Cirque du Freak, also known as Darren Shan, is a manga based off of a popular vampire novel from one of my favorite authors, Darren Shan (yes, he named the character in the book after himself). This isn't your normal vampire manga, however; it is a rollercoaster of twists and turns, and if you can get past the somewhat awkward beginning, you will be treated to an amazing world.
Story (9): Since this is based off of a western novel, the pacing is actually a lot different from most manga. There are a LOT of time skips, but the author plays it out very well and tells us the most important and interesting parts. However, this also makes for a little bit of an inconsistent story. This is compensated by the plot twists and such the author presents to us.
As I mentioned before, the first volume is a little awkward. It doesn't reveal everything the story has to offer to the reader right on the spot, which is why the twists are so dramatic. However, some people would probably think that the story is just about a boy who likes spiders, which is where they would go horribly wrong.
Art (9): The art is very detailed in most scenes. Sometimes the mangaka leaves out some detail, but this is usually only on insignificant panels.
Character (10): There are SO many characters in Cirque du Freak, and not all of them make it to the end. There is an array of personalities and all of them are colorful, although some are more appreciated that others. The main character himself is not very unique, but in this era I don't see many people criticizing that considering the boring protagonists of popular shonens.
Enjoyment (10): I loved the crap out of this series. I loved the characters, I loved the time skips, I loved how the volumes are split into 4 trilogies, and most of all I love the dramatic ending. Overall, I recommend this to everyone.
Also, if you happen to like this series, check out Darren Shan's other collection of books, the Demonata series. It is a little similar (although a LOT more horror-focused) and also has many similar aspects that are present throughout Shan's writing.
