Rosario to Vampire

Plot. Substance. Two words you can confidently say this manga utterly lacks. In truth, the only thing this manga seems to boast about is its attractive female characters. Character development has completely vanished for this unfortunate protagonist. The story revolves around an indecisive loser who somehow attracts a bevy of stunning women, yet, due to his loser status, fails to make any romantic progress. Although it might appear that there's a plot and some substance, they are merely illusions of suspense.

If you ever find yourself bored with nothing but manga to keep you company, and you're male with an interest in pointless, plotless entertainment, then this manga might just suit your tastes perfectly.

I read RV and even started on the second one: it took me an entire series to realize that absolutely nothing meaningful happens, and likely never will. Each chapter seems to repeat the same scenario, which I found excessively repetitive. "Know your place..."

Rosario to Vampire is an entertaining manga. The characters are quite charismatic, even though they don't experience significant development, they still manage to keep the story enjoyable.

The main character, Tsukune, is a typical harem protagonist. However, he does surprise with his growth throughout the story, transforming into a character with attitude and strength.

The storyline is decent and fun but very episodic. It features several engaging arcs full of well-drawn action scenes. Unfortunately, the lack of a more cohesive narrative can hinder immersion, which is a minor issue.

The art is excellent. The author excels at creating impressive action panels and detailed character designs. Part of the enjoyment comes from the beautifully illustrated action scenes.

In conclusion, Rosario to Vampire is a straightforwardly fun manga. It doesn't offer a deep plot or complex characters, but it delivers exciting action scenes and amusing interactions between the main character and the girls. It's unfortunate that the ending was left open due to the magazine change from WSJ to Jump SQ, but since there is a sequel, it's not a major problem.

I haven’t seen the anime of Rosario to Vampire, only knew it because it was used in Porta’s videos from 2009. A few months ago, when the Spanish version of Manga Plus by Shueisha started, I was surprised that they were publishing this manga weekly (instead of monthly as originally published), so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to get to know this classic.

The classic refers to the anime released at the end of the 2000s, which was one of the biggest references for the magical harems that dominated the industry a decade ago. It is also recognized for being a common example of a favorite expression within this community: "The manga was better." Evidently, I can't comment on this statement, I will only provide my review of the original material.

Akihisa Ikeda's most important manga: About the adventures of Tsukune Aono, a human, in a school of Yokais. From the start, the context demands a diverse set of characters, and at least in their basic form, they deliver. Accompanying Tsukune is an exotic group of side girls along with the main one, each representing a Yokai. Their personalities align with the myth they represent, making pure interaction in each scene easier since everyone has something to offer, none are redundant.

At least they aren’t excessive regarding individual scene approaches. If we speak superficially about development and themes, little is explored compared to the main duo. This might be logical and unnecessary considering that two side characters eventually received their own individual stories, but in those cases, their personalities, goals, or desires weren't delved into deeply enough. Consequently, certain attitudes and declarations may seem out of place or unconvincing in the future.

In contrast, the main duo does have more thoroughly worked personal developments than the rest. Not without reason, both became models that would be the main references for this kind of story. The male protagonist seeks more strength to defend his loved ones, while the female deals with her nature and the acceptance of her partner's protective attitude.

To clarify, there are deeper aspects to explore in Moka's character: the duality of her personality, coexistence with her nature, acceptance of friendship, and appreciation of strength. Deepening these topics would require analysis, and this is a review, so I can only mention them as narrative trends flowing through her figure that don't fully settle. They certainly add interest and dimensionality, but fall short. Clearly, they are intended for future exploration.

Tsukune's development might now seem typical in this type of story, but at the time, it must have been another execution of something already proven. However, the execution was so good that it became a reference. As chapters progress, he gains more strength in opposition to the deterioration of his personal dilemmas, reaching a notable and credible evolution by the end.

Regarding conflicts, the work's structure also exploits the fantastic context of the premise. Each chapter revolves around some enemy the group must face for various reasons, except for some longer multi-chapter stories. This approach allows consecutive conflicts showcasing more creatures like a bestiary, adding excitement by not knowing the next villain they must confront.

Initially, battles happen for various reasons seemingly without connection, but as the story progresses, a global sense starts forming. It’s undeniable that the planning was done on the fly or left until the final phase, as there were few hints about institutions or final threats, which doesn't make sense given the homogeneous structure of the school. This led to events seeming random and limited.

Similarly, the approach to each situation doesn't vary much, quickly assimilating an order with little change, potentially causing exhaustion. Fortunately, its short duration avoided significant wear. It feels underutilized, needing better event planning.

As expected from the synopsis, the global themes revolve around the coexistence and harmony between different species, expressed through episodic conflicts and the main romance. The former usually involves some Yokai against a group member (often Tsukune or Moka), occasionally focusing on species differences resolved to reinforce the message of coexistence. The main romance is a forbidden relationship leading to acceptance of differences between opposing poles, as clear as it gets.

There are traces of racism and xenophobia, but they remain suggestions to add emotion to events. Authentic treatment of these issues isn't present, though it's not the work's focus—coexistence is, handled acceptably.

Almost ironically, the art represents the work's development. Ikeda improved significantly from start to finish. Initially, strokes were stiff, lacking charisma, poor expression, bad posing, and impact. Though layout and effort in full pages were commendable from the start, other characteristics needed polishing, which happened, except for impact.

Despite good layout facilitating a powerful rhythm, the art lacks impact. Punches and power-ups lack strength, improving over time but never fully overcoming this issue. Stiffness and bad proportions persist occasionally. I liked his more cartoonish style.

Special recognition goes to character design. Each character is distinct, increasingly representative, with visually memorable villains. Fanservice could have exploited character designs more, but it remains moderate compared to successors, mainly involving breast touches or panty glances.

Rosario to Vampire has been surprising, not expecting such personality, attractiveness, world-building, and themes to explore. Precisely for this, I find it somewhat wasted in terms of structure, thematic handling, and even the art. But no need to worry; a sequel already exists, scoring above 8 and aiming to fulfill what the first part aspired to. Thanks to Shueisha for allowing me to read and continue this special story.

When you think about vampires these days, it's likely the Twilight movies that come to mind. The ones where vampires sparkle in sunlight and don't die from a stake through the heart, leading fans to argue over Team Jacob or Team Edward. However, Japan prefers its classic vampires just as they are. Akihisa Ikeda puts his own spin on vampires while keeping many traditional traits intact. Rosario+Vampire is a fantastic read. It centers around Tsukune Aoto, who failed eighth grade and couldn't get into any high school. His parents found the perfect school for him, initially making Tsukune very excited. He soon discovers he has enrolled in Yukai Academy, a high school exclusively for monsters. Tsukune plans to leave until he meets Moka Akashiya. She becomes his friend, and Tsukune feels somewhat protected. Then, jealous monster boys cause trouble, leading to adventures fighting all sorts of crazy creatures. Rosario+Vampire is awesome. While the story isn't superb and Moka doesn't face all typical vampire issues, the art is amazing, the characters are funny and lovable, making it an enjoyable monster manga. I recommend this manga to all otaku out there. It's a fun and amusing manga that any otaku can enjoy.

Rosario+Vampire had the potential to be something much greater, but it's plagued with numerous issues that hinder its overall enjoyment.

The story revolves around Tsukune, a "human" who enrolls in a school for monsters and meets Moka. Moka is a vampire with a rosary around her neck that restrains her power. When removed by Tsukune, she can unleash her full strength.

However, Moka is incredibly beautiful. So beautiful that Tsukune reminds us of this at the start of nearly every chapter. And because of her beauty, almost every male character (except Kurone) attempts to... well, assault her. Yes, that's right.

This repetitive scenario is one of the manga's biggest flaws. About 60% of the plot follows the same pattern: Tsukune and his friends talk, a misunderstanding occurs, they get separated, someone tries to approach Moka and harm her, Tsukune shows up, removes the rosary, and Moka destroys them. While some attacks might make sense occasionally, having attempted rape as a recurring plot device indicates a serious problem with the story's structure.

The second issue is the lack of consequences. Moka gets saved, the monster is knocked out, and the story ends there. The perpetrator remains free to stay at school and even tries again sometimes. Moka herself doesn't seem bothered. By volume three, after multiple near-assaults or near-deaths, she tells Tsukune she likes the school. This isn't realistic.

The third problem involves Moka's need for Tsukune to remove her rosary. At one point, Moka mentions it's impossible for a human to survive in this school. But with her rosary on, she has no more power than Tsukune. Why would she choose to attend such a dangerous place while being powerless? It feels like a convenient plot device to make Tsukune useful.

Thinking about what could happen if Tsukune weren't there makes me sick. Moka might have been assaulted multiple times daily.

The fourth problem is Moka's sudden shift from helpless to overpowered. Most fights end with a single kick. As a result, we rarely see any real battles. Moreover, despite the school being full of unique monsters, most fights are just boxing or kicking without utilizing their special abilities.

Lastly, the other main characters quickly fade into obscurity. They get an introductory chapter where they're the focus, then they're reduced to one repeated joke throughout the series. This manga is riddled with repetition.

But why did I keep reading? Because there were still some redeeming qualities. When the story focused on conflicts between monsters or humans versus monsters, or when organizations appeared and fights became more interesting, and Tsukune's evolution was engaging.

I believe if the author hadn't relied so heavily on meaningless tension through attempted assaults on Moka and instead spent time developing the universe, creating monsters with unique powers, crafting compelling backstories, and exploring reasons for conflict, this manga could have been far superior.

As it stands, though, it falls short. The humor is minimal, and ecchi content is sparse except for one scene. There's more ecchi in a single chapter of To-Love-ru than in this entire manga. The fights aren't spectacular either.

If you're looking for:

• Good fights: You can find better alternatives.
• Good ecchi: Try To-Love-ru.
• Good harem: Love-Hina (with better art).
• Good ecchi with monsters: Monster Musume.
• Good vampires: TBD.

Rosario season 2 is reportedly better, so I'll give it a try. Hopefully, it focuses more on the monster elements, particularly vampires!

This manga offered a fascinating fusion of genres, mixing harem, school life, romance, and vampire elements to craft a distinctive narrative that remained engaging from the first season's start to finish. The chapters transitioned seamlessly without jumping between time periods, ensuring a steady pace and allowing for a complex story where each chapter introduced new characters and explored their backstories. Some characters even subverted expectations, undergoing significant development throughout the unfolding plot. The interplay of comedy among the girls' relationships with Tsukune provided plenty of laughs, while the mystery surrounding each revelation added an intriguing layer, promising further revelations in subsequent chapters. Surprisingly, the story wasn't saturated with ecchi content, which only appeared occasionally for comedic effect, making its presence more impactful.

The artwork was commendable, giving unique traits to both characters and their monster designs, leaving lasting impressions long after finishing a chapter. The art style complemented the story's mood, presenting the girls as beautiful in diverse ways, with personalities that reflected this uniqueness unexpectedly. The real strength of this story lies in its characters, who possess both flaws and strengths, avoiding a sense of imbalance or mindless entertainment. Characters like Moka, Kurumu, and Tsukune have flaws revealed over time, adding depth and relatability to their arcs. The antics of the main character and his friends were particularly enjoyable, setting this manga apart from others. It promises no dull moments across its forty chapters, likely resulting in binge-reading sessions.

The combination of compelling storytelling and striking art makes it special enough to appeal even to non-manga fans, offering deeper character development often skimmed over or ignored by anime adaptations. I'd love to add this to my personal library and share it with friends unfamiliar with it, confident they'd enjoy it. This manga will remain memorable as I continue exploring more manga and anime in the future.

Sometimes I wonder how any series on MAL gets anything below a 7.00 score.

Rosario + Vampire is a prime example of a manga that suffers from incorrect tagging.

It has an ACTION tag, but all the action happens in the first chapter, and every subsequent chapter just rehashes that one fight. Oh wait, the villains were different each chapter, so there's that. Honestly though, I believe there's no lower low for action manga.

It also has a COMEDY tag, but I don't remember laughing, smirking, or reacting in any way besides cringing when Tsukune points out ONCE AGAIN at the start of the chapter that "Moka, while a cute and pretty girl, actually is a... VAMPIRE!" This is the moment when even the most clueless readers should have caught on by now who Moka really is. Anyway, back to comedy. THERE'S NO COMEDY, STUPID.

Well, if there's nothing for people seeking action or wanting to laugh a bit, maybe FANTASY, magic, or paranormal fans will find something worthwhile? WhaaaaaAAAT? You already know I'll say fantasy here is crap? C'mon now, let me at least elaborate! So. From this manga, I've learned that witches are actually monsters. AND lycanthropes are monsters too, not humans with a curse or disease. The werewolf form is their true shape. Yup. Bullshit explanations of phenomena taking place, ways new monsters are introduced and explained (half of them are, of course, one-time appearances of bully monsters, and the other half: the bullied monster girls whom Tsukune rescues by siccing his faithful vampire-dog at the bullies, and the girls fall for him because of his selfless heroism. Oh, that's the HAREM tag done as well, I guess), and overall the understanding of mythology is so pathetic it's like listening to Japanese people speak English.

There is only one tag that I'd let this manga have, a GARBAGE tag. It'd at least prevent people looking to read something interesting from trusting the score entry in question. If this trash gets GOOD/VERY GOOD scores as a MEAN from all the braindead AND people angry for wasting their time (the unlucky ones money), then anything can get an 8.

Once again, if you didn't catch it. This manga is trash. And Moka is a... VAMPIRE!!!

So, a show that's been plagiarized by none other than our great ecchi lords Gonzo, yet everyone keeps praising the manga for not being the same battle harem. Well... too bad, because that's exactly what it is! Rosario to Vampire at its core is a school harem with battle shounen elements. It is Season II where the battle shounen elements take precedence and overshadow the harem so much that you will forget it's entire first season aside from ONE key event.

RECOMMENDATION: Read this as a school harem with supernatural elements and you'll have an okay time. The structure is largely episodic building up to a shounen style fight for the climax of the chapter along with a trademark friendship lecture that is expected of Shounen JUMP manga. You won't feel disappointed and you don't have to rush through either. You'll have fun with the likable cast and their quirks, but don't expect much of them as realistic characters, since a lot is covered up by the plot elements, but there is catharsis and tidbits of proper development to be found here. It may be worth your time, but don't expect much, this isn't THAT different from the Gonzo adaptation, it's better, but not by much.

And with that... The STORY: An episodic school harem where almost every chapter we encounter a jerk villain in one sense or another building up the relevant conflict until the climax where the main character is hurt and enables the One-Shot fix-it plot device to march in and stomp over the problem. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum. Be sure to add some other girls in order to have harem catfights, you always hold off your most badass character. The villains are irredeemable one-time caricatures of school bullying, stalking, obsessions and the like... and you have yourself a "great" story.

Well... until the author gets a hang of how to build up an arc, add some intrigue, change the setting to the contemporary world, have villains with ulterior motives and themes to them. Including Light Yagami wannabe because why not. It's not handled extremely well either, but it was certainly a step forward from the episodic throwaways. Though I wish it had a more proper climax for an ending arc, but it was an awkward enough time for the publisher as well to close one of its serialization magazines.

The ARTWORK is serviceable. It can be attributed to the old scans I was reading, but it just looks plain. But the simple thing is that the mangaka had to appease his editor. No panty shots of the badass, despite her signature move being a kick while dressed in a short school uniform skirt. Comedy is relegated to being a chibi background on small panels. But it also shows that there is a sense of style when it comes to the villains, they are all drawn as horrors, beasts, heck, even Eldritch abominations later on. Too bad on the heroic side the most stylish thing we have are ominous eyes and a goth girl. The focus on the eyes when important was extremely good, as it is important both aesthetically and thematically to establish the thought process of the characters and what they're feeling. The framing is excellent and adds to the mood of the climactic scenes. Alas it isn't until Season II where the mangaka goes crazy with well composited, detailed two-page scenes. Here it's like flexing his creativity to get a feel for how they would look like and there are still present here.

The CHARACTERS on the other hand... ugh. The protagonist is your generic shounen harem lead - Tsukune who is always standing up against injustice and putting himself in unnecessary danger... Look you fucking idiot, just call in your overpowered friend and have her deal with it for you, she won't mind, it's not like she cares about irredeemable villains either, I doubt she would listen to your stupid shounen lectures about the importance of others.

Then we have the main love interest- Moka, who is sweet, altruistic, caring and harmonizing. She's likable and the shadow character complimenting her presence make for a good dichotomy from a reader standpoint. But romance wise she just feels disconnected in a sense, just being sweet doesn't cut it for me. A romantic relationship, establishing and going through one takes a lot of effort, compromise and one has to accept the faults of the other. It's just how it is even if we feel something indescribably wonderful and sorrowful at the same time. Yes, yes, the complimentary personality of hers, she's just the badass, but there's nothing more to her, she's cold and distant, but yet so cool and is shown to be compassionate at times, but that's not played up to any significance whatsoever here because the status quo of shipping every girl of the harem must be upheld!

This is where the main contender for the romantic relationship comes in- Kurumu. She's a succubus, she's a creature of deviance and yet she wants Tsukune to truly love her without any cheap tricks she would use in her nature to devour men's souls through intercourse.. ahem... sorry, but that's the essence of her monstrous nature really. Alas it's only an ecchi, there is nothing that resembles sensuality or sexual frustration here, it's all just a high school romance. Kurumu joins as a rival to Moka for Tsukune, she's energetic righteous, emotional, upbeat, her main quirk is loving to throw herself into Tsukune with her (supposed) G-cups suffocating his face. Her monstrous nature get sidelined and she's only able to fly... such a badass!

Yukari, the loli witch. She also likes Tsukune, but she also likes Moka, she ships them, or at least doesn't mind their romance. In the harem, she's just the quirky loli. There isn't much to her, she has her quirks to add to the group, along with being the "school genius" which gives her the power of exposition dumping the reader and the cast at what they're facing. Mizore is the ice girl stalker... that's it. Her quirk is to always be stalking behind a bush, table, pillar... you get the point. What she adds to the harem catfights are the straight man comments which I personally love. Pointing out the stupidity of of Kurumu's outbursts, and her arguments with Yukari.

And lastly Rubi who is introduced later and just makes appearances here and there not really playing any role as a part of the harem. She's mostly a decoration because she has the most distinct character design out of everyone.

So with that I'm just not impressed. Aside from Rubi, no one is fleshed out significantly to understand where they're coming from. The rest are just social exiles for whatever reason accepted by Tsukune so they can obsess over him for arbitrary reasons in order to have comedy skits, yaaaay! There is catharsis to be found in some villain arcs, but they are so few and far between, and in some cases rushed so it lacks impact. But it is a good showcase of spectacle coupled with catharsis. Not great, but serviceable at least, if not for the shounen lectures. Alas I could care less about these archetypes, it's the presentation on the panel framing that makes them powerful, not my dedication or intimate understanding of the characters or their themes. I simply can't empathize with them outside those extreme scenarios whose purpose is spectacle first, not personal drama. And as I mentioned the villains are all irredeemable with a few exceptions, one of them which gets retconned for extra salt.

Thus hindering my ENJOYMENT of immersing myself in these characters' lives and struggles, which are sidelined immediately for the next episodic chapter. The world had potential, but it's just concepts thrown in to add an artificial layer of drama to make up for the lack of actual character drama in order for the reader to root for the good guys. I don't like harem jinks either, there is no focus on each character, all we see are binary relationships between a pair. Moka is the peacekeeper, Kurumu is the bashful, reckless tomboy, Yukari is the smart one, Mizore is the observant straight (wo)man, Tsukune is the self-insert blank slate until the shounen switch in his brain is activated for his death wish each time, but at least that still gives him a character trait.

So in the end it was a chore to read through most of the time and thinking about it, it has ignored quite a few elements, not to mention most of the episodic characters never had significance all throughout Season II, which is what most praise this series for.

This was a disaster. The plotlines were all over the place, and Hokuto as a villain was terrible—actually, every villain in this series was awful, just wanting to rape Moka or any of the other girls but being ridiculously weak.

The worst part was the lack of character motivation or an end goal we could relate to. What's the MC's goal? What does he want? Just to have sex with Moka? That's way too superficial. Since this is a Shounen series, there should be some ultimate objective. But it didn't do that. It also didn't fully embrace the ecchi genre like Highschool DxD does, which is much better in that aspect. The side characters were just placeholders; you could replace them with poop emojis, and it wouldn't make a difference to the story.

If there’s supposed to be romance between the characters, why drag it out and add a harem plot?!! And then there’s the alternate personality Moka, who’s a different kind of tsundere 🤦‍♂️😑

My rating: 6/10 (the art is good, the ecchi scenes are individually okay, and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic).

Thanks for reading this. I’ll be reading Season II now, which is considered a better version. Come read with me.

See you all next time. Later ✌

I first tried out Rosario + Vampire during a sleepover with a friend who happened to own the first volume. I was immediately captivated by the excellent artwork and an intriguing plot summary on the back. As I started reading, I quickly realized it belonged to the ecchi genre.

However, I was pleased to discover that, despite being ecchi, it doesn't resort to gratuitous bras and panty shots every few panels like some other series in this genre. Instead, it often focuses more on action, romance, and even drama at times.

Story: 6/10
Although enjoyable in its own way, the plot is quite episodic for most of the series with very little underlying storyline. Towards the end, it begins to develop an actual plot beyond just "A monster's trying to kill Tsukune or rape Moka so Tsukune must pull off Moka's rosary so she can turn into a vampire and kick its ass." These supposed plots are resolved swiftly and almost forgotten afterward. It's a shame since I think the series could have explored the Anti-Thesis plot further, but that gets resolved before the last volume where we get a fan-service school festival plot instead. The series seems directionless.

Art: 9/10
As I mentioned earlier, the art is one of the series' main strengths. It does use chibi style frequently, mainly in comedic scenes, which works well. While it's an ecchi series, it maintains some dignity. Moka, the primary fighter, mainly uses her legs to fight, and given her school uniform includes a skirt, you'd expect many panty shots. This isn't the case in Rosario. Though there are occasional panty shots, they're usually shadowed so nothing is revealed. Some might be disappointed by this (you know who you are), but I think it makes the fan-service shots more special. The only character guaranteed to provide a panty shot is the succubus Kurumu, who gets one every time she appears, often accompanied by shoving Tsukune's head into her supposedly G-cup breasts.

Character: 6/10
I have to say, the characters aren't very well-developed. They're fun, yes, but like many ecchi series, they're underdeveloped and predictable stereotypes meant to cater to specific fetishes: the lolita, the big-breasted girl, the quiet one, etc.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Despite its flaws, Rosario + Vampire holds readers' attention fairly well and remains interesting. It's a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it. It's also fascinating to see the variety of monsters the author created.

If you're looking for a light-hearted fighting series with some fan-service, you'll probably enjoy this. Ladies might enjoy it too since there isn't an excessive amount of panty and bra shots, and there's even some man-service!

Oh! There's a sequel! Let's hope it has more plot!

Overall, I give this monstrous escapade a 7 out of 10.

This is a masterpiece that was overshadowed by its TV adaptation.

The Rosario to Vampire anime isn't bad, but compared to the manga, it's a disappointment.

The story begins with a boy named Tsukune, whose father steals an invitation to a mysterious school. He believes it's a good idea to send his son there. Upon arriving for a fresh start in his student life, things don't go well. Readers will surely enjoy this part where characters are introduced.

The manga is a blend of Harem, Ecchi, Fantasy, and School Comedy genres. It features fights, romance, amazing artwork, and an incredible storyline, and it's complete - the author provided an ending to his creation. Tsukune's harem includes fantasy creatures like vampires, succubi, witches, and more. The romance is unique, though the anime was perhaps too heavy on the ecchi content, likely due to the limited scope of the adaptation.

After the anime was released, which is a shame because the adaptation ignored many elements from the manga, such as the main character's personal growth. If you're reading this after watching the anime and seeking more Rosario to Vampire content, rest assured you won't regret diving into the manga. Sometimes the manga's storyline can take longer than necessary to get to the action, but the comedy fully rewards the reader.