I want to gush about Shadows House because every episode consistently blows me away.

The scope and exposition are perfect. The first episode is a conversation between two characters in a bedroom. The second episode, there’s a hallway leading to a ballroom. There’s a group of people with societal structure; there’s tasks; there’s a gate. What’s outside? There’s creatures. There’s people in charge. There’s a test. What’s outside? There’s something in the coffee. There’s someone lurking in the shadows. What’s outside?

Shadows House evokes the thrill of watching Yakusoku no Neverland for the first time, and the wonder I felt reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a kid. Emilico waking up in her ‘human doll’ bed and walking through the dimly lit passage to her Shadow Master’s bedroom, evokes the same sense of adventure and dangerous excitement as the Pevensie children exploring the house that connects to Narnia.

And, the art is just as lush and comforting as a cozy detective mystery set in Edwardian high society. The colors are rich; the textures and patterns are whimsical. And, the frames are warm. They’ve also managed to animate soot. I can almost feel its grainy texture through my screen.

I was satisfied with the revelations at the end of the first season - but the second season has become a larger, thrilling ride. Not only is there a new mystery within the Childrens’ Wing, the purpose of certain meetings and objects we’ve seen since Episode 1 is becoming clearer. Society is larger. Hope is less and less abundant.

Shadows House has the same thrilling mystery as Yakusoku no Neverland and Shingeki no Kyojin, which transcends genre preferences and can captivate anyone.