From this season of anime, nothing has grabbed my attention quite like Shadows House, and you only need one look at it to see why it is so interesting. It is clear from the start that the setting is quite out of the ordinary, with the members of the Shadows family depicted completely in black excluding their clothes. The main character, Emilico, is a living doll that lives to serve her corresponding member of the Shadows family, Kate.

               It becomes evident that the Shadows House is far larger than we are originally made to believe. What begins with a tale of Emilico and Kate getting to know each other in a single room soon expands to a whole wing, demonstrating the relationship between other livings dolls and their Shadows family members and how these differ from pair to pair.

               Perhaps the most curious thing about this anime is how it breaks Freudian archetypes. The living dolls must act as a face for the members of the Shadows family, completely replicating their actions and showing their emotions for others to see. In a general, real-life setting, we have shadows obeying us, but in this show, it presents a world where the shadows must be obeyed.

               Even though only five episodes have been released, the CloverWorks studio has created a setting of suspense and mystery, and it is Emilico and Kate’s relationship that serve as the crux to the viewer’s own investigation throughout the unknowable and trap-filled Shadows House. Also, its ending sequence, sung by ReoNa, is simple amazing.