ROSARIO VAMPIRE – WITCHES (VOLUME 2)
July 14th 2009 01:22
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: Hidemi Dunn
Interior Design: Mark Griffin
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.99/CAN$9.50
There is a particular sub genre within the manga world that are known as harem stories; this is usually a tale that involves either a male or female who suddenly finds themselves the focus of attention of a harem of members of the opposite sex due to a variety of reasons. Usually these kinds of tales are often focused on male protagonists more than female; with some guy the attention of a bevy of beautiful women and not quite knowing what to do with all the attention. One could look at Rosario Vampire and see that this could very well be that kind of story, that the male protagonist in this tale is the focus of a harem tale, although I’d say that the harem aspect is more an accidental result of the unfolding drama rather than any conscious effort on the part of the primary male protagonist.
Why would I say something like that I hear you say, well usually the character who is the focus of a harem has a hard time of deciding which of the multitude of girls he truly likes and this angst is often a source of much of the hilarity and ensuring hi jinks that occur in such a story. Here though we have the reverse of this particular situation, our male hero knows very much the girl of his heart and dreams, the only problem he significantly has is trying to find the time to tell her his true feelings. Tsukune Aono, all round average guy and fairly nice bloke, is very much smitten with the young vampire girl Moka Akashiya, although it is problematic having to deal with someone who likes to suck your blood as much as they enjoy your stimulating company.
Perhaps this is a subversion of the whole harem genre, who knows, still it’s an interesting tale that is going in some rather interesting directions. The first volume, which I reviewed a while back, saw our rather ordinary protagonist catching the bus to his new high school, a private school known as Yokai Academy. Unfortunately Tsukune had no idea of the reality behind Yokai Academy as he got off the bus on that fateful day, it was only after the opening ceremony and the first class with his homeroom teacher that he found out Yokai Academy is a school for monsters to teach them the basics of any high school as well as the means for blending into human society. Naturally humans are not precisely welcome in such an establishment, so one wonders how did Tsukune slip through the cracks?
In the lovely state of NSW there would be questions asked in parliament about such a situation, the opposition would be demanding the government of the day hold some kind of royal commission into such an oversight or demanding the head of the current education minister. Possibly it could even warrant questions being asked in the Federal parliament. Fortunately for Tsukune Aono he doesn’t have to worry about such issues cropping up, all he has to worry about is mortal fear of his fellow classmates who should they learn he is a human are going to do him some serious harm at least, a stern talking too about school spirit is not an option here.
Having survived being mauled by local bad boy Saizo, the manipulations of Ginnei Morioka, the homicidal attentions of succubus Kurumu Kurono and the deadly drama of the swim club and its fishy president the deadly mermaid Tamao Ichinose (perhaps she should scratch it?) Tsukune is thinking he can make it at Yokai. But further danger lurks in the shadows, as you would expect at a place that manages to combine the creepy aura of the Addams family home with the intense learning demands of Hogwarts. Actually that last location is an appropriate place to mention as we get our first taste of the arts magical in this little saga.
Yukari Sendo, a child prodigy who has consistently topped the class in the freshman year, enters into Tsukune’s life after his friend Moka saves her from the malicious attentions of the class president. You know what they say, no good deed ever goes unpunished and Moka’s actions bring about a world of hurt and drama for the unsuspecting Tsukune. Yukari becomes infatuated with Moka and swears that her magic will prevent any yucky boys from having their way with her, Yukari as she succinctly reveals is a witch. Still copping the unwanted attentions of a witch who is only too happy to use her wand and voodoo dolls to inflict all manner of misery and woe on him is actually the least of Tsukune and his chums’ worries.
As a member of the Newspaper Club Tsukune and his friends, which comes to include the precocious Yukari in the mix are involved in producing the school newspaper – the Yokai Times which is according to its promo ‘read all over’. The life of an investigative journalist is a tough one though, especially in a campus like Yokai Academy, dig too deep into an issue and you could end up suffering a horrible fate indeed. Still it’s often not to pretty being a journalist in the real world either in a lot of cases, one cannot possibly imagine the travails such individuals working in war zones or repressive regimes must face in the course of carrying out their daily work routine. Being the only human in a school full of very real monsters would probably bring a similar degree of pressure, especially when you know you’re likely to get the literal chop if you’re found out.
Of course that’s only the least of the worries that the intrepid crew of the Yokai Times have to face, it seems that this is not the first time a newspaper club has been started on the campus grounds. Although the fate of the previous club was akin to a free media criticising an authoritarian regime, they were ‘closed’ down in a very forceful manner by the School Protection Committee, a group who seem to be the monster equivalent of the infamous Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. The previous club criticised their activities and actions, subsequently they were brutally purged as a menace to the school. Will the current club suffer the same fate, especially if it becomes known that one of its member’s is actually a human? Ah the tension, the drama, the intrigue, just goes to show that even though there is romance and comedy the creator knows how to mix things up and keep a tight story rolling.
Story & Art by: Akihisa Ikeda
Translation: Kaori Inoue
English Adaptation: Gerard Jones
Touch up Art & Lettering: Stephen Dutro
Cover: Hidemi Dunn
Interior Design: Mark Griffin
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.99/CAN$9.50
There is a particular sub genre within the manga world that are known as harem stories; this is usually a tale that involves either a male or female who suddenly finds themselves the focus of attention of a harem of members of the opposite sex due to a variety of reasons. Usually these kinds of tales are often focused on male protagonists more than female; with some guy the attention of a bevy of beautiful women and not quite knowing what to do with all the attention. One could look at Rosario Vampire and see that this could very well be that kind of story, that the male protagonist in this tale is the focus of a harem tale, although I’d say that the harem aspect is more an accidental result of the unfolding drama rather than any conscious effort on the part of the primary male protagonist.
In the lovely state of NSW there would be questions asked in parliament about such a situation, the opposition would be demanding the government of the day hold some kind of royal commission into such an oversight or demanding the head of the current education minister. Possibly it could even warrant questions being asked in the Federal parliament. Fortunately for Tsukune Aono he doesn’t have to worry about such issues cropping up, all he has to worry about is mortal fear of his fellow classmates who should they learn he is a human are going to do him some serious harm at least, a stern talking too about school spirit is not an option here.
Having survived being mauled by local bad boy Saizo, the manipulations of Ginnei Morioka, the homicidal attentions of succubus Kurumu Kurono and the deadly drama of the swim club and its fishy president the deadly mermaid Tamao Ichinose (perhaps she should scratch it?) Tsukune is thinking he can make it at Yokai. But further danger lurks in the shadows, as you would expect at a place that manages to combine the creepy aura of the Addams family home with the intense learning demands of Hogwarts. Actually that last location is an appropriate place to mention as we get our first taste of the arts magical in this little saga.
Yukari Sendo, a child prodigy who has consistently topped the class in the freshman year, enters into Tsukune’s life after his friend Moka saves her from the malicious attentions of the class president. You know what they say, no good deed ever goes unpunished and Moka’s actions bring about a world of hurt and drama for the unsuspecting Tsukune. Yukari becomes infatuated with Moka and swears that her magic will prevent any yucky boys from having their way with her, Yukari as she succinctly reveals is a witch. Still copping the unwanted attentions of a witch who is only too happy to use her wand and voodoo dolls to inflict all manner of misery and woe on him is actually the least of Tsukune and his chums’ worries.
As a member of the Newspaper Club Tsukune and his friends, which comes to include the precocious Yukari in the mix are involved in producing the school newspaper – the Yokai Times which is according to its promo ‘read all over’. The life of an investigative journalist is a tough one though, especially in a campus like Yokai Academy, dig too deep into an issue and you could end up suffering a horrible fate indeed. Still it’s often not to pretty being a journalist in the real world either in a lot of cases, one cannot possibly imagine the travails such individuals working in war zones or repressive regimes must face in the course of carrying out their daily work routine. Being the only human in a school full of very real monsters would probably bring a similar degree of pressure, especially when you know you’re likely to get the literal chop if you’re found out.
Of course that’s only the least of the worries that the intrepid crew of the Yokai Times have to face, it seems that this is not the first time a newspaper club has been started on the campus grounds. Although the fate of the previous club was akin to a free media criticising an authoritarian regime, they were ‘closed’ down in a very forceful manner by the School Protection Committee, a group who seem to be the monster equivalent of the infamous Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. The previous club criticised their activities and actions, subsequently they were brutally purged as a menace to the school. Will the current club suffer the same fate, especially if it becomes known that one of its member’s is actually a human? Ah the tension, the drama, the intrigue, just goes to show that even though there is romance and comedy the creator knows how to mix things up and keep a tight story rolling.
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