I don't know, I think that the Shiki and the humans are pretty equally matched. The humans can go out in the sun, but they also can't heal fast and can be killed by means other than a stake. Now that the story's drawing closer to the Revenge of the Humans part, I keep thinking about why it is that the humans won such an overwhelming victory against the Shiki at the end. It always seemed unrealistic to me that the sneaky, terrifying creatures of the night got so utterly defeated in just a matter of a few days, but now I'm not so sure.
Part of the problem rests in that the Shiki just weren't very well organized. They did fine while all they had to do was sneak around and attack villagers, since that was an independent task. Once it became vital for them to work together, they couldn't, and that was their downfall. They're fighting for survival, no doubt, but they're not fighting together. With the humans, they're fighting not only for survival but for revenge for all of their dead family members and a village that won't be the same again. They have strong leaders in Ozaki and Ohkawa, who are both trusted and inspiring. Even aside from that, the village has an old hierarchy so it's easy to work in groups and be organized to effectively comb the village for survivors. On the other hand, the Shiki had been independent from the start, with the threat of Tatsumi looming over them should they step a foot out of line. Their real leader, Sunako, is rarely seen, and her mission to create a utopia for them is only passed down to the Shiki by her servants. I bet if Sunako made speeches to the Shiki as a whole, it would be more effective and they'd be more sure about what they need to do. In comparison, Ozaki and Ohkawa are very public and trusted figures. The villagers have known them for years, but Sunako is an outsider and those who don't know her very well may very well resent her for turning them into vampires.
But my rant about their organization is probably boring to you then, sorry XD But don't say you're not a real fan! There are no requirements to be a real fan. You seem to have a deep appreciation of the work and the author, and that makes you a fan. It doesn't matter what your reasons for being a fan are. Especially in a work like Shiki where the characters are the main focus, you can't be a fan without being a fan of the characters.
I was also thinking about different groups coexisting. If the Shiki and the humans were to make a pact not to attack each other and say the Shiki decided they won't kill any humans at all and drink animal blood instead...there would probably still be tensions. I'm picturing a story taking place about 100 years in the future: "humans and vampires had been at peace for over a century. But now tensions are starting again...will the spark lead to a burning flame that will end the village forever?" There will obviously be Shiki who can't resist but attack some humans. There will be some humans that want to be Shiki and will ask to be transformed (would there be laws against this? I'm guessing yes because the humans would be afraid that everyone will want to become a Shiki). There will be hate crimes (all you have to think about is the situation with Ferguson in the United States, also violence against Muslims). And then the human population may grow, and there will be more humans than Shiki, so the Shiki will have less influence. And the Shiki who are alive would be about 100 years old by now, and would think themselves superior to the short-lived humans and demand more influence. That's such an unstable situation I feel like anything could set off a massacre of the kind we see in the original Shiki. All it would take would be for an outside vampire to come in and, oblivious to Sotoba's laws, attack one of the humans. The humans would think it's the Shiki who decided to break the truce and...yeah. I love writing hypothetical speculations! (=^.^=)
I bet Seishin resents his obligations to the temple so much that when he's alone, he wears normal clothing. That's a possible headcanon; Seishin hates his robes so much that he doesn't wear them anymore than he has to. I'm not sure if that's consistent with his character, though.
Re: 8D
Part of the problem rests in that the Shiki just weren't very well organized. They did fine while all they had to do was sneak around and attack villagers, since that was an independent task. Once it became vital for them to work together, they couldn't, and that was their downfall. They're fighting for survival, no doubt, but they're not fighting together. With the humans, they're fighting not only for survival but for revenge for all of their dead family members and a village that won't be the same again. They have strong leaders in Ozaki and Ohkawa, who are both trusted and inspiring. Even aside from that, the village has an old hierarchy so it's easy to work in groups and be organized to effectively comb the village for survivors. On the other hand, the Shiki had been independent from the start, with the threat of Tatsumi looming over them should they step a foot out of line. Their real leader, Sunako, is rarely seen, and her mission to create a utopia for them is only passed down to the Shiki by her servants. I bet if Sunako made speeches to the Shiki as a whole, it would be more effective and they'd be more sure about what they need to do. In comparison, Ozaki and Ohkawa are very public and trusted figures. The villagers have known them for years, but Sunako is an outsider and those who don't know her very well may very well resent her for turning them into vampires.
But my rant about their organization is probably boring to you then, sorry XD But don't say you're not a real fan! There are no requirements to be a real fan. You seem to have a deep appreciation of the work and the author, and that makes you a fan. It doesn't matter what your reasons for being a fan are. Especially in a work like Shiki where the characters are the main focus, you can't be a fan without being a fan of the characters.
I was also thinking about different groups coexisting. If the Shiki and the humans were to make a pact not to attack each other and say the Shiki decided they won't kill any humans at all and drink animal blood instead...there would probably still be tensions. I'm picturing a story taking place about 100 years in the future: "humans and vampires had been at peace for over a century. But now tensions are starting again...will the spark lead to a burning flame that will end the village forever?" There will obviously be Shiki who can't resist but attack some humans. There will be some humans that want to be Shiki and will ask to be transformed (would there be laws against this? I'm guessing yes because the humans would be afraid that everyone will want to become a Shiki). There will be hate crimes (all you have to think about is the situation with Ferguson in the United States, also violence against Muslims). And then the human population may grow, and there will be more humans than Shiki, so the Shiki will have less influence. And the Shiki who are alive would be about 100 years old by now, and would think themselves superior to the short-lived humans and demand more influence. That's such an unstable situation I feel like anything could set off a massacre of the kind we see in the original Shiki. All it would take would be for an outside vampire to come in and, oblivious to Sotoba's laws, attack one of the humans. The humans would think it's the Shiki who decided to break the truce and...yeah.
I love writing hypothetical speculations! (=^.^=)
I bet Seishin resents his obligations to the temple so much that when he's alone, he wears normal clothing. That's a possible headcanon; Seishin hates his robes so much that he doesn't wear them anymore than he has to. I'm not sure if that's consistent with his character, though.