VAMPIRE KNIGHT (DVD VOLUME 1)
November 11th 2010 20:50
Based on the original Vampire Knight manga by Matsuri Hino
Director: Kiyoko Sayama
Writer: Mari Okada
Producers: Fukashi Azuma, Tomoko Takahashi & Yumiko Masushima
Starring: Mela Lee (Yuki Cross), Vic Mignonga (Zero Kiryu), Ethan Murray (Kaname Kuran), Troy Baker (Akatsuki Kain), Christopher Corey Smith (Kaien Cross), Bryce Papenbrook (Hanabusa Aido), Megan Hollingshead (Ruka Souen), Carrie Savage (Rima Toya), Stephanie Sheh (Sayori Wakaba), Steve Staley (Senri Shiki), Colleen O’Shaughnessy (Day Class Girl), Spike Spencer (Takuma Ichijo) & Derek Stephen Prince (Class Rep)
English Version produced by: VIZ Media LLC
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 100 minutes Rating: M
Based on the popular shojo manga series of the same name Vampire Knight could be easily described as a gothic romance replete with all manner of angst, attractive, fashionable attired characters and a setting that just enhances the whole ambience of gothic and romance. That’s at least what it seems like on the surface, the classic love triangle seems to be the major focus – the lead female protagonist torn between her affections for the two male leads. But after watching this initial volume in the anime I’m convinced that the triangle is but a means to an end as it were, a leitmotif to indicate that in reality Vampire Knight is the interweaving of three stories into one metastory.
Centred on the private boarding school, Cross Academy, the students at this prestigious institution are comprised of a day class and a night class. The day class are your average run of the mill normal guys and girls whilst the night class is somewhat more unusual – they’re vampires and being vampires they’re all beautiful people who look like a host of A-list celebrities. The whole premise behind this organisation of the two classes and the Academy itself is to foster better relations between the two groups, to promote an era of peaceful coexistence rather than the usual bloodshed that has been the norm of human-vampire relationships. A noble sentiment; and it is the driving force behind former vampire hunter Kaien Cross reasons for establishing the academy. As headmaster he hopes that his pacifist ideology will prevail over time. There are doubts though that this ideology has any real staying power, doubts that emanate from the leader of the night class Kaname as well as the headmaster’s ward, Zero. Both of their doubts stem from dislike of the other; Kaname has no love for Zero and vice versa.
Zero is the surviving member of a family of vampire hunters who were killed by a pureblood vampire; he was bitten by the vampire and as a result has been cursed with becoming the one thing he despises in the world – a vampire. Of course this isn’t revealed initially in the first few episodes although it is initially hinted at; the fact that he has to take blood capsules in order to maintain his equilibrium is a giveaway. After the attack on his family Kaien Cross takes him in and adopts him as his ward immediately after the incident, he introduces him to his daughter Yuki and this is the other second major event that will to some degree define Yuki.
The story that unfolds within this DVD takes place over four nights, a natural considering the nature of the bulk of the protagonists. As I said the point of view stems from that of the lead female protagonist; Yuki, but the drama is not solely centred on her alone – at least for this particular volume. Rather it is as a I said earlier the three stories of those that are involved in the triangle – Yuki, Zero and Kaname. Of the three the stories of Yuki and Zero are in the ascendant, Kaname is the more mysterious of three and is portrayed in these episodes more in the role of a supporting protagonist and rival to Zero rather than having his own tale revealed in any significant detail. Like the vampire who attacked Zero’s family he is a pureblood vampire, one of a handful of such vampires who are still in existence within the world.
With the four episodes unveiled on this disc much of the drama revolves around Yuki trying to deal with her feelings for Kaname and Zero, she is uncertain of what it all means and whether or not she has some kind of romantic longing for the dark haired aristocratic Kaname and where she stands with Zero. That is a relationship that seems as much fraught with pitfalls as is her infatuation with a vampire. The other side of the coin is Zero attempting to somehow deal with his slowly fading humanity and the distinct possibility that he is going to end up becoming nothing more than a slavering bloodthirsty monster hungering for blood, much like a rabid dog that needs to be put down for the better of the community at large.
If I had to pigeon hole this particular work I would actually say that this is more of a gothic tragedy than an actual romance – sure from the perspective of Yuki there is infatuation and possible romance emerging like the rising sun but this is only one facet of the whole. To me this is a work where at some stage it is all going to go horribly wrong and end tragically for all concerned. Still that being said Vampire Knight is a finely tuned piece of anime, but then again considering that Matsuri Hino’s work was a well crafted and thought out manga then it’s no wonder that this series has turned out so well. The little moments of humour add a nice counter point to the sadness and potential tragedy of the whole series...definitely a potential tear jerker and probably more focused on a female audience, still if gothic tragedy is up your alley it’s well worth getting your hands on.
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