VAMPIRE KNIGHT (VOLUME 2)
October 19th 2008 21:40
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: 2005 Hakusensha Inc/2007 VIZ Media LLC.
Story & Art by: Matsuri Hino.
Translation & English Adaptation: Tomo Kimura.
Touch up art & Lettering: Mark McMurray & George Caltsoudas.
Graphic Design: Amy Martin.
Cost: US $8.99
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this particular manga was that it combined elements of Harry Potter with Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasoned with a dash of Romeo and Juliet for a good measure. As well as appearing in single manga volumes apparently this tale is also serialized in the pages of Shojo Beat, a girls manga publication that has also been translated into English and is on sale in the US and Canada. Although I have to wonder about the whole girl shtick as after picking up this particular volume on the shelf in my trusty library it has an interesting tale that could appeal to either guys or girls. My perception of the matter is that the whole shojo angle is more to do with the fact that the primary protagonist is a girl rather than a guy, I may be off the mark their but like I say, Matsuri Hino has crafted an interesting story here that anyone who likes tales involving vampires and vampire hunters would enjoy reading.
Come to think of it what is that makes vampires such a popular literary construct? Ever since Bram Stoker penned his masterpiece Dracula back in the gas lamp days of Victorian England vampires have been hear to stay in all the various artistic forms from literature to the silver screen to the comic/manga arena. They certainly seem to stand the test of time and the incarnations and guises in which they come indicate that they are as iconic to popular culture as the Nike tick, the golden arches, Che Guevara and the Superman logo. And no doubt the fact that all vampires are always beautiful people is a major plus to ensuring their iconic status, after all.
In this particular manga we have the situation of an exclusive academy, the Cross Academy, which has a day class of normal ordinary students and a night class of vampire students. The premise behind such an establishment is to foster better relations between vampires and humans, to promote peaceful co-existence rather than bloodshed and slaughter that has been the hallmark of human-vampire interaction. It’s a noble sentiment, one that is synonymous with someone who sees the good in all people regardless of whether they are vampire or human and its precisely the kind of mindset that the headmaster and founder of the school has. But even though he has such a view Headmaster Cross is not a gullible fool, he knows that their needs to be measure put in place to maintain the fragile peace within the corridors and hallways of his academy.
Enter Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, the guardians of the academy and members of the schools disciplinary committee which helps maintain order within the school grounds. Yuki is the adopted daughter of Headmaster Cross and naturally the primary protagonist within this tale. Attacked by a vampire at the tender age of five she has no memory of her life prior to that point, her childhood friend Zero is the heir to a family of vampire hunters who were brutally killed by vampires and he has a deep and abiding hatred off them, although unfortunately he himself has become one after being bitten by one four years ago. It brings to mind that line of Nietzsche “those who hunt monsters beware lest they in turn become monsters themselves” or words to that effect.
Thus these two are the ones who are to protect the secret of the Night Class from the day class students and maintain decorum between both groups. A simple enough task one would think, but then again vampires are not exactly the most amicable of beings and the ones who are in the Night Class are not some bunch of mindless peons, they are the top of the literal food chain, aristocrats and purebloods. Their class president is the handsome, charismatic and enigmatic Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire who has feelings for Yuki. Even though Kaname comes across as the model student who obeys all the rules he does have a darker side as befits his vampiric nature and is not above ordering some of his fellow students to carry out his edicts. What makes him frightening is the fact that he is so polite and charming about it all, that he isn’t some blood drenched ravening monster but very handsome young man with loads of magnetism and a stylish wardrobe. Distrust those who wear Armani I say, their expensive clothes only hide darkness and deceit…
Toss in the number one vampire hunter Toga Yagari and a rogue vampire preying on the locals and you have truly interesting mix that blends into an engaging story. Actually my favourite part in this manga has to be when
Toga is made to teach the ethics class for the Night Class students, all of the vampires know exactly who he is and he in turn knows them but he doesn’t bat an eyelid, instead he goes onto say that his execution list is currently empty but should anyone fall asleep during his class he’ll be happy to add their names to that list. Despite Yuki’s concern that the temporary ethics teacher will get ripped to shreds she needn’t worry, Toga comes through unscathed although it would be hard to tell what his students felt.
It’s interesting to note that whilst some of the conventions of the vampire myth are followed, namely that they drink blood, they prefer the night etc others are not. For example it used to be that if a person was bitten by a vampire they would become one and thus the whole vampire species was perpetrated by a lot of people sinking their teeth into each other over an extended period of time. In this tale it is only pureblood vampires who can turn a person into a vampire through their bite, the premise seems to be that vampires are not so much created as they’re actually born that way – at least that was the impression I received considering that vampires divided their society into purebloods, aristocrats, commoners and former humans, the latter category being those who have been bitten by a pureblood and turned. There also exists category E (for End) vampires which are former humans whose hunger and thirst for blood has overruled their reason and turned them into feral predators, such vampires are often killed by both hunters and vampires alike.
Reading this manga was akin to watching a BBC period piece drama, it had that kind of texture in the richness of its detail and the backdrops which seemed to me to be of a distinctly European flavour although there are no place names mentioned in this particular volume anyway. After reaching the end of the story it was easy to see why Matsuri Hino has become a major name in the field of shojo manga, still as I said early it has an engaging story so it would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good read, whether their a fan of vampire themed tales or not.
Story & Art by: Matsuri Hino.
Translation & English Adaptation: Tomo Kimura.
Touch up art & Lettering: Mark McMurray & George Caltsoudas.
Graphic Design: Amy Martin.
Cost: US $8.99
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this particular manga was that it combined elements of Harry Potter with Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasoned with a dash of Romeo and Juliet for a good measure. As well as appearing in single manga volumes apparently this tale is also serialized in the pages of Shojo Beat, a girls manga publication that has also been translated into English and is on sale in the US and Canada. Although I have to wonder about the whole girl shtick as after picking up this particular volume on the shelf in my trusty library it has an interesting tale that could appeal to either guys or girls. My perception of the matter is that the whole shojo angle is more to do with the fact that the primary protagonist is a girl rather than a guy, I may be off the mark their but like I say, Matsuri Hino has crafted an interesting story here that anyone who likes tales involving vampires and vampire hunters would enjoy reading.
Enter Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, the guardians of the academy and members of the schools disciplinary committee which helps maintain order within the school grounds. Yuki is the adopted daughter of Headmaster Cross and naturally the primary protagonist within this tale. Attacked by a vampire at the tender age of five she has no memory of her life prior to that point, her childhood friend Zero is the heir to a family of vampire hunters who were brutally killed by vampires and he has a deep and abiding hatred off them, although unfortunately he himself has become one after being bitten by one four years ago. It brings to mind that line of Nietzsche “those who hunt monsters beware lest they in turn become monsters themselves” or words to that effect.
Thus these two are the ones who are to protect the secret of the Night Class from the day class students and maintain decorum between both groups. A simple enough task one would think, but then again vampires are not exactly the most amicable of beings and the ones who are in the Night Class are not some bunch of mindless peons, they are the top of the literal food chain, aristocrats and purebloods. Their class president is the handsome, charismatic and enigmatic Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire who has feelings for Yuki. Even though Kaname comes across as the model student who obeys all the rules he does have a darker side as befits his vampiric nature and is not above ordering some of his fellow students to carry out his edicts. What makes him frightening is the fact that he is so polite and charming about it all, that he isn’t some blood drenched ravening monster but very handsome young man with loads of magnetism and a stylish wardrobe. Distrust those who wear Armani I say, their expensive clothes only hide darkness and deceit…
Toss in the number one vampire hunter Toga Yagari and a rogue vampire preying on the locals and you have truly interesting mix that blends into an engaging story. Actually my favourite part in this manga has to be when
Toga is made to teach the ethics class for the Night Class students, all of the vampires know exactly who he is and he in turn knows them but he doesn’t bat an eyelid, instead he goes onto say that his execution list is currently empty but should anyone fall asleep during his class he’ll be happy to add their names to that list. Despite Yuki’s concern that the temporary ethics teacher will get ripped to shreds she needn’t worry, Toga comes through unscathed although it would be hard to tell what his students felt.
It’s interesting to note that whilst some of the conventions of the vampire myth are followed, namely that they drink blood, they prefer the night etc others are not. For example it used to be that if a person was bitten by a vampire they would become one and thus the whole vampire species was perpetrated by a lot of people sinking their teeth into each other over an extended period of time. In this tale it is only pureblood vampires who can turn a person into a vampire through their bite, the premise seems to be that vampires are not so much created as they’re actually born that way – at least that was the impression I received considering that vampires divided their society into purebloods, aristocrats, commoners and former humans, the latter category being those who have been bitten by a pureblood and turned. There also exists category E (for End) vampires which are former humans whose hunger and thirst for blood has overruled their reason and turned them into feral predators, such vampires are often killed by both hunters and vampires alike.
Reading this manga was akin to watching a BBC period piece drama, it had that kind of texture in the richness of its detail and the backdrops which seemed to me to be of a distinctly European flavour although there are no place names mentioned in this particular volume anyway. After reaching the end of the story it was easy to see why Matsuri Hino has become a major name in the field of shojo manga, still as I said early it has an engaging story so it would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good read, whether their a fan of vampire themed tales or not.
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