Vampire Knight: Memories

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

"Auuugh!" is all you serious fans are going to say when you're done devouring this tiny morsel Matsuri sama threw our way after taking Zero (and Kaname?) away from us after 9 long years spent loving and obsessing over their fate.

The story starts out from the POV of Yuuki's sweet and demure roommate Yori chan. It explores their first meeting, the depth of their friendship and her perspective on the love triangle and its origins. It goes on to describe how she cheers Zero on after the events of the finale and about her own little happy ending with a certain blue eyed Idol from ... Cross Academy. Along the way, we're treated to certain charismatic scenes involving Kaname's fate and the dere part of Zero's tsundere treatment towards Yuuki, albeit a very very little. Not too many plot holes are addressed and the amount of closure you'll derive from this after thirsting for more after the manga finale is questionable. If anything, it leaves you feeling more wistful and ennui-ridden than ever!

Art is of course Hino Matsuri's strong suit and this chapter does not disappoint. No doki doki or Moe moments, but my dead-inside heart was moved enough to weep by the ending pages with the haunting beauty of Zero's (never ending) anguish and Kaname's intended future.

Character development happens a LOT for some of our satellite characters, but for the main characters, all you're treated to is the "Finally!" moment when Zero admits that maybe he shouldn't have been such a pig about Yuuki being a pureblood and his regrets over opportunities lost and the road not taken.

Overall, you're sort of bullied into feeling that yes, you've been provided closure for the epic adventure you vicariously undertook with these three heartbreaking characters, but there's not much that this particular chapter reveals that the ardent reader could not have fathomed on their own. I know I couldn't have not read this chapter given my devotion to the series, but if you're longing for your Zero fix and feeling particularly raw and left torn asunder from the finale ending, consider rewatching the anime instead and spare yourself the agony that this chapter will definitely bring forth. On the other hand, Kaname fans and YuMe shippers will possibly cherish this one a lot more.

Well for those who believed that the original manga was a mess, especially at the end, this sequel manga saved it. The pacing is great and the storyline is enjoyable.

Personally, I had more fun reading this sequel then having to read 93 chapters of the main protagonist going back and forth in her love triangle.


It shines a light on the characters who deserved more screentime in the original manga, and I would say they were pretty good character development. There is also focus on yuki/zero.


The art had not changed, which is good, because it would be odd to see the art be drastically different.

Vampire Knight: Memories is a free sequel to the events depicted in original VK manga. After Kaname´s wake up, Yuuki´s children tell him about what everything has changed since his own death. The manga is notably different from the original not only because it finally focuses on developing the relationship between Zero and Yuuki, but also because of new characters and reccurence of the old one (Maria, Yori, Hanabusa etc.).
The art is outstanding, very pleasant and clean. There doesn´t seem some big plot evolving so far, so it´s unsure what will the story bring in the future. But overall I like this manga very ... much and for me it counts as solid 9/10.