In order to preserve the original integrity and the haunting details of the delicate line art, this saga will be printed in a Special Japanese Format Graphic Novel Edition reading from right to left. Follow the adventures of Miyu and her faithful companion Larva as they hunt wandering Shinma and come to terms with their place in the human realm.
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bewitching and Bittersweet: Vampire Miyu's Origins,
By
This review is from: Origins (Vampire Princess Miyu, Vol. 1) (Paperback)
Miyu is an immortal vampire girl fated to banish the evil shimna, demons that prey on humanity, back to the dark from whence they came. To aide her in the eternal quest is her masked servant, Larva, a shimna bound to Miyu by her blood. But who is Miyu? And how did she come to be a vampire? This manga tells the story of Miyu and Larvas origins and explores the price she must pay to fulfill the role she was destined for. For new readers, I would recommend starting with this volume, as it sets up the narrative and characters that the later graphic novels follow. The NEW VAMPIRE MIYU series is a spin-off of this original, and while its not completely necessary to know the back story, it can help provide readers with a stronger sense of the history upon which this series was written.Unlike the spin-off series, Vampire Princess Miyu is published in the traditional Japanese format which means the book reads right to left instead of left to right and the text on each page is written vertically (top to bottom) Publishing these manga novels this way means that the graphic images did not need to be flipped when they were translated. Considering how lovely the artwork is in this manga, minimizing the distortion required to bring this book to an English-speaking audience is a boon. Readers not used to the format may find it awkward at first, but I believe it adds to the experience of reading. To aid the reader, the front matter contains a helpful visual tutorial to aid readers and acquaint them with the Japanese-style graphic novel. The artwork in this first volume is absolutely beautiful in its execution and arrangement. The artist plays with light and shadow and uses an artistic style that matches the story. You wont find the elaborate detail so often used in CLAMP novels; it would feel out of place in the elegant poetry and subtle poignancy of the story. If you are expecting a sensual or violent vampire tale of blood drinking and monster fighting, you might not find Miyu quite what you are looking for. The stories move like poetry, full of emotion and powerful themes about humanity and the nature of dreams. Readers who prefer sexual satire or action adventure may feel disappointed by the dark and gentle pace of this graphic novel. At its heart, this volume is a beautifully translated and stunningly illustrated exploration of the dreams that drive each of us and what they mean to the human soul. This remains one of my favorite graphic novels, and I pull something new out of it every time I read it. If you enjoy this manga, Id recommend trying to find the other volumes available in the Vampire Princess Miyu series. Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A murky manga,
This review is from: Origins (Vampire Princess Miyu, Vol. 1) (Paperback)
Studio Ironcast has done a great job with this Volume of Vampire Princess Miyu. Not only is it printed in Japanese format (right-to-left), but they've even kept some of the Japanese words that can't be accurately translated into English. Where other mangas would sloppily translate these words, this volume keeps the original Japanese and explains the meaning behind it in a footnote. On top of that, honorifics are kept, giving the volume a sense of authenticity. The book itself, although frightfully expensive, is of great quality. There's something about the weight and size of it that feels good in your hands. Unfortunately, the manga itself suffers from so many problems that you almost feel if all of their hard work went to waste.
Miyu is a vampire, and Origins attempts to not only explain how and why but what Miyu's world is like. Unfortunately, the plot moves at such a breakneck speed that the readers never feel as if they get a chance to know the characters. Instead, even main characters like Miyu remain murky and indefinable. We know she's a vampire, we know she hunts Shinma with her faithful servant Larva. We know how she became a vampire. What we don't know is who she is. Her personality is not well defined, and neither are any of the other characters in this volume. The artwork has a charming delicacy and simplicity to it that makes it very pleasant to look at. The artist has a skill for portraying a world of emotion with the barest of brushstrokes, which I love. The problem is the art is also murky. It implies a lot of what actually happens without saying it. Now this can be an extremely affective storytelling tool, but here it is not. The art doesn't cause deep thought, it only causes confusion, and the abrupt switching from scene to scene can be a bit disorienting at times. I feel bad about giving this manga such a bad review because I felt as it had a lot of potential. The story and the relationship between the two main characters seem interesting, but they never really take off. This is due to the pacing problems of the manga. Unfortunately, this is a series that I will not be continuing. I will be giving away my volume in hope that someone finds it more interesting than I have.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
confused narration,
By lady detective "sakura kitty" (east coat) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Origins (Vampire Princess Miyu, Vol. 1) (Paperback)
i so wanted to like this book. i've seen one of the subtittled anime videos of vampire princees miyu, and although i found the story arc muddled, i was intrigued by the character.the first book 'origins' did nothing to clarify matters, i just ended up with more questions. normally this would intensify my longing to discover more, but at 12 bucks a pop, for less than an hours worth of reading- it just isn't worth it. the author apologizes at the beginning about the art not being up to the standards it should be- and she's right, but the problem lies more in the way the story is told- the conversations and actions are cryptic for the most part, and the rest of the story is lacking in clues to make up for the ambiguity clouded around so many of the plot points. i'd only recommend reading this if you can easily afford the entire series.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
