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#DRCL midnight children #2

#DRCL midnight children 2

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産業革命による技術革新と文化流入に沸く19世紀、イギリス。ミナ、ルーク、アーサー、ジョー、キンシーの5人の子供たちは、不死の王・ドラキュラを目撃する。ミナ達が混乱する中、病弱だったルークの様子に変化が現れる。一方、ドラキュラが眠っていたデメテル號の積み荷は、ウィットビー校に運び込まれた。その忌むべき積み荷の下へ、一人のオランダ人教師が訪れ…!?

210 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2022

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About the author

Shin'ichi Sakamoto

85 books292 followers
Sakamoto Shin'ichi (坂本眞一) is a Japanese mangaka.
He is mostly famous for his series Innocent and Innocent Rouge.
He is currently working on #DRCL midnight children based on the classic by Bram Stoker.

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5 stars
388 (31%)
4 stars
519 (42%)
3 stars
245 (20%)
2 stars
55 (4%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
Profile Image for annie.
397 reviews76 followers
February 5, 2024
loving this for the most part but i can’t deal with dracula looking exactly like michael jackson lol
Profile Image for Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!).
722 reviews342 followers
May 11, 2024
#DRCL_02

”In this beautiful, evocative, and often surreal retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, a fearsome enemy arrives from the east, bringing with it horrors the likes of which háve never been seen in the British Empire. Standing opposed are Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray and her stalwart companions, united in a cabal that eclipses gender, nationality, and station until the day that they can achieve victory.
The lines between reality and fiction blur as Count Dracula's influence grows, within the halls of Whitby School. The arrival lof the eccentric Professor Abraham Van Helsing offers Mina and the others a chance to learn about the toul condition that afflicts their beloved companion. But will the professor s knowledge be enough to preserve them in the face of this unspeakable evil, or will their fragile bonds be torn asunder by the arrival of the son of the dragon?”


I had to award 5 Stars because of how much the art captivated me alone. Although in some frames, Dracula did look like Michael Jackson when he appeared lol
I really like the characterisation of Van Helsing here.
Really excited to carry on with the #DRCL series, as each volume is released! They are truly gorgeous books to own for any Dracula/vampire fan. 🧛🏻‍♂️🖤
Profile Image for Jan Agaton.
1,546 reviews1,682 followers
October 4, 2024
the visuals in this book literally make me feel like I'm in Transylvania about to eat dinner with Dracula himself.
Profile Image for Corn8lius.
192 reviews752 followers
December 28, 2024
Un tome tout aussi bon et horrifique que le premier !
Le récit s’accélère (un peu trop vite ?) et le professeur Van Helsing fait son entrée.
On rencontre enfin le Comte Dracula et j’ai trouvé son entrée en scène majestueuse ! Le dessin, à la fois onirique et photoréaliste fonctionne toujours aussi bien.

Bref, un régal !
Profile Image for lauraღ.
2,405 reviews199 followers
December 23, 2024
“No, the Count can’t have you. I’ll be by your side, protecting you ’til the dawn breaks!”

Okay, what the fuck, haha. I'm still really enjoying this, make no mistake, but this volume got WEIRD in so many places. I know I'll probably have to wait a while to get all the answers I want and see all the development I'm interested in, but there were lots of things that were kinda confusing for me? And lots of things that were just... really weird. I still really liked this, though! The uncanniness and grossness are deliberate, and the art-style is still absolutely arresting. I really love it.



Super intriguing. Even when I was put off, I still kept turning the pages. Hopefully I'll get to continue this soon. It's the kind of story I want to devour.
Profile Image for Anna  Quilter.
1,981 reviews62 followers
February 13, 2025
3.5

Ratings..Max 10.

Art : 10
Wow.
Storyline: 7
Variation on Dracula
Writing: 7
Nice use of English slang/insults.
Profile Image for Irene ➰.
972 reviews89 followers
March 11, 2024
4.5/5

Allora partiamo dal fatto che ancora della trama si è visto poco nulla, o magari sono io che non ci sto capendo una mazza di cosa stia succedendo, però il concetto e idea più generica sicuramente si sta facendo molto avvicente e interessante.

La parte forte di questa serie restano i suoi disegni, tavole e splash pages da togliere il fiato, particolari e dettagli ovunque, nulla messo a casaccio e soprattutto uno stile perfettamente a tema ed in linea con il genere.

Sicuramente abbiamo un progresso, la storia di per sè prosegue anche se in sordina, resta una delle mie uscite più attese anche se per meritarsi i pieni voti, deve ancora lavorare meglio sulla spiegazione non sempre ovvia di quello che accade, perchè a volte i disegni, anche se stupendi, non bastano.
Profile Image for Rachel.
Author 9 books31 followers
April 4, 2024
This volume is even more messed up than the first one lol

Daddy issues, racism, body and extreme horror, plus a vampire who would be played by Timothee Chalamet in the mini series adaptation.

Sakamoto has taken the classic tale of Dracula and twisted it, like if Junji Ito and Kathe Koja collaborated with a Visual Kei group. If you can't tell, this is my dream, and I'm loving every page of #DRCL. The illustrations are hedonistic, lavish, and sometimes incomprehensible but I'm completely fine with this. It's dripping with Gothic energy.

Can't wait for volume 3!
Profile Image for Ytirahc.
136 reviews
March 22, 2024
Such a strange story and I LOVE it. Also… why is Michael Jackson here.
Profile Image for sarah.
263 reviews5 followers
February 26, 2024
ARC received via NetGalley.

Reading the ARC of this was difficult and frustrating at times; I'm not entirely sure why VIZ goes to such lengths to up the contrast on the pages so high that even the double-spread pages (easily the best part about the first volume) are nearly indecipherable. Still, that's not the fault of the book itself, and the art I could see was typically gorgeous. I'm really enjoying the narrative developments we're seeing and I'm keenly invested in Luke/Lucy, Mina and now Van Helsing.
Profile Image for Ephelia.
216 reviews6 followers
February 26, 2024
Sakamoto è un vero artista, i suoi disegni sono stupendi e l'idea di fondo è geniale e assurda. Siamo al secondo volume e non c'ho capito ancora un tubo ma sono felice così e non vedo l'ora di leggere dove la storia andrà a parare. Un volume pieno di flashback e allucinazioni, la stessa Mina sembra in preda a continue visioni, una volta è la studentessa e un'altra la cameriera, prima si comporta come se i ragazzi la conoscessero e poi scopriamo che neanche sapevano il suo nome. L'unica certezza è che non dovete aspettarvi una copia del Dracula di Stoker, i nomi sono quelli e anche l'idea di fondo, ma per il resto è decisamente diverso. In questo volume facciamo la conoscenza del professore van Helsing (con le sue Sugar Daddy Vibes) e del conte Dracula, che tra l'altro è palesemente inspirato a Michael Jackson, è inquietante come lui (e balla pure, tanto che nella mia testa partiva Billie Jean ogni volta che spuntava fuori).
Profile Image for fonz.
385 reviews8 followers
February 10, 2023
Jajaja, a Sakamoto se le ha ido completamente la olla con esta versión de Drácula (que tiene las pintas de Michael Jackson en "Bad") ambientada en el típico instituto japonés trasladado a la Inglaterra victoriana y que recuerda al Ken Russell de "Lisztomania" pero puesto hasta las cejas de opio cortado con merengue. Un relato sin pies ni cabeza, confusísimo y narrado de pena, que acaba resultando en una historia ilegible y aburridísima. Parece que su único interés es lucirse con su espectacular (y relamido) dibujo y el resultado, es, claro, un desastre.
Profile Image for Deb.
175 reviews6 followers
Read
May 26, 2024
HE HE
Profile Image for Mathou.
66 reviews4 followers
March 10, 2025
This is soooo unserious like what do you meaaaan there’s a dancing, post nose job dracula michael jackson
Profile Image for Lenno Vranken.
Author 8 books45 followers
June 7, 2026
“I was conscious of a love growing into adoration, and also of abhorrence.”
— Carmilla (1872)

Review in Nederlands + Engels!

(NL)
Weinig citaten vatten de essentie van gotische vampierliteratuur zo treffend samen als deze zin uit Carmilla. Diezelfde spanning tussen fascinatie en afschuw vormt ook het kloppende hart van DRCL midnight children Vol. 2, waarin schoonheid en verschrikking voortdurend met elkaar verweven raken.
Ook deze keer heb ik enorm genoten van deze manga — en dat zegt veel, want normaal gezien lees ik eigenlijk nooit manga's. Toch weet DRCL midnight children me volledig mee te sleuren in zijn wereld van schaduwen, verlangen en dreigende mysteries.
Wat me opnieuw het meest trof, zijn de fenomenale illustraties. Sakamoto's tekenwerk is ronduit adembenemend. Sommige pagina's zijn zo rijk aan detail en sfeer dat ik bijna gotische muziek kon horen terwijl ik naar de afbeeldingen keek. Iedere lijn, iedere schaduw en iedere compositie draagt bij aan een beklemmende schoonheid die zelden voorkomt in het medium.
Het verhaal verdiept ondertussen de donkere reis van de personages, terwijl de invloed van Dracula steeds sterker voelbaar wordt. Wat ik bijzonder knap vind, is dat Dracula zich nog steeds nauwelijks laat zien. In plaats van voortdurend op de voorgrond te treden, blijft hij een verborgen aanwezigheid die als een sluier over het hele verhaal hangt. Juist daardoor blijft hij enorm mysterieus. Je ziet hem amper, maar voelt hem op iedere bladzijde. Zijn dreigende aanwezigheid lijkt tussen de panelen zelf te leven, alsof hij vanuit de schaduwen naar zowel de personages als de lezer kijkt.
Die subtiele aanpak zorgt ervoor dat de spanning voortdurend aanwezig blijft. Het kwaad hoeft zich niet te tonen om angst in te boezemen; zijn invloed alleen al is voldoende. Dat is een bijzonder moeilijke balans om te bereiken, maar Sakamoto slaagt daar met verve in.
DRCL midnight children Vol. 2 is opnieuw een schitterende mix van gotische horror, psychologische spanning en visuele pracht. Een meeslepende, sinistere en verrassend emotionele leeservaring die me volledig in haar greep hield. Een absolute aanrader voor liefhebbers van duistere literatuur en misschien zelfs nog meer voor lezers die, zoals ik, normaal gezien nooit manga's lezen.

(ENG)
Few quotes capture the essence of Gothic vampire literature as aptly as this line from Carmilla. That same tension between fascination and revulsion also forms the beating heart of #DRCL Midnight Children Vol. 2, in which beauty and horror are constantly intertwined.
Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed this manga — and that’s saying a lot, because I don’t usually read manga at all. Yet DRCL midnight children manages to draw me completely into its world of shadows, longing and looming mysteries.
What struck me most once again are the phenomenal illustrations. Sakamoto’s artwork is nothing short of breathtaking. Some pages are so rich in detail and atmosphere that I could almost hear gothic music whilst looking at the images. Every line, every shadow and every composition contributes to an oppressive beauty that is rarely found in the medium.
Meanwhile, the story delves deeper into the characters’ dark journey, whilst Dracula’s influence becomes increasingly palpable. What I find particularly clever is that Dracula still barely shows himself. Instead of constantly taking centre stage, he remains a hidden presence that hangs over the entire story like a veil. It is precisely this that keeps him deeply mysterious. You barely see him, but you feel him on every page. His menacing presence seems to live between the panels themselves, as if he were watching both the characters and the reader from the shadows.
This subtle approach ensures that the tension remains ever-present. Evil need not reveal itself to instil fear; its influence alone is sufficient. That is a particularly difficult balance to strike, but Sakamoto succeeds with flying colours.
DRCL midnight children Vol. 2 is once again a brilliant blend of gothic horror, psychological suspense and visual splendour. A compelling, sinister and surprisingly emotional reading experience that had me completely gripped. An absolute must-read for lovers of dark literature and perhaps even more so for readers who, like me, don’t normally read manga.
Profile Image for Lobo.
799 reviews102 followers
April 21, 2026
Oh my god, this is so fucked up and amazing, peak, peak of gothic storytelling. Every character is vile in some way, beside Mina, who discloses herself as unreliable narrator. Is she just maid or truely first female student of Whitby Academy? Is that part only in her head and therefore her story? Is she presenting herself as heroin while she is only side character? The sequence with Dracula almost seducing Mina through dance was so gorgeous and the audience seats turning into gravestones? AMAZING. I love this series so much.
Profile Image for deborah.reads.
250 reviews17 followers
April 23, 2024
Mi sta piacendo sempre di più, disegni pazzeschi! 🫠🖤
Profile Image for vera.
516 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2026
porqué drakula es exactamente a michael jackson me meo
shout out to my pookie samuel por regalármelo 💘
Profile Image for Enairolf.
2,613 reviews23 followers
June 7, 2024
Je me souviens que le premier tome m’avait laissé un petit goût amer sur la langue. Ce n’est pas que je n’avais pas aimé mais juste que j’ai eu l’impression d’avoir trop de choses à prendre en compte d’un coup. Du coup ça a clairement entaché ma lecture pour le coup. Mais je ne m’arrête jamais au premier tome, sauf si vraiment rien ne va. La plupart du temps, si je n’ai pas trop aimé le premier tome je continue quand même au moins jusqu’au troisième tome, histoire d’être vraiment sûre. Et pour le coup, plusieurs mangas dont je n’ai pas trop adhérer au premier tome m’ont complètement conquise par la suite!

Dans ce second tome, depuis l’arrivée du Demeter dans le port de Whitby, d’étranges événements se produisent dans les environs… À la faveur de la nuit, un énorme chien noir apparaît, avant de fondre sur Lucy pour la dévorer ! Déterminée à sauver celle qu’elle aime, Wilhelmina Murray n’hésite pas une seconde et met en fuite l’animal, qui se transforme en une gigantesque chauve-souris… Peu de temps après, la jeune fille rencontre le professeur Van Helsing, un homme venu traquer la terrible créature répondant au nom de Dracula. Cette dernière serait tapie au sein du prestigieux établissement scolaire…

J’ai bien plus apprécié ce second tome comparé au premier! J’étais un peu plus dans l’histoire cette fois ci. Bon je trouve qu’il y a quand même pas mal de chose à assimiler et de temps en temps j’avoue que je suis un peu perdue mais je prends plaisir à découvrir cette histoire au fil des pages. Déjà je le redis encore une fois mais graphiquement parlant on est sur une masterclasse pour le coup! C’est vraiment incroyablement beau et j’en ai pris plein les yeux. Certaines planches sont tellement belles que je restais un petit moment dessus, histoire de bien les admirer. Du côté de l’histoire les choses évoluent. On rencontre Van Helsing, on découvre de nouvelles choses, des secrets et j’en passe. Ça devient tellement palpitant, je ne doute pas une seule seconde que la suite le sera encore plus, surtout quand je vois comment ce tome se termine. Là j’avoue que ça j’avais très envie d’avoir le tome suivant dans les mains. Niveau personnages j’aime beaucoup cette bande, surtout Wilhelmina. Je ne sais pas je trouve qu’elle a un petit truc en plus, je la trouve touchante et mine de rien, elle a beau se faire rejeter à chaque fois elle ne lâche pas l’affaire et j’admire ça de son côté!

Un début avec lequel j’ai eu un peu de mal mais alors maintenant je suis clairement à fond dedans et il me tarde d’avoir le prochain tome entre les mains. Je veux trop savoir ce qu’il va se passer, ce que vont faire les personnages, ce qu’il va se passer pour eux etc. Je suis beaucoup trop curieuse pour le coup. Ce tome se termine d’une telle façon en plus de ça et ce que l’on découvre ici n’augure clairement rien de bon!
Profile Image for Anna.
158 reviews
August 24, 2024
Non ho ancora capito se è una genialata o una follia, ma i disegni sono pazzeschi.
Profile Image for Priscilla.
872 reviews18 followers
July 25, 2024
Un deuxième tome peut-être encore plus fantastique, onirique, dérangeant... moins horrifique que le premier sur certains aspects, mais l'arrivée de Van Helsing change la donne, et les relations entre ces dandy étudiants vaut le détour. Une ambiance délétère, du harcèlement, et toujours cette Mina féministe qui veut exister, tandis que Dracula s'immisce un peu plus dans leur quotidien... Le dessin est toujours aussi sublime, je suis sous le charme.
Profile Image for Chrys.
65 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2024
a solid 4.5/5 !!
story was a 4 out of 5, but the art is 100% a 5 out of 5. SO detailed and beautiful?!
could spend hours looking at some of these panels and pages, but now, for the long wait until the next copy is translated :(
Profile Image for Christine Picard.
Author 2 books103 followers
January 15, 2025
Bon. Dracula ressemble à Michael Jackson, mais à part ça, c’est très bien 😂
October 1, 2024
Parental advisory: bloody scenes and nudity.
Read:
September 22,2024.
This volume like the last one,filled me with more questions than answers.
It hasn't been explained how none of the school staff are aware of Dracula's presence,Luke's absence in class,why Mina hasn't been going to class and why she now works as a maid at their boarding school,why Dracula's body was stored in the school's basement,who did it and how the staff hasn't noticed he was there.
Another thing I want to touch on is the change in the characters appearances and sexuality.
As you know the characters are all 15 year old children enrolled at a boarding school in England.
They are not adults in this retelling of Dracula so marriages and careers are not yet given to the characters.
Lucy is a male in this "revision" of Dracula named Luke who has a female personality/alter ego called "Lucy" who "comes out" at night.
His alter ego is friends with Mina.
Arthur Holmwood isn't engaged to Lucy in this story but having a secret gay relationship with Luke.
John Steward/Joe Suwa is now Japanese student who aspires to be a psychiatrist.
Renfield is now a male nun chained in Joe's room so he can observe the nun's strange behavior.
Mina is not engaged or married to Johnathan Harker in this story.
She is a girl who wrestles men and boys and types her experiences and memories on a type writer.
According to the character's bio,Mina is in love with Luke.
There is no evidence of this in the actual story so far.
Quincy Morris is now an African American boy from Texas who is the son of a multimillionaire and in love with Luke.
Van Hellsing is introduced into the story in this volume as one of the teachers newly hired into the school.
The changes are strange but so far it doesn't affect the story in a way where the story has become insufferable yet.
However I would have preferred if Sakamoto wouldn't sexualize Luke by constantly drawing him nude or drawn in nothing else but women's corsets and shawls.
Profile Image for Artemissia G.
1,781 reviews39 followers
June 4, 2024
Ayant beaucoup aimé le premier tome, je me suis fait une joie de poursuivre avec cette suite. Pour tout dire, je trouve que le scénario qui partait assez bien à mes yeux devient des plus alambiqué. On suit donc le journal de Mina, mais plus on avance et plus on se demande ce qui est réel et ce qui ne l’est pas. Est-elle une simple servante ou bien la seule élève féminine de l’école ? Le mangaka prend un malin plaisir à brouiller les pistes tout comme sur l’identité de Lucy, tantôt homme, et femme à d’autres moments. Ce personnage est au cœur de l’intrigue (et des convoitises) et enfin le comte Dracula se dévoile.

Les dessins sont sublimes pour qui aime les tons très surchargés avec beaucoup de métaphores oniriques.

Dans l’ensemble, j’ai été moins réceptive à ce deuxième tome parce que je trouve que ça part un peu dans tous les sens et que ça manque de cohérence. C’est bien de nous balader, mais quand c’est trop ça devient vite compliquer de s’immerger si on doit se questionner sans cesse.

Bref. C’est beau, sombre, et surtout très tortueux.
Profile Image for Alex.
138 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2025
The art in this series is eerie and stunning at times and the interpretation of Dracula is otherworldly and inhuman in a way that makes the character frightening. That being said I'm genuinely struggling to follow the plot at times. I'm a huge fan of the original novel and have read it multiple times but that doesn't appear to help me follow this interpretation of Dracula. I'm not sure if that's a me problem, if something is being lost in translation, or what the issue may be, but I find myself rereading and reexamining each page at least twice because I feel like I'm missing something otherwise.

The handling of Quincy Morris as a Black man also seems to be pretty questionable. His writing and expressions come off as pretty stereotypical at times. I hope that improves as the series goes on.

Also, I saw it commented on by someone else here, but one of Dracula's more human forms looks exactly like Michael Jackson. It's weird, I can't unsee it, and it was just jarring during an otherwise pretty pivotal scene.
Profile Image for vampiledelivres.
155 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2025
toujours aussi space mais j’adore
une claque visuelle encore plus impressionnante qu’au tome 1, les planches sont sublimes avec un style original et c’est très probablement un des plus beaux mangas

P.S : ce compte Dracula …🥵
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews