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Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, Vol. 1
Locked in the back of a minivan headed for who knows where, Azusa Saito realizes she has been kidnapped. Just when she thinks there’s no hope for escape, she is rescued by a man with glowing red eyes. Or is she? Her supposed rescuer forces her to live in a town of vampires. There she learns the story of her kidnapper, a red-eyed vampire charged with the bothersome role of guarding her from enemy covens and from escaping. He is the dreaded Akaoni, the only vampire all other vampires tremble in fear of. Oddly, he doesn’t scare her though.
What will happen between a powerful, ostracized vampire who never drank blood and a girl who is hunted for her blood? Will love blossom between them when enemies abound within and without the coven? Find out in this thrilling shoujo light novel series!
What will happen between a powerful, ostracized vampire who never drank blood and a girl who is hunted for her blood? Will love blossom between them when enemies abound within and without the coven? Find out in this thrilling shoujo light novel series!
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2017
58 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 5, 2020
He's 28 or somewhere around there. She's 17. The plot starts happening at 80% into the book. The translation is.. bad. Too much localizations (Shoujo Beets) adds to the whole fan-ficcy feel of the book. Of course it's an original text but having "Kouya's POV" written out under the chapter title is just facepalm inducing.
He's of course a rapist type and she's the clueless doormat that doesn't understand love. She ends up in his bed room and he does the rapey thing of "See me as a man, this is a man's room, I'mma rape you!" bullshit. He vampire rapes her later. Did I mention the plot doesn't show up till 80% through, and it.. not really resolved...
He's of course a rapist type and she's the clueless doormat that doesn't understand love. She ends up in his bed room and he does the rapey thing of "See me as a man, this is a man's room, I'mma rape you!" bullshit. He vampire rapes her later. Did I mention the plot doesn't show up till 80% through, and it.. not really resolved...
April 23, 2020
First of all, in terms of length, Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire Volume 1 is a monster. (Pun intended.) The light novel is over 90,000 words long and has 66 (albeit short) chapters. Several times I told myself I’ll stop at such-and-such percent, then I read for what I thought was a long while, and still have a ways to go. If you want to read something that is going to last you a while, then stop reading right now and go buy Akaoni Volume 1.
A warning though: the quick chapters tempt you to keep reading; if you try to marathon the volume, some of the character development and change of hearts will seem too fast.
Most of you will have no idea what I’m talking about right now, so let me start at the beginning. Which in this case, features the heroine, Azusa, being kidnapped.
Yes, the story certainly doesn’t waste any time jumping right in to the action. The trade-off, however, is that we don’t really get a sense of who Azusa is until after she’s rescued and living her new life — a life she adjusts to rather quickly. Azusa learns about the existence of vampires, the reasons for her capture, and the truth about her family… and within three days (which are skipped) she’s cracking jokes and making breakfast for her bodyguard (read: monitor) Ichi. It’s these kind of gaps that make me recommend reading Akaoni in small doses. When you read one chapter after another, her adjustment seems sudden, but if you space them out, it’s easier to imagine how Azusa spent those three days grappling with the truth.
But back to the actual plot. Akaoni reminds me a lot of Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (with some Hakuoki thrown in of course). Azusa is rescued by Kouya, a vampire known as the Akaoni who strikes down those how have gone berserk. While Kouya is rumored to be a cold-blooded murderer, she finds the real Akaoni to be a nice, dessert-loving guy. Azusa gradually is given more freedom in the own thanks to her charge-ahead personality. The titular contract doesn’t take place for quite a while, and the thought of it having romantic connotations shocks Azusa more than any other revelation in the story. The volume bounces back and forth between struggles with those who want to bring Azusa to their side and her days with Kouya, Ichi, and their friend Subaru.
The real strength of Akaoni lies in Kouya himself. Shoujo heroes often outrank shoujo heroines in popularity polls, but Kouya really is the star of the story. From his reluctance to drink blood to his (in his opinion, one-sided) friendship with Subaru to his relationships with his father and brothers, I perked up whenever a chapter switched to Kouya’s point-of-view. Kouya is the type where “…” is a catchphrase, but I like how everyone understands him. (He’s a terrible liar, a quality not often found in mysterious types.) No manga or light novel fan has difficulty finding vampire stories, but you won’t find many who don’t try to rape or bite the heroine from the start and develop feelings for the protagonist first. Some readers may have problems with the age gap and his sudden displays of jealousy, but it’s nothing out of the range of manga behavior.
While Azusa learns about her history at the beginning, the light novel ends with more mysteries than it started with. It’s not a cliffhanger ending, but the last few pages have that “the true battle starts now” aura. A lot of times, these sorts of finales feel like a cop-out for a sequel, but the buildup here feels natural, a combination of an extended prequel and a Part 1. The plot progression rewards readers who stick through the slow parts of the story involving girl talk or school stalkers.
Insert images seem a bit on the low side, but perhaps this is because Akaoni is longer than many other light novels. The art reminded me a bit of Alice in the Country of Hearts with its long faces and soft pastels in the color images. Meanwhile, the translation appeared to be on the formal side, and I think the volume would have been stronger with some more casual speech: “was surprisingly normal” instead of “went by surprisingly normally” for instance. Even lines such as, “What a healthy vampire you are to not need blood!” sounds more like from Red Riding Hood rather than a typical Japanese girl. I also noticed at least one typo (“balls of steal”).
All in all, Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire is not going to revolutionize the vampire genre. But even for those of us who have the strength of the story lies in Kouya. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to suffer yet another “you’re my property”-type male lead, and his conflicting emotions made the Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire come alive. The somewhat-mysterious ending and the revelations leaves me to believe Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire Volume 2 will be even stronger.
- Krystallina
A warning though: the quick chapters tempt you to keep reading; if you try to marathon the volume, some of the character development and change of hearts will seem too fast.
Most of you will have no idea what I’m talking about right now, so let me start at the beginning. Which in this case, features the heroine, Azusa, being kidnapped.
Yes, the story certainly doesn’t waste any time jumping right in to the action. The trade-off, however, is that we don’t really get a sense of who Azusa is until after she’s rescued and living her new life — a life she adjusts to rather quickly. Azusa learns about the existence of vampires, the reasons for her capture, and the truth about her family… and within three days (which are skipped) she’s cracking jokes and making breakfast for her bodyguard (read: monitor) Ichi. It’s these kind of gaps that make me recommend reading Akaoni in small doses. When you read one chapter after another, her adjustment seems sudden, but if you space them out, it’s easier to imagine how Azusa spent those three days grappling with the truth.
But back to the actual plot. Akaoni reminds me a lot of Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (with some Hakuoki thrown in of course). Azusa is rescued by Kouya, a vampire known as the Akaoni who strikes down those how have gone berserk. While Kouya is rumored to be a cold-blooded murderer, she finds the real Akaoni to be a nice, dessert-loving guy. Azusa gradually is given more freedom in the own thanks to her charge-ahead personality. The titular contract doesn’t take place for quite a while, and the thought of it having romantic connotations shocks Azusa more than any other revelation in the story. The volume bounces back and forth between struggles with those who want to bring Azusa to their side and her days with Kouya, Ichi, and their friend Subaru.
The real strength of Akaoni lies in Kouya himself. Shoujo heroes often outrank shoujo heroines in popularity polls, but Kouya really is the star of the story. From his reluctance to drink blood to his (in his opinion, one-sided) friendship with Subaru to his relationships with his father and brothers, I perked up whenever a chapter switched to Kouya’s point-of-view. Kouya is the type where “…” is a catchphrase, but I like how everyone understands him. (He’s a terrible liar, a quality not often found in mysterious types.) No manga or light novel fan has difficulty finding vampire stories, but you won’t find many who don’t try to rape or bite the heroine from the start and develop feelings for the protagonist first. Some readers may have problems with the age gap and his sudden displays of jealousy, but it’s nothing out of the range of manga behavior.
While Azusa learns about her history at the beginning, the light novel ends with more mysteries than it started with. It’s not a cliffhanger ending, but the last few pages have that “the true battle starts now” aura. A lot of times, these sorts of finales feel like a cop-out for a sequel, but the buildup here feels natural, a combination of an extended prequel and a Part 1. The plot progression rewards readers who stick through the slow parts of the story involving girl talk or school stalkers.
Insert images seem a bit on the low side, but perhaps this is because Akaoni is longer than many other light novels. The art reminded me a bit of Alice in the Country of Hearts with its long faces and soft pastels in the color images. Meanwhile, the translation appeared to be on the formal side, and I think the volume would have been stronger with some more casual speech: “was surprisingly normal” instead of “went by surprisingly normally” for instance. Even lines such as, “What a healthy vampire you are to not need blood!” sounds more like from Red Riding Hood rather than a typical Japanese girl. I also noticed at least one typo (“balls of steal”).
All in all, Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire is not going to revolutionize the vampire genre. But even for those of us who have the strength of the story lies in Kouya. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to suffer yet another “you’re my property”-type male lead, and his conflicting emotions made the Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire come alive. The somewhat-mysterious ending and the revelations leaves me to believe Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire Volume 2 will be even stronger.
- Krystallina
November 27, 2019
3.5
Akaoni may stick to the more palatable type of vampires that have become popular since the wake of Twilight and its ensuing onslaught of similar paranormal YA novels, but it taps into some interesting aspects to put a fresh spin on the genre. While primarily a romance, Akaoni shares a lot in common with Vampire Knight, some shonen battle manga and even the popular otome game, Code Realize: Guardian of Rebirth. All of these serve to provide a fun read, complete with a promising protagonist, a swoon-worthy love interest and a coven of new friends with which to enjoy this world.
When Azusa is kidnapped, she's quickly rescued by a group of vampires who have their own designs for her existence. Her rescuers hail from the Red Coven, a group of vampires who aren't outright hostile to humans, like the Blue Coven are. With the knowledge that she isn't entirely human, Azusa is kept within the confines of the Red Coven for research purposes - but Azusa has her own problems to deal with. So she tags along with another vampire named Kouya to speak to the Red Coven's patriarch and grants for herself more freedom on the condition that she adhere to their rules until they have gleaned the knowledge they want from her. She agrees and is placed under the watchful eye of a bodyguard named Ichi, a girl who has some issues with men, as well as with the very Akaoni himself: Kouya.
Learning about the world, contracts, how blood functions for vampires, their society and the issues with F class vampires is fascinating, albeit a rudimentary outline that needs more work. A lot of it is reminiscent of Vampire Knight regarding the extermination of these feral vampires. In addition, all of the characters are intriguing, the heroine herself included. She doesn't let the plot drive her, either. If someone's in danger, she rushes to their aid. She does whatever she can, not just to preserve her life, but because she genuinely wants to help others. Azusa is refreshing and reads like a real human girl struggling to find her place in a world of otherworldly beings.
Her love interest, Kouya aka the Akaoni, is also very interesting. His backstory and his past connections to Azusa may be predictable but it was done well. I loved how he wasn't an abusive love interest. While he did have one moment near the end that was a little questionable, he handled it very well, took responsibility for it and moved on to better himself. I really liked seeing his flaws because it rounded him out.
While light novels in particular have a quirky writing style in general, I think Cross Infinite World showed some of their best skills in translating this one. I Became The Hero of A Secretary felt like their weakest translation (though that might be how the original material read but I have no access to it), but Akaoni was easy to read and didn't have too many oddly phrased sentences. However, most of the awkward phrasing occurs near the beginning and slowly wears off . The tenses and perspectives did change throughout depending on which character was telling the story. First person perspectives read much more fluidly than the third person perspectives and I wish the author had stuck with first throughout the entirety of the novel.
Akaoni can be a tad predictable and one of the antagonists needs some work but aside from those, Akaoni is among Cross Infinite's best in their catalog. I'm hopeful that the sequel delves more into the world and society of the covens and how it thrives in a world with humans. I'm hopeful we'll see a better antagonist and discover what's really going on with poor Azusa, and I can't wait to see how the romance pans out. I'm also looking forward to the announcement that the sequel will be released soon.
Akaoni may stick to the more palatable type of vampires that have become popular since the wake of Twilight and its ensuing onslaught of similar paranormal YA novels, but it taps into some interesting aspects to put a fresh spin on the genre. While primarily a romance, Akaoni shares a lot in common with Vampire Knight, some shonen battle manga and even the popular otome game, Code Realize: Guardian of Rebirth. All of these serve to provide a fun read, complete with a promising protagonist, a swoon-worthy love interest and a coven of new friends with which to enjoy this world.
When Azusa is kidnapped, she's quickly rescued by a group of vampires who have their own designs for her existence. Her rescuers hail from the Red Coven, a group of vampires who aren't outright hostile to humans, like the Blue Coven are. With the knowledge that she isn't entirely human, Azusa is kept within the confines of the Red Coven for research purposes - but Azusa has her own problems to deal with. So she tags along with another vampire named Kouya to speak to the Red Coven's patriarch and grants for herself more freedom on the condition that she adhere to their rules until they have gleaned the knowledge they want from her. She agrees and is placed under the watchful eye of a bodyguard named Ichi, a girl who has some issues with men, as well as with the very Akaoni himself: Kouya.
Learning about the world, contracts, how blood functions for vampires, their society and the issues with F class vampires is fascinating, albeit a rudimentary outline that needs more work. A lot of it is reminiscent of Vampire Knight regarding the extermination of these feral vampires. In addition, all of the characters are intriguing, the heroine herself included. She doesn't let the plot drive her, either. If someone's in danger, she rushes to their aid. She does whatever she can, not just to preserve her life, but because she genuinely wants to help others. Azusa is refreshing and reads like a real human girl struggling to find her place in a world of otherworldly beings.
Her love interest, Kouya aka the Akaoni, is also very interesting. His backstory and his past connections to Azusa may be predictable but it was done well. I loved how he wasn't an abusive love interest. While he did have one moment near the end that was a little questionable, he handled it very well, took responsibility for it and moved on to better himself. I really liked seeing his flaws because it rounded him out.
While light novels in particular have a quirky writing style in general, I think Cross Infinite World showed some of their best skills in translating this one. I Became The Hero of A Secretary felt like their weakest translation (though that might be how the original material read but I have no access to it), but Akaoni was easy to read and didn't have too many oddly phrased sentences. However, most of the awkward phrasing occurs near the beginning and slowly wears off . The tenses and perspectives did change throughout depending on which character was telling the story. First person perspectives read much more fluidly than the third person perspectives and I wish the author had stuck with first throughout the entirety of the novel.
Akaoni can be a tad predictable and one of the antagonists needs some work but aside from those, Akaoni is among Cross Infinite's best in their catalog. I'm hopeful that the sequel delves more into the world and society of the covens and how it thrives in a world with humans. I'm hopeful we'll see a better antagonist and discover what's really going on with poor Azusa, and I can't wait to see how the romance pans out. I'm also looking forward to the announcement that the sequel will be released soon.
February 26, 2018
What is it?
A shoujo light novel where our heroin Azusa is kidnapped by vampires and finds out that the nature of her birth isn't exactly what she thought. She discovers a secret vampire society, the issues of their dying existence and the part her life plays in it all.
What are the characters like?
The characters are all pretty likeable. To start off with many come across as a typical trope but there are some scenes or some small details about their relationships mainly that set them apart slightly from the norm.
Anyone particularly cool?
I have three characters I that drew me into the book the most. One I can't talk about without spoiling so I'll avoid him. The other two are our main protagonists Azusa and Kouya. I was a bit sceptical of Kouya in the beginning. Comming from a generation whose first thought of vampire romance is 'eww Twilight' I was worried when he seemed like a typical broody guy. It wasn't until later scenes from his point of view that I came to understand why he acted the way he did and after that, I came to like his character and the way he starts to develop slowly through the book as Azusa wares down at his guarded heart.
Azusa herself is my favourite though. This girl is insane! She gets kidnapped and what does she do? starts baking cause she's bored. I wish I could have as much chill as this girl in a kidnapping situation. She's forceful, stubborn and strong, a protagonist I was entertained to follow because even if she might be the weakest character in the book due to being human it would be a crime to underestimate what she's capable of.
What's the bad news?
It can be a little slow at times, especially at the start but with the situation Azusa finds herself in I don't think there is any way around that issue.
I'll also say as cool as Azusa is she is a bit hard to relate to, at least for me and it leaves me lacking a relatable viewpoint in the story, especially when we are learning about the vampire's through her. The story was still interesting but this viewpoint would have drawn me in more, though I feel like it wouldn't fit in with the cast of characters anymore.
And the good news?
I didn't know much about Akaoni going in and I'm glad I didn't. It hit you right away with plot points that are interesting and made me want to read on, developing the idea through the book with interesting...not quite twists, but developments on the idea.
The character development was handled really well too. Kouya and one other character quickly changed from characters I either hated or was wary of, into my top 3 and the detail put into their characters makes me curious what the author has planned for the characters I don't know much about yet. I'm especially curious about Subaru at the moment.
The art was well placed in this too and captured some really cool looking moments not just focusing on the romance or silly scenes which is a relief.
Lastly, just a bit of personal preference but I liked that it was cut up into smaller chapters. The chapter count is 66 but they are all bite-sized chunks which made it easy to pick up and read on the go.
Would you recommend?
Yes. It was slow to start off with but I enjoyed Akaoni and am curious to read on. I think those who were looking for a vampire romance might be disappointed as that part of the story is a slow burn but for some supernatural shoujo, I think it's great!
A shoujo light novel where our heroin Azusa is kidnapped by vampires and finds out that the nature of her birth isn't exactly what she thought. She discovers a secret vampire society, the issues of their dying existence and the part her life plays in it all.
What are the characters like?
The characters are all pretty likeable. To start off with many come across as a typical trope but there are some scenes or some small details about their relationships mainly that set them apart slightly from the norm.
Anyone particularly cool?
I have three characters I that drew me into the book the most. One I can't talk about without spoiling so I'll avoid him. The other two are our main protagonists Azusa and Kouya. I was a bit sceptical of Kouya in the beginning. Comming from a generation whose first thought of vampire romance is 'eww Twilight' I was worried when he seemed like a typical broody guy. It wasn't until later scenes from his point of view that I came to understand why he acted the way he did and after that, I came to like his character and the way he starts to develop slowly through the book as Azusa wares down at his guarded heart.
Azusa herself is my favourite though. This girl is insane! She gets kidnapped and what does she do? starts baking cause she's bored. I wish I could have as much chill as this girl in a kidnapping situation. She's forceful, stubborn and strong, a protagonist I was entertained to follow because even if she might be the weakest character in the book due to being human it would be a crime to underestimate what she's capable of.
What's the bad news?
It can be a little slow at times, especially at the start but with the situation Azusa finds herself in I don't think there is any way around that issue.
I'll also say as cool as Azusa is she is a bit hard to relate to, at least for me and it leaves me lacking a relatable viewpoint in the story, especially when we are learning about the vampire's through her. The story was still interesting but this viewpoint would have drawn me in more, though I feel like it wouldn't fit in with the cast of characters anymore.
And the good news?
I didn't know much about Akaoni going in and I'm glad I didn't. It hit you right away with plot points that are interesting and made me want to read on, developing the idea through the book with interesting...not quite twists, but developments on the idea.
The character development was handled really well too. Kouya and one other character quickly changed from characters I either hated or was wary of, into my top 3 and the detail put into their characters makes me curious what the author has planned for the characters I don't know much about yet. I'm especially curious about Subaru at the moment.
The art was well placed in this too and captured some really cool looking moments not just focusing on the romance or silly scenes which is a relief.
Lastly, just a bit of personal preference but I liked that it was cut up into smaller chapters. The chapter count is 66 but they are all bite-sized chunks which made it easy to pick up and read on the go.
Would you recommend?
Yes. It was slow to start off with but I enjoyed Akaoni and am curious to read on. I think those who were looking for a vampire romance might be disappointed as that part of the story is a slow burn but for some supernatural shoujo, I think it's great!
July 19, 2018
Received in exchange for Review from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
I don't feel like reviving my blog for this, so I'm writing it on Goodreads. I entered the giveaway for this book after I finished reading LiEat, so I was in a light novel mood.
I remember only a few light novels getting translated and hyped in the U.S., such as Kamikaze Girls, Spice & Wolf, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Welcome to the NHK and No. 6 was fairly popular on the internet due to PDFs and fan translations. Tokyo Pop, a manga and light novel publisher that translated many early 2000s classics, went bankrupt years ago. Welcome to the NHK is a Tokyopop publication but I didn't know of its existence until much after Tokypop's death, so I had to read a PDF because the light novel is not in print anymore and used copies are rare. Also, when you're a teen who stayed away from anime social media spaces, light novels were really a genre of Japanese translated fiction that seemed obscure to me. Now with the age of Amazon and kindles, the light novel genre is revamped in the U.S. Now there's a wide catalog to pick from on Amazon and even CDJapan has opened up a section of English translated light novel ebooks.
So Akaoni has an attractive book cover but a very typical shoujo plot. It's about a girl, named Azusa, who gets kidnapped by a bunch of hooligans, just so she can be rescued and witness a man with red eyes murder her captors in cold blood. Soon she finds out she has vampire blood and her dad's a scientist who genetically engineered her. And then there's this whole mystery about who these vampires are and how they came to the universe, and how this girl is so special compared to other girls. Then she gets kidnapped again to find out she has a weird, failed experiment brother who spends a large portion of the book trying to get her to let him suck her blood. And she also gets coerced into marrying a vampire guy who has known her since she was a little girl but kept that a secret so she can spend a portion of her life living a lie. And it's just a whole bunch of stuff.
I think I would've enjoyed this better as a manga or a visual novel. Because the vampire lore was a bit of a stand out, but the characters and prose was nothing out of this world and the book format just made them really, really flat. Also, I know that light novels are supposed to be written in sparse, pulp fiction style because a lot of them are for young adults, but I do like some flair. Kamikaze Girls was a young adult light novel but the main character was a smarty pants that desired to be a French victorian girl so her voice was a combo of a teen girl and a dictionary eater. Welcome to the NHK has a narrator that is much older, a young man in his early 20s I believe, so his voice is more matured and he also is a smarty pants because he's a hermit that has no choice but to read books and manga. Akaoni had very little of that and I don't know if that was the translation or the author's actual writing style.
Akaoni is written with the voice of a young girl but it is also in third person perspective. The third person narrative wasn't good for this novel and affected the flavor of the prose a lot. I found it rather isolating, alienating more than usual because of the perspective and because of the sparseness of the prose. It also doesn't help that there are portions of this novel where nothing really happens except gags between the characters and slice of life high school scenes. The prose was bland except when anime gags started happening, like her brother being a creep or when her vampire husband wanted to beat someone up or one of the characters trips or something (just imagine the typical anime gags). I didn't expect Akaoni to be written like a Zadie Smith novel but I actually wish it was written with a slight goth tinge in first person perspective.
I lost interest in Akaoni super fast for some reason. I guess I just realized much later that it isn't my taste and would have suited me better when I was a teenager. But I think the biggest flaw was the fact that it was written mostly in 3rd person and in a very bland way. I don't have a problem with 3rd person perspective but I do have a problem with it when it's written in a bland matter. However, I gave the book 3 stars because I liked the art and the vampire lore at least.
I don't feel like reviving my blog for this, so I'm writing it on Goodreads. I entered the giveaway for this book after I finished reading LiEat, so I was in a light novel mood.
I remember only a few light novels getting translated and hyped in the U.S., such as Kamikaze Girls, Spice & Wolf, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Welcome to the NHK and No. 6 was fairly popular on the internet due to PDFs and fan translations. Tokyo Pop, a manga and light novel publisher that translated many early 2000s classics, went bankrupt years ago. Welcome to the NHK is a Tokyopop publication but I didn't know of its existence until much after Tokypop's death, so I had to read a PDF because the light novel is not in print anymore and used copies are rare. Also, when you're a teen who stayed away from anime social media spaces, light novels were really a genre of Japanese translated fiction that seemed obscure to me. Now with the age of Amazon and kindles, the light novel genre is revamped in the U.S. Now there's a wide catalog to pick from on Amazon and even CDJapan has opened up a section of English translated light novel ebooks.
So Akaoni has an attractive book cover but a very typical shoujo plot. It's about a girl, named Azusa, who gets kidnapped by a bunch of hooligans, just so she can be rescued and witness a man with red eyes murder her captors in cold blood. Soon she finds out she has vampire blood and her dad's a scientist who genetically engineered her. And then there's this whole mystery about who these vampires are and how they came to the universe, and how this girl is so special compared to other girls. Then she gets kidnapped again to find out she has a weird, failed experiment brother who spends a large portion of the book trying to get her to let him suck her blood. And she also gets coerced into marrying a vampire guy who has known her since she was a little girl but kept that a secret so she can spend a portion of her life living a lie. And it's just a whole bunch of stuff.
I think I would've enjoyed this better as a manga or a visual novel. Because the vampire lore was a bit of a stand out, but the characters and prose was nothing out of this world and the book format just made them really, really flat. Also, I know that light novels are supposed to be written in sparse, pulp fiction style because a lot of them are for young adults, but I do like some flair. Kamikaze Girls was a young adult light novel but the main character was a smarty pants that desired to be a French victorian girl so her voice was a combo of a teen girl and a dictionary eater. Welcome to the NHK has a narrator that is much older, a young man in his early 20s I believe, so his voice is more matured and he also is a smarty pants because he's a hermit that has no choice but to read books and manga. Akaoni had very little of that and I don't know if that was the translation or the author's actual writing style.
Akaoni is written with the voice of a young girl but it is also in third person perspective. The third person narrative wasn't good for this novel and affected the flavor of the prose a lot. I found it rather isolating, alienating more than usual because of the perspective and because of the sparseness of the prose. It also doesn't help that there are portions of this novel where nothing really happens except gags between the characters and slice of life high school scenes. The prose was bland except when anime gags started happening, like her brother being a creep or when her vampire husband wanted to beat someone up or one of the characters trips or something (just imagine the typical anime gags). I didn't expect Akaoni to be written like a Zadie Smith novel but I actually wish it was written with a slight goth tinge in first person perspective.
I lost interest in Akaoni super fast for some reason. I guess I just realized much later that it isn't my taste and would have suited me better when I was a teenager. But I think the biggest flaw was the fact that it was written mostly in 3rd person and in a very bland way. I don't have a problem with 3rd person perspective but I do have a problem with it when it's written in a bland matter. However, I gave the book 3 stars because I liked the art and the vampire lore at least.
May 16, 2018
I got this from a Goodreads Giveaway which in no way influenced my review. It’s probably more like a 3.5 but I rounded up because some of the stiltedness could be from the translation issues. I will say though, I’ve been reading Japanese light novels for decades and the translations are getting smoother, with more thought about how it reads in English as opposed to just being awkward direct translations.
That said there is definitely some awkwardness in world building and I can’t tell if this is a novelization of a manga or not, but it feels like it would have worked better as manga. It comes in three distinct parts.
It opens with Azusa Saito being kidnapped and then rescued by different vampire clans. Her rescuers are Red clan (the others Blue) and among them is Kouya, the son of the vampire Patriarch, the clan ruler. Kouya is a bit of a tragic figure, having killed a family member and is now his father’s weapons against F type vampires (vampires in this world are mostly human, needing only a little blood and can be out in the day. They do however have magical powers, but some end up going insane when their powers awaken and must be destroyed. That’s Kouya’s job). All vampires’ eyes go red when they drink blood but Kouya are always red frightening his own kind (as does his own lack of blood drinking)
Azusa learns she was taken because of some experiment revolving around her birth (don’t want to spoil that) and her dad was a scientist involved in it. And for that involvement her father is slated to be killed by the Patriarch. Azusa, unafraid of Kouya (she thinks his eyes are beautiful like rubies), lobbies to save him even if it means giving up her normal life and making a life among the vampires. She even starts getting along with two vampires who don’t dislike Kouya, his friend Subaru and Subaru’s contractual partner (the contract in the title refers to a blood drinking pact) the man-hating (except for Subaru) Ichi.
Part two has Azusa settling into the vampire’s world (and here is where some of the awkwardness happens. Her father falls out of the narrative almost entirely). Azusa is attacked and kidnapped by a young not-yet-awakened vampire, Tsukiharu. He and Azusa share a history she knew nothing about and he isn’t entirely stable, but he is powerful. There is a lot of action in this and some real changes in Azusa’s relationship with Kouya. The third part introduces someone special to Kouya and another facet of vampire life is introduced to Azusa.
There are threats to her throughout the book but there are parts that do get draggy. I liked all the characters with caveats. Azusa does some truly dumb crap. The other characters keep saying she ‘lacks caution.’ Yeah that’s a nice way of saying that was dumb as heck. Kouya is too jealous but only in part three. I really hate jealous equally ‘I love you SO much’ in romantic subplots. Jealousy is destructive and even Kouya realizes that.
It was a fun story and I was glad I got to read it. The art that peppers it is nice too.
That said there is definitely some awkwardness in world building and I can’t tell if this is a novelization of a manga or not, but it feels like it would have worked better as manga. It comes in three distinct parts.
It opens with Azusa Saito being kidnapped and then rescued by different vampire clans. Her rescuers are Red clan (the others Blue) and among them is Kouya, the son of the vampire Patriarch, the clan ruler. Kouya is a bit of a tragic figure, having killed a family member and is now his father’s weapons against F type vampires (vampires in this world are mostly human, needing only a little blood and can be out in the day. They do however have magical powers, but some end up going insane when their powers awaken and must be destroyed. That’s Kouya’s job). All vampires’ eyes go red when they drink blood but Kouya are always red frightening his own kind (as does his own lack of blood drinking)
Azusa learns she was taken because of some experiment revolving around her birth (don’t want to spoil that) and her dad was a scientist involved in it. And for that involvement her father is slated to be killed by the Patriarch. Azusa, unafraid of Kouya (she thinks his eyes are beautiful like rubies), lobbies to save him even if it means giving up her normal life and making a life among the vampires. She even starts getting along with two vampires who don’t dislike Kouya, his friend Subaru and Subaru’s contractual partner (the contract in the title refers to a blood drinking pact) the man-hating (except for Subaru) Ichi.
Part two has Azusa settling into the vampire’s world (and here is where some of the awkwardness happens. Her father falls out of the narrative almost entirely). Azusa is attacked and kidnapped by a young not-yet-awakened vampire, Tsukiharu. He and Azusa share a history she knew nothing about and he isn’t entirely stable, but he is powerful. There is a lot of action in this and some real changes in Azusa’s relationship with Kouya. The third part introduces someone special to Kouya and another facet of vampire life is introduced to Azusa.
There are threats to her throughout the book but there are parts that do get draggy. I liked all the characters with caveats. Azusa does some truly dumb crap. The other characters keep saying she ‘lacks caution.’ Yeah that’s a nice way of saying that was dumb as heck. Kouya is too jealous but only in part three. I really hate jealous equally ‘I love you SO much’ in romantic subplots. Jealousy is destructive and even Kouya realizes that.
It was a fun story and I was glad I got to read it. The art that peppers it is nice too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
As a fan of both light novels and vampire stories, Akaoni was a really enjoyable read. It felt like a refreshing story in both genres, with light novels of late being focused on fantasy and parallel worlds and vampire stories being stuck in the same old tropes. It has a mix of everything: romance, school life, action, mystery, and likeable characters. There aren't any sparkling vampires here, but their eyes do glow and they have very interesting abilities that add to the overall story. The character development and romance are well-fleshed out for a first volume in a light novel series. There are two love triangles going on, which were a lot of fun to see develop. I would have liked to see more of what was going to happen in the relationship between the main couple, but I assume that will be covered in later volumes. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I can't wait to see where Hiroro will take the story and the remaining mysteries.
As for the translation, it read smoothly. More like a novel written in English than a light novel, which was refreshing too. The art was gorgeous and really added to the scenes. I'd love to get a copy of it in print someday if they release one! I can recommend the story to anyone who likes vampires, light novels, and interesting characters!
As for the translation, it read smoothly. More like a novel written in English than a light novel, which was refreshing too. The art was gorgeous and really added to the scenes. I'd love to get a copy of it in print someday if they release one! I can recommend the story to anyone who likes vampires, light novels, and interesting characters!
December 30, 2020
Akaoni gets 3.5 stars from me but since that's not an option on GR, thought maybe let it have those 4 stars, since it wasn't annoying and was in fact kinda cute with a slightly different take on vamp society and what not...all right, 4 it is, besides .5 can be rounded up, mathematically speaking ;p
Akaoni felt simple, youthful, easy; I’d say even childish in a way.
Quite basic plot-line and characters, but still interesting enough.
Like others mentioned, did indeed remind me of those shoujo manga's, and kind of makes sense in a way since it is a Japanese light novel.
And if my Japanese doesn't fail me, Akaoni should mean "red devil" or smt of the like - fitting indeed.
If I remember correctly, volume 2 hasn't been translated yet, but when it is, I'll gladly read that one as well for a light read, would be interesting to see how the story goes.
Vol. 1 isn't quite a cliffhanger, but it is obvious the story hasn't ended, so hopefully vol. 2 gets Eng translation soon :)
Akaoni felt simple, youthful, easy; I’d say even childish in a way.
Quite basic plot-line and characters, but still interesting enough.
Like others mentioned, did indeed remind me of those shoujo manga's, and kind of makes sense in a way since it is a Japanese light novel.
And if my Japanese doesn't fail me, Akaoni should mean "red devil" or smt of the like - fitting indeed.
If I remember correctly, volume 2 hasn't been translated yet, but when it is, I'll gladly read that one as well for a light read, would be interesting to see how the story goes.
Vol. 1 isn't quite a cliffhanger, but it is obvious the story hasn't ended, so hopefully vol. 2 gets Eng translation soon :)
January 24, 2018
I fully enjoyed this light novel!
The imagery used in the novel was perfect. It also helps imagine how each character looks like and what certain scenes look like, all thanks to the bits of art in the novel.
The heroine isn't your typical timid and shy girl. She stands up for herself and speaks her mind.
There were many parts of this book that made me smile wide, and lots of parts where my brows were furrowed from the intensity.
Wish there was a bit more romance, but I hope to expect it in the next novel!
The imagery used in the novel was perfect. It also helps imagine how each character looks like and what certain scenes look like, all thanks to the bits of art in the novel.
The heroine isn't your typical timid and shy girl. She stands up for herself and speaks her mind.
There were many parts of this book that made me smile wide, and lots of parts where my brows were furrowed from the intensity.
Wish there was a bit more romance, but I hope to expect it in the next novel!
May 3, 2018
I was given this kindle read as a first read giveaway.
I absolutely loved reading this book. (It was amazing) I could not set it down once I started getting into this read. Everything about it was just so good. That also includes the art pages.
I can not wait to read the next volume. I am so looking forward to it.
100% recommended.
I absolutely loved reading this book. (It was amazing) I could not set it down once I started getting into this read. Everything about it was just so good. That also includes the art pages.
I can not wait to read the next volume. I am so looking forward to it.
100% recommended.
May 14, 2018
First off, I received this as a Goodreads Giveaway. Unfortunately, I could not get into it, stopping at about 4%. It was not what I was expecting. The writing style just did not work for me, and felt stilted, and more like an exposition dump than a story.
August 27, 2020
Loved it
I rarely leave reviews, but this was a fantastic story. There are a few things that didn't translate well, but not blatant or overt. I loved the characters and the chapters that were from another character's POV was a real joy. I can't wait for the next installment!!!
I rarely leave reviews, but this was a fantastic story. There are a few things that didn't translate well, but not blatant or overt. I loved the characters and the chapters that were from another character's POV was a real joy. I can't wait for the next installment!!!
August 13, 2017
The best part of this novel is the heroine - Asuka takes no garbage from anyone.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
Full review eventually appearing on ANN.
June 19, 2019
Fun read
At first it was a little hard to get into but once I passed the third chapter I couldn't out it down. So want the second volume to come out!!
At first it was a little hard to get into but once I passed the third chapter I couldn't out it down. So want the second volume to come out!!
May 20, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book a lot because of the relationship between Azusa and Kouya. I also could relate to the way Kouya acts and thinks. I also loved how weird Azusa was as a person when she was kidnapped. I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoy shoujo mangas and animes.
February 24, 2023
this was interesting and the characters were solid. it was definitely a new take on vampire romance and the world of vampires in general. Not a huge fan of the ending because it's very omg what happens next why would you stop there?! It also read a little awkward at times, almost as if it was made for a different format. But overall very good story.
April 25, 2025
1.5 stars
I won this book thru a contest here on Goodreads and went into it expecting to enjoy it. After all, I love manga, have enjoyed other light novels, and it sounded like it would be good. What could go wrong? Apparently, the story.
I was bored out of my ever loving mind, I absolutely hated Azusa, and so much of it was just so overwhelmingly childish that at times I really couldn't take it and wanted nothing more than to DNF this. But every time I decided I was done, I talked myself out of quitting by thinking maybe it gets better. It didn't. It really truly didn't. I will say that there were very very very few instances where I liked what was going on. I did enjoy how easily these vampires beat the crap out each other.
Azusa is 17, going on 10. She is painfully naive, simplistic, and childish. And also unbelievably stupid. She's kidnapped one day, rescued by others, and informed her life as she has known it has been a lie. She doesn't want to believe what she's told until her not-father explains it all. Then she just sort of starts living at this vampire mansion doing nothing but cooking and shouting and being a brat. When the patriarch actually caved to her demands/threats was the first time I was done with this story. It was just so freakin' ridiculously unbelievable.
Kouya is our tortured hero. I don't know how old he is, and I don't really care. It was still awkward and creepy the relationship he had with Azusa because we just know he's WAY older than her. Yet he still acted like a fucking teenager around her! Ugh. He's feared by every vampire because he was born with red eyes, killed his brother, and slays his kin that become mindless creatures. It's a lonely life, but he's accepted it.
This whole thing kind of played out like a high school dramafest. Complete with Azusa even going back to school. Kouya and Azusa don't realize their feelings for each other until it's pointed out even though they get jealous of others around them. Azusa is the typical dense airhead girl determined to change peoples's opinion of Kouya and to make him happy. But here, throw in some insane bad guys, multiple kidnappings, vampires with special powers, and an underdeveloped plot about ancient vampire blood and bodies as well.
It's too bad I hated this so much.
I won this book thru a contest here on Goodreads and went into it expecting to enjoy it. After all, I love manga, have enjoyed other light novels, and it sounded like it would be good. What could go wrong? Apparently, the story.
I was bored out of my ever loving mind, I absolutely hated Azusa, and so much of it was just so overwhelmingly childish that at times I really couldn't take it and wanted nothing more than to DNF this. But every time I decided I was done, I talked myself out of quitting by thinking maybe it gets better. It didn't. It really truly didn't. I will say that there were very very very few instances where I liked what was going on. I did enjoy how easily these vampires beat the crap out each other.
Azusa is 17, going on 10. She is painfully naive, simplistic, and childish. And also unbelievably stupid. She's kidnapped one day, rescued by others, and informed her life as she has known it has been a lie. She doesn't want to believe what she's told until her not-father explains it all. Then she just sort of starts living at this vampire mansion doing nothing but cooking and shouting and being a brat. When the patriarch actually caved to her demands/threats was the first time I was done with this story. It was just so freakin' ridiculously unbelievable.
Kouya is our tortured hero. I don't know how old he is, and I don't really care. It was still awkward and creepy the relationship he had with Azusa because we just know he's WAY older than her. Yet he still acted like a fucking teenager around her! Ugh. He's feared by every vampire because he was born with red eyes, killed his brother, and slays his kin that become mindless creatures. It's a lonely life, but he's accepted it.
This whole thing kind of played out like a high school dramafest. Complete with Azusa even going back to school. Kouya and Azusa don't realize their feelings for each other until it's pointed out even though they get jealous of others around them. Azusa is the typical dense airhead girl determined to change peoples's opinion of Kouya and to make him happy. But here, throw in some insane bad guys, multiple kidnappings, vampires with special powers, and an underdeveloped plot about ancient vampire blood and bodies as well.
It's too bad I hated this so much.
Read
May 30, 2018Great read
I gave this book 5 stars because I really enjoyed reading it! I am excited for the second volume to come out, hopefully soon! There was a bit of back and forth on the POVs but it didn't distract from the dead too much in my opinion.
I gave this book 5 stars because I really enjoyed reading it! I am excited for the second volume to come out, hopefully soon! There was a bit of back and forth on the POVs but it didn't distract from the dead too much in my opinion.
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