Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Curlybrace101
Shigofumi is the best anime you’ve never seen.
The premise of Shigofumi is simple: a supernatural postal worker delivers letters to people that come from their dead friends and relatives. Now, anything dealing with death is going to be philosophical, introspective, and heavy, but Shigofumi blew me away with just how emotionally intelligent and raw it is.
Death is something everyone has to deal with at some point. It is the one inevitable fate we all reach; whether good or evil, we all end up the same way. Because of this, death is one of the most crushingly human things anyone will ever experience. And Shigofumi, being a show about death, captures what it means to be human in a way that is harrowingly real.
Shigofumi represents all aspects of the human experience—both the good and the b…
Read at the sourceEast
Shigofumi is the culmination of a blatantly critical, destructive miasma of the human condition and all of its' expressions.
When the original novel was written by Amamiya back in 2006, it came at a weird time, especially since there wasn't much material quite like this in the late 2000's, having been past that era of anime-inspired literature by a bit over half a decade. This is proof that it's never too late to make something both awe-inspiring and soul-crushing.
Shigofumi's plot is something that flourishes in its' repetition. Fumika is a postal worker for the final messages of the once-living, bringing them to their destination no matter what it may be. She is perhaps one of the most elusive characters I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and her interactions with humanity is esse…
Read at the sourceAgent_Redacted
I, Agent_Redacted once dreamed that Violet Evergarden was a loli. But never once have I anticipated that my delusional desire would come true this day.
Shigofumi is Violet Evergarden loli version.
- They are both Kuudere.
- They both deliver letters.
- They look similar.
Although Violet Evergarden effortlessly outshines Shigofumi. Shigofumi's story truly deems entertaining and to my surprise actually, legitimately caught me off guard entirely.
Shigofumi explores the unholy abyss of depression, suicide, abuse, bully and threats. The story centers around Fumika, a mail carrier from the afterlife who delivers letters of those who kicked the bucket to living, associated people of the ones who left the world.
Though Shigofumi doesn't really feel like it was treated with good care by th…
Read at the sourceYuukoDreams
We are dealing with another episodic show with a main character glueing them together. But just because you push the characters who change every episode through one drama cliché at a time doesn't mean that that's a good way to waste someone's time who has watched more than at least 30 anime's with exavtly the same plot twists and moralities. Now have cliché personalities play their part and the boredom is complete. Of course one shall not forget the dull animation and the forgettable, at times obnoxiously boring music.
Maybe this was an acceptable standard in 2008 but after Violet Evergarden I feel like we've ended up too spoiled for such mediocracy.
Read at the sourceScientiiaa
--Additional information--
Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, Shigofumi: Stories of Last Letter, or simply Shigofumi is a Japanese anime television series, which was created by Tomorou Yuzawa and produced by Bandai Visual and Genco. It aired in Japan on Chiba TV and other networks between January 6 and March 22, 2008 and contains twelve episodes. An original video animation episode was included with the final anime DVD volume released on September 26, 2008. A light novel series was originally adapted from the anime's premise set by Tomorou Yuzawa, featuring story composition and illustrations by Ryou Amamiya and Poko, respectively. Four novels were published by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko imprint between October 2006 and March 2008. Despite the novels being produced first, the…
Read at the sourceShamelessCritics
Anime rating: 7/10 , Deep,emotional, brutal reality Messages: 10/10
*I Don't usually give 2 ratings but when i do that means that the anime did something great !!*
Well at the start i though definitely this anime deserves more recognition... but then slowly came and saw its mistakes... It was just sad...Will explain shortly...
Firstly, will start with the magnificent sounds. There are only OSTs and 1 Ending song. That ending show is top tier. Just brilliant! The OST are touching and fitting. But really big credit to that Ed. It just sooooo gooood!!
Continuing with plot and story. The anime touches some really brutal, deep and harsh topics and it does it perfect. Topics such as murder, childs abuse, bullying,suicide and other brutal philosophies. That part of it i felt in love with. Just be…
Read at the sourceMarkezzo
Shigofumi starts by grabbing your interest with its fresh and unique premise, the story of a postal worker that delivers the parting thoughts and feelings of the recently deceased. Each new episode focuses on a new character and their personal struggles, slowly working toward an ending where the main character Fumika eventually becomes the focus. A lot of the characters cross paths with each other, making the series feel more connected despite its episodic nature.
After watching a few episodes however, it became clear that Shigofumi was heavily inspired by other shows. Halfway through I felt that I was watching the cute little sister of such shows as Hell Girl and Boogiepop Phantom, both of which I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed this. All three revolve around a mysterious girl that…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Shigofumi was created by Yuzawa Tomoro and written by Okouchi Ichiro under J.C. Staff Studio in 2008. How well does it hold up when compared to their other works? Let's find out.
Story:
Our heroine, Fumika, is a postman but not an ordinary one. She delivers Shigofumi, the final memento of the dead delivered to the world of the living, usually in the form of a letter. That's a good sign to start with. It is an intriguing idea and could make for a really good episodic title on the level of Petshop of Horrors. Unfortunately, the concept isn't taken full advantage of. A lot of the episodes deal, at least in part, with Fumika and unraveling what happened to get her in the position she's in. By itself, that wouldn't be a huge problem. Sure, it would be an odd decision but a major underlying st…
Read at the sourceZeroReq011
Shigofumi. A letter (fumi) delivered from the afterlife (shigo). Hence, Shigofumi. The final message left by one who's died. Letters from the departed. Strong feelings are required to be able to send a Shigofumi. Passionate love. Deep belief. And... hatred.
The above paragraph comprised of lines from Episodes 1 and 2 of this show, Shigofumi was adapted from the light novel series of the same name by Ryo Amamiya by J.C. Staff, known for other anime franchises such as Raildex, Shakugan no Shana, and Toradora! With direction by Tatsuo Satou, character designs, original and anime, by Kouhaku Kuroboshi and Tetsuya Kawakami, respectively, the series revolves predominantly around the existence of Shigofumi, the people they affect when delivered, and the mysteries of one particular mail carrier,…
Read at the sourcerandompadley
Okay, first review on the site, I'm not really one for long essays, and I've only just recently got into anime so apologies if it's not very technical but felt I wanted to pass my view on.
When I first read the summary of the anime I was very excited, the plot semt really intresting and just the type of anime that I was looking for. It was also a short series therefore I completed it within 24 hours (barely) the opening couple of Shigofumi were really good, very nice. Kept me intrested until 3am in the morning and that is a task all on its own. But when I came back to it the next day (very excited may I add) I was sadly dissapointed....
I felt the episodes were hit and miss, some were actually quite powerful and moving, and as people have said already dealing with very touchy subjects, i…
Read at the sourceggultra2764
Don't let the moe looking character design of Fumika and the energetic talking staff fool you in thinking this will be a light-hearted title. Shigofumi features a grim look into a number of touchy social issues faced by characters that Fumika delivers letters from the dead to and explores some tragic developments concerning Fumika's own past. This is a series that isn't afraid to explore the more harsher side of human society concerning the characters we encounter as subjects such as bullying, suicide, child abuse and pressures with conformity are delved into. The characters we are witness to are fleshed out enough where we have enough sense of their suffering and what led them to the predicaments they face. For the most part, the morality that the series tackles is grey meaning there are…
Read at the sourcefaywan
This review may contain minor spoiler. Shigofumi is a great anime for anybody who's looking for a psychological show.
Story:9/10
In the first few episodes, the story doesn't involve much the main character but give us a sign of what to come. That being said, the story afterwards becomes more complexe which will captivate most and intrigue others. The plot showcases what pressure, abuse, misguided love... and many more can truly amount to. Shigofumi seems like a pessemistic show but in truth it isn't completely, It just doesn't follow most anime
Art:8/10
The character and the scenery are well drawn but the colors are sometimes odd not to mention Fumika's hair
Sound:8/10
nothing special but not bad and suits the anime
Character:9/10
Shigofumi's strength is in the characters. In fact, mos…
Read at the sourceDorothea
Story. 8
Whether it's based in Japanese folklore or the author's unique idea, this is the first time I see a treatment of a shinigami-style character delivering mail for dead people to the world of the living. Whoever came up with it, it's a neat, compelling idea, and Shigofumi used it well. Although slightly episodic, nevertheless most of the episodes were thought-provoking takes on various aspects of life and death, from a bullied student deciding to commit suicide to a grown man learning he's dying of cancer. There was also a fairly strong central plot, involving Fumika, the "dead" girl delivering the mail, and what happened to her while she was "alive." I was slightly disappointed by her backstory, but still, I was more satisfied than usual by the end. This wasn't one of those anime th…
Read at the sourcekamuirsx
This was a weird anime. It starts out pretty decent but then the main plot starts to develop and things get weird. The ending could have been better but it wasn't too horrible.
Overall, if you've got the time, give it a watching. It's really hard to give a review on this one without putting in any spoilers but everything ties in together pretty nicely. I still wish the ending was better.
Read at the sourceNequam
Shigofumi starts out with much potential as it deals with issues with sophistication while the brutal unpredictability which never ceases to convey a melancholy yet intriguing experience, however Shigofumi seems to go downhill from there as the short episodic stories thereafter lack the justification for behavior of the characters as the characters don't go beyond the superficial means (just evil and good) and the story writing becomes short of well-written plots because of the questionable disbeliefs by the audience. (ex : episode 6). The ending or major plot (episode 10-12) was quite mediocre but light-hearted nether the less. It could have been a brilliant masterpiece for a short series as its own uniqueness could be portrayed well-above all the other animes, letting the audience connec…
Read at the sourceseekster
For a series that is only 12 episodes long (at the time this was written I have heard nothing of any plans to make a second season) Shigofumi is an Anime with amazing depth and a very well written story. It is one of the best anime's I have seen in a long time, certainly one of the best anime series I have seen with less than 20 episodes.
Story - 9
As I said before the writing in Shigofumi is amazing in itself, even more amazing is the fact that it is presented gradually over the span of 12 episodes at a perfect pace. I have seen many short anime's try to rush the plot to make it fit but Shigofumi's story fits so well that it would be madness to have more than 12 episodes. The story itself is filled with multiple plot twists and it really pulls at the heart strings in many parts. One of…
Read at the sourceMikariStar
Fumika is a mail carrier who delivers letters written by people who have passed away. Each episode holds its own story with Fumika meeting other characters who are most of the time only there for that episode. But it's not as episodic as it may appear to be at first. Each episode reveals a piece of the mystery surrounding the main character and her connections with others are slowly uncovered.
The anime is short but entertaining. Many of the episodes hold some kind of mystery or situation that can be solved, made worse, or only slightly affected with the arrival of a shigofumi, a letter from the afterlife. The series has a slice of life feel to it, often dealing with somewhat dark themes but it also includes a light hearted side and a little humor.
The story picks up once a few hints are…
Read at the sourceleonmcnicol
First time I heard this series, I was hesitant to watch it due to the fact "shinigami" or other death-related themes are proliferative in the anime market these days but boy...was I wrong. :D
Story: 9/10
The story is well-made with "death letters" being the main dish. No beating around the bush since all storyline will end with each episode in the early parts. Although at first, it may be bit confusing, especially Fumika's story but will eventually be revealed later on.
Art: 8/10
Not as appealing or dazzy such as Shakugan no Shana but J.C. Staff made good use of the artwork and styling. Some episodes however are not consistent with the animation quality but only in fair details.
Sound: 8/10
BGM done in the series was good and very much appeal. ALI Project made use of their stylistic app…
Read at the sourceMaxwellLily
Upon reading the summary for this show, most would think it's just another episodic and unoriginal anime with silly stories and characters that have no depth. I, too, was one of those that wasn't expecting much of Shigofumi, but after taking my chances, I was thoroughly impressed.
At first we're presented to separate stories that revolve around the delivery of Shigofumi, the letter from the dead. But the themes and characters involved are a lot more serious than you'd normally see in shows like Jigoku Shoujo and Shinigami no Ballad, shows that follow the same basic concept of Shigofumi. Bullying, child abuse, teenage suicide, the list goes on. They're all recent issues that are so real to us, treated without sugar-coating. The characters are so human and their situations so easy to recogn…
Read at the sourceMaster10K
Shigofumi is a Psychological, Supernatural, Drama about a mysterious courier (Fumika) and her talking staff (Kanaka) that deliver letters from the dead. Even though they are the main characters, the series tend to follow the person/people related to the person in account (person who wrote the shigofumi). The short series is full of episodic stories, with each being different from the last but they all deal with the same issue… ‘death’. Each story varies in the levels of disturbing content so if you thought it would be a walk in the park then you are sorely mistaken but there are also plenty of heartfelt stories to supplement that.
The characters of this anime series are great and that is because they are all well developed. Being able to develop specific characters, bit…
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