Vampire Knight (Reviewed with Vampire Knight: Guilty)

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Alternate Titles: None

Original Japanese Release Date: 2008

Episode Length/Run-time: Vampire Knight: 13 Episodes, Vampire Knight Guilty: 13 episodes

Summary:

Yuki Cross is the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, a special school with two classes the night class full of vampires and the day class full of humans.  Designed to show that vampires and humans can live together Yuki is a peacekeeper in the school being one of the few who knows the school’s secret.  However Yuki’s own past is shrouded in secrets and mystery as her earliest memory is of blood covered snow and being rescued from a vampire by another more powerful vampire, Kaname.  Now Kaname is at the school and Yuki feels torn between him and the secret of her dear friend Zero.

Review:

Vampire Knight is enjoyably average.  It reminds me of the kind of generic you can expect from old school anime.  Girl caught in a love-triangle, the scenes that give you just enough of what you want (I.E. a relationship) that you keep coming back for more, and dark “secrets” that are so obvious that you think the characters of the show must be absolutely daft for not seeing them.

Yuki is your stereotypical well meaning anime girl who is annoyingly non-committal.  However, I will say that there are a few breaths of fresh air throughout this series.  Yuki eventually does make a decision and there are twists which even I didn’t foresee coming.  And in an anime where you handily think you have it “all figured out” being surprised is even more impressive.

I reviewed the first and second season together because the first has no ending, it’s not really designed to be stand-alone.  The ending of the first season is practically “there’s more!”  So if you’re interested in the series and it sucks you in plan to be in for the long haul (though 26 episodes aren’t so bad).

This anime is great for girls who are looking for romantic fluff.  It has enough that you’re satisfied with comparatively minimal moments where you want to strangle the carelessness of the main characters.  Enjoyably mindless and average.