Coming from Viz Media’s Shojo Beat, Vampire Knight, with art and story by Matsuri Hino has proven to be one of the more tedious reads in this collection. However it seems to be a fan favorite in Japan, so lets break it down and take a look at it.

Story
This is probably where I have the most issues and dislikes. It’s a cast of characters that seem to be easy marks for typecast emo children. Then again, I guess it can’t be helped. It starts out with main character Yuki Cross, as a child, being beset upon by a berzerked vampire, only to have another one save her life.

Okay so the opening was good, but as the story progresses, it seems to be trampled by the repeated and very annoying fact that she goes to a special school where humans go to school during the day while the Night Class — which just so happen to be vampires — attend in the night. How is this possible? Why, by putting the pretty boys and girls (usually all vampires) in one dorm, and the day timers in the other dorm. Simple! Everyone is happy.

Oh come on here, I’m sorry. I can get into the story fine enough, but you don’t have to repeat this fact after it’s mentioned the first time. It is highly irritating and repeditive. Every chapter this setup is repeated, in full, and after a while I found myself glossing over the narrative in order to read the interaction with the actual characters, only reading the narration when it actually had something worth reading.

Regardless, since our Yuki is infatuated with her vampire hero Kaname, she never bothered to really pay attention to the guy she works with while on patrol of the school grounds. It seems he has a deep dark secret that she only figures out too late. You’d think, after she was adopted by the high school principal and learned of the existance of vampires good and bad, she’d be able to tell the diffrence between a survivor of a blood bath, and a new vampire made by a top Elite. Oh silly Yuki, how you fail at reading the clues!

So when Yuki’s partner, Zero Kiryu, finally turns, he takes a big bite out of her. Luckily for Yuki, Zero’s unable to make li’l vampire children. I apologize if I sound a bit sarcastic, but the pacing was a bit horrible. I was expecting more of Zero as a human for a few volumes at least, however that wasn’t the case. He gets vamp-ified, and is suddenly a very hormonal, can barely control his suck-tacular instincts vampy. Wonderful.

The story is a sound idea, but I’m suprised over the quick pacing, and shocked that this fetish of a manga is a fan favorite. Granted, it does have its good points; namely, the characters’ interaction with each other and the obvious fact that both Zero and Yuki’s vampire hero are fighting for her affections. I think. Zero never really makes it clear. It also doesn’t help that Zero hails from a now-dead line of Vampire Hunters. Oh, the drama. Wait, don’t tell me, that’s why it’s so popular, bad writing and pacing aside that can be found in the narration.

Oh, remember when I said the characters could be easily type cast as emo-kids? Yeah. Here’s why: After Zero comes to terms with his vamp-tastic new form, he hands Yuki a gun, saying:

“If I lose the human part of me… and go mad as a vampire… shoot me with that gun.”

Right.

Yes, Zero is a suicidal vampire! Some preppie Vampire Hunter turned vampire needs to learn his lessons. He is a vampire, regardless if he acts more civilized or not. Silly Zero, those tricks just won’t work as well on Yuki. Oh wait, that’s because she’s a clueless moron longing for what could possibly be the only other vampire in the school that could possibly even make his own kids just by biting every pretty girl’s neck if he wanted to. Then again, he seems to actually like Yuki, as if she were some kind of stray dog or pet project he found on a snowy day.

Art

This is probably another reason why it was a fan fave in Japan: The Bishie factor. Every main character and every vampire is a bishie, that’s extreemly good looking for those not in the know. Even Yuki is somewhat good-looking, given that she’s suppoused to be the awkward-yet-strong heroine and personal blood fest of every dang vampire in the series.

While I admit the art inside the book and on the cover is spectacular to look at, and it gets points for the immaculate detail and care taken for each and every panel on each page, I do have to admit, the eyes are really, really creepy.

Other Information:

Volumes 1-3 are currently avalible.

While I’d normaly suggest buying a manga, I can’t help but insist a person borrow a copy from someone who already has these volumes. It just isn’t worth it by my count, to plunk down the cash.

If you liked that, try...

1. Manga Beat 08: Angel Sanctuary Vol 1.
2. Manga Beat 07: Claymore vol 1.
3. Manga Beat 06: Death Note vol 1.
4. Caldi’s Manga Beat 01: What’s New in the Manga Pile.
5. Caldi’s Manga Beat 02: What’s not so new in the Manga Pile.

4 Comments »

1. 
   Devin de Gruyl
   December 9, 2007 at 12:46 pm

   So… did you like this one or not? I can’t figure it out… ;^)

   [Reply]
2. 
   Caldi-Chan
   December 9, 2007 at 3:39 pm

   right now I don’t like how it’s written. Arts okay, eyes creep me out though. I’ll have to read the other two volumes before I cast my total judgement.

   [Reply]
3. 
   Casket*Maiden
   July 6, 2008 at 12:39 pm

   The show and manga art is beautiful, but not only that, its romantic, action packed anf full of mystery. Its a really good story and set fo characters. It is definately not a waste of time. Everyone has their own opinions, I guess, but please, people will actually love the series (yes, in America) and most of my good friends do. The series is extremely good and I cant wait for season 2.

   Good Luck missing out

   [Reply]
   Caldi-Chan Reply:
   July 6th, 2008 at 8:17 pm

   I’ll point out to you, that I review manga’s in sets of three. (This review is done with Volume One, I have volumes 2 and 3, in storage, and waiting to be re read, and written about. We shall see what we shall see.)

   The art -is- fine, I just don’t like the eyes.
   The story itself is -fine-, I just hate repetitive narration at the start of each chapter, after the main premise has been set and clarified in the first Chapter.

   As for the anime, I haven’t seen it. I prefer to rent, then if I like it I buy it. However, I don’t have the cash to buy anime all the time, let alone rent it.

   [Reply]

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