In the world of Shikabane Hime when somebody dies with regrets they return to life as a Shikabane, these living dead aren't like zombies however, for most of the time they just look like ordinary people however they have strange powers and transform in to strange looking beasts if provoked. They are hunted down by the Shikabane Hime, these too are dead but they have another chance, they are each contracted to work for a monk until they have killed 108 Shikabane, then they can go to heaven.
The stories protagonist is Ouri who appears to be an ordinary fifteen year old living at an orphanage which is part of the monk's shrine. He is thrown into this strange world when he sees his brother, a monk, save a girl who he was sure was dead. He later sees her battling a shikabane. As the story progresses he is drawn further into their world.
While this series fairly dark; the violence is bloody and established characters sometimes die it isn't without humour. Most of this is provided by Ouri's brother Keisei... a monk who's idea of a joke is covering the walls of Ouri's room with racy posters. Most of the action is provided by Keisei's Shikabame Hime Makina, who dispatches various shikabane with a pair of machine pistols.
I thought this was a decent horror anime even if it was more exciting than scary. The characters were good enough for me to be saddened when certain ones died and once I realised death was a possibility the fights became more exciting.
I'd recommend watching this, especially as it can currently be view free and legally on Funimation's YouTube channel. The second half of the series "Shikabane Hime: Kuro" is also there.
These comments were made after watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
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