Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka The Autistic Blogger). I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything significant on this site. I’ve just been very, very busy. My hours at work were extended, I’ve been managing my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@geostarentertainment90068), and I’ve been rehearsing for a show which ended up getting cancelled and then rescheduled on short notice. I have very little free time anymore. That being said, I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten any of you. So, in the time that I’ve had, I’ve written a review on another of my favourite animes. I hope you enjoy it.
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Every once in a while, there’ll be a particular anime studio that garners my attention. You have famous ones like Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation, or even American-based companies like Crunchyroll. But the one I’ve taken a keen interest in lately has been CloverWorks. I’ve noticed, in recent years, they’ve produced several anime series that became instant hits upon their release. These include My Dress Up Darling (2022), Spy x Family (2022), and – most notably for me – The Promised Neverland (2019-2021). Admittedly, they don’t have a perfect track record with their adaptations. But when they get the formula right, they captivate audiences with stories pertaining to both fantasy and realism. This winning formula is what drew me to Shadows House.
I discovered this anime by chance when I found a random clip of the English dub on YouTube. It was only 4 minutes long, but I was astounded by what I saw; the characters and setting showed me exactly why the series was so unique. After watching more clips, I knew I had to experience the series myself. I even read the manga before watching the second season – something I’ve never done before. But when looking at the anime’s initial debut, did CloverWorks turn it into a masterpiece of writing and animation? Or did they drop the ball with it like The Promised Neverland (Season 2)? Let’s start with the story.
In a world where the sky is shrouded by soot, a colossal mansion stands isolated in the mountains. Within its walls are the Shadows Family, faceless black beings who conduct themselves as higher-class nobles. Attending to them are Living Dolls, human-like servants created in their masters’ image. One of these servants, a lively and optimistic doll named Emilico, is assigned to serve a young shadow named Kate. Although the two are practically opposites, she works hard to please her mistress, and they form a close friendship over time. However, as Kate’s “debut” approaches, she and her doll wonder about the house’s secrets and if life in the manor truly is as blissful as they’ve been led to believe.
When it comes to the fantasy genre, CloverWorks has excellent success presenting darker tales like The Promised Neverland (Season 1). As the name suggests, dark fantasy enhances a story with make-believe elements so that it feels more unsettling. It’s not necessarily scary. But it does make us glad such things don’t exist in real life. For example, a story about orphaned children being adopted by wicked people is dark enough. But what if their orphanage was a human farm, and those people were flesh-eating demons (The Promised Neverland)? It adds another layer of dread that realism couldn’t achieve alone.
Shadows House takes a similar approach with its world-building. The atmosphere is initially unsettling because we know so little about the mansion. Episode 1 begins with a montage of the house and its residents. However, the sheer vagueness of it all sends waves of questions rushing through our minds. And, like a good mystery, it doesn’t give us all the answers straight away. Instead, they’re revealed gradually through the lead characters’ perspectives. For example, in the first episode, Emilico awakens from her doll box and begins her life serving Kate. Through them, we learn the roles of a shadow and a doll and why they have to form a bond. Then, once we’re familiar with them, the story expands beyond Kate’s room to the rest of the mansion (Ep.2). Emilico meets other Living Dolls – some friendlier than others – and is exposed to many new curiosities: veiled dolls, scorches, phantoms, sealed off areas of the mansion, and (perhaps most concerning of all) the mindset of her peers.
A common saying among the dolls is that they “[shouldn’t] fret over trivial matters“, and working hard for the Shadows Family will bring them true happiness. They even have a song, which, despite its merry tune, enforces unwavering loyalty regardless of working conditions (Eps.2/11/13). By this point, it’s evident that the dolls’ smiles are masking a harsher reality. And soon, one fact becomes undeniable.
Compared to their masters, Living Dolls are treated horribly – almost to the point where the series is a commentary on slavery and social class. Whereas shadows have large rooms, wear fine clothes and enjoy exquisite food, dolls are given the bare minimum of everything: cramped living quarters, long working hours, insufficient food and rest, and strict orders to remain silent in public. Also, younger shadows are taught not to view their dolls as individuals but as extensions of themselves: a face to be seen and nothing more. This viewpoint causes some masters to mistreat or even abuse their dolls (Ep.5), an act made crueller when it’s revealed how Living Dolls are created and what their fates will be once their masters become adults (Eps.10-11). Some shadows reject these principles, like Kate. But the consensus seems to be that dolls are of lower class. They must obey their masters, fend for themselves, and cast aside any notions of friendship.
However, a shadow’s life isn’t so rosy either. When the narrative focuses on Kate, we see how she leads a solemn and miserable existence. Unlike Emilico, she’s forbidden to leave her room or interact with others. Also, shadows release soot from their bodies whenever they sleep or experience negative emotions, making everything they touch filthy. Additionally, there’s immense pressure on them to pass their debuts since failure will mean being “disposed of.” However, arguably, the most tragic part of a shadow’s existence is never feeling like a complete being. Because they don’t have faces, shadows rely on their dolls to express their emotions. Emilico isn’t just Kate’s servant; she’s also meant to be her identity. That’s why they must act as one, so Kate can feel somewhat whole. Couple this with how shadows often refer to themselves in the third person, and you get the sense that they feel disconnected from who they are. Whether it’s manual labour, peer pressure, or a severe identity crisis, dolls and shadows suffer many hardships in the children’s wing.
On that note, let’s discuss the mansion itself. As I said earlier, Episode 1 takes place in only a few rooms, so everything initially feels confined. However, once Emilico is summoned to clean outside, that’s when the enormous scale of the mansion is revealed. It’s like an entire functioning community, with hundreds of rooms, gritty ironworks and long corridors that stretch into darkness. There’s even a separate wing for the adults, with grand halls for special events and a large garden with a hedge maze. Plus, there are more rooms and gardens we don’t see. As for the overall design, while the anime isn’t set during a specific period, the clothing and furniture seem to reflect the late Victorian era. So, although it’s not a modern setting, it’s still a time most audiences will be familiar with.
My only nitpicks with the visuals are some of the textures. In certain scenes, there are noticeable scratch marks over things like plants and wood – almost as if they were painted separately with watercolours and then added digitally. The result causes some environments to look flat while the characters stick out with their solid forms. The markings also substitute for shading and smoke effects, which often don’t look convincing. Other scenes fix this problem with better lighting and colours.
Then there are the character designs. There’s not much to say about the Living Dolls because they resemble human beings so closely. They don’t have porcelain skin, visible joints, or distinctive doll features. Plus, they’re shown to eat, sleep, and even bleed like real people (Ep.10). We only know they’re dolls because the series says so.
On the other hand, shadows are the ones who stand out with their designs. These are living silhouettes with entirely black bodies and no visible features. Yet they move and speak like humans. For the animators, creating a shadow is relatively simple. All they have to do is take the character model of a doll, colour it in black, and then replace the drab clothing with fancier attire. Plus, they don’t have to worry about lip-syncing most of the time – since a shadow’s mouth is only visible from the side.
But even if they’re easier to animate, that doesn’t mean the shadows don’t come with a challenge. Technically, there’s more pressure on the voice actors to express their feelings because they can’t rely on the animators to show it for them. The only exception is when the dolls stand alongside their masters as their faces. A good example is the scene when Kate and Emilico first meet Sarah and Mia (Ep.2). The doll (Mia) shows a variety of expressions and perfectly copies the movements of her master (Sarah). Yet, despite a voice being heard, Mia never moves her mouth – except when miming laughter. We know it’s actually Sarah who’s talking, but it feels surreal because we can’t see it.
Furthermore, the shadows’ unique designs are only achievable through 2D animation. If someone tried adapting the series into live-action, it would be almost impossible to replicate the shadows convincingly. Even if they could find a way with CGI, it would be difficult and expensive to do so on such a large and consistent scale. It’s one of the reasons why this anime limits its CGI to things like water, smoke, or giving soot creatures other-worldly appearances. Shadows House was tailor-made for animation.
The last topic of discussion is the characters themselves – a mammoth task, considering nearly everyone has a counterpart. Beginning with the main pairing, Kate is a reserved shadow who initially struggles with even looking people in the eye. She detests her filthiness and longs to escape her isolation (Eps.1-2). Even when her doll arrives, she’s not entirely sure what to do with her. In contrast, Emilico is bursting with positivity. She’s eager to get along with everyone and will always help those in need, even if it’s seen as trivial. She does have sombre moments, like questioning her usefulness. But she often bounces back with an infectious smile – brought on by something as simple as eating bread (Ep.1). Kate grows fond of her doll’s optimism and wants Emilico to stay as she is rather than become like her. It’s why she gives her a unique name (Ep.1) instead of one similar to hers – which is usually customary. Adding to this is that Kate (Emi Lo) and Emilico (Dani Chambers) are the only duo not to share the same voice actor.
There are also Kate’s fellow debutants: John, Louise, Patrick and Shirley, who each share a different relationship with their doll.
John is quite an eccentric shadow who tries to be friendly with everyone. Although, he can be impulsive and overconfident at times. Much like Kate, John treats his doll, Shaun, better than most masters would. He even wears non-prescribed glasses to compensate for his doll’s poor eyesight (Ep.5). Shaun, however, is more resistant to his master’s orders if he disagrees with them. As such, he acts more like a parental figure to John’s less-than-mature personality. It extends to his work outside the rooms as well. He is conscious of obeying the house’s rules. But he will look after other dolls like a big brother.
Louise is best described as narcissistic. She takes pride in the appearance of her doll, Lou, and loves making her pretty. However, she tends to forget there’s a body attached to the face and ends up mistreating her unintentionally. Not that Lou minds very much. She’s a naturally quiet doll and prefers being told what to do rather than making decisions herself. Although, she does later form a relationship with Ricky – Patrick’s Living Doll.
Speaking of which, Patrick and Ricky are the most similar in terms of personality. They have an air of smug confidence to them and look down on those they see as inferior. It’s easy to view them as antagonists, not unlike Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter). However, they’re both nicer than they appear. Ricky will do anything for his master’s well-being, even if it means swallowing his pride and begging a rival for help (Ep.9). And Patrick is extremely sensitive. When a situation gets too intense for him, Emilico is the one who comes to his aid and comforts him (Ep.7). Patrick sees dolls in a different light from that day onwards.
Finally, there’s Shirley, who has no personality whatsoever. And I don’t mean that as a criticism – her whole character is that she never fully developed as a shadow. It’s the reason she can’t talk or produce any soot. Consequently, it leaves her self-named doll, Rum, in a difficult position. With no way of communicating, Rum can’t tell how Shirley feels. Nor can she perform her duty as her face. Working outside the rooms is no better either because she’s a clumsy cleaner and always being yelled at (Ep.4). Nobody seemed to care about her until Emilico arrived. But by that point, she’d already already given up on herself. It’s hard not to feel sorry for this soft-spoken girl who’s always on the verge of tears, especially when it’s revealed she has a sharp mind and photographic memory (Ep.7). Unfortunately, none of that matters if she can’t pass her debut. Of all the characters we want to succeed, Rum is arguably the highest on our list.
As for the other child characters, they don’t feature as much. But a handful do stand out with their personalities. For example, Mia and Rosemary are the senior members of Emilico’s cleaning team; they act like big sisters and mentors to her during her early days outside the rooms (Eps.2-4). Rosemary’s shadow master, a flamboyant tomboy named Maryrose, is happy to welcome and teach the newcomers (Eps.10/13). However, Mia’s master is the complete opposite. Sarah only cares about raising her social status and expects her doll to do nothing but make her shine. Worse still, she’s ungodly cruel to Mia if she steps out of line – trashing her room and even physically beating her on occasion (Eps.2-5). It feels like a subplot is being developed with them. Unfortunately, the series never follows through on it.
Then you have the authority figures. The first is Barbie, a Star-Bearer who maintains order among the Dolls. One look at her scowling face, mangled hair, and shark-like teeth is enough to tell you how ruthless she is. She’s constantly in a foul mood, barking out orders, spouting insults and bullying weaker dolls she sees as dimwits (Eps.3-4). Very few have the nerve to stand up to her.
There’s also Barbie’s shadow master (Barbara) and the other Star-Bearers. However, they’re not featured nearly enough for us to appreciate their characters’ significance. The same can be said for the adults. They each have a distinguishing trait that makes them unlikable, but there’s little we know about them besides that trait. Even the Lord Grandfather, who’s supposed to be the all-mighty ruler of Shadows House, is shrouded in mystery along with his goals.
The only adult who seems to have clear motivations is Edward, a “Special Living Doll” charged with judging Kate and the other shadows on their debut. He wants nothing more than to rise through the ranks and stand alongside Lord Grandfather. It doesn’t matter who he has to crush along the way. So long as he snuffs out the weaker shadows and dolls and entertains the higher-ups, he can be satisfied with his work. And if things don’t go his way, he’ll force them to by any means necessary.
So, with all that said, how do I personally feel about Shadows House as an anime? It’s honestly one of the most engaging series I’ve seen in recent years. It takes the basic idea of shadows following their hosts and flips it on its head. It then expands on this new concept to such a creative degree that it builds an entire dystopian world with its own rules and lore. I love the commentary it presents on social class, especially since we relate more with the lower-class dolls because of their familiar appearances. The central characters all have memorable personalities – save one. Plus, it’s interesting to see different relationships between dolls and shadows based on their similarities or dissimilarities. It makes for a lot of heartfelt scenes in later episodes.
However, the anime also doesn’t shy away from its darker elements. As stated before, there’s a prominent theme of slavery and mistreatment. Children experience many hardships in the manor, including physical threats from scorches and phantoms or psychological terrors brought on by authority figures. For Kate, Emilico and others, it’s about challenging the status quo and deciding what’s morally correct over what’s traditionally expected.
I also love the music. The series mainly uses classical instruments, like violins and pianos, to fit the historical setting. They do a fine job adding eeriness to scenes with tension. The opening and end credits are particular highlights, with the former being almost purely instrumental and both accompanying some breathtaking animation.
My favourite aspects, though, are the mysteries. Nearly every episode feels like it’s revealing more information about the manor and its residents. Each revelation is more unsettling than the last, plus the answers usually lead to more questions. Some are easier to work out than others, like those surrounding the dolls. However, some mysteries remain unsolved. Kate, for instance, knows much about the mansion for someone who’s supposedly never left her room. She’s even aware of things younger shadows shouldn’t be, like how Living Dolls are created (Ep.11). Additionally, Kate keeps mentioning there’s something she needs to do (Eps.4-5) and that she wants to tell Emilico all of her secrets (Ep.10). The manga has revealed these secrets already (Ch.106-115). But the anime has yet to reach this point after two seasons.
Speaking of which, the anime is adapted very well from the manga’s pages. Often, the scenes are literal one-to-one recreations of the illustrations. Also, besides removing one central character and a single irrelevant chapter (9), the changes made are fairly minimal – just some minor scenes being rearranged, added or removed. However, I will say that these changes do impact how certain characters are introduced; some benefit from the alterations, like Emilico, Kate and Mia (Eps.1-2), but others don’t feel as mysterious or significant. For example, the adults and Kate’s fellow debutants are introduced through brief scenes across several early episodes (3-5). In the manga, they weren’t seen until the debut arc, making each of their arrivals feel like a new mystery to solve.
Another criticism I have is with the debut itself – it drags on far too long. I understand it’s a significant event, and we get some great character development from it. However, there are better ways of building chemistry than having your characters wander through a maze for nearly half the season (Eps.6-10). All the mysteries and world-building feel like they’re put on hold while this test plays out. On the positive side, though, the ending reveals some of the darkest and most shocking secrets the series has to offer. Plus, it leads into a thrilling season climax.
The most significant change from the manga, by far, is the last three episodes. Without spoiling too much, they deviate from the source material and instead present an original story involving a rescue mission. Doing something like this is always risky in an anime adaptation – especially for CloverWorks after their disastrous reception with The Promised Neverland (Season 2). However, I’d argue they made the right call here. Had the series continued adapting the manga until Episode 13, the season would’ve ended partway through a major story arc – and there were no guarantees there’d be a second season. The new ending provides a satisfactory conclusion and strengthens many characters’ relationships. Fans of the manga will even notice references to events in later chapters, including a small creature wearing a bow, a locked cabinet emitting soot, and Kate disguising herself as a veiled doll (Ep.12).
As a quick side note, if you ever want to read this anime’s manga counterpart, I’d highly recommend finding a copy that’s in colour. It makes the shadows easier to identify and allows us to fully appreciate the attention to detail on the drawings. Little things like shading and depth make all the difference.
In conclusion, Shadows House is a defining example of dark fantasy. Its make-believe elements present a creatively engaging story that’s heartfelt and intimidating. Not to mention, it looks visually stunning.
It’s been rumoured that CloverWorks ended their production of The Promised Neverland so they could focus on this series instead. Whether that’s true or not, Shadows House does feel like a spiritual successor. It’s a story about children in a supernatural world, trying to stand up to a repressive system to achieve better lives for everyone. It’s an empowering message that even young audiences can relate to and understand.
I recommend this anime to anyone looking for a mature spin on fantasy but not something scary or overly complicated like horror or epic fantasy. Also, if you like mysteries, this series will keep you guessing throughout. The manga is still being written, and new questions and answers are presented regularly. There are many secrets yet to be uncovered within Shadows House.
That’s all I have to say for this anime’s first season. If Season 2 gets released on Blu-Ray, I’ll also consider reviewing that one too. But until then, stay tuned.
Image courtesy of: https://medium.com/anitay-official/veiled-in-darkness-shadows-house-is-this-seasons-hidden-gem-cd62ecdb8811
The Autistic Blogger 