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Shiki will not appeal to everyone, but it is an excellent, shocking, and thought-provoking take on what "life" means.

A quintessential small-town horror anime, Shiki tells the tale of a remote, isolated village struggling against what seems to be a never-before seen, and unavoidably deadly, illness. Its characters vary greatly in age and occupation, and are myriad in number; easily several dozen are named, and at least somewhat pertinent to the story. As the story progresses, and a trickle of mysterious deaths builds into a deluge, these characters help- or hinder- the investigation into the origin of this "disease". Shiki keeps you on ... your toes- mistakes are heavily punished, often by death. No character is ever safe.

The animation of Shiki, technically, is not overwhelmingly impressive, but it compliments the tone well: the creepier scenes are often made better by a lack of "cleanliness" in the lines. The unique character designs work surprisingly well within the setting of Sotoba, clearly delineating the otherworldly effect of some of its inhabitants. I also appreciated how the camera was kept around eye level for many shots, which leant the effect of found-footage.

Shiki's soundtrack perfectly fits its story, and the anime would not be the same without it. Ethereal and somber, it encapsulates hopelessness, death, and new life again. More than anything, the haunting choir sticks with me, months after watching.

For all its heavy material, Shiki is not overly depressing. It has tragedies aplenty, but triumphs as well, even if it makes you question their cost. Many pieces of media have worn out the "What if humans are the real monsters?" question, to the point of triteness. Fortunately, Shiki seeks to answer another question: Can survival itself be evil? Go check it out- but make sure to close your window blinds first.

*Light Spoilers*

A Lull in the Sea might not be the worst show I've ever watched, or even close, but it numbers among the most disappointing.

I do not personally enjoy many P.A. Works productions, excepting Another. However, having seen both Angel Beats! and Charlotte- two shows with strong similarities to this anime- I am left with by far the strongest feelings towards A Lull in the Sea. Its concept is so fascinating and yet so marred by second-rate execution that it only reminds the viewer of what could have been.

A Lull in the Sea makes heavy use of magical realism. ... The small, coastal town around which the plot is centered- Shioshishio- is split into two halves, above and below water. While the above water section is pretty normal, the section below is populated by humans with a magical skin which allows them to breathe below water. This is not regarded as abnormal, beyond some childish jeering. Those who live below worship a sea god, fronted by an eccentric priest, and throw elaborate rituals to gain his favor. The plot of the show centers around five children- four below, one above- who attend a mixed middle school and struggle with issues both familiar and alien to ourselves.

Magical realism, tragically, is heavily underutilized across most mediums of storytelling, but it stars here. Expert hands could have crafted this concept into a special, memorable story- but, being anime, it has to be set in a school. A Lull in the Sea's downfall stems primarily from its immature, one-dimensional characters who, despite having twenty-six episodes to develop, could be described adequately in five words. For the first half of the show, this is excusable- after all, the main characters are quite young, so having their petty drama take center-stage over the more serious, adult side plots happening around them makes sense. However.

Without spoiler-y detail, the second half of the show should be far more mature. The twist isn't similar, but A Lull in the Sea could have greatly benefitted from a tonal shift like in Steins; Gate. The plot points contained within the second half are fine- it's the distribution of time allotted to each of them that needs rebalanced. Watching each episode, I convinced myself "This next one is where this story finally grows up!". If you're waiting around for it too, I'm here to report- it'll never happen. The end credits will roll and you'll still be waiting.

A Lull in the Sea is a beautiful, unique anime that can't get out of its own way long enough to ever be the magic it promises. It's not bad, but I'd still recommend skipping.