Vampire in the Garden

Humans and vampires, stories of folklores that bend and twist the mind in an never-ending sea of timeless fictional pieces of war. And Wit Studio's next venture into the Netflix anime catalogue with Vampire in the Garden, much to say that it was less hyped than the "Bubble" movie that came out last month (which honestly was very mid), I have to say that I felt awfully cathartic and incapacitated with feelings and emotions that are truly deserving of the NC16 rating that this has. And as much as the whole series felt depressing, it was very depressingly good to say the least.

Vampire in the ... Garden tells the story of 2 girls: the regular Momo Warm working in an industrial military city whose passion riles up from saving a young vampire whom has a music box of a tune that sounds its resonance, and that young vampire Fine whom other than being the queen of the vampires, desires a life led with humans to be loved, one that's once relived from her past memories, only to see it birth a war between mankind and vampires to the stage it was today. Both girls want out of their oppressive lifestyle and desire to find a paradise of their own where human and vampire can peacefully coexist, otherwise seen as betrayers of their own kind to find an "Eden" that doesn't exist. It's of no surprise to cast Megumi Han and Yuu Kobayashi as both Momo and Fine as the centerpiece of this series, and for all intensive purposes, their performances lend great aid to reflecting the series as a whole: the two outliers whom just want peace out of seclusion, fighting through every situation and not giving up on each other when the going gets tough, even at death's row.

Unsurprisingly, this is what I would expect of Wit Studio's production, this being produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G. co-founder-cum-producer Tetsuya Nakatake, director Ryoutarou Makihara (whom hasn't directed anything since Shisha no Teikoku, a movie released in 2015) with assistant Hiroyuki Tanaka (who used to help direct Attack on Titan when it was produced at Wit Studio), music director Yoshihiro Ike (of Takt Op. Destiny and Dororo fame) and Tetsuya Nishio in both character design and being the chief animation director. Speaking of the character design, there is one person whom looks almost like Jiraiya from Naruto, and that's because Tetsuya Nishio is the original character designer of the TV series, so you know that this man is a god amongst men. This series being mostly centered in around arctic and industrial areas, gives me a mix of Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga vibes, to which if you've ever watched those series, you'll know what I mean.

It's genuine that I say that after the somewhat failure of the movie Bubble, Vampire in the Garden is what I truly hope that ONA stories like this capped within 2 hours plus can become: an engaging story that does not feel too short nor too long, characters that we can be engaged with to tell their stories of circumstances and the much-needed resolution, a nice production and some good music. Everything must be balanced together, and this is what I got to truly experience a well-rounded original story that leaves me wanting for more.

This is some impressive stuff.

For only 5 episodes,

This was Way more impactful than it had the right to be.

I'll make it easy for you, the show is worth watching. The Best thing you can do to see if it's for you or not is watching the first episode, which is one of the best first episodes I have seen in a long time.

It does get a little weaker around episode 3 and specially 4, but it picks itself back up for the final episode so I wasn't too bothered by it.

Bottom of the line is, if you want to go in completely blind, do it. it's worth your time, ... but if you're still unsure, keep reading:

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the story is about a world were vampires and humans are at war while both sides are kind of both at fault and victims at the same time. Vampires think humans are the assholes who started it all, and vice versa.

we follow two leads, a human, daughter of a big shot in the military, who ran away from home, and a vampire royalty who is dealing with her past. And most of the show is the journey of this unlikely duet living, surviving and running away together while being chased down by both humans and vampires.

they're relationship is the main selling point of the show. you just can't help rooting for both of them.

in fact all the characters are likable. no actually scrap that most of them are, and even the ones that have little to know screen time have enough depth to not be 1 dimensional. I even go as far as saying for a show that is only 5 episodes long the character writing is kind of impressive.

but that isn't even close to being the most impressive thing about the show. The star here is easily the execution. I'm talking about the directing, pacing and music. they work flawlessly in a final product that I can only describe as cinematic. so much so that I thought the first episode was the most cinematic and masterfully directed episode of Anime I have seen since the made in abyss movie.

which says a lot considering how made in abyss is visually stunning, and what I'm talking about is a god damn movie.

And it's not just the visuals and direction, the music and it's placement is simply perfect. If I didn't know any better I would have guessed the music was done by the man himself Kevin Penkin. the style is very similar to his work, and that's a good thing, great even.

All these elements mixed together had the result of dozens of goosebumps and me crying 2 different times during this 5 episodes. It's not too hard to make me cry, but again for 5 episodes, that's still impressive.

Here's the thing, it's a simple story that is far from being the most original, and there isn't really anything ground breaking in that said story.

I'm not going to pretend like it's a must watch masterpiece.

it isn't...

But it doesn't have to be.

there are shows that aren't really flawed in any way, but they won't reach for the skies either. those shows almost always end up being some of the most enjoyable and wildly loved stories out there.

I wouldn't say the show is good enough for you to go out of your way to watch it if it doesn't seem to be your cup of tea, but if you have any amount of interest, watch it.

My final score is a 7.75/10

thanks for reading, and I hope you found this review to be helpful, at least to some degree. :D

Vampire in the Garden is an absolute gem of an anime that has captured my heart with its enchanting tale of love, courage, and unity. From the very first episode, I was hooked by the captivating story of Fine, the sweet vampire girl, and Momo, the brave human girl, who defy the odds to protect and love each other in a world on the brink of war.

What sets this anime apart is the genuine and heartfelt connection between Fine and Momo. Their love is beautifully portrayed and is the driving force behind their quest to find a haven where vampires and humans can coexist in ... harmony. It's a message of hope and unity that resonates deeply.

The animation and art style are nothing short of breathtaking. The character designs are expressive, and the landscapes are richly detailed, adding to the overall immersive experience. The action sequences are pulse-pounding, and the emotional moments are tear-inducing.

Vampire in the Garden is a tale that reminds us that love knows no boundaries, and it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a blend of romance, action, and a powerful message of acceptance. It's a must-watch that will leave you longing for more of Fine and Momo's extraordinary journey.

A very character focused story that manages to present an incredible impactful tale of two people trying to find their way forward in a world that seeks to drag them down a single path. Both main characters are brilliant and through their time together we see them both grow as people as they begin to understand why life is worth living and grapple with their own trauma. Blends this moments of emotional with moments of catharsis incredibly well, truly contrasting the bleak world around the two characters with their caring and beautiful relationship in a very short time.

Secondary characters and world building is limited, but ... due to the shorter and tighter focus this does not take away from the core story. Other characters have reasonable enough motives and are able to create tension that doesn't feel too manufactured. World is able to maintain a consistently bleak tone without venturing into parody and through effective use of art. Parallels to Soviet/tsarist Russia are weak and often mix their metaphors however.

Overall its a beautiful story that focuses on two individuals and the massive effect they have on each other within a short time. Less two-dimensional elements don't take away from the main relationship. Key weakness would be the limited runtime, as its not quiet enough to fully explore said main relationship.

I've watched many anime over the years but vampire in the garden would be the first that actually made me come over to write a review. Though short, I felt that the pacing was pretty good and not unnecessarily drawn out like other shows, the ending was impactful with just the right amount of sad/happy vibes. The animation was alright, nothing special. Characters felt realistic and it was easy relating to them. What really stood out was the OST, absolute masterpiece. Would have preferred a couple more filler episodes but overall a solid 8/10, gave me maquia vibes all over again.

Before looking at this series as short, think of it as a movie that has been spliced into 5 20 minute episodes. That being said, WIT absolutely out did themselves with this anime. The story is fairly straight forward, but is fleshed out through the emotions presented from each character. I don't think I need to say much about the art considering this is WIT, but what stood out was the backgrounds. Each scene told a story of its own, whether it was the dusty ruined halls of an abandoned mansion, or an extravagant clean dance hall. The sounds for the most part were good, ... but noticed they used the same sound for pulling a grenade pin and opening a syringe. With the music topping the cake, Vampire in the Garden felt like an impactful experience with a very fitting ending.

Short, but sweet.
9/10

Just finished this one, and It is been a while for something to give me such mixed feelings. I want to call it great, it had all the themes you'd need for it, it even had fine music and art. But it was executed quite poorly storywise and it feels fake. Sure, all anime is "fake" as in fiction, but this had unbelievable characters and no internal consistency. Each character is like "I m max and i only shout NO" one dimensional af.

The only character that ends up anywhere close to believable is side character that is|| your average cool guy with katana||
I'd ... recommend it for it is short watch (less than 2 hours) but gosh

If you love themes of friendship, war, loss, and the pursuit of peace you might like this anime. It is realistic in the elements of war. The friendship between the main characters is strong because they have to protect each other and themselves from their kind. For example, the human girl protects Fine from humans while humans themselves are a threat to her. this is because they both "betrayed their kind" and chose an unconventional life for themselves.
Their bond is genuine and goes through the constant struggle of survival, acceptance, and pure happiness. Their worlds are in chaos, and they only find paradise in each ... other.

I did my skincare and yet I couldn't help but cry. This is sad yet beautiful. Depressing, even. Fine x Momo.

Yes, this is such a very unique concept about vampire and humans. The artstyle is both dull and beautiful which make it suitable for the story. I'm a person who believes that everything has a reason so every story that I know, read and watch is perfect in an imperfect way. The feelings it brought me were intensely realistic, I wept and sobbed and evn punched the bed several times because I could relate the most by the ending. That was unexpected. I'm still sad ... actually. I love this.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this. I mean, I'm a sucker for vampires (haha) but I think it holds up regardless. However, it's not without its flaws.

Main story is about a human girl and the vampire queen, both sick of the constant fighting and killing on both sides, deciding to flee and search out an 'eden' where humans and vampires can live in harmony. The plot doesn't break the wheel or anything but the real focus is on the two main characters, both their bond and their personal trauma. While it's compelling I feel that this show would have really benefitted from more episodes, both to ... give more time to their developing relationship and delving into their past.

I would have loved to see more of Fiine's past (and the people in it, yeah you'll know who I'm talking about). I also think if there had been more time spent seeing Momo pushed to breaking point her decision to run would have made more sense (as it is she's dissatisfied with her job, gets in one argument with her mum, then decides to leave her settlement for what she's been assured is certain death). And of course, seeing more of Fiine and Momo connecting would have been a treat. We get some montages, but overall they go very quickly from strangers to people completely dedicated to one another.
More episodes would also allow us to see more of the world, get a greater sense of distance travelled and the people out there...

Both protagonists are likeable (though I particularly enjoyed Fiine), but the side character suffer from a lack of development due to the limited screen time. Would have been nice to understand more about Allegro and his relationship to Fiine. Would have also been nice for Momo's uncle and his crew to be more than a plot point (there to hunt them down rather than be characters in their own right). And an antagonist I won't name for spoiler reasons turns out to be pretty one dimensional, when adding more nuance to their behaviour and motives would work in the story's favour.

The art is lovely, and the animation has some absolutely beautiful segments (I adore how fluid the vampire's wing transition is, and how they fly). Music is good, backgrounds are pretty, no complaints there. Visually this show is very strong.

Now, the ending may not be for everyone... personally it didn't do it for me, felt a little bleak in a way that contradicts the idea the protagonists (and the show tbh) seem to push - that humans and vampires can live together peacefully. But I suspected for a while that things may go that way. Maybe it would feel better if we'd had more time to follow their journey. Unfortunately, that's something we can't know.

Overall I really enjoyed the show though, and it's a shame it's not longer. If you're on the fence, give it a shot, it's not a long watch and there's plenty to love about it, particularly if you're a fan of vampires.

Vampire in the garden is one of those anime that comes out of nowhere and just blows everyone away. While the story had it's flaws like everything else and the art style seemed a little bland but the anime was trying to tell a story and have some very good music to go with it. They were not trying to make the next big action block buster.
I'm not an emotional person but this five episode anime honestly made me cry at the end. I don't remember the last time something evoked emotions in me like this anime did so good job wit studio this ... anime is a hidden gem and I'll definitely be recommending it.

Romeo and Juliet, but with 2 girls, one human, the other a vampire, both trying to flee from the burdens of expectation, put on their shoulders by their respective families/races, in a world drowned in war.

Both of them meet each other on amidst of a conflict, trying to flee from themselves and each other's chaos, then being forced to travel together, they start to learning from each other's lifes, knowing each other and starting to appreciate the peacefulness of a free life, far from the encumbrances of war or bigotry, while they try to bring back the life of song and love of music ... into a silent sad world, searching for a paradise.

Its a good and interesting show, focused on developing the relationship between the two main protagonist, while also showing effects of a war on the daily lives of commom people and vampires, that mostly just want to live their lifes.

Most characters are well written, with clear motivations, evn tough some are implicit, none of them fall completelly flat, but some of them could have received a little bit more attention, and others could have just received less time, but overall they are all well done.

A beautiful sad story that's well worth watching. It has heart felt emotional moments, action, and a little bit of world building. It's also a bit of a tear-jerker. At five episodes, the series is quite brief, and very easy to binge.

Some have compared it to a long movie, honestly it reminds me of an OVA. Each episode tells a relatively self-contained story that fluidly bridges into the next one. A lot of the reviews criticize the series for being short, which I think is actually one of its strengths. The series quickly makes you invested in the characters, particularly the leads Momo and ... Fine. Their struggles and relationship are the core of the story the show is trying to tell, and I think it does a good job of organically fleshing out both over its runtime. If it was significantly longer I think it would risk dragging or feeling padded.

The setting, with its freezing landscapes, post apocalyptic elements, and human-vampire forever war, is also engaging, but clearly secondary to the protagonists and their story. This oddly ends up working in its favor, as the world benefits from being shown on-screen rather than explained through exposition.

I've re-watched the show a few times, and found something new to like about it each time.

It could be well-developed anime, but as always in Netflix series something is wrong. But I still enjoyed it and even cried a bit at the end, so it's not so bad after all.

I think the worst part is that this anime is too short. Some of the storylines could be interesting, but they're not developed enough. For example, Momo's uncle's background could be entertaining, but they're only shown a few scenes of him and his vampire wife. Or the storyline of Fine girlfriend (?), could be also interesting, but we know for sure that they know each other and that she is dead. ... Also, the journey which Momo and Fine had to take is too short, they're traveling for one full episode.

I thought it will be more about the differences between humans and vampires and trying to be together even if another person has disadvantages. But they kinda love each other after the second talk.

Also, this village is too sus. From the first moment you know they're hiding something shady and paradise won't be paradise. I think it would be better if it was less obvious.

Anyway, it's pretty anime and it has a good soundtrack. Momo and Fine are ok characters, but their relationship is too fast. Like, for real, Momo's girlfriend was killed by a vampire and after a few hours, she has fun, singing and playing piano with Fine. But even after that ending is emotional and probably makes you wanna cry. So I think it's good anime if you don't have anything better.

Well what can I say..

I'm not an emotional person and can say this affected me in every way, shape or form.

I love vampire stories, thought I'd give it a try seeing as though it was new to Netflix & may I say this did not disappoint.

Graphics are phenomenal, the characters show extreme progression throughout, was once weak & now fighting for another's life & getting over a life time of trauma .... the story-line is not only war but based around power & love (two oppositions that have been at war for a long time) kind of influenced me along the lines of Youjo Senki ... which may not be vampire based but had a lot of similarities in terms of war aspect & doing everything you can in your power.

Pulled at my heart-strings & kept me in awe throughout it, only reason I did note rate this 10 is due to the ending & that I wanted more!

I would 100% recommend.

In a nutshell, this anime was Romeo and Juliet except Romeo is a queen of vampires.

Art and sound: 10/10
You can tell the production team put oodles of love into creating this piece of art. The animations were fluid, backgrounds were uncompromised, and action scenes were well planned out. The detail put into the storyboarding details was immaculate and well worth the watch.

Story and character: 5/10
The writers tried to put too much in 5 episodes. The story may have been great if it had 5 more episodes worth of work put into giving convincing motivations behind the character's actions. Otherwise, it does feel like the whole ... story was motivated by two rebellious teenagers.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The story was not well-motivated, but the ending scene still had me crying... and I didn't understand why. So the only way I can interpret it was that the storyboarding really created enjoyment and had me invested in the scene. I

Overall: 7/10
I would watch only for the art, that's how good it was. If you enjoy vampire thrillers and beautiful action scenes, I would recommend you watch this anime. If you like well-grounded and reasoned plot lines, this series will drive you nuts.

Vampire's garden is a Netflix yuri in collaboration with Wit Studio, which explains the awesome quality of the animation. In a world where humans and vampires are in eternal war, a girl (Momo) and a vampire (Fine), escape from their relative realms in a journey, seeking for the Paradise where humans and vampire can coexist and live in peace.

Well, the message of this ONA is truly wholesome for me, but i cannot explain it without write spoilers. The bad part is that the story is sometimes a truly nonsense, for example, when the girls arrive at some town unconscious and when Momo wakes up, the ... native knows exactly their names and the aim of their journey when they didn't even open their mouths, or when a fuel tank explodes directly in the face of Momo and she stands up without a single scratch, and my favourite: first time driving a car and you nailed it like a Formula 1 pilot.

In my opinion, in order to avoid some missing scenes that make the viewer not understand what is happening sometimes, Wit Studio could made a season of 12 episodes explaining full story instead of 5 with random cuts.

Despite all of the above, if you like yuri, vampires and stories about impossible love, give it a try.

This went from anime of the year to meh in five episodes. Let's start with what I liked. The art and setting is gorgeous. I really go the look and feel of the world they live in the vibrant use of dull color palettes makes you feel the setting. I loved the use of music as part of the plot device. I do knock it though for having background music where I felt there shouldn't be. Music shouldn't play behind characters ignorant of it. The story is good despite the shallow predictable ending.
The thing I didn't like is the characters. Everyone is so one ... dimensional and single minded. It's so bad there's not much to speak of. No spoilers but let's just say every character's stated intention/goal, is the depth of their character. Why doesn't Fine want to be queen? Why does Momo's mom want her back so bad, when you were willing to sacrifice her to kill a vampire? The lack of world building and character depth is a shame as it's only five episodes. Would one more episode worth of world building been too much to ask? What exactly are the strengths and weaknesses of vampires? Why can't literally anyone else be queen?

TL;DR, Three great episodes followed by two meh ones

In the bluntest way I can put it without giving away too much it's pretty much Romeo and Juliet, but two girls instead of guy and girl. I won't go into detail of what kind of love they share as that would be spoilery. However, given the title, and the trailers, it's definitely not Capulet vs Montague, but Vampires vs Soviet-like Military brandishing AK-47s.

Story- 7/10
It's good, not great. I've already read a story like this in the aforementioned Shakespeare reference. And so has practically everyone else either in school at some point or in some Saturday morning cartoon or Hollywood movie. I was ... disappointed it was going a route like this. But it was not terrible, a little predictable though.

Characters- 8/10
We see what drives many characters that play major roles in the story, either in the very beginning or the very end. Be they current circumstances in the story or flashbacks.

Art- 10
Gorgeous. Absolutely the best part of this anime. The landscapes and backdrops are breathtaking. Maybe that's where most of the budget went??

Action- 6
Definitely the most disappointing. Seeing what Wit did with "Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song" and masterpiece fight scenes that came out of it, I fooled myself into thinking that just because the character designs were the same with this series, we were gonna get some sick action. But it seems maybe either the story didn't leave room for it, or the direction of the fights just wouldn't make sense if the Vampires or Soviets broke out doing Kung-Fu. There is a lot of aerial swooping, gun fire and sword swinging, though nothing too fancy.

Animation-7/10
Fluid. But don't expect anything like King Boji or Vivy.


Overall-7/10
I feel a little disappointed. Not terrible, but maybe I was expecting too much? If Twighlight and Romeo+Juliet got drunk off Vodka and conceived a baby and mom read nothing but sisterhood books during her months of pregnancy, it'd be this.

i'd say i'm a very emotional person, and watching such a tragic yet beautiful take on the classic forbidden love troupe done so amazingly... i found myself sobbing at the end honestly. this series would be a 10/10 but i did find the animation and cgi to be a little choppy at time which would make more serious/ sad/ action packed scenes come off and a little goofy at times lol. for a 5 episode mini series, i would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful story, well written characters, a wonderful soundtrack, and a deeply tragic love story. flippin epic 8)