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Description
From Seven Seas:
After millennia in hiding, Mina Ţepeş, the princess of the ancient covenant and ruler of all vampires, wants change. Using the vast wealth of the Ţepeş line, she has paid off the entire gross national debt of Japan and in so doing, gained the authority to create a "special district" off the coast of Japan that is to become the future haven to vampires the world over! Now, on the eve of the landmark press conference announcing the existence of vampires to the world, terrorists and rival factions are plotting to assassinate Mina Ţepeş before she has a chance to make her world-changing announcement.
(Note: The Special translated by Lust subs on 9/11/11 is actually a crossover special with Dance in the Vampire Bund and Asobi ni Iku yo! by KAMINO Okina)
I originally had watched the anime and loved it. Then I read the manga and found the story went further. I started wondering after ch.48 was scanlated, how long before more chaps come out. Then I found that it was not only licensed already, but the licensed version was already ahead of the scanlations. I have up to vol.11 and am looking forward to vol.12 next month. The story keeps growing but you can see the end drawing closer finally.
This series seems dedicated to giving you as much vampire entertainment as you can possibly handle (with some werewolves on the side). If this were a movie, it would be one of the summer blockbusters that doesn't win a single award but entertains millions of people all the same. Whenever I'm itching for vampires I catch up with this series and never left unsatisfied. (insert lame pun here.)
However, it might leave some to be desired for those looking for a more philosophical work and if you're tired of vampires you might want to leave this series be for a a while. You can also see how this series goes out of its way to sexually appeal to both genders and how some plot twists are simply thrown in for shock appeal. Basically, it's what you would expect from this kind of series.
I really like this series. It has a loli without putting emphasis on it, it has vampires and werewolves which if done in a good way, is fine by my book. Good action, interesting premise, art is good and the flow of story is quick enough. However, what really burns my soul is constant shitting that one of the main characters goes through. Some are dumb reasons, some are beyond his control. All of it becomes agonizing throughout the series.
The real subtext beyond all of the backstories, constant stream of tragic events, betrayals, and general dark setting is one of bonds that while at times hard to maintain due to certain circumstances, are unbreakable even if it appears frail. Having read up to the latest scanlations, its apparent that the story, no matter how tragic (and I feel pointless after so much), is only there to put emphasis on this very bond between two beings.
Theres a few details that slowly builds up the state of the world and the politics behind the ongoing story; however do not let that deceive as the main focus of the story. Its clear after a while that theres a common theme that drives at the story and usually it always involves the same two characters (and their reactions to it) as the basis formed to build up events.
Ever since I started reading this, I was totally hooked! I own volumes 8, 9 and 10 and I'm not gonna spoil any of those volumes for anyone (unless you want to know or already know). Sure it contains loli, love between two individuals that are decades or centuries apart, nudity, and boy-rape. But there is a reason WHY she is in that form (if you read the story then you'll understand). Like what Narutosuckz said, love is love. Age doesn't play a role and neither does other physical characteristics. There is nudity, no doubt about that. But it isn't a random panty shot or boobies flying around. It happens at certain points of the story when its suppose to. The boy-rape scene. Okay, I didn't like it either but it wasn't graphic and I just continued reading.
As I stated before, I really enjoyed this story. Its a shame that scanlators worked so hard to translate, clean, and etc. the raw chapters only to be ousted by Seven Seas releasing the volumes a lot earlier. I want to say thank you to the scanlators for trying their best for continuing this project regardless of Seven Seas' licensed releases. For the readers out there, if you can't find the scanlator translated chapters, then please support the author. I know some of you may say, "I don't have a store that sells that manga/any manga". My answer to that is: look online. Buy it off amazon, ebay, kijiji, bookstore website (i.e. chapters.indigo.ca) etc if you're willing to spend a little money. Its definitely worth it! If not, then wait for new translated chapters or borrow it from someone else. Your choice.
Sorry for rambling on here, this is my first time reviewing on this site
I love how everyone authenticates their moral standards by demeaning those in the opposing party.
As it is, I cant say I enjoyed this manga much. Many of the reactions from the characters felt less believable and more like an excuse to get to the next point in the plot. That being said, the take on the whole vampire thing is pretty different and as far as the plot goes,its fairly original.
I personaly cldnt continue reading this because of my personal *eeww* moral compass, and because I just couldnt picture the characters as real.
I'd say to skip this manga-but, as seen from the many glowing reviews-it might be worth a shot.
Love is love..when 2 people fall in love they don't care if one is 5,6,7 or 8 years older than his.or her love partner.trust me i seen this happen first hand,a close relative who at the time was 22 married an older woman who at that time was 32.They are still together 5 years strong.So yea just wanted to point this out =P Still this manga is SWEET just got vol 8 and 9 and im about to go buy V 1-7!
their are point where in this manga i thought were very disturbing. well to me at lest however though it does keep things interesting and keeps u hooked in but some of the theme are easily misinterpreted like the theme "Love to over come differences" the writers shows this by a 13 year old boy(who looks 8-10) going out with a 18 year old girl.....not quite what i would have done............sorry if you like this manga but i feel quite freaked at the way the themes are shown at times...but....i keep reading.....
I find the complaints about the ecchiness a bit odd. There's quite a bit of nudity, but it never felt pornographic to me. Most ecchi beats your head in with 'LOOK AT THESE BOOBS! HAVE A PANTY SHOT!'. Here it just seems incidental and entirely appropriate given the subject matter.
Like what others have said, the manga is refreshing in the way that vampires are portrayed differently in this manga. I don't mean portrayed differently as in they change everything about the vampires (weaknesses, body composition, SPARKLINESS for cryin' out loud! Ugh!), but in that they the vampires are seeking acceptance along with trying to establish their own nation and such.
The plot itself of the manga is deep and pulls the reader in. The story is not overly complicated, and the characters are indeed three dimensional. The only problem I have with it is the ridiculous ecchi moments. By putting those scenes where Mina voluntarily takes off her clothes made it seem forced and unnatural. However, that clears up after the first volume.
Overall, I've come to respect and like (if not love) this manga. Before the Loli/Shota scare, I wouldn't have heard of it at all.
Vampire stuff doesn't exactly get old, people get tired of it. You've seen a couple, you've seen them all, that's the problem. They're mostly good, but you already know what happens.
This manga is pretty cool in the fact that it takes the vampire genre and add some minor twists- people are learning about the existence of vampires, there's strife and trouble, and blah blah blah.
What's also cooler is the relationships that are shown. There's definite romance, there's twists and turns in the plot, there's drama and horror and one or two bits of comedy spread out now and then... The presentation is just awesome.
I think it moves a bit fast, though. Like, I feel like the first two volumes could be spread to three or four, but right now it works very good. There's an anime announced, and I think it'll do very well, as long as they don't make it so that ONE chapter is ONE episode.
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