ROSARIO VAMPIRE (VOLUME 1)
June 23rd 2009 02:50
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Story & Art by: Akihisa Ikeda
Translation: Kaori Inoue
English Adaptation: Gerard Jones
Touch up Art & Lettering: Stephen Dutro
Cover & Interior Design: Hidemi Dunn
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.99/CAN$9.50
Actually it was whilst either reading a volume of Death Note or possibly even Special A (S.A for short) that I came across a promo for this particular manga. It is a common trope amongst readers and those who feel they have some knowledge of literature (be it of the high brow or pop culture kind) that you cannot judge a work by its cover. In the case of this particular piece I am not so sure, certainly with the word vampire in the title and the rather cute looking female character on the front cover I was expecting something of the horror oeuvre with some comedy/romance thrown into the mix. Sure enough I was pretty much on the money with this; the Lantern’s eternal emerald gaze is not infallible but it is reasonably accurate when it comes to material like this.
So just what is it all about I hear you ask, what information has the Lantern managed to discover beneath the glow of its viridian vigilance? Let me answer this question with another question – what would you get if you combine elements from Harry Potter, the Addams Family and Naruto? In a nutshell you’d get this rather unusual manga Rosario Vampire which combines elements of horror, comedy, high school romance, martial arts and hidden secrets within its pages. And it all begins with a rather simple mistake, although who has made the mistake is not made precisely clear. It is a quite literally a comedy of errors one that has potentially horrifying consequences for the primary male protagonist in this work.
Tsukune Aono, age 15, is a fairly average guy in fact one could almost say he is the epitome of averageness – at least as far as high school grades and sporting achievements go. Strangely though he seems completely unable to get into any high school, his average grades whilst not marking him as a dunce don’t seem to hold any water in the education sector. Curious indeed, then one day his father comes across a flyer for a private school that Tsukune can get into with an application review, Yokai Academy. Our young hero asks where his father found this flyer and he mentions something about it being dropped by a scary looking monk. This prompts Tsukune to protest that he has no intention of going to any bizarre monk school…
Lying somewhere out in the countryside through a long tunnel Tsukune catches the bus to his new high school, and as he gets off the bus, which is driven by a rather sinister cigar smoking driver – rather reminiscent of Gomez Addams come to think of it, he wonders just what the heck he has gotten himself into. That soon becomes apparent when he has a sudden collision with a rather attractive and pert young girl riding a bicycle down a dirt track heading towards the rather sombre and gothic sprawl that is Yokai Academy. Unfortunately Tsukune suddenly discovers that this young girl is a totally different from girls he has encountered before, especially when she puts the bite on him – literally. Moka Akashiya, the primary female protagonist of this story and cover girl for this volume, is a vampire as well as being a rather cute and likeable girl. No doubt essential traits for being a female vampire, it would make drinking blood somewhat easier.
This is a corny thing to say, but it is love at first bite, and despite ending up with an unusual hickey Tsukune finds himself with a rather attractive, and despite her vampirism, likeable female friend. And Moka in turn finds something immensely attracting about Tsukune, perhaps it’s just his blood or perhaps she does have deeper feelings for our young hero. Attempting to cope with this sudden bizarre development a bit shakily Tsukune feels that nothing else could get worse – he is sadly mistaken big time. Yokai Academy is not your usual high school for those aspiring to a fulfilling and fruitful academic life, it is a school for young monsters one established in a borderland that exists next to the everyday average world. No human has ever lived to discover the existence of Yokai Academy, so Tsukune swiftly realises that if anyone finds out that he’s human he is literally toast. Not the kind of news you’d want to hear on your first day at your new school.
And so begins Tsukune’s life at Yokai Academy, after finding out that it is a school for studious young monsters (I know some teachers that would say how is this different from any normal school?) it is almost destined to effectively end with his quick withdrawal from the place. And you wouldn’t blame him for leaving, he is literally way over his head – but strangely even though he is average in grades and abilities he does have the heart of a hero and you have to respect him for that. He overcomes his fear of his fellow students and elects to stay, though granted being friends with Moka has a lot to do with it, but this is not a one sided affair as Moka has similar feelings for Tsukune. It wouldn’t have romantic elements if she didn’t.
Of course Moka isn’t your average run of the mill vampire, no she is something above the norm when it comes to her powers and abilities. As Tsukune and various others swiftly discover, there is a cardinal rule at Yokai that all students and faculty members are not to reveal their true nature to others. For Moka this means that she must wear a crucifix with a rosary bead embedded in its centre, a Rosario, this device which hangs from a collar around her neck seals away her true powers and abilities. As she tells Tsukune very early on if she was to have that removed from her neck she would be “Reeeeally Scary”. And tough guy Saizo Komiya soon finds out just how powerful Moka is when the Rosario is removed – he finds out in a picking up teeth and claws kind of way.
I really enjoyed reading this manga, poor old Tsukune has a tough time of things falling into all kinds of frightening situations and misadventures, still he doesn’t pack it all in but keeps on soldiering on. He also has a knack for making friends and attracting the ladies – although often this proves to be the source of some of the horror and misadventure he finds himself in. This volume was well worth taking the time getting my hands on, certainly I’m looking forward to getting into the rest of the series and find out how things pan out over time for both of our primary protagonists.
Story & Art by: Akihisa Ikeda
Translation: Kaori Inoue
English Adaptation: Gerard Jones
Touch up Art & Lettering: Stephen Dutro
Cover & Interior Design: Hidemi Dunn
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.99/CAN$9.50
Actually it was whilst either reading a volume of Death Note or possibly even Special A (S.A for short) that I came across a promo for this particular manga. It is a common trope amongst readers and those who feel they have some knowledge of literature (be it of the high brow or pop culture kind) that you cannot judge a work by its cover. In the case of this particular piece I am not so sure, certainly with the word vampire in the title and the rather cute looking female character on the front cover I was expecting something of the horror oeuvre with some comedy/romance thrown into the mix. Sure enough I was pretty much on the money with this; the Lantern’s eternal emerald gaze is not infallible but it is reasonably accurate when it comes to material like this.
Tsukune Aono, age 15, is a fairly average guy in fact one could almost say he is the epitome of averageness – at least as far as high school grades and sporting achievements go. Strangely though he seems completely unable to get into any high school, his average grades whilst not marking him as a dunce don’t seem to hold any water in the education sector. Curious indeed, then one day his father comes across a flyer for a private school that Tsukune can get into with an application review, Yokai Academy. Our young hero asks where his father found this flyer and he mentions something about it being dropped by a scary looking monk. This prompts Tsukune to protest that he has no intention of going to any bizarre monk school…
This is a corny thing to say, but it is love at first bite, and despite ending up with an unusual hickey Tsukune finds himself with a rather attractive, and despite her vampirism, likeable female friend. And Moka in turn finds something immensely attracting about Tsukune, perhaps it’s just his blood or perhaps she does have deeper feelings for our young hero. Attempting to cope with this sudden bizarre development a bit shakily Tsukune feels that nothing else could get worse – he is sadly mistaken big time. Yokai Academy is not your usual high school for those aspiring to a fulfilling and fruitful academic life, it is a school for young monsters one established in a borderland that exists next to the everyday average world. No human has ever lived to discover the existence of Yokai Academy, so Tsukune swiftly realises that if anyone finds out that he’s human he is literally toast. Not the kind of news you’d want to hear on your first day at your new school.
And so begins Tsukune’s life at Yokai Academy, after finding out that it is a school for studious young monsters (I know some teachers that would say how is this different from any normal school?) it is almost destined to effectively end with his quick withdrawal from the place. And you wouldn’t blame him for leaving, he is literally way over his head – but strangely even though he is average in grades and abilities he does have the heart of a hero and you have to respect him for that. He overcomes his fear of his fellow students and elects to stay, though granted being friends with Moka has a lot to do with it, but this is not a one sided affair as Moka has similar feelings for Tsukune. It wouldn’t have romantic elements if she didn’t.
Of course Moka isn’t your average run of the mill vampire, no she is something above the norm when it comes to her powers and abilities. As Tsukune and various others swiftly discover, there is a cardinal rule at Yokai that all students and faculty members are not to reveal their true nature to others. For Moka this means that she must wear a crucifix with a rosary bead embedded in its centre, a Rosario, this device which hangs from a collar around her neck seals away her true powers and abilities. As she tells Tsukune very early on if she was to have that removed from her neck she would be “Reeeeally Scary”. And tough guy Saizo Komiya soon finds out just how powerful Moka is when the Rosario is removed – he finds out in a picking up teeth and claws kind of way.
I really enjoyed reading this manga, poor old Tsukune has a tough time of things falling into all kinds of frightening situations and misadventures, still he doesn’t pack it all in but keeps on soldiering on. He also has a knack for making friends and attracting the ladies – although often this proves to be the source of some of the horror and misadventure he finds himself in. This volume was well worth taking the time getting my hands on, certainly I’m looking forward to getting into the rest of the series and find out how things pan out over time for both of our primary protagonists.
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