Yami Shibai 14

Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 14 / 闇芝居 十四期 / Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories Fourteenth Season / Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 14
Yami Shibai 14
Genres: Avant Garde, Horror, Supernatural
Studios: ILCA
Source: original
Age Rating: PG 13
Type: tv
Rating: 5.79 / 10
Rank: #11249
Popularity: #9918
Users Listed: 3,960
Users Scored: 1,305
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 03/28/2025
Aired: January 6, 2025 – April 7, 2025 (Winter)
Episodes: 13
Broadcast: Monday at 02:50 (JST)

Synopsis:

*Yami Shibai: Fourteenth Season* continues the unsettling tradition of traditional Japanese ghost stories, presented as meticulously crafted paper theater. Each episode unveils a distinct tale rooted in folklore and local legends, exploring themes of memory, loss, and the lingering echoes of past traumas. The animation style, reminiscent of aged shadow puppetry, lends a haunting atmosphere to even the most familiar narratives. The series favors psychological suspense over overt scares, building dread through subtle visual cues and unsettling sound design. Viewers are invited to contemplate the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural as each story unfolds, prompting reflection on the human condition and the enduring power of storytelling itself. It offers a contemplative viewing experience more focused on atmosphere and narrative than action or elaborate plotlines.

Streaming Platforms:

Episodes:

Episode 1: My Girlfriend
Aired: January 6, 2025
Episode 2: Hand's Hands
Aired: January 13, 2025
Episode 3: The Dawn Girl
Aired: January 20, 2025
Episode 4: The Nightjar's Nest
Aired: January 27, 2025
Episode 5: Paprika
Aired: February 3, 2025
Episode 6: Lies and Truth
Aired: February 10, 2025
Episode 7: Used Car
Aired: February 17, 2025
Episode 8: Crane
Aired: February 24, 2025
Episode 9: Desire Release
Aired: March 3, 2025
Episode 10: Defense Attorney
Aired: March 10, 2025
Episode 11: Shared Inheritance
Aired: March 17, 2025
Episode 12: Sunk People
Aired: March 24, 2025
Episode 13: Taro-chan Returns Again
Aired: April 7, 2025

Characters:

Storyteller Main

Staff:

Funada, Akira
(Producer, Director)
Iwasaki, Takuya
(Producer)
Yamakawa, Norio
(Producer)
Aoki, Saori
(Script)
Kumamoto, Hiromu
(Script)
Sasaki, Mitsuhiro
(Script)
Yoshikawa, Chouji
(Script)
Mutou, Shoma
(Storyboard)
Taketani, Kazuma
(Storyboard)

Reviews:

FoggyRadiation (Score: 7/10)
The stories have fewer jump scares and they overall feel more calm from previous seasons. There are a couple of positive - relatively speaking - episodes, too, rather than just evil spirits or malice. Surprisingly, I quite liked many of the episodes, when compared to the show as a whole. The end theme and style is weird. Art style is still avant garde, but not just utter scribbles. If you liked the series up until now, this is actually better than usual. Characters react in believable ways, frequently, and the overall tone is more mellow than before. There are positive hauntings, negative outcomes, quiet episodes -there's a mix.nnAfter finishing it, it's better than the previous season and the stories are also more engaging. It's difficult to condense an esoteric plot into four minutes, but this is a step up from season 13. This is a seven in the context of Yami Shibai. Nicely done this round.

Related Anime/Manga:

  • Yami Shibai 13 (anime - Prequel)
  • Yami Shibai 15 (anime - Sequel)