Or I don't know, it could be a 5.
It all depends on how you read it. I read it as more Twilight Zone than Twilight, embracing its nature as an anthology series. All the shows I mentioned are episodic and yet are held in high regard, so even though every review of this show bashes it for being too episodic, being episodic in itself is not the problem. The question is, how well does it play to its type by using its episodic nature and supernatural elements to explore the darker parts of human nature?
Very well.
Having seen many shows of a similar nature, I think it's one of the most successful examples of its type in large part due to its ambiguity. In many shows of this type the theme and moral the episodes are propagating are relatively clear-cut and straightforward. Beyond the high production values and initial twists, there isn't a lot to digest. Any moral dilemmas are also presented front and center so that you know that now's the time to start philosophizing. By contrast, the themes in Vampire Princess Miyu's episodes are usually half buried; there will usually be a surface level moral, usually one that contextualizes the episode as a tragedy, but there will also be another way of viewing the events that reframes the themes or adds more depth to them, and it's not one that the show makes obvious. The episodes are ambiguous not because the plot is confusing, for what happens is apparent, but because they can be viewed from different angles. Perhaps the person you felt bad for because he suffered the tragedy wasn't as innocent as you thought.
And that's why I didn't find the series as depressing as most other viewers. Overdone tragedy that's sad just for the sake of being sad doesn't actually make me sad. If that was the show's intention, I wouldn't like it very much. I think the core of each episode wasn't the tragic aspect of it, but the psychology of the victims of tragedy as well as how the supernatural elements mirrored their internal conflicts--- there are some aspects of Dante's Inferno going on here. Every tragic element added onto the end of each episode added to the psychological or thematic depth of the episode in a way that would not have been possible with a happy ending.
Unless I'm reading too much into it and the creators were really that simple minded. Fortunately, you don't have to take my word for it. I've posted my thoughts on most of the episodes in the forums for this show so you can see for yourself if it's a case of the emperor's new clothes.
But to give you a general idea of what this series is about for now, the pervading themes are loneliness, the burdens of adulthood, work culture, societal pressure, and the possessive nature of love, even though plot-wise most of the episodes have nothing to do with each other. It also talks a lot about destiny, which is almost always complete nonsense unless a story uses destiny to represent some overbearing force in life. My hypothesis is that it's using destiny to represent the inescapability of societal conformity, whether it be social status or work culture.
My biggest problem with the series is actually what everyone else likes about the series; the overarching plot. It was too rushed and abrupt to accomplish much in the way of emotional or thematic resonance, which greatly hurt its character depth as well as my opinion of the series as a whole. It's as if all the pieces have been put into place, waiting for a bow to tie it all together, but instead the series crumbles along with its potential. Without a solid ending to contextualize them, the individual episodes feel much weaker. It feels like the themes are just there--- the human condition is observed but not commented on and not taken advantage of to develop the individual condition of Miyu. This weakness is especially glaring because unlike other shows like Mushishi, where the atmosphere is an experience in itself, Vampire Princess Miyu's modest art and animation as well as underwhelming fight sequences lower the value of the standalone episodes where the plot or themes might be lacking. What they should've done was devote a little bit of time each episode to relate the cases back to something personal for Miyu so that she could develop slowly and build up to her momentous decision at the end of the series. Even Darker Than Black, a series also defined by great individual episodes but a poor ending, managed to do that.
On the other hand, would this show have worked as a pure anthology series? I think that'd be hard to pull off, because usually series like that have a more flavorful mix of tones and emotions along with strong visual presentation. With Mushishi, there is a mix of happy, sad, and bittersweet endings along with a neutral, relaxing atmosphere that's less emotionally taxing. Doing 26 episodes of dark psychological stuff means that the show would lack the variety necessary to keep viewers interested, even if the episodes have nice twists and psychological insights. It can still be a good show, but will strain to be a great one unless it executes itself with more panache.
I haven't even talked about the characters yet (you can read the plot synopsis in the description), and that's because I view the recurring characters as mostly being facilitators for the episodic stories until the final slate of episodes when the overarching plot kicks in. Miyu's general archetype is the stoic, reserved girl with an angsty background in the same vein as Lain, but she adds nuance to this role with her dry, dark sense of humor and willingness to make friends. She's not shy or immune to the occasional smile. Her companion Shiina is the more lively complement to her reserved persona, forming a pair similar to Kino and Hermes. There's not much to Laava, her equally reserved, faithful bishounen servant. Miyu's trio of school girl friends are ostensibly there to fill the space, but their banter is natural and makes for some good exchanges. Most importantly, they're not high-pitched cutesy moeblobs, so they end up pretty likable. Unfortunately, the episodic plots end up overshadowing Miyu, whose detached demeanor makes for a weak presence. Seeing as how the show is called Vampire Princess Miyu, this is a bit of a problem--- one that is not successfully rectified by the last few episodes pertaining to the main story.
The English dub for the main cast is fine. Miyu and her friends can come across as too monotone, which is fine most of the time but becomes a problem in scenes that call for more emotion, even if Miyu's personality is supposed to be demure. The Japanese dub maintains that lowkey quality but can also channel emotion without it being too stark of a contrast with the series' usual tone.
Speaking of the tone, what stood out to me was that though the content of the series readily makes for melodrama, the series consistently plays it cool, avoiding closeups of large tear drops, overly cutesified characters to evoke sympathy, and sentimental music. It's as if each tragedy is muted; it doesn't feel like a single, incredibly sad moment, but rather one that is woven into a deeper, permanent sadness pervading the entire series.
This is reflected in the themes as well as the music by Kenji Kawai, unmistakably the best part of the series and what drew me into watching it in the first place. Despite having to accompany such depressing moments, it doesn't come off as edgy or maudlin. Having listened to most of his major works, I can say for certain that this OST is one of, if not the best, soundtracks Kawai has ever done, right up there with Moribito. It is the quintessential example of his style at its best, made possible by a shade of sadness rarely seen in anime.
In summary, if you watch this show in a straightforward way, it's not going to be very impressive despite having some nice twists, because you'd either hunger for a main storyline or get tired of repeated tragedy. But if you give it the benefit of the doubt and are willing to overthink a bit, most of the episodes are ambiguous enough to reward you with more subtle insights. As the series wore on I found myself having to rewatch episodes, not because I didn't know what happened, but because I didn't know what each episode was trying to say. It's not going to be anything "deep" but rather the act of interpreting each episode is interesting, even if I'm reading things that might not be there. One thing I'm definitely not overthinking is the last episode, which rivals the last episode of Eva in terms of being a puzzle box, and I'd greatly appreciate it if anyone has any idea what it's saying in the end. Everyone says this show's outlook is stark black because it presents a dichotomy between death or living a life chained by destiny, but I seriously doubt anyone would actually propagate such a worldview in their story, or at least, not without some nuance to it.
Ultimately, despite my high rating, I'm still conflicted about whether or not it works as a whole, especially since the low production values and a lack of shine from Miyu herself put the burden on the story and themes to deliver the goods.
