[ANIME][REVIEW] Shisha No Teikoku by Chibi

屍者の帝国 - Shisha No Teikoku REVIEW

English Title: The Empire Of Corpses

Released: 2^nd October 2015

Genre: Pyschological, sci-fi

Licensors: FUNimation Entertainment

Studios: Wit Studio

Cast:

•  Yoshimasa Hosoya as John H. Watson
•  Ayumu Murase as Friday
•  Daiki Yamahita as Nikolai Krasotkin
•  Taiten Kusonoki as Frederick Burnaby
•  Kana Hanazawa as Hadaly Lilith (I squealed when I found out Lilith was going to be in this. Like what?!?)

Plot

Shisha No Teikoku is set in the 19^th century. Humans have discovered how to bring back the dead to “Frankenstein” corpses. These corpses are a vital part in the agricultural development, they work as labourers and even go fighting in war.

We are greeted by a Sherlock Holmes’ character, John Watson, who by the start of the movie is still not acquainted with the famous detective. John starts off by himself in his office with body of his friend on an experiment chair. He succeeds in turning him into a moving corpse but his friend, Friday, is still not considered to be alive as he lacks an important part, the soul.

The movie features many classical literature such as Sherlock Holmes, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Dostoyevsky’s The Brother Karamazov and Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam’s The Future Eve (a personal favourite of mine.) There are also appearances of influential people such as Thomas Edison and British Army officer, Colonel Burnaby.

Review

The movie is action packed and the plot is very interesting with a moderate pace. If you like zombie movies then I think you might like this. It’s not your typical zombie movie and definitely unique in its respective genre.

Art-wise, it is beautifully drawn and the producers definitely put a lot of effort into making the movie as attractive as it can possibly get. For example; the background and landscapes are very well done and the way the characters’ eyes shine brings characteristic and life and how dull the eyes of the corpses’ are that also defines another characteristic of death and numbness.

Because it is an animation, of course it has to have voice actors. I was quite pleased with the cast for the movie. Hosoya-san is a very talented voice actor, along with Hanazawa-san.

Hosoya also plays Haruto Kirishima in Kimi no Iru Machi and Nezumi from No.6.

Hanazawa is best known as Tsukimi from Kuragehime and Shiemi from Ao no Exorcist.

As far as I know it has only been released in Japanese. I don’t know of any English dub projects for Shisha No Teikoku.

I would recommend this to those who liked Attack On Titan, just because the two are from the same studio (Wit Studio.) Any zombie fanatics out there should definitely hop on this adventure too! And if you like something that will boggle your mind then, yes this anime is for you.

Rating: 7.5/10 I was very satisfied after I watched it but I wanted to know more especially with that ending. I might just pick up the novel.

-Your chibi, Chibi 

Trailer