Pushing Vampire Knight...

[dangermousie]

I know I've pimped it before but...



Do you like Vampire stories? Of the angsty, romantic kind? That are actually good and not Twilight-ridiculous? Then you simply must check out Vampire Knight, an anime based on a hit manga which is set in an alternate universe where vampires exist and fight against humans who are largely unaware of their existence. The story revolves around three characters: Yuki (the heroine protagonist), Zero and Kaname (two male characters). It's what Twilight wishes it was but is not.

Yuki is a high school student at an elite academy and the adopted daughter of the schoolmaster. She has no memories of the time before she was found wandering in the snow as a child and saved from a vampire attack by one Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire himself, who now attends the academy as part of a radical initiative between some vampires and humans to coexist. Yuki's best friend is Zero Kiryu, who comes from a famous family of vampire hunters and who lost his entire family to a vampire attack. Zero and Yuki are the only two students at the school who know about vampire existence and thus are charged with protecting the human student body. Yuki is happy to do so, as not only she is a good-hearted optimist by nature, but ever since she was saved, she has had an (understandable) crush on Kaname. Zero, also understandably, hates vampires more than anything. Only...he is slowly turning into a vampire himself as a result of that childhood attack, no matter how he fights it.

VK has everything I love: cheese, gorgeous artwork, super-melodrama, hot men who are suicidal and self-loathing, angsty angsty love (Zero/Yuki is one of my all time favorite ships), assassinations, politics, rigid hierarchical society, a love triangle, family relationships that make Dysfunction Central seem healthy...

Also, I am amused how it sucks to be a shoujo heroine: normally I'd say Yuki is quite lucky, having two gorgeous, capable guys madly in love with her. Except leaving aside the fact that they both need decades of therapy, one is slowly turning into a vampire who will have to be executed before he goes mad (the only way Yuki could keep him from killing himself is to promise him she will kill him before he goes mad) and the other one is not only too manipulative for Yuki (the playing field is not level) but is also happens to be the spirit of her ancestor trapped in her brother's body by an evil sorceror type. Yikes!

Also, I've never seen a show so explicit in its metaphor that biting = sex. A bunch of biting scenes from first season:

Here is a cool Zero/Yuki vid:

Zero dirnking Yuki's blood. Sound is odd and off but whatever. Look at the emo!

More emo:

More cool MVs:

Comments

[biases.livejournal.com]

I only got a few episodes into the anime before I started watching other things and it only just occurred to me that I have most of it sitting on my hdd and should really catch up. I'm about five or so chapters behind in the manga as well, but it's really one of those delicious guilty pleasure-type stories (is this why the second season is called 'guilty'? :D) and it's so beautiful and cheesy that you can't help but love it.

I'm a firm supporter of Zero/Yuki (and I've thought about it, and if they don't end up together there's no real purpose for his existence, so I'm pretty confident on that front) but I have to say Kaname has really grown on me. The revelation about being her sort-of-brother may have had something to do with it, as I can never resist a bit of the old fakecest, but I like characters who can and will do anything for what they want. Mmmm, manipulation.

*goes to download the rest of the series*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am only as far into the manga as the published volumes (though I am spoiled rotten) because scanlations just give me huge eye strain. The only manga I ever managed to read more than a few pages of scanlations was Fruits Basket which I read 4-5 volumes in scanlations, I was that obsessed.

I started out being bored by Kaname and vaguely creeped out because even if he looked as old as Yuuki, he acted about 300 yrs older which was...not a good basis for a couple. Plus, I am not big on manipulativeness. But once we found out about the brother/ancestor thing (and more of his sheer cleverness) I...well, I won't go as far as to say I ship Kaname/Yuki because I don't, but I certainly don't find him boring any more.

resist a bit of the old fakecest,

LOL. Though I think it would be pure incest in any form: physically, because it's her brother's body, and mentally because the spirit is her ancestor's and ancestors are relatives :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Re: Twilight. It's a great observation about shoujoness.

I think the difference is that manga usually has very pretty art. Twilight is that same type of story with the art taken out and just plot/dialogue left and that makes you realize just how useless it is :)

But alternatively, drawing style to manga is as writing style to Twilight. And SMeyer's writing style is awful, so it's as unpleasant as looking at a manga with hideous art. If the art is that bad, the manga better has a good story and Twilight does not :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I never GOT it--until Vampire Knight and the Zero/Yuuki bite scenes

Oh, exactly. And could they make the connection any more explicit? I sort of died when Yuuki asked Zero what she tasted like? *choke*

Does it mean Kaname is a slut? Seeing he is biting people who are not Yuki while thinking of Yuki? :) And rofl on hatesex. So true.

[animeshon.livejournal.com]

I have loved what I've watched of Vampire Knight. I really must watch the rest of it :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's such gothic emo melodrama! I love it.

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

I followed your rec and watched the first couple of episodes and OMG I love this!!! I haven't been able to find an anime I like since like 2 years ago, when I watched Nana. I tried so many different ones and they all sucked but this is amazing! Zero is so hot and angsty, the main heroine doesn't annoy me, it's not just about sparkly vampires and stupid battle scenes but it's also about forgiveness and inner strength and protecting your loved ones and many other things (or maybe I just want to see those things in the anime because I'm so taken by the gorgeous sparkly vampires, but whatever)
Thank you so much for reviving my love for anime.

Btw, I realized I've been stalking your journal a bit when I went back a couple of times to see your updates on East of Eden, so I think I should just add you. If you don't mind? ^^

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you like!

I'll totally friend you back!

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

Yay! ^^

Btw how far along are you? I'm on episode 10 and I'm shipping Zero and Yuki so hard it hurts. But I think I should start liking Kaname too because there is a possibility they will end up together...GUH I hate this stupid anime love triangles. They always manage to drive me crazy. I would really rather have the main guy and the other really attractive guy but still some kind overarching EPIC romance. Instead there are two very likely candidates for the lucky girl and in the end she probably won't even end up with anyone.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am not that far into the anime but fairly far into the manga.

I think if she ends up with anyone, it would be with Zero (for some spoilery reasons) but you never know.

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

I'm all spoiled so don't worry. You don't think Yuki will end up with Kaname because they are somehow siblings?
I really don't like Kaname's character. I don't usually have anything against hot, powerful, manipulative vampires but noy while a character such as Zero exists. If the mangaka were to pair up Yuki with Kaname or kill off Zero or something that would be totally against logic...I mean how can the main heroine end up with the guy she loves from the beginning? Zero is the interesting character, the one that grows and changes...And besides am I reading things wrong? Whats up with all those sexy biting scenes, and passion and tension between Yuki and Zero?

Also someone mentioned that Yuki is not ready for to be romantically involved with either of them and in all likelihood will not be. That makes sense but I don't her to be physically involved with anyone, I just want her to admit she likes Zero and resolve all the sexual tension. And Kaname to give up on her.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's because of the incest. However you slice it, Kaname is her ancestor and is in her brother's body. Both spiritually and physically it's incest. Ugh.