Movies / Animé and Toons

Vampire Knight: the Complete Series

By Chris Zimmerman
February 20, 2011 - 23:52

With the deluge of Vampire themed media spreading like wild fire throughout the US, it only makes sense that Vampire Knight would reach our shores. Having already attained a strong following thanks to its earlier manga release, the series grew especially popular for its gothic stylings and the pre-requisite forbidden romance. And since the primary cast are teens, one can expect a heaping dose of angst.

Set at the appropriately named Cross Academy, Vampire Knight follows the exploits of Yuki Cross, the adopted daughter of the academy’s head master. As a young girl, Yuki was attacked by a vampire only to be saved Kuran Kaname, an attractive vampire lord who delivered her into the arms of the institute where she has lived since. Assisted by Zero, the pair run the disciplinary committee, protecting the day class from the truth: the knight class are all vampires learning to adjust to life with humans.

Yuki’s job is difficult for several reasons. She must contend with squealing adolescent girls madly in love with the vampiric hunks and keep Zero from killing the blood suckers. As a child, Zero also had an unfortunate run in with a vamp and has harbored a grudge with them ever since. He and Kaname often trade verbal blows much to Yuki’s dismay.

As the story rolls on, the characters encounter people from their pasts that trigger emotional struggles within them. Major changes are afflicted to both Yuki and Zero that leave lasting impressions on the series. Considering the series is branded under the shojo label, there’s also a good deal of romance between Yuki, Zero, and Kaname.

The English voice cast was full of exceptional actors but their roles were ill suited for them. The Japanese cast felt more natural and adapted well to the character’s moods.

The animation is standard for a weekly television series. It wasn’t anything to write home about but the dark elements of the character designs were enough to keep the mind from noticing its flaws. The character’s eyes are among the most visually appealing aspects of the show, sporting an interesting spiral design that gives all the characters a supernatural look.

While the story of the vampire love triangle has been done to death, Vampire Knight is still an entertaining anime if taken on its own merits. It doesn’t redefine the genre in any way but presents a perfectly acceptable romance that isn’t hard to swallow. The characters have enough depth and undergo so much development that audiences will want to watch just to find out where they will end up.

The ending isn’t entirely conclusive, considering there’s a sequel series out in Japan, but for fans of vampires or just gothic themed romances, Vampire Knight is a series with a bite.

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Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12