Vampire Knight (Generic Discussion thread)

[Sinestra]

Its always great when you expectation are met with a new series. They animated Zero (who is my favorite character) exactly the way i had hoped his silver eye and tragic eyes compliment his blunt and troubled personality quite well, even his voice is as i had imagined it.

I also loved many of the little symbolisms they have through out the OP the ED and the series it self. The most prominent would be the uniforms of Cross academy. The day class sport black uniforms while the night class are cast with a pure white, i dont think i need elaborate further. Also, the ending with Yuki sitting in the corner with a glass of blood on the stand but surrounded by blue roses is another visual eye catching scene.

Yuki, is as i had hoped she would be too. Her bubbling happy yet confused and some what dimwitted personality is showcased and portrayed appropriately in my opinion. The way she goes about her duties as prefect and even her habits in class are follow the manga quite well. Plus they couldn't have done the headmaster any better he is just a riot and says some hilarious things, even though when i looks at him i am somewhat reminded of Abel Nightroad maybe its the glasses.

The personalties of the noble vampires are stand quite well too, especially Kaname and Ichijou. The blood eye color they display at night is frightenly beautiful . There is something alluring about a creature that is beautiful on the outside but is a beast on the inside. I actually like the adaptation they have taken from Vampire folklore about there being purebloods vampires.

The animation is gorgeous with a very dark and Gothic feel to it. Even the clothes scream Gothic. So far it looks like they are following the manga quite closely but that doesnt mean we wont see original material later on. Very solid start i will be watching with great interest.

I see the complaints have started already, well ill just say this any misconception you have about this being a simple love triangle, comedy series should be thrown out right now. There is plenty of good material to work with and there will be some major surprises to people. The humor side goes away fairly quickly and gets down to some serious yet tragic stuff. This is not another Rosario or Karin, to me this is a true vampire series if your not convinced by episode 5 then maybe its not for you but i highly doubt most people will be disappointed.

Solid 9

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

Yui Horie really fit well with her role as Yuki.And the other seiyuus did a pretty good job too,Fukuyama Jun is hilarious.The plot move pretty fast,it's good that they didn't waste any time.

I like the ED.Pretty haunting.

[desi09]

Very excited!

Spoiler for episode 1:

I have to say that the first episode covered the first chapters very nicely, and I like that they're already covering Zero. Looking at it animation-wise, it was O.K. being that they missed key elements at a distance making them look like clay figures. The seiyus were PERFECT, and I thought that every voice suited each character (mostly Kain...and Yuki). The OP and ED were well suited with the "dark" theme, which freaked me out at the ED.
Also, Chairman Cross=win! The daddy bit was so funny!! ^_^

Can't wait to see the next episode!!!!

[anselfir]

this is deliciously open about what it is selling. purdiness and purdiness.

[DragoonKain3]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

This has everything for you, huh?
Double osana najimi power, no lolis, no yuri, but lots of non-humans (who aren't dolls).

Actually, my anti-non-human stance extends to EVERY non-human, vampires included as well (Arcueid for example, fails to interest me in that regard). It just so happens I call my absolute moe property 'absolute' for a reason, and I'd still find Yuuki interesting even in the case she does get bit by a vampire.

Ehhh.

If there's one thing this series did well, is that it showed how delicious Yuuki's neck is. At ~18:00 and especially at ~21:00... even non-vampire males would want to sink their fangs on that lovely piece of flesh.

Special A is Gonzo.
Done.

I never ever let the studio (or any external factors at that) affect my view of a show. I simply just judge a show by its own merits, like it should be.

[Kaijin]

Woohoo! Now it only gets sexier,darker and better...can't wait to see where they take this. I thought the first episode was great! The OP is catchy, the ED is creepy...all in all I think they did a good job bringing this manga to life, at least for the first episode.

[OMchan]

Yay, finally watched Episode 1. I've been eagerly waiting for this anime ever since it was announced.

First of all, I thought the OP was average/unspectacular which was disappointing. I was actually hoping for something more (i.e. more exciting/spoiler-ish content) but the song seems to fit this series very well. And yes, the ED song is pretty creepy. At first I thought that the mirror Yuuki is holding was some sort of ugly light saber... err, yeah lol.

And I agree with those of you that said that the voices fit very well with the characters. Fukuyama Jun seems to be everywhere this season and almost in everything I'm watching, not that that's a bad thing.

Anyways, the episode itself was great. It followed the manga pretty closely and the pacing was fine. Hopefully it will continue this way in future episodes. Quality-wise, the episode looked great at some parts and err, not so great at others. But overall, it's what was expected for the first episode of a series. However, I'll be bracing myself for a huge quality drop in future episodes..

So unless they mess it up or if something goes horribly wrong, I will be faithfully following this series (along with Special A) 'til the very end.

[mikesince83]

Is it abnormal to get multiple shojo series in the same season? With none (that I was aware of) last season, and at least three airing simultaneously this season, the contrast is striking. Maybe it's simply coincidence?

Anyhow, animation is decent, characters seem interesting and the VAs are solid. It remains to be seen if they'll manage create something original with the somewhat stale vampire theme. For now, I'll probably drop Itazura na Kiss and follow this instead.

[ani_d]

I have a feeling this show's gonna get its own forum

Originally Posted by mikesince83

Is it abnormal to get multiple shojo series in the same season?

It's shoujo season. <3

[hanseo]

Originally Posted by mikesince83

Is it abnormal to get multiple shojo series in the same season?
Anyhow, animation is decent, characters seem interesting and the VAs are solid. It remains to be seen if they'll manage create something original with the somewhat stale vampire theme. For now, I'll probably drop Itazura na Kiss and follow this instead.

yeah i was thinking the same thing man there too many shojo series this season and not enough Shōnen.

[Grimkill7]

WOW. I wasn't expecting much with this show, but... damn. I have completely and utterly fallen in love with it after episode 1. I don't think there is a single thing I didn't like about it. VK has now surpassed Kure-nai to become my 3rd favorite of this season (right behind Macross Frontier and Code Geass R2). As for the "creepy" ED, it is the best I have heard in a LONG time and easily trumps any other from this season (then again, I'm sort of into dark themes like that). Releases for this series will be heavily anticipated by me in the future.

[Skyfall]

One thing that has been bothering me - it was only a little bit, but Aido did bite Yuuki. Isn't that supposed to have some consequences ? (Though hard to tell for me without knowing how exactly the vampire lore works in VK). Or perhaps the lack of any consequences is a hint in itself ? If i assume the second, it gives some room for speculation tied together with another element - her memory loss. Obviously she didn't lose her memories prior to 10 years just like that - there has got to be something behind it.

At the moment i can think of two possibilities - first would be that she is some sort of a "doll" (this would tie nicely with the ED). Some sort of a "clone" (perhaps of the real Yuuki who would be dead?) or artificial human, created 10 years ago for some purpose, but somehow ended up being saved by Kaname. That would explain her memory lapse and maybe why she is not affected by the bite - she wouldn't be a "real" human.

The other far fetched theory i have is that she actually could be a vampire herself ... who somehow got sealed 10 years ago and lost all her memories of before, thus forgetting her vampire self. This would explain why she is not affected by the bite and would explain why the headmaster was willing to take her in - both her and Zero are special cases. The problem i have with this is that i don't think a simple memory loss would make things like bloodlust go away.

Oh well, don't mind me - just rambling here ... its just that i get the feeling there will be much more going on than a simple pseudo love triangle

[PreSage]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

One thing that has been bothering me - it was only a little bit, but Aido did bite Yuuki. Isn't that supposed to have some consequences ? (Though hard to tell for me without knowing how exactly the vampire lore works in VK). Or perhaps the lack of any consequences is a hint in itself ? If i assume the second, it gives some room for speculation tied together with another element - her memory loss. Obviously she didn't lose her memories prior to 10 years just like that - there has got to be something behind it.

At the moment i can think of two possibilities - first would be that she is some sort of a "doll" (this would tie nicely with the ED). Some sort of a "clone" (perhaps of the real Yuuki who would be dead?) or artificial human, created 10 years ago for some purpose, but somehow ended up being saved by Kaname. That would explain her memory lapse and maybe why she is not affected by the bite - she wouldn't be a "real" human.

The other far fetched theory i have is that she actually could be a vampire herself ... who somehow got sealed 10 years ago and lost all her memories of before, thus forgetting her vampire self. This would explain why she is not affected by the bite and would explain why the headmaster was willing to take her in - both her and Zero are special cases. The problem i have with this is that i don't think a simple memory loss would make things like bloodlust go away.

Oh well, don't mind me - just rambling here ... its just that i get the feeling there will be much more going on than a simple pseudo love triangle

Wow. Impressive.

But to throw something in, if a bite from a vampire does turn her into a vampire then why is Yuuki being so nonchalant about it? (More importantly, Zero didn't seem to care; in the case that a bite turns one, I would suspect he would be more disturbed). She even said, "...if it really was like in the legends, I would probably become a vampire."

[Skyfall]

Originally Posted by PreSage

But to throw something in, if a bite from a vampire does turn her into a vampire then why is Yuuki being so nonchalant about it? (More importantly, Zero didn't seem to care; in the case that a bite turns one, I would suspect he would be more disturbed). She even said, "...if it really was like in the legends, I would probably become a vampire."

Hm, good point. Thats why i said its hard for me to speculate without knowing how the vampire lore works here. But, here is a thought - being a vampire himself, it might not be impossible for Zero to have some insight regarding Yuuki's true self (assuming that is indeed the case and i am not just being delusional). If she is indeed something "abnormal"(which i find very likely) chances are high the headmaster would know and had informed Zero about some of the circumstances to avoid conflict/help cover the truth.

Now, about Zero - his family was slaughtered by vampires, and he was turned in to one obviously against his will. Only way i know how to achieve that is to get bitten by a vampire ... well there are always necromantic and other dark rituals, but i think we can safely rule those out and fiction generally doesn't use them anyway.

And consider this - if she indeed is a vampire (or a "doll"), that means the headmaster has been hiding the truth from her for various reasons (perhaps he wants her to live a normal life ? Perhaps her vampire self was so dangerous it had to be sealed? To protect herself from her past?). Now, given the environment she lives in, he must have considered the possibility of such accruing. We can also assume that all she knows about vampires as the "truth" has been told by the headmaster. If he indeed wants to conceal her true identity (be it a vampire or a "doll"), him telling her lies (to put it bluntly) to provide explanation for such situations is not unimaginable.

... or i might be completely in the left field, providing good material for the manga readers to laugh at. Who knows

[juss]

I just went away to read chapter one of the manga to see how it compares. I liked it a lot but its impossible not to be drawn to the striking colours and designs in the anime....as what is obviously going to be a "good" adaptation the narrative flow of the anime seems to me to be a little better.

I'm torn because I'm so tempted to read on to find out what happens.....but at the same time I want to savour this anime. heh maybe I'm overplaying it a bit here, its definitely old-hat and generic but I thought well put together and such good fun. Am I the only person who feels that this anime is also really quite erotic? I mean, forget Kanokon or To Love Ru, lack of fanservice is much sexier.

[kari-no-sugata]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Hm, good point. Thats why i said its hard for me to speculate without knowing how the vampire lore works here. But, here is a thought - being a vampire himself, it might not be impossible for Zero to have some insight regarding Yuuki's true self (assuming that is indeed the case and i am not just being delusional). If she is indeed something "abnormal"(which i find very likely) chances are high the headmaster would know and had informed Zero about some of the circumstances to avoid conflict/help cover the truth.

Now, about Zero - his family was slaughtered by vampires, and he was turned in to one obviously against his will. Only way i know how to achieve that is to get bitten by a vampire ... well there are always necromantic and other dark rituals, but i think we can safely rule those out and fiction generally doesn't use them anyway.

And consider this - if she indeed is a vampire (or a "doll"), that means the headmaster has been hiding the truth from her for various reasons (perhaps he wants her to live a normal life ? Perhaps her vampire self was so dangerous it had to be sealed? To protect herself from her past?). Now, given the environment she lives in, he must have considered the possibility of such accruing. We can also assume that all she knows about vampires as the "truth" has been told by the headmaster. If he indeed wants to conceal her true identity (be it a vampire or a "doll"), him telling her lies (to put it bluntly) to provide explanation for such situations is not unimaginable.

... or i might be completely in the left field, providing good material for the manga readers to laugh at. Who knows

After watching the first ep I decided to read the whole manga (up to chapter 38). The manga moves pretty fast, leading me to suspect it could end in a few more chapters - would make for a good 26-ep TV series. If it doesn't, I guess we'll get an anime original ending (though that could happen anyway).

There is a "bad patch" about half-way through where I was bothered by the angst level and story direction which almost made me stop reading, but I'm glad I continued.

Anyway, Zero's situation will be explained pretty quickly. We'll have to wait quite a bit longer for the opening scene to be properly explained. Here's a general little note which is already seen in the first ep though not fully explained - in this series, there are multiple grades of vampire at a biological level.

[way2slow]

I don't read the manga, and probably won't.
But Vampire Knight looks promising hoping DEEN keeps up to par with its animation.

[andromeda0201]

Originally Posted by juss

I'm torn because I'm so tempted to read on to find out what happens.....but at the same time I want to savour this anime.

Exactly how i'm feeling now, in fact it took me a lot of self-control to tear myself away starting from chapter 22 so I could fully enjoy the anime. In fact I'm still kicking myself for even starting it.

Am I the only person who feels that this anime is also really quite erotic? I mean, forget Kanokon or To Love Ru, lack of fanservice is much sexier.

well vampires especially in shoujo manga have always had a bit of the erotic feel, in the sense that even the bite is considered as a vampire kiss. Look forward to how they actually animate those scenes

With the amount of shoujo animes this season I was expecting at least one to get its subforum, hopefully VK has a chance

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by myopius

but it's impossible for those things to be ruined in the case of Vampire Knight

So basically you're saying the source material is that good, that nothing can mess it up? What?

Originally Posted by Red Lupine

This show need to find a middle ground, I dont like how the atmosphere makes sudden 180's

Exactly. It was done how it should be done in the manga --- it's like they're ignoring that fact in the adaptation.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

One thing that has been bothering me - it was only a little bit, but Aido did bite Yuuki. Isn't that supposed to have some consequences ? (Though hard to tell for me without knowing how exactly the vampire lore works in VK). Or perhaps the lack of any consequences is a hint in itself ? If i assume the second, it gives some room for speculation tied together with another element - her memory loss. Obviously she didn't lose her memories prior to 10 years just like that - there has got to be something behind it.

I see what your saying and how some people might be confused. The folklore or myth they are using here indicates a bite must occur for a human to become a vampire both fangs piercing the skin (there are actually more precise rules about how a person is turned but they they are manga spoilers). If you look more closely Aido didnt actually bite Yuki he basically scratched her with his fang, they are just playing on a thin line the camera kind of moves for a second making it look like a bite.

Even though he was intoxicated by the smell of her blood he knows very well what biting a human on Campus grounds would lead too and the punishment he would receive from Kaname and Zero alike he was just playing around with Yuki but a very bad joke indeed as we saw what happen afterward.