I didn't really expect much from Karin when I started reading it. The cover seemed generic and I wasn't sold by the art style or the summary of the plot. A few months ago I remembered the series when I saw it on sale, since I had read the first few books as a child in a local library. I had liked Karin, though back then thought every manga I read was good because I hadn't read that many. Since I never finished it as a kid, I thought to give the series another chance. I'm glad I did!
Karin is a very relationship-heavy manga. It's definitely not a slice of life though, there is a plot that unravels through the story and there are many twists that genuinely surprised me. What I mean is that it's clearly the characters who are driving the story, not the other way around. The worldbuilding isn't heavy, but I honestly think that it adds to the charm of the show. The author could have done in-depth explanations about the vampires and their history, but I doubt it would have made this manga any better. it's refreshing to read a vampire story like this: not just pure romance with fangs, but not a history lesson either.
The main character is Karin Maaka, a vampire who gives blood instead of sucking it. She can go out in daylight without any problems and lives a somewhat normal life because of that. She is abnormal compared to her family, who are regular vampires. The main relationship in the show is between Karin and her classmate, Uzui Kenta. Karin and Uzui's relationship is interesting from the start. Uzui isn't your typical anime boy, at least in my opinion. He isn't attractive- his eyes are actually said to be creepy on multiple occasions- and he is poor. His money-issues are a central part of his character and often lead to interactions with Karin if they end up taking the same job. Uzui's personality can be described as honest, ambitious and hardworking. I think Uzui and Karin's relationship feels real, because they often act like teenagers do. I found their relationship more symbiotic than many others: they both give and take something to and from each other. Karin makes Uzui lunch every day and Uzui helps Karin with math after school etc.
The Maaka family is also entertaining and they are central to the plot. His mother dominates the household, since his father is a bit of a worm. The parents have their fights every now and then, but are actually deeply in love, despite having been married for ages. Karin's big brother is a complete playboy who charms every woman he meets and always sleeps at a different woman's apartment. Her little sister has't had her vampire blood awaken in her yet, but she is good at controlling bats and keeps an eye out for her big sister with them. I found the family dynamic interesting. Even though the characters have features associated with generic archetypes, they have enough of their own spice to stand out. The manga also balanced comedic and serious moments with the characters well: I cared about the family members but could also laugh at them.
I don't think the art is outstanding in any way, it is very much a product of its time. It clearly looks like its from the early 2000s and I personally do not like the art style of that era. Every now and then the quality drops a lot, but I'm pretty sure it's because the artist was rushed so much. In the extra pages she often complains about how little sleep she gets and how busy she is with this manga. Mangakas are known for not having much rest and I feel sympathy towards her for that, but I'll have to lower the score anyways because the mistakes are quite noticeable in some chapters.
The plot wasn't anything impeccable, but in my opinion it was good. There are some questionable parts and twists, but nothing that actually bothered me or that I feel I need to mention. The only minus I would give is about the ending, which I didn't like at all for various reasons. It's only the ending though and I liked all other parts of the manga, so it doesn't affect my review of the plot heavily.
Overall, I just enjoyed this manga and I recommend reading it if this review piqued your interest! The series isn't long, I'm sure it could be read in one day but I enjoy having a longer timeframe between starting and completing a manga, so I spent about a week reading it.
