Dimitri Lewandowski is a celebrated tenor in early 1900s Vienna. When he is killed in an accident, his corpse is colonized by the seeds of a vampire master. At first, Dimitri denies that anything has changed, but as the people around him start dying, he is forced to accept the ghastly truth.
Flash-forward to 2008. In Tokyo, Alice thinks she has fully adapted to her role in Dimitri's nest and is carefully considering which vampire to propagate with. But when the man she loved when she was Azusa shows up one day, her carefully constructed acceptance starts to crumble...
Mizushiro Setona (水城せとな in Japanese, or 水城雪可奈 in Chinese language) is a popular mangaka who started out in the dōjinshi circles.
Her first real dabble in the world of creating manga was in 1985 when she participated in the publication of a dōjinshi. She remained active in the dōjinshi world until her debut in 1993 with the short single "Fuyu ga Owarou Toshiteita" (Winter Was Ending) that ran in Shōgakukan's Puchi Comic magazine. Though her current drawing style is high on the aesthetic value, her earlier works had less finesse. Regardless of the lesser emphasis on the visual elements in her earlier works, her popularity grew largely due to her unparalleled grasp for storytelling. Her works are noted for their slightly askew plots and deep exploration of the human psyche. Even her lighthearted Shōjo works usually have darker underlying elements. With an incomparable ability to craft stories that puzzle, sadden, assure, pervert, and move the depths of one's heart, she has gained a cult-like following. Her works include shojo, josei, and yaoi, and have been translated into multiple languages, including English, Italian, French and German.
I'd probably give this book a 3.5, but I'm rounding up to 4.
This particular volume has some cringe-worthy relationship stuff in there. Some "Unhealthy Relationships 101" kind of stuff, but at least it's presented as that. It's not romantic; it's kind of creepy.
I still want to know what happens next, but this is definitely starting to move into "super creepy" territory over the vaguely Gothic horror vibes it had previously.
I’ve realized what it is about Mizushiro’s artwork that stands out. The general look of it is pretty, but more angular than some, I think. But she portrays so much more in expressions and movements, instead of words. There is much less talk, because every character is so expressive, and it’s clear what they’re feeling. When they're upset, and when they notice something.
In this volume, the boy from Azusa’s previous life shows up, and he immediately feels different about Alice, like he knows her. This is hard on Alice, his persistence that he knows her, his obsession. But mostly I feel bad for him. He’s stuck on Azusa, feeling guilty for surviving the accident. And he feels like Alice is Azusa, but she keeps sending him mixed messages; one moment she denies it, the next she agrees, and back again. In the end, he just needs to get over Azusa.
And while all this is happening, the twins and Dimitri are trying to let her do as she wants. Not wanting her to leave them, and yet trying not to push. It’s clear that Alice has feelings for Dimitri the most, but she’s denying it, and he’s making it hard on her. And then the twins are trying, mostly Kai pushing Reiji on Alice. I like the twins a lot, and I hope we get to know more about them. It seems like something from the past is going to be coming up soon, though.
This series is just so good. It's dark and quiet and intense. It’s unafraid of being graphic. I’m looking forward to the next one, even if we’re going to be on hiatus after that.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!
I don't understand why she just didn't come clean about her situation. Kouya might have actually been able to have a clean break if she was clear about any part of what she was feeling, or how she sacrificed everything for him. But that would have meant she was an entirely different person and would have admitted her feelings for Kouya before the accident. So, I guess I do understand.
I had been avoiding this series for a long time - I'm not entirely sure why, but just the thought of it makes me sad. In some ways, this volume perfectly showed that tragic feeling that the series evokes in general: just as Dmitri cannot forget (or forgive) Agnieszca, Azusa cannot forget (or forgive) herself, nor can Koya. Reiji seems only able to have done so through amnesia, and now that that is wearing off...the honeymoon may never have started for these characters, but they also seem doomed to live out their tragedies again and again, trapped in their own inablities to forgive, forget, and move on.