Vampire Knight

Mod note: This review was originally written for "Watashi to Fukigen na Panya-san," but the entry on MAL has since been merged into Vampire Knight.

Ah, I'm not great at writing reviews, but there weren't any on this page, so I thought, why not?

Story - 9. It's a simple 13-page story about a girl who looks back fondly on her favorite bakery and how it supported her throughout her life. Matsuri Hino returned to her comedic style in this one-shot, making the story truly charming.

Art - 8. The artwork in "Watashi to Fukigen na Panya-san" wasn't as detailed as some volumes of Vampire Knight. However, the art was still good overall.

Character - 8. I'm giving this an 8 only because the story was just 13 pages long. There isn't much room for character development in such a short manga, but considering its brevity, she did an excellent job.

Enjoyment - 9. I found this manga incredibly adorable and wish it had been longer. Then again, I really enjoy Matsuri Hino's work.

I believe I'm the first one to give this a lower review.

I'm going to go through this bit by bit, please bear with me and do not give me any trouble if you're a fan; this is my right to express my opinion.

Story:

At first, I quite liked the story; it was easy to get into. However, as it progressed, I felt that the writer incorporated too many themes that were just too similar for this type of narrative. Long-lost family, general family situations, unrequited love (and plenty of it), 'incest,' almost yaoi. While these elements can sometimes make for a good story, there are almost too many morals being portrayed at once, and many lose their impact. After a while, it felt repetitive, and I really couldn't be bothered reading anymore.

Art and Character:

I'll address these together because they have backfired on each other. The only character that stands out to me is the chairman. The rest all seem dark, gloomy, and depressed. All of them have some deep past and an aching heart. It's like a love octagon or something. The art style doesn't help either. While the characters are 'pretty,' they all have the same dull look in their eyes. The facial design is very underdeveloped, and the only difference is again seen in the chairman. This was very disappointing.

Enjoyment:

It may have been just me, but I found this hard to enjoy when the subplots and characters were all so similar. Again, this left me bored and disappointed.

Overall, I think Vampire Knight is very overrated, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Vampire Knight was the second manga I ever read. At that point, I wasn't really familiar with the whole Shoujo genre, so I didn't realize that most of the other Shoujo stuff is boring love story crap. Still, for a shoujo, Vampire Knight was a lot better.

STORY: 5
The story starts off with the cool idea of vampires and humans coexisting, and the first two or three books aren't bad. Sorry, this spoiler is unavoidable, but I have to say that from the time Yuki gets her memories back and onward, the manga sucks so badly I wondered why I was even reading it. As for the plot twists and such, they are so predictable that I could just stamp a "thank you for that, captain obvious" sticker halfway through the first book, not even, more like one-third into it. That was a letdown, but at least it's better than Twilight, which has no storyline at all except for an angsty teenager and her vampire boyfriend (hey, I swear I've heard this somewhere before). :P Sorry for that, I really dislike Twilight. Anyway, to reiterate, the further you read in, the more demented and hard to follow the plot becomes. Books eight through thirteen were full of so much pointless fluff that it could have been condensed into one book.

ART: 6
Like all shoujo mangas, guys tend to look like girls, and the eyes are way too huge. Not just like regular manga big, I mean flipping ENORMOUS. Also, apparently the vampires' eyes glow red when they desire blood. The artist didn't manage to get that point across at all. The author had to point it out before I actually noticed it. I like the creativity for the uniforms though. That was basically the only thing I was impressed with. The backgrounds are good when there are any, and though I have said I don't really pay attention to backgrounds, I have felt more confused about where characters are in Vampire Knight than in basically every other manga that I've read. To me, all shoujo art looks the same, so there isn't really any uniqueness to it.

CHARACTERS: 4
Zero is the tortured teen with the bad past. Haven't we all heard this before? "Yuki I wanted you to stay away from me because I didn't want to hurt you." It's nothing new. Isn't that like every single Vampire romance thing out now? The guy is mysterious and emo, and the girl is the ray of light for his salvation, but he had it ripped away from him because she's torn between two loves, and of course she's only considered her childhood friend and friend. This isn't the mild, appealing cliché that's mixed with new ideas; it's basically a lack of creativity. The only one who has any kind of depth is... actually wait, I can't think of anyone. As you've probably noticed, this review contains 100x more bias than all my other ones. Oops, but I can't help venting because Vampire Knight showed at least some promise, but now it's just assing around. Disappointment. D:

ENJOYMENT: 5
Vampire Knight really let me down, and I probably would have been better off not reading it. It would have spared me an extra week of my life I could have used to do other things, but I was basically only reading it because I thought Zero was kind of cool, and then the author turns around and goes LOL nope! DX He's an emo! Anyway, it didn't hold my attention.

OVERALL: 5
It is far from the best manga I've read, but if you love the tortured vampire and his love who doesn't love him back type shit, then trust me, you will drool over Vampire Knight.

I started reading Vampire Knight expecting an intriguing vampire narrative and enjoying various interpretations of a classic theme.

Let's begin with the negatives, as I feel it's essential to address them:

Vampire Knight is, in essence, a very confusing manga. Initially, many readers found its plot and scenarios straightforward. However, as the story progressed, while some questions were answered, new ones emerged, making the facts and situations increasingly convoluted and disorganized.

The deeper I delved into the manga, the less I understood. It reached a point where I had to look up volume summaries after reading them just to comprehend what had happened. It was challenging to discern who was speaking to whom, their locations, and the ongoing events. The boundaries between arcs became so blurred that I thought the first arc spanned nine volumes, whereas several arcs had actually occurred within that timeframe.

This confusion may stem from the artwork, which, though beautiful, graceful, and lovely, often obscures characters' actions, especially during intense fight scenes where it’s unclear who hit whom or who performed the action. The manga skips scenes without explaining the setting, and a few characters look similar, making it difficult to differentiate between them. Even by volume 13, I struggled to tell several characters apart.

Moreover, the information release is slow; more questions are raised than answered, and it takes a long time for most queries to be resolved—if they are addressed at all. I believe the manga could improve significantly if we weren’t made to wait so long for crucial details that could deepen our engagement. While suspense is appealing, waiting too long can diminish interest rather than enhance it.

Having said all that, I might have made the manga sound awful, which wasn't my intention. I don't think it's terrible at all—it's good. It’s a good manga if you want something to unwind with. Yes, it's confusing and makes you think, but it isn't terrible.

The characters are diverse, although none particularly stand out as exceptional (I see a lot of Mary Sue traits, especially in Yuuki). Nevertheless, the art is wonderful, the story decent (if not great), and I would recommend it for those seeking a quick read.

If I'm being honest, I fell in love with this when I was younger. But it's both good and bad, the anime and manga. It's good because it has beautiful art and a compelling story. However, it's bad because the story doesn't entirely add up. It feels like they are just throwing random characters into the mix. For instance, you have Yuki and Kaname as siblings, and then there's Rido, making it too convoluted to keep track of everyone's relationships. Don't get me wrong, the manga is well-written, and I adore the ending. Nonetheless, it just seems too thrown together.

I first got into Vampire Knight after borrowing a classmate's manga during our free period. I've been hooked ever since.

There are several key elements that make this a very decent manga. The first, and probably most important, is the unique interpretation of vampires that Hino offers. To be blunt, I initially thought I would hate this manga just from its title. In my experience, vampire/horror manga usually follow the same predictable patterns. What I love about Vampire Knight is that it doesn't adhere to traditional vampiric rules.

There's no aversion to sunlight, no fear of garlic or stakes; these vampires could easily pass as humans, which makes them more relatable as characters.

The other element I truly enjoyed was the characterization. Admittedly, not all characters (in fact, very few) are fully fleshed out, but this adds to the story's appeal. Much of the mystery would be lost if you could completely understand the characters and their motives.

Overall, this is a well-executed manga that raises many questions. You'll have to read to the end to find the answers.

This is my first time writing a review, so please go easy on me.

This manga was among the first I ever read, and I found it beautiful at the time. The art was intriguing, and the characters were nicely illustrated. However, as I continued to explore more manga and revisited Vampire Knight only when new chapters came out, I felt disappointed. It turned out to be a typical vampire story with a sappy plot, and unfortunately, a terrible ending.

I did enjoy it, but overall, by the end, it was just decent. I gave it an overall score of 7 mainly because of the art and the effort the author put into writing and drawing it. I won't be returning to it, nor will I recommend it to anyone. I'm not saying it's horrible—if you like typical romance vampire stories with surprising twists and appealing art, go ahead and give it a try. I'm not stopping you, but just be warned.

I have absolutely no idea why this is rated so low. I adored the manga! As for the anime, not quite as much. Vampire Knight is beautifully crafted by Matsuri Hino. She put a tremendous amount of thought into creating this manga, giving it a depth and background that many others lack.

I think this manga deserves a perfect score because Matsuri-san keeps you hooked, never allowing boredom to set in while reading VK. Her artwork is stunning, the characters are well-developed, and their emotions resonate deeply. I also found Matsuri-san's use of foreshadowing to be excellent. Overall, I believe this series should receive a higher rating. Those who rate it below 6 clearly haven't read up to the latest chapter.

Matsuri Hino is an exceptional artist, but the narrative of 'Vampire Knight' falls short in terms of storytelling elements.

The central trio of the story are unevenly developed:

Hino crafts a thorough and engaging storyline for one male character, winning fans over, only to have his fortunes take a nosedive. The other male character remains shrouded in mystery, yet he ends up making all the crucial plot decisions. Readers are left in the dark about his personality during these pivotal moments, leaving only his appearance to make him likable. This lack of development isn't the intriguing "Ohhh ♥, who is that?" type; instead, it comes off as "Ohhh, he's hot... Wait, what did he just do?! Who does he think he is?! @$%#!"

It's not tragic; it's overdone.

'Vampire Knight' could be considered a tragedy if readers could empathize with the protagonist, Yuuki, which was impossible from the start. A fundamental aspect of the shojo genre is having a main female character that readers can relate to. Yuuki starts off as unlikable, and after the events/choices revealed in chapters 40+, fans abandoned the manga. Fans described Yuuki, the *Main Female Character*, whom you're supposed to connect with, as "ruined," "unworthy," and "dirty."

Other minor characters attempt to have compelling backstories, but these are ultimately left undeveloped or abruptly killed off (literally) before details can be explained. Readers are left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.

A good manga gone wrong.

What truly stinks about this manga is how fantastic it starts off. As you read further, disappointment grows steadily. Yuuki was my favorite character at the beginning, and I even appreciated how they attempted to make her seem more mature and somewhat "distant" after her awakening. However, there's absolutely no logic behind her drastic personality change. She herself blames it on her other personality, "the other Yuuki," claiming that was the real Yuuki before her vampire side was locked up, but this isn't a logical explanation either. She was a child when her mom confined her vampire side, and in the flashbacks of her childhood, we still see the Yuuki we initially fell in love with. At the start, most readers probably shipped Yuuki and Kaname, but as the story progresses, it becomes evident that Yuuki can't distinguish between the feelings of "love" and "obligation." She never genuinely loved Kaname; she felt obligated to stay with him because he saved her life, because he told her their families' histories destined them to be together, and because she pitied him. The one she truly loved all along was Zero, yet even when she realizes this, she pushes him away in favor of her obligation to Kaname. This is clear because, as Kaname mentioned himself, "she never smiled from her heart" when she was with him, and it was from the moment he woke her up and she realized she would spend eternity with him that she started acting gloomy, stopped laughing, and began longing for Zero.

What's even more frustrating is how the second half of the story doesn't feel like a continuation of the first. It feels more like the mangaka had a change of heart and wrote an entirely different manga. In the first part, we see Kaname wanting to protect Yuuki, learn the reason why, and both state they want to live an eternity together. However, during the second part, it seems like Kaname has fallen into depression, had a change of heart, and wants to commit suicide instead. I understand he never intended to unlock Yuuki's vampire side so she could remain human while he sacrificed himself to create stronger anti-vampire weapons, but for goodness' sake, stick to your original plan then and don't doom the person you love to an eternity alone out of selfishness. He didn't even have a slight change of heart when he saw how heartbroken she was upon discovering his intentions or by how much she begged him not to do it. If there's something I can't stand in a story, it's spending volume after volume reading about someone's love for each other only for one of them to start pushing the other away out of selfishness when they finally can be together.

The ending was just terrible, leaving many unanswered questions. They found a medicine to turn vampires into humans, but why on earth would you leave your vampire children to awaken and give mortality to someone who has never met them? What if their children didn't want mortality? What happens to the vampires now that their daughter Ai is the only remaining pureblood of the Kuran family? And purebloods are the only ones who can turn a human into a vampire. What was the point of Kaname's pureblood killing spree when (from my understanding) the very first purebloods to exist all had human parents? Wouldn't they continue spawning from mortal parents?

Story: 4/10. As much as I wanted to give the story a higher rating, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I LOVED the first part of the story, but the second part annoyed me to the core.

Art: 8/10. The art was beautiful and is probably one of the main reasons I bothered to finish the manga.

Character: 4/10. Character development was as poor as the development of everyone's relationships. The only character I really loved was Sayori, and I'd honestly prefer this manga if she were the heroine. When we're first introduced to her, she seems like Yuuki's strict yet close classmate, and throughout the story, you see how much she cherishes her, going as far as secretly attending a ball filled with bloodthirsty vampires to ensure her friend's safety. Kaname seems like every girl's dream guy during the first part of the story—someone who cherishes and goes to great lengths to protect his one true love, cool, handsome, and gentle. However, during the second part, he undergoes a huge personality change and decides to make his one true love hate him so he can commit suicide. Zero is just...Zero. I was really disappointed that his character didn't develop. He stays the same vampire/self-hating "side character" we met at the start of the story. Not even his love for Yuuki grows; in fact, it actually decreases after he learns about her background and discovers she's a vampire. As the story progresses from here on, it returns to the same stage it was before he learned the truth, only now he actually confesses it. The other characters are just kind of there—you don't really get much insight into their history, personality, goals, or relations to other characters.

Enjoyment: 5/10. I enjoyed the manga at the beginning, but as I've mentioned countless times, it gets really bad towards the end. I wouldn't advise people not to read it, as others might have a different opinion than mine, but for the art and the first part of the story, it's definitely worth it. However, I'm starting to think that the second part of the manga was the reason there was never a season 3 of the anime, so you might be better off just watching that.

Sorry about any typos that might occur!

When I was 12, I read Vampire Knight up to Volume 14, but then lost interest and moved on to other series. Now, at age 22, my 15-year-old niece inspired me to pick it up again, so I bought the missing volumes (second-hand) and started from the beginning.

I must say, I really enjoyed it up to Volume 9. Up until that point, the story had a nice pace, and both the characters and romance were interesting enough. However, after Volume 10, the story felt dragged out, and the characters' actions started making less sense.

The art is truly beautiful, and every panel feels carefully crafted. Even though the art style is somewhat dated now, I still think it has aged very well.

I have to admit, I find Kaname—one of the main characters—mostly unlikeable throughout most of the series (save for a few nice moments here and there). His involvement in the central love triangle makes it frustrating each time the narrative leans towards him and Yuki, which happens for a long stretch of the story. Characters like Zero and Aido do make up for him, though.

My dislike for Kaname might be why I don't enjoy the plot in the later volumes as much either, so take my criticism with a grain of salt.

Overall, I think Vampire Knight could have benefited from a more condensed ending arc, but it's still enjoyable if you like vampires and love triangles.