Ratings for all 13 episodes,
Ep 1 ~ 6/10; Ep 2 ~ 7/10; Ep 3 ~ 8/10; Ep 4 ~ 8/10; Ep 5 ~ 7/10; Ep 6 ~ 6/10; Ep 7 ~ 6/10; Ep 8 ~ 7/10; Ep 9 ~ 7/10; Ep10 ~ 7/10; Ep11 ~ 7/10; Ep12 ~ 7/10; Ep13 ~ 7/10
The basic premise isn't blindingly original; schoolgirl warrior takes on undead monsters. Only, in this case said schoolgirl (named 'Makina') is undead herself. And instead of the usual katana, she's armed with twin MAC-11 submachine guns - which a) need reloading just once over the entire 13 episodes, and b) she seems able to produce from nowhere when she needs them. We soon learn Makina isn't the only undead schoolgirl in town; there's a whole unit of them, working for a secret group of monks called the 'Kougon Sect'. Each girl can pass on to Heaven once she's destroyed 108 undead (or, 'Shikabane'). Easier said than done. The Shikabane might appear human, but can take on monstrous, immensely powerful forms.
I watched this with subs, but the Japanese voice cast seem a good fit for the characters. The artwork - characters and backdrops - is really nice and the animation is smooth. The mythology of the Kougon Sect/girl assassins, the Shikabane, and the Seven Stars (a group of seven Shikabane, working together to oppose the Kougon sect) is explored well. The tone of the series veers between horror and fantasy. There are some great horror ideas (J-pop singer refusing to accept her own death without having ever performed in concert; young children killed in a traffic accident coming back to life; students exploring a haunted building) which have incredibly eerie setups. Unfortunately, almost inevitably the undead morph into more monstrous forms, and it goes from seriously creepy to ridiculous-at-times 'creature feature'. It's frustrating. But the action is well done. And the soundtrack is great (titles and incidental). Given that this is anime featuring schoolgirls, it's no surprise that there's a ton of fan-service. No nudity, but plenty of big breasts, ass-shots, and upskirt.
The series reaches a bona fide conclusion, but also sets up the follow-on series (Shikabane Hime: Kuro, aka Corpse Princess: Black, which I've yet to see). Consistently entertaining, and well worth a look. Overall rating, 7/10.
