Shiki – 18
It ain’t easy being a hoe
Okay, I want to be a jinrou now. All the benefits of being an okiagari without the weaknesses! I could parade around in outrageous jumpsuits during the day like Tatsumi and then sink my teeth into the flesh of my victims by night! I would only have to find a proper meal if I wanted to, without pressure! What a life that would be. But I digress, this isn’t about me roaming around and making dinner out of my neighbours, it’s about OTHER people doing that.
Some okiagari grunts are burying the bodies of some unfortunate villagers that didn’t rise up. They groan about having to watch the bodies in their huts to check if they rise up or not, and then bringing the successful ones to Yamairi…in a wheelbarrow. WHY A WHEELBARROW?
Tatsumi gives Chizuru a run for her money in terms of garish clothing, strutting down the street to Natsuno’s house. As he opens the door, Natsuno’s dad stabs him in a frenzy, babbling incessantly about killing an okiagari for Natsuno. Don’t get me wrong, a good stabbing is always scary, but I was too entranced by Tatsumi’s outfit. It was like a purple curtain (with studs) was drawn over my eyes. Natsuno stand by idly for Tatsumi until his dad invites him in.
Tatsumi has a talk with Natsuno, which starts out as him calmly asking why he didn’t inform him about rising up. Now we finally learn that a jinrou is a werewolf – a very rare creature who can go out during the day. Natsuno gives a bunch of blasé responses to all of Tatsumi’s inqueries, even when he mentions Akira being missing. Tatsumi grabs Natsuno’s neck, probably angry that his outfit is marginally more stylish than his, and chokes him to death. Except, he stops before the death part since Sunako won’t let him kill off an endangered species so fast. The threat to join their side or die still lingers in the air, like sharks circling a raft.
FASHION BATTLE TO THE DEATH!
Meanwhile, Masao almost gets killed, but what else is new? Chizuru and Atsushi (the son of the liquor store owner…) are having a joy ride down the mountainside, somehow not waking up anyone with their hollering. Yoshiie and Tohru are having a chat as the 2 drive by, mostly about how Sunako is like the mom and Chizuru is the child. She mentions in passing that Sunako has high hopes for Tohru, too.
He’s about a metre away from all his anti-fans rejoicing his death
Yoshiie takes Tohru to the mountain to check the huts for risen corpses. The first hut they come to has Ritsuko inside it, and she’s now an okiagari. It’s an awkward scene where Ritsuko first confirms her suspicions about the okiagari, then decides not to kill anybody. Tohru tries to tell her it’s inevitable, but she smiles and tells him she doesn’t want to hate herself for being a murderer. You can bet this takes a toll on the sensitive blonde.
“Alright, you two go have wild, vampire sex. I’ll be outside.”
After watching Toshio writhe around in bed, tortured by Chizuru’s MIND CRUSH mind control technique, THE FESTIVAL BEGINS, YAY! I know, it’s a weird transition, but it will make sense soon. Toshio obediently gives all of his altered charts to Chizuru, who commends him on following orders. Toshio emphasizes that he is under her command several times before starting his suspiciously casual conversation. Chizuru isn’t the least taken aback, and ends up revealing a lot more than she should.
First of all, they want the entire village to be filled with okiagari so that it becomes a haven for these creatures of the night. No hiding, no worrying, just relaxation and peace. After basically exposing her master plan, she still doesn’t find it odd when the usually aloof doctor asks her out on a date to the festival. Being a fun-loving partywhore, she agrees. Toshio turns the womanizer burners on high heat as he treats a wound she got while cutting a taro potato. Why was she cutting a taro potato, I do not know, but if that bitch can’t even cook right, why does she exist? (I kid, I kid.) She could cook in then her human domestic life, I wonder what happened. She actually looked…nice…and normal back then. It’s a shame her husband died before they had kids.
Toshio shows Chizuru around and introduces her to everyone to “dispel rumours of her being an okiagari” or something like that. She actually is really good at smalltalk, and it even brought a smile to my lips when she showed off her bandage to like EVERYONE. I think she misses being a human so she can be glamorous in front of everyone all the time, not just at night. Things don’t look good for Chizuru’s date when Gackt catches wind of what his “wife” is up to.
So out of place but….so cute!
Chizuru is starting to realize that she’s surrounded by religious symbols and starts to panic a bit. Toshio soothes her by holding her hand and promising that he’ll be a good boy under her spell if she holds out a bit longer. Weighing out ‘fun’ as her priority vs ‘almost certain danger,’ she presses on with the doctor. Once he arrives, all the villagers encircle him like a celebrity, and Chizuru starts to get scared.
She begs to go home, but Toshio tells her to go to the shrine office. Surrounded by people, she has no escape. Not to mention the fact Toshio is holding her pale wrist like a vicegrip. Her eyes fall on two bitemarks, but not of her own doing…Toshio smirks like a BAMF and gets the other villagers to feel her pulse, telling them she’s an okiagari. Chizuru just kind of trembles and whimpers weakly as they confirm one by one that she’s an okiagari. Megumi’s parents are especially pissed to find their daughter’s murderer right before them.
Before any villager action can occur, Atsushi drives a shotgun-toting (shotgun? rifle? it’s a gun <_< ) Gackt to the scene. He acts high and mighty for a good 10 seconds before Atsushi’s dad (who I like to call Beardio or Mustachio depending on my mood) STOPS THE CAR WITH HIS BARE HANDS. Atsushi drives away in fear, taking Gackt with him. Darn, I thought Gackt would do some killing.
There’s no doubt that the villagers know exactly what’s going on now. As Chizuru tries to escape, they throw rocks at her, traumatizing the diva enough to freeze in spot. Will she escape? Will she be pitchfork’d? Will Gackt come back to rescue you? All this and more…you guessed it…NEXT EPISODE! *cliffhanger*
Bonus Screenshots – The “Toshio is a BAMF” Edition:
Pasta gone out of control or anime hair? The difference is more subtle than you’d think
Oh how I love my in-bed screenshots
Man…I love myself. There is no one else I love more than ME.
End Thoughts: Zomg that was definitely one of the best episode of the season. I just…omg…I DON’T EVEN EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY ANYMORE. All kinds of stuff went down, and they STILL have tons set up for the next episode. We’re entering the final stretch, the final showdown. We’re 4 episodes from the end, and the humans are finally striking back. Now that more villagers know about the okiagari, things can only get more riveting.
Okay, so I kind of knew they wouldn’t harm Natsuno yet, but the meeting with Tatsumi was still interesting. He will be watching now, so I can only hope Natsuno has enough room to complete his plans without being found out. His low-key response to Akira’s whereabouts makes me wonder if all that running around he was doing the past while was to save the poor kid. Natsuno’s pretty good at stifling his emotions when he needs to, but it might not be that in this case….
I expected Toshio to be kind of screwed, but once he started using his manly charm on Chizuru, I knew something was up. I didn’t know what he was gonna do, but I knew it was gonna be sly. Their conversation was probably my favourite scene of the episode. The banter seemed trivial, but actually told us a lot about Chizuru. It also felt really natural, with the bandage part being an oddly charming addition to the scene.
Toshio did a FANTASTIC job of letting the villagers in on the shiki secret. Even if Chizuru escapes, the villagers are in offensive mode now, so it’s +1 for the humans. Is it safe to assume he got Natsuno to take a nibble so that he’d be in control of Toshio? The doctor is no slouch, to plan this far ahead deserves an applause. He not only escaped death (and treated himself to avoid anemia! Or else he wouldn’t be able to go to the festival!), he started a rebellion. Natsuno, you…kinda suck at this whole okiagari-hunting thing, don’t you? <_<
Preview: This preview looks a little calmer, which makes me wonder if it’s actually another badass episode in disguise. Chizuru is bleeding, but we don’t see much else…She might’ve gotten away, but she’s injured. There’s a lot of Sunako and Seishin scenes, but it’s just them talking…Although Seishin looks rather drained. Pretty much it’s just scenes of everyone BROODING. Either it’s another backstory episode, or the preview is lying.
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: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
GACKT WITH GUN =.< well they don't have it in the manga too, but still… D: i wonder if it's natsuno or akira who bites him…probably natsuno ;D *yaoi mode on* where is akira anyway? hmmm…
WHAT WHY THEY END THE EPISODE WITH THE HOE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE HUMANS!? God please don't let the anime change the storyline! second season will do, just please don't let them change the storyline! D:
and i dig natsuno's clothes. sorry tatsumi, but natsuno's clothes are waaay better than yours. although he has no spikes for protection, natsuno still has better clothes than you do xD
battle score: natsuno 1 – 0 tatsumi
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m still unsure if they actually saved the poor little guy or not, so I think it’s Natsuno. I know it’s unlikely, but I hope he’s okay >_< lol I don't know, the manga is still going right? I hope it has a good ending somehow...A bad ending will ruin it for me. Season 2 would make my dreams come true, but I don't know if it's popular enough T.T Horror anime don't get much love, I think...Baww Natsuno's clothes are sexy :3
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
yeah the manga is still going. it’s gona end soon though, i’m pretty sure of that.
so start reading it!but there’s 4 more eps left, and i think it’s impossible to fit all of those manga chapters in that 4 eps D:i always wonder abt these vamps with them sexy clothes. how did they get the money to buy all of these clothes? i guess that part where vamps r rich is true xD
POWUH: iLurker with 13 comments
what are you talking about its the same as the manga ecsactly with some added scenes
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
lol no i’m talking abt chizuru. i expected this episode to end with
Show ▼
i said that bcz there’s only 4 more eps left, and the manga isn’t even done. i hope they don’t make their own storyline :S
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The tension’s rising in this show. If I were Tatsumi, I would have ignored Sunako only once and killed Natsuno because he clearly doesn’t trust him and know he’s gonna regret it letting him live. But he’s following orders to show his love for her. Natsuno’s desperately needs a straight jacket!! He’s gone insane!!
I didn’t realise Ritsuko died and rose up so quickly. That was fast. She does look a lot cuter as a vampire now. But she’s gonna find out the hard way that no matter how hard she tries, she won’t be able to beat her upcoming bloodlust.
And I’m pretty sure Akira is next in line to become a Shiki. And if he does, who’s gonna be his first bite? I have come to learn from this anime that suspense is torture!! I wanna see what happens!!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It’s definitely a bad idea to let Natsuno live when they KNOW he’s against them still. You would think they’d try less violent means of persuasion to make him at least think about helping them. Not that he’d ever be convinced anyways, pfft. Is he really going crazy? I’m hoping there’s some hidden meaning for his behaviour.
Yeah, Ritsuko died pretty quickly. I guess the two okiagari shared her and then she only needed one more night to be finished off. Poor thing. I think it’d actually be interesting if she was the only one to sacrifice herself for her morals. Of course, it’s highly unlikely since it’s such a strong feeling…but it would make Tohru feel HORRIBLE and I would love to see his reaction.
In a show like Shiki, I feel like I can’t write off anyone as dead until I see it with my own eyes. Cliffhangers, twists and tricks…all things Shiki are famous for. The suspense really is torture T.T
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Since I started to watch this anime, I realized that Shiki have grown into more of a community rather than just a group of bloodthirsty murderers though there are some exceptions (Megumi, Chizuru). They’re really trying to change the lifestyle of the village to suit their needs, like that new clinic for example. Without the current conflict, you’d think they’re another species of human.
Too bad the villagers are too scared to even want to understand them and the burden they bare like Tohru, Sunako and Ritsuko. People can really be irrational when they’re scared out of their wits.
I find it inexplicable that Ritsuko was able figure out everything that has happened to her. She should’ve been a detective instead of a nurse. What skills! The body count is still going up. This time, it’s going to be on both sides of the playing field.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Well, the lead vampires are controlling all the Community members so they don’t have much of a choice. But they do function as one unit as opposed to scattering like cockroaches and doing their own thing. I thought the clinic and the funeral home is made more to make the transition from human to okiagari more efficient, since they don’t really NEED one.
Hey, if a bunch of vampires invaded my city, I’d want to kill them too. Emotions or not, they eat people without restraint and it sucks to be them.
I definitely agree that Ritsuko is a pro detective. She really was paying attention when she was in med school~
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Lol. That being the case, how would you deal with the treasonous actions of some of the people? In survival situations, there are always chances of deserters and we all know who fits that bill. They usually abandon you because they hold grudges and Muroi-san was the surprising one despite his calm, cool and collected visage. My prayers be with him and the vampire princess.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I think people like Seishin are the exception, not the rule. I’d have more people on my side than people going and sympathizing with things that eat them.
It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Toshio you…..you…..you have another fan on your side now! I mean, what he pulled off, it was pretty much genius! Talk about an epic comeback XD
Tatsumi mentioned that Natsuno is weak, because he didn’t drink any blood, so I don’t know if it was him who had bitten Toshio. That may be just another trap, but still….
Now I get the feeling, that this is just another show telling people, that not everything is as one-sided and simple as they think it is. Well, I kinda felt sorry for our poor
stupiddiva 🙁 But I still remain apathetic towards this character. What I wanna see is – Seishin and Akira. I kinda get the idea why Seishin went to Sunako, but about Akira – I have no clue. O_O4 more weeks…..4 episodes…..I wantz moar! 😐
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
You weren’t a fan before? =O Toshio was always badass!
I was wondering about that too, actually. I still think it’s Natsuno, but he had to have done it several days before Chizuru bit Toshio, right? So by then, the effect of the blood might have worn off. Maybe he looked so bummed out because he liked the taste of Toshio’s blood o_o
YES, I need to see what happened to those two!!!! >___<
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
I wasn’t quite a fan before, and I mentioned that he broke down too easily. But that was a hell of a comeback!
No, I don’t it was necessary for Natsuno to bite him a couple of days before…. in fact, I think that Toshio got bitten 2nd time after Chizuru did it. I’m still not sure that Natsuno was the one who bit him…. maybe he just tricked Tatsumi in believing he was weakened….. ><" maaaan, I wanna see the next episode sooo bad! *,_,*
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Where… to… even…. begin…. This was definitely that BAMF episode that I have been waiting for oh so looooooong (episode two, if anyone’s interested). Not that I was bored of this series. I loved every creepy bit of it.
Just when I was cursing the Kirishikis at the top of my lungs, Toshio comes back with such an awesome comeback! I was literally going, BURN THE VAMP and get it over with!
Not to mention what a hilarious beginning. I spilled the orange juice I was drinking (I never knew Shiki would do the same to me as Arakawa >.>). Anyway, the fashion/ furniture upgrades were quite random – I even thought everyone is dying, who made their clothes? But there just can be some minion fairies lying around, who vamps glamour to get studded, designer clothes. I mean look at that bod of Tatsumi swishing by and Natsuno’s freestyle attire.
I can’t wait for more retaliation from Toshio and company, especially Sunako’s reaction, who is a very dangerous loli vampire, giving even Mina Tepes a run for her money (I know the seiyuu is same). I can bet it was Natsuno who bit Toshio to take away Chizuru’s glamour. We just have to see how he has planned things out with Toshio. Also, I’m so happy that I was right about Natsuno to change as a daywalker. Yes! ^^
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Chizuru is basically Sunako’s child and she is not going to be happy if anything happens to her baby. If she dies, Sunako probably going let out a massive counter attack just for the death of one person on her side. She IS dangerous but she looks out for her own. She might even go after Toshio’s mother to get even. An eye for an eye, right?
But she now has her newly obtained monk friend to comfort her if anything should happen. Between Sunako Kirishiki and Mina Tepes, it’s a neck and neck battle for who is the queen loli vampire.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
If anything happens to Chizuru, Sunako hopefully would show her true face rather than the overly sweet visage she wears in front of Seishin. Her creepiness reminds me of Claudia from Interview with the Vampire (book), who was another fearsome loli vampire. Let’s see how Sunako shows her real self and what’s her big plan for Tohru and Natsuno. In case of vengeance, I think she would take the whole body, forget about the eye. xD
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Seishin completely belongs to Sunako now. I’m sure he’d defend any action she sees fit. Also, him collapsing beside her in the previous episode, I’m positive it was because he was willingly letting her drink his blood. In the manga, a part of the story what happened before what was shown on this episode, Seishin was monologuing in his mind after speaking with Toshio. Saying he doesn’t mind the fact of the village dying out because due to them, he was forced into the tradition of becoming a monk.
Most people see vampires as monsters while the few accepting ones see them as lonely, misunderstood beings. They would even go to the point of giving up their humanity so they wouldn’t be alone anymore. And Seishin is definitely one of them. It wouldn’t matter if Sunako showed her true vampiric nature.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Seishin’s fate will be interesting. Will he become an okiagari? Die? Live as a human? No matter his choice, he will be in trouble if the humans win this war. It’s amazing that despite knowing all this, his sympathy for Sunako and the okiagari still outweighs it. He must have really been suffering beforehand…I underestimated how sad he was.
Still, I wonder if Sunako will betray Seishin…I’m interested in seeing her true nature too~ I’m sure it’ll be interesting, kekeke~
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I know Seishin is too long gone for him to come back. He definitely is going to be turn into an okiagari (hint in both OPs) and Sunako is definitely feeding off of him.
Whatever the inclination of Sunako is, there is definitely the truth to making Satoba the okiagari village. Now its up to the remaining humans and rebels like Natsuno to thwart their efforts. Though the against number is too big. -__-
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 199 comments
I have to say, I had a crazy dream last night. So there was some kind of party at Tooru’s house (and he was there, being okagiri, but it was like nobody noticed) and suddenly one of the aunties (some new character made up by my imagination) suddenly became a vampire; and behind the window there was Toshio with his creepy smile…
That dream was so wtf, I’ve never dreamt anime-style dream! It even had english subtitles! XD
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I wish Tohru visited me in MY dreams.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 199 comments
you just have to think about him before going to sleep, sometimes it works, like subliminal message ;p