Vampire Manga of Every Genre!
Hello all! I recently finished reading Vampire Knight (probably the most popular shoujo vampire series) and I thought to myself "Golly!" (I spent a while in a place where they say golly) "What are people going to read to get their vampire fix now?!" Then I realized I know tons of vampire series, shorts and one shots, and hey I can totally help out! XD
So long story short, I have searched through my surprisingly long list of vampire manga and have collected what I think are some of the best for every genre, because let's face it, no matter your favorite genre you need more vampires in your life!
(oh and I am not counting Vampire Knight on this list)
(This list is in no particular order)
Vampire Princess Miyu
By: Kakinouchi Narumi
Shoujo
Vampire Princess Miyu is a classic Japanese vampire series, I believe the anime version of it was the first vampire anime, and it does not disappoint!
Following the story of the vampire Miyu and her servent/protector Larva, this manga combines traditional Japanese myths and demons with Western vampire lore. (Fun fact! Japan is one of the few countries that do not have a native vampire lore, the closest thing to it are blood and flesh eating demons that usually did not resemble humans)
Miyu attends high school by day to blend in, and fights demons that are not following the rules by night. Vampire Princess Miyu is a beautiful manga that has a very engaging and unique take on vampires. (The anime is also amazing!)
Hitsuji no Uta
Also known as Lament of the Lamb in English
By: Toume Kei
Sienen/psychological
This series is another one that plays around with the idea of the vampire. In Hitsuji no Uta the vampires are a pair of siblings, and they are far from the idea of a traditional vampire. (Think Dracula for traditional) They are victims of a hereditary genetic disorder that causes pain that can only be abated by drinking human blood. It is so interesting to read this and watch the siblings dissent into darkness (both mental and physical) as the story is about this mental breaking point more than anything else.
Read this to enjoy a great dark, twisted and fresh vampire tale!
Vampir
By: Itsuki Natsumi
Techically seinen but as far as seinen go, it's very light… it's more like a weird cross between a shoujo and a shounen
Vampir is yet another non traditional vampire manga. (Can you tell I like those yet? lol) The story begins when a young guy who almost dies getting hit by a suicide jumper. He then wakes up in the hospital with red eyes and blond hair (he had glowing green eyes and snow white hair! *cough* wrong series…) It turns out he is now a half vampire or vampir. In this universe, vampires are people who have died and then had the soul of one of these powerful vampir spirits combine with their body. Rather than a complete take over, however, it is more like a combining of personalities. Since our main character didn't die all the way however he is neither living nor dead and the spirit is left in a kind of limbo.
This series is a fun read, again, with a fresh take, and I definitely recommend it.
Kurobara no Alice
Also known as Black Rose Alice
By: Mizushiro Setona
Josei (some websites say shoujo but I've read it and its more adult than the average shoujo)
The story begins with Dimitri, a famous opera singer, and his tragic love triangle, where due to his station he will have to watch his love marry his best friend. Not giving spoilers but skipping ahead a bit, he becomes a vampire, which, in this series is a corpse that is filled with bugs the animate the body. I know that sounds really gross but trust me when I say the artwork in this manga is gorgeous and the bugs aren't that bad, and I hate bugs. I would love to give more of a plot synopsis but I really can't without taking away the intensity of the beginning. So read it for a twisted romance with spice and great art!
Crimson Cross
By: Negishi Kyoko
Shoujo (ok some sites say it is shounen ai, but as there's not even anything implied… I am going to say I don't think it counts at all, but you might be able to argue it is)
Traditional vampires done right! These vampires burn in the sun, fear the cross, drink blood, and are basically the opposite of Twilight vampires. The story follows Carl Van Helsing who has been hunting the vampire Elliot. Elliot turned Carl into a vampire as a way to pass the time and loves causing him torment.
Sooooo good! I love it, I think that other vampire fans will love it. Read it for awesome art and an amazing story! Oh and great action scenes and a couple werewolves too.
Hope these help you find a great vampire manga to read this week!
~Tsu
Next week there is a 90% chance the review will be Towan no Quan.
The Violinist of Hamlin
Watanabe Michiaki
Today I'm sharing a manga series that is near and dear to my heart. The first time I read it my head wasn't in a good space and recently I got some troubling news about one of my cousins, he will be losing his right foot in the near future as a blood vessel in his leg was severely damaged several years back and his foot is now slowly rotting away due to lack of blood, and I thought I'd share with you guys a series that not only puts a smile on my face but I think is well written and drawn!
^-^ After all as my avatar states "Laughter is Healthy"
Ok so as mentioned I wasn't in a happy place when I first read this, nothing serious, but hey everyone has those bad months, and I stumbled upon The Violinist of Hamlin. Also, little fun fact, this is the only series that has made me cry both in laughter and in sadness. Another little fact, this series tends to be a love or hate it series. People either love the off beat humor mixed with amazing action and touching moments and totally unserious ones, and others hate it… a lot!
I am on the love side! ^-^ (I was reading the last chapters at like 3am and into the wee hours of the dawn pacing around my room worried about the characters like they were real people. I was all crying and going "If things can't end happily for them what chance does my life have?!' <--- Waaaaaay being over dramatic. lol My roommate thought I was craaazy) I get very attached to series when I marathon them and since I read this series in an amazing 2 day marathon of barely seeing daylight (or sleeping) I got my emotions all tangled up in the epic story!
Anyways lets get to the nitty gritty, before I ooze too much about why I think think this series is great, and talk about the plot. At its heart Violinist is a Dramedy (comedy drama)
The story follows Hamel a goofy (for lack of a better word) young man and anti hero, with a dark past, as he travels to the Northern kingdom of the Mozoku (the demons). He travels carrying a giant violin which he plays and uses its music to defeat foes. He eventually meets up with Flute and other new friends that will eventually help him on his quest to destroy Kestra the king of the Mozoku. (Kestra's name is a terrible pun for Orchestra and most of the characters are named after an instrument of some kind)
Sounds pretty standard for a shounen series right?
Well in some ways it is. Where this series breaks away to be, in my opinion, one of the best series, is in its character development. All the characters have serious personal flaws. (I've had a friend tell me she hated the main character because he is an ungrateful #@$^@&!.) However, how each character starts off the series with whatever flaws they may have be it selfishness, pride, cowardice, one minded vengeance, or uncertainty just makes how much they change through the course of the series seem so amazing. The author does this so skillfully and slowly you don't even notice it until you're at the end looking back. Unlike in some other series I've read, grudges are not easily let go and sadness not easily lost.
I really buy that these characters could be real people. I buy their emotional struggles, I buy their reasons for over compensating their sad times with humor and I buy their changes and growth as people. At the end Hamel says something that never fails to make my heart melt with how sincere it is. in fact, all the sincere moments just feel all the more impactful due to the way it is.
Oh and let's not forget this manga is hilarious and jokes hit just right most of the time!
Violinist plays with the extremes of comedy and drama having them play off each other and this is where the love it or hate it aspect comes into play. The very dramatic scenes and the very bloody scenes often get broken into by humor, jokes, and puns. Personally this doesn't bother me. (Think of a YuYuHakushou that is both more extreme, in terms of how much there is, with the drama and with the humor.) I think laughter in the face of great odds or sadness is important, not just to cope, to actually heal and thats so often looked over. So it doesn't bother me when they do this in the manga.
At any rate, this series made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me hopeful again. It will always have a close place to my heart and I hope you will give it a read!
If you decide to give it a shot please give it until chapter 6, thats where it really gets the plot rolling!
~Tsu
For a serious moment preview check out my little phone wallpaper Death of a Dragon here.
Since today… Or tomorrow, not sure when this review will get posted as of right now, is father's Day where I live I thought it'd be fun to share some great father/child love manga! (not that kind of love pervs…)
Anyways I time to count down the best manga father's I know!
(Also after this point take spoiler text seriously. I do not use it lightly in reviews.)
Goggle
Author: Toyoda Tetsuya
The only reason this one is not higher on the list is because the man in manga taking care of the young deserted child is not actually his father, or even his adoptive parent, but merely a temporary baby sitter. At any rate a friend of our main character drops off the daughter of a friend who refuses to speak or to remove her goggles. The man steadily continues to try to get her out of her shell as he learns more about the silent kid.
He's a great father figure if not a father and I like this one shot, is sweet, heartfelt and all in all a good read.
Nicoichi
Author: Kindaichi Renjuurou
The story of a dad that pretends to be a mom. Why you ask? That's a loooong story but basically the dad's a good guy that got into a pattern to take care of his kid. Ok fiiine I'll go into a little more detail. When Suda's (the dads) son was a baby his mother died and he was living with just his father and wouldn't stop crying, Suda desperate to help his kid started cross dressing… and now his son thinks he's his mom… and Suda now leads a double life as mom and as a salaryman
This is a great series! A funny manga with heart the story of a single father and his son. The reason this isn't higher is because of a lot of the plot revolves around Suda's troubled dating life… but still a fun read with an enjoyable twist!
Luck Stealer
Author: Kazu Hajime
Nothing is better than a good supernatural assassin manga right? Well This dad does whatever it takes to keep he daughter alive. This series has been a favorite of mine now for several years as I've waited for fan translations. (I do know enough Japanese I could translate it for myself but I can't find it anywhere… >o> whyyyyy?!) Anyways the story mostly follows Kurusu who is an assassin that can steal a persons luck with merely a touch (thus the title of the series) and when you run out of luck you die. Why does he do this? His daughter was born without any luck and as such is constantly close to death. He can steal luck and also pass it to his daughter so she can live.
Luck stealer is great! Poor Kurusu's only this far down the list cause he murders people and doesn't actually live with his daughter. But a seriously good manga with a seriously dedicated dad is a must read!
Forever Honey
Author: Kanno Aya
Why does every manga I read ever try to make me cry?! Anyways a little one shot about a doting father who still uses baby talk with his daughter and his annoyed preteen who just wants her father to grow up. As pre usual in a manga about fatherhood he's a single dad, and his daughter thinks making him "cool" and getting him a girl friend will set him on the right path.
Seriously read this… it's a bitter sweet beauty of a one shot, I highly recommend it.
~Tsu
PS I was thinking about switching to doing some video reviews mixed in. Is there anyone who would prefer that or would actually watch them if I did that?
Fermer Mardi
Artist: Kirino Hajime
I adore this dark twisted little short! Well not that twisted but it really is very enjoyable.
The story begins with a very young girl watching something being killed.
We soon learn that the thing killed was a corpse eating monster called Estoma and that he has been killed by the undertaker who's job it is to keep Estoma from leaving the grave yard. The girl then proceeds to explain (rather angrily) that she had wanted to kill Estoma to revenge. The undertaker assures her that this time the monster won't come back to life…
Of course it does come back to life the next week…
At any rate it is a worth while one shot and at only 100 pages its a fast read that will keep you entertained! Every time I read this one I always wish it was a series… I think it would have been interesting to see how the author would have developed it longer.
I recommend it to those who enjoy one shots, fantasy stories, monsters, and people who need something to read and only have a little time.
Anyways sorry this ones a short review!
I've been planning of putting together a 'great fathers in manga' review for father's day and it has been taking my manga reading time… (I am such a geek I have manga reading time… >.> whats become of meeeeee~?)
~Tsu
KISEIJUU
Other names: Parasite, Parasyte
Author/Artist: Iwaaki Hitoshi
Sometimes you just need a good old school scifi fighting manga! That’s where the fun and enjoyablity of Parasyte comes in.
A manga from the 90s this series has actually been published twice. There’s a “flipped” version (Where they took all the pages and flipped them so the book would read left to right so us English readers would buy them) and then again by DelRey in the now normal and original format. Come on people liked it enough it got published twice!
At any rate the story begins with some unknown race of parasites taking over people brains by eating them. The main character Shunji was a victim of one such creature but the parasite failed to eat his brain and has instead taken over Shunji’s right arm.
Normal parasites eat human flesh but Shunji’s arm can’t do that and feeds on Shunji’s blood. The story progresses to follow Shunji trying to come to terms with his new life while avoiding the other parasites that may try to kill him due to his parasite’s failure.
This series is definitely worth a read! I found it an extremely enjoyable mix of scifi and action. It also has great drama and a strong plot. (Something action series don’t always have) Anyways this series is just great! Also all the parasites are quite cool looking, the character designs for them are really quite impressive! I loved it the first time I read it and I found myself reading it again while prepping for the review and am now addicted again! ^-^;;
If you love old school manga its a must, if you like action scifi, again a must. I think even if those aren’t necessarily your thing this series is still worth while for it’s writing and strong bold lined art style. A very fun and intense read!
Have you read it? Comment!
Read after reading this? Share your thoughts!
Want me to review a series? Let me know!
As always good and bad opinions are welcomed just keep it classy! lol
~Tsu
