Customer Ratings & Reviews

Well, I loved the first season and was wondering what the second season would have in store for me...and I would say that I was blown away. Took a small break to watch the ending of Game 6 of the Spurs against the Thunder, but otherwise I watched the entire season in on stretch. Found it odd that they load 8 episodes onto the first disc and only 4 on the second :/ Well, by this point, you know that it's a series about a vampire invasion. Won't ruin any spoilers of the end. Season two was like the first season with a lot of drama, but the action must awesome this time around. Whereas before it was a horror/suspense series, I'd call the 2nd more of a horror/gore/action type. There's no shortage of blood to spill going on as the streets and sewers literally run red with blood. Mountains of bodies pile up as old friends become new foes and no one knows who they can trust. Definitely not for the weak of heart as I found myself cringing and trying not to mute a couple parts. The graphics are one thing...but the voicing was so superb...it really made all the screaming reach out to you. I had a hard time trying to find a side to actually go for...humans or vampires. The beginning of the series definitely made me feel more for humanity, but the attrocities they commit in the second half made me wish that the vampires would succeed in their attempt to create a home base for themselves. Shiki was a true masterpiece in this sense. Both sides were just after their own livelihood: "Their survival means your demise" sums it up pretty well. The fear and despair on both sides can be felt so vividly. Really wanted everyone to survive. The ending was a pretty big surprise for me, but I thought it was actually pretty well done. Shiki goes through more characters than Game of Thrones, so you can't get attached to any characters. There were two deaths that I had a hard time watching. They both experienced extremely graphic and horrible deaths. Even if they were vamps...the humans still put them through pure torture. Hrmm, there's actually a 3rd that was particularly bad as well. Toshio's experimentation on his wife after she comes back to life wasn't pleasant. Especially when he explains some things he did to her that weren't visualized. In the end, a ton of humans and vamps bite the dust. My only regret is that there isn't anymore to watch. Believe this is a great time to go read the manga and see how it is compared to this adaptation. As long as you don't lose your lunch easily, this series is incredible. Wouldn't recommend Shiki to kids, but the story is top-notch and really drags you in with all the suspense. Only downside: The extras did kind of blow. 2 episode commentaries, original Japanese trailers, English trailer, and 7 trailers for other series. Oh, and the usual textless opening and ending themes. Did love the music, though. Watched each opening and most of the endings each episode.