Shadows House
| Shadows House | |
 Cover of Shadows House volume 1 by Shueisha | |
| シャドーハウス (Shadō Hausu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | So-ma-to |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Imprint | Young Jump Comics |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | September 6, 2018 – present |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Kazuki Ōhashi |
| Written by | Toshiya Ōno |
| Music by | Kenichiro Suehiro |
| Studio | CloverWorks |
| Licensed by | Funimation |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, BS11, GTV, GYT, MBS, BS Asahi, Wowow, FTV |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 11, 2021 – present |
| Episodes | 13 |
Shadows House (Japanese: シャドーハウス, Hepburn: Shadō Hausu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the duo So-ma-to. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump since September 2018, with the chapters collected in eight tankōbon volumes as of June 2021. An anime television series adaptation by CloverWorks aired from April to July 2021. A second season has been announced.
Plot[]
In a grandiose and dark mansion, the denizens of the Shadow House live, attended by their Living Doll partners who endlessly clean the soot their masters emit. Emilico, a young and cheerful Living Doll, is delighted to start serving her mistress Kate. As the two grow closer and are slowly exposed to various events within the House, they start to discover a number of dark secrets.
Characters[]
Living dolls[]
Living Dolls are the servants of the Shadows, with each Shadow master having their own Doll. The Doll and their master have an identical silhouette and differ merely in their presence (or absence) of a face and their clothes. The Living Dolls are revealed to be humans that have all been abducted from a place called Mirrorside Village next to the Shadows House. Due to the Shadows House's production of charcoal for the village as an energy source, the villagers are all brainwashed into believing that letting their children work for the House is an ultimate bliss. All children from the village are trained by the school to be selected for by the third-floor Shadows, with the exception of Emilico.
- Emilico (エミリコ, Emiriko)
- Voiced by: Yū Sasahara[3] (Japanese); Dani Chambers[4] (English)
- Kate's Living Doll, named after the protagonist of a storybook Kate enjoyed. Emilico is characterized by her cheerful, optimistic and kind demeanour, as well as her tendency to try and help anyone she can. Outside of being Kate's Living Doll, she is a member of Cleaning Squad 10 with Lou, Rosemary and Mia, and later becomes its leader. Despite sharing very different personalities, she and Kate get along very well. As they pry deeper into the secrets of the Shadows House, she begins to regain memories of her former life as a tightrope walker in a travelling circus, when she was invited to enter the House by Shaun, Lou, Ricky and Rum.
- Shaun (ショーン, Shōn)
- Voiced by: Kōdai Sakai[5] (Japanese); Jordan Dash Cruz[4] (English)
- An intelligent and steadfast boy who is John's Living Doll. While initially put under the effects of the brainwashing coffee, a fist-fight with John brings him back to his senses. He becomes Emilico and Kate's closest companion alongside his master as they rebel against the Shadows House. His original name is John, and he used to be the oldest of three siblings and the head of their class back in Mirrorside Village.
- Lou (ルウ, Rū)
- Voiced by: Ayane Sakura[6] (Japanese); Marisa Duran[4] (English)
- A quiet, obedient and extremely beautiful girl who is Louise's Living Doll. While portrayed as listless most of the time, Lou is very determined and resolute when she sets her mind to things. Her original name is Louise.
- Ricky (リッキー, Rikkī)
- Voiced by: Reiji Kawashima[7] (Japanese); Adam McArthur[4] (English)
- Patrick's Living Doll who is first portrayed to be just as arrogant and prideful as his master, but as he warms up to the rest of the debutante class shows a more sensitive and kind personality. He later becomes enamoured with Lou. His original name is Patrick.
- Rum (ラム, Ramu)
- Voiced by: Shino Shimoji[8] (Japanese); Risa Mei[4] (English)
- A shy, reserved Living Doll who seldom converses with anyone, even her master Shirley. After failing the debut, Rum is seemingly destroyed as a defective tool, later speculated to have been turned into a Faceless. She is revealed to have retained her sense of self thanks to Shirley, and becomes an insider for Kate's rebellion. Her original name is Shirley.
- Mia (ミア)
- Voiced by: Saori Ōnishi[9] (Japanese); Emily Fajardo[4] (English)
- A sassy and playful girl who is Sarah's Living Doll. She is the second-in-command of Cleaning Squad 10 below Rosemary, and a mentor-figure to Emilico upon the latter's arrival into Shadows House. When Emilico becomes the leader of the squad instead of her, Mia shows hints of jealousy.
- Rosemary (ローズマリー, Rōzumarī)
- Voiced by: Mai Nakahara[9] (Japanese); Michelle Lee[4] (English)
- A sisterly and gentle girl who is Maryrose's Living Doll. She is the former leader of Cleaning Squad 10 and a mentor-figure to both Lou and Emilico upon their arrival into Shadows House. Refusing to go to the adults' wing, she commits suicide with her master.
- Barbie (バービー, Bābī)
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya[9] (Japanese); Elizabeth Maxwell[4] (English)
- A violent, brusque and bad-tempered girl who is Barbara's Living Doll. Due to her master being the head of the Star-bearers and the Shadows House's largest soot producer, she is also the head of all the Cleaning Squads. Before debuting, Barbie used to be a cheerful and innocent girl who was best friends with Rosemary. However, Anthony's departure and Rosemary refusing to divulge anything to her resulted in her becoming cold and harsh.
- Belle (ベル, Berū)
- Belle is the name shared by a pair of twins who are Isabelle and Mirabelle's Living Dolls. Uncaring and arrogant, they used to be on Rum's Cleaning Squad and bullied other Living Dolls, but were later moved to Emilico's after Rum's departure. After accidentally breaking the bottles of coffee that were meant to brainwash the children, they are punished to clean the soot room filled with clingers. The effect of the clingers and cyclical vomiting eventually causes one of the Belle twins to die, leaving only one twin to act as a Doll for two masters. Grief-stricken at the loss of her sister, Belle eventually grows closer to Emilico and her kindness.
Shadows[]
- Kate Mirror (ケイト・ミラー, Keito Miraā)
- Voiced by: Akari Kitō[3] (Japanese); Emi Lo[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Emilico. Her intelligence and calm demeanour make her an expert at problem solving and keeping a clear head in difficult situations, effectively the opposite of Emilico's more outspoken and naive personality. While somewhat distant at first, Kate quickly grows attached to Emilico, enjoying their time together. She immediately takes it upon herself to break Emilico's brainwashing, and uses her soot powers to save her on multiple occasions. Suspicious about the Shadows House and its hierarchy, Kate slowly gains allies with Emilico to organise a rebellion against the manor. Kate is revealed to be the daughter of Lady Catherine, a human noble who once lived in the Mirrors House and subsequently became a Shadow. Her soot ability enables her to move objects from a distance.
- John (ジョン, Jon)
- Voiced by: Kōdai Sakai[5] (Japanese); Jordan Dash Cruz[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Shaun. Unlike Shaun, John is free-spirited and honest, preferring to dive-in headfirst into a problem without prior thoughts. He falls in love with Kate at first sight and proceeds to propose to her. Like Kate and Emilico, him and Shaun get along very well and care for each other greatly. His soot ability is collecting a massive amount of soot on his fist and launching it. He is able to destroy objects as tough as a giant boulder at close range but his ability gets progressively weaker as it travels forward.
- Louise (ルイーズ, Ruīzu)
- Voiced by: Ayane Sakura[6] (Japanese); Marisa Duran[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Lou. She has an open, ditzy and narcissistic personality, making her very fond of Lou for her face. While selfish and initially seemingly uncaring towards Lou, she begins to appreciate Lou's human qualities and care for her wellbeing. Her soot ability allows her to control others if her soot is consumed.
- Patrick (パトリック, Patorikku)
- Voiced by: Reiji Kawashima[7] (Japanese); Adam McArthur[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Ricky. Like his Living Doll, he is prideful, arrogant and always tries to create an air of nobility around himself, yet secretly gentle and sensitive. Unusual for a Shadow, Patrick relies heavily on Ricky to make decisions and how to present himself. Due to his weak soot powers compared to the rest of the debutante class, he grows very insecure about himself. He falls in love with Emilico due to her kindness during the debut.
- Shirley (シャーリー, Shārī)
- Voiced by: Shino Shimoji[8] (Japanese); Risa Mei[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Rum. Silent and seemingly lacking a personality, Shirley wasn't able to fully mimic Rum due to her being an introvert. She is the only one to fail the debut and seemingly dies, but actually reverts into back into her morph form. As a morph she has been able to sneak around the house and collect information regarding the truth about the Shadows. Her soot ability is shape-shifting into objects and beings around her size. When she transforms into a ribbon and wrap around Rum's finger they are able to communicate via thoughts.
- Sarah (サラ, Sara)
- Voiced by: Saori Ōnishi[9] (Japanese); Emily Fajardo[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Mia. Sarah is cruel, selfish and only concerned about elevating through the ranks of the house. She secretly physically abuses Mia in order to motivate her to become better for her sake. Throughout the story Sarah has always looked down upon Kate but this becomes full hatred after Kate becomes a group leader, later becoming a spy for Edward.
- Maryrose (マリーローズ, Marīrōzu)
- Voiced by: Mai Nakahara[9] (Japanese); Michelle Lee[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Rosemary. Initially introduced as a caring individual towards her juniors, she is revealed to have been the perpetrator of both ghost incidents that have happened since Emilico's arrival. As a special morph she can remember her time as a morph and knows the truth about the house, carrying out the incidents in order to lure out like-minded people to escape together and postpone her advancement into the adult wing. In the end, she was caught by Kate and handed over to the Star-bearers. After a brief fight with Edward and losing, she and Rosemary seemingly commits suicide and jump off a bridge.
- Barbara (バーバラ, Bābara)
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya[9] (Japanese); Elizabeth Maxwell[4] (English)
- The Shadow of Barbie. As the leader of the Star-bearers she is in essence the head of the children house. She is able to produce an enormous amount of soot and is seen as an invaluable asset. However since only children can produce soot for the house, her advancement into the adult house is constantly delayed.
- Isabelle and Mirabelle (イザベルとミラベル, Izaberū to Mīraberū)
- The Shadows of the Belle Twins. Like their Living Dolls, they are selfish and rude and enjoy bullying the Living Dolls of other Shadows, typically using their soot power which gives them the ability to control any human's movements. With the death of one of their Dolls, the twins now share the same Doll. They eventually grow to trust and like Kate.
Adults[]
The adults of the Shadows House are its masters and live separately from the children and their Living Dolls in the adults wing, also known as the Great-Grandfather's wing. They consist of all those who have passed the debut and underwent unification with their Living Doll, creating a "perfect existence" of a Shadow with their Doll's face. Members of the adults wing are organised by rank into three different floors, with those on the third floor able to live alongside the Great-Grandfather and thus possess the highest authority.
- Edward (エドワード, Edowādo)
- Voiced by: Wataru Hatano[10] (Japanese); Christopher Corey Smith[4] (English)
- The newest caretaker of the children's wing and a member of the second floor. He was first introduced as the judge of Kate and her class's debut. Wary and highly suspicious, he believes Kate is a dissident trying to destroy the house. His goal is to advance to the third floor so he can be closer to Great-Grandfather. His soot ability is to manipulate sound and vibrate air using soot.
- Aileen (アイリーン, Airiin)
- Voiced by: Yui Horie
- A member of the second floor. She and Gerald cooperate with Edward in setting up the debutante and advancing to the third floor. Her soot ability is to create crows from soot that can be used to deliver messages.
- Gerald (アイリーン, Airiin)
- Voiced by: Takeo Ōtsuka
- A member of the second floor. He and Aileen cooperate with Edward in setting up the debutante and advancing to the third floor.
- Ryan (ライアン, Raian)
- Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio[11] (Japanese); Jason Liebrecht[12] (English)
- A member of the third floor and a hot-tempered and violent man. He was first introduced as one of the observers of the debutante.
- Dorothy (ドロシー, Doroshī)
- Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa[11] (Japanese); Vanessa DeSilvio[12] (English)
- A member of the third floor and a voluptuous and ruthless woman. She was first introduced as one of the observers of the debutante.
- Joseph (ジョゼフ, Jozefu)
- Voiced by: Kenta Miyake[11] (Japanese); Brent Mukai[12] (English)
- A member of the third floor who is always seen with a monocle and a pipe. He was first introduced as one of the observers of the debutante.
- Sophie (ソフィ, Sofi)
- Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori[11] (Japanese); Alex Moore[12] (English)
- A member of the third floor who is typically calm and listless, but shows a maniacal hunger when confronted with soot. She was first introduced as one of the observers of the debutante. Her soot ability likely has something to do with butterflies.
Media[]
Manga[]
Shadows House is written and illustrated by the duo So-ma-to.[13] The manga began in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump on September 6, 2018.[14] Shueisha has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on January 18, 2019.[15] As of June 18, 2021, eight volumes have been released.[16]
Volume list[]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 18, 2019[15] | 978-4-08-891184-7 |
| 2 | May 17, 2019[17] | 978-4-08-891266-0 |
| 3 | September 19, 2019[18] | 978-4-08-891363-6 |
| 4 | February 19, 2020[19] | 978-4-08-891461-9 |
| 5 | June 19, 2020[20] | 978-4-08-891545-6 |
| 6 | October 16, 2020[21] | 978-4-08-891713-9 |
| 7 | March 18, 2021[22] | 978-4-08-891819-8 |
| 8 | June 18, 2021[16] | 978-4-08-892008-5 |
Anime[]
In October 2020, an anime television series adaptation was announced on the sixth volume of the manga.[13] The series is animated by CloverWorks and directed by Kazuki Ōhashi, with scripts written by Toshiya Ōno, character designs by Chizuko Kusakabe, and music composed by Kenichiro Suehiro.[23][3] It aired from April 11 to July 4, 2021, on Tokyo MX and other channels.[10][24] The ending theme song, "Nai Nai", is performed by ReoNa.[10] Funimation licensed the series outside of Asia.[25] In Southeast Asia, the series is licensed by Muse Communication and is streaming on Bilibili.[26] The company later licensed the anime to Animax Asia for TV broadcasts in the region.[27]
On September 11, 2021, it was announced during a livestream that a second season has been greenlit.[28]
Episode list[]
| No. | Title [29][30] | Directed by [29] | Written by [29] | Original air date [31] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Shadow and Her Doll" Transcription: "Shadō to Iki Ningyō" (Japanese: シャドーと生き人形) | Kazuki Ōhashi | Toshiya Ōno | April 11, 2021 | |
| A group of children consume cups of coffee-coloured drinks before pledging their servitude to the Shadows House and their masters. A female Living Doll wakes up and readies herself to serve her Shadow mistress Kate, working to clean the soot emitted by the latter day in and day out. While Kate is quiet, reserved and poised, her Living Doll is optimistic, bubbly and clumsy. While Kate frequently emits soot around her Doll at first – a sign that she is worried, angry or anxious – the two begin to warm up to each other. The Living Doll is christened the name Emilico, and is informed that she will be soon dispatched to clean areas beyond Kate's room. Excited, Emilico glances out the window and notices a grouchy-looking Doll who glares at her when she waves. | |||||
| 2 | "Outside the Room" Transcription: "Heya no Soto ni wa" (Japanese: 部屋の外には) | Hayato Sakai | Momoka Toyoda | April 18, 2021 | |
|
Emilico is assigned to a cleaning squad with three other Dolls: Mia, Lou and Rosemary, discovering the existence of many other Dolls like herself that constantly work to keep the Shadows House clean and are explicitly instructed to "not fret over trivial matters". While cleaning Kate's room, she accidentally ruins a precious stuffed doll, causing Kate to get angry. In desperation to be useful to her master, Emilico works extra hard to fix the doll, replacing some of its stuffing with the soot Kate regularly emits. She also sews a small bird soft toy for herself named Pan-chan after her favourite food: bread, wanting to make something important for herself too much like how the doll was for Kate. Kate apologises to Emilico later and the two make up. One day, Emilico falls from the windowsill while cleaning it in an attempt to grab Pan-chan, which had fallen out of her pocket. Kate rushes out in a panic to find her despite not being allowed to leave the room before her debut. The two bump into Mia and her Shadow mistress Sarah, where Emilico is both shocked and discouraged at how Mia perfectly mimics Sarah and the expressions she makes, especially after Sarah deems her a failure. Later though, Kate comforts Emilico that she had made progress in trying to protect what was important to her, and makes her promise to take care of herself better. Before going to bed, Emilico decides to make a "don't fret" notebook to write down all the thoughts she is disallowed to think as a Living Doll. While thinking of how to serve Kate better and the details of the debut, she begins to ponder the true nature of Shadows House. Mia later returns to her own room, finding it in disarray and filled with soot from Sarah. | |||||
| 3 | "The Soot Sickness" Transcription: "Susu ni Yoru Yamai" (Japanese: すすによる病) | Takashi Sakuma | Yūji Ōnishi | April 25, 2021 | |
|
Emilico, reuniting with Mia alongside their squad, is relieved to see her back to her normal self. She learns how aside from their cleaning duties, the primary role of Dolls are to act as their Shadow master's "face". Rosemary and Mia, who have had their debut, emphasise how their skill as a face will determine the outcome of their debut and transition into adulthood within the Shadows House. However, an alarm soon starts ringing, signalling an approaching Phantom – balls of soot that have been left uncleaned and amassed into harmful creatures. As the Dolls are dispatched to deal with them, Rosemary's head is swallowed up by a Phantom but thankfully Emilico, using water from a flower pot, gets rid of it. Unfortunately, Rosemary has now been rendered incapable of talking and moving properly, diagnosed with the "soot sickness". Emilico learns how unlike her, who cannot read, Mia was born completely literate, and notices scars on her body. At the end of the day, Kate discovers how she can manipulate objects telekinetically using the soot she emits. She entrusts Emilico with this secret, especially since Shadow lore has had no information about such an ability. | |||||
| 4 | "Watchers in the Night" Transcription: "Shin'ya no Mimawari" (Japanese: 深夜の見回り) | Jun Takahashi | Rino Yamazaki | May 2, 2021 | |
|
Rosemary returns, restored to normal health. The Doll that Emilico previously saw, Barbie, rounds all the Dolls up for a lecture. Emilico is introduced to the Star Bearers, of which Barbie is a part of, an elite group of Dolls that have all had their debut and now lead all the children Dolls. Barbie reprimands Rosemary's squad for slacking off on cleaning duties and accuses a quiet and clumsy female Doll, Ram, for being the perpetrator, which Emilico rebukes. As Barbie threatens to physically beat her, a male Doll named Shaun stands up for her. In anger, Barbie assigns Emilico, Shaun and Ram to night watch for seven days to figure out who the culprit behind the Phantom was. The three undergo sleepless nights patrolling for the cause, but to no avail, and the lack of sleep begins to affect their cleaning efficiency. As Shaun brings blankets for them to sleep one night, Ram is scared off by the arrival of a Faceless Doll – Dolls that do not speak and serve the current Living Dolls' basic needs – prompting Shaun and Emilico to search for her. Emilico stumbles upon the exit to the house and is almost shot to death by a booby trap, terrifying both children. As they find Ram, they also discover the root of the Phantom incident: a trapdoor leading to the soot cellar had come loose, causing soot to leak out and collect. Meanwhile, alone in her room, Kate wonders out loud when Emilico will finish with her work outside so they can prepare for the debut together. | |||||
| 5 | "The Debut" Transcription: "”Ohirome”" (Japanese: ”お披露目”) | Yoshihiro Sugai | Toshiya Ōno | May 9, 2021 | |
| 6 | "The Garden Labyrinth" Transcription: "Teien Meiro" (Japanese: 庭園迷路) | Hiromi Tanaka | Momoka Toyoda | May 16, 2021 | |
| 7 | "An Incomplete Map" Transcription: "Fukanzen na Chizu" (Japanese: 不完全な地図) | Takeru Ogiwara | Yūji Ōnishi | May 23, 2021 | |
| 8 | "In the Palm of His Hand" Transcription: "Te no Hira no Ue" (Japanese: 手のひらの上) | Ken Sanuma | Rino Yamazaki | May 30, 2021 | |
| 9 | "A Birdcage and Flowers" Transcription: "Torikago to Hana" (Japanese: 鳥籠と花) | Takashi Sakuma | Toshiya Ōno | June 6, 2021 | |
| 10 | "The Final Pair" Transcription: "Saigo no Ittsui" (Japanese: 最後の一対) | Tazumi Mukaiyama | Toshiya Ōno | June 13, 2021 | |
| 11 | "The Dark Drink" Transcription: "Kuroi Nomimono" (Japanese: 黒い飲み物) | Yūma Suzuki | Toshiya Ōno | June 20, 2021 | |
| 12 | "To Lord Grandfather's Wing" Transcription: "Ojii-sama to Tomo ni Aru Tō e" (Japanese: おじい様と共にある棟へ) | Hayato Sakai | Yujin Ōnishi | June 27, 2021 | |
| 13 | "For the Sake of the Shadows Family" Transcription: "Shadō-ke no Tame ni" (Japanese: シャドー家のために) | Kazuki Ōhashi Yui Ikari | Toshiya Ōno | July 4, 2021 | |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Chapman, Paul (December 20, 2020). "Gothic Mysteries Abound in Shadows House TV Anime Teaser Trailer". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ Chapman, Paul (October 15, 2020). "Supernatural Manga Shadows House Announces Anime Adaptation". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 19, 2020). "Shadows House TV Anime Reveals Staff, Cast, Teaser Video, 2021 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Friedman, Nicholas (May 28, 2021). "SHADOWS HOUSE English Dub Announced, Cast & Crew Revealed". Funimation. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 28, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Casts Kōdai Sakai". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 21, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Casts Ayane Sakura". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 4, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Casts Reiji Kawashima". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hazra, Adriana (February 11, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Casts Shino Shimoji". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Loo, Egan (March 12, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Casts Saori Ōnishi, Mai Nakahara, Rie Kugimiya". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Loo, Egan (March 8, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Unveils More Cast & Staff, Ending Song Artist, April 10 Debut, New Visual". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 14, 2021). "Shadows House Anime Adds 4 More Cast Members". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Glass, Caitlin [@caitlinsvoice] (June 12, 2021). "Lots of spookies in #ShadowsHouse ep 3 today! Finally get to hear @AboutElizabethM as Barbie and @GetMeSmith as Edward. Also welcome @alexmoore @VanessaDeSilvio @brentmukai & @ElCidRecords as mysterious shadows Sophie, Dorothy, Joseph & Ryan