Blood Alone by Masayuki Takano, volume #4 in an ongoing series, rated for Older Teens (+13 and up), published by Infinity Studios, Feb 2008 release, $10.95 US, that is currently on back order at Amazon.com but my local bookstore had four copies on the shelf.
This is a series I’ve been avidly following. It’s a story about a young girl name Misaki Minato. She’s young (age hasn’t really been mentioned) and she’s rich. Her father is a famous musician. In this entry, we learn that Misaki and her father were targets of vampires several years ago and Misaki was bitten as a result. Her vampire nature has remained dormant thus far and she has tightly held onto her humanity. Her guardian, Kuroe Kurose, is an aspiring novelist who does the odd job on occasion (investigative work) since he was a former vampire hunter. A vampire attack several years ago, resulted in Kuroe being gifted with “adivuarat kurai” which translates to eyes that see the truth. Kuroe is human and an equal match for vampires since he is immune to their vampire tricks and can see past their glamour.
In this entry, Kuroe and Misaki’s past are fleshed out further and the story gets much more interesting. Starting with Kuroe, we see that he was a prolific vampire hunter. Kuroe and his partner, Jessie, go after a orphan vampire but the intelligence they received from Scotland Yard was unreliable and this slip up nearly jeopardizes their mission. Jessie ends up injured (broken leg) and Kuroe is sent to babysit Mr. Reiji’s daughter, which is Misaki, in her place. That is how the two of them actually meet.
I won’t say anymore with regards to the plot. I will say that I am happy with this entry in that we get to see how Misaki and Kuroe met and how past events that has shaped their lives unfold. If you’ve read the previous three volumes, you’ll know that Misaki and Kuroe have known each other for a long time and share a past history. Also, Kuroe is unaware that Misaki’s feelings for him go beyond the affection of being her guardian. What makes this entry (vol.4) so nice is that we see how much Kuroe is devoted to Misaki, as he pledges to protect her and take care of her.
Also, there is plenty of suspense and violence and vampire lore to enjoy. Renfields, magicians and a couple of bad vampires round out the secondary cast while some were missing like Higure (who looks like a kid but is several centuries old and a master vampire). This volume fleshes out the characters a bit more, giving readers insight into what makes these characters tick. I think that is one of the biggest reasons why I enjoy this series so much is that it is character driven. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a few vampire baddies to kill and provide us with suspense along with the usual vampire politics and power struggle.
Must mention the artwork and the beautiful cover: just lovely. Dialogue in each of the panels are clear and easy to follow. The action scenes weren’t bad either. The manga does read right to left. Infinity Studios put out beautiful looking books and it is what distinguishes them from other managa titles on the shelf. The only drawback to this series is the availability. They don’t stay on the shelf long. Blood Alone is not exactly your typical vampire story. It is a love story between a young girl who happens to be a vampire and her love for her guardian, who has sworn to protect her. Their relationship is front and center and I’m enjoying every bit of it. My grade, A. This is a great series that has a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, a bit of romance and a lot of the supernatural and I can’t wait to read volume 5.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This series is very cute, a right blend of emotion and action.
Hey ag, you’ll have to let me know how you like it. The love story is quite subtle compared to everything else that goes on.
This series sounds interesting. I’m going to check the local stores.
There are four in the series right now — and it is ongoing.
Well considering I have to trust you on this (so far you have never led me astray) I will see if the library will bend over backwards to locate a copy for me! How many are in the series?
Hi Sarai, how’s Vampire Knight going? [g] I think you woud really enjoy Blood Alone as the love story is central to the plot and the characters are all memorable. It’s one of my favorite manga series right now.
So you are really trying to convert me over to mangas aren’t you? I have figured it out at last… This has been a trick to get me hooked and then leave me crying out for more. Well dang it your trick is working!
So total Sidenote: I read Raintree Inferno and didn’t care for it but *sigh* a las I am going to continue the blasted series just to see where it goes ;0) I’ll post a review later.