The makers of Shiki certainly picked a good time to put the show on hiatus. Even though this week’s cliffhanger was no bigger than the others, everything’s ramping up now. And we didn’t even get to see Natsuno.
Much of the episode is devoted to Ikumi, the crazy lady who actually has it right. She’s become more vocal in her pronouncements, and while some of the people laugh at her there are some who are beginning to take her seriously. To add to the depth we see her daughter lamenting the fact that her mom is so nutty—it doesn’t her her own reputation. And even many of the more rational townspeople are wondering what’s going on, so much so that they invite Toshio to a cafe to talk. He slips them just enough information to suggest it’s an epidemic. Toshio’s playing it close to the vest these days, apart from trying to dig up a recent victim.
In the middle of all this we get another chat between Seishin and Sunako. Seishin, perhaps tossing her a bone, talks about his new novel and the dead-but-alive character in it. Sunako is delighted and suggests that these undead have souls and are just a different type of human, as if she’s trying to justify her own existence. It’s not the first time she’s fixed on this idea. Sunako is fascinating. If she is a troubled shiki, wondering about her place in the universe, she doesn’t show it, instead throwing out giggles, doing twirls and generally acting cute, though spooky. The scene’s end shows her complexity. She’s about to bite Seishin but stops when he asks if she is a shiki. “You’re such a romanticist,” she says, and leaves.
Her comment might make some sense when we catch up with Ikumi and a group of curious people she’s drummed up as they demand the people in the castle come out. The father, Seishirou, appears and lets Toshio check for a pulse. Apparently the family can come out during the day, or at least some of them can. There might be different types of shiki, different levels or castes. We saw Sunako’s fangs. I wonder if Seishirou has them? A good scene, since Toshio is forced into playing a “Let’s humor the crazy lady” role in order to keep suspicion away from himself, or just to keep the peace, even while he’s in full agreement with her. Or maybe he just hasn’t made the connection between the Kirishiki family and the vampires. Well, we’ll learn more … in three weeks, at which time I’ll have completely forgotten the plot.
As the show reminds us, there’s only one episode of Kaichou wa Maid-Sama after this one. By now it’s obvious that, romance-wise, nothing much is going to happen. Misa and Usui won’t become a couple. We’ll probably get a second season, sooner or later.
At first I thought this episode would be completely devoted to Hinata’s devotion. We get scenes from him in middle school, already in love, in spite of the fact that he’s developed into sort of a heartthrob himself. I notice none of the girls now are throwing themselves at him. Maybe it’s because he’s so obvious about Misa. And I suppose we never entirely leave Hinata this episode until the final scene or two, but the overall the show devolves into little scenes that have little relation to each other, except for him.
The Cafe Latte fortune-telling day scene works pretty well. I didn’t expect it after the Hinata stuff, and there’s fun to be had in the reaction everyone has when they ask about their future with Misa (plus the fact that that’s the only question on their mind, and that Misa stands by, watching, utterly clueless). It’s especially fun when Usui is told he has absolutely no future with her. Even he looks surprised by that. Afterwards they sort of make it up in the alley—with Hinata watching. Back to him again.
Then another Hinata heartbreak scene where Usui lends Misa his shirt when she gets wet (because Hinata was clumsy with a hose and is wet, too). You see his optimism begin to wane. This makes me sad because that is one of the endearing things about his character. But that’s about all we get of story in this episode (I think I’ve wrote this line about a previous one, probably more than one). To polish off the episode the girls (and Usui) go to a school festival to see that band that was so mean to Sakura, but it ends there. Nope. Not going to see a solid conclusion to this series. On the other hand the show does all right even when it’s not intent on plot, so I don’t mind.
Too Old for Anime 
so cute niya kapag umiyak . ….. ……… .