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Vampire Hunter D #7
Vampire Hunter D Volume 7: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea - Part One
A girl's dying wish sends D on an impossible quest in this riveting prose novel.
Even a reluctant hero can't refuse the last request of a beautiful woman. On her deathbed, the mortally wounded woman gives him a strange gem and asks him to deliver the priceless stone to her sister, far off in a North Sea fishing village. D's journey is made ever more perilous by a series of scoundrels and rogues hired by the girl's murderer. They'll stop at nothing to claim the jewel. Will they catch him? Hideyuki Kikuchi's crackling narrative and Yoshitaka Amano's imaginative artwork make this a must-read entry in the series.
Even a reluctant hero can't refuse the last request of a beautiful woman. On her deathbed, the mortally wounded woman gives him a strange gem and asks him to deliver the priceless stone to her sister, far off in a North Sea fishing village. D's journey is made ever more perilous by a series of scoundrels and rogues hired by the girl's murderer. They'll stop at nothing to claim the jewel. Will they catch him? Hideyuki Kikuchi's crackling narrative and Yoshitaka Amano's imaginative artwork make this a must-read entry in the series.
199 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1988
40 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 28, 2023
Slowly I’ve been working on reading this series. Hideyuki derives his influences from old American horror films, and it’s refreshing to see these details birth in his prose.
For someone who possess his entire collection of Hunter D, it’s been slow going for me, not because of interest, but because of time. And woe is time for me.
Needless to say, I’m back at it, and this latest installment, journey to the North Sea has been different, but in a good way. Again we are slathered with an array of new characters. Some good, some bad, most with mal intentions. But that’s what makes a good D novel. I must say it’s refreshing to see some new locations and this is the first time you get to see the northern most edge of the “frontier” this western type setting of a long past when vampires used to rule the land.
So here we are, chasing around this mysterious bead or pearl that came from the sea. Apparently it has extreme value, but D can’t get a straight answer about what it is and why it’s so important. As a reader, it’s frustrating to not get a clear answer about the main focus of the story. I am hoping in part two, this mystery comes to light.
4 out of 5 stars
F. D. Gross
For someone who possess his entire collection of Hunter D, it’s been slow going for me, not because of interest, but because of time. And woe is time for me.
Needless to say, I’m back at it, and this latest installment, journey to the North Sea has been different, but in a good way. Again we are slathered with an array of new characters. Some good, some bad, most with mal intentions. But that’s what makes a good D novel. I must say it’s refreshing to see some new locations and this is the first time you get to see the northern most edge of the “frontier” this western type setting of a long past when vampires used to rule the land.
So here we are, chasing around this mysterious bead or pearl that came from the sea. Apparently it has extreme value, but D can’t get a straight answer about what it is and why it’s so important. As a reader, it’s frustrating to not get a clear answer about the main focus of the story. I am hoping in part two, this mystery comes to light.
4 out of 5 stars
F. D. Gross
October 28, 2024
Det er en rigtig god første halvdel af en bog, stopper lidt bare midt i det hele, men det ser godt ud indtil videre. Cool cool jeg håber at den ender lige så godt som den starter og så vil jeg gerne vide hvad den fucking perle er for noget!! Den er hele historiens omdrejningspunkt/MacGuffin, flere gange snakker de og en spørger "hvad er den enlig" og så står der bare "Så forklarede han hvad det er"
May 29, 2021
I finish this novel two days ago. I didn't start reading the Second Part because I want to take a break and read something inbetween - more fast pace.
This was a very good novel from Vampire Hunter D. It's the seven novel and the first with two parts. Here D went to north to a place far from frontier where humanity has reclaim but yet live cheap lives always besieged by monsters created by the Nobles.
One interesting part was that this book had more lore from the time the vampires rules and it seems they rule for several thousand years before almost disappearing. Nowadays (12,000 AC) humanity has fought back, and although they were not the "killers" of the novels they still live in fear and monsters still prowl the land. One interesting take is that humanity is has bad as the vampires.
In this novel, we follow D as he goes north to give a bead to the rightful owner after being tasked by a young dead teen. But there are malevolent forces and they attack D and our young protagonist (there is always a young female protagonist). One take from Hideyuki always write D the same way. Almost indestructible, always perfect aura that makes everyone either love him or fear him and there is a young teen (either helpless or very powerful). There is some battle scenes - would love to see it on screen although he hates anime (he even states in the novel he doesn't like it).
Well... Overall, good first part, ending on a cliffhanger. Let us hope from some conclusion in the 2nd one.
This was a very good novel from Vampire Hunter D. It's the seven novel and the first with two parts. Here D went to north to a place far from frontier where humanity has reclaim but yet live cheap lives always besieged by monsters created by the Nobles.
One interesting part was that this book had more lore from the time the vampires rules and it seems they rule for several thousand years before almost disappearing. Nowadays (12,000 AC) humanity has fought back, and although they were not the "killers" of the novels they still live in fear and monsters still prowl the land. One interesting take is that humanity is has bad as the vampires.
In this novel, we follow D as he goes north to give a bead to the rightful owner after being tasked by a young dead teen. But there are malevolent forces and they attack D and our young protagonist (there is always a young female protagonist). One take from Hideyuki always write D the same way. Almost indestructible, always perfect aura that makes everyone either love him or fear him and there is a young teen (either helpless or very powerful). There is some battle scenes - would love to see it on screen although he hates anime (he even states in the novel he doesn't like it).
Well... Overall, good first part, ending on a cliffhanger. Let us hope from some conclusion in the 2nd one.
April 1, 2023
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Young woman has left for a city in hopes to sell a small, yet very unusual pearl from the sea, and now, as her dying wish, asks D’s ally to return said item to her sister. It seems that everything that originates from the Nobility, the vampires, is cursed with bad luck, and the worst kinds of people. D agrees, and ventures out to a remote fisher village on the North Sea, a former resort for the Nobles, where to this day in the sea there stands their castle, and people dread the things it sometimes dredges up onto the shore. Alongside talks that the owner himself is still alive and roaming too…
My Opinion: A pretty decent read. A little more history on vampires, this time on their possible relation to the ocean, sea, and the dissonance of it, as vampires absolutely cannot swim, so any larger bodies of water are deadly to them. More on their experiments, what they did, speculations of as of why. And more wonders how creatures so beautiful and smart could’ve been so incredibly cruel. Slow, smooth plots, a great book to just sit and relax with.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Young woman has left for a city in hopes to sell a small, yet very unusual pearl from the sea, and now, as her dying wish, asks D’s ally to return said item to her sister. It seems that everything that originates from the Nobility, the vampires, is cursed with bad luck, and the worst kinds of people. D agrees, and ventures out to a remote fisher village on the North Sea, a former resort for the Nobles, where to this day in the sea there stands their castle, and people dread the things it sometimes dredges up onto the shore. Alongside talks that the owner himself is still alive and roaming too…
My Opinion: A pretty decent read. A little more history on vampires, this time on their possible relation to the ocean, sea, and the dissonance of it, as vampires absolutely cannot swim, so any larger bodies of water are deadly to them. More on their experiments, what they did, speculations of as of why. And more wonders how creatures so beautiful and smart could’ve been so incredibly cruel. Slow, smooth plots, a great book to just sit and relax with.
February 22, 2022
This is the first two part story in the series, and the first part is good. The characters are great, as Kikuchi never fails to come up with something new in every volume. What a fantastic world he's created, even if it's one most of us wouldn't want to live in.
Looking forward to seeing how this one wraps up.
Looking forward to seeing how this one wraps up.
December 7, 2021
The problematic translation aside, this was a fun read with a slightly different setup. The cliffhanger ending was a bit annoying but as I have the next 10 books in the series I'll be able to finish this story in the next day or two.
November 29, 2007
This is the first Vampire Hunter D book that is longer than one volume. It suffers from many of the flaws of the previous books in the series, but still is fairly entertaining.
The biggest problem I had with this book is that it is the most confusing of the series that I have read. Most of these books are slightly confusing, as the translation does not exactly clearly state what is going on to an American audience, but this one takes it slightly farther. One section near the beginning sort of does a time and location skip between chapters that is jarring and confusing. New characters are also introduced at this point in a way that makes what is actually going on even less apparent. If you have been reading this series up until this point, this will probably not be a surprise to you, but it still sort of brings you out of the story.
Mysterious Journey to the North Sea has the classic Kikuchi mechanic of Guys With Cool Abilities, though to some extent, they are not as intricately explained as they are in the other books. This may be because there are about seven of them and some of the explanation is being saved for the second part.
Though this is the weakest book in the series so far, hopefully the second volume will make up for it. If you are following the series, you should probably read this.
The biggest problem I had with this book is that it is the most confusing of the series that I have read. Most of these books are slightly confusing, as the translation does not exactly clearly state what is going on to an American audience, but this one takes it slightly farther. One section near the beginning sort of does a time and location skip between chapters that is jarring and confusing. New characters are also introduced at this point in a way that makes what is actually going on even less apparent. If you have been reading this series up until this point, this will probably not be a surprise to you, but it still sort of brings you out of the story.
Mysterious Journey to the North Sea has the classic Kikuchi mechanic of Guys With Cool Abilities, though to some extent, they are not as intricately explained as they are in the other books. This may be because there are about seven of them and some of the explanation is being saved for the second part.
Though this is the weakest book in the series so far, hopefully the second volume will make up for it. If you are following the series, you should probably read this.
May 24, 2010
The translation, imho, is the worst in this book. Throughout the book I find myself having to go back and re-read certain passages because I find myself lost with what is going on sequence wise. Besides that, I enjoyed seeing D interact more personally with his employer: The strong willed Su-In. I enjoyed seeing a female protagnist who did not swoon at D right off the bat, didn't give a damn about his heritage, and can actually defend herself somewhat. Overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking foward to reading Part 2.
December 1, 2012
Nice. D got some powerful opponents on this one. And finally we have some young women who are actually cabable of fighting for themselves occationally.
And is it just me, or is the left hand funnier than ever? ;)
And is it just me, or is the left hand funnier than ever? ;)
October 23, 2019
These novels are one of my guilty pleasures. The writing is almost comically amateur, but the stories are fun and brief. This one is proving to be better than most
June 22, 2017
This is the first Vampire Hunter D book to be split into two parts, unlike to the later two parters this is two different books and the book does finish in mid fight (which I personally hate). This book feels a little rushed. This part of the story is more about introducing all of D's advertises and their powers. Even D is a lot more talkative in this story so as a reader we are given a better bead on his mood. It is interesting to see D fight a little more tactically in this story, when he fights the warriors of different abilities. In one of the fights D is forced to go into full Vamp/Noble mode to win.
The story is a girl Wi-Ln is killed over a Bead that belonged to the Nobility, this bead changes hands a number of time before ending up with D. D avengers the girl but takes it upon himself to for fill her dying wish of delivering the bead back to her sister Su-Ln. Upon arriving D discovers there might be a Noble/Vampire in town so he is "hired" to check this out and bodyguard Su-Ln as well. Su-Ln is a tough independent woman and can more then hold her own against even trained warriors.
Out of all the five mercenaries sent after the bead, the one that seems to pose the biggest threat to D is a wild card Warrior Glen (or as I call him little d). He is almost as handsome, almost as mysterious, and almost as skilled as D but not quite he claims he wants to fight D because he cannot live with himself as being second best.
A good setup for the next book (which is almost 60 pages longer in story). In the Post script Hideyuki Kikunchi said this was going to be the next big Vampire Hunter D anime. Which explains the lenght and slow build of the story.
The story is a girl Wi-Ln is killed over a Bead that belonged to the Nobility, this bead changes hands a number of time before ending up with D. D avengers the girl but takes it upon himself to for fill her dying wish of delivering the bead back to her sister Su-Ln. Upon arriving D discovers there might be a Noble/Vampire in town so he is "hired" to check this out and bodyguard Su-Ln as well. Su-Ln is a tough independent woman and can more then hold her own against even trained warriors.
Out of all the five mercenaries sent after the bead, the one that seems to pose the biggest threat to D is a wild card Warrior Glen (or as I call him little d). He is almost as handsome, almost as mysterious, and almost as skilled as D but not quite he claims he wants to fight D because he cannot live with himself as being second best.
A good setup for the next book (which is almost 60 pages longer in story). In the Post script Hideyuki Kikunchi said this was going to be the next big Vampire Hunter D anime. Which explains the lenght and slow build of the story.
January 8, 2024
3.75 ✧
Hey I'm liking this quite enough so far and plus the characters are actually enjoyable in this one.
Su-in hasn't pissed me off yet (exception made for when the author wrote something along the lines of "she climbed on his back and felt a deep warm pain in her loins" - that was HELLA unnecessary and weird as fuck, I grimaced, but it also made me crack a smile at the absurdity of it)
I like this bead mystery.
Nonetheless... is it just me or is this volume actually much harder to follow/understand than the others? This could be related to both English not being my first language (thus still being a novice and making my way through this extravagant-vocabulary-filled language) and not being an 'experienced' reader. Dunno! But I found this one particularly lacking in terms of prose; the way many sentences and whole paragraphs were written was difficult to read, and they were hard to understand even after rereading them. The explanations often sounded strange, too.
This is probably the only reason I'm not giving it 4 stars.
Hey I'm liking this quite enough so far and plus the characters are actually enjoyable in this one.
Su-in hasn't pissed me off yet (exception made for when the author wrote something along the lines of "she climbed on his back and felt a deep warm pain in her loins" - that was HELLA unnecessary and weird as fuck, I grimaced, but it also made me crack a smile at the absurdity of it)
I like this bead mystery.
Nonetheless... is it just me or is this volume actually much harder to follow/understand than the others? This could be related to both English not being my first language (thus still being a novice and making my way through this extravagant-vocabulary-filled language) and not being an 'experienced' reader. Dunno! But I found this one particularly lacking in terms of prose; the way many sentences and whole paragraphs were written was difficult to read, and they were hard to understand even after rereading them. The explanations often sounded strange, too.
This is probably the only reason I'm not giving it 4 stars.
April 25, 2018
For the first time, the author is going for a longer story, with a total of about 400 pages as opposed to his traditional 170. This is part 1 of said story.
VHD, just like Bram Stoker's Dracula, isn't about D himself but the surrounding cast. This time, we've got a larger cast of about 9 relevant characters. A heads up for a sucker punch in your stomach 30 something pages in! It's refreshing that the author wasn't afraid to make something different. Also, it's the first time D isn't so OP he can destroy everything with 0 effort.
The author mentioned in the afterword that this Mysterious Journey to the North Sea was being considered for a movie. I hope the fact that it didn't doesn't mean that part 2 is going to suck hard. Picking it up next :D
VHD, just like Bram Stoker's Dracula, isn't about D himself but the surrounding cast. This time, we've got a larger cast of about 9 relevant characters. A heads up for a sucker punch in your stomach 30 something pages in! It's refreshing that the author wasn't afraid to make something different. Also, it's the first time D isn't so OP he can destroy everything with 0 effort.
The author mentioned in the afterword that this Mysterious Journey to the North Sea was being considered for a movie. I hope the fact that it didn't doesn't mean that part 2 is going to suck hard. Picking it up next :D
August 23, 2020
This is the first part of another Vampire Hunter D story, which spans across two books. Rating is given relative to the other books in the series.
Honestly, I really enjoyed reading this one. Granted, the translation IS often confusing, the story-writing might seem odd and flawed to western readers and I did find myself roll my eyes over the repetitive descriptions of D's appearance and strength (hence one star down), but overall, I consider it a page turner, there is something captivating about it. The story introduces a wide range of D's opponents and they seemed to be a bit rushed through, but I'm getting used to it. Then again, I also just really like the world these stories are set in and I am willing to forgive the flaws. I found the humour to be surprisingly entertaining in this one, D is pretty talkative along with his left hand. Let's see what part two has to bring.
Honestly, I really enjoyed reading this one. Granted, the translation IS often confusing, the story-writing might seem odd and flawed to western readers and I did find myself roll my eyes over the repetitive descriptions of D's appearance and strength (hence one star down), but overall, I consider it a page turner, there is something captivating about it. The story introduces a wide range of D's opponents and they seemed to be a bit rushed through, but I'm getting used to it. Then again, I also just really like the world these stories are set in and I am willing to forgive the flaws. I found the humour to be surprisingly entertaining in this one, D is pretty talkative along with his left hand. Let's see what part two has to bring.
August 12, 2017
Hmmm, this is only part one of the story and ends on a cliff-hanger mid-battle, so I'm hesitant to give it a rating before I finish part 2. However, we're off to a strong start here, with a curious mystery to unravel, exciting fight scenes, interesting antagonists, & an endearing side kick for D in this adventure - the stocky, chubby-faced tomboyish Su-In. Brave and curious, I adore her interactions with D, & how they have become so friendly. It's nice to see another leading lady in the novels who isn't a voluptuous 17 year old beauty that constantly fawns over him. Looking forward to starting part 2 tonight!
December 10, 2024
A young woman from an isolated fishing village, finds a pearl and decides to take it to the city to sell; but ends of dead by the end of the first chapter.
A Noble holiday resort was set up just near Florence, the fishing village, and it is rumoured that a lot of Noble artefacts still remain, and on deep dark nights - that one Noble remains in residence.
D is tasked with returning the pearl to her sister, and the murderer sends five of the creepiest assassins to hunt them both down.
Worse, no one seems to even KNOW what this pearl IS; not even D!@#
[we find out, eventually]
but by then it is layers of tragedy deep.
3 stars
A Noble holiday resort was set up just near Florence, the fishing village, and it is rumoured that a lot of Noble artefacts still remain, and on deep dark nights - that one Noble remains in residence.
D is tasked with returning the pearl to her sister, and the murderer sends five of the creepiest assassins to hunt them both down.
Worse, no one seems to even KNOW what this pearl IS; not even D!@#
[we find out, eventually]
but by then it is layers of tragedy deep.
3 stars
December 15, 2024
Me dejo con la intriga de que rayos es esa cuenta que todo mundo se está muriendo por obtenerla apenas la ven xD
Tambien me alegra saber más sobre los nobles y lo que les pasó, y pues para variar salió algo lastimado D en una de las peleas y nos quedamos a medias en una pelea que parece que sera dura.
Al menos la chica que anda con D ahora mismo NO es una de 16 que cae bajo su hechizante belleza (?)
El autor tiene una obsesión con las adolescentes (solo de 16 años todas y bellas sin excepción) que siguen a D que ya parece meme xDDDD me hace reir bastante porque ya es absurdo.
Tambien me alegra saber más sobre los nobles y lo que les pasó, y pues para variar salió algo lastimado D en una de las peleas y nos quedamos a medias en una pelea que parece que sera dura.
Al menos la chica que anda con D ahora mismo NO es una de 16 que cae bajo su hechizante belleza (?)
El autor tiene una obsesión con las adolescentes (solo de 16 años todas y bellas sin excepción) que siguen a D que ya parece meme xDDDD me hace reir bastante porque ya es absurdo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2016
I was on a VHD marathon, but I actually stopped reading this one a few chapters in. "Yet ANOTHER teen-aged girl needing rescue? Ugh!" I thought.
But circumstances conspired to have me pick it up again (Kindle version + phone + boredom), and now it's one of my favorites of the seven that I've read thus far. I immediately loaded volume 8 onto my Kindle, and I'm totally hooked on finding out what happens.
Also, I really like Su-In.
But circumstances conspired to have me pick it up again (Kindle version + phone + boredom), and now it's one of my favorites of the seven that I've read thus far. I immediately loaded volume 8 onto my Kindle, and I'm totally hooked on finding out what happens.
Also, I really like Su-In.
October 2, 2023
Great first-half of an adventure. This book focuses a lot more on D than the previous volumes, and still introduces some very interesting characters and lore.
The downside is the point the author chose to end this book and continue it to the next...it was seriously like almost mid-sentence... battle wages and then... the end
That said, I am very curious to learn more about the characters introduced in part one, the mysterious bead, and see where this adventure takes us.
Read this as an audiobook, and the narrator, as always, did a fantastic job! The creepy guy in the first village especially had a very intriguing (and horrible) voice, great job narrator-guy!
The downside is the point the author chose to end this book and continue it to the next...it was seriously like almost mid-sentence... battle wages and then... the end
That said, I am very curious to learn more about the characters introduced in part one, the mysterious bead, and see where this adventure takes us.
Read this as an audiobook, and the narrator, as always, did a fantastic job! The creepy guy in the first village especially had a very intriguing (and horrible) voice, great job narrator-guy!
November 5, 2023
First two-parter in this series and so far so good.
Great western-saloon-standoff opening sequence, and a band of antagonists with very creative abilities - one cuts himself and draws a face with blood to control/influence a victim, another uses two gold rings to redirect the actions of a victim to whatever they intended, whether it be movement or desire.
Looking forward to part 2.
Great western-saloon-standoff opening sequence, and a band of antagonists with very creative abilities - one cuts himself and draws a face with blood to control/influence a victim, another uses two gold rings to redirect the actions of a victim to whatever they intended, whether it be movement or desire.
Looking forward to part 2.
September 19, 2024
I feel like this volume got phoned in. I listened to the Graphic Audio edition and everyone seemed like they were just about to go in the same direction as the Guin Saga English dub. I liked the second part a lot better, though.
March 2, 2023
Kind of just your average Vampire Hunter D adventure of the week. Nothing about it really stands out. If you like Vampire Hunter D, this is more of it. That's about the best I can say about it.
July 25, 2023
The first 2 volume story, it seems to take a bit to get rolling.
March 8, 2025
Fun one, enjoying the creative variety of antagonists, particularly the guy who can create his own little land to fight in. Good setting too - the fishing village and the ruins of Noble Hamptons.
May 9, 2025
might be the first time one of these just didn't hit right; too many characters and a number of unclear motivations made this feel muddled
August 27, 2025
The author is comically amateur as some have pointed out, but this has been a fun read nonetheless. Plot flows in a good direction, with interesting villains I suppose
December 1, 2025
Paced slow, but the build up is well done. I look forward to reading part 2
April 17, 2021
3,5 Stars. Be aware that the book just ends in the middle of the story and is continued in the next book.
March 29, 2018
This is my favorite Vampire Hunter D book in a while. Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part 1 has a lot of the characteristics of previous books, with a young woman in danger, a bunch of opponents who all have their one supernatural trick that makes them a dangerous enemy, D being hired to fight those opponents despite protesting that he only fights vampires, and the Nobility working behind the scenes. But unlike most of the previous books, the young woman is actually able to defend herself and doesn't fall for D the second she lays eyes on him. The extra length means there are fewer fights that end immediately and more chances to get to know D's opponents as well, since they don't all have to be killed off at the end of three hundred pages.
Probably my favorite moment--and a moment specifically called out by Kikuchi in the post-script--is the depiction of Noble life in the ruined villas by the seashore. The Nobility meeting and indulging in a paradise made warm by weather-control satellites, dancing late into the night in palaces lit by imperishable lights, or walking in the gardens among night-blooming flowers and discussing philosophy and the beauty of the night. It's a powerful enough image that it makes Su-In, said young woman who doesn't immediately fall for D, stop and have to catch her breath as she's hit by the full force of the romance of the Nobility's doomed existence. Of course, previously she mentioned that the Nobility who lived near the North Sea had stocked the ocean full of horrific sea monsters and traveled through it in imperishable bubbles while drinking wine mixed with blood, or had thrown the heads of thousands of humans into the sea to set their sea monsters to frenzying, and had to write to the Capital multiple times to replenish the number of humans living nearby because they had killed all the locals.
It's much like real aristocracy, with maybe a bit more bloodshed. The ability of a minority to wear fancy clothes and dance the night away without a care is founded on the suffering and toil of many times their number. Everyone wants to be the one in the evening dress but no one wants to be the serf. Or in this case, the victim chosen for blood sacrifice. But it's still an attractive image. That's the lure of the Nobility.
Unfortunately, the translation is very odd. Kikuchi's writing is extremely and deliberately baroque--I have a friend who speaks better Japanese than I do and he gave up partway through Vampire Hunter D--but Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part 1 takes that up again. There are sudden perspective shifts and sometimes I'd have to go back and reread previous pages to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I suspect that this was part of the original Japanese text, but it still makes for sudden jarring changes that interrupt the usually-breezy flow of the text.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel book and seeing if it can maintain my interest.
Previous Review: Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane.
Next Review: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part Two.
Probably my favorite moment--and a moment specifically called out by Kikuchi in the post-script--is the depiction of Noble life in the ruined villas by the seashore. The Nobility meeting and indulging in a paradise made warm by weather-control satellites, dancing late into the night in palaces lit by imperishable lights, or walking in the gardens among night-blooming flowers and discussing philosophy and the beauty of the night. It's a powerful enough image that it makes Su-In, said young woman who doesn't immediately fall for D, stop and have to catch her breath as she's hit by the full force of the romance of the Nobility's doomed existence. Of course, previously she mentioned that the Nobility who lived near the North Sea had stocked the ocean full of horrific sea monsters and traveled through it in imperishable bubbles while drinking wine mixed with blood, or had thrown the heads of thousands of humans into the sea to set their sea monsters to frenzying, and had to write to the Capital multiple times to replenish the number of humans living nearby because they had killed all the locals.
It's much like real aristocracy, with maybe a bit more bloodshed. The ability of a minority to wear fancy clothes and dance the night away without a care is founded on the suffering and toil of many times their number. Everyone wants to be the one in the evening dress but no one wants to be the serf. Or in this case, the victim chosen for blood sacrifice. But it's still an attractive image. That's the lure of the Nobility.
Unfortunately, the translation is very odd. Kikuchi's writing is extremely and deliberately baroque--I have a friend who speaks better Japanese than I do and he gave up partway through Vampire Hunter D--but Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part 1 takes that up again. There are sudden perspective shifts and sometimes I'd have to go back and reread previous pages to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I suspect that this was part of the original Japanese text, but it still makes for sudden jarring changes that interrupt the usually-breezy flow of the text.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel book and seeing if it can maintain my interest.
Previous Review: Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane.
Next Review: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part Two.
May 10, 2022
Vampire Hunter D Volume 08: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea - Part One Review (3.5/5 stars)
My review of Vampire Hunter D Volume 08: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea - Part Two
This is by far the best book in the series so far.
The flow of the translation is only a little rocky this time, with plenty of varied and elegant words and imagery (you won't read the words "vermilion" and "countenance" on every page), whereas it greatly hindered the reading experience in the previous volumes, only getting a little smoother with each installment in the series.
There's finally a lot more dialogue between D and the other characters. I feel like D said more in this volume alone than in all the previous combined; his personality really came out so he wasn't just this pale indestructible stone wall who tried to act like he doesn't care about anyone. He actually has moments of weakness too; an invincible hero is boring and not relatable, so seeing D suffer added much more depth to the story and the character of D. Left Hand also had more lines, mostly wise-cracks about D's stony temperament.
The characters were more fleshed out as a whole, probably because Kikuchi didn't try to shove everyone's personality, back-story, and motives, plus all the fight scenes, into 200 pages and instead created a larger story spanning two volumes with a great cliff-hanger in the middle. The whole crew of villains and mystery figures, each of which the reader slowly realizes has his or her own motives, added many layers to the plot.
Noble lore plays a larger role in this volume than the last few, which focused more on the bizarre people and creatures roaming the Frontier. Learning more about the Nobles, how they reigned the world in blood and fear for thousands of years then suddenly declined, is one of the crucial elements of the series so I'm glad the story came back to focus on and reveal more of it, especially D's own past and his connection to the Sacred Ancestor of all Nobles.
Starting on the next volume right now!
My review of Vampire Hunter D Volume 08: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea - Part Two
This is by far the best book in the series so far.
The flow of the translation is only a little rocky this time, with plenty of varied and elegant words and imagery (you won't read the words "vermilion" and "countenance" on every page), whereas it greatly hindered the reading experience in the previous volumes, only getting a little smoother with each installment in the series.
There's finally a lot more dialogue between D and the other characters. I feel like D said more in this volume alone than in all the previous combined; his personality really came out so he wasn't just this pale indestructible stone wall who tried to act like he doesn't care about anyone. He actually has moments of weakness too; an invincible hero is boring and not relatable, so seeing D suffer added much more depth to the story and the character of D. Left Hand also had more lines, mostly wise-cracks about D's stony temperament.
The characters were more fleshed out as a whole, probably because Kikuchi didn't try to shove everyone's personality, back-story, and motives, plus all the fight scenes, into 200 pages and instead created a larger story spanning two volumes with a great cliff-hanger in the middle. The whole crew of villains and mystery figures, each of which the reader slowly realizes has his or her own motives, added many layers to the plot.
Noble lore plays a larger role in this volume than the last few, which focused more on the bizarre people and creatures roaming the Frontier. Learning more about the Nobles, how they reigned the world in blood and fear for thousands of years then suddenly declined, is one of the crucial elements of the series so I'm glad the story came back to focus on and reveal more of it, especially D's own past and his connection to the Sacred Ancestor of all Nobles.
Starting on the next volume right now!
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