#corpse demon

I've been re-watching Shiki (2010) and reading through Sinnesspiel's fantastic translation of the original 1998 novels so I felt compelled to return to the amazing art book I'd highlighted before here.

One of the characters that stayed with me long after the show was over was Motoko Maeda. I see her and one of my other faves, Nao Yasumori, as mirror characters and I consider the "special" episodes my favourites. So, of course, I was delighted to find this concept art in the book! Motoko may not have been a main character, but her impact in the story is immense and the emotions I felt -and still feel- about her story are among the strongest feelings I've ever had about a work of fiction.

Shiki (2010) is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant anime ever made. It is a masterclass in suspense, tragedy and the horrors of what it means to survive. Ever since I first watched it, it's haunted me and I've, no exaggeration, thought about it every day since.

Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to recommend to anyone simply because it is hopelessly out of print. As far as I'm aware, the last physical media release of it in the west was 2014's blu-ray/DVD combo S.A.V.E. edition distributed by Funimation. It has also been unavailable to officially stream anywhere for years at the time of me writing this post (May 2026). The novels and manga that preceded the anime release have never been officially published in English, effectively making them "region locked" media, were it not for the efforts of fans working independently on translations.

In an age where it is easier than ever to preserve media, this should categorically not be happening. Streaming giants posit themselves as one-stop directories for all the content you could ever want, but the truth is, they are castrated by unnecessary bureaucracy. It is only through the efforts of fan preservation that anime like Shiki is able to even be viewed by anyone.