The hugely popular "Shadow House" anime series is set to have a second season following the success of its first season. The series has many appealing features, including a host of unique characters and a complex, deep storyline that unfolds from the very beginning. In this article, I would like to thoroughly introduce what makes this series so interesting. For readers who are unsure whether to watch this series in anticipation of the second season, I hope this will help you decide whether or not to watch it. The author has put in many creative touches, such as the fact that the faces of around half of the characters are unknown, making it a very interesting work both as a story and as a subject for consideration, so I would like to pick out and introduce the interesting aspects of this series in detail.
Characters without Faces
One of the distinctive features of this work is that roughly half of the characters' faces are completely invisible. While there are many manga works in Japan, isn't it quite rare to see a work in which the story progresses without any faces being depicted?
Not drawing faces is risky
Why are there so few works featuring characters without faces? Readers can probably imagine this. That's because, for manga, featuring many characters without faces is quite risky. From here, I'd like to explain why featuring characters without faces is a risk in manga.
Facial Expressions and Manga
This is because character facial expressions are an extremely important element in manga works. Naturally, manga works lack the ability to directly express sounds such as voices and noises. Since they are simply pictures, they cannot accurately convey a character's emotions through tone of voice or sound. Instead, manga artists effectively convey their characters' emotions by carefully depicting facial expressions.
I have to express their feelings
As a result, the inability to portray facial expressions is a drawback in this work. Since the Shadow Family's emotions cannot be conveyed in detail through facial expressions, every emotion that the reader doesn't want to miss must be expressed in words. This makes the Shadow Family's characters seem shallow, and perhaps this is why many readers find it difficult to empathize with them.
The "Soot" Solution
However, the creators aren't letting this flaw go unchecked. The Shadow Clan members in this work aren't able to read each other's facial expressions, but instead express their emotions by producing soot smoke from their heads. This allows you to tell what they're feeling at a glance, even without seeing their faces. While complex facial expressions aren't readily apparent, you can still get a sense of their emotions to some extent.
Numerous Foreshadowing
Another appealing aspect of this work is the numerous hints laid out from the very beginning. The mysteries of the Shadow House are gradually revealed through the interactions between the living dolls and the conversations between the adults in the extremely closed environment of the Shadow House. This is another fascinating aspect of the work.
Living Dolls
In particular, a lot of information about the Living Dolls is hidden at the beginning of the story, and as their identities are revealed throughout the story, many readers were impressed by the depth of the work's craftsmanship. While the first season of the anime revealed some of the Living Dolls' identities, there are still many hidden details that remain to be revealed, so we're looking forward to seeing what happens in the second season.
The Shadow Clan
And perhaps the greatest mystery of all is the existence of the Shadow Clan. Not only their appearance, but even their origins and roots are completely unknown. What is their true identity? And what is the purpose of their grandfather, the head of the Shadow Clan? These and other important secrets will likely be revealed in the story, so this clan is definitely one to watch in Season 2.
Is the style similar to "The Promised Neverland"?
This work is full of hidden hints, and I've often heard people point out that its characteristics and style are similar to "The Promised Neverland." I wondered if this work really is that similar to "The Promised Neverland."
It's hard to categorically call it a rip-off of "The Promised Neverland."
It's true that when you look into this work, you can see many similarities to "The Promised Neverland." However, I don't think that all of those developments are inspired by "The Promised Neverland."
A Common Plot
The plot of "The Promised Neverland," in which children escape from an institution to save their own lives, is a common theme found in numerous existing works, such as Nobel Prize-winning novel "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. Therefore, it's unlikely that this work was directly inspired by "The Promised Neverland."
Digging deeper into the era makes it even more interesting!
Furthermore, the appeal of this work goes beyond its fascinating characters and numerous plot twists. By carefully considering the era in which the work is set, we can also understand the themes the work seeks to pose to us through its story. Its role as a resource for exploring the historical background of this period is also one of its appealing aspects.
Industrial Revolution
This work is likely set during the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam locomotive replaced farm work with factory work, and this work abstractly depicts the changes in people's lifestyles and ways of thinking during this period.
Coal and Soot Energy
The realization that coal could be used as a power source was a major event in human history. This major event in human history—the discovery of a way to use coal as a power source—is depicted by transforming it into a substance called soot charcoal, an original setting for this work.
Brainwashing and Early Schooling
In fact, the modern concept of schooling was born during the Industrial Revolution. At the time, people only knew farming, so they needed to quickly adapt to factory work in cities. Therefore, children were separated from their parents and sent to school every day to learn the basic skills necessary for urban life. Isn't this early form of schooling quite similar to the way children are treated at Shadow House?
Are we part of the Shadow Clan too?
In this way, the Shadow family in Shadow House maintains their current affluent lifestyle by employing middle-class people in factories. This applies not only to the gentry during the Industrial Revolution, but also to us who live affluent lives today. Our current affluent lifestyle is only possible thanks to cheap labor in poor areas. When you think about it that way, it's hard to criticize the Shadow family's actions all too broadly.
Find the author's message
As such, the setting of the Shadow Clan in this work also raises questions about our current society. It will be interesting to see what answers the author will present to us in the future.
Things to look out for in the anime!
From here on, I'd like to focus on the upcoming second season of the anime, rather than the original manga. The anime has a slightly different appeal from the original manga, so be sure to check it out so you can enjoy both the manga and the anime.
The voice actors' performances make up for this series' weaknesses!
In the above commentary, I explained that the weakness of this work was the lack of emotional expression due to the lack of facial expressions of the Shadow Clan members. However, this weakness was brilliantly overcome in the anime. This is because the subtle voice acting of the characters, which was not possible in the manga, allowed for a deeper portrayal of the Shadow Clan's emotional expressions, which tended to be bland.
It was meant to be an anime!
For these reasons, it's clear that this work is perfectly suited to being adapted into an anime. It's truly a work destined for anime.
What will the anime-original developments be like?
And above all, I'm looking forward to the anime-original developments. The first season featured an original twist at the very end that blew fans away, so I hope the second season will also feature a unique story progression that can only be found in the anime. Being able to enjoy the same series twice will be incredibly exciting.
Let's rewatch the first season!
No matter what, there's no doubt that the second season is extremely exciting. Why not rewatch the first season now and prepare yourself for the whirlwind of events that will unfold?
Summary
What did you think? This time, I've introduced you to the second season of the popular manga "Shadow House." I think the bold idea of not drawing the characters' faces comes to life even more in the anime adaptation, so fans who enjoyed the original manga should definitely check out the anime.
