Customer Reviews

Vampire Princess Miyu - Initiation (TV Vol 1)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Vampire Princess Miyu TV series features Miyu and Larva from the OAV series, but with some differences. At 26 episdoes, there is ample time for character development, providing an alternate background story for both Miyu and Larva. Beginning with Episode 2, the location of action shifts from Kyoto to Tokyo, where Miyu befriends (rather, is befriended by) three classmates in an all-girl school, yet she must keep her true identity and purpose from her friends. Also, Miyu's rival appears occasionally throughout the series, adding another element of intrigue. Most episodes follow a "shinma of the week" format, each with different abilities and most also receiving great character development.

Those who enjoyed the Vampire Princess Miyu OAV series will absolutely LOVE the TV series!!!!! While not necessarily as dark as the OAV series, the improved character development and additional character interactions are a great treat. The music is superb, simultaneously haunting and enchanting. Overall, the entire TV series - and each individual episode - is anime at its best!!!

I went into this one thinking, "Well, I like vampire stuff but it kinda looks like a chick anime." I'm happy to report it's much more.Sure, the main character and her companions are Japanese school girls, but this doesn't stop Miyu from battling a unique and very cool new demon each episode. And as for Miyu herself, she's a regular hottie with a cool background. Her grimk reaper inspired servant Lava just about steals the show however.Now, although I heard the next dvd's (which I plan to buy asap) were done ok, this one has all kinds of flaws. They omit the opening/closing music on 2 of the 3 episodes (although its not that great anyway). There are NO chapter breaks, just three tracks, one per episode. There are NO extras. The subtitling omits onscreen japanese words and song lyrics. But these flaws on the part of the dvd are overshadowed by suprisingly cool content. Thanks TokyoPop!

This Vampire Princess Miyu Volume showed me how much different the television show was from the OAV. Both were equally good, but they had apparent differences. The original OAV's style was more the type I depict to be a fitting style for this anime, that style being mystical, dark, and intensity through subtle-ness. My only problem was the clothing(eigties' style). The television series is more lighthearted, and with obvious shoujo qualities. In my opinion, the television series advanced in some ways, such as music, costumes, and characters, but left behind the original subtle intensity thatt made the OAV so great. This is a great buy if you're interested in the shoujo-ish anime things (emotions), and interested in vampires and demons of the sort.

I have been a fan of Miyu for a long time now. I first watched the "vampire princess" around 1996 when I had a chance to view a copy of the OAV: Volume One. I loved the unique style, vision, and grace of that original work. Recently, I noticed there was a new incarnation of the Miyu saga. After renting this, I thought I would share my feelings on the quality of this product.

First of all, it is not the old series. The overall tone, mood, and atmosphere is very different this time around. Many parts were almost painful to me because of how vastly different the pacing and mood are at times. It seems like the overall chilling, sparse, and autumnal lushness of the OAV has been replaced here by an almost "silly" Sailor Moon meets Scooby Doo atmosphere. Indeed, in the later episodes, particularly the one involving the shamen's mask, I felt like I was watching a Scooby Doo episode populated by multiple Thelmas.

So I was let down. However, there are saving graces. One, this is the kind of anime that teenage girls should watch instead of Sailor Moon. There are obvious but very powerful statements made about the kinds of cravings adolescent females fall victim to - the second episode embodied this perfectly. In this installment, women fall victim to an obnoxious metrosexual-looking shinma who promises them everlasting beauty. The consequence for those who crave attention and perfect beauty is an excruciating existence of neverending loneliness.

I also enjoyed how in the first episode the creators made a very risky statement involving the obsessed geeky adolescent male who hungers after Miyu. It is at once a scathing satire of the typical anime fan (with typical obsession over illusionary anime girls) and a statement about fools who recklessly seek power and immortality. The geek eventually dies because of his obsession and his rushing headlong into illusion.

So there are pros and cons. Just remember, they made it silly and even lighthearted at times. Rent it first.

Vampire Princess Miyu is a really good anime with some of the coolest looking characters. Such as her friend/protecter Lava who wears a really cool mask that reminds me a little bit of the Phantom of the Opera. She also has a psychotic little bunny thing with a really creepy looking right eye. The DVD has three episodes on it the first being ...THE FANG KNOWS..In this episode Miyu must find out who or what is murding people had the school she has just enrolled in....episode 2 AT THE NEXT STATION...advances the plot a bit as Miyu makes friends and must dicover who is kidnapping beautiful women riding the subway...THE FOREST CALLS...Miyu's guardian Lava steps up and must deal with a magical mask which controls the one who wears it...All in all VPM is a great series and I cannot wait for the next dvd in the series. I will post my review of that one as soon as it is released. Enjoy!

Vampire Princess Miyu, vol. 1 "Initiation" starts a series that has many volumes and many episodes. If you have never seen the OVA, fine. If you have, you may or may not be disappointed. The OVA was pure horror at its finest. This series is mostly creepy and spooky, with a few moments of horror. It is a kind of Spooky Sailor Moon, except that Miyu and her supernatural friends are completely humorless. Larva, one of anime's most fascinating characters in the OVA, is still formidable, but his bishoujen (pretty boy) face is featured on many of the series' DVD covers as a romantic Tuxedo Mask character.

"Initiation" has only three episodes. Later discs in the series have four or even five. But these three get the series off to a dark start, with great stories, lovely animation, and haunting music.

Episode 1: The Fang Knows - Miyu enrolls in a high school. A male student suspects Miyu is more than an ordinary girl. He vows to get to the bottom of it, while having a weird crush on his teacher. This teacher is being blackmailed by vicious girls in her class. All this leads to a violent backlash.

Episode 2: At the Next Station - One of the scariest in the series. Extremely chilling; harkens back to the OVA with it's pure horror.

Episode 3: The Forest Calls - An African mask has a strange hold on a boy.

Each DVD has an insert of great illustrated notes by the animator. Some of his Shinma are pretty out there - one is a combination of a horse and a piano. Again, reminds me so much of the Youma in Sailor Moon. But he stresses in the notes he has wanted to remain true to and emphasize Japanese culture, which he does beautifully sometimes.

I for one was very happy to see more Miyu beyond AnimEigo's OVA releases. I found the pace of the TV episodes a little faster than the OVAs, not really developing who each Shinma was. You get bits and pieces, then Miyu banishes them to The Dark and it is all over. But all in all it is a good buy.

One thing I found kind of annoying is that it seems none of the TokyoPop staff seemed to have read AnimEigo's liner notes for the OEM to see that AnimEigo had contacted the author, Ms. Kakinouchi, to get the correct romanizations of character names such as Larva (*NOT* Lava) and Lemures (which is actually Latin to begin with). It really doesn ot bother me since I refuse to use the Engish audio track anyways, but it does kind of mar the production.

While the original 4-episode OAV is rated among my very favorite anime shows of all time, the follow-up television series will make it to no such list. The series tells the story of Miyu, battling a new Shinma each episode with the help of her trusty side-kicks. For the scope of this series, Miyu is in one geographical area, which detracts from the "universal" feel of the OAV. As with many follow-ups, liberties are taken with plot points and characters that were introduced in the OAV... but not one of them worked for me, not only trying to develop things in annoying directions but actively undoing some of the great ideas of the original. For instance, does Miyu really need a cute pink bunny-demon to sit on her shoulder? Overall, the series is much more formulaic than the OAV. While the darker tone was intriguing (Miyu shows again and again that she has little or no feeling for the majority of the innocents that are destroyed around her... usually one per episode), the antics became purely repetitive. Miyu rarely succeeds in doing anything to the demons she battles without Larva first blocking their attack and then slashing them a couple times. Also, unlike the OAV, most of the demons she battles are simply demons disguised as humans and preying on the week, rather than being a variety of supernatural forces that find interesting ways to use the human world to their advantage... and they almost all look stupid when their "true form" is revealed. The drawing style is a little different, and the pointy noses took some getting used to, but was possible to overcome. The overall animation is better than the OAV-- after all, it's newer. But it is used much less effectively. The series builds to a climax between characters that I cared nothing for. I give the series two stars, as I did bother to watch the whole thing, and there was no glaringly offensive content or significant continuity or narrative issues. But I never plan to buy the DVDs. Rabid fans of the original 4 episode OAV might want to check this out for research value, but most likely you'll end up disappointed as I was.

For those who have never seen the original OVA series, Miyu is a vampire whose task it is to hunt down creatures of evil called Shinma and return them to the dark world of their origin. She is accompanied by Lava, a Shinma who has left the evil ways of his kind behind and serves Miyu unquestioningly. The series was noted for its artistic and atmospheric qualities and had a strong effect on the many vampire anime that followed it.

The Fang Knows

When Matchiyama, a young high school student comes upon Miyu while she is investigating a murder he decides that she is the vampire behind the murderers. But the truth is more complex than the boy suspects and will reveal a tragic element behind the deaths. Sometimes things are even worse than they seem.

At the Next Station

Miyu transfers to a new high school and finds herself making friends with several fellow students. Especially Chisato Inoue, who takes an unexpected liking to the normally distant vampire. Miyu discovers that the neighborhood has been plagued the disappearances of a series of beautiful women, all associated with the subway. Miyu confronts the Shinma, but there is little help for the lost souls of its victims.

The Forest Calls

When an African mask has strange effects on the brother of on of Miyu's friends the vampire investigates and discovers that Lava remembers a past encounter with the Shinma behind the mask. But this spirit is not entirely evil, just deeply angry about the ruining of the forests of its homeland.

This new, made-for-TV series has been updated considerable form the original OVA. Among the casualties of the change is the Art Nouveau flavor of the first series. But this isn't a real loss, as the updated work is still just as compelling, but in a different way. Lava has been tinkered with as well, sometimes appearing without a mask. Miyu also has an additional companion, a lesser Shinma called Shiina. The story retains much of its atmospherics and dark plot and should be considered a success.

This is MUCH better than OVA of vampire Miyu. When I watched OVA, I found the story very confusing. Throughout these TV series all of the questions you have will get answered. Like who is Larva, why he is serving Miyu... Miyu is very serious in the series, unlike in OVA (I though her laugh was rather annoying). Larva takes off his mask pretty often, so you can see how beautiful he really is ^-^ Miyu looks very pretty too! I am half way into series and I can't stop watching it, the plot is incredibly interesting!! The music is great. One of the best anime series!!