Surprisingly there is a considerable amount of action and thrills here. Through their struggle to conform with the aristocracy, the manor's oppressive class structure cracks begin to show. Their diametrically opposed personalities cause difficulties. Their goal is to become as one with each other as possible in order to integrate into the noble Shadows family. Grace and nobility versus happiness and compassion. Their dynamic has more depth than meets the eye Kate possesses the qualities Emilico lacks, and vice-versa. Her master, Kate, is a prim and proper shadow with a nearly identical silhouette to the girl, eventually named Emilico.
Her room bears all the similarities to a prison cell a bed, table, run-down walls. In the beginning, an enthusiastic girl awakens for her first day as a living doll. Once these shadow people come of age, they are granted a "living doll" or servant to take care of chores and represent their personality. Whenever they feel anxiety or anger, they emit soot. They appear like silhouette paintings of humans wearing colorful dresses and regal attire. Soot coats the walls, but not from the fireplace-each member of the Shadow family is noble, dressed fancifully, and covered head to toe in soot. Oil lamps light each room, and coal provides the heating. Inside, it is a dimly lit maze bearing heavy curtains, red rugs, drab wallpaper, finely ornamented rooms,Īnd expensive wood furniture. Its imposing architecture with spiked fences resembles a prison. The manor itself is a Victorian-era stone castle shrouded by fog high on a hill. Shadows House takes place in a mansion reminiscent of gothic horror meshed with steampunk aesthetics. By combining clever visual storytelling, a mesmerizing aesthetic, a touch of philosophy, engaging characters, and on-the-nose class criticism it crafts one excellent show. It is a mystery through and through, with elements of horror. There is a misconception that Shadows House is a slice-of-life, but that's not the case. But how could the ever-curious Emilico do so in the face of the deep secrets that the Shadows House holds?
"Do not fret over trivial matters," says one of the rules to which all Dolls must abide. As she learns more about her role and duty, Emilico begins to meet her fellow Dolls and their respective masters and comes to know more about the purpose of her existence. Despite their difference in personalities, Emilico does what she can to carry out the needs of her master. When a Shadow child is nearly of-age, they are assigned a Living Doll who acts not only as their attendant but also as their second half-the faces they could have had if not for their complexion.Įmilico is a cheerful, newly created Doll who serves a rather soft-spoken master named Kate. The Shadows, characterized by their pitch-black appearance and tendency to emit soot when agitated, are a family of nobles who reside in a colossal manor deep within the mountains far from other humans.