Shiki, Part One

Based on the novel by Ono Fuyumi and a subsequent manga, Shiki is a modern vampire tale that focuses on story and setting while shunning the usual action and gore. Despite a spooky legend about okiagari—the dead who return to life—the inhabitants of Sotoba, a remote hamlet surrounded on three sides by forest and known for making funeral markers, prefer to bury rather than cremate those who have died. When local doctor Toshio Ozaki begins to see persistent and fatal cases of anemia not long after the mysterious Kirishiki family moves into a splendid mansion, he initially suspects an epidemic. But then he and others—including gloomy monk Seishin and moody teen Natsuno, who becomes involved after the death of a classmate—gradually begin to wonder if something darker is afoot. Throughout, the narrative unfolds with a subtle creepiness, slowly revealing the perpetrators' agenda as the village population dwindles. Presenting the first 12 episodes in a dual-language set, rated TV-MA, extras include audio commentaries and bonus featurettes. Highly recommended. [Note: Shiki, Part Two is also available.] (L. Martincik)