Manga Monday: Vampire Knight Vol. 15

  Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Vampire Knight is one of my favorite manga series. Getting each new volume of the manga is like watching a new episode of your favorite TV show. Unfortunately, the plot of the manga can be confusing at times, especially when the volumes have a long break between them and the publishers don't write a really good summary of the series as a recap for its readers.

Description: With Kaname missing, Yuki must now step in as acting head of her clan to maintain the fragile peace between the human and vampire societies. Will she be able to regain the trust of the vampire aristocrats, much less Aido?

Review: Volume 15 of Vampire Knight immediately picks up where volume 14 ended. Kaname has murdered two pureblood vampire aristocrats for mysterious reasons and now he is nowhere to be found. The Vampire Hunter society has arrested Yuki in hopes of finding out information about Kaname. Yuki, like the rest of us, has no idea what Kaname intends to do nor does she have any clue about his whereabouts.
I found this volume to be a bit confusing, but I did enjoy watching Yuki stand up on her own two feet. With Kaname absent, she now has to take the responsibility in leading the vampires, tame their frantic aristocrats, and reinstate the peace alliance between vampires, vampire hunters, and humans. Yuki struggles on how to lead her people. She is not a natural leader nor charismatic, but her compassion and her human experiences give her an edge. Unlike Kaname who has ruled with an iron fist, Yuki gives her followers an option and they almost always obey because they know she is right. As her first move as leader, Yuki wants to rebuild a school where Day and Night Classes once again take place. Though the idea of recreating a school may seem an odd move at first, it does reassure the vampires that an organized, structured framework can once again be placed.
  Hino once again teases the readers about the ambiguous relationship between Yuki and Zero, who were once best friends and had the potential to become much more. Though Zero claims to not want anything to do with Yuki, he is always found in her periphery. His hatred of vampires is tangible and understandable given his dark past. He is deteriorating quickly, which he can't hide from Yuki. Similarly, Yuki tries to hold on to her humanity and suppresses her urge to drink from humans in order to be a role model of how she would like her vampires to behave, but Zero knows how difficult it is for her.
  With the exception of the last few panels featuring Yuki and Zero, I was a bit disappointed with Hino's artwork. There was quite a lot of shading and quite a few panels broken within one another. It was a bit hard  trying to figure out what was happening. Also there were quite a few new characters mentioned in this volume that I'm pretty sure weren't there before and I'm really hoping their introduction would be made clearer in the next volume.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence and mild language. Recommended for teens and up.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 16 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol. 14

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Today I'll be reviewing the latest volume of Vampire Knight.

Description (from back of the book): The Vampire Hunter Society has imprisoned Aido in order to interrogate him about Kaname’s connection to Sara Shirabuki. Meanwhile, Yuki wants a fresh start with Kaname, but circumstances arise that may force them apart.

Review: Volume 14 continues with the dark, moody, and thought provoking overtones of the last volume. Throughout the story we are asked how we see our main cast of characters, especially the evasive and mysterious Kaname. Through Yuki's eyes, Kaname has always been a sympathetic and admirable character. As the higher echelon of pureblood vampires, he is most revered and feared. He has shown Yuki kindness and protection when she was younger while displaying snippets of his vulnerability. 
   Unlike Yuki's rose tinted version, I see Kaname as a walking contradiction. He seeks forgiveness, but punishes without a second thought. He provides Yuki options but only after he has manipulated the situation and even her memories. He would like Yuki to see him as her equal, but he always carries an air of self righteous that purposely places him above all others. I feel deceived by Kaname every time I think I should give him a chance. I don't understand his actions, especially when it comes to punishment because it seems so arbitrary especially in this volume. He takes action against those that are hardly a threat, but yet turns a blind eye to Sara Shirabuki and finding out who killed the pureblood that attended his soiree.
  Kaname isn't the only one evolving as a character. Aido, who is continually used as a comic relief, becomes much more serious in this volume. His loyalty to Kaname, even undergoing torture by the Vampire Hunter society, is unparallelled. His devotion, however, is strongly tested as this volume ends. I'm curious to see where Hino takes his character and I hope that he gets a storyline of his own. 
 In addition to Aido's new character growth, Sara Shirabuki is becoming a serious threat. Like the previous villain before her, she is also a pureblood vampire who is trying to form a race that will submit to her wishes. She uses her demure appearance to get close before she strikes. In a lot of ways, she and Kaname share a lot of similarities.
  Our heroine Yuki is still confused about everything that is happening. Her ties to Kaname, who is suspected to help enable the new pureblood threat, gets her arrested by the Vampire Society. Yuki's arrest can only mean more beautiful artwork demonstrating the agonizing tension with Zero. Speaking of Zero, I wish he had more presence in this volume. Though a man of a few words, we can easily identify his feelings written all over his face for Yuki though he adamantly says he doesn't have any. We also know that he is physically weakening due to his self imposed diet. I hope he has a bigger role in the next volume.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence, but most of it happens off the page. Rated T for teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Volume 15 by Matsuri Hino, Black Bird series by Kanoko Sakurakouji, Millennium Snow series by Bisco Hatori

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol 13

  I have a great stash of books from the library this week. I can't wait to dive in! I was very excited when I found out Vampire Knight Vol 13 was ready for me at the library. I read the last volume quite some time ago and completely forgot the latest volume would be available this month.

Description (from back of the book): Yuki is attacked by another pureblood outside a graveyard for meddling in the ways of the vampire society. Injured, she returns home to Kaname, who shares with her his past memories and the truth behind the Kuran family. 

Review: The thirteenth volume of Vampire Knight is dark, moody, and surprisingly philosophical. As this volume opens, Yuki and Aido are caught in a bind. While Yuki continues her mission, she is attacked by a pureblood vampire. In Hino's world a pureblood vampire does not have any human blood in them, they are extremely powerful and have the ability to turn humans into vampires. Zero, who is visiting a nearby cemetery senses that Yuki is trouble. Aido, who trusts Zero's common decency and his feelings about Yuki, allows Yuki to be taken to Hunter headquarters for aid in spite of his personal discomfort. The romantic tension between Zero and Yuki is palpable and leaps off the page as these characters silently make eye contact.
  Miserable and realizing that she's overreached herself, Yuki requests Kaname's help and is whisked back home. The volume finally picks up speed as Kaname opens his memories to Yuki. The revelations, much of what the reader already knows from small tidbits leading up to this volume, are finally clarified. I enjoyed learning more about Kaname, especially as to how he lived his life before he became a powerful vampire leader. We are also shown how and why the vampire hunters originated, which was very cool. For Yuki, all of these new revelations once again turns everything she thought she knew on it's head. I'm curious as to how her relationship with Kaname will change after finding out this new information.
 Unlike Yuki, Aido isn't very lucky in his escape. He is hold against his will by Zero. Aido is actually a decent guy who has a cocky exterior. He seems to respect Zero and actually warned him about the possible presence of Shizuka at Cross Academy instead of coveting the information. Aido clearly sees that Zero still cares for Yuki and even tries to get Zero to start a dialogue with Yuki again. What scares me is that Zero knows that Aido has done nothing wrong but he also knows that the society now has a young but relatively high ranking vampire in confinement who can be tortured for information. Will we see Zero finally crossing the line towards evil? Will he become the monster that he sees in Kaname? I'm worried about him and I really hope not.
  Though Yuki may be resetting her life and relationships once again, I'm more concerned with the dark turn the male characters have gone. I also wonder why Kaname has finally opened up to Yuki. From previous volumes, we know that he doesn't do something without a plan in place. What that plan will be is what I'm highly anticipating in discovering in the future volumes. 


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated OT for older teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 14 by Matsuri Hino, Blackbird series by Kanoko Sakurakoji, Black Butler by Yana Tobo

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol 12

  After finishing the shaky Absolute Boyfriend series, it was nice to get back to one my favorites series, Vampire Knight which is currently on Volume 12 in the U.S. I get so sucked into this series that it's hard to wait for the next volume to come out, which should be this fall.

Description: After a year apart, Yuki and Zero meet again. They lock eyes, but they turn away from each other, becoming strangers. Yori wanders around the ballroom, and Sara Shirabuki, a pureblood vampire,  finds and talks to her. She tries to lure Yori away, but is stopped by Zero. Yuki quickly tries to make amends, while Sara asks Yuki if she wants to be her friend. Kaname arranges for Yuki to meet privately with Yori and Zero, but Zero declines. At the party, Sara Shirabuki's Pureblood fiance, Ouri, goes missing, as well as a vampire hunter. A scent of blood suddenly fills the air, and Yuki goes to investigate while Kain finds the remains of the dead Pureblood hidden underneath a tablecloth. Yuki finds Zero and Kaien investigating the body of the dead hunter, who committed suicide after becoming a vampire. Is it really a suicide or is someone murdering vampires and vampire hunters?

Review: Volume 12 is setting up for a new story arc. We potentially have a new villain and there is already strains in many of the relationships in this series, particularly our main love triangle with Yuki, Kaname, and Zero, but also the other vampires that swear allegiance to Kaname are thinking twice about their loyalty. While there might not be as much action in this installment, there is definitely high tension and everyone seems to be on edge.
   Yuki and Zero, who have always been in each other's company, now can't stand to be in the same room together. Both are unhappy with their current status quo, but there is nothing they can do about what fate has given them. Kaname has continued to keep a tight grasp on Yuki's freedom, only allowing  her to go as long she receives permission from him. I've always been Team Zero since I started this series. While I don't necessarily hate Kaname, I seem to dislike him more and more.
  Unlike the other volumes in this series, the main focus of this volume is Yuki. I've always liked Yuki. She was a strong willed, determined, and always caring. Putting others needs ahead of her own. Once again, she is now faced to make a decision as to how she will define the rest of her life and shape it with purpose.You will never find Yuki on the sideline waiting for someone else to help solve her problems for her instead she will be the first in line to tackle the issue herself.
  What I continually find interesting in the last few volumes of Vampire Knight is the budding relationship between Aido and Yuki. I don't necessarily sense a romantic interest in Aido, but I do get a sense that they are friends and that he respects Yuki. It'll be interesting on how their relationship will continue and possibly change. Although there is not really a cliffhanger ending in this volume, we are left with some interesting tidbits about Kaname as well as hints for those who want to see some background for Yuki's foster father Kaien Cross.  This volume definitely feels like the calm before the storm of the next whirlwind of events which will undoubtedly hit Yuki, Zero, and the former Night Class. It's only a matter of time.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence. Rated T for Teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 13 by Matsuri Hino (Fall 2011), Black Butler series by Yana Toboso, God Child by Kaori Yuki

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol 11

  Of one the bad (or good depending on how you look at it) things about reading a manga series that you love is that you fly through the volumes and then have to wait for months in the next installment. I feverishly finished Vampire Knight Vol 11 because I had to know what happened after the two previous and tumultuous volumes. Now I have to wait until late June or early July to read Vol 12.

Description: The secret about the Night Class at Cross Academy is out and now has been abolished. Humans are now aware of their surroundings and Cross's goal of living peacefully amongst humans and vampires is now more important than ever. While Yuki has withdrawn from her past life and tries to adjust to her new lifestyle with the help of Kaname, Zero still attends the Day Class and carries out his duties as a vampire hunter. With their lives changed forever, can they embrace the changes?

Review:  Volume 11 takes place one year after the world altering events in the last two volumes. Though this latest installment has less action and violence, we get more of a story and possibly a new story arc. Volume 11 focuses on the aftermath the battle for Cross Academy on those who were affected. Yuki is learning to adjust to her new lifestyle with the help of Kaname and his companions. She learns a little bit of Kaname's bloody past and admits to her torn loyalties to Zero. I've always liked Yuki. Her compassion and willingness to love is very admirable. I also love that she never hides what she is feeling and is very open about her feelings. While there is angst in this manga, I don't find myself screaming at the characters to admit their mistakes or to speak up.
    While Yuki learns to look inward to help her move on, Zero is trying to turn off his emotions. We can clearly see that he is desperately trying to recover from the heartbreaking events in the last two volumes. Like the loner that he is, he lives in solitude. He tries to channels his emotions of anger, hurt, and pain and use them when he works as a vampire hunter.
  Unlike Yuki and Zero, Kaname is also learning to deal with the consequences of his actions. He slowly reveals what he has done in order to protect Yuki. Kaname, in my opinion, is the most mysterious character in Vampire Knight. He is very secretive and we don't know much about his past. He is a man of power and prestige though we can't but note his loneliness and his fear to show his true self.
  Besides these three main characters, we also get a glimpse at what the secondary characters are doing. Aidou is trying to balance his duties to Kaname and along with his new assignment of helping Yuki. Rima and Shiki are worried about the disappearance of Ichijo and go on an independent search to find him. Both Rima and Shiki are questioning their loyalties to Kaname who seems to not care about anyone besides Yuki. To matters more interesting, a new villain seems to emerge which brings a whole slew of questions that need to be answered. Though Volume 11 is a transition volume, it does seem to set the stage up for the next direction in this manga and I'm more than willing to follow. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence in the book. Rated T for Teen.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 12 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol 10

  After finishing Volume 9 of Vampire Knight, I couldn't wait to dive in to Volume 10. Volume 10 is world shaking. Everything that was so nicely set up in the past installments have suddenly crashed and burned. I have no idea how things are going to settle and I'm anxious to find out.

Description: While Rido is gone, the battle rages on at Cross Academy. The Night Class is still under attack by Rido's followers. Headmaster Cross has joined the war to protect his students. Zero has finally taken a stand to get rid of all the Purebloods even if it means he will endear heart break forever.

Review:  Volume 10 of Vampire Knight begins with the end of the epic battle for Cross Academy, with the main group being led by Kain and Ruka, Kaname's friends and members of the Nigh Class, securing the perimeter. Fellow Night Class member, Aido actually earning his nickname "Idol" by defending the girl's dorm against anything that got through. We also see a disturbing flash of what has transpired with Ichijo. Despite the action in the volume, the main focus is on the two love triangles of the series.
   Yuki has realized what her true destiny and knows that she has lost the only life she has ever known. She demands to have a final conversation with Zero. The intense goodbye between Yuki and Zero had me teary eyed. It is gut wrenching and one of the most emotional chapter of the entire series so far. The chapter also contains a moment between Zero and Yuki that I have been waiting for so long. Finally feelings are revealed. There is nothing left to uncover.
  We also finally get confirmation of a hinted romance involving Kain, which has been lightly hinted at thus far in the series.Kain is probably my favorite secondary character. He doesn't have a bravado like his cousin Aido and has always been laid-back and brought wry humor to the story. His romance hasn't really gotten the spotlight our our main love triangle yet nonetheless it is sad to watch. The chapter dedicated to him is something that I wanted for quite some time. Kain suffers silently though he does speak out loud when things get unbearable for him, which makes me respect and like him even more. Volume 10 of Vampire Knight leaves the series, its characters, and even the reader at a crossroad, wondering which way the story will go.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is violence and same language in this volume. Rated T for teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 11 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

Read More

Vampire Knight Vol 9

  I don't know much about the manga or graphic novel genre, which is why I tend to take more liberties in my selection of what to read. I either solicit recommendations from other librarians, friends, and/or teens that I work with. Vampire Knight is a very popular series in many libraries. It also has two anime series based on the manga called Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty, both of which I've watched, loved, and thought was a faithful adaptation to the manga. I started the manga series last year and read up to Vol 8. I was thrilled to get the next few volumes and am anxiously waiting for the Vol 12 to come out next month.

Description:  Yuki's earliest memory is of a stormy night in winter, wherein she was attacked by a rogue vampire and then rescued by another. Now 10 years later, Yuki Cross is the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy and a guardian of the vampire race who attend the prestigious boarding school. She is in awe of her hero and love interest, Kaname, who saved her on that frightful day. Also at Yuki's side is Zero Kiryu, a childhood friend with a dark and tragic past that fuels his hatred for the vampires and is determined never to trust them. The coexisting arrangement between humans and vampires seems like a good idea, but have the vampires truly renounced their murderous ways, or is there a darker truth behind their actions? Is Kanames infatuation with Yuki the beginning of a forbidden romance, or is it something in her forgotten past that draws him to her? In this world of secrets, nothing is as it seems, and the price of misplaced trust may even be worse than death.

Review: Vampire Knight is mostly a character driven manga. The beginning volumes of the series focuses on building the relationships between the main characters. The first five books in particular, follows and focuses on the back story of Zero, my favorite character of this series. When we first meet Zero, he is distant and moody. He is cloaked in mystery and as we learn about his tragic beginning we began to realize what he is: a tortured hero who is destined to never find happiness. Zero finds his stability and humanity in Yuki, a happy go lucky girl who always wants to see her friends happy and who craves yet is afraid of her desires for the powerful pure blood vampire Kaname. Kaname is a shady character whose motives I can not clearly understand. At times he can be sincere and at other times to be a calculating politician. Moving key pieces as if he's playing a game of chess with people's lives. It is the interaction and romantic tension between these three characters that keep me on the edge of my seat.
   Beginning in the sixth volume of the series, the Yuki story arc begins. She no longer wants to be ignorant of her past. There are strong forces preventing her to know the truth and all roads somehow lead to Kaname. Once Yuki's past comes to light, everything is in jeopardy. The academy, once a safe haven built with the notion that humans and vampires can live symbiotically, is now crumbling as a new strong villain comes to town. Loyalties and relationships are given the ultimate test. Volume 9 starts with a bang and is nonstop action throughout the volume. Kaname finally reveals his hidden plan to Zero, and Zero must choose on which side he will fight.
 Unlike the previous installments of this series, the secondary characters play a bigger role as they fight in a battle that is only to get worse. I was really surprised to see Yuki's adopted father, who is generally portrayed more a child than a serious adult, take charge. There are lots of great character moments as each of them try to make sense around the chaos that surrounds them. New questions are raised as Yuki re-examines her relationships with Kaname and Zero and as the Cross Academy comes under fire. My only small complaint about this series is that some of the secondary characters are drawn a lot alike and it's at times hard for me to distinguish who is who. After watching the anime, while waiting to get the other copies of the series from the library, I was able to jump that hurdle.
 Vampire Knight is an addictive manga series. If you are like me and wondering how you are going to pass the time until the next season of Vampire Diaries, be sure to pick this series up. You will not be disappointed!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated T for Teens.

If you like this book try: Vampire Knight Vol 10 by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Kisses manga series by Ellen Schreiber and Rem, Evernight series by Claudia Gray, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith

Read More