Kat Reads Manga : Vampire Knight Vol. 1

“Vampires they are beasts in human form who drink the blood from living humans. Vampires do exist. You just don’t realize they’re there.”

 – Matsuri Hino, Vampire Knight Vol.1 1

 

 

Well, look what we have here, my first manga review. If your not sure what manga is check out my super basic guide.

For my first review, I chose Vampire Knight after a recommendation by Allison Can Read. I should start this by saying I’m not the most hardcore otaku or manga fan.  I only really watch anime dubs and I have no desire to learn Japanese. In fact, like most people, I am attracted to manga for the pretty pictures. Seriously, I admire mangakas–I can’t wrap my head around all the work that goes into creating a manga. They are hand-drawn.

On to the review.

This manga takes place at the boarding school Cross Academy. The school consists of two classes a Day Class and a  Night Class. However, the night class has a secret from the day class–it consists entirely of vampires.

The protagonists are Yuki Cross and Kiryu Zero, the adopted children of the school’s headmaster. They are also the only two students who know the Night Class secret. It is their job to keep the secret and make sure no Day Class student gets bitten.

I have to admit the setup kind of takes some imagination. How has no one not figured this out? The night class only has class at night, they sleep during the day and the day class students aren’t allowed to go anywhere near the night class students.

What is really funny to me is how the day class girls are so head over heels in love with the night class boys. Yuki has to literally hold them back from attacking the night schoolboys with declarations of love. I know this came out well before Twilight, but truth in fiction much?

This novel has a love triangle that I think adds an interesting tension. I haven’t read a lot of manga, but I don’t think you see a lot of actual love triangles in canon. Kuran Kaname, the president of the Night Class who rescued Yuki from vampire 10 years earlier offers the third side of the triangle.

This book offers a nice balance between the vampires you can fawn over and ones that have a real bite.

Mini-Spoiler for Vol.1

So, I like the idea that Zero–whose parents were vampire hunters killed by vampires is actually turning into a vampire. I think this struggle will be an interesting hook for the rest of the novel. I’m also to understand Zero wears a striped uniform later on and I thought the was a nice play and use for colors. The Day class wears black and the night class wears white so, striping was a good way to show his duality.