Vampire Dormitory Volume 2 dropped on Sunday, and for being the cheesy vampire shoujo of this spring, it raises some questions about character depth and pacing issues. Although I believe adapting shoujo manga into anime form is a struggle, I generally have an open and optimistic view about adapting my favorite manga.
However, Vampire Dormitory did not go well with that. viewers with a 6.30 rating on MyAnimeList and a 58% rating on AniChart. While I loved all of its components–the romance, the cheesiness, the vampires, the comedy–its execution was somewhat lacking. We're only two episodes into the season so it may be too early to pass judgment. However, episode 2 is not enough to create an interesting episode.
The Pretty Boy Is Targeted
In episode 1, Mito is revealed to be a woman disguised as a man. We still don't know why she decided to appear as a man in public but my guess is that she felt she could be more accepted as a man and perhaps fit in more easily. more integrated into society. Because she has no place to live and no income, she decides to work for a vampire named Ruka and is pushed into studying at an elite university for men.
Vampire dormitory episode 2 has a faster pace. A short vampire named Juri becomes suspicious of Mito, cornering her to question her—perhaps wanting to know her true gender. Juri's specific intentions and suspicions are not revealed in this episode, which is reason enough to keep me coming back for more of the series.
One of the strangest aspects of Vampire Dormitory volume 2 is the reveal of Ruka as an otaku obsessed with 2D girls. This reveals why he is not interested in real women, as he is interested in Mito assuming she is a man. Another strange part of the episode is the introduction of Ren Nikaido, Mito's classmate, who knows Ruka is a vampire. This character has a lot of potential to add interesting details to the story, but he quickly becomes obsessed with Mito and Ruka's relationship even though he is a stranger to Mito. He obviously adds tension to the story, but since he cares for Mito so quickly it's a bit hard to believe.
Ren makes it clear to Mito that if she allows Ruka to continue sucking her blood, she will turn into a vampire. After Mito enthusiastically explains that Ruka has a big heart and that Ren is unreasonable, Ren responds by telling Mito that he's worried about her. I found this scene very strange. Ren and Mito don't seem to know each other very well, but there must be a reason why Ren is so haunted by her situation.
Vampire Dormitory episode 2 is our first look at the opening theme, “Sugar Blood Kiss” performed by the Fantastics. This is a poppy and fun song that fits the show. Although the animation of the series is nothing special, the background music is very dramatic and suitable for a corny shoujo series like this. It seems like I've said a lot of negative things about the show so far, but I actually have a soft spot for cheesy vampire love stories. Vampire Dormitory has a lot of shoujo wrapped into a small package, so I'm excited to return next week.
Vote for your favorite anime in our weekly polls!
Image via Crunchyroll
©Ema Toyama/Kodansha/“Vampire Dormitory” Production Committee