SPOILER ALERT! (Just something that you find out in the third episode or so, but okay)
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| Zero, Yuuki and Kaname (Left to right) |
Vampire Knight: Review (Season 1)
As some of you might know, Vampire Knight was the first anime I ever watched (if you don't count in Pokémon, or the first episode of Rosario + Vampire) - and it got me hooked, immediately.
It is, as you might have figured out from the title, a vampire anime (a huge plus for me, oops). You could also label it a romance, drama, mystery, ... anime - which it is. Lots of drama going on. It is the anime adaptation of the manga series with the same name (Vampire Knight, that is).
The anime is set in modern-day Japan, and the story takes place in Cross Academy, the school our protagonists attend.
The main protagonist is Yuuki Cross, the adopted daughter of headmaster Kaien Cross, who begins her story with the memory of herself - ten years prior to this story - as a little girl, out in the cold. A mysterious person, a vampire, attacks her. A new figure appears and kills the vampire - his name is Kuran Kaname, and he is a pureblood vampire. He takes Yuuki to Kaien Cross, so he can take care of her.
A couple of years (6, I think it was) after this event took place, Kaien Cross returns home with a boy who survived the murder on his family (by a vampire). His name is Zero Kiryu, and he is the son of vampire hunters.
Enough with the history lesson, I'll now tell you what happens in the anime. Yuuki and Zero both patroll the Academy's grounds at night, seeing as that is the time when the mysterious Night Class roams the Academy.
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| Yuuki and Zero (in black) with the Night Class (in White) |
The Night class exists solely of vampires, who want to live peacefully amongst humans. They have blood replacing tablets, so they don't need to bite anyone. Their leader is pureblood vampire Kuran Kaname (surprise!), who seems uninterested in anything, even his fellow vampires.
The only times he smiles in this series, are when he's with Yuuki, whom he seems to have romantic, (over)protective feelings for.
She seems utterly oblivious to the matter, and is mostly completely awkward around him (and around anyone else, for that matter). Yuuki is the kind of clumsy (like, really clumsy), helpless girl who can't seem to put to words what she feels - let alone understand her feelings. She has a big heart, though, and feels the need to protect everyone she cares about.
Zero is the cool guy in our series, who shows little more emotion than Kaname - if you forget about a couple of weak moments every now and then. He struggles with a terrible secret and his true nature - he is a bitten human turned vampire, and he just can't seem to control his bloodlust. When Yuuki finds out, she tries everything to help him, while several dramatic events take place and more and more question marks rise in front of our eyes.
Anyways... Now that I've totally spoiled the plot for you (my pleasure), let's take a look at the anime itself.
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| Cross Academy, Night Dormitory |
I'll start off with the art style. The clothes, setting (and background) look incredibly nice! The characters look good as well - if you don't count in the fact that their heads are too small in comparison to the rest of their bodies - until they start to move.
At first glance everything's okay. But if you look closely, you can see that there's suddenly double the amount of forehead visible, eyes aren't on the same level, hands grasp in an unimaginable way! Dear holy person, why?!
Okay, okay, I know anime isn't like taking a photo of a real situation, and trying to remake it as real as possible. But come on! At least you can try to do your best?
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| Yuuki in opening |
Secondly I'll talk about the music. I absolutely love the opening song, and the in-series music is well chosen and suits the mood. Extra points for music, folks! Also, the opening is am-az-ing (not as awesome as Tokyo Ghoul's opening, but good in its own way) O.o
Thirdly... As the show progresses, it gets more and more intriguing. Whilst some people who see the first episode might think it's a little too much like Twilight, I assure you this is (and will always be) the perfection itself and is what many of us wished Twilight to be. (This plot is still a lot better, though, everyone!)
This show never gets boring and keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your lips and nails while watching it. Even though there's lots of "WTF?!"-moments, you can't deny it's great, full of suspense and mystery. The romance part is well brought, and like I said, it doesn't get boring.
Things that I didn't like about the anime are, like I said, the art fails, perhaps (which I haven't mentioned before) our clueless, boring and lame protagonist Yuuki and the fact that some questions are not answered and that, after having watched all 26 episodes (including the second season, Vampire Knight Guilty, of course), you'll have to search for answers in the manga - which then leads you to going back to the anime and screaming at it for being so incredibly vague.
Also, minor thing... In Vampire Knight Guilty, one particular episode is just one huge slap in your face (and I mean like, WTF?) when it comes to the revelations made. You'll probably figure out which one it is.
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| Kuran Kaname |
Overall it's a good anime, though. (Recommend you to read the manga as well, to find the answers you're looking for). I'd give it an 8 out of 10!
Also, just look at that face (left) and the glooming, sexy look it holds (still so sad, so sad). Doesn't this make you want to watch it over and over again?
Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! (;
