I was attracted to this anime, not because of its horror elements, but due to the drama plot and romance factors emotionally potrayed in the series. The most captivating is the pretty characters artwork and the its mystery. This anime has shot to popularity in 2008 due to the three leads, Yuuki, Zero and Kaname.The Expressions/Thoughts:
Vampire Knight (VK), apart from the popular mainstream vampire anime is that it took on a somewhat different perspective on the ever popular theme. VK shows that vampire anime aren’t just about blood-feast, killings and flying body parts. They are more than that. As such, I must say that if you’re that thinking this is going to be another action series, similar to Hellsing, then most unfortunately, this is not the show for you. Indeed, this series has minimal fight scenes, as its main focus is on drama and romance. It is especially moving to see how Yuuki tries her best to help Zero, who is constantly distancing himself from her, as he struggles to resist losing his human instinct and to prevent the Level-E Vampire persona from overtaking him. The pace is slow, but not in a boring manner, as it is progressive in how the story develops, in featuring the sufferings that Zero undergo to maintain his identity as a "human." Admittedly, the plot for this series is not that fantastic (honestly, how much originality can one expect from a vampire show anyway?), and there isn’t much of a plot twist, but the way the story unfolds, is what really made it such a great show. The animation quality is excellent; nice classical-gothic art style, with great details, even in the background. And since this is shoujo, we certainly cannot mention the graphics without commenting on the cast full of vampire bishies. My main complain with this series is the character development, which I find quite lacking. For one thing, Yuuki was a rather typical character. As for Kaname, well, can’t really comment much yet, since his motives are still shrouded in mystery. Zero is no doubt the one who really drives the series, even though Yuuki is the protagonist. Idou appears to be more than just the laid back personal. Hopefully they will explore the personalities of the characters better in season 2. The lack of anything particularly special in the plot and characters are why this series gets only an 8/10. The music is yet another strong point of this series. It really is the sort that’s being played while watching those Classic Vampire films – really creates the aura and the atmosphere, along with the graphics. The OP as well as the animation for it are also great. The animation for the OP has a nice fantasy feel. While I don’t really enjoy the ED, I can’t deny that it has successfully reflected upon the essence of the series. The way the ED features that "abandoned doll" invoked some sort of sorrowful mood, though it would have been better if they cut down on the "ballet girl" and concentrate more on the "doll".The ending is very well executed: it gave a satisfying sense of closure to season 1, and at the same time hyped the viewers for season 2. Particularly with the scene with Kuran Kaname remarking that all his "pieces are assembled", finally ending the series with the phrase on the screen: the sweet dream has not ended. Classy and stylish. Certainly look forward to the sequel, Vampire Knight: Guilty.
Vampire Knight Guilty: As a vampire anime lover I was disapointed in this season 2. However , I found myself watching the whole thing. I mean I had to find out what happened after Vampire Knight. The story part of it drew you in that much.Art: 7/10. I felt the characters were beautifully drawn, yet the fight scenes left a little to be desired. I felt like there could have been so much more done here. I mean these are vampires and a few of them are supposed to be the most powerful ones.
Music: 10/10. I loved the opening and ending. The BGM added to the feel of the anime.
Story: 8/10. It had just enough to suck you in. Several parts had me cursing the fact I had to wait another week for a new episode. There are several twists in there that have you asking WTF. Then going no way. The ending could have been much better and I feel trying to do this story needed more episodes so you didn't get that rushed feeling.
Character Design: 7/10. The only real issue I had was that there just wasn't enough background on several of the main characters and sometimes the secondary charaters became more interesting. Then again this is going back to the whole "rushed" feeling I had.
Overall: Not too bad of a watch . I was not sad I took the time to watch it at all. It held my interest yet left me a bit disappointed. If you like vampires, it's a must see.
I will recommend reading the manga in order to get a better and wider understanding of this anime, as the anime itself is too short and abrupt. Well, the manga is much better than the anime in this situation.
Information to interested viewers:
* Anime series of episodes : Season1-13episodes, Season2-13episodes
* Manga chapters : 1-52 ongoing
* Author : Hino Matsuri
* Genre : Drama - Romance - Supernatural
* Watch Online : Email to prishlc@hotmail.com for episode links
