I know, what a horrible daughter. -_- Trying to act sweet and then killing her. Pshh, what a loser.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I would have been roaring like Toshio too if it weren’t for the preview. Nice naming of teams to Teens and Adults; if only Daume would mix and match both of ’em. Though I expect this to happen eventually because they have to meet to compare their Okiagari notes. xD
Can’t wait for the next episode and see changes in Tohru. And also witness that staring down contest between Natsuno and Tatsumi. ^^
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Preview makes me insanely happy, yes. I always tend to shorten things to some form I can use more easily lol. They have to merge eventually if they want to get some serious stuff done, yeah XD
TOHRUUUU!!! <3 Looks like it's an okiagari party at Natsuno's house~
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
I think the other vampires didn’t get the invite into the clinic, only Tatsumi. Other times when there were invites, they always said something like ‘oh, and can I bring my brother along as well?’.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Mmm, that makes sense. So only the people specifically invited can enter. I guess Tatsumi didn’t bother to add an “oh, can I bring etc…” because he didn’t plan on killing them anyways.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Okaeriii~! Tohru-chaaan~! :runs:
OK, where was I….
I can literally feel the tension building up, and I get more and more interested in this anime, longing for more and now! I like that sudden change of pace, it’s quite essential and unusual, but I still like it.
The thing that is reassuring me, is that I’m sure that nobody
importantdied, and Natsuno is completely genki. at least, alive… >> well, because they would’ve showed us, if Muroi was called for a funeral again, and would make an accent on how young the victim was, so I’m reassured. On the other hand…the “events” of that evening, what will happen when Natsuno will meet that girl…. It’s so much more interesting now! What happened back then, what did that girl say, do, or didn’t do….Yet another cliffhanger, and yet another time Shiki leaves me longing, craving, aching for more, but too bad, I’ll have to wait another week…. :sad5
Just please, let the studio remain on the same level until the last episode! The storyline from now on will get really, and I mean really tricky, so I can’t even imagine what will happen next….
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Things are getting so intense now~ 8D So much action! This may be positive thinking, but I’m pretty sure Natsuno will be fine despite having 3 okiagari headed his way. They can’t kill him off that soon. The nail-biting part is wondering WHAT THE HELL WILL HAPPEN TO HIM. I can’t even imagine what’s going to happen either…I have theories, but they’re all gonna be wrong, just watch XDD NEXT WEEK NEEDS TO COME FASTERRRR *bangs on desk in frustration*
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
I think it’ll be some sort of a deal, or something like that. Since Tatsumi heard the kids talk about the Okiagari and all…But I wonder, why were they ordered not to touch Toshio, and why is Natsuno alright?…. =___________= it’s just too frustrating when you think, think, but just can’t be sure about anything because of the lack of facts. But it makes this anime even more interesting!… :<
We'll just have to pull together and wait another week :dundun