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Blood+ #Yakojoushi
Blood+: Kowloon Nights
In his years as a Hong Kong police officer, Nishi Tatsuyoshi has never seen murder victims like the ones being found in the abandoned Kowloon Walled City. Bodies completely drained of blood are showing up every few nights, and rumors of vampires are swirling. The closer Nishi gets to the truth, the more obstacles are thrown in his way. Someone doesn't want him to discover what's really going on! Forced into an uneasy alliance with the Chiropteran-hunting Red Shield organization, Nishi works with a mysterious cello player named Hagi as they try to uncover the source of the murders and bring down the Wong family - which peddles a miracle drug they claim will give users immortality!
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2006
12 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Hirotaka Kisaragi
52 books60 followersKISARAGI Hirotaka: 如月 弘鷹
Blood Type:
A
Zodiac:
Taurus
Associated Names:
ケモノノハナシ
如月弘鹰
柏樹ヒロム
KASHIWAGI Hiromu
Kemono no Hanashi
Kemononohanashi
Hiromu Kashiwagi is another pen name of Hirotaka Kisaragi.
Blood Type:
A
Zodiac:
Taurus
Associated Names:
ケモノノハナシ
如月弘鹰
柏樹ヒロム
KASHIWAGI Hiromu
Kemono no Hanashi
Kemononohanashi
Hiromu Kashiwagi is another pen name of Hirotaka Kisaragi.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 18 reviews
September 22, 2020
4/5 estrellas.
Justo en la nostalgia 💖✨
Justo en la nostalgia 💖✨
March 7, 2010
I absolutely loved it. Unlike the Blood+ manga series, this one shot focuses more on the character of Hagi. Being a Hagi fangirl, I naturally loved it for that reason alone. However, that isn't the only reason. The story itself was interesting, and I liked the new character of Nishi. As always, I simply adore the artwork. This is really top notch stuff--fluid, detailed, almost poetic--it almost seems unlikely considering the subject matter. I can't get enough of Blood+ and all its variations!
October 17, 2012
I'm a big Hagi fan girl so when I was browsing and saw this I had to have it. I likes seeing a moment where Hagi didn't have Saya. I always did wonder how he passed the thirty years they weren't together(along with the previous ones) it was a cool look into him and his silent blank look demeanor. Enjoyed this very much.
April 15, 2019
Edición argentina. Incluye aclaraciones de la traducción a cargo del traductor.
August 18, 2021
I bought this thinking it was a BL, mostly due to Hirotaka Kisaragi being the mangaka. But it’s not really a BL, all though there are clear innuendos that two of the main characters, Nishi and Hagi, have feelings for each other.
Set in Hong Kong just before the transfer of power from Britain to China in July, 1997, Kowloon Nights follows Nishi, a half-Japanese, half-Chinese cop who lost his brother under mysterious circumstances, as he investigates multiple deaths that are eerily similar to his brother’s. Each victim is found sucked dry of their blood. Not wanting to admit to supernatural forces at work in the murders, Nishi soon meets Hiragi, a musician who looks like his deceased brother and may be involved in the mysterious deaths.
At times, the melodrama is more in the style of a superficial 1980’s cop show than anything else, where the dialogue also serves as the painfully obvious narration of what’s happening and why; just like so much American TV, it treats the audience as imbeciles who can’t keep track of a storyline. It gets better by the end, though, as the characters become more fully developed and where there are some well done action sequences.
Unlike Hirotaka‘s later work, as in the Hanger series, where action and drama are delivered on expertly designed pages that both focus the eye and visually amplify the narrative, in Kowloon Nights the art is more helter skelter, like viewing an artwork by Julie Mehretu. For instance, look at the action sequence on page 145, where frenetic movement is conveyed through a hurricane of lines, all of which seem to take on equal visual weight. It’s hard to know where to look or to follow the action. In Hirotaka’s later work, the same frenetic energy is conveyed in a more nuanced, balanced way, where he establishes a narrative hierarchy, with some panels or action sequences taking priority over others. On a number of pages in Kowloon Nights, no priority is given to any one action, so they all blend together.
This is not to say the art is bad; there are some beautiful panels in this manga. It’s just that, compared to his later work, Hirotaka doesn’t seem to have as much compositional control over his visual narrative. That said, Hirotaka graphically uses the Japanese characters for things such as sound effects, e.g. the sound of shooting bullets hitting metal, to great effect. He makes the strokes for each character mimic the feel of the action lines, resulting in a unified experience where what we see on the page is echoed by the inner sounds conjured up by our brains. We ‘hear’ the recoil of the gun and the bullets spewing across the room with our mind’s inner ear. It’s beautifully done, and a harbinger of the artists later development.
All in all, not bad, if a bit disappointing compared to the artists other work.
Set in Hong Kong just before the transfer of power from Britain to China in July, 1997, Kowloon Nights follows Nishi, a half-Japanese, half-Chinese cop who lost his brother under mysterious circumstances, as he investigates multiple deaths that are eerily similar to his brother’s. Each victim is found sucked dry of their blood. Not wanting to admit to supernatural forces at work in the murders, Nishi soon meets Hiragi, a musician who looks like his deceased brother and may be involved in the mysterious deaths.
At times, the melodrama is more in the style of a superficial 1980’s cop show than anything else, where the dialogue also serves as the painfully obvious narration of what’s happening and why; just like so much American TV, it treats the audience as imbeciles who can’t keep track of a storyline. It gets better by the end, though, as the characters become more fully developed and where there are some well done action sequences.
Unlike Hirotaka‘s later work, as in the Hanger series, where action and drama are delivered on expertly designed pages that both focus the eye and visually amplify the narrative, in Kowloon Nights the art is more helter skelter, like viewing an artwork by Julie Mehretu. For instance, look at the action sequence on page 145, where frenetic movement is conveyed through a hurricane of lines, all of which seem to take on equal visual weight. It’s hard to know where to look or to follow the action. In Hirotaka’s later work, the same frenetic energy is conveyed in a more nuanced, balanced way, where he establishes a narrative hierarchy, with some panels or action sequences taking priority over others. On a number of pages in Kowloon Nights, no priority is given to any one action, so they all blend together.
This is not to say the art is bad; there are some beautiful panels in this manga. It’s just that, compared to his later work, Hirotaka doesn’t seem to have as much compositional control over his visual narrative. That said, Hirotaka graphically uses the Japanese characters for things such as sound effects, e.g. the sound of shooting bullets hitting metal, to great effect. He makes the strokes for each character mimic the feel of the action lines, resulting in a unified experience where what we see on the page is echoed by the inner sounds conjured up by our brains. We ‘hear’ the recoil of the gun and the bullets spewing across the room with our mind’s inner ear. It’s beautifully done, and a harbinger of the artists later development.
All in all, not bad, if a bit disappointing compared to the artists other work.
April 15, 2021
Blood+ Kowloon Nights is a oneshot prequel and takes place not too long before the main Blood+. Haji is still searching for Saya and is following a trail in Hong Kong. He becomes involved with Nishi, a detective who is working on a case of murders that might relate to Haji's own kind.
Kowloon Nights is not bad at all for a oneshot prequel. It gives you a glimpse of what Haji was doing prior to the main story. Nothing special happens and it's easily skipped, but you can't really go wrong by picking it up either.
The art is once again not my usual cup of tea - it's perfectly well-drawn, it just doesn't appeal to me. I would disagree with the LGBT labels this book has been receiving; Nishi shows small signs of potential attraction to Haji but this book it's pretty much Romance-free. Nothing happens between Nishi and Haji in the slightest to indicate any connection, especially with Haji being so focused on finding Saya. I wouldn't mind it either way, but I do think the label is just plain and simple misleading.
October 8, 2020
Spectacular homoeroticism aside, the best part about this was the creator interview at the end. I love the character of Hagi but I had no interest at all in the other dude, and there just wasn’t enough space to fit both of their stories in this volume.
Also, though the art was excellent, the character design wasn’t, and every so often I had to flick back and forth a few pages to figure out which of the four short-ish-blonde-haired characters was which.
Also, though the art was excellent, the character design wasn’t, and every so often I had to flick back and forth a few pages to figure out which of the four short-ish-blonde-haired characters was which.
October 23, 2020
Hagi es de mis personajes favoritos en Blood+ así que TENÍA que leer este manga que prometía estar más centrado en él. Y sí, está él y no Saya ni los demás pero igual me pareció que faltó más.
De todas maneras, hay un personaje nuevo, Nishi, un detective/policía, y me gustó. Además de resolver lo que tenían que resolver, se ayudaron entre ellos y sus traumas. Estuvo bien pero no me mató.
De todas maneras, hay un personaje nuevo, Nishi, un detective/policía, y me gustó. Además de resolver lo que tenían que resolver, se ayudaron entre ellos y sus traumas. Estuvo bien pero no me mató.
April 30, 2022
Un bellismo preludio per Blood +, mi viene voglia di recuperare tutta la serie... per non parlare del magnifico tratto di Kisaragi che rende l'atmosfera misteriosa e noir ancora più affascinante.
4 stelle per la trama.
5 stelle per i disegni.
4 stelle per la trama.
5 stelle per i disegni.
November 19, 2023
had this recommended to me, first manga i've ever read. pretty good. didn't realize it was connected to a series lol
September 17, 2024
vaya bl de vampiro-humano me han encasquetado
muy corto para mi gusto
muy corto para mi gusto
December 9, 2012
A good spinoff from an interesting series. This part takes place in and around Hong Kong, near the time when the city was about to be handed over to the People's Republic. Suddenly, there is a rash of murders, with only one thing in common...too little blood at the crime scenes, considering that the victims seem to be bled dry.
Unlike the main series, this one is not about Saya, the apparent only hope for destroying the Chiropterans. Instead, this is a more personal story about a detective struggling with the impossible, and conflicting agendas among those few who know about the menace. It's also about the definition of a monster, and that becomes very interesting.
I have always enjoyed this manga series much more than the anime version, and this volume continues that streak. Not a good stand-alone, so read the short main series first.
Unlike the main series, this one is not about Saya, the apparent only hope for destroying the Chiropterans. Instead, this is a more personal story about a detective struggling with the impossible, and conflicting agendas among those few who know about the menace. It's also about the definition of a monster, and that becomes very interesting.
I have always enjoyed this manga series much more than the anime version, and this volume continues that streak. Not a good stand-alone, so read the short main series first.
November 9, 2012
Stand alone spin off volume in the blood + universe. This one follows Chevalier Hagi as he searches for Saya. He teams up with determined cop Nishi who is trying to solve a serial killer case where all the bodies turn up drained of blood... Kisaragi's artwork is really nice, I much prefer it to Katsura's softer work in the Blood + main series. Lots of pretty boys in this one, with the enigmatic, cello playing Hagi, hunky cop Nishi and his pretty boy snitch Do Leong. No out and out yaoi here (other than Do Leong/crime boss), but if you're coming to this without having read anything in the rest of the blood + universe there's definite BL possibilities. Really nice to see Hagi get some action rather than standing in Saya's shadow.
February 5, 2017
Cuando empecé a leer este manga, tenía la esperanza que nos dirían más sobre el pasado de Haji o Hagi. Que sabríamos más de él, En cambio fue la historia de un policía
cazando murciélagos gigantes.
La verdad es que yo esperaba otro tipo de historia, ya saben más centrada en Haji donde nos contarán como era su vida sin Saya. Pero bueno, al menos trataron de mostrar algo de la tristeza de Haji, de su vida sin Saya y como trata de encontrar a Saya, A un así no es suficiente para mí. Otro punto negativo es que fue escrito para alguien que ha visto la serie, ya que las explicaciones que se dan en el manga son muy breves. En fin no recomiendo este manga a alguien que no se a visto la serie, pero si a los fanáticos de Blood+ ya que apreciarán más l obra y sus referencias.
cazando murciélagos gigantes.
La verdad es que yo esperaba otro tipo de historia, ya saben más centrada en Haji donde nos contarán como era su vida sin Saya. Pero bueno, al menos trataron de mostrar algo de la tristeza de Haji, de su vida sin Saya y como trata de encontrar a Saya, A un así no es suficiente para mí. Otro punto negativo es que fue escrito para alguien que ha visto la serie, ya que las explicaciones que se dan en el manga son muy breves. En fin no recomiendo este manga a alguien que no se a visto la serie, pero si a los fanáticos de Blood+ ya que apreciarán más l obra y sus referencias.
January 16, 2011
A stand alone addition to the fairly popular Blood+ franchise featuring a side adventure of Saya's Chevalier, Haji. This was a fun bit of Yaoi-ish fluff with plenty of pretty men inhabiting each beautifully drawn page. Psychologically and physically suffering Haji stumbles into the path of Hong Kong police officer Nishi Tatsuyoshi. Police officer takes Haji home, and sexual tension and violent adventures soon follow. Nothing too off the beaten path here as far as the plot, but this is one of the best drawn manga I've seen in a long time. A fun, pretty read for a lazy afternoon, and sometimes that's all you're after.
December 25, 2011
En su momento lo tuve que leer por cuestiones laborales y me resultó bastante pasable. Recién lo estuve ojeando y noté dos cosas: la edición está llena de errores estúpidos y el dibujo no pinta malo pero tampoco nada demasiado interesante. Lo redondeo en tres estrellitas porque no recuerdo que me resultara desagradable la historia general, pero no sé para dónde apuntará en una potencial futura lectura.
July 6, 2012
I read this without knowing any of the other Blood+ books or the anime, so all this was for me was a vampire story with lots of pretty men and some BL subtext. One thing's for sure: Hirotaka Kisaragi draws extremely pretty men, so this was easy on the eyes. And not a bad standalone story, either. I doubt I'll check out the rest of the series, though - my interest in vampire stories remains less than zero, and if the other volumes aren't as pretty... eh, maybe once I have nothing else to read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 18 reviews