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Dance in the Vampire Bund #1
Dance In The Vampire Bund, Vol. 1
The most original vampire story in centuries! After millennia in hiding, Mina Tepes, the princess of the ancient covenant and ruler of all vampires, wants change. Using the vast wealth of the Tepes line, she has paid off the entire gross national debt of Japan and in so doing, gained the authority to create a "special district" off the coast of Japan that is to become the future haven for vampires from all over the world! Now, on the eve of the landmark press conference announcing the existence of vampires to the world, terrorists and rival factions are plotting to assassinate Mina Tepes. Dance in the Vampire Bund is an ongoing manga series that features stunning artwork and an enthrallingly original super-natural narrative.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 7, 2017
Actual Rating: 4.5
TW: Bomb, Guns, Fanservice
I love the world-building and the story in this! Mina is the lord of the vampires. She pays off Japan's debt in order to get an island just off of Japan made for her and all the vampires. People (humans, a vampire..) want her dead, but if she dies ALL vampires will die with her, so naturally most vampires want her to survive. The earth-clan has always protected Mina and her line. Akira, a werewolf boy, is finally old enough to protect Mina.
I loved the characters. Mina has more depth to her than first meets than eye and I can't wait to learn more about her! Akira is also an interesting character. The plot is more complex than I was expecting and i'm so glad to see it! It's fast-paced and I love the art style. I definitely have questions and need to get more in the series!
My Booktube Channel
TW: Bomb, Guns, Fanservice
I love the world-building and the story in this! Mina is the lord of the vampires. She pays off Japan's debt in order to get an island just off of Japan made for her and all the vampires. People (humans, a vampire..) want her dead, but if she dies ALL vampires will die with her, so naturally most vampires want her to survive. The earth-clan has always protected Mina and her line. Akira, a werewolf boy, is finally old enough to protect Mina.
I loved the characters. Mina has more depth to her than first meets than eye and I can't wait to learn more about her! Akira is also an interesting character. The plot is more complex than I was expecting and i'm so glad to see it! It's fast-paced and I love the art style. I definitely have questions and need to get more in the series!
My Booktube Channel
June 2, 2008
Interesting concept (vampire ruler uses Olde Bloode riches to buy an island haven for vampires) marred by lackluster, exploitative art with random breast shots and creepy pedophiliac naked girls. Ew.
February 22, 2013
This review is more for volumes 1-6, so I'll keep this short to avoid spoilers.
First order of business, I'll warn potential readers that although the artwork in this is nice, the lolita factor is insanely high. I almost expected to see Chris Hansen jump out at me while I was buying and reading this because of some of the content concerning the main character, who physically resembles a 10-12 year old girl. It's not pornographic, but the fanservice factor concerning her is rather high at times, so if you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing then I'd probably recommend looking elsewhere or at least proceeding with caution. If I hadn't been looking at the omnibus edition of the first few volumes and as such got a look at the longer plot lines, I'd probably have dismissed this as fluff.
What kept me from completely dismissing this due to the fanservice was that the story here is really good. It moves quickly and there is very little filler or "water treading" that you tend to see in many long running series. Almost everything here is told for a purpose, which I rather like.
All volumes are capped off by a humorous 4 Koma entitled "Dance with the Vampire Maid". Some information is given in these, but they're mostly there for comic relief, which is often much needed at the end of some of these volumes.
All in all, a good series worth investing in. Just be careful about the fanservice and try not to let it deter you too much.
First order of business, I'll warn potential readers that although the artwork in this is nice, the lolita factor is insanely high. I almost expected to see Chris Hansen jump out at me while I was buying and reading this because of some of the content concerning the main character, who physically resembles a 10-12 year old girl. It's not pornographic, but the fanservice factor concerning her is rather high at times, so if you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing then I'd probably recommend looking elsewhere or at least proceeding with caution. If I hadn't been looking at the omnibus edition of the first few volumes and as such got a look at the longer plot lines, I'd probably have dismissed this as fluff.
What kept me from completely dismissing this due to the fanservice was that the story here is really good. It moves quickly and there is very little filler or "water treading" that you tend to see in many long running series. Almost everything here is told for a purpose, which I rather like.
All volumes are capped off by a humorous 4 Koma entitled "Dance with the Vampire Maid". Some information is given in these, but they're mostly there for comic relief, which is often much needed at the end of some of these volumes.
All in all, a good series worth investing in. Just be careful about the fanservice and try not to let it deter you too much.
September 5, 2011
Akira has two big problems in his life. One, he pledged himself to be the servant and protector of Mina Tepes, Lord of the vampires. Mina has come to Japan to establish the Vampire Bund, a colony of them living on an entire artificial island in Japanese waters. His second problem involves being a member of the Earth clan, more of which to be spoken of later.
It's a good series, but in this volume there is way too much pandering to lolicons. Lolicon is short for lolita complex, which involves romantic and even erotic attraction to prepubescent girls. (Shotacon is the male equivalent.) If you are a manga fan you come up against it often, and it's really worrisome because it's sexualizing kids. They try and handwave it away by saying "oh, she's really 17, or oh, she's really 700" but its a particularly japanese otaku cultural quirk that is infesting manga in a bad way.
This means for all the good aspects the manga has, like an interesting take on vampires, you have to suffer through wince-inducing scenes of Mina running around in a thong. That knocked my rating down a lot, because the story itself is intriguing, and Mina is a unique character in that she is the mother of all vampires-if she dies, all of them do. But the lolicon aspects make it hard to take, similar to other manga like Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, Volume 1. It makes what could have been an excellent series distasteful and hard to recommend. I still enjoyed the story greatly, but wish they had removed the lolicon fanservice entirely.
It's a good series, but in this volume there is way too much pandering to lolicons. Lolicon is short for lolita complex, which involves romantic and even erotic attraction to prepubescent girls. (Shotacon is the male equivalent.) If you are a manga fan you come up against it often, and it's really worrisome because it's sexualizing kids. They try and handwave it away by saying "oh, she's really 17, or oh, she's really 700" but its a particularly japanese otaku cultural quirk that is infesting manga in a bad way.
This means for all the good aspects the manga has, like an interesting take on vampires, you have to suffer through wince-inducing scenes of Mina running around in a thong. That knocked my rating down a lot, because the story itself is intriguing, and Mina is a unique character in that she is the mother of all vampires-if she dies, all of them do. But the lolicon aspects make it hard to take, similar to other manga like Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, Volume 1. It makes what could have been an excellent series distasteful and hard to recommend. I still enjoyed the story greatly, but wish they had removed the lolicon fanservice entirely.
January 1, 2020
De momento no me está pareciendo nada del otro jueves y el hecho de ver a una "niña" desnuda me ha dejado algo incómoda.
January 8, 2020
3.5/5
Dance in the Vampire Bund es un seinen con temática vampírica que nos cuenta la historia de Mina Tepes, la princesa de todos vampiros. Que no les engañe su cuerpo infantil pues sus años ancestrales la han convertido en una líder estupenda.
Mina es la responsable de que se construyera una isla artificial en Japón para que así, vampiros de todas partes del mundo, pudiesen tener un lugar seguro donde vivir. Sin embargo, como cualquier gobierno, hay sujetos que no están enteramente de acuerdo con su decisión. De hecho, ni siquiera los humanos están seguros de lo que vaya a suceder ahora que los tienen como vecinos.
Por otra parte, Kaburagi Akira, un hombre lobo, se le da la tarea de ser el guardián de la princesa pues “desde que nació, estaba destinado a estar con ella”. Y si bien, al inicio pareciera un chico común y corriente, lo cierto es que es alguien muy maduro para su edad, y quizá uno de los pocos cualificados para permanecer a su lado.
Dicho esto, no puedo creer que hayan pasado casi diez años desde que leí éste manga. El estilo del autor me sigue pareciendo de lo más maravilloso: la ambientación y las escenas de acción son de sus puntos fuertes, y aunque hay un montón de desnudos, no tiene una connotación sexual, lo cual agradezco. Los personajes están muy bien construidos y conforme avanza la serie se nota el crecimiento de todos, inclusive de los secundarios.
Otra cosa que cabe destacar y que amo desde hace años, es la relación entre Mina y Akira. Es un romance peculiar en muchos aspectos, sin embargo, soy de la idea de que cuando dos personas están destinadas a estar juntas, no importa qué circunstancias y pesares vivan, nada los va a separar. Además de que ver las diferentes facetas de Mina lo hace mucho más entretenido; y, al igual que Akira, tengo esa necesidad de protegerla y el honor de llamarla mi princesa.
Voy a hacer lo posible por sólo leer un volumen de vez en vez, aunque si me conocen, saben que podría leerme los 14 de una sentada.
Dance in the Vampire Bund es un seinen con temática vampírica que nos cuenta la historia de Mina Tepes, la princesa de todos vampiros. Que no les engañe su cuerpo infantil pues sus años ancestrales la han convertido en una líder estupenda.
Mina es la responsable de que se construyera una isla artificial en Japón para que así, vampiros de todas partes del mundo, pudiesen tener un lugar seguro donde vivir. Sin embargo, como cualquier gobierno, hay sujetos que no están enteramente de acuerdo con su decisión. De hecho, ni siquiera los humanos están seguros de lo que vaya a suceder ahora que los tienen como vecinos.
Por otra parte, Kaburagi Akira, un hombre lobo, se le da la tarea de ser el guardián de la princesa pues “desde que nació, estaba destinado a estar con ella”. Y si bien, al inicio pareciera un chico común y corriente, lo cierto es que es alguien muy maduro para su edad, y quizá uno de los pocos cualificados para permanecer a su lado.
Dicho esto, no puedo creer que hayan pasado casi diez años desde que leí éste manga. El estilo del autor me sigue pareciendo de lo más maravilloso: la ambientación y las escenas de acción son de sus puntos fuertes, y aunque hay un montón de desnudos, no tiene una connotación sexual, lo cual agradezco. Los personajes están muy bien construidos y conforme avanza la serie se nota el crecimiento de todos, inclusive de los secundarios.
Otra cosa que cabe destacar y que amo desde hace años, es la relación entre Mina y Akira. Es un romance peculiar en muchos aspectos, sin embargo, soy de la idea de que cuando dos personas están destinadas a estar juntas, no importa qué circunstancias y pesares vivan, nada los va a separar. Además de que ver las diferentes facetas de Mina lo hace mucho más entretenido; y, al igual que Akira, tengo esa necesidad de protegerla y el honor de llamarla mi princesa.
Voy a hacer lo posible por sólo leer un volumen de vez en vez, aunque si me conocen, saben que podría leerme los 14 de una sentada.
August 27, 2014
This manga is a little odd as I can't decide just what to think of the characters. The main character is Akira, a high-school aged werewolf who is of age now to take up service to the queen of all vampires, Mina Tepes. He is discernible as he is fairly idealistic. Everyone else... not so much.
The other main character so far, Mina Tepes herself, goes back and forth between cheerful and playful on the one hand, maybe even a little idealistic herself, to cold-bloodedly pragmatic, on the other hand. Her plan to have a safe haven, a small city-state within the confines of Tokyo, for vampires to exist in. Therein, she can keep the class differences and persecutions of different ranks from occurring.
This is truly noble, but the somewhat haughty attitude she takes, mixed in with her irreverence, are attributes I think will drive the story somewhat. To put it simply, she has no problem offering an olive branch mixed with somewhat racist? (or speciesist? I don't know) attitudes of how much better vampires are than humans and how lucky they are that she is so nice to mankind. I really get the feeling this will come back to bite her in the ass eventually.
What makes this disconcerting to me is how much of a mood whiplash her kindness yet elitism or idealism yet ruthlessness can cause for the reader. At the very least, she is interesting. Even if the real main protagonist is Akira, Mina as the secondary protagonist is far more interesting.
The artwork was really cool, but the mangaka was perhaps a tad too free in showing Mina in her typical, shall we say, vampiric freedom on certain matters of taste. She is hundreds of years old, so it was fine from a story point of view, but she assumes the form of a thirteen to fourteen year old girl, so it was a tad squicky.
In general, a good first volume that, while not the most interesting thing I've ever read, did pique my interest enough to give the rest of the volumes a chance.
The other main character so far, Mina Tepes herself, goes back and forth between cheerful and playful on the one hand, maybe even a little idealistic herself, to cold-bloodedly pragmatic, on the other hand. Her plan to have a safe haven, a small city-state within the confines of Tokyo, for vampires to exist in. Therein, she can keep the class differences and persecutions of different ranks from occurring.
This is truly noble, but the somewhat haughty attitude she takes, mixed in with her irreverence, are attributes I think will drive the story somewhat. To put it simply, she has no problem offering an olive branch mixed with somewhat racist? (or speciesist? I don't know) attitudes of how much better vampires are than humans and how lucky they are that she is so nice to mankind. I really get the feeling this will come back to bite her in the ass eventually.
What makes this disconcerting to me is how much of a mood whiplash her kindness yet elitism or idealism yet ruthlessness can cause for the reader. At the very least, she is interesting. Even if the real main protagonist is Akira, Mina as the secondary protagonist is far more interesting.
The artwork was really cool, but the mangaka was perhaps a tad too free in showing Mina in her typical, shall we say, vampiric freedom on certain matters of taste. She is hundreds of years old, so it was fine from a story point of view, but she assumes the form of a thirteen to fourteen year old girl, so it was a tad squicky.
In general, a good first volume that, while not the most interesting thing I've ever read, did pique my interest enough to give the rest of the volumes a chance.
February 16, 2016
Dance in The Vampire Bund is a vampire manga that I happened to catch the short series on Netflix a few years ago. The anime never had an end so I’m hoping to get one by reading the manga. Mina Tepes is the vampire ruler even though she has the body of a 9 year old girl. Her guardians are the earth clan a pack of werewolves and she’s taken a fancy to one young shifter Akira making him her companion.
Mina strives to make a safe place for the vampires of the world and with her plan the Bund in the works she may just succeed at her plan. Mina used her vast amount of money to acquire some land off the coast of Japan to build her Bund. She even comes out to the human world about the vampires being real after being attacked at an interview. Will they figure out who’s after her? What about the Bund?
I find Mina an intriguing character even though she’s an ancient vampire trapped she’s in the body of a young girl which makes her seem weaker. I have a feeling she’s a lot more than the girl she appears to be at least so I far and I’m curious to see how she evolves. Not sure how I feel about Akira I’ve got some mixed feelings about him at the moment. I see a potential love match but hopefully Mina will grow up a little physically.
I watched the anime on Netflix but it never had an ending so after finishing my last manga I decided to give it a shot. The concept is interesting the idea of building a vampire city for them all to live in seems to work protecting the vampires as well as the humans. Mina is an interesting character who’s quickly growing on me with each page. While this is just my first volume I admit it has my attention captivated the art work may just be the best I’ve seen so far. The story is face paced flowing smoothly along. I’m looking forward to seeing how it will all play out at last.
Mina strives to make a safe place for the vampires of the world and with her plan the Bund in the works she may just succeed at her plan. Mina used her vast amount of money to acquire some land off the coast of Japan to build her Bund. She even comes out to the human world about the vampires being real after being attacked at an interview. Will they figure out who’s after her? What about the Bund?
I find Mina an intriguing character even though she’s an ancient vampire trapped she’s in the body of a young girl which makes her seem weaker. I have a feeling she’s a lot more than the girl she appears to be at least so I far and I’m curious to see how she evolves. Not sure how I feel about Akira I’ve got some mixed feelings about him at the moment. I see a potential love match but hopefully Mina will grow up a little physically.
I watched the anime on Netflix but it never had an ending so after finishing my last manga I decided to give it a shot. The concept is interesting the idea of building a vampire city for them all to live in seems to work protecting the vampires as well as the humans. Mina is an interesting character who’s quickly growing on me with each page. While this is just my first volume I admit it has my attention captivated the art work may just be the best I’ve seen so far. The story is face paced flowing smoothly along. I’m looking forward to seeing how it will all play out at last.
May 12, 2015
I bought the 1st collection (vols 1-3) on spec, and liked it enough to buy the rest a few days later to complete Part 1 (vols 1-14). All together, that's 250mm (ten inches) of reading! This review is for the whole set. Be warned: there's lots of nudity, although no sex. I must admit, though, that since Princess Mina Tepes usually appears about ten years old (despite being over 100), occasionally seeing her naked or near-naked was uncomfortable.
Without giving anything away, the story begins with the revelation that the new island in Tokyo Harbor has been constructed and ceded to form a tiny country that's to be a safe haven for Vampires, with Mina as its ruler. The story is one of political intrigue of vampires and their werewolf allies, with very strongly developed characters, lots of deep feelings, and plenty of noble, and also plenty of fiendishly-political, characters. The author does a great job of giving a sense of depth and history to this world, as well as developing the sort of nicely convoluted plot you'd expect from a deeply hierarchical society of near-immortals. I enjoyed the artwork, and the relationship between Mina and Akira (her werewolf bodyguard, sworn to her from birth). Mina was nicely portrayed: both caring and even loving, but also capable of being as ruthless as necessity demanded. I found the tale absorbing and often touching – like the deeply moving moment when Mina succeeds in making Akira laugh again – and quite remarkably gripping. In Vol 11, I think, I realised my heart was pounding and racing in my chest, as I read as fast as I could to see how the dreadful situation would resolve: hoping desperately for the best while fearing the worst. There were also some wonderfully-observed moments of both the worst and the best of human behaviour, during the climactic situation. A wonderful ride.
June 8, 2011
Ignoring the large quantity of well endowed women, skimpy clothing, and odd "child" nudity, this fantasy series is an interesting read so far. Like most vampire stories, there's a hint of romance to it, but nothing too cheesy or cliche yet. What I like most about this first volume is that it contains multiple mysteries to pull you in, and the characters are as a real as a werewolf servant and vampire child queen can get. The political backdrop of the vampire race, a hated and feared minority in the world, seeking "asylum" in a newly created district of their own is another interesting concept of the story, and the one that I'm the most interested in seeing develop. What sort of government will form? What sort of economy and society will develop? Is war inevitable, because it seems to be foreshadowed. I do not know, but I'm definitely going to keep reading the series to find out.
April 15, 2020
being at home means being in close proximity with my Teenage Manga Collection, so i figured i'd try to kill the boredom and existential dread with some light reading. i was a bit apprehensive to get back into the ones i genuinely loved (and still do love, somewhere in my Now Kind Of Not So Teenage Heart) and being disappointed that they don't live up to my memories of them, so instead i picked up this one, which i remembered virtually nothing about. frankly, i'm not even sure i ever read it.
turns out i would have done better to leave it alone. i'll be the first one to say that manga and japanese art have brought things of immense value to global culture - but the "it's okay for this 10 year old girl to be naked and sexy because she's actually 300 years old" is NOT one of them. the plot itself isn't particularly engaging nor revolting so far, but having to deal with either seeing a child get ~sexified~ or random boob shots of the adult looking female characters on every page is something i could have done very well without. i'm sure there is a way to make a successful vampire story without appealing to the grossest public i can think of. there's probably a better way to analyse this, but for now i think it can sum it up in just one word: YIKES.
turns out i would have done better to leave it alone. i'll be the first one to say that manga and japanese art have brought things of immense value to global culture - but the "it's okay for this 10 year old girl to be naked and sexy because she's actually 300 years old" is NOT one of them. the plot itself isn't particularly engaging nor revolting so far, but having to deal with either seeing a child get ~sexified~ or random boob shots of the adult looking female characters on every page is something i could have done very well without. i'm sure there is a way to make a successful vampire story without appealing to the grossest public i can think of. there's probably a better way to analyse this, but for now i think it can sum it up in just one word: YIKES.
December 18, 2020
I was apprehensive to start this series after reading a big focus is the relationship between the two MCs, imagining insta-love and cringey tropes. However, being drawn to the character designs and plot concept, I decided to give it a go. Luckily for me, werewolf Akira and Mina, princess of the vampires, seem to be apprehensive friends at best in this volume. It’s clear they share some sort of history, but the extent of this isn’t revealed just yet.
The plot is already quite engaging. With Mina’s plan to build a safe haven for vampires off the coast of Japan set into motion, political intrigue and assassination attempts begin to emerge. There are also glimpses into a possible supernatural mystery involving the royal vampire family and some past trauma of Akira’s that should prove worthy of intriguing character development.
I’m so looking forward to reading more and seeing how all of the tension plays out.
The plot is already quite engaging. With Mina’s plan to build a safe haven for vampires off the coast of Japan set into motion, political intrigue and assassination attempts begin to emerge. There are also glimpses into a possible supernatural mystery involving the royal vampire family and some past trauma of Akira’s that should prove worthy of intriguing character development.
I’m so looking forward to reading more and seeing how all of the tension plays out.
April 16, 2021
Perché caspita ho comprato l'edizione Ronin che non è neanche completa? E perché la Ronin continuava a interrompere le sue serie?
Comprata perché c'erano i vampiri di mezzo e per la parola Bund nel titolo. Quando c'è di mezzo un po' di tedesco...
Tanti si lamentano per Mina, con il suo corpo di bambina spesso nudo e il suo atteggiamento da regina dei vampiri. Non mi sono nemmeno posta il problema... È un personaggio di carta che non può nemmeno essere considerato una bambina.
A parte Mina, la storia sembra interessante, con tutti i vampiri - e il loro bizzarro modo di considerare la vita... o la morte, nel loro caso - ammassati in un'isoletta fuori Tokyo. Ovvio che non tutti apprezzino ciò.
Vediamo come continua. Per il momento promosso!
Comprata perché c'erano i vampiri di mezzo e per la parola Bund nel titolo. Quando c'è di mezzo un po' di tedesco...
Tanti si lamentano per Mina, con il suo corpo di bambina spesso nudo e il suo atteggiamento da regina dei vampiri. Non mi sono nemmeno posta il problema... È un personaggio di carta che non può nemmeno essere considerato una bambina.
A parte Mina, la storia sembra interessante, con tutti i vampiri - e il loro bizzarro modo di considerare la vita... o la morte, nel loro caso - ammassati in un'isoletta fuori Tokyo. Ovvio che non tutti apprezzino ciò.
Vediamo come continua. Per il momento promosso!
Read
March 1, 2021I enjoyed it. Bloody. Somewhat childish at times but has some amazing scene direction— a great example of how manga speed reading can feel like a film and why this medium shouldn’t be overlooked. Very cool premise. I enjoyed the Japanese depiction of Victorian characters and the Bund is a terrific setting and feels very alive. My favorite scene has a non vampire desperately running through the Bund —a private city for vampires— through alleys and bars. Unique and fleshed out depictions of different types of people with the vampiric condition, some who want peace and to cope with their affliction, and others who embrace it animalistically.
December 31, 2023
This one...this one is so good even at the first two pages! And it's an anime top.
About vampires trying to flee American and find a safe place to live because the church is taking over the government and they want to kill them all no matter if they are good or not. So the queen of vampires and the king of werewolves are trying to save them but also the father of all vampires is possibly trying to destroy the world and have vampires rule maybe. And there's another person in play whoe claims to be the God of vampires trying to cause problems.
About vampires trying to flee American and find a safe place to live because the church is taking over the government and they want to kill them all no matter if they are good or not. So the queen of vampires and the king of werewolves are trying to save them but also the father of all vampires is possibly trying to destroy the world and have vampires rule maybe. And there's another person in play whoe claims to be the God of vampires trying to cause problems.
December 13, 2017
This is weird it is very similar yet so different from the anime but I do love that while their are hints of romance it is not like tradition vampire stories as it does stay away from normal tropes that of the Supernatural Romance stories or even other vampire stories as it seems to stick with the more sci-fi side of the spectrum.
January 27, 2018
This is the first in a series of graphic novels where an island near Japan was purchased by vampires to become a land for them. In the initial episode, the ruler of all vampires, Mina Tepes has brought in Akira, a werewolf to act as her bodyguard. Someone is attempting to kill Mina Tepes. The art and story are interesting from the beginning.
October 29, 2020
Could not get past the point that the main character is in the body of about 8-10 year old and she was naked for way too long in the book. The plot just didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t even finish the book
September 9, 2021
Although this 1st book wasn’t perfect by no means was it a bad one either it’s just an okay book nothing spectacular or mind blowing either.which I think was the intent. Overall a decent start to a series I hope improves over time.
July 7, 2018
Nude, blood + gore.
Hmmm, ceritanya masih so-so dengan gaya gambar biasa.
Hmmm, ceritanya masih so-so dengan gaya gambar biasa.
July 17, 2018
I loved the Manga i watched the show over and over i need to buy more Vampire Manga soon
February 15, 2020
So far so good ☺😍
January 8, 2024
Mina reminds me of myself, since I was forced to be more of an adult too soon. I feel for the predicament and pressures to someone I cannot be for others.
June 15, 2025
This is another series where I own many volumes. It's off to a good start.
March 13, 2020
A little gratuitous in places but good pace.
October 16, 2022
So this story is kind of gross to me. There is a constantly half naked child like vampire. That doesn't sit right with me. No matter what reason. And it is for 16+ so there is also that.
February 5, 2023
okay, jest to zboczone i mega dziwne. ale końcówka mnie zaskoczyła i wciągnęła
February 6, 2016
http://morethansuperhumans.blogspot.c...
Mina Tepes, princess of the vampires, uses her clan's considerable wealth to bribe the Japanese government into allowing her to construct an island in the middle of Tokyo harbor. Then she reveals her existence (as well as the very existence of vampires) to the world. Once the word is out, vampires from all over the world begin migrating to the island (known as "the bund"), which Mina intends to serve as the first full-blown vampire kingdom in the modern world.
As you can imagine, not everyone is happy about this development and someone is plotting to assassinate Mina. Eighteen-year-old werewolf Akira Kaburagi, who pledged his life to her seven years ago, is called upon to serve as the princess's personal bodyguard. As a press conference with the world's media approaches, Akira and Mina's assistant, Vera, must determine who is trying to kill the princess, and why.
I'll admit it: I'm not a big fan of most manga. There are certain Japanese books I adore (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, primarily) but for the most part I don't enjoy them. Not only do I find the art style unappealing but there's just something about Japanese comics that does not translate well into English. As with the folks who complain that the distinctly Russian idiom present in, for example, Dostoevsky's works has yet to be perfectly translated into English, I think the Japanese idiom is often mistranslated (or simply cannot be accurately translated) into English. Particularly in manga, there are certain exclamations and asides that read as clunky when translated into English.
Dance in the Vampire Bund is no exception. At times the dialogue feels choppy and/or juvenile. It's possible to get used to it but it can be distracting until you find the right rhythm.
One of my other problems with a lot of manga is the disposable nature of it. It's hard to forget that most manga (and there is a lot of it) is cranked out to be read and then promptly forgotten by its readers, who have already moved on to the next story, and the next. Manga is so popular in Japan that there's not even an analogue here in the States. Imagine daytime soap operas, if there were hundreds of them broadcast every day and everyone watched them--not just at home but on the subway, in restaurants, at work, everywhere.
Dance in the Vampire Bund isn't quite that bad; it's beautifully drawn and contains some interesting characters, but even so it's more Spider-Man than Love & Rockets. The action is fast-paced, the humor is light, the relationships are steeped in banter, and the plot reigns supreme. It's the kind of story that is enjoyable while you're reading it, but not particularly memorable. Its conceit (vampires "coming out" to the public, and the consequences of that decision) has been done better in other media (e.g., HBO's True Blood).
But the book's biggest problem is the fact that Mina is (presumably) an ancient vampire trapped in an adolescent body. The stereotype of rampant Japanese child-porn in manga is not helped by the fact that Mina disrobes often in this book. Akira remains a gentleman (so far, anyway), but it doesn't change the fact that Mina looks like a little girl. Honestly, I would have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.
Mina Tepes, princess of the vampires, uses her clan's considerable wealth to bribe the Japanese government into allowing her to construct an island in the middle of Tokyo harbor. Then she reveals her existence (as well as the very existence of vampires) to the world. Once the word is out, vampires from all over the world begin migrating to the island (known as "the bund"), which Mina intends to serve as the first full-blown vampire kingdom in the modern world.
As you can imagine, not everyone is happy about this development and someone is plotting to assassinate Mina. Eighteen-year-old werewolf Akira Kaburagi, who pledged his life to her seven years ago, is called upon to serve as the princess's personal bodyguard. As a press conference with the world's media approaches, Akira and Mina's assistant, Vera, must determine who is trying to kill the princess, and why.
I'll admit it: I'm not a big fan of most manga. There are certain Japanese books I adore (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, primarily) but for the most part I don't enjoy them. Not only do I find the art style unappealing but there's just something about Japanese comics that does not translate well into English. As with the folks who complain that the distinctly Russian idiom present in, for example, Dostoevsky's works has yet to be perfectly translated into English, I think the Japanese idiom is often mistranslated (or simply cannot be accurately translated) into English. Particularly in manga, there are certain exclamations and asides that read as clunky when translated into English.
Dance in the Vampire Bund is no exception. At times the dialogue feels choppy and/or juvenile. It's possible to get used to it but it can be distracting until you find the right rhythm.
One of my other problems with a lot of manga is the disposable nature of it. It's hard to forget that most manga (and there is a lot of it) is cranked out to be read and then promptly forgotten by its readers, who have already moved on to the next story, and the next. Manga is so popular in Japan that there's not even an analogue here in the States. Imagine daytime soap operas, if there were hundreds of them broadcast every day and everyone watched them--not just at home but on the subway, in restaurants, at work, everywhere.
Dance in the Vampire Bund isn't quite that bad; it's beautifully drawn and contains some interesting characters, but even so it's more Spider-Man than Love & Rockets. The action is fast-paced, the humor is light, the relationships are steeped in banter, and the plot reigns supreme. It's the kind of story that is enjoyable while you're reading it, but not particularly memorable. Its conceit (vampires "coming out" to the public, and the consequences of that decision) has been done better in other media (e.g., HBO's True Blood).
But the book's biggest problem is the fact that Mina is (presumably) an ancient vampire trapped in an adolescent body. The stereotype of rampant Japanese child-porn in manga is not helped by the fact that Mina disrobes often in this book. Akira remains a gentleman (so far, anyway), but it doesn't change the fact that Mina looks like a little girl. Honestly, I would have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.
July 17, 2013
Thematically, this may be the creepiest vampire story I've encountered since Let The Right One In.
In this tale, the Queen of the Vampires is physically a little girl, appearing to be no older than nine or ten. Her mental age is clearly much older, although we're never told how old she really is. By pooling the huge financial resources of the vampires, she has strong-armed the Japanese government into letting her have a "homeland" for vampires, not far from Tokyo. To keep them from simply eating the local population, she's feeding them artificial blood. What could possibly go wrong?
One reason it becomes so creepy is that this is a vampire story in which vampirism is portrayed as a very sexualized experience. Vampires dance sensually in a shower of fake blood falling from the sky. As in the recent film Kiss of the Damned, vampires have used their immortality to become rich and hedonistic.
Okay, fine, but physically, the main character is a little girl. One who, in theory, controls thousands of vampires and billions of dollars in wealth, and whose whims include having a male servant/bodyguard rubbing her with sunblock. One who dresses in very little clothing at times, apparently for the purpose of disconcerting her bodyguard, who is himself not entirely human, but still quite male. Creepy immortal hedonism in a pre-pubescent body. When her bodyguard rescues her from danger by wrapping his arm around her eternally-flat chest, she makes jokes about never having been groped by a man before. Maybe it was funnier in Japanese.
Then, there are the other vampires. Partway through volume 1, a vampire needs to quickly turn a human associate into a vampire. For reasons known only to the author, he bit the area exposed by her extreme cleavage, rather than her neck. The ongoing fan service in the story was so common that this was only mildly jarring, and certainly not out of place with the rest of the tale.
Weirdly, the basic tale is interesting enough that I will put up with the creepiness for a bit longer. There's intrigue, violence, politics, betrayal, money and, let's face it, a whole bunch of vampires partying. So, it's not all bad.
In this tale, the Queen of the Vampires is physically a little girl, appearing to be no older than nine or ten. Her mental age is clearly much older, although we're never told how old she really is. By pooling the huge financial resources of the vampires, she has strong-armed the Japanese government into letting her have a "homeland" for vampires, not far from Tokyo. To keep them from simply eating the local population, she's feeding them artificial blood. What could possibly go wrong?
One reason it becomes so creepy is that this is a vampire story in which vampirism is portrayed as a very sexualized experience. Vampires dance sensually in a shower of fake blood falling from the sky. As in the recent film Kiss of the Damned, vampires have used their immortality to become rich and hedonistic.
Okay, fine, but physically, the main character is a little girl. One who, in theory, controls thousands of vampires and billions of dollars in wealth, and whose whims include having a male servant/bodyguard rubbing her with sunblock. One who dresses in very little clothing at times, apparently for the purpose of disconcerting her bodyguard, who is himself not entirely human, but still quite male. Creepy immortal hedonism in a pre-pubescent body. When her bodyguard rescues her from danger by wrapping his arm around her eternally-flat chest, she makes jokes about never having been groped by a man before. Maybe it was funnier in Japanese.
Then, there are the other vampires. Partway through volume 1, a vampire needs to quickly turn a human associate into a vampire. For reasons known only to the author, he bit the area exposed by her extreme cleavage, rather than her neck. The ongoing fan service in the story was so common that this was only mildly jarring, and certainly not out of place with the rest of the tale.
Weirdly, the basic tale is interesting enough that I will put up with the creepiness for a bit longer. There's intrigue, violence, politics, betrayal, money and, let's face it, a whole bunch of vampires partying. So, it's not all bad.
January 13, 2010
Unlike the anime, which seems to be more of a prologue, volume 1 of the manga starts off with Akira preparing to meet the Vampire Princess/Queen, Mina Tepes, he is about to serve. Once thus-inducted (by saving the Princess from getting a blistering), he is shown the Vampire Bund -- an island of reclaimed land that Mina bought from the Japanese government, for exclusive use of vampires. Not everyone is happy about this, and Mina suffers threat not only from other humans, but vampires as well. Of course, her faithful bodyguard detail often saves the day, and Akira, with bomb-sniffing skills only useful in Volume 1, proves to be a good addition.
I was pleasantly surprised by this manga. The art was likable, as were the characters, from the reticent Akira to the arrogant gothloli vampire (moe~!?) Mina. Though, I have to say, the random loli fanservice was a tad surprising. An interesting spin was put on the whole vampire thing -- from Stigma (still not too sure what that is >.>) to vampire roulette, Fangless, and vampire assassins hiding explosives within their own bellies. (._. ALSO still not too sure how that works. XD) Dance with the Vampire Maid is also a hilarious set of yonkoma at the end of the volumes that shouldn't be missed. XD
BUT I have to say I didn't appreciate the random italics and bolding Seven Seas decided to put into their translation. After a while, you don't really notice so much, but it's nonetheless vaguely-annoying.
I was pleasantly surprised by this manga. The art was likable, as were the characters, from the reticent Akira to the arrogant gothloli vampire (moe~!?) Mina. Though, I have to say, the random loli fanservice was a tad surprising. An interesting spin was put on the whole vampire thing -- from Stigma (still not too sure what that is >.>) to vampire roulette, Fangless, and vampire assassins hiding explosives within their own bellies. (._. ALSO still not too sure how that works. XD) Dance with the Vampire Maid is also a hilarious set of yonkoma at the end of the volumes that shouldn't be missed. XD
BUT I have to say I didn't appreciate the random italics and bolding Seven Seas decided to put into their translation. After a while, you don't really notice so much, but it's nonetheless vaguely-annoying.
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