The mysterious, yellow-masked Storyteller is a man whose true name and origin are both unknown. He appears at dusk where children gather and recites sinister tales based on Japanese urban legends, to which his young audience eerily intakes. However, the Storyteller is no ordinary teller of tales. He incorporates a kamishibai, a traditional paper-scrolling device, to add visuals to his already demented narration.
A series of short horror stories, Yami Shibai begins with a bachelor who, after moving into a new apartment, immediately starts sensing a malevolent glare being pressed into him. A single talisman rests on his ceiling, but he has no way of knowing it is one of the few safeguards that separate him from a bottomless pit of suffering. Each story is more terrifying, more appalling, and more sickening than the last as the Storyteller's audience find themselves being sucked into the vicious world of his words.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Alpharon
Esta review también está en español. Step right up and have a look… It's time for Theater of Darkness… With this ominous presentation, a mysterious man wearing a golden mask invites us to enjoy Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (Theater of darkness, and from now on, YS), an anthology of Japanese rumors and urban legends, full of spirits, ghost, curses, and all those creepy things we like so much. No gore or extreme violence here, only pure, clean terror. Unlike creations like Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror or Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari, which both had a more medieval setting (or at least, before the Meiji era), YS take place inmodern Japan. Personally, I think this is a plus, because, although it's true that there are some Japanese folk elements, it's not hard to understand what's going on: with minimum reasoning (and a couple of anime in your list... not that many, but enough to know that those papers with rare scribbles are actually talismans, for example), you can know what's going on (and that without the gazillion clarifications subbers usually add in historical anime).
One of the first things you'll notice in YS is its duration: less than five minutes, and that including the presentation and the ending song. How does this affect the story? Contrary to what one can expect, it's actually something good. When it comes to horror and suspense, keeping the tension is vital. The episodes in YS (all self conclusive, by the way) are often very direct, stating the situation/predicament of the protagonist almost immediately, and before you know it, the conclusion arrives. The stories may not be very original, but YS really knows how to use the shock factor: even when you know what is going to happen, in the end you'll be surprised.
The second thing that stands out in this anime is, of course, its animation. Still images… almost no animation (you're never going to see lips moving, or eyes blinking, for example)... low budget? No, for the visual aspect, creators decide to imitate the kamishibai, a traditional storytelling technique inspired by the artistic usage of paper figures and scrolls (thanks for the tip, MAL synopsis). It's similar to that seen in Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki but, in YS works a lot better. Even if the animation is a bit static (but don't worry, there are some movements... this is not Inferno Cop), both character and backgrounds are well done, and are occasionally replaced with photos, and even sometimes with live-action moments. A strange combination, yes, but it works well, and really contribute to produce some disturbing moments. Also, it worth mention the good coloring: after all, it helps the ambientation a lot that the palette used has a majority of opaque colors, and strong and violent red/violet/black tones for the... complicated moments. And the final detail: a lot of little black dots are present during the animation, simulating that we are watching something in an old projector. It's a nice touch.
When it comes to horror, sound is very important, since it sets the mood... and I must say that, here, YS is brilliant. The seiyuus (whoever they are) fulfill flawlessly with their work, showing the full range of emotions present in this kind of work: tranquility, confusion, and finally, fear. Bonus points for the narrator, that, even if he only have a few lines per episode (and only at the beginning), he remains constant throughout the series. The sound effects are deep, loud and clear, being the most predominant (of course) the footsteps, or the door openings/closing. These are particularly powerful in the sense that, for a long time, there's no music... only sound. But when the music finally hits... god damn. First, it starts quiet, ominous, almost imperceptibly... and then it starts to rise up, only to hit you in the face in the perfect moment, the one with more tension. As a final detail, it worth mentioning the ending: personally, I wouldn't even consider Hatsune Miku for a series like this, but the song Kaifuu Emaki works perfectly. Not only sounds fine, it has a kind of distorted tone that made the song slightly unsettling. Awesome job.
Final words: Yami Shibai is a fascinating product. The stories are interesting (with some cliché, of course), dynamic and gloomy, that can actually surprise you (or at least, scare you a few times). Visually is not spectacular, but it works fine, and its personality is undeniable. Sound's impeccable using silence and music at the right times to create the right mood. And most important, the episodes are very short, so the tension is high all the time. If you like horror animes, YS is practically mandatory.
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Acérquense y observen… es hora del Teatro de la Oscuridad
Con esta ominosa presentación, un misterioso sujeto de mascara dorada nos invita a disfrutar de Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (Teatro de la oscuridad: Historias japonesas de fantasmas, a partir de ahora, YS), una antología de rumores y leyendas urbanas japonesas, llenas de espíritus, maldiciones, y todas esas cosas escabrosas que tanto nos gustan.
A diferencia de creaciones como Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror o Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatari, que tenían una ambientación más bien medieval (o al menos, anterior a la era Meiji), todas transcurren en el Japón (más o menos) contemporáneo. Personalmente, creo que esto es un plus, porque, si bien es cierto que hay elementos folclóricos japoneses, no presentan una dificultad a la hora de entender que es lo que está pasando: con un mínimo razonamiento (y un par de animes en la bolsa… no muchos, pero los suficientes como para saber que esos papeles con palabras raras son talismanes, por ejemplo), uno comprende (sin la necesidad de que los subers agreguen miles de aclaraciones).
Una de las primeras cosas que uno nota de YS es su duración: no más de cinco minutos, y con eso incluyo la presentación y el ending. Como afecta esto a la historia? Contrario a lo que uno podría esperar, juega a su favor. Cuando se habla de horror y suspenso, mantener la tensión es algo vital. Los capítulos de YS (todos auto conclusivos) suelen ser muy directos, planteando la situación/predicamento del protagonista casi de inmediato, y para cuando uno se quiere dar cuenta, la conclusión llega de golpe. Las historias no serán muy originales, pero YS juega muy bien con el shock: hasta cuando uno intuye como va a terminar el capitulo, al final se sorprende, por cómo se barajan las cosas.
Lo segundo que llama la atención en este anime es, por supuesto, su animación. Imágenes estáticas… animación casi nula (nunca van a ver ojos parpadeando labios moviéndose, por ejemplo)… bajo presupuesto? No, para el aspecto visual se decidió imitar el kamishibai, un estilo de contar historias en las que se usan figuras de papel y pergaminos (gracias por el tip, sinopsis de MAL). Es similar a lo visto en Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki, pero, la verdad sea dicha, en YS funciona mejor. Sacando el hecho de su no muy fluida animación (pero que se entienda, sí que hay movimiento en los personajes, esto no es como en Inferno Cop), tanto los personajes como los fondos están bien hechos, y ocasionalmente, son reemplazados con fotos, y a veces, hasta con momentos live-action. Una combinación extraña, si, pero funciona bien, y realmente produce momentos realmente perturbadores. También, cabe mencionar el buen trabajo en el coloreado: después de todo, ayuda mucho a la ambientación que se haya usado una variedad de colores opacos en general, y fuertes y violentos tonos rojos/violetas/negros para los momentos… complicados. Y a todo esto se suma el efecto en la animación de los constantes micro puntos negros, que simulan el efecto de que estamos viendo algo en un proyector antiguo. Es un buen detalle, y todo suma para que el producto final asuste más.
En una producción de terror, el sonido es muy importante, y hay que decir que, acá, YS es brillante. Los actores (sean quienes sean) cumplen impecablemente con su labor, mostrando toda la gama de emociones presentes en este tipo de situaciones: tranquilidad, confusión, y finalmente, miedo. Puntos extra para el narrador, que si bien solo tiene unas pocas líneas por capitulo (y solo al principio), se mantiene constante a lo largo de la serie. Los efectos de sonido son profundos, siendo el caso más evidente el de las pisadas, o cuando se abren la puertas. Estos son particularmente poderosos por que durante ratos largos no hay música… solo sonido. Pero cuando finalmente llega la música… agárrense. Primero arranca tranquila, ominosa, casi imperceptible, para ir subiendo, y golpear en el momento justo, en el de más tensión. Y como detalle final, cabe mencionar el ending: personalmente ni se me hubiera ocurrido usar a Hatsune Miku para este tipo de serie, pero la canción Kaifuu Emaki funciona muy bien. No solo suena bien, si no que tiene una especie de tono distorsionado que la hace ligeramente macabra. Muy buen trabajo.
Bueno, para redondear, Yami Shibai es un producto fascinante. Sus historias son interesantes (tal vez con algún cliché), dinámicas y tétricas, y realmente pueden sorprender, o al menos, hacer pegar algunos saltos. Visualmente no es espectacular, pero cumple de forma muy convincente, y su personalidad es innegable. El sonido es impecable, usando sonidos y música en los momentos justos para lograr crear malestar. Y lo más importante de todo, los capítulos son cortos, por lo que la tensión no se pierde en ningún momento. Si te gustan los animes de terror, YS es prácticamente obligatorio. Con cada capítulo que ves quedas con ganas de mas…
NeverKnowsBest26
Sometimes the simplest of ideas work surprisingly well. Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories (or Theater of Darkness) is essentially the animated equivalence of telling spooky stories by the campfire. Of course, unlike campfire ghost stories, it has the advantage of telling its story through visuals and atmosphere setting sound design. This is as rudimentary as storytelling gets, short and quick to the point. Yet these tales of horror are plenty effective; distilling the tense atmosphere and shocks which make those short ghost stories so much fun. Yamishibai wholly commits to creating a creepy atmosphere from beginning to end. The short opening for every episode has a manin a creepy mask telling a bunch of pale, lifeless looking kids with bloodshot eyes at a playground to gather round and listen to his story. The color pallet is all grimy, dank, and subdued. Lighting is used to ominous effect, casting shadows and shining at discomforting angles. Ambient noise and a few musical tracks create tension very efficiently. The show does a good job building up to the inevitable jump scares in every episode, which are surprisingly effective given how prevalent they are. You could probably have a seminar on how to properly do a jump scare using this show.
To say that Yamishibai is animated is a bit of a stretch, actually. Fluid motion is pretty much non-existent here, and characters mouths don't even move when they talk. It isn't done in the traditional animation, instead much more like an elaborate puppet show of sorts that uses paper cutouts. Oddly enough, this doesn't hurt the show, and in fact it even works to the show's benefit, although it makes quite clear that there wasn't much of a budget behind this project. This style gives the show an almost other-worldly feeling that helps the scares along, as they might have come across as trite in a more traditional animation style or live-action. The constantly on-edge voice work and ominous use of sound complete the creepy package.
With all this said, Yamishibai is undeniably a one-trick pony. The only thing the show actually accomplishes is the effectively creepy atmosphere. The stories themselves are, frankly, unremarkable. Yes, they are steeped in Japanese occult lure, which is interesting, but that is it really. They are only serve as the skeleton for the show's short creepshows. They never give much of an explanation and ultimately don't leave any sort of impression. The stories all follow essentially the same formula, and so can be very predictable. Some are outright silly, most notably an episode that features a poop monster, and are only saved through the show's effective atmosphere. This is excused by the fact that these are short episodes with run-times no longer than 5 minutes, but it is clear that Yamishibai is as narrow in scope as a show can get.
Minimal ambition aside, Yamishibai is a fun little taste of the macabre. All things considered, it is nice little collection of creepshows. It isn't a big time commitment only spanning 13 episodes, roughly around an hour with the short running-time of the episodes. It's a good little time-waster to watch in the dark.
wengdeng
Theatre of Darkness will be the shortest hour of your life. Allow me address the elephant in the room – the episode runtime. The problem here is I do not lean strongly either way because I cannot completely tear down nor defend it. I will say it is a big factor as to why I did not rate this a perfect 10, though. Visually, it is compelling. There are times when the quality falters, but because of the stylistic choices which fit in with the cutout 'theatre' image, I cannot complain. The sound and atmospheric design is very well done. And most importantly, the horror isexecuted amazingly. But this is where the 4-minute limit becomes a hit-or-miss situation.
There are quite a number of times where the fast pace actually helps. There is literally no time for draggy or slow exposition or set-ups (all of which are handled concisely and without halting the progression of story), and every episode almost instantly dives right in. The suspense is amazing. And there are undoubtedly one or two episodes which were just right, and might have in fact been ruined if they had added even a minute more. But there is mostly where all the advantages of using 4 minutes shine – the build up.
On the other hand, more often than not, the fright is cut off so anticlimactically and abruptly, that you're left with less of a horrified "oh my god" and more of a genuinely confused "what the fuck". Unless that was their goal, since it is half the reason why you're so compelled to watch the next one, because you feel the need to satisfy all the unreleased tension. But if this was the point, then why wouldn't they just make an anthological movie? I understand that every episode is meant for just one quick scare, but that's 10 seconds after 3 and a half minutes of really, really good set up and anticipation; it almost feels as if they're pulling punches.
Perhaps what makes it frustrating is that it is very obvious that the staff involved are very good at what they do, and that they have the potential create a fantastic horror anime. They evidently understand how to make an atmosphere creepy, and not pretentiously so. For instance, many horror filmmakers use mannequins without necessity, simply throwing out the mascot of the uncanny valley simply because people are creeped out. Yami Shibai uses it once, and they use it oh so beautifully. And the fact that they can create such suspense for characters that the viewer hardly has time to become invested in or care about speaks volumes.
I can't say restricting them to 4 minutes is wasted potential, because it is a very difficult task – so if anything they had to work even harder for it. But they were given the freedom to lay down something spectacular without prohibition, it would be phenomenal.
yuupon
A series of short stories of unfortunate people who experienced paranormal happenings in their life. As I watch the series, instead of feeling the fear that the anime attempts to show to the viewer, what I felt is the disappointment of having these stories that could've been developed into an excellent horror anime was put in a 4-minute episode. Every episode has a new story, new characters and a unique way of scaring people that could've been used to develop a new anime. I find it nice that certain episodes make me cover my face with a pillow due to the fear. At the end ofevery episode, I find myself disappointed since the stories presented can already become ideas for an awesome anime series. Knowing it is a series, the time they used in making these series, they should've spend it in developing one of the stories presented into a brand new anime. Like for example, one episode of the series could've been a nice mystery, horror anime if developed more. The disappointment actually repeated for 13 times until the end of the almost an hour series.
Overall, if in terms of the goal of expressing the horror, I recommend this anime. Instead of seeing "the series of unfortunate people who experienced the creepiest moments in their lives", I view it as "a series of undeveloped ideas that sprouted from the storyteller's head".
DeadlySilvers
Yami Shibai... This series is a collection of short horror stories which aren't meant to make you jump in your seat but rather scare you with creepy, weird and unique short stories which don't involve jump scares although the second season is filled with them. Every episode is unique but many are uninteresting, cliche and boring. The episodes aren't great but the ideas produced are the most compelling component of this series. The art is uninspiring but the pure stiffness of the animation adds to the overall creepiness. The animation is like a picture drama with minor movements, cardboard cut-outs essentially.The characters are ratherweak but you can't expect much character depth or development in 4 minutes; each episode also has different characters.
I enjoyed the series to a degree. Episodes are only 4 minutes and it's difficult not to recommend such a short series. It won't take up much of your time and might entertain you with some creepy ideas. It's worth a watch if you have a few minutes to spare.
Story - 3
Art - 4
Sound - 3
Character - 1
Enjoyment - 6
Overall - 5
bro3112
Yami Shibai was an anime like I haven't seen before. I only anime that I could possibly slightly comapre it to is Pet Shop of Horrors due to the way that it is set out with new characters and storylines each episode. It was a quick watch of horror which I could fit in to watch anywhere and get a little creeped out everytime. --STORY-- The story was ok. Considering each episode goes for a duration of 5 minutes with a new story each episode there was not much room for development of a story. But that was not the point of this anime. It was justa quick little horror story to give people a scare.
--ART--
I really liked the art style of this anime. It was completly different to most art styles in the way that it resembled a paper cut out and stop motion animation. Even with this simple art design, the anime still managed to look good and present scares. In fact, some of the scenes were probably even creepier being this type of art style.
--SOUND--
The sound was another main aspect of this anime. Some of the small creaks and cracks that this anime made really added to the tension and scares. The voice acting was really good and the sound the creepy beings made and the way they spoke made them even spookier.
--CHARACTER--
Much like the story, being such short episodes with new characters you could never really get to attached to chacters, but in retrospect you didn't need to. These characters were just experiencing something creepy and you didn't need to know their whole backstory. Enough was known about them in most of the epsiodes to know why they are where they are and what they will do about the circumstances which is all you need for this anime.
--ENJOYMENT--
I really enjoyed this anime and although I never got completly scared I can tell you 100% I go creeped out. Some of the stories and character designs were super creepy and haunting and there are few that I don't think I will ever forget.
--FINAL THOUGHTS--
Overall, I think this anime is a good one to watch if you are a fan of horror and just want something quick and creepy to watch. For storylines and character development watch something like Another but if all you want is a quick scare and can accept a different art design then I would recommend this.
Luubie
When we watch horror anime, it is expected to follow an engaging story that does not abuse harmful techniques that only serve to scare the public. Furthermore, shows need to arouse interest, as suspense, action and production need to work together to offer the best show possible, be it film, manga, series or anime. Yami Shibai is an example of how to make disturbing stories, without depending on other forms of discomfort or tension. To begin with, I must say that the show is independent of a very elaborate narrative quality, especially when it comes to a compilation of Japanese horror stories, where urbanlegends, cases and superstitions are always frequent in Japanese villages and regions. Yami Shibai took advantage of this, bringing a very unique style that is common in Japanese culture, the kamishibai. It is this type of visual technique that captures the public's attention, because in addition to inserting a new art of making anime, it brings with it a significant cultural repertoire.
The production of this type of show would be easily hampered, since it is common for experimental anime to fail in technical execution. With Yami Shibai, that doesn't happen. On the contrary, the surrounding and episodic construction of environment makes the show more frightening, so much so that it is one of the strongest points of the anime.
However, the show has a significant problem: the jumpscare and the false suspense that the anime occasionally does. In some episodes, the fright does not happen the way he appears to have programmed, which displeased me, since I particularly think that the best type of visual horror is that competent with the sound and suspense created around the audience. When that doesn't happen, the show tends to appeal to bad techniques, like jumpscare or stopping the songs to give a scare when everything seems to be okay.
In general, as much as Yami Shibai has some shortcomings, it is a pleasant show to watch, especially at a time when you feel you are not seeing many shows, as this is very short and easy to be consumed. Its cultural quality and the transmission of the climate of terror are very good and really admirable. I look forward to the next sequences. Congratulations to the ILCA studio, which was competent and daring to produce such a commented show.
SgtSalamander
I'm not mad, just disappointed. The stories that they had to play with here had so much potential and were genuinely interesting. I stuck around only because I hadn't heard of them before and wanted to hear how they turned out. How they treated these stories felt kind of lazy in comparison to what they could have pulled off. The art is stagnant, devoid of energy and gives off more of a storybook vibe, which they're probably going for on purpose. Regardless, the style they chose keeps their ghosts and monsters from jumping out atyou, and not once was I anything more than mildly creeped out. Even at that, it was at the story itself and not how they presented it to me.
The sound is audible, and delivers nothing more than is absolutely necessary.
The characters are decidedly two-dimensional, and I found myself caring for them in one way and only one- how they were going to get themselves killed, cursed, or captured. I had no investment in them most of the time, and even when they did end up writing a good character, it was gone by the next episode due to the nature of the format. It is below average for sure, but still maintains some merit in it's atmosphere (which is no doubt provided by the stories the anime is telling and not the show itself) and as a vehicle to get these stories to more people. Now if these stories were written by the people behind Yami Shibai and not just accumulated by them, that would be commendable, because they are essentially good stories. Though, upon further research I found this was not the case. These stories are based off the rich tapestry of Japanese folk tales and urban legends which already exist, written into short story form, and poorly adapted to the screen. In this way, it would have done better as a book of spooky stories or something like that. I reiterate that there's nothing wrong with the tales themselves, I would just like to see them presented in a way which lives up to their potential. Overall this title is comprised of a series of good horror stories presented in a decidedly sub-par fashion. Watch it if you want to, but you should probably read these stories or have a friend tell them to you; Your imagination can do a better job than Yami Shibai.
Shamethat
When it comes to rating anime, I often wonder whether they should be rated differently depending on their differing goals and whether or not they fulfil those goals. For example, would it make sense to rate Madoka highly because it achieves its aim for shock value and exploring the "depth" behind the magical girl genre, regardless of the quality of its story or characters? Yami Shibai is the perfect example of an anime which raises this conundrum for me. It isn't particularly representative of, or even relevant to, the standard structure and characteristics of anime; it is, however, a show that sets out with thepurpose of being scary and one that manages to fulfill its purpose through and through.
Story? Sure, this one has lots of stories! They're fairly enjoyable and are set out competently enough to engage without going so far as to seem ridiculous. They focus on horrific or mythical beings or events in Japanese culture, incorporating these into the everyday lives of a different character every episode. Ultimately, though, the stories themselves are more or less predictable in both setup and actual content, with some episodes having no twist (i.e shock factor) at all and relying greatly on the atmosphere of the writing to deliver fear. Not the best idea, because as I mentioned, the predictability and overall "generically scary" writing behind the stories is watchable, but not at any level of "great".
But that's not why you would watch this anime. You would watch Yami Shibai because of its presentation.
Shock value in anime is generally reliant on the graphic nature of the content, primarily because anime's visual style and fluidity is not becoming of jump scares or subtle movement. Yami Shibai is an anime that recognises this problem and overcomes it through use of its art style. The unique paper-like template characters make for arguably visually pleasing sights but, more importantly, allow the anime to utilise a constant flow of movement that is so necessary in the action and atmospheric reliance that binds horror together. Bodies tremble in fear, cameras shake and change direction swiftly in exciting fright scenes, small movements are discernible in the background to increase tension; this is an anime that knows how to tailor its appearance to best suit its purpose.
Additionally, the animation is scattered with instances of differing animation to create an amazing contrast for delivering impact — as seen in the final episode (minor spoilers), wherein the sudden introduction of non-papery movement creates a surge of shock and powerfully reinforces the shows final scare. The way Yami Shibai experiments like this is great to see in a medium that could so do with more innovation, and in this case the direction pays off wonderfully in how effectively the art styles combine to create that much more fear.
The voice acting is all around great, with lots of nice restraint in use of voicing and very little overacting (which, one can imagine, is something of a common problem in any horror media). The soundtrack is very fitting too, often chilling and with notable switches made between "creepy" and "safe" to further the impact of the show's scares. While this does feed the predictability I mentioned in regards to story, it also doesn't attempt to counter that predictability in what would almost certainly be a futile effort; the fact that the anime can embrace its inherent flaws and go on to make use of these flaws is both admirable and enjoyable to see in an anime like this.
Overall, I definitely like this show. It's more or less standard in the writing department, but as an experiment in presentation I would call it a great triumph and acknowledge it as the first anime to genuinely scare me (the last episode being the best at that). Good premise and better execution; I'll likely be coming back for the second season soon.
Reishun
Do you like horror? Me personally I am not a great fan of the horror genre, is rare that I'll go watch an horror movie or show. Why you ask? Simply because I don't really enjoy it....I mean I do like it but I don't like it......to more clear I like it but it scares the shit out of me every 0.10 seconds(yeah I'm a scarycat but deal with it!). So for my surprise that some afternoon out of boredom I click on a new title on Crunchyroll called "Yami Shibai" and today out of boredom I am writing a review about it. Sowith all the shit introduction and nonsense being already said,today on Javier123's reviews (yeah I know its shit and I gotta find another name)I'll be reviewing Yami Shibai:Japanese Ghost Stories.
(Ok this my first review don't be too critical and please tell me what you thought about it and please excuse my ENGRISH.)
Story Section
A normal horror movie this days goes something along of lines of this: A group of twats go to a vacation and then there is a psychopath with a hockey mask that is not armed with a gun, isn't armed with a tank and isn't armed with a nuclear bomb. He's just armed with a very little and inoffensive knife. Then they must escape and shit happens. My father always told that Japanese horror titles are always the best and Yami Shibai sure lives up to that expectation. The story is quite simple, every day at evening the creepy looking guy with the golden mask comes to the park in his bicycle with his tv and says "Come here come here!The Theater of Darkness is about to start" and then we get introduced to a new folklore ghost story of Japan.It can range from a curse to affairs with yokai or gods to simply monsters.But keep this in mind:the main character is always fucked and there is no exception,there is no happy ending in any story.Two things I'll like to pinpoint are the duration of the episodes and the overall structure of the series as a whole.The duration relatively short wich is 4 minutes long and if you count the ending song is not a very long episode. But trust me even if they are short, every story has it punch somewhere you won't be disappointed.The story as a whole is not the great thing,it doesn't have structure in other words there is no ending,no beginning and so of course no development.But in my eyes is not that bad because it was simple and enjoyable so why ask for more?
Overall 4/10
Characters Section
In an horror movie these days the characters stereotypes are: the male lead, the female lead, the hunk, the nerd, the hot chick and the black guy who gets killed first. In Yami Shibai the only character that returns is the creepy guy with the golden mask. Every episode introduce us to a new bunch of characters. But because of its duration there no time to we the spectators to know the characters .But even so every single one of them acts perfectly human shows perfectly his emotions in a normal human way.
Overall 3/10
Art Section
Some people may say that the art is bad but I actually thought that is was surprisingly good(considering how it looks)The animation is pretty much mediocre and there isn't too much movements and other things like the scenario aren't spectacular either. But the way that the facial expressions of the characters are drawn...dam that looks realistic. I did like how every characters seemed realistic and how there facial expressions showed emotions perfectly.
Overall 6/10
Sound Section
There isn't very much to say here. Voice acting was done perfectly well showing emotions and being mature and also the sounds effects make you feel like your just there with the characters. Even is it was enough the music themes add the feeling perfectly. The ending song performed by Hatsune Miku Is kind of creepy but really catchy(like 95% of all vocaloid songs.
Overall 9/10
Enjoyment Section
So here is the final question did I like Yami Shibai?Well .....kind of. It was entertaining and scary but my favorite part was when the ending came because I could finally relax since every episode got me on the tension. I didn't enjoy the story and the characters for reasons I've already said before, but the characters designs and the soundtrack made me really enter to the overall creepy atmosphere of the series and that something that every anime does not manages to do with me.
Overall 6/10
Final Verdict
I would recommend this to anyone since it those certainly is a fresh taking on the usual Moe-Moe-kyun-fanservice-romantic-highschool-waste-of -potential crap. Yami Shibai does certainly is a must watch for the late summer season.The final score is 28/50 wich should be a 5 out of 10 but I'll make an exception this time.
I give this series a 6 out 10
Yuri-Crusader
Ghost story's have been told for generations, since the dawn of man. It's one of the earliest forms of entertainment humankind engulfed themselves with. Before television electricity even before literature, people gathered around the fire to hear chilling tales. Humans like to be frightened and immersive themselves in a world full of ghost goblins and demons.So let's gather around and I will tell more of about some horrifying Ghost story's.. Welcome to my review of Yami Shibai! Rather then one big story this is a collation of shorter ghost tales. And with only four minutes of time they are surprisingly well done, and being told ina creepy menacing way!!They are unique ominous and extremely well presented .Before I start watching this i thought the short time could be a problem but that was a misconception!! The style itself may be extremely simplistic and first appears as child's play. Created by elementary students for a school projected,That is a mere deceitful illusion, that are fragmentized early in when presenting its true nature!. Its unsettling disturbing and very threatening.The art-style fits in tremendously well, and substantially adding to the scare-factor and give that eerie feeling
The music is not that imposing. It's rather other sound effected that just add to its ominous atmosphere and making it feel even more sinister. Sometimes the sound effects are weird sometime creepy.And it always works with the scene itself . The voice actors are doing a monumental job.You can hear the distress and fear even hate in the character's voices. This brings life and credibility as a good ghost story should have!!!! To build a great and lovable character in such sort time is unreasonable and totally unnecessary. This is a horror and the character is mere cannon food for our sick enjoyment.The Ghost Stories are the star here. All the characters are support and their only obligation are to raise the fear factor!! And to die in the most gruesome ways possible
When everything comes together we have collections of ghastly story's.That never feels monotonous or tedious. And it succeeded with its main purpose and made me feel uncomfortable!!
I going to lock my door and sleep with the lights on tonight!! If you wonder why,watch this anime and you will understand better. Good night sleep tight, Don't let the ghost and goblin bite!!
AlephDaud
Please note: This will be a review of only the first season of Yami Shibai. Horror is something that seems hard to truly do in anime. That’s not to say that there aren’t any good horror anime out there however I find that there are few horror anime that seem to be legitimately scary. When I say this, I mean anime that can successfully keep the viewer on edge when watching them through sound and atmosphere, instead of just dumping lots of gore and yanderes into the show and having the characters give psychotic smiles every now and then (looking at you Elfen Lied and FutureDairy). Yami Shibai: Japanese Ghost Stories is one of the few anime I’ve seen that gets the Horror atmosphere right and while not perfect is a unique group of shorts that give some good creepy tales.
Yami Shibai is a series of 13 episodes all of which are three minutes long. The episodes consist of one-shot ghost stories that take place in modern Japan based on ghosts from Japanese folklore. The anime is based on a form of Japanese storytelling called Kamishibai. These were moral based stories stories drawn on paper scrolls that Monks would tell to a mostly illiterate audience. In modern times, Kamishibai is still conducted to tell stories to young children. The opening of each episode actually starts with a Kamishibai storyteller calling children over to him to tell them the story of the episode.
Each short focuses on a different short story with different characters and settings. These can range from a story about a haunted videotape to a man being trapped on an unknown floor of a shopping mall; my favourite though was the short about a ghost haunting a school printer (only because it proves that those things are evil). If these scenarios sound familiar, it’s because they are, all of them are heavily based on old urban legends and if you watch a lot of anime or read a lot of creepy pastas, they’re going to seem familiar. That being said, that seems to be the point of the anime, the stories are meant to seem like ones you’d tell to a group of friends around a campfire, which makes sense as the anime puts the stories in the context of being, well, stories being told to children. Most importantly though, the anime does a really good job at making these familiar stories still seem creepy. It was one of the few anime were I really did feel a bit tense as the episodes went on, even when I could predict what was coming next. It does a really good job building dark and eerie atmosphere that can really get under your skin and while there were a couple of dud episodes that weren’t that scary, the majority succeeded. Some people might complain about the extremely short length but in my opinion it was the perfect length for these kinds of short stories, it’s enough time to set up a scene but not so long as to let it start dragging on.
The animation is also quite interesting. Being based on the Kamishibai paper scroll artwork, the anime tries to emulate this using stylised cut outs for the characters. While I can see some being turned of by the lack of fluidity, I personally really liked this; it’s unique from other anime and adds authenticity of the anime further giving it the feel of being a story. My only real complaint is that some of the ghost's designs look a bit too similar, like be prepared to see ghosts that look like the girls from The Ring/The Grudge in at least 4-5 episodes.
Sound wise, there aren’t any real standout tracks but the music does help to set the atmosphere for the show and lets the audience know when all the really bad shit's about to happen. The opening has no song but strangely enough the ending is a dubstep song featuring Hatsune Miku. The song itself is kind of mediocre and sounds a bit out of place but I guess it’s meant to calm the audience’s nerves down a bit after the episode.
Yami Shibai is isn’t a masterpiece of anime nor is it truly innovative but the episodes are good little shorts with some familiar tales and a unique art style that can easily satisfy you if you’re in the mood for a spook, especially with Halloween coming up. There only three minutes long so it’s not like your wasting much time either.
Criscosandwich
Step right up and have a look... It's time for Yamishibai --- Story: 8 Yamishibai is a series of folk tales, urban legends and ghost stories, meaning it doesn't really have an over-arching plot. Each episode is 4 minutes long, making this a really short series that you can probably finish in about 2 or 3 hours. However it doesn't really detract from the value of the show. Because each episode is so short, it sets up the premise and gets to the point pretty fast. The thing this anime does best is it's atmosphere. Because it gets to the point fast, the atmosphere is intense and fast-paced, andeach climax usually ends with a twist. I enjoyed alot of the stories told in this anime, yet some are better than others.
Art: 9
The art of this show is probably the most unique type of art style I've ever seen. This show has no animation. It is inspired by kamishibai, a form of japanese storytelling on a street using illustrations. This mimics the style fairly well and adds to the creepy atmosphere with it's semi-realistic look, and the little bits of animation it DOES have are really fluid and creepy. This would've gotten a 10, however I noticed that the art style of the characters was completely different from other episodes, and it was fairly distracting.
Sound: 10
The sound in this show is incredible. The voice acting is SERIOUSLY on point. The music adds to the creepy atmosphere, and you can't go wrong with Miku singing the ending song (not even joking). Can't complain about much here. I thought the sound design was amazing.
Characters: 5
This is the weakest part of the show, but I understand why. You can't develop one off characters in one 4 minute episode. You just can't. However, a lot of the characters aren't very smart. A lot of horror cliches are used with the characters, however I guess it didn't bother me that much. Just a minor nitpick really.
Enjoyment: 9
I really enjoyed this anime. I had a great time sitting at the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the story would end. My favorite episode was probably episode 4, definitely the creepiest one (in my opinion).
Overall: 8
I'd recommend this for any horror fan. This is a great show to watch for Halloween with some friends, or in a dark room by yourself with the lights off. I loved it to bits.
Kamunomikotonori
To some viewers, 4 minutes of storytelling might seem very difficult to comprehend, and more often than not, to appreciate for such time frame gives very limited avenue of presenting a well-crafted plot, unforgettable characters, and the development of those two elements - which are unsurprisingly the ones that the average viewer wishes to encounter in a series. Therefore, it is not unknown that some anime have ultimately failed in this endeavor (fcking Pupa) by messing everything all over the place and putting rather insignificant and irrelevant plot tools, probably with the hopes of regaining interest in the viewers' dying flames of enjoyment. Therefore themost basic premise in formulating an understandable and valid plot within 4 minutes of viewing time is to get to a single story and focus on developing it, crafting every significant detail as relevant as possible to the main storyline.
Yami Shibai definitely does that.
It is a simple collection of stories of the supernatural, varying from ghosts, curses, witchcraft, and other paranormal activities. It brings about the feeling of the unknown, and invests heavily on the elements of suspense and typical horror genre plot devices. What I liked about the series is that each story did not beat around the bush, (which is probably imperative within the given time frame of each episode) and got to the main point of the plot. The mystery element was there, and each story leaves a striking impression by forcing the viewer to think beyond what was shown - which was a key element in mystery. Some people would complain how stuff weren't explained well, but I think it was justified and to some extent, intended. The time frame was four minutes to begin with, and with that limited amount of time, a plot would develop better by focusing more on what happened, rather than why it happened, because what generates the mystery and suspense is not the complicated explanation for what happened, but rather the peculiarity of how events were presented, something that is unconventional and beyond the ordinary. Therefore Yami Shibai's strategic presentation of stories complemented well with the atmosphere it intends to show. Moreover, the episodic collection of stories, aside from continuously sustaining the element of creepiness and suspense, contributes to an overall impression of the viewer by not actually driving the horror from the creepiness and scaring ability of each plot individual episodes, but rather by emphasizing that the myriad of paranormal activities boils down to one thought: that stuff we normally see everyday are not as what they seem to be. Some stories actually are very interesting and mind-blowing, and the lack of explanation for such paranormal activity intensifies each individual episode. The art and sound were also great in complementing with the overall story, the art personally makes me feel that the stories were more of urban legends and forces the viewer to think whether such happenings are possibly true or not (of course they probably are fictional works of art, but that vague feeling from the artwork contributed to my enjoyment so much).
So why did I give Yami Shibai a rating of being average? First of all, while some stories exceeded my expectations, some stories were downright failures in their own ways. Some stories do not make even sense, and instead of presenting a plot-wise progressive horror story, it presented a series of scenes so stagnant it becomes personally boring. Since the quality of stories range from bad to good, I would have to rate them as average. Moreover, some stories present details that as much as I wanted to appreciate, seem to forcefully join plot pieces together it didn't seem naturally fluid and smooth-going; to some extent, I felt that they are irrelevant and did not contribute to overall impact of the story. Finally, I felt that the strong points of the series, were already imperative to be done given the shortcomings of the entire series, i.e. the short length of time, episodic presentation and complete lack of explanation of the paranormal. I also feel that to some extent the horror value it offers is somewhat generic and present in every other average horror anime. Since it did not offer any marginal personal enjoyment because of the lack of development of each story, I would have to rate Yami Shibai as average. Do I recommend this anime? Of course I do.
GatesOfOblivion
Let's get to the point with this one. I'll list some of the notable pros and cons. Pros: - Diverse stories and settings (As much as Japan allows it) - Horror stories are based on real life myths and legends from the land of the rising sun, yes! This is quite possibly it's strongest aspect as it adds educational value for anybody deeply invested in the paranormal. - The simplistic and unique way it's "animated" adds to it, not detract. Animes are known to not be as scary as films so it feels to me they used this to their advantage.- Good narrator.
Cons:
- Unfortunately every story ends in a cliche , stereotypical horror way. Yes there's justification for it, but if they were going to imply the protagonist of the story say, died. There's better ways they could've done that.
- The characters, especially adults suffer from a high level stupidity syndrome. Most evident in the episode called "Hair" from what i remember.
- This is beginner horror. It's not supposed to be anything more than that, so this is more of a personal nitpick.
- Stock sound effects. Very common and noticeable for someone that's surrounded themself with horror for a long time.
All in all. Recommended for casual horror fans looking for a quick thrill, as for the rest. Temper your expectations, it's got some charm to it just don't go into this thinking you're going to get scared badly and that your search for a good horror anime series is over.
(I don't think i will be making revisions to this review in any case. Yami Shibai is a long running anime series and i don't have any plans to cover it all. This was a quick one-off that i felt compelled to make.)
Denizu
I love horror, but find it difficult to enjoy most horror anime as they are either too over the top, or the animation doesn't give that eerie vibe. Yami Shibai was a refreshing take from the blood splatters, with short but effective story telling, very much like camp ghost stories with paper puppets. Each episode is a stand alone story, no more than 3 or 4 minutes long, focusing on a particular person who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The stories mostly deal with ghosts, spirits and unknown creatures, never really clarifying exactly what ishappening, which only adds to the eerie confusion and fear of the unknown and unexplainable.
The art and animation are brilliant for this series and type of story telling, completely surprising the audience by not using the typical anime-style designs and going for more story book type illustrations that reminded me of Junji Ito in some ways. The characters move similar to stick puppets, bobbing and floating along according to the storytellers desire. It really makes you feel like you are actually witnessing the 5 o'clock puppet show in the beginning of each episode.
Everyone sounds like a normal person, no over hyped voice acting and the characters are portrayed well. Tension is done well, the darkness and quiet of the series further adds to the atmosphere. Episode 4 really had me holding my breath.
I don't easily scare so none of the episodes managed to make me jump like it did for some, but I still enjoyed the overall creepiness of this show. Because the episodes are around 4 minutes long I was able to enjoy it in one shot without putting off any daily responsibilities. It was fun watching it alone, but I think it'd be even more fun watching with kids or a friend who scares easily.
Emomly
Before I begin, I must clarify three things. One - this is my first review on this site, so I don't expect it to be a great review or anything. Secondly, I'll be reviewing this like you'd review Ani*Kuri 15, but only with the story. And finally, I don't get scared easily, so if I say an episode didn't scare me it shouldn't lower my ideas of rank. Art//8 The art style in Yami Shibai is very unique and I absolutely adore it -- a different art style is something I really like in an anime. It fits well with this episodic anime, told as ifit were one in a book of horrors -- and in a way it certainly is. I think the rt style really only fits with this anime. It wouldn't fit in other gorey or scary animes, really. And that's just one of the many things I love about the art, but since I don't want to be repetitive I'll move on to the sound.
Sound//7
Of course, the sound is amazing too. The voices fit the characters and they definitely don't sound like characters from a moe anime or anything. I also like basically every other sound, as this anime seems to pay attention to detail in not just art but also in sound.
Characters//7
Oh, I would've loved to rate this higher, but I would like to comment on some things after I get done with the things Yami Shibai does right with its characters. First of all, they feel like actual humans. Voices match up, art matches up, and the reactions they have are pretty appropriate for the situations. Granted, some characters are just.. quite stupid or get scared to easily. I guess since I wasn't scared through most episodes where the characters react in immense terror to their situations I am like this, but still, as mentioned at the top of this review I don't get scared easily. Aside from those minor flaws, the characters are great.
Enjoyment//10
I binge-watched all three seasons of this show and didn't stop for anything - To put it briefly, I love this show.
Now for the episode reviews -- and no, they won't all be getting a gold medal. I won't delve deep into the episodes to avoid spoilers, so they'll be very brief.
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The Talisman Woman//7
It took me a while to realize what the woman's intentions were, and when it hit me later in the episode I still hadn't of thought that ending was coming. Nice episode, but with an alright jump-scare.
Zanbai//8
This episode was quite creepy, I must say. Especially with the chant at the end -- I don't know why, but it wasn't the voices that scared me and instead the movement. It was very, very ominous. The ending could've been scarier, but I liked Zanbai a lot.
The Family Rule//7
I would've rated this a six if the little boy didn't act like an actual little boy. He was very curious but I think his parents should have tried to help in the end, but they were probably paralyzed by fear. I'll leave that be and instead focus on how creepy those masks were -- aside from that, I wasn't even slightly frightened but I enjoyed the episode.
Hair//9
Very scary. I admit to not expecting that jump scare and it did get me, so I'll give it some points for that. Granted, I feel as if the protagonist was a little stupid or just way too brave for her own good - personally, I would've ran away screaming. That was just creepy.
The Next Floor//8
I didn't expect that whole twist with the woman in the near-end and the eye scene freaked me out. It gave an odd, captivating feel of loneliness and dread and I wanted to see what happened to the husband. Again, great episode.
The Overhead Rack//5
I didn't care for this episode. The visuals and sound affects were creepy, no doubt, but I couldn't get into it. I definitely don't hate it though.
Contradiction//10
Very, very frightening visuals. The twist at the end was something I expected, but it still got me. This is my favorite and possibly the most frightening episode in this season.
The Umbrella Goddess//7
I liked this one, and the "little boy" scared me. However, our protagonist is an idiot, even if he is a young boy.
Cursed//9
Cursed has this weird feeling of hopelessness and it's somewhat chilling. I liked the ending and I'd love an anime just based off of that one episode. I'd like to say this was the most intriguing one right after Contradiction.
The Moon//4
Didn't scare me. I don't have a thing for monsters. Yes, I know, this was targeted at a Japanese audience with different tastes, but still, I dislike it. Hate? No, I don't hate it. It still has its redeeming qualities.
Video//7
Eh. The person didn't scare me, but the reactions and the end definitely were good. Even if the person in the video didn't frighten me, I still liked it.
Tomonari//9
That. Ending. Very, very, very creepy. I didn't want to look up at my ceiling for a very, very long time.
The Tormentor//6
As a season finale of sorts, my expectations were raised -- and I was sightly disappointed. Yes, the mystery was alluring and the scene where the boy sees the dancing.. whatever, yes, that was scary. But the jumpscare -- if you can even call it that -- was bland and I am only now realizing it was meant to be a jumpscare. Also, the ending made me laugh -- I'm not sure why.
Aura_Mira
The story is good if you like folklore, even if you lack any knowledge of the japanease one, but sometimes the closures can feel a little rushed because of the length of the episodes and the fact that each episode has it's own storyline, setting and characters. The art of this anime is very unique but quite fitting for the topic and atmosphere, it feels fresh and dark, but it's not for everyone some people might find too motionless. The soundtrack is nothing special in my opinion it could have been better, the ending theme is an exception to this given the fact that I findit quite catchy.
There is no real character development, you never really get to know anybody and characters are usually used as tools to produce a reaction in the viewer, the problem is once again a result of the length of the episodes and the kind of narrative.
With all this said, this anime might not be the typical horror that I'm used to watching, but it is spooky and engaging.
Overall it's uniqueness and quirky style make it worth watching, it's not a masterpiece but it is enjoyable and because there isn't any continuity between the episodes you can watch them with great lengths of time in between without having to refresh your memory, which is great if you hardly ever have time to sit and relax (watch anime).
Xaerith
"Step right up and have a look..." are the words of the alluring storyteller fitted with a haunting Noh-like mask: "It's time for Yamishibai" Collecting short ghost stories based on Japanese urban legends, Yamishibai is criminally short, yet beautifully animated. The animation gives a very bunraku feel, almost as though the characters are all puppets behind a screen. It was no surprise, then, to find out the animation is specifically designed to mimic kamishibai; visual storytelling from the post-war period in Japan. Fans of series like Another and Jigoku Shoujo or any supernatural anime designed to spook and terrify will most likely enjoy this series. Althoughthey vary in quality, they never quite leave you and are always memorable in one way or another. Prepare for one heck of a ride.
