Cross Academy is an elite boarding school with two distinct, isolated classes: the Day Class and the Night Class. On the surface, Yuuki Cross and Zero Kiryuu serve as prefects, maintaining order among students as classes switch between day and night. The Night Class, composed of exceptionally beautiful elites, often complicates this task. However, it is crucial to maintain this separation because these "elites" are actually vampires. Yuuki and Zero act as guardians, safeguarding the secrets of the Night Class and ensuring the safety of their unknowing daytime counterparts.
As the adopted daughter of the academy's chairman, Yuuki approaches her duties with seriousness and enthusiasm. Her role also allows her to interact with Kaname Kuran, the president of the Night students' dormitory and her secret crush and savior. Zero, however, harbors a deep-seated hatred for vampires and does not hesitate to kill when necessary.
Can vampires and humans coexist within the strict confines of Cross Academy? Only time will reveal the answer.
Included one-shot:
Volume 17: Watashi to Fukigen na Panya-san (The Sour-Faced Baker and Me)
Vampire Knight was published in English by VIZ Media under the Shojo Beat imprint from January 2, 2007, to October 14, 2014. Two boxed sets were released: one includes the first 10 volumes of the manga, a planner, and a case, released on November 16, 2010, while the other set includes the last 9 volumes, released on November 4, 2014. It also had an official fanbook which was released in English by VIZ Media on October 19, 2010. The series was also published in Spanish by Panini Comics from May 2008 to November 2014.
The manga also received multiple drama CD adaptations, three novel adaptations, a fanbook (2008), a Japanese dating simulator titled Vampire Knight DS (2009), and a live-action musical adaptation shown from January 21 to January 25, 2015.
STORY: Vampire Knight caught my attention right from the start with its mysterious, dark, and suspenseful plot. As I continued reading, I grew increasingly fond of the manga due to its intriguing storyline. The slow revelation of secrets keeps you on edge, making it stand out from most shojo manga, which I appreciate. The only downside is that it can get a bit confusing at times, requiring me to reread certain parts. Story: 8/10
ART: Art is something many people are quite particular about, myself included, as you want the visuals to be appealing and characters to be well-drawn. Among all the shojo manga I've read, Vampire Knight boasts the best art. Everything is drawn beautifully and with precision. Art: 10/10
CHARACTER: This area fell a little short for me. All the other characters seem perfect except for one; Yuki. I expect a heroine to be strong, independent, and determined. However, Yuki has always appeared weak and in need of saving. Initially, I thought there would be no character development, but further into the story, I noticed small changes that slightly altered my opinion of her. Especially in later chapters, she shows much more strength, which is why I adjusted the original grade I would have given otherwise. Character: 7/10
ENJOYMENT: I thoroughly enjoy this manga. Many people find it too confusing, but I relish that aspect because it makes me think. I have to analyze and piece everything together, and while some might not enjoy that, I do. It's fun figuring everything out, and it's enjoyable to watch the love triangle between Kaname, Zero, and Yuki unfold, along with the revelations of their pasts, especially Kaname's. Enjoyment: 10/10
OVERALL: I recommend this manga to teenagers and young adults aged thirteen to twenty-one. Overall: 9/10
I wouldn't be surprised if many readers of this manga became interested after watching the anime, as my story is similar. I watched it about a decade ago and finally got my hands on the manga. Ten years is a long time, and I wasn't a teenager when I first saw it, so I have my biases.
The first half was intriguing with a relatively moderate pace, neither too slow nor too fast. If you're into vampire stories, you'll likely enjoy the atmosphere. Towards the end of the first arc, the pacing suddenly picked up, and things felt chaotic. The anime had a similar effect in parts like Vampire Knight Guilty, where events happened too quickly and randomly. Many people say the second half of the manga is terrible, but I think it's still average; the first half is just better. The pace really accelerates midway through the manga and goes quite fast.
As for the characters, I liked Kaname and Zero the most. I can't say I was fond of Yuki as the main character. She seemed more like filler to me. I actually preferred her as a human, perhaps due to the dynamic between a human girl and the "king" of vampires. It was strange how much the story focused on vampires mingling with their siblings (incest), and they already had siblings supposedly destined to be future spouses. Maybe it's non-sexual, who knows—let's give it the benefit of the doubt.
Since I prefer collecting entire sets of manga if I'm going to read something, I purchased the whole collection. If you're on a budget or frugal, buy a few volumes and go from there.
The aspects I initially adored about Vampire Knight were the artwork and its unique blend of a high school drama with vampires (swapping out typical teenage hormones for bloodlust). While this concept feels somewhat cliché today, it's essential to remember that the manga debuted in 2005. As the story progressed, it dipped considerably in the middle, resembling a sagging mattress. What kept me engaged was my curiosity about the fates of the characters I had come to love.
Upon finishing the manga in 2016, my feelings were lukewarm, thinking 'meh' and 'finally, I'm done'. However, revisiting it in 2017 after forgetting how it concluded, I perused a chapter summary page, re-read some pivotal scenes, and must admit, my appreciation for it significantly deepened.
To truly enjoy this manga, you need an affinity for bittersweet love stories rather than neat, happily-ever-after endings (though nothing as intense as 'She, the Ultimate Weapon'). Personally, I value bittersweet romances; they evoke lingering thoughts of what could have been. It's important to note that such romances aren't devoid of happiness; you just have to embrace their imperfect elements.
Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I revisit a synopsis of the story in a few years? Definitely, yes.
Hello, everyone! This is my first review... so please go easy on me ~.~
Story: 9/10
The story is quite engaging... It features many twists and turns, especially towards the end and in the middle of the narrative. You'll likely find yourself eager to read until the very last page!
Art: 9/10
In my opinion, the artwork is excellent... All the vampires look incredibly stunning, particularly Zero and Kaname XP. I adore the covers of each Vampire Knight volume!
Characters: 8/10
The characters in Vampire Knight are decent. They appear "beautiful" and "cool," but their personalities could use some improvement.
Enjoyment: 10/10
When I first read and watched Vampire Knight, I couldn't stop! I truly enjoyed every chapter and episode... even though they were somewhat "corny."
Overall: 9/10
I genuinely enjoyed this series and hope you do too! Especially since Vampire Knight was the first "romantic comedy" anime I ever watched!
To those who voted "Not Helpful" and "Helpful"... Thank you for voting!!! (^_−) And don't forget to add me as a friend! ;)
I'm not good at speaking English, but I'll make an effort. I read all the Vampire Knight chapters in four days and finished it today. I cried after the ending, not because I thought it was terrible like many others here, but because I found it AMAZING, LOVELY, and TOUCHING. I am very proud and happy to have read this manga. I loved Yuuki, her evolution throughout the chapters, and how Kaname made us think he was something he actually wasn't. I am very sad about Yuuki's and Zero's deaths—I think Zero died because of his age (?)—but I'm happy for Ai, Ren, and Kaname's endings. For those who didn't like the ending, I am very sorry, but I loved it. I cried at the end, seeing how Yuuki and Zero (YEAH, THEY WERE CANON!!!) and Yuuki and Kaname (YES, THEY WERE CANON TOO HAHA) were "together" forever. It is a beautiful and lovely manga that I'll remember for a long time, and I hope I can read it again someday so I can FEEL ALL THE HAPPINESS I felt while reading Vampire Knight, an amazing story <3
A buddy of mine on a forum was singing praises about this manga, and for good reason. It boasts an enthralling narrative, impressive (and appealing) characters, and engaging, realistic dialogue and plot.
One thing that slightly irks me about what people constantly rave about regarding this manga (though it doesn't detract from the enjoyment) is that it isn't as revolutionary in its vampire theme as everyone claims. There are several lesser-known stories featuring vampires who can venture out in daylight, take pills instead of drinking blood, or attend boarding schools with vampires in night classes while 'normal' humans go to day classes.
The truly GREAT aspect is how Vampire Knight utilizes all these elements exceptionally well. They have their classifications of vampires, the hot, troubled protagonists, older characters who know more than they let on, and so forth.
Vampire Knight also does something perfect to keep readers hooked: 1) A potential love triangle 2) Adults in the story who hold secrets unknown to the main characters 3) A protagonist whose life might be in peril 4) Side characters who are intriguing but shrouded in mystery (very vampiric)
Vampire Knight takes your basic vampire/human romance story and refines it with excellent plots and believable characters. Highly Recommended.
I gave it a 3/10 because I was feeling exceptionally generous today. The artwork is genuinely appealing. However, what began as a promising story ended up as a heap of steaming, hot garbage. I faithfully followed every month until the very end (Chapter 93), hoping for improvement, but each chapter only got worse. (The only manga with an even more disappointing conclusion was Attack on Titan, which speaks volumes.) I'm seriously considering suing Matsuri Hino for emotional distress.
The first 30 chapters held so much potential. Unfortunately, all that groundwork led to nothing. The execution was so poorly done that even a 13-year-old fanfiction writer could have done better. If it had been terrible from the start, I wouldn't have bothered, but at least I would have known what to expect. This felt like a bait and switch. Hino lured us in with an intriguing premise, only to completely ruin her own story. Where was her editor? Did she and her entire team honestly believe this was a good idea? I am astounded by the high ratings. Everyone keeps joking about this being like Twilight, but honestly, from what I remember of the first Twilight book, it was actually better than what this became. I loved Vampire Knight before Chapter 31, but right up to the big plot twist, there was a drastic shift in tone, and all previous character development went out the window. What followed was a convoluted mess that didn't even know how to conclude itself gracefully.
I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this manga to anyone unless they enjoy torturing themselves with anger and disappointment. If you must read it, stop after Chapter 30 and save yourself from the rest. I wish I could either go back in time or erase my memory of this experience entirely.