"Love is tainting the night deeply scarlet."
Karin is an interesting show. At its heart, there is a clear, powerful romance. Add to it a supernatural backstory, and some hilarious comedy, you've got Karin.
Meet Karin Maaka. She's a girl caught between two worlds. At first glance, she's just an ordinary, easily embarrassed high school girl. She has a couple of friends, and has a hard time juggling schoolwork and her part time job. But of course, there's a twist!
Karin is a vampire. She lives in your stock creepy old haunted mansion on the hill with her vampire family. But, to this, there is another twist. Karin is not a true vampire. She is a blood maker, which means instead of needing to drink blood for her survival, she must inject it into someone else. Otherwise, she has a nosebleed. A very big nosebleed. This causes a rift between her and her family, who all function as normal, viewing her as a disgrace to their kind.
The main focus of the series is the relationship between Karin and her romantic interest, Kenta Usui. Although the series begins in a rather cliché fashion for a romantic comedy, the show's supernatural roots prevent it from being too much of a standard anime. One aspect of the relationship I can criticize is Usui. He is nowhere near as fleshed out as Karin, and although he fits the role of Karin's love interest well, we are not given enough to believe the rather convenient romance that seems one-sided. However, by the end of the series, I was forgetting my doubts about Usui, and although he had only changed minimally, the romance is very sweet and believable. Some say it's all about the journey, not the destination, but I believe it was in fact the opposite for Karin and Usui's love.
Okay, I have admitted that the romance isn’t the strongest element of the anime. But you know what is? The characters. All of Karin's family and friends has their own distinct personality and role in the main plot. Plus, similar to the general idea of the series, you could view most characters on two levels: in the lighthearted, comedic times, and in the serious. For example, there’s the anime exclusive Winner Sinclair. He both fills the role of the girl crazy foreigner, and enemy of vampires. We witness both his never ending stream of humor and his emotional tackling of his family’s duty. This duality is an excellent example of how a dramedy can work, as I’ve never seen a show where the characters can both expertly fill comedy and dramatic roles.
It's quite easy to get attached to the characters of Karin. One very positive aspect is that no one gets sidelined during the series as the plot moves on, which makes it easy to get to know all of the characters as the series goes through its various arcs.
In terms of art, the anime isn't particularly standout. The character designs are simple yet rather memorable. Some interesting aspects of the art style are some occasional stylizations. For example, due to censorship for broadcast, Karin's flowing nosebleeds had to be changed into flowers, but this gives the art a quirky feel. Especially considering we at first see a stream of blood-red flowers, which part to reveal a nightmarish bloody mess once it has settled. Yes, positive censorship! And another thing - this anime is quite ecchi. Fans of the manga may be shocked at the transformation, as the original source material had only some ecchi content. The opening of the anime begins with various shots of Karin posing naked. Karin's breasts, already larger than average, have become much larger in the anime, even becoming somewhat of a plot point. Although this ecchi stuff didn't affect my enjoyment of the series in any way, it may deter some, considering the amount we are given.
Sound as well is also not hugely remarkable, utilizing a range of songs to suit the mood of the scene. The opening and ending themes are quite catchy: I know I'm not the only one who has been enamored by the simply indescribably fantastic ending theme "Mou Hitotsu no Birthday". Character voices suit the characters to their personality well. Special mention, however, should be given to the seiyu Sayuri Yahagi. Karin was her debut anime, and I feel she does a magnificent portrayal of the character.
Karin doesn't try to overburden you with themes. It is simple in its declaration of true love between two people, which transcends species. Although the series takes a noticeable turn towards action towards the latter quarter of the series, the ending holds true the ideals of romance and comedy which have been sustained throughout the anime. While taking some deviations from the manga in order to make the transition to a half season anime while the manga still printed, these changes never really affected the heart of the series. I would recommend Karin for any fans of romantic comedies, and I promise that it's a breath of fresh air in an often unimaginative genre.
