Dance in the Vampire Bund
Posted by Persocom on Nov 8, 2009 in Manga | 10 comments
I don’t do manga posts very often, because it’s unfortunately not very often that I actually buy manga. I find a bit of shame in reading scanlations, as I much prefer to read manga from the actual books. However, I can safely say that I’ve gotten into another manga that I will be buying the entire series of: Dance in the Vampire Bund. This manga is written by Nozomu Tamaki, though not his first work, it’s the first of his works that I’ve seen. The manga itself is rated Older Teen (16+) in the US version release, and with good reason. As this is a vampire series, there is quite a bit of violence, blood and in this case, nudity. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a vampire story that caught my interest. If you wish to learn more about this manga then by all means read on.
The story is set in modern Japan. Mina Tepes, no doubt related to the original Dracula, Vlad Tepes, is princess of the ancient ruler of all vampires. Using the vast wealth her lineage has gathered over centuries, she has paid off the entire debt of the Japanese government in the condition that they allow her to create an independent nation of vampires off the coast of Japan on an island created from landfill. Mina publicly unveils the existence of vampires through the opening of her bund, which is to be a safe haven for all vampires in the world. Of course, such a bold announcement brings extreme danger to her, and vampires and humans alike seek to assassinate her. This is the basic story going on here. Add a race of werewolves who are servants to the vampires into the mix (reminds me of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), and a vampire “antidote” which can cure people that have recently been turned over, and a vampire princess who seems to desire a normal human life, and this is what you get. The other main character, Akira is of the werewolf race and has sworn to protect the royal vampiress Mina. The story does seem to have a hint of romance involved, which is perfectly normal for this kind of story. Perhaps it’s not really as original as I claim it to be, but it’s my personal opinion here.
コミックス7巻発売！by Pixiv artist 環望
Now, of course this manga and the future anime that is in production will likely gain harsh criticism due to Mina’s appearance. She has the appearance of a child, yet exposes her body often. This is likely to spawn controversy especially once the anime airs. Her loli body is however, not her true form. I won’t spoil what it is though. Likely this manga won’t appeal to anyone offended by nakedness, and will probably appeal to lolicons for that reason especially. Label me however you wish, but I find the story interesting and unique for the vampire genre, at least in anime, and I enjoy it for what it’s worth so far. I’m only 2 volumes in as of posting this, but I plan on buying every volume that gets released in English, which I hope will be the entire series.
Since this is a post about the manga, I don’t want to get into the future anime much, but I will include the trailer since it is relevant. Though the trailer looks promising, I’m actually concerned about how the anime will turn out in comparison to the manga. It has been announced that it will be produced by Shaft.
Ah yes, for those who may wonder, I prefer to buy my translated manga locally at Barnes and Noble, with my discount card of course. Only $1 off, but it’s good enough for me. Luckily they are nice enough to order volumes they may not have in for customers, and they are quick at receiving them. My main concern is that the publisher, Seven Seas Entertainment, doesn’t drop the series before it’s completed, because as far as I know the manga is still ongoing with 8 volumes out and 5 of which are currently in English. Well, hopefully my “preview” isn’t too shabby, but I felt compelled to write something about this manga series since I’m enjoying it. Maybe I’ll write more as I get deeper into the series.
~
~
10 comments
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
- Rima Bompiani
on Vocaloid Nendoroid Petit Set #01 by GSC
- Sweed
on Busou Shinki Dress Up
- Anime Lover
on Miku Hatsune Dakimakura (NSFW)
- Drew Mardesich
on Enma Ai 4GB USB Flash Drive
- Aya
on Nendoroid Sakuya Izayoi
I’m really happy with your review! This is a series I’ve been debating getting into for a while, it’s been on my Amazon Shopping List for months. The new anime series announcement made me think about it again, but I hadn’t come to a conclusion yet. I’ll definitely proceed with buying the first volume next time I buy a round of manga!
lovelyduckie´s last blog ..Maison Ikkoku Manga Review Blurb
lovelyduckie – thanks, hopefully you’ll enjoy the manga as much as I do ^^ I know the next time I pass the bookstore I’m picking up 3 at the very least.
Ah weve already talked about it before and as widely known Im having a vast dislike for lolis.Throw in vampires that im pretty much tired off and you have a series that doesnt seem that interesting to me.
Whats getting me interested in th series is that Shaft is picking it up though.Im always very happy with Shafts adaptions and hope the best.
I already spotted some german mumbo jumbo in the trailer XD
I wonder how well they do this time ^^
Blowfish´s last blog ..Infernal Temptress Airi
Blowfish – This will be the first Shaft production that I’ll have actually read the manga before watching the anime, so it will be interesting comparing the two. Hopefully the anime blows the manga away, but for now I’ll enjoy what I have ^^
Thanks for the review!
I am now officially following the series ^_^
coeli´s last blog ..Anime Overload Festival – What to Expect
coeli – glad to hear ^^ hope you like it
I first heard of this series through the trailer, which I instantly took interest in. Sadly though, it’s hard to find translated mangas in Singapore, some are outdated and most which are updated aren’t my cup of tea. Hoping to see this in Singapore :p
Nice review, and while i may not pick up the manga after all, the anime is a definite must as its:
1) loli vampire
2) SHAFT
more than enough reason for me to watch it 100% when its out XD
Quazacolt´s last blog ..World of Warcraft Arena Tournament – 2009 MLG Pro Circuit Anaheim
Thanks for the nice review. Rest assured that Seven Seas has no intention of dropping the series–We’re in it for the long haul. Dance in the Vampire Bund is a truly amazing manga and we’re expecting great things from the anime.
I watched the anime today and I liked and all, but what the hell was that about? I mean, the vampire turning into a freaking amphibian or reptile? O.O
Yuriness – Yuri Anime & Shoujo-ai´s last blog ..(Português) Lançamentos Yuri da Semana