Vampire Knight
**Once again, every entry in this blog contains spoilers.
Good heavens, I’ve stumbled across one of the sexiest mangas I’ve seen to date. And I’ve fallen head over heels for it.
I’m a bit late to get into Japan’s moderate fetish with vampires (I’m sure there’s already been lots of things out there that revolve around vampires), but again, as per my usual MO, the art style is what really caught my eye. Gorgeous, lanky characters with humongous eyes and clothing that reminds of a the Victorian era with a modern flair… even their school uniforms are somewhat glamorous. I can’t express how glad I am that I’ve discovered this manga.
So naturally, I pounced on it and read all 36 chapters in one sitting. A lot of reading (it took me a few hours to both read and ogle the pretty scans), but it was worth it and besides, what else is there to do on a week night when insomnia strikes? Might as well spend those late night hours when no one else is awake reading manga, watching anime, playing video games, or writing in blogs that are mostly about nothing (like this one!).
The story isn’t finished yet… much to my chagrin. My resolution on never starting up a series if it’s not completed at least in Japan is slowly cracking. I STILL have managed to resist series like Bleach and Naruto however. So yay for me. Still, I think it’s very interesting, what with all the vampire social hierarchy and Yuuki/Zero’s roles as school guardians. It’s not a new theme, vampires and humans trying to coexist peacefully, but I think Hino-san is executing it well. The pretty pictures don’t hurt either.
Some small criticisms I have regarding the art would be things like occasionally the way the hands and eyes are drawn, they seem to be over-large compared to the rest of the body. If I sit and think about it, the eyes are consistently almost grotesquely over-large in Yuuki no matter what, but that’s only if I let myself be bothered by it. The way Hino-san draws the hands, they look so elegant and realistic, but sometimes I feel like if I were to meet someone with hands like that, they’d easily be able to cover their entire face and then some with just one hand. Plus, sometimes when she draws Kaname, his head looks really long… if any of you remember that old MTV cartoon about a guy with a gigantic head that was more tall then wide, you’ll know what I’m referring to. Tiny criticisms which really don’t even matter going on in this paragraph.
Some may think it odd that I tend to stick with domesticated releases when it comes to both anime and manga (not dubs people!), but the truth is, the film quality or print quality is usually a lot better. Sometimes I just don’t trust things not to get lost in translation though. It doesn’t matter if it’s Geneon doing it or an amateur fansub/scanlation group. Unfortunately, some of the scanlations that I’ve seen of this manga are er… leaving something to be desired, but I’m hoping as more chapters are released the confusion that still lingers right now will be cleared up.
Kudos to all those scanlation/fansub groups out there a million times over, seriously. I can never thank those guys enough for what they do. And all they ask in return is that we don’t bitch about how slow things are released.
I’ll delve into my first impression character analysis here I suppose. After all, it’s what keeps me hooked to these things in the first place! Read at your own discretion.
Yuuki Cross – Cute little high school chick who can kick ass with a wicked pole that seems to be imbued with electricity or lightning or something. And she uses it readily to keep the peace at Cross Academy as one of its guardians. I love how cheerful she always is without being overly annoying about it. She seems to be sensible enough to know that not everything is roses all the time, but she also would do just about anything to protect the ones she loves. I enjoy her relationship with Zero. It definitely speaks of childhood friends coming of age together. Like a lot of female leads, she’s unaware of the power she has over her male counterparts. She’s not exactly dense, it’s more like a “nah, he’d never think or do that when it concerns me” kind of thing. Also, after discovering she’s actually a pure blood vampire with what appears to be incredible powers, her character has become THAT much more interesting to me. Oh, and being Kaname Kuran’s chosen one is definitely something to be envied.
Zero Kiryu – Forgive me if I drop off a couple of the u’s in these names. I’m mostly being lazy and not caring. Anyways, Zero is a seemingly stoic character with some deep-seated issues. As the second guardian of Cross Academy charged with keeping the day class from discovering what the night class really is, he’s far more dark and savage than Yuuki. Zero doesn’t say much, but he doesn’t have to. He’s definitely more about actions than words, and Hino-san does a great job of displaying his emotions through his body language. Slap that gun in his hand and he’s a very lovely bishounen to boot. What I like about Zero is actually his impending doom. Having been bitten by a pure blood vampire when he was younger, he himself is now a vampire… with a time limit. I know people are clamoring for a Yuuki/Zero pairing, but I have to wonder how long can he really last before falling to level E? Even if drinking the blood of a pure blood will save him, it just doesn’t seem like a method like that can work indefinitely. And of course, being in love with Yuuki but still pushing her in Kaname’s direction adds yet another layer to his already deepening character. I’m really anxious to find out how things are going to end up for Zero in the end. So far, he’s the most intriguing one of the bunch to me.
Kaname Kuran – Ahhh… where can I start? He’s tall, dark and handsome. He’s basically royalty since he’s a pure blood vampire. He’s also the dorm leader at Cross Academy for the night class. Did I mention he’s also a bit sinister, maybe even a little evil? He’s gorgeous, and completely in love with Yuuki. As a character he’s very poised and refined. Everyone in the room bows to him when he enters. And he’s very polite, even with the screaming groups of love-struck school girls at Cross Academy. Who wouldn’t like this guy? I think what I really enjoy though is that twisted side of him. It’s obvious he can be incredibly vicious when the occasion arises, and we learn that he’s killed other vampires in the past, including his uncle. Really, the only person you see him genuinely being kind and open towards is Yuuki. Everyone else is kept at arm’s length until they’ve been thoroughly scrutinized. Given that he’s been protecting Yuuki from danger ever since he brought her to the Chairman, it makes you wonder what’s so special about her, and about their relationship. Siblings? But not truly siblings? And why is he a fake heir? A lot of mystery surrounds this guy, so once again I’m practically drooling in anticipation for more chapters.
This series has me completely enthralled. I think the art style is incredibly sexy (without being pornographic of course) and unique. I also really enjoy how the characters’ have more and more layers being added to them in the course of their development. Even the side characters like Aidou are being expanded. The more Hino-san does this, the more I’m left wanting… well… more! Vampire Knight is a fantastic read. I recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind blood and incest =)
