Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 5

闇芝居 5期

6.33(14K votes)

Ranked #9252Popularity #4737

episodes

Type

Status

Finished Airing

Aired

Jul 3, 2017 to Oct 2, 2017

Studios:ILCA

Avant GardeHorrorSupernatural

Synopsis

The mysterious masked Storyteller returns to tell more twisted tales of horror. Continuing his particular style of kamishibai inspired storytelling, he now finds that his audience is an eerie crowd of young girls, who eagerly await his devilish stories. He recounts ghostly legends involving girls of all ages: a housewife who receives a barrage of chilling phone calls; a strange girl whose flower readings are always right; a mother and daughter's ominous meeting with the "crow lady"; and a young girl whose demands from others grow more and more outrageous with each request. Witness once again the Storyteller's haunting and gripping tales, which are sure to leave one with more than just chills... [Written by MAL Rewrite]

29,279 Members

Worth Watching? — Global Verdict

6.3/10

Average Review Score

75%

Recommend It

Reviews Worldwide

International Reviews

Aquarius

Recommended

The Yami Shibai series took horror back to its roots. A simple scary story late in the evening about what goes bump in the night used be considered the height of horror. Now however, the bulk of the horror genre is populated with shows that overuse blood, guts, grotesque figures, and jump scares. The shows that tactfully implement those elements along with their own decent horror story are few and far between. The first season of Yami Shibai did this and did it well. Sadly, somewhere along its 3 seasons thereafter it devolved from what I originally praised it for and became the picture dramaversion of a B-grade horror show, filled solely with grotesque creatures and more jump scares then your average amusement park haunted house. Each season I found myself more and more disappointed with the way the series was heading. I kept wondering why I was still bothering to waste my time on something that was clearly lost. But like an abusive relationship, I found myself coming back only to be more disappointed with each subsequent season. The question here is, does the 5th season of Yami Shibai break this downward spiral of mediocrity? To my surprise, yes. It created something I enjoyed even more so than the first season and here's why. Remember when you were a kid and you found yourself oddly attracted and fearful to that that was different around you? Like an odd acting person you see around town from time to time, or a rundown abandoned building somewhere near the outskirts? You were scared to investigate any further then just looking because just maybe that odd acting person was a witch in disguise or that abandoned house was a den for ghost and ghouls. Even when you grew up and replaced these childish delusions with logic and reasoning you still couldn't help but think that just maybe that scratching behind the wall late at night was the work of a ghost and not just some rodent. That's what the 5th season of Yami Shibai did. They animated and twisted our childlike fears putting them behind a screen for our viewing pleasure. To say my exceptions to get even a passable 5th installment after the horrendous 4th season were low is an understatement. I went into this expecting to hate it and was shocked through and through to find something that was actually better then just "passable". I found myself getting chills like I once did and for the first time I was actually looking froward to the next story that would air. The fifth season of Yami Shibai rekindled the child in me, the one that was scared of the dark. It reminded me of how fun experiencing a simple ghost story can be. The fifth season of Yami Shibai is not without it's faults either and would be wrong of me not to talk about its most glaring ones. The inconsistency between each story in the terms of quality is extremely apparent. Some episodes the art is good enough to stand up to its seasonal counterparts and at other times it looks like it was drawn by a 15 year old with a pastel and pencil crayon fetish. The exact same could be said for the voice acting. sometimes the quality of it is once again, up to par with its seasonal counterparts and at other times was so vexing that it actually made me wonder whether or not they casted random people off the street to voice some parts. In conclusion, even though the fifth season of Yami Shibai has its share of episodes that were mediocre at best it was still a pleasure to watch. This is what a sequel to Yami Shibai should look like. These are Japanese Ghost Stories.

Community Discussion

ironsakura32

Recommended

Story: Basically 13 short little stories based on Japanese urban legends or myths. In my opinion season 5 is just short of being as good as season 1. The difference is so small that I still rate both as 7. Most of the stories seemed to focus on ghosts, which to me is extra scary. They brought the original Story Teller back, so that is awesome. The opening scene is still in the park, but the children are faceless now, there are a lot more of them, and to me they seem to move like zombies. Animation: The animation is still good, and they have an grainy effect,with black spots popping in and out, like an older movie. Pretty good effect in my opinion. Sounds: Sound is excellent. The main thing they did was to stop the constant narration like that did in YS 4 and allow the stories to tell themselves. It allows for more immersion. Characters: No real comment, because as always, each story has its own characters. Except to mention once again, the original Story Teller is back. Overall: Overall, I would say it is almost on par with season 1. The stories are creepier and scarier. The original Story Teller with his creepy and atmospheric voice is back. for sure, headed back in the right direction. Hopefully season 6 keeps going the same way.

2 found helpfulJan 13, 2021

Sidewinder51

Not Recommended

Rate a 4 English Subtitled Plot Introduction for all episodes wasn't original. In fact it was basically the same start to most of the past seasons. Playtime or story time doesn't have to always happen on a playground of sort maybe a movie theater or an ice cream shop. Something different is always better. Why else do you think iphones are selling in increasing amounts with each new release? Story content was meh. I don't particularly like slang words but that really sums up the mood. Sure, there was some originality that other seasons didn't cover but at the same time it also redid old episodes. Which is kindof a drag. A true fan would have already seen the original episode mention, he/she doesn't need another episode telling the same basic premise for the element of surprise is no longer there. For example episode 2 for this season bears a strong similar nature to an episode from a previous season where the setting was in a bath establishment not a park. As for the conclusion for each episode i have to say not a fan. I think i understand the reason behind the credits show conveying a you don't know what will come next vibe but it reminded me to much of a James bond ending. Where women are shown suggestively left and right. Not the right time of ending if you ask me. Lastly, as for the season conclusion episode i was saddened. One is taken into a story like normal only to be told it was just that. Kind of ruins the zombie like nature or captive audience featured in the intro. I say saddened because they state one thing and imply another.

4 found helpfulJan 4, 2018

SkyBlue1012

Recommended

Horror is pretty rare in anime, which is a shame especially for people like me who love the thrill of a genuinely scary story. Not many shows or movies actually deliver that spine tingling feeling, the kind that makes your heart race and your breath catch. That’s why I was so glad to come across Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai. Unlike a lot of so called "horror" anime that lean more on psychological tension or just plain gore, Yamishibai actually brings real fear. It knows how to build a creepy atmosphere, and when the jump scares hit, they really land even if it's just for a moment. Theeerie music really adds to the tension and pulls you deeper into each short story. And the voice acting? Honestly, it’s top-notch. You can actually hear the fear and panic in the characters' voices, which makes everything feel way more intense. I'm also glad they changed the narrative style from season 4 and went back to the original storytelling format. Sure, the animation could be better, and the visuals in the ending sequence could use some work, but I really liked the changes in the opening, it’s creepier now. In a genre where true horror is hard to come by, Yamishibai is a rare gem, one of the few anime that actually knows how to scare you.

0 found helpfulSep 9, 2025