The second season of Shadows House ended earlier this year, without a lot of fuss. When the anime initially premiered last year it generated quite a lot of hype as it was a rare non-gore horror title with a lot of mystery and suspense elements. For me, it was one of the best shows of the year as it kept me on the edge of my seat every week. As certain parts from the manga were skipped in the first season and some original content was added (Emilico’s kidnapping), the announcement of the second was met with a certain level of concern. So how did Shadows House Season 2 hold up to its predecessor?
Shadows House Season 2 picks up right where the previous season left. Kate and Emilico are trying to fight against the horrific practices of the mansion they live in. However, someone is stirring things up by creating scorches and phantoms and this mysterious figure is one of the residents. Kate is forced into an investigation after being accused of being the Robe Master and she tries to find allies. John and Shaun jump in to help and their time becomes filled with investigating the house and placing the pieces of the puzzle together.
As they come closer to the answer, Emilico and Shaun bond and end up questioning what it means to be human. Compared to the first season when we didn’t really know what living dolls were, this was a breath of fresh air and something that aided their character growth. Their world expands after the debut so they are faced with unknown emotions and new people, all of which live in the house and will someday share a dark destiny with the two of them.
On the other hand, Kate goes all out. Her carefully crafted plans are constantly falling through but she is not giving up. She wants to change her future, the house and she wants to save Emilico, but she is still powerless. After meeting Maryrose she realizes the importance of allies and if that final scene is anything to go by, she may have found one in Barbara.
Overall, this season had a different vibe from the first. It focused a lot on world-building, exploration, and introductions, which is a good thing. Even though a lot was revealed about the house there are still so many questions left unanswered. Furthermore, characters like Anthony will be sure to keep the story going in the future and we still don’t know what happened to Rosemary and Maryrose, but the rose left on Kate’s window implies that they are still around.
Throughout the entire season, Emilico was a shining beacon of bubbliness and happiness, in contrast with the gloomy atmosphere of the world they live in. Barbie’s nickname for her (Sunshine) may have started off as an insult – Emilico was unaware of the house’s true nature and her happiness was out of place. But even now that she knows she still manages to keep it up, as opposed to Barbara and Barbie duo. The two are unable to move on to adulthood, but that in a way protects them. However, you have to wonder what kind of existence can they possibly lead. We saw what happened to the Belles, the house rules are ruthless and they do not care for the living dolls. Shadows come and go too; everyone can be replaced easily and by tomorrow no one will remember you.
This somewhat depressing note at the end actually goes in Shadows House’s favor. If you’re only now getting into the story you will appreciate the possibility of watching it all at once, as the second season just came naturally, even with the filler at the end of the first. Characters grew as we got to learn more about them, the house became bigger and the world got scarier: all of this was fairly well done with some minor animation hiccups. The story continues to be well-adapted and engaging. While there have been no hints about a possible sequel, it will hopefully come soon. Shadows House still has a lot of stories to tell.
The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.
©So-ma-to/Shueisha/Shadows House Production Committee