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吸血鬼と愉快な仲間たち [Kyuuketsuki to Yukai na Nakama-tachi] #5
The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions, Vol. 5
The late-night drama starring Al the vampire may have ended, but his career as an actor has only just begun. When Al is asked to reprise his role in the sequel (this time with filming done in America), he can’t help but jump at the opportunity. After all, a trip to the United States means a long-awaited chance to return to his hometown! But if he wants to secure the part, he’ll have to get through Akira first, and the gloomy embalmer doesn’t seem too keen on having Al’s face on the big screen again…
252 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2023
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Marimo Ragawa
161 books45 followersMarimo Ragawa 羅川真里茂 was born on September 21 in Hachinohe, Aomori, but her age is not disclosed.
Marimo Ragawa first started submitting manga to comic magazines when she was only 12 years old, which is when she was in 6th grade of elementary school. She continued to send her manga to the same magazine for four years, but a positive critical reception was yet to come. Ragawa then decided to switch to a different magazine. Surprisingly, her first submission to this magazine, Hana to Yume, won a prize called the Top-prize. She succeeded in achieving her debut with her first manga, Time Limit.
Marimo Ragawa continues to draw other manga such as Aka-chan to Boku (Baby and Me), New York New York, and Itsudemo Otenki Kibun. She received the 1995 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Baby and Me. She continues to draw a tennis themed manga, Shanimuni-Go in Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams).
Marimo Ragawa's calm and cute design is one of the traits of her drawings. Her energetic drawing and characters are very attractive, even to non-manga readers. She is widely known for her great ability in describing complicated emotions, especially in New York New York and Baby and Me.
Her manga Mashiro no Oto has been nominated for the 4th Manga Taishō.
Marimo Ragawa first started submitting manga to comic magazines when she was only 12 years old, which is when she was in 6th grade of elementary school. She continued to send her manga to the same magazine for four years, but a positive critical reception was yet to come. Ragawa then decided to switch to a different magazine. Surprisingly, her first submission to this magazine, Hana to Yume, won a prize called the Top-prize. She succeeded in achieving her debut with her first manga, Time Limit.
Marimo Ragawa continues to draw other manga such as Aka-chan to Boku (Baby and Me), New York New York, and Itsudemo Otenki Kibun. She received the 1995 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Baby and Me. She continues to draw a tennis themed manga, Shanimuni-Go in Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams).
Marimo Ragawa's calm and cute design is one of the traits of her drawings. Her energetic drawing and characters are very attractive, even to non-manga readers. She is widely known for her great ability in describing complicated emotions, especially in New York New York and Baby and Me.
Her manga Mashiro no Oto has been nominated for the 4th Manga Taishō.
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February 26, 2025I need more volumes please. The wait is too long.
August 4, 2024
I can't believe there's finally more of this series. I've kept it in my search list for 2.5 years, just in case it wasn't truly abandoned at 4 volumes, but I was shocked when volume 5 actually showed up for preorder.
Since it'd been so long and I've read so much manga in between, I wasn't sure if I'd have the same attachment. I went back through and read all my old reviews to prepare, then sat down to really spend my time with this volume. And I loved it. It's funny, sweet, really unique storytelling with great characters - just how I'd felt about those first four books.
Looks like it's still a favorite series. And since volume 6 is now out in Japan, hopefully there will be more in my hands soon, too.
One problem is that while volume 4 ended on a pretty decent note, this one definitely doesn't feel like any sort of conclusion. I guess that's because the fourth volume was considered the end of "season 2," not something I'd noticed until this one introduced itself as the start of season 3. There's no cliffhanger, really, but definitely the sense that more is coming - and the romantic relationship between Al and Akira hasn't progressed at all!
I didn't understand the part with Akira binge-eating ice cream throughout this volume, but there's a translator note about the Japanese abbreviation for ice cream being the same as the verb for "to love," so maybe it's an extended metaphor for Akira struggling with his feelings? Al does talk a lot through the narration and with other people about how in love with Akira he is, and the bonus short story at the end makes it clear that they're still together five years after the events in this volume, so it's not like I'm worried about them, really. But this slow burn is still very much simmering. Any change will have to come from Akira's end, and he doesn't seem at all ready for that.
When they meet up with Al's old vampire friend/mentor, Kiev, he says some insightful stuff to Al about Akira's distance from living beings actually being a fear of losing people. Maybe there's some backstory there with his family and the time he'd spent in America (and his actress mother, maybe?), which I'm assuming will be a part of this arc, since they're now in the US for Al's film shoot and supposed to be meeting with a famous Hollywood guy Akira knows.
The big new development is that Kiev might've found a way for Al to transition from his messed up partial vampire state to a full vampire who heals more easily from wounds and can transition between human and bat forms at will. (It seems like rather a spoiler that he's able to do that in the short story, but I guess it's not too surprising that he'd take Kiev up on that offer, to live a fuller life.)
There's still the question of what happens to Akira, and if at some point he will choose vampire life with Al. It honestly seems like something he might be okay with - he's an oddball with an unusual job who doesn't like other humans that much, so why not, really? But we'll see. It's another big choice he'll have to make for himself.
The parts with Al returning to see his family, and connecting a little with the nephew who looks just like him, were really sweet and sad. I love how much Akira is trying to steer Al into a future he thinks will make him happy, even though Al is trying to express that it's Akira who makes him happiest right now. All this might be part of the disconnect with their feelings at the moment.
Very happy with this series still and really hoping it won't take another 2.5 years to get volume 6...and 7? How much more before it actually concludes?
Since it'd been so long and I've read so much manga in between, I wasn't sure if I'd have the same attachment. I went back through and read all my old reviews to prepare, then sat down to really spend my time with this volume. And I loved it. It's funny, sweet, really unique storytelling with great characters - just how I'd felt about those first four books.
Looks like it's still a favorite series. And since volume 6 is now out in Japan, hopefully there will be more in my hands soon, too.
One problem is that while volume 4 ended on a pretty decent note, this one definitely doesn't feel like any sort of conclusion. I guess that's because the fourth volume was considered the end of "season 2," not something I'd noticed until this one introduced itself as the start of season 3. There's no cliffhanger, really, but definitely the sense that more is coming - and the romantic relationship between Al and Akira hasn't progressed at all!
I didn't understand the part with Akira binge-eating ice cream throughout this volume, but there's a translator note about the Japanese abbreviation for ice cream being the same as the verb for "to love," so maybe it's an extended metaphor for Akira struggling with his feelings? Al does talk a lot through the narration and with other people about how in love with Akira he is, and the bonus short story at the end makes it clear that they're still together five years after the events in this volume, so it's not like I'm worried about them, really. But this slow burn is still very much simmering. Any change will have to come from Akira's end, and he doesn't seem at all ready for that.
When they meet up with Al's old vampire friend/mentor, Kiev, he says some insightful stuff to Al about Akira's distance from living beings actually being a fear of losing people. Maybe there's some backstory there with his family and the time he'd spent in America (and his actress mother, maybe?), which I'm assuming will be a part of this arc, since they're now in the US for Al's film shoot and supposed to be meeting with a famous Hollywood guy Akira knows.
The big new development is that Kiev might've found a way for Al to transition from his messed up partial vampire state to a full vampire who heals more easily from wounds and can transition between human and bat forms at will. (It seems like rather a spoiler that he's able to do that in the short story, but I guess it's not too surprising that he'd take Kiev up on that offer, to live a fuller life.)
There's still the question of what happens to Akira, and if at some point he will choose vampire life with Al. It honestly seems like something he might be okay with - he's an oddball with an unusual job who doesn't like other humans that much, so why not, really? But we'll see. It's another big choice he'll have to make for himself.
The parts with Al returning to see his family, and connecting a little with the nephew who looks just like him, were really sweet and sad. I love how much Akira is trying to steer Al into a future he thinks will make him happy, even though Al is trying to express that it's Akira who makes him happiest right now. All this might be part of the disconnect with their feelings at the moment.
Very happy with this series still and really hoping it won't take another 2.5 years to get volume 6...and 7? How much more before it actually concludes?
August 4, 2024
I’ve been waiting TOO LONG for this!!! 2 years in between volumes is nuts! But the art and story is just as good. Lots of interesting moments in this volume. Al is just the sweetest. Kiev is a great character too. I really liked him in this volume!
March 22, 2025
Vibe is a little different from the other books but I'm also really happy to have more of Al and Akira.
October 17, 2025
Oh Al 💔
September 1, 2024
This was an interesting installment…I’m always so surprised to read a manga that looks like a goofy BL with this much plot. Hell, at five volumes in I’m not even sure if this IS BL 😆 but either way it’s still a favorite of mine and I can’t wait for future volumes.
December 27, 2024
Perhaps this volume is purely cathartic?
In this volume Al finally makes the long trip home. The reasons for his traveling I won't get into, the important thing is the emotional growth he has to go through in the process of this volume. There's a lot of heavy stuff that he has to deal with, and if you've read the earlier volumes you know that his separation from his parents wasn't ideal in any capacity. He's definitely a little kid at heart and desperately wants to be with his family. He gets a little bit of closure but it's more of a token than anything. If anything he has to deal with some scarier concepts as the idea of him being frozen forever in his age while those around him are not... It's definitely a tough thing to consider, especially when the vampire Al is so codependent.
There's another topic that I wanted to discuss that I keep forgetting too as I reread the first four volumes. This particular series has a very interesting social sexuality aspect to consider. Albert has only ever dated and been romantically involved with women before becoming a vampire. He's never even had an inkling or interest in the male gender. That being said, he specifically says at one point that Akira is different, that gender doesn't matter when it comes to him. So I think that confirms that he's not bisexual but likely pansexual. It's always nice to see one of these series get it right. It's a very hard line to try and demonstrate, a lot of writers end up just having very bi characters. But in this case, I think they do a very good job of portraying pansexuality. On another note, in one of the earlier volumes, (I think it was number two?), Akira straight up states that he's never been aroused or sexually attracted in any capacity. I think that it is an easy gas to say that he is asexual. Around volume two or three they introduce a gay co-worker as well. I think the exploration of alternative sexualities in this series is fairly well done as well as not making it over the top obvious. It's clearly not the focus of the series, it's just a part of it. I think it makes a lot more natural. As a person who supports the LGBTQ+ community I find it encouraging and refreshing to see more of this type of storytelling that incorporates these kind of relationships in such a way that makes them completely natural and not something to be spotlighted. It's nice that they just happen to be what they are, it's not a social statement or an attempt to follow a trend or be cool. It's just part of who these characters are and that's them. I hope to see more media in the future that can incorporate these alternative relationships in a way that's so natural that we stop noticing and just accept it.
I highly recommend the series for so many reasons, but I also think it's a great series for all ages (tween and up?). It never gets too adult and it does a really good job of exploring what makes humans human. I know that's a little weird and ironic considering it's about a vampire but in this case vampirism is just his health condition, for him it's more of a disability than a species.
As I write this review I think I've been able to pull some of my thoughts together as I reflect on what I've read in the last 10 hours. If you had to put a single word for a theme I think you could sum up a huge part of this story as "acceptance." While there is a lot of more obvious topics like love and death and vampires and all that stuff, I think that accepting things as what they are is a huge factor.
In this volume Al finally makes the long trip home. The reasons for his traveling I won't get into, the important thing is the emotional growth he has to go through in the process of this volume. There's a lot of heavy stuff that he has to deal with, and if you've read the earlier volumes you know that his separation from his parents wasn't ideal in any capacity. He's definitely a little kid at heart and desperately wants to be with his family. He gets a little bit of closure but it's more of a token than anything. If anything he has to deal with some scarier concepts as the idea of him being frozen forever in his age while those around him are not... It's definitely a tough thing to consider, especially when the vampire Al is so codependent.
There's another topic that I wanted to discuss that I keep forgetting too as I reread the first four volumes. This particular series has a very interesting social sexuality aspect to consider. Albert has only ever dated and been romantically involved with women before becoming a vampire. He's never even had an inkling or interest in the male gender. That being said, he specifically says at one point that Akira is different, that gender doesn't matter when it comes to him. So I think that confirms that he's not bisexual but likely pansexual. It's always nice to see one of these series get it right. It's a very hard line to try and demonstrate, a lot of writers end up just having very bi characters. But in this case, I think they do a very good job of portraying pansexuality. On another note, in one of the earlier volumes, (I think it was number two?), Akira straight up states that he's never been aroused or sexually attracted in any capacity. I think that it is an easy gas to say that he is asexual. Around volume two or three they introduce a gay co-worker as well. I think the exploration of alternative sexualities in this series is fairly well done as well as not making it over the top obvious. It's clearly not the focus of the series, it's just a part of it. I think it makes a lot more natural. As a person who supports the LGBTQ+ community I find it encouraging and refreshing to see more of this type of storytelling that incorporates these kind of relationships in such a way that makes them completely natural and not something to be spotlighted. It's nice that they just happen to be what they are, it's not a social statement or an attempt to follow a trend or be cool. It's just part of who these characters are and that's them. I hope to see more media in the future that can incorporate these alternative relationships in a way that's so natural that we stop noticing and just accept it.
I highly recommend the series for so many reasons, but I also think it's a great series for all ages (tween and up?). It never gets too adult and it does a really good job of exploring what makes humans human. I know that's a little weird and ironic considering it's about a vampire but in this case vampirism is just his health condition, for him it's more of a disability than a species.
As I write this review I think I've been able to pull some of my thoughts together as I reflect on what I've read in the last 10 hours. If you had to put a single word for a theme I think you could sum up a huge part of this story as "acceptance." While there is a lot of more obvious topics like love and death and vampires and all that stuff, I think that accepting things as what they are is a huge factor.
December 31, 2025
I just know Akira was crying and throwing up internally when he thought that Al actually wanted to leave him for good;;; I get the feeling that he actually really regrets saying that he hates him when he tried to push him away for his own good, because for once, Akira apologized right away.
I'm also really curious about (and nervous about) where the plotline about Akira eating lots of ice cream is going. It kind of seems like emotional eating/binge eating, though I had a theory I really hope he's okay because I know that all of Al's affections are really overwhelming for him internally, combined with how his coworker has been all over him, Al constantly getting in life-threatening danger, the overseas shoot, the drama set murder and everything... everything has probably been a lot for him even if he isn't showing it. Please be okay, Akira! T_T
This volume also brings Kiev back into the forefront which I'm really happy about!! I really like him as a character and I really like the way he meshes with Akira and Al. It's really nice to have a character who's knowledgeable about vampires, since he's lived as one for such a long time. Also he's just very handsome and has a nice personality. :-)
The arc about Al getting to see his parents and family again is just so nice, too. Even from far away, it's really sweet that he was able to reconnect with them in a small way and see that they were doing okay. Just precious T_T This is definitely my favorite volume in a while, it has both hijinks and very emotional moments which is where I think this series shines the most.
I'm also really curious about (and nervous about) where the plotline about Akira eating lots of ice cream is going. It kind of seems like emotional eating/binge eating, though I had a theory I really hope he's okay because I know that all of Al's affections are really overwhelming for him internally, combined with how his coworker has been all over him, Al constantly getting in life-threatening danger, the overseas shoot, the drama set murder and everything... everything has probably been a lot for him even if he isn't showing it. Please be okay, Akira! T_T
This volume also brings Kiev back into the forefront which I'm really happy about!! I really like him as a character and I really like the way he meshes with Akira and Al. It's really nice to have a character who's knowledgeable about vampires, since he's lived as one for such a long time. Also he's just very handsome and has a nice personality. :-)
The arc about Al getting to see his parents and family again is just so nice, too. Even from far away, it's really sweet that he was able to reconnect with them in a small way and see that they were doing okay. Just precious T_T This is definitely my favorite volume in a while, it has both hijinks and very emotional moments which is where I think this series shines the most.
May 1, 2025
I don’t trust the tv show producer but I like the way that Cain, aka Albert, managed to use this reoccurring role to his advantage. I really like that this volume focused on the more somber aspects of being a vampire and the realization that Al is going to outlive his family. Seeing how hopeful he was with seeing his parents again, then seeing as things played out with him checking in on his family, both warmed my heart and made me a bit emotional. It was very intriguing and amusing to see Kiev and watch his dynamic with Al versus his dynamic with Akira.
Overall I still enjoy reading this series and am eager to read the next volume.
Overall I still enjoy reading this series and am eager to read the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2024
OMG there's more!!
o((*^▽^*))o
I'm honestly just so happy to get more of Al and Akira that this is 5 stars no matter what. Cute bat Al? Check. Sour Akira? Check. Cute naked human Al? Check. Bystanders misreading situations? Check. Denied snuggles? Check. Please let there be more. I love this series and was happily shocked when I saw it available for pre-orders in my comic pulls. (Happy sigh)
o((*^▽^*))o
I'm honestly just so happy to get more of Al and Akira that this is 5 stars no matter what. Cute bat Al? Check. Sour Akira? Check. Cute naked human Al? Check. Bystanders misreading situations? Check. Denied snuggles? Check. Please let there be more. I love this series and was happily shocked when I saw it available for pre-orders in my comic pulls. (Happy sigh)
October 24, 2025
Wow this one was all heart. Poor Al, this manga really hits home how lonely and solitary the life of a Vampire is and how hard Al's particular situation of kinda vampire life he is living. I liked that the vampire from his past seems so empathetic and helpful currently. Al finds a way to go back to the US and visits his family in the process. Just so much heart. Why are so many good BL's on going??@?@?@?@ and come out so slowly!!!!
August 12, 2025
I truly love this series and am happy to get back into it after being unable to for the last two years.
Al has always been my favourite character but, his family and especially the scenes with his young nephew Albert warmed my heart. I don’t particularly trust Kiev but what he did for Al in this volume was absolutely adorable of him.
Al has always been my favourite character but, his family and especially the scenes with his young nephew Albert warmed my heart. I don’t particularly trust Kiev but what he did for Al in this volume was absolutely adorable of him.
March 25, 2025
I was expecting more of the TV shoot in America, but this ended up being much better! Al gets to see his family and renew and old acquaintance as well as learn more about this vampire powers. It was trippy seeing small-town American portrayed in a Japanese manga!
August 5, 2024
im emotional
September 16, 2024
Crying bc I don’t know when the next one will be out 😭 I love Al so much.
September 30, 2024
Really! I have to wait?!
May 1, 2025
Ugh loved this volume. Kiev is now involved in the story and the stuff with Al's family made me so emotional. With Kiev in the mix the story is about to get so juicy and I can't wait.
May 3, 2025
another banger!
June 2, 2025
It’s fine. This volume felt so long, yet not a lot really happened. I’m interested in the new vampire.
March 26, 2025
— 3.5 stars
I’m at that meandering point of a manga series where the question “is there a point to this?” keeps crossing my mind every few chapters. Like, yes the story is moving forwards but it does it in a way where it makes me feel like it’s two steps forwards three steps back.
Is it really? idk. but it feels like it!
I’m at that meandering point of a manga series where the question “is there a point to this?” keeps crossing my mind every few chapters. Like, yes the story is moving forwards but it does it in a way where it makes me feel like it’s two steps forwards three steps back.
Is it really? idk. but it feels like it!
February 21, 2024
The manga part is great. Al the bat is still the cutest bat in the world. The scenes of Al’s visiting his family were touching. My only complaint is the extra short story at the end of this volume is a spoiler to a major plot point down the road 🙄 I wish I didn’t read it.
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