SHADOWS HOUSE 2ND SEASON

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME FantasyShadows House
MANGA FantasyShadows House

REVIEWS

• 

  Mcsuper

  78/100
  Stylistically and Thematically Captivating

  There is little doubt in my mind that Shadows House continues to be one of the more unique and stylistically sound series in the anime medium these days. The gothic and victorian setting, mixed with dark mystery and rather light hearted comedy is quite the balance, and it just works very well.

  Now, don’t tell me that you weren’t worried for how this season was going to play out after those rather sub-par last three episodes of Season 1. Knowing what CloverWorks did for Yakusoku no Neverland Season 2, we know their track record when it comes to deviating from the source material, but luckily, it seems we got back on track, and Shadows House is once again receiving the adaptation it deserves. While this isn’t your popular high-budget title, it made the most of what it had to create a rather captivating show nonetheless.

  My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20

  STORY: 18/25

  Big improvement from Season 1 in terms of the writing. The mystery elements are handled well, and there are good plot twists as well. Some new plot points were introduced which were very interesting, such as some more finer details about the scorches, soot sickness, some backstories about the past of the children’s wing, and we get to know more about the living doll and shadow relationship. It’s a well done story that ties up most of its mysteries neatly like a package, and it makes sense as well.

  With mysteries, explanations and exposition are key, and most, if not all the mysteries and backstories were handled quite well, and had decent depth to them to make it quite the engaging watch. It’s also not very difficult to understand, which is good, because many mysteries fall into the trap of thinking the more difficult it is to guess the outcome, the better. This show isn’t very ambitious with its mystery, and that’s fine, because the journey was an engaging one, and that’s all that matters.

  ART: 8/10

  The animation is well done, the scary scenes are done well, and the colours are good. The budget doesn’t seem very large, but what we got here was sufficient.

  MUSIC: 8.7/10

  It was always going to be a tough task to top ReoNa’s incredibly catchy ending, “Nai Nai” from Season 1, and while this season’s opening and ending weren’t as catchy as that, it still captured the atmosphere quite right. The soundtrack itself isn’t all too impressive on its own, but it still works wonders for the show’s atmosphere nonetheless.

  CHARACTERS: 15/20

  The characters had more depth and development this season, and that’s great to see. Kate remains a joy to watch, as she used her intelligence well, and had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to ensure that she would survive in the shadows house. Emilico is also such a wholesome, happy character, and very curious about things as well. They say “curiosity killed the cat”, but sometimes, it’s because of her curiosity that people are saved. John continues to be excellent comic relief as well. However, the side characters also had a large role in this season, and they were arguably the more compelling characters from this season.

  ENJOYMENT: 12.3/15

  Really had a good time with this season, as it was just so much more compelling overall.

  THEMATIC EXECUTION: 16.2/20

  Another thing I have to praise is how thematically sound this show is. The tension and suspense build with every episode, the characters are mysterious, and you genuinely might worry about what the characters might have to go through. The horror elements are also executed very well. They don’t hold back on the scary elements, and that’s great for immersion. Sometimes, you might even be on the edge of your seat. I will say though, one small gripe I have are the tonal shifts, and this was also present in Season 1. In a tense moment, sometimes, a comedic bit would happen, which would break the suspense. The comedy is usually done well though, it’s just sometimes a little awkwardly placed.

  OVERALL: 78.2/100

  A solid improvement to Season 1, and I’m glad this returned to form after the rather rushed end to the first season. It was tense, the characters were compelling, the backstories were told well, and the resolutions make sense, and are quite satisfying. If you were worried about how Season 2 was going to go, I can assure you, this season was some quality stuff, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

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• 

  ZNote

  80/100
  Takes season one's apprehensions, opens the window, and lets even more soot into its mysterious air.

  When we first wandered into the Shadows House in Spring 2021, our glimpse into it was small – we mostly saw the realm just barely beyond Kate’s room, and every time Emilico ventured out to clean with the other living dolls, there was a sense of foreboding behind every corner. Whether through musical ambiance or the dark, shaded emptiness of its hallways or cramped spaces, something about the house was always amiss. Even Kate’s existence and the idea of living dolls as masters’ faces carried a disquieting undercurrent, and the debut’s conclusion certainly didn’t leave much room for celebration.

  Shadows House season two takes these apprehensions, opens the window, and lets even more soot into its mysterious air. The cozy little ending that season one gave, the sense that everything will be okay moving forward, is gone.

  ---

  As the second season makes evident, Shadows House is not trying to be a fully-fledged body horror, nor is it trying to scare through conventional means. Those elements may be present in isolated moments, but they are not the meat of where the show’s sense of thrills comes from. Rather, the main hook in its drama is to take the world the characters already didn’t feel terribly safe in and gradually peel away the layers to show its inner mechanisms, to reveal just how authoritarian the powers that be are within its walls. As more information about the adults, their political quibbles, the Star Bearers, phantoms, Christopher, Edward, and coffee is gathered, it adds further shades and tints to the gloomy colors of the house’s atmosphere.

  The various elements are all intermingled with one another, showing that the system in place is not only entrenched, but has various methods in place to maintain the house’s social order. The system may not necessarily be the sort where death awaits around every corner (though goodness knows a scorch could be waiting), but the specter of punishment and what that might potentially entail looms over. If our characters want to survive the house, or at the very least get the targets off their backs, they’ll have to get smarter and stronger.

  Season two is tied to this idea of the main characters getting smarter and stronger. Having succeeded in their debut by the skin of their teeth and avoiding Edward’s wrath in the process, Kate and Emilico begin to see the house beyond the simple constructs that dictated their thinking beforehand. They grow increasingly skeptical of nearly everyone and everything. As various events around the house begin to occur and the pair gradually begin the path towards adulthood, they are introduced to the ways in which soot manifests in other Shadows, as well as learning the system and hierarchy for the house itself. Each revelation Kate and Emilico experience is more knowledge for them to utilize, more opportunities to see that the house is not full of allies, but rather is full of enemies.

  And as the two amass this information, they begin to grow even closer together. It is no secret in the series that one of the end goals of the adults is to have the children and dolls become so alike (in more ways than one) that the dolls can act as faces for their masters, hence the mantra of “don’t fret” which characterized many of the interactions among the dolls as they cleaned. The underlying implication is that it doesn’t stop at just blissful unawareness of their surroundings or mastering a facial representation, but also that it must serve as a form of mental understanding, of knowing precisely what your master is thinking at any given moment. Shadows House season two shows, as far as many of the children and dolls are concerned, that they can attain this mental connection while also fully-retaining their individual senses of self. It makes for a wonderful subversion of the intended function of the master-doll relationship. As Kate begins to see and understand Emilico’s way of looking at the world, Emilico likewise begins to see and understand Kate’s way. Their “fusion” is one dictated more by life experiences rather than what the dictates of the house demand.

  But, the demands still weigh on them, though. Disturbances have disrupted the fragile control that the adults impose on the children’s wing, and they want answers quickly. The fact that there is a rebellious element living among the denizens, or just something causing a general discord, is where things start to cook. Shadows House season two’s sense of mystery rides on finding out the cause for these disturbances, and how they ultimately tie into the larger tapestry of the mansion. It uses smaller mysteries to hint at the grander sense of mystery throughout the series, and each contributes another thread to the already-tangled web. The strange “Robe-sama” or “Master Robe” who meanders there, and not knowing whether they are a friend or foe, adds something to figure in an already-uphill struggle.

  ---

  Much like season one did before it, Shadows House season two promises larger payoffs down the line, all the while managing to deliver on the payoffs it plants for itself in the short-term. While the series may not be winning any notable recognition for its animation and sense of storyboarding or compositing, the crux of the story is intriguing and always manages to deliver in its dramatic moments, even when they can be read coming from some ways away. It always asks, “What’s waiting in the shadows,” and every time, what’s revealed is an answer, and yet another question.

  ---

  My AniList review of season one (click the link if you're curious).

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• 

  MrChiki

  90/100
  The shadowy secrets of Shadow's House are slowly being revealed in this intense season 2. (spoiler free)

  __OVERVIEW__

  Shadows House is back in season 2 and it is a banger of a season. Picking right up from the Debut arc (remember the final arc in the show was filler), this season hits us with a bunch of new characters and relationships that will leave you wanting more after each episode. I for one, started delaying watching on release day, just so that I could binge out more episodes and learn more of the shadowy secrets that enshroud the shadows house. So, sit back, grab a cup of coffee (non-soot preferably), and let’s get into the review!

  __STORY__

  Unlike last season which covered several arcs, this season focuses on one longer arc. I am going to avoid going into too much detail, but this arc covers the backstory of other characters. This means that there are several flashbacks, some which occasionally take most of the episode. While saying that, the flashbacks happen at good intervals in the story, giving you hints as to what is happening in the larger story. In the present, following our favorite shadow/living doll pair, we learn about new quirky characters that have extremely enjoyable interactions with the main cast. While this arc does take a couple episodes to really get going, once it starts, it starts barreling towards the cliff, sometimes leaving you shocked after several stunning reveals.

  __CHARACTERS__

  The characters are where Shadows House season 2 really shines. Characters that were briefly introduced in season 1 are finally given some light, and they really take advantage that. The main addition being the star bearers that have been shrouded in mystery. Of the star bearers, Oliver in particular was a great addition to the story, as his interactions with Emilico are just adorable.

  

  Kate/Emilico and John/Shaun also get some good character development this season. Kate gets the most out of our main characters, but upon watching this season, that should make the most sense. In addition to the main cast, we also see development in the other two pairs of shadows and living dolls that debuted along with Kate and Emilico. That episode probably had the cutest relationship developments, and I encourage you to watch it so that you can see that episode! Finally, I will just briefly mention that you see some more adults, which hopefully should pique your interest further to watch this season.

  __ART & MUSIC__

  To the best of my knowledge, this season reuses a lot of the soundtracks that played in season 1. However, this is not a complaint, as I think that the season 1 OST was very fitting for the themes of the show. There are a few new tracks that take place at pivotal moments, and when they do play, they are recognizable and leave an impact. ReoNa also returns, this time doing the opening theme of "Shall We Dance?" which has a happier theme and absolutely slaps.

  ClariS does the ending theme of "Masquerade". Initially, I was not a big fan of it, as I can only see ClariS as the artist who did the opening themes for OreImo and Eromanga Sensei. However, as I continued watching the show, I started enjoying it more. I also started to see the themes represented in it and started appreciating it a lot more.

  For the art and animation, I do not have much to say outside of it being good, and I did not see any flaws in it. I think Shadows House is one of those shows where the art style and animation do not need to be Kyoto Animation levels. I do think that the atmosphere needs to be correct, and in that case, CloverWorks knocked it out of the park again.

  __Conclusion__

  I think all of you who read this have probably already concluded (especially if you read my review of season 1) that I love this show, and honestly, I do. It hits extremely well in all aspects, and I hope that you agree with me and watch season 2 if you haven't already. So, grab a bread roll, dust the soot off your clothes, and watch Shadows House season 2 because it’s a good one.

  I mean, or not. Soot yourself.

  
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