Vampires have existed for a long time. They’ve come to life in books, plays, movies, and even anime. But when it comes to Japanese animation, vampires stray away from the classical creature of the night in search for its next meal. Thanks to anime, these vampires can come in different forms — from beautiful creatures in search of blood to sword-wielding heroines. So, here are five anime about vampires that suck in the right way.
Vampire Knight
Cross Academy has two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. The Night Class only receives lessons after dark as its student body comprises out of aristocratic vampires. The Guardians, consisting of Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, keep the Day Class students from learning about the vampires.
Each day at twilight, they keep the Day Class students away from the handsome vampires. But Zero loathes this assignment and also harbors a deep hatred towards the vampires. On the other hand, Yuki can only see the good in them, especially the night class president, Kaname Kuran, who also happens to be the Head of the Vampire Society.
However, their daily routine is about to change when romantic feelings get involved. Both Zero and Kaname try to keep Yuki safe from those who want to harm her, resulting in a sordid love affair where no one will come out unscathed.
Blood: The Last Vampire
Blood: The Last Vampire follows Saya, who looks like your typical Japanese high school girl. In reality, she’s the last “original” vampire. She serves as a weapon for the mysterious organization, Red Shield, whose mission is to destroy the bat-like creatures known as Teropterids. Taking place in 1966, Saya’s latest mission brings her to the American Yokota Air Base located in Japan, where Teropterids disguised as humans have infiltrated the base. Will Saya be able to kill these blood-drinking monsters before everyone finds out?
What’s great from Blood: The Last Vampire besides its blood-filled action scenes is the film’s realistic approach that they take with the characters. While monsters don’t exist in the real world, people speaking fluent Japanese regardless of setting is something of a rarity. Taking this into account, Production I.G broke this anime tradition and had the characters speak in their native language. Thus, American characters speak English and the locals speak Japanese. This approach is rarely seen in anime, and it’s also one of the reasons why you should check out this vampire anime.
Seraph of the End
In this post-apocalyptic world, an unknown epidemic has killed all adults, leaving vampires to rule the Earth and keep children as livestock. Yūichirō Hyakuya and his adoptive siblings live at an orphanage in the vampire capital, Sanguinem and make the choice move to escape. However, their plan fails when a vampire catches them and kills everyone except for Yūichirō, who manages to escape.
A few years after that horrific night, Yūichirō has joined the Japanese Imperial Demon Army to put an end to the vampire reign. Along with his squad, he will kill any vampire that crosses his way. However, Yūichirō’s journey won’t be easy, especially since his weapon can turn him into a demon.
Taking a fantasy approach for vampire slaying and with an apocalyptic tale to match gives the genre a new taste. Many vampire anime series depict the night creatures in hiding without revealing their full force. However, in Seraph of the End, it’s humanity that’s disadvantaged with all the adults gone. How can a bunch of kids battle against creatures much stronger than them?
Blood Lad
Staz Charlie Blood, a powerful vampire, rules the Eastern district of the Demon World. While rumors suggest that he’s a merciless tyrant, in reality, Staz couldn’t be further than that. He’s an otaku obsessed with Japanese culture instead of human blood. As a result, his underlings take care of his duties and manage his territory, leaving Staz to spend his day indulging in video games, anime, and manga.
But this changes when he meets a Japanese girl named Yanagi Fuyumi. Staz is overjoyed as now he has someone to talk about otaku stuff. However, this comes to an end when someone attacks Staz, killing Yanagi in the process. Luckily, she turns into a wandering ghost, and Staz vows to resurrect her. Thus begins Staz’s otaku journey to bring Yanagi back to life.
While a lot of vampire anime fall into the horror genre, Blood Lad’s slapstick humor and colorful animation make it more of a comedy. One such example is the series’ many anime references, such as when Staz uses Goku’s signature technique, the Kamehameha, against his opponent. The inside anime jokes are one of the many reasons that make the series enjoyable to watch.
Vampire Princess Miyu
Miyu Yamano is half human and half vampire, where she can walk by day and crave for blood during the night. She’s the Chosen One: humanity’s last defense against shape-shifting monsters and vampires known as Shinma. These creatures disguise themselves as humans to unleash their evils.
Miyu, together with her once-greatest foe, Larva, fight the Shinma. Even though part of Miyu yearns to return to the darkness herself, she journeys through humanity’s dark sea of emotions as she and Larva banish demons to the dark world.
Whether you choose to watch the OVA or the TV series, Vampire Princess Miyu is one of those vampire classics that you have to add to your list of anime to watch. The series is a guide to the dark occult of Japanese folklore. Its use of dark and moody colors bring the supernatural nature of the series to life, creating an eerie atmosphere that vampire fans would love.
