Vampire Knight

Story
Some aspects of the setup I liked, like the school divided into day class human students and night class vampire students. I would have loved the human heroine who patrols the grounds and night, making sure the vampires are in line, except...Yuki was TOTALLY lame. Episode after episode was her chasing after Zero, stupidly getting herself into danger, being saved by a male lead, and then feeling guilty. Really weak story, with few redeeming features. The characters didn't grow, events didn't build up into a climax, and the resolution was contrived and lukewarn. It was very much one of those ... animes annoyingly full of longing, melodramatic gazes and characters saying each others' names in quiet, tortured voices.

Art
The art was all right. Yuki was cute, Zero was handsome, and Kaname was gorgeous. The other vampires were pretty lame though, just a bunch of generic bishounen who were totally loyal to Kaname cuz the mangaka said so. I found Yuki's absolutely massive eyes irritating. I've seen a lot of anime by now so I'm used to the huge eyes, but hers actually distracted me at times, maybe because the story had so little pull.

Sound
Good soundtrack. Lots of classical, which I enjoyed, and I like both the intro and ending songs.

Character
The characters are what I disliked the most, especially Yuki. She was an extremely boring protagonist. She carried around a cool-looking staff that seemed to have magical properties, but never once used it well. Usually, she'd just bring it out only to drop it when someone said something upsetting or when she tripped. She was then promptly rescued by Kaname or Zero. Maybe the next season will explain why she is in the middle of all of this, but I think season 1 should give the heroine SOME value. Sure, she was very generous with Zero, but I hate shoujo heroines who only stand out because they're SO good at being martyrs. As for the other characters, they weren't much better. Zero spent most of his time wanting to die. Kaname constantly rescued Yuki, yet never explained her importance to him. A little mystery is good, but too much "she's so precious to me but I won't say why" gets boring and annoying. The "villain" only appeared at the very, very end, and I found their behavior inconsistent and what happened to them way too abrupt and anticlimactic.

Enjoyment
I don't have high standards. I might've adored this show, if Yuki hadn't been such a weakling. What I usually enjoy in anime shows is watching the protagonist learn and grow. It's okay if the protagonist starts out ordinary or weak or with a massive crush, so long as they become stronger. Yuki really didn't, though. Kaname kept protecting her without explaining anything. Zero usually pushed her away and also refused to share things. She had a big heart, but I like heroines who're genuinely strong, not just good at sacrificing themselves. Sorry, but anyone can say, "Bite me."

Overall
Maybe this is a good show for teenage girls, but I think anyone who just finished Ouran Host Club or Hana Yori Dango or other such shows will be disappointed by the heroine. Most shoujo is so entertaining because the heroines are so intelligent, or plucky, or independent. Yuki was none of those things. Of course, fangirls who just want to see a cute big-eyed girl get bitten by various bishounen will still love it.

If you like pretty anime vampire boys, this might be right up your street. However, if you like something with a decent plot as well as the associated carnage and animalistic nature that vampires usually have, this will likely leave you somewhat disappointed (and that's me being rather kind..) and wishing it had delivered more for the time you put in.

I began watching this on a friend's giddy recommendation and was intrigued somewhat by the first few episodes; although, all the way through near enough, it stayed at the same steady pace of mild intrigue and a general niggling wonder as to when the hell ... the plot was going to kick in so that the story had some sort of point to it aside from a glorified love triangle. The plot itself, somewhere beneath the anime itself, has a lot of potential. The on-screen variation just doesn't seem to deliver.

The characters, despite my 'fangirl-esque' fondness of a fair few of them, aren't particularly well mapped out and a lot of the character basis is shrouded in mystery, although not really in the right way - there are far too many vague bits and not enough explanation when it comes to motive and persona as well as situation. In fact, most of the characters seem not only 2D, but slight variations of the same 2D character. Also, most of the vampires you encounter in this series are rather fluffy aside from the pointy fangs, and the supporting cast are, to a fair extent, pretty forgettable.

Visually, it was somewhat pleasing, although a lot of time seems to have been wasted on trivial matters while the potentially good bits have been glossed over or given a moment or two of screen time when they should have had a scene, or at the very least, *more* screen time.

Overall, I'd say this series is probably worth a watch if you're just looking for an easy vampire related anime fix, but after spending a good few hours ploughing through this series, I am left wondering if I want to bother at all with its counterpart; leaning heavily towards the 'No' vote.

Bear in mind that I've not read the manga, nor am I in the 'anime connoisseur' league, but I am a writer (of sorts) and would know a good story when it hit me in the face: sadly, this failed to deliver such a pleasant blow.

10 years ago, Cross Yuki was rescued from an attack by a rogue vampire that got her whole family killed by Kuran Kaname, a noble vampire. Now, under the watchful eye of Chairman Cross, Yuki's foster father, both are students at the Cross Acedemy, where there's a Day Class for humans, and Night Class for vampires. There, Yuki, along with Kiryuu Zero, a childhood friend with a deep hatred for vampires, they attempt to prevent the secret of the vampires' identities from the student mass.

STORY
I was sorely disappointed with the anime. Hino Matsuri's manga version had a great story going for it, only for the ... anime version to warp it really badly. I give the writers credit for trying, but one shouldn't change the story so drastically it affects the flow the mangaka created. It isn't bad for those that haven't read the manga, but for those that have, I highly doubt you'll like it.

ART
Again, to be fair to the producers, the art ain't that bad, but comparing to the manga, Zero doesn't really have a dark, sad look that he does in the manga, and Yuki looks far too cute that she almost has a Kanon style look.

SOUND
I love the opening song. I really do. The sound thoughout the show really does give a good feeling too, and helps bring up the mood. But sound really doesn't help improve a storyline.

CHARACTER
Yuki is the best character in the anime version, and the only reason I gave this a 7, because I actually liked her with comedy, which she lacks in the manga. However, the rest of the characters are either the same, or thrown out of character. Aidou, for example, wasn't really explored deeply, and he just does things that weren't explained in the anime, but was in the manga.

ENJOYMENT
I wasn't bored out of my wits, but I wasn't exactly jumping with joy at every episode of new release like I would with some anime. I had hoped it would be as enchanting as the manga was, but by the end of episode 2, I found it lacking.

OVERALL
I cannot say it is a bad anime in anyway possible, nor is it a good one either. I expected better of the company that did legends like Higurashi no Naku Koroni and Rurouni Kenshin, and good anime like Kyo Kara Maou and Marimite, but this was just a disappointment. If you liked the anime, I recommend the manga. Art's better, character's better, story's better, and of course, enjoyment's better.

Vampires in anime is nothing original and definitely nothing ground-breaking, in 2006, the idea of vampires had taken a back seat, Twilight didn't exist so there was a lack of screaming fangirls talking about what team they were, in fact, before there was Twilight....There was Vampire Knight.
Many people, including me tend to think "oh, vampires, meh" and it takes a quality show such as Production IG's 'Blood: The Last Vampire' to turn heads and make people think otherwise, only to be kicked in the teeth by god awful vampire anime such as Fortune Arterial, Vampire Knight was a step in the right direction, but its ... far from perfect.

We follow the story of Yuki Cross, who as a child, was attacked by a Vampire and saved by Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire (he's basically top of the vampire hierarchy).
Time skip to high school because every anime seems to be set in bloody high school, she attends Cross Academy led by her father, Kaien who is determined to make Humans and Vampires live in harmony by having them attend the same school.
The day class is for humans such as Yuki and her partner Zero as school guardian, and they are responsible for keeping the over-excited girls at bay when the night class strut their way into Cross Academy.
The night class are (wait for it) THE VAMPIRES, and are, in my opinion the only set of characters that kept the entire series afloat during the more...dull time of the series. We have Kaname Kuran, Yuki's love interest and childhood hero and Aido Hanabusa, the comic relief antagonistic senior to Yuki who is presumably jealous of their relationship, the rest dont have much importance, but theyre all equally cool.

Studio Deen took the reigns for this anime, well known for animating When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni) and, while they've never been at the peak of animation quality, thankfully for this show it isnt utter shit either, the animation is mediocre at best and certain action scenes felt off to me, other than that, its bearable to watch, so, as of right now, Vampire Knight is a fairly solid anime.

Now on to the good stuff, i'll quickly give my two cents on the opening and ending song before i get on to the 'dub or sub' argument, the opening song took me around 9 episodes to get used to, and on occasion i actually skipped it as there is absolutely nothing noteworthy on it, the song actually starts before the characters in the preview of the episodes have finished speaking leading to a clusterf**k of different voices for a few seconds. The ending song titled 'Still Doll' was more compelling, it didnt try to animate too much and it left a large sense of insecurity on me after it had finished, the voice of the singer Kanon Wakeshima was borderline perfect and the last few frames was very creepy.
Dub or sub? Sub. I havent even watched it in japanese just yet, but the dub felt like it was just slapped on, the dialogue was poor for reasons i'll get onto in a moment, and i honestly think the dub is the primary reason i never enjoyed the show as much as i should have.
Now its no spoiler to say that Zero's parents are dead as its explained pretty much right after he is introduced, their death is his motivation to keep fighting and the source of his hatred for vampires, Yuki is meant to be his bestfriend, just keep that in mind for the quote i'm about to give you...


"You think she's the vampire that brutally murdered your entire family?"

WTF? Yes, all the characters that mention Zero's parents to Zero himself seem to love reminding him of how the series' antagonist butchered his parents, which made me feel that either the characters were trying to make Zero cry or that they needed to remind him for the sake of having something to say.
The voice actors do an outright poor job of expressing the feelings between the characters that the japanese dub apparently has which causes the whole romance/tragedy side of the show to be completely laughable, i honestly watched death scenes of the characters multiple times thinking "Wait, was i supposed to care?"
The dub has successfully made it onto a list of english dubs i flatout REFUSE to listen to ever again in my life, and i can count the amount of such dubs on one hand.

The characters, to some extent make the rest of the show bearable, not a single character that matters in the story is a cliche stereotype of any anime archetype, and for that i can applaud the idea, however thanks to the dub, the characters came off as plain with no character growth whatsoever and when the story gets 'serious' in the final 4 episodes, i felt myself struggling to even finish it, taking 30 minute breaks between episodes to cope with the inevitable cliffhanger ending.

Oh, yes, normally i dont like talking about a show's ending to the point where i give it a whole section in the review, but in my belief the ending is what makes the show solid, and in this case...it wasnt, it ends on a god-awful cliffhanger which, if you were struggling to finish the first 13 episodes like i did, you are now forced to watch 13 MORE to get the full effect of the story, admittedly, however, the story is incredibly strong, making no room for your typical beach episodes or filler bullshit, everything is completely necessary and the plot twists are masterfully executed.



This show is by no means for everyone, and if you want a vampire anime i would rather recommend Blood: The Last Vampire or Trinity Blood over this, but if you must, watch it, it ain't half bad, i have alot to say about it (mostly negative) but honestly i think its because i havent watched the japanese dub or even the second season, so my final opinions on the series as a whole is likely to change, but for now, the first season was a tad messy, leaving all of the explanations for the second season in typical Studio Deen fashion.

I give this anime a 6/10 and the overall recommendation to stream it if you have absolutely nothing else to watch

I never finished this anime and never will,except if I'm totally bored.It doesn't worth watching.Read the manga.If you haven't before watching I doubt you'll find anything wrong with the anime.

Story 6/10
It lacks,lacks and doesn't follow the main story sometimes.I also noticed some filler events,some of which were nice additions I must say and some weren't.Hm...the thing is I also noticed that some things that happened in the manga,like dialogues,were cutt off and replaced by those so called "filler" dialogues or whatever.Well,I know this is just a 13 anime episode but why change it when you could have simply left it as it was instead ... of altering certain things.Obviously it wasn't much of a story in the anime.I also found myself confused at times because it really made me feel like,did this really happen in the manga?

Art 9/10
I don't have anything against it I think so far,but it cannot compare to that of the manga.It's really nice,impressive and all but I felt that their faces looked lifeless.I love the eyes in the manga and the anime couldn't bring that out.I can forgive that though.

Sound 8/10
Enjoyed both OP and ED.To think that I wouldn't skip them,who me...The thing is that that is the only thing I remember when it comes to sound and nothing more from during the anime.Okay,maybe the characteristic vampire-music but it could have been better.I was pleased by the seiyus,especially Mamoru Miyano as Zero.They fit their characters.

Character 5/10
Didn't feel connected,didn't feel like the manga.They attempted though,but all this blah-blah was tiring.I think they were trying to make Yuuki likeable,but I actually hated her after watching the anime.Seriously,she looks way too immature for me and never learns.I think the characters became a little repetetive after a while,like Aidou.Most actually lacked screentime so this is making me think that they wanted to focus on the love-triangle the most.Bad bad bad.

Enjoyment 6/10
I could hardly pull myself to like it,no wonder I dropped it.I was expecting a lot more and got disappointed.I'll admit it that I did enjoy the first 3-4 episodes.At least they could have put some more impressive battles.

Overall 6/10
For those who have read the manga if you haven't then go ahead,maybe you'll like it.Or you could simply read the manga.I can't possibly believe how this could turn out like this.13 episodes is not enough for all this manga,people should understand that but nooo...They're just trying to "please" the fans(mostly the opposite).It would have been better if it were to come out one episode every month BUT following the actual story.

Thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts.

The setting for this anime is maybe not an original one, VampirexMortal. But little parts of the storyline had me intrigued, and on the advice of a friend, I sat down to watch it.

As I said, little additions and quirks of the storyline (such as Yuuki being saved by a vampire as a young girl, Zero's *affliction* -I'll call it that so there are no spoilers- and vampires being a night class while mortals are a day class of a boarding school.) made me enjoy certain parts of this story.
The first few episodes had me thoroughly enjoying it, the art a major bonus to the ... story. Comedy I wasn't expecting filled the first few episodes, and the music had me humming along.

Then, it all began to go downhill. Trying to suddenly adapt into a very dark, very sombre tale from what started out as maybe a black comedy had the whole story floundering. The story began to be brushed as what seemed to be filler episodes took up minute after minute. The true story and plot is only set into motion around episode 9. Leaving 4 episodes to give you a very unsatisfying and lukewarm ending.

The characters are another part of this anime which annoy me. Kaname is the most pretentious (I'm sorry to say), stuck up, arrogant and very, very cunning and sly. Not really the qualities you expect in a shoujo - do you? And while I'll admit it's refreshing, it's still not right.
Yuuki is...utterly pathetic. One thing that puts me right off certain animes or mangas is weak female protagonists. And Yuuki is one of the worst. I'd like to hope it's because the mangaka needed filler chapters. Yuuki, never learning from her mistakes, constantly walking into trouble and always ends up being rescued by either Zero or Kaname.
This does nothing to prevent the whole show falling into a downward spiral as it tries to explain every filler episode with chilling precision. Fair enough, but why not just call it what it is - an episode in which the base plot does not progress, and a chance to see Yuuki saved by some hot guy?

The comedy was this anime's saving grace-the only reason I rated this anime as high as I did, for me, as I went completely off this anime the minute Yuuki batted her eyelashes and was saved by Kaname. If you must watch this show - the side characters are actually the most interesting, and most comedic.

Most love the manga and not the anime and I totally concur! I noticed some of the movement/fight sequences are really choppy, like they're missing frames or something. Has anyone else noticed that Zero appears to be moon-walking? Ugh. If you're curious, check it out but honestly, I'm done watching the first season and don't intend to watch the 2nd season. I'll be focusing on the manga only.

Vampire Knight oh Vampire Knight! One of those blood-sucking enjoy-a-ble type of anime/manga it's suppose to be, huh?! Well.. Not exactly.

ART: Ah, the art.. The art is quite decent. Its actually pretty well done. The eyes are quite big though, especially on Yuuki. The face expressions when somebody's getting bitten by a vamp was pretty cool as well. reading ze' manga and watching ze' anime, I have noticed that the characters have LONG necks! Its a bit too long! =3=

STORY: Its not the best, sadly.VK has its ups and downs during the story. And, I was expecting lots of action because they put vamps with ... humans together so, I wanna see some blood on da' floor. PS: I think in some parts of VK, Matsuri Hino trys to put in some funny parts but.. It doesnt seem to work..

CHARACTERS: I hate it when vamps are suppose to act "distant" or "cool". It makes me..furious! Seriously, Im getting tired of that.. The only person I seem to aprove of would be Ichijou Takuma. But, he's not exactly the best.. I LOVE THE HEADMASTER! He's hyper, giddy..and etc! He's the best, he PWNS. Kaname protects a bit tooooooooo much.. Zero acts like he's PMS-ing. Yuuki is just.. eh. Aidou is too vain within himself.. I can go alll day.

ENJOYMENT: By reading this review, you can tell that Im VERY disapointed. Matsuri Hino's MeruPeri (something like that) is a bit more enjoy-a-ble.

My first review... wow. Bear with me people. lol. WIll contain bashing and spoilers!!!!!!! Why my first review had to be on an anime I hate? Cause my hatred for it is so strong I must write it down. :)

Anyways..... Vampire Knight.. OMG. I think this is the only anime I truly despise..... I couldnt even finish watching the whole thing!!! And its only freaking 13 eps long! Thats just sad. I only managed to watch like... what? 5 episodes I think? Pfft. The first ep I was excited to watch... mostly cause all my friends kept talking about it... so I felt ... the need to check it out. Hmm... Vampires, Hot guys, fighting.. This anime sounds pretty good. *add to list*

... *begins to watch*.....*dies*

THiS ANIME WAS A FAIL! The anime equivalent of Twilight (dont get me wrong... freaking twilight is better than this -__-) Vampire Knight was a fail. Why? Well, lets talk about the main character, Yuki. Can I say MARY SUE??? The freaking girl is utterly useless and pathetic! She cant do shit and always gets herself into trouble having to have help from either Zero or Kaname. Not only do I hate her cause she's just a freaking useless mary sue, but she's like a freaking puppy following Kaname all the time... Desperately seeking him and practically willing to throw her life away for him. Talk about sexist archetype... Useless pathetic chick in need of hot vampire (which by the way is a douche in my opinion.) He also pissed me off.

Then theres zero.... aww.. My only favored character from this anime, despite his super emo-ness. Yea, his melodramatic suicidal emotions get annoying at times, but he actually cared for Yuki. And even though Yuki ''cared'' for him too, it seemed like she cared more for the douch bag Kaname than ever even though she met him a few days ago (compared to Zero who's been her childhood friend) I symphasize for Zero, he went through hell in the past... so I wouldnt blame him for acting emo.

Despite the characters pissing me off... it just gets worse. Yuki continues to get into trouble, Kaname has to save her, Yuki ignores Zero for Kaname, and Kaname looks like he's gonna devour Yuki but is desperately trying to resist.

I personally hated this anime. I even thought of giving it a second try and watching it.....then all the memories came back of those few eps I saw and my hate for it grew even more... lol. Watch it if you really want to... but I would NEVER recomment this anime to anyone personally. I heard the second season is better, but i honestly dont care. I know its still gonna be shitty. After hearing news from friends that she goes with Kaname and turns into a vampire herself and Zero goes his seperate way, I wasnt suprised.

Word of advise, stay clear of this anime. I truly still do not understand why this anime is so popular... I really dont. Disagree with me all you want... I dont care.. I still stand with what I wrote. And yes, I am a Zero Fan all the way.

"Vampire Knight" is an Anime series that is remarkable for being totally unremarkable. It's like someone put out a "Do It Yourself" Anime starter pack complete with checklist;

Does it take place in a school?
Yes- check.

Is the lead character a pretty, tomboyish, but still feminine girl or a super serious, spiky-haired boy?
Yes to the first one, check.

Is there a supernatural or fantasy element that centers the plot?
Vampires, so yes. Check.
...
Are there fight scenes with guns, handheld weapons, or magical powers?
D. All of the above. Check.

Is there a mid-series break to make one season like two?
Yes, check.

Is there an obligatory fan service episode at a pool/hot spring/beach so all the female characters can be seen in swimwear?
No.

Alright, while it isn't ENTIRELY cliches and been there, done that. "Vampire Knight" just fails to leave an impression or impact on a viewer. The story is fairly generic but leaves you curious enough to proceed to it's conclusion in "Vampire Knight: Guilty", the art is decent and at times good, the music very fitting and reminds me of "Castlevania: SOTN". The Sub vs. Dub battle goes to the Sub. I have to give props to Mamoru Miyano for doing a great job in his duel roles.

I really wanted to like this show and while there were some moments when I thought it was gonna take that big step forward and show me something, it ended up being just a tease. Give it a watch to pass some time and help fill out your M.A.L. portfolio. Cheers!

This anime THIS ANIME THIS ANIIMEEE!!! Wasnt as bad as i remembered i remembered a horrible vampire drama that resembels the horror that is twighlight shudder but this one was ok. I will admit the plot kinda goes a little over board the characters support it. I love some characters but i hated others like how i thought zero was a respectable character with a tragic backstory who i felt for and then there is our leading lady i mean my god is she bland i mean wheat toast bland but i dont see how people can think she is like bella. Here is the ... reason for one yuuki actualy fights kinda and she has a backstory that i liked kinda but the big difference is she has a heart unlike that she witch bella. But lets continue the opening song is fine but the ending is badass i love it the artwork is passible and the one of the few major flaws is the villians my god were they bad i mean the leader of the night dormatory killed her in seconds she must of been no threat if he could defeat her so why all this buildup. So those are my major problems so overall not as bad as i remembered. Hmm maybe that means the twilight movies are not that bad as i remembered im gonna go check. 2 hours later oh my god i was wrong i misjudged the twighlight films because THEY ARE WORSE THAN I REMEMBERED I HATE THESE MOVIES AND i dont mind this show well see ya

Vampire Knight is definitely an anime..... I can see how people could enjoy it and I tried so hard to enjoy this, but it was just kind of meh.

Story: 5/10 - There was story there, but it felt generically shoujo with the character development you would expect from a generic shonen anime. It wasn't unlikable, but it could have been much better.

Art: I honestly don't care about the art. If a toddler drew it in crayon and it still had a good story, then count me in.

Sound: 5/10 nothing memorable. The opening wasn't anything too amazing. Not bad, but not good.

Character: 5/10 They had ... such a good opportunity for characters here, but they ended up just being kind of stiff. generic girl gets in trouble and gets rescued. Sad vampire hates life and wants to die, and worst of all the other vampires at the school had watered down personalities except for the main guy.

Enjoyment: 5/10 - I didn't hate it, and I didn't like it. I would recommend it though because it might be something someone else would like. It had redeeming qualities that just didn't appeal to me. I personally did not enjoy it too much but I would still recommend giving it a watch.

BONUS: Watchability - This title was surprisingly tame as far as content goes. sure there is some blood and fighting but nothing too graphic. there was not much fanservice either that I remember and the language was also kept to a minimum.

Story: 4

The story was ordinary. Cliche. Not special in any way. First of all, why did all the vampires have to be "gorgeous?" Cliche. So cliche. And I found the fact that all the girls in the school clamored around the vampires and thought about them so much, the fact that they were so vapid and unintelligent, to be offensive. Females are NOT at all like the brainless mobsters in the school. It's like the freaking Twilight of anime.
And the plot in general. Boy hates vampires -> girl who is friends with the boy runs around getting into danger due to extreme stupidity -> ... girl being constantly saved by gorgeous boys time and time again. Don't give me that crap.

Art: 7

Yes, the art was good. The special effects, I have to admit, were pleasing, and the lighting gave certain scenes a great effect. The one thing that disturbs me about the art is Yuki's abnormally huge eyes.

Sound: 9

The sound complements the anime perfectly. It was perhaps the best part of watching Vampire Knight. The opening perfectly gets the intended feelings across, and the ending adds an eerie undertone to the anime, which is even more perfect, as it usually finishes with a cliffhanger.

Character: 3

It was bad. Unoriginal.

Yuki is the typical good-girl protagonist, who is in the midst of a (of course) love triangle. She has no personality whatsoever besides her annoying optimism and is a complete crybaby. She want to protect the ones she loves, yet is not even capable of protecting herself, relying on others to save her from danger.

Zero is the typical tortured, broody, hot guy who is meant to make fangirls with his good looks and heroism, along with a bad-boy attitude.

Kaname is the typical dark, broody hot vampire (too much like Edward Cullen. Blech) and is all-powerful and all-chivalrous. He wows fangirls with his power and makes them squeal with his chivalry. Yet another stereotype.

Enjoyment: 6

I enjoyed it okay-ishly, but I would definitely not rewatch it. The constant cliff-hangers make the watcher want to find out what happens next, which actually does little to improve the anime.

Overall: 5

Mediocre, cliche, and unoriginal. That is all this anime is: average, and may even be a little less than average.

I have to say, this anime wasn't completely dreadful, but it definitely wasn't as good as it could/should have been.
I honestly think Vampire Knight had potential, but the character development left much to be desired.
To put it bluntly, I couldn't stand the main character; she just bothered me to no end.

In truth, the only likable character was Zero (at least, in my opinion). He was the only character I actually kind of cared what happened to.
Yuki just seemed like an overly-obsessed fangirl, and both she and Kaname kind of screwed Zero over later on in the series.
I really couldn't stand Kaname, either. He was just ... a flat character who popped up at random moments to show his apparent displeasure at what was happening at any given time; it was just irritating, and for most of the characters, no growth occurred whatsoever. Yuki just got more annoying, but I'm not sure if that counts as development or not.

Another problem I had with Kaname, was the fact that the author seemed to have been trying to make him all mysterious, when in actuality, Kaname was merely some guy who the main character happened to be obsessed with for seemingly no reason. Even when they explained his backstory, it was quite under-developed. Kaname was treated like an important character, but as I previously stated, he never really showed up until it became oddly "convenient" to the story; he kind of just showed up whenever, and when he did, it was usually to show his unwarranted hostility towards Zero.

This anime is a good lesson for not buying a story that features elements you like despite the alarming bad use of them. A vampire setting in a shoujo anime is very appealing and Vampire Knight really manages to charm you into it. However, both seasons considered, the plot is overly secretive to the viewer and it constantly builds up to a tension that the resulting action can't match. I liked this first season, but I'm posting this overall reaview so you can be warned.

See, I'll always have a special spot in my heart for this anime, despite all its flaws, but I can't help ... but feeling that these characters were wasted (and the manga ending apparently was as bad as this one). The art isn't very elaborated, but it's pretty to watch. Concerning the story, second season leaves you longing for the first season when you still believed the anime could have a better development, which is both positive and negative.

It caught my heart, but then it threw it away. Therefore, I recommend you don't try it because there's a chance you'll like it like I did and it isn't worth it. Try a better quality material than this for your entertainment, you don't need awkward cheap incest and abrupt swifts in your plots. But yeah, despite all of this, I'll have fond memories of Vampire Knight.

I'm a fan of vampire series, I can't deny it, but Vampire Knight isn't exactly the anime I expected. The romantic element is an obvious thing being a shojo but still the characters can be boring enough to listen to. The relationship between Yuuki and Zero is nourished with beautiful doses of fanservice in order to make us love the couple but personally I don't like either one.
Yuuki tends to be slightly repetitive and is so submissive to Kaname that I vomit. Vampire fights are horrendous. The vampires of the story are not at all convincing and to make matters worse there is the continuous ... struggle between Kaname and Zero to have the hand of Yuuki (I said "hand" but I meant another word that starts with "p"). As if this were not enough, the series tries to draw on a sort of mystery about Yuuki's past, this poor fool tries to find out more about her origins and anyone would be able to intuit that between Yuuki and Kaname there is a *BEEEP*.
Exactly, I avoided making spoilers.

It wasn't anything particularly special. I started watching this because I was told it was the darker, vampire version of Ouran, but I was sadly mistaken. It's just another common shoujo romance with vampires included.

The story wasn't anything impressive. All the plots were pretty easily guessable, the the show is constantly surrounded by this dreary feel that makes it hard to watch. It's not exactly the type of dark I like in my shows, but I'm accustomed enough to shoujo romances and vampire stories that I managed to make it through.

The art was fine. The characters were easily distinguishable, the animations for 'vampire ... powers' were pretty cool to look at, and Zero's design (especially with his glowing eyes and tattoo) were pretty well done. The backgrounds and characters other than Zero, Yuki, and Kaname were too mundane to remember though.

The opening and closing themes were pretty good, and the gothic music was cheesy but somewhat fitting. Most of the voice actors were pretty terrible, but with Vic voicing Zero, I managed to get through it, though I cringed every time any other character talked pretty much.

The characters are cliche as any others you see. There's nothing special about them in the least. Don't even hope for character development either. The heroine is simply a doll who comes off at first as a strong heroine before becoming another regular wall decoration.

I enjoyed it enough to finish it. Zero got me through it-- without him, I'm not sure if I could have retained my sanity through watching this. There's so many plot holes I don't even know where to start. Why are two people tasked with handling hordes? Why can't they just buy barriers? Why don't they instill an actual curfew? Why don't they have vampire hunters on campus until halfway through the season? Why does Zero get a private room? Why is every character an idiot?

Overall, not bad, but not something I would watch again.

I would recommend this if you: like damsels in distress, like fights, like vampires, like strong masculine guys being adamant while writhing in pain, love triangles?

I would NOT recommend this if you: want character development, want an actual dark plot, don't like cliches

Have a great day everyone!

Story: There really isn't a lot of plot to Vampire Knight. But there's enough to keep watching.

Art: The characters are very detailed and expressional. Especially Zero. You can see how much pain he has in his eyes. That's good art there. All of the characters have an expressional face.

Sound: Good

Character(s): Each character has a personality for everyone. My favorite will always be Zero. But later, I liked Aido and Ichiru. It was amazing to see Aido change from resisting Yuki to not.

I kind of wished the Anime did more with the two of them.

Enjoyment: It's one where you have to be in the mood ... for. But I like to watch it from time to time.

Overall: Good. Refreshing that's not your regular vampire love story.

Cross Academy was founded by the wealthy Kaien Cross to facilitate the idealized cohabitation of what would otherwise be considered predator and prey. Nestled away quiet and secluded in the woods, the students at this prestigious academy are segregated... Er, I mean, separated... Into two different classes. During the daylight hours, you’ll find the classrooms occupied by humans, going about their peaceful school lives in a way that both their innocence and ignorance are protected. Swing by campus at night, however, and you’ll find those same classrooms filled with students of a more pale and toothy sort. This class is made up of vampires, most ... of which won’t hesitate to taste your blood if you get too close to them.

Keeping these two halves of the student body separate are Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, the former of whom was adopted by Kaien following a traumatic vampire attack when she was a child, and the latter having been taken in years later after a similar event. Together, they form the disciplinary committee, formed to keep their fellow students from crossing a line that should never be crossed. Unfortunately for them, Zero seems to have brought something back with him from his encounter as a child, as he slowly begins to turn into a vampire himself. As he loses control of his humanity, it’s up to Yuki, his only friend in the world, to ease his pain and keep him tied to humanity. Can she save her childhood friend from a fate worse than death, or will her mind be too clouded by her feelings for the mysterious Vampire dorm leader, Kaname Kuran?

Vampire Knight was animated by Studio Deen, a company that I praised heavily in my Irresponsible Captain Tylor review... But that was nineties Studio Deen, which I almost feel is a completely different company from 2007 Studio Deen. The animation budget, as is the case with most modern Deen releases, was bare bones, and on-screen movement is noticeably cheap with very few exceptions. Characters freeze in the background like lifeless mannequins if they’re not the focus of the scene, and move only slightly in very robotic spurts when they are. Characters profiles bounce up and down to indicate walking, or in the few far shots, they walk or run like they don’t actually exist in their own environment, with emotion only seeming to exist in their insanely detailed eyes.

I can kind of tell by the angles, art design and often pretentious editing that Deen had a specific vision and visual tone in mind when they were making this show, but they just didn’t have the experience or talent necessary to work with such a small budget. The backgrounds are decent, albeit somewhat generic and lifeless. The character designs are highly attractive by shoujo standards, with it’s two male leads looking just debonair and hunky enough to tease the female viewers, and Yuki herself looking just enough like the wide-eyed, plain-yet-pretty protagonist that they’d want to insert themselves into. There aren’t very many characters other than them, but the ones we do have look distinguishable enough to be passable.

The soundtrack is full dark gothic-sounding fare, blending somber piano, heart wrenching violin-work and a powerful greek choir to express the emotion of any given scene far better than the stiff looking characters can. Pipe organs are used in the main theme to create a sense of church-like foreboding, a fitting warning of the darker, more sinful paths the characters will inevitably travel. Composer Takefumi Haketa knows just when to use restraint and when to take over, grabbing your attention at all the right moments, and he also seems to know the characters themselves just well enough to give them appropriate themes to match their roles in the story. Yukis theme in particular actually had me choking up a bit the first time I heard it isolated. It’s a very well-made soundtrack in general, and it’s a really fun listen whether in or out of context.

The opening theme is called Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi by On/Off, and as far as the song goes, it’s awesome. It takes the same tone and style as the soundtrack and turns it fast and catchy without bastardizing it. The video, on the other hand... Remember when I said the show occasionally uses pretentious editing? They go full tilt with it here. This single video crams in as much imagery as it can, somehow making time to go through that old cliché of having the camera pan past all the supporting characters in a single shot. It’s a busy op where there’s way too much going on visually, which is why I kind of appreciate the much slower pace of the ending theme’s video a little more. Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima is probably the best piece in the entire soundtrack, at least in terms of composition and singing talent alone.

The English dub, on the other hand, is ghastly. To start off on a positive note, there are two really good performances in this, with one of them of course coming from the celebrated VA Vic Mignona in the role of Zero, a character constantly going through some sort of physical or emotional turmoil, which Vic pulls off flawlessly. The other is by Laura Bailey, playing the role of the deliciously evil villain Maria, who sadly doesn’t enter the story until episode 9. She’s able to play both halves of her character in equally convincing fashions, and she doesn’t just do this by changing her voice... No, they’re two completely different characters in one, which she handles like the pro she is.

All right, let’s rip this band-aid right off. In the role of Yuki Cross, we have Mela Lee, one of my least favorite voice actors ever. She’s more or less okay with her characters awkward or comedic scenes, but anywhere else, she alternates between sounding wooden and sounding like a deflating balloon. She also gets on a lot of viewers nerves by mispronouncing Kaname’s name with a distinct ‘meh’ at the end. But oh, speaking of Kaname, at least Yuki doesn’t sound like a synthesized computer voice. You can partially blame this on the character, but good voice actors can make a character sound good even without inflections. Somebody like Crispin Freeman could have killed this role.

There are other assorted characters played by actors who don’t do a very bad job, but aside from Bryce Papenbrook as Hanabusa, Travis Willingham as Kaname’s best friend Toga and a delightful cameo appearance by Jamieson Price, they don’t get much in the way of screen time or lines. For the most part, their role in the story is to gush about how awesome Kaname is and dump exposition for the audience, and they do a serviceable job of it.

The dub was written to be extremely faithful to the source material, with the only changes made being in the interest of matching the on-screen lip flaps. Believe it or not, this was kind of a bad idea. The dialogue is very literal, with little to no subtlety in any of it. As much as I hate using Family Guy as an example of anything, do you remember the Handiquacks episode, where Meg, Chris and Peter are trying to write their pilot? The dialogue in Vampire Knight sounds closer to what Chris and Peter settled on than the far more engaging line that Meg suggested. Everything is blatant and explanatory, making the characters sound stilted and downright boring.

This is unusual for me, but I actually wish somebody had tweaked the dialogue to sound more flavorful... I’m not talking about crow-barring in slang terms or pop culture references, but it would have been nice to hear some double-talk and sly innuendos tying the thirst for blood to more basic impulses. Or at the very least, have the characters be a little more vague about their plans and motives so that the audience actually has something to think about. The only character who actually speaks with any subtlety or ambiguity is Maria, and Laura Bailey does have a lot of fun with this, but it only lasts for a single episode before her identity is revealed and she rejoins the rest of the cast in mediocrity

There are plenty of times in this season alone where two characters will have a conversation that goes along the lines of “Hey, remember that thing we both know about that the audience doesn’t?” “Yes, I do, and I’ll explain it to you, for no other reason than just to prove it! Seriously! No other reason!” And that’s just when they manage to avoid the most cliched exposition set-up in anime history, “As you know...” Rewrites are not a bad thing when done right, and Vampire Knight seriously needed one. If you need any more proof of this, there’s a scene in episode 9 where Zero gets scolded for not referring to a pure-blood with the proper honorific... Despite the fact that the dub has no honorifics. Go ahead and listen to it if you really want to hear Vic and Laura chew the scenery, but otherwise, stick to the subs on this one.

If you didn’t notice from my plot summary, Vampire Knight follows what sounds... At least to me... like a flawed concept. Maybe I’m just thinking about this all wrong, but if you’re trying to encourage the peaceful cohabitation of humans and vampires... Maybe you want to let the humans know about it at some point? Maybe you’d want them to go to school together, under close supervision, rather than holding the humans just out of reach like a tasty snack that they’ll want even more because they can’t have it? Because every time these two classes meet, the chance for danger is so high that they needed to implement a disciplinary committee. And hell, it’s not like the sunlight kills the vamps. They just get sunburned... Which somehow makes less sense than the whole sparkly thing.

While I haven’t heard anybody make that complaint before, I have heard pretty much every other complaint this series receives. A lot of them are from Twilight haters claiming it’s the anime answer to that sorry franchise, while a lot more of them criticize it on technical issues, or they just call it flat out boring. Yeah, this show doesn't have a very good reputation. Even Watchmojo, a Youtube channel that considers Naruto and Pokemon to be two of the top ten best anime ever made, didn’t even bother to include Vampire Knight on their top ten anime vampires list, despite Zero and Maria being pretty good candidates for it. So for everything that it does wrong, does it do anything right?

Quite a few things, actually. Vampire Knight is a paranormal romance story through-and-through, belonging to the same genre as Twilight and it’s various knockoffs. The point of these titles is to be a sexy, romantic escapist fantasy for women, although target age may differ. Vampire Knight is about as good as a paranormal romance can get, as it succeeds at a few basic elements that Twilight failed at. First of all, in regards to the main love triangle, you never have to wonder why those two paranormal dudes are after that bland, bitchy Bella chick. Zero and Yukis relationship leaves absolutely no question about why they’re so close or why there’s so much unresolved tension between them, and while Kaname’s intentions aren’t made clear until season 2, you can still tell at an early stage that there’s some substance to it beyond him just being a creeper. Also, I hate to say it, Vampire Knight is actually really sexy.

And no, I’m not saying there’s a ton of fanservice, exposed skin and big boobs. At best, Zero takes his shirt off a few times. The sexuality in this show is something far more subtle than that.

See, the school is divided between two classes. The night class, the vampires, are mature, introspective, experienced, and generally carry an air of superiority. The night class, made up of humans, come off as much younger in comparison, despite being physically the same age. They’re naive, and they worship the night class, but interaction is forbidden... The vampires can only drink blood from other vampires, while the humans are left to wonder what goes on in the other class, having no idea what the truth of it all is, and yes, there’s heavy temptation on both sides. The metaphor behind all of this... Yes, Vampire Knight has a metaphor, close your jaws... Is about sexuality. Vampires represent the sexually active, while humans represent the virginal. That’s why the opening song’s title translates to “Two beating hearts and the crimson sin...” The blood in your heart is the sin.

Now, if you’re going to sexualize vampires, you have a very fine line you need to be careful not to cross. Vampire bites aren’t always consensual, and a series that handles itself poorly could become rapey as a result. Long time readers will remember me criticizing Diabolik Lovers for exactly that problem. Non-consensual biting does occur in Vampire Knight, but unless it’s being used for tension, it’s considered a bad thing... Zero is so ashamed after he bites Yuki for the first time that he begs her to kill him before he gets worse, and doesn’t touch her again until she freely offers herself to him. Moments of tension between these two occur in a dimly lit bathroom, in the school pool, and in an empty part of the school where SHE LETS HIM BITE HER FROM BEHIND, turning the act of vampirism into an erotic sort of forbidden fruit.

This is why Vampire Knight resonates so strongly with it’s target audience. This is why people like myself, who are still as far away from that target audience as possible, can still find it so damned addictive. It’s engaging not because of it’s low-stakes plot or it’s terrible writing, but because of its sexuality. And even if you don’t pick up on any of that, the main plot-line is still pretty interesting. Having one of your main characters struggling to resist becoming a vampire with every fiber of his being while a girl who cares about him tries her best to ease his pain while setting respectable boundaries is a concept you simply can’t screw up, and it makes borderline Mary-Sue Yuki into a much stronger character as a result.

This plot-line will make up for all the other boring or confusing stuff, leading you all the way to a cliff-hanger that will leave you salivating for a second season... Which unfortunately exists. Yeah, I’m not going to talk too much about Vampire Knight Guilty, as I’m only reviewing season one, but it’s worth noting that in my opinion, that season is just one long, consistent journey downhill. It brings fatalism into the arcs of our three main characters, rendering all of the choices they’d made throughout the series pointless and ending in a conclusion that would have pissed me off even if it was conclusive... Which it wasn’t. But at least the first season makes you WANT a sequel, which is something.

Vampire Knight is available from Viz media. You can watch the entire series for free on their site, or if you’d rather own the physical copy, you can find the DVD sets at a reasonable price both in stores and online. The second season, Guilty, can also be found the same way, or you can just buy all 26 episodes together. The original manga by Matsuri Hino is also available stateside from the same company, or just in old issues of Shoujo Beat. The live action musical is totally a thing that exists, and if you don’t need subtitles, you can view the whole thing on Youtube.

Vampire Knight is everything a trashy paranormal romance should be. It’s romantic, it’s sexual, it plays very sincerely with the concepts of forbidden love and loss of innocence, and it even manages to squeeze in some homoeroticism at the last minute without ever breaking from context or character. Having said that, good trash is still trash, and being a more serviceable version of Twilight still leaves a lot to be desired. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I’m likely to keep my DVD set despite the unfortunate festering growth that’s attached to it. I won’t hold the second season’s failings against it, though... On it’s own, I give Vampire Knight a surprisingly decent 5/10.

If the Twilight movies were a cartoon that was orchestrated properly to form a coherent plot aside from the love triangle, it would be called vampire knight. Rather than being a dig at this anime, I say this as a positive. The other side of the coin is that, while better than the twilight movies, I've seen more intelligent conversation in OHSHC (host club for non otaku).

Story: 4
A solid 4. A VERY solid 4. The show is entertaining to watch at a base level. That being said, if you like surprises, look slightly further. Maybe a little more to the left? I could accurately describe ... in detail to my friend how the season would end from the first three episodes or so alone. I don't recommend this show as a "I'm going to sit down and watch this!" show. Leave it running in the dubbed (cringe if you will but the dub was very well done for this show) while you write a paper or something. Odds are you won't miss anything.

Art: 7
I am probably being overly generous here by a full point or more. I personally liked the art style because it suited the genre. Those of you able to find symbolism in little ways will pick up on strange character effects that give a somewhat deeper insight into who they are. The biggest reason i give this a 7 is that IT EXISTS IN THE WONDERFUL REALM OF 1080p! Who doesn't love high resolution vampires? Most of you? got it

Sound: 10
If you don't watch the show (I gained nothing from either season) then at least do one thing for me. LISTEN TO THE OPENING AND CLOSING SONG OF THE FIRST AND SECOND SEASON! I'M BEGGING! The intro manages to be a spectacular display of the characters without revealing any key plot points or over insights into future plotlines. The music is so perfectly and flawlessly orchestrated that I had to rewind at times just to experience the sound again. The glorious and beautiful music. Oh. And the actor's voices were... adequate? The voice actors could have been better cast. Easily. But I found it worth it for the MUSIC! The music is actually the sole reason I'm writing this recommendation.

Characters: 4
In a word? Bland. Nothing new or insightful was born from these characters, and the relationships between different individuals were dully executed from the get go. Nothing new, nothing creative, and no reason I should use more than 4 lines to describe characters I cant even name now.

Enjoyment: 7/3
It's a good show to have in the background while you do other things because it keeps your interest enough to make you listen without forcing you to focus on the show solely. If you're going to do the usual anime thing and only sit and watch it, I'd have to rate this show a blatant 3. It's boring and shallow. Nothing of note aside from the love triangle (I do like the triangle though).

Overall: 6
Honestly not worth watching the show to watch the show. I can't think of anything that would make me recommend this show other than the music unless you liked Twilight. If you DID like Twilight, however, this show does the forbidden love triangle and vampires in general SO much better than the movies did.