Blood Lad is an anime adapted series based off the manga of the same name written by Yuuki Kodama. The series takes the vampire theme idea and twists it into a humorous tale. That's because our otaku friend Staz has never met a human girl before. So, what happens when a young, pretty, and shy Japanese girl accidentally wonders into his territory? All hell breaks loose. Or rather for Staz, it's like the dream of a life time. After all, he's never met a human before. More so, Fuyumi Yanagi happens to be a girl with a Japanese background. It's a fun journey and one hell of a ride, for both our main characters.
For starters, we know that Staz is a vampire but also a boss of sorts at his own territory. He has his own underlings for dirty work. Judging by his appearance, Staz also seems to be unemployed and is literally an otaku with the stuff he has hanging around his room. More interesting factors about his character reveals that despite being a vampire, he doesn't seem to have an appetite for human blood. Oddly enough though, he does have a bit of bloodlust towards Fuyumi. This spells out a sort of trouble for Fuyumi because Staz's lack of common sense. In fact, we can see that Staz only seems to lust after Fuyumi in the beginning because of her fresh scent of blood and body. Strangely though, his lust disappears after Fuyumi's death. But the fact that he still cares enough to help Fuyumi return to her normal life shows his sincerity. It almost seems to be human like for Staz because the lengths he goes to help Fyumi throughout the series despite numerous dangers that puts his own life at risk. Fuyumi on the other hand plays the role more of the eye-candy but also at times encourages Staz to be himself. It's an odd relationship between the duo but they sure stand out as entertainment.
The other characters plays their part to fulfill the entertainment part as well. We got mad scientists, a witch, and werewolf that adds to the package of this series. Their diversity and abilities adds more flavor to the series that is not only tasty but also spices up some troubles for both Staz and Fuyumi. For instance, there's a rivalry between Staz and Wolf beyond just going at each other with fists. Then, there's also some sibling trouble for Staz later on that adds even more dangers to himself. It's a fun take to this series because Staz has to learn how to adjust without depending on others. It's the fact that Fuyumi depends on him this time as Staz learns more about humanity as well as himself.
Despite the series having a relevant plot, it usually maintains more of a lighthearted and humorous atmosphere. This is evidenced by the various parodies in the beginning such as the stuff in Staz's room or the way that Fuyumi is killed. Even though she is dead, Fuyumi returns as a cute ghost and her method of death can also be surprisingly amusing. The show also plays on Staz's character by portraying him as a character with little knowledge of what's really there. For example, there are numerous times when Staz uses ideas he gets from Japanese manga which he reads from rather than common sense. On a more serious note, there's some revelations revealed later on that might surprise some viewers.
Blood Lad also presents the supernatural relevantly well. Although not as grim as some series such as Shiki, this anime portrays Staz as a vampire with supernatural abilities. This is evidenced in the beginning as he is able to do various things that a normal human cannot. Then, there's the other characters too who displays their own sides of supernatural traits such as Wolf and his expertise in the boxing field or Hydrabell with her magic. Needless to say, the series' characters and setting combines elements of both the real world and the supernatural.
Fan service is also an overused word but Blood Lad doesn't avoid it. In fact, there's plenty of those for both girls and the guys. Fuyumi fulfills the role of fanservice with her body structure as well as being stark naked from the very first episode after her fate. In fact, the way she looks must also been a trigger for Staz's bloodlust for her. It doesn't stop there either though as she has to depend on Staz in order to remain existent. To do, there's the finger sucking along with the baby bottles. Furthermore, she is often dressed in skimpy ways or in lascivious outfits. Even for the female audience, there's some service to offer when Staz and Wolf gets into a fight in their outfits. It's service for the fans and at times, they do get out of hand.
Because the series defies any realism, expect some strange twists as well. It also doesn't fit within some vampire themes since Staz is shown to be stronger than the typical vampire with his resistance to certain weaknesses. Fuyumi also seems to play along with her new adjusted life even though she wants to return to her human life. The fact that the duo has gotten used to each other shows how much they value their relationship even if it's completely on bizarreness. It's what Blood Lad is anyways, a bizarre yet entertaining anime with more than just a love triangle or thirst for vengeance.
Visuals wise, Brain Base does an alright job with its elements although some of the characters' designs looks rather generic. Fuyumi in particular is designed to look busty with girlish traits while Staz is more of the bad boy role. The characters all have some taste of their supernatural traits though whether it's a werewolf, vampire, etc. The supernatural world doesn't look as grim or too unusual compare to our own. On the other side, some of the monsters are portrayed as looking dangerous. The production values are decent though with style. Staz's sunglasses, Liz's headgear, and Wolf's silver hair are reflection of this in a humorous way.
The soundtrack for Blood Lad is above par. The OP song "ViViD" by May'n has a rocky style with its presentation. Then, there's the action and comedy scenes where music matches its style. True to its premise, Blood Lad also has its occasionally eerie-like soundtrack playing during some of the more scenes fitting within this vampiric theme series. Staz's VA Ryota Osaka (Valvrave the Liberator: Haruto, Rozen Maiden: Jun, Hataraku Maou-sama: Sadao) recently began to play parts relating to young teenagers whose life is changed dramatically. Thus expect his talent to come in this series as well in the shoes of our vampire. On the other hand, Fuyumi's shy voice reflects her character in the new situation she is in.
Overall, Blood Lad is a very fun series to watch and enjoy. To me, it shouldn't be taken serious despite its premise. In fact, there are many moments in this series where the fights and moments are portrayed as parody rather than anything too serious. However, Staz is serious about his mission to help Fuyumi return to being mortal once again. If I was entirely serious though, most of the series should be absorbed as fun and a different take on the vampire genre. It's not just about falling in love or achieving vengeance. Rather, Blood Lad plays on the values of a relationship between a human and a vampire to see how far they come. It's a journey that will quench your thirst if you're looking for some fun.
