Norbert Daniels Jr.
November 4, 2015 
Horror isn’t one of the more common genres in anime, so it’s always a treat to see a new one come out. So far Kagewani is looking to be a great choice for a show to watch alone in the dark.
In Kagewani, mysterious monsters are appearing all over Japan. As the threats become less and less isolated, it’s up to scientist Sōsuke Banba to learn the truth behind these monsters.
The art and animation style of the show fit very well with the atmosphere it’s trying to convey. The art has a dirty, watercolor painted style that gives it a grim feeling. The animation is very limited, done in a way that makes the characters look like paper cut-outs moving across the screen. This may turn off a lot of people, but I feel that it works very well in making the monsters’ movements feel very unnatural and unsettling. That said, the animation does look pretty bad whenever it tries to convey quick or concise movements and can make human movement look far too stiff. Fortunately, there aren’t too many of these moments to spoil the experience.
Kagewani episodes are shorter than the standard length, each one clocking in at just under 8 minutes. The creators have worked wisely within this time restraint. After watching each episode, it feels like that is precisely the amount of time they needed to tell the story. Each episode shows a new monster attacking humans and slowly moves the overarching plot with Banba forward. Any more would be excessive and any less wouldn’t be enough.
I especially like the monster designs in this show done by Shunsaku Matsurida. They have a very ancient feel to them, as if they’re beasts from long ago that are returning to take back the Earth. The art direction in presenting the monsters is very good as well, maintaining a great balance of showing them and hiding them to let the audience’s imagination fill in the blanks.
If you’re looking for a unique horror anime this season, Kagewani is a good choice. It has an art style that sets it apart from other shows and a sinister atmosphere that’s hard to beat.
Kagewani is available to stream at Crunchyroll.
