Sunday, 27 May 2012

Manga: Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight.
It makes you think of classic fairy tales/fantasies that existed long ago.

Summary:
Yuuki's earliest memory is of a stormy night in winter, where she was attacked by a vampire... And then rescued by another. Now 10 years later, Yuuki Cross, the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy,Kaien Cross, has grown up and become a guardian of the vampire race, protecting her childhood crush, Kaname, from discovery as he leads a group of vampires at the elite boarding school. But also at her side is Zero Kiryu, a childhood friend who’s hatred for the creatures that destroyed everything he held dear, is now determined never to trust them. This coexisting arrangement seems all well and good, but have the vampires truly renounced their murderous ways, or is there a darker truth behind their actions? Because in this world of secrets, nothing is as it seems. And the price of misplaced trust may even be worse than death.

Characters:
Main Characters:

Yuki Cross / Yuki Kuran
Yuki Cross / Yuki Kuran (黒主 優姫 / 玖蘭 優姫 Kurosu Yuki / Kuran Yuki?) is the adopted daughter of the Headmaster of Cross Academy, a 15-year-old first year student, who wields the Artemis rod, an anti-vampire weapon given to her by Kaien Cross. She begins as a human, a Guardian protecting the vampire students' secret from the human students. Yuki is close to Zero Kiryuu, who she becomes determined to help once she learns he has become a vampire. Her other significant relationship is with Kaname Kuran, whom she has been in love with since he saved her as a young child. She is generally a kind, caring, cheerful, crazy and comedic character, but she is very naive and careless girl, often portrayed as not being very smart, being a poor student due to the fact that she is a Guardian at night and student in the daytime, giving her little time to study and sleep. She is often kept ignorant by other characters who know more about on-goings, which results in her character feeling guilty for being unaware of the suffering of other characters. Hino Matsuri has described Yuki as a healing and soothing character, who exemplifies her justice side.
Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Mela Lee (English)

Zero Kiryu
Zero Kiryu (錐生 零 Kiryū Zero?) is unique being both a Vampire Hunter and a vampire. Yuki's close friend and a Cross Academy Guardian, he was trained to be a Vampire Hunter by Toga Yagari. Zero carries the anti-vampire gun called "Bloody Rose”. Zero lives with Kaien Cross and Yuki, after being bitten by a pureblood vampire who also murdered his family. Due to the attack, Zero developed a deep hatred and distrust of vampires, despite originally being a gentle character by nature. Matsuri Hino described Zero as exemplifying her hesitant nature.
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English)

Kaname Kuran
Kaname Kuran (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname?) is introduced as the pureblood vampire saved Yuki from an attack by another vampire when she was five years old. Kaname is revealed to be one of the original vampires and founder of the Kuran family, who was raised as Juri and Haruka's son after being reawakened by Rido Kuran. During the first arc, Kaname spends his time working to protect Yuki, which includes killing Shizuka Hio and fostering Zero Kiryuu's powers. The end of the arc culminates in his destruction of the Vampire Council, which attacked the school, fearing the return of the Kuran family as the rulers of Vampire Society. Kaname's inexplicable attachment and gentleness to Yuuki is finally explained when Kaname awakens her true nature as a pureblood vampire born as his sister and to become his wife.
Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio (Japanese), Ethan Murray (English)

Day Class
Day Class students are humans who attend Cross Academy and live in the Sun Dormitory. The majority remain ignorant of the vampires at the school. They attend classes during the day only, hence the name, while wearing black uniforms. Following the battle on the school, the students realized the true identity of the Night Class students. At first they were fearful, but eventually accepted the vampires reluctantly; however, upon the reopening of the school, all but a selected few had their memories erased of this information.

Students [ Only that I think are worth mentioning ]

Sayori Wakaba

Sayori "Yori" Wakaba (若葉 沙頼 Wakaba Sayori?) is Yuki's dorm-mate and best friend since junior high. She has a fiance. Yori is a very perceptive girl who finds the aura of the Night Class to be scary. She is one of the few girls with no interest in the Night Class and not intimidated by Zero, frequently joining Yuki to tease him while maintaining that Yuki is the only one capable of dealing with him. When Yori discovers that Yuki is a vampire during the attack on the school, she accepts Yuki. After a year has passed, Yori remains Yuki's loyal friend, she refused to have her memory erased by the hunters, now one of the few students who knows what actually happened at the school. Kaito uses Yori as bait at the vampire ball in an attempt to provoke trouble, while she does this in order to meet with Yuki whom she hadn't seen in a year. It is revealed that she is also a daughter of an important official, whether hunter or not is unknown, when the headmaster was discussing on reopening the night class. She makes a few attempts to see Yuki later in the manga. She encounters Ruka and Kain with two other day class students, and is ordered to go inside, then Ruka uses her power to make the whole Day Class fall asleep.
Voiced by: Risa Mizuno (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Ichiru Kiryu

Ichiru Kiryu (錐生 壱縷 Kiryū Ichiru?) was Zero's younger identical twin brother. Ichiru failed to be a Vampire Hunter due to being a sickly boy and his lack of hunter talents. He was believed to have been killed by Shizuka Hio, but he returns healthy after revealing that he had become the servant of Shizuka and she had given Ichiru her blood to cure his chronic ill health. In spite of his desires, she does not turn him into a vampire and he remains a human. With Shizuka's death, he returns to Cross Academy as a Day Class student by the orders of the Vampire Council and his own desire for revenge for Shizuka's death. During Zero's imprisonment by the Vampire Hunters, Ichiru visits and shoots him but reveals that he attained a mortal wound in an attempt to kill Rido, because of his role in Shizuka's death. After he shoots his brother, Ichiru convinces Zero to drink his body so they can finally become one, as they were originally supposed to be. Zero buries him alongside their parents grave.
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English)

Night Class
Night Class students are young vampires who attend Cross Academy and live in the Moon Dormitory, while wearing white uniforms. They are offsprings of elite families in vampire society and are of noble blood, gathered by Kaname Kuran, in order to pursue peace between humans and vampires. They are extremely beautiful and highly intelligent. As they are nocturnal and sensitive to sunlight, they attend classes during the night and sleep during the day.

Students
Kain
Akatsuki Kain (架院 暁 Kain Akatsuki?) is Aido's cousin and considered one of "Lord Kaname's right-hand men." While the Day Class girls have nicknamed him "Wild", Kain is actually mellower than Aido and his laid-back attitude and association with Aido frequently sees him getting into trouble, despite not being directly responsible.Kain is incredibly perceptive and frequently sensitive to others' feelings, most particularly with his cousins, Aido and Ruka's. Kain has the ability to conjure and control fire. It has been hinted that Kain has some feelings for Ruka but he has yet to reveal his true feelings to her.His protectiveness over Ruka is the only thing preventing him from fully devoting himself to Kaname like Aido. During Rido's attack on Cross Academy, Kain and Ruka fight vampires attacking the Day Class on Kaname's orders.

After the one year timeskip, Akatsuki leaves with Ruka and Kaname. Aido runs into him and Akatsuki says that he's going back to Kaname's side. At chapter 79, he and Ruka arrive back at the academy. He and Aido get into a fight, but Akatsuki escapes with Ruka.
Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese), Troy Baker (English)

Hanabusa Aido
Hanabusa Aido (藍堂 英 Aidō Hanabusa?) nicknamed "Idol" by the Day Class girls, Aido is well known among the Night Class along with his cousin Akatsuki Kain to be "Lord Kaname's right hand". His fierce admiration for Kaname borders on jealousy and though extremely loyal, Aido has a tendency to overstep his boundaries, which results in Kaname punishing him if discovered (often by slapping him). A noble-class vampire who can conjure and control ice, Aido often appears cheerful and friendly one moment, but vindictive and cruel the next. In spite of his seeming capriciousness, he is a dedicated and serious individual. A perceptive individual, he and figures out Zero is a vampire, but he keeps this information to himself without any hidden agenda in mind. He is often irritated at Yuki and her naive ways and he resents the fact Yuki is given special attention from "Lord Kaname". He is temporarily troubled when he witnesses Kaname's killing of a fellow pureblood and runs away from the Moon Dormitory and imposes himself on Yuki and Zero. Agreeing with Yuki's assertion that he would remain loyal to Kaname even if betrayed by him, he returns to the vampire's side.

Aido has difficulty adjusting himself to referring to Yuki in a formal manner following the revelation of her true nature when he is appointed as one of her protectors. During Rido's attack on Cross Academy, Aido protects the Day Class, as ordered by Yuki. Half a year after the incident, Aido becomes Yuki's tutor and personal guard. After witnessing Kaname kill his father, Aido tries to suppress any hatred towards the Kuran family and collaborates with Yuki to reestablish the Night Class. Hanabusa witnesses Yuki drinking Zero's blood, but refrains from saying anything and instead asks for Rima and Senri to help him snoop around. He follows Kaien in order to track down Kaname but meets instead with his cousin, Kain who blocks his way before leaving him.
When Kain and Ruka arrive back at the academy, Aido tries to attack him, but they escape.
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English)

Maria Kurenai
Maria Kurenai (紅 まり亜 Kurenai Maria?) is a very distant relative of Shizuka Hio. She allows Shizuka to possess her body in exchange for being allowed to drink Shizuka's blood, which would strengthen her weak body. Due to Shizuka's untimely death, this promise is never fulfilled. She seems to be fond of Ichiru Kiryu, and she hugs Zero when she mistakes him for Ichiru. She asks Yuki to tell Zero that if he sees Ichiru, to tell him Maria wants to see him again. She returns to her family after Shizuka's death, and when she sends an owl out to search for Ichiru she witnesses Kaname's destruction of the Senate, and proceeds to spread the news.
Maria returns to Cross Academy to support Yuki and the Night Class. She notices the changes in Zero and Yuki's relationship and tells Yuki she intends to take Zero. She becomes closer to Zero, seeking him out and finding the presence of his twin within him. She helps Yuki with retrieving Sara's blood tablets from the Night Class, and tells Yuki that she can't cure Zero's hunger. The two discover Handagi's servant, and Zero shows up and orders her to take her to Kaito. Maria encounters Ruka and Kain, and attempts to attack them, but they tell her that they are just passing through.
Voiced by: Mai Nakahara (Japanese), Laura Bailey (English)

Rima Toya
Rima Toya (遠矢 莉磨 Tōya Rima?) is one of the youngest Night Class students and she works as a model alongside Senri Shiki. She is 165 cm tall. Rima is smart and usually appears uninterested and indifferent. She is often blunt and has a fairly quick temper. She cares deeply for Shiki and possesses a personality similar to his. Rima possesses lightning or electricity related abilities. She shares a fondness for Pocky with Shiki. After suspecting Shiki has changed upon his return to school, Rima confronts Rido and demands him to leave Shiki's body since she can tell that he is not Shiki. She is wounded by Rido, but is saved by Ichijo. While injured, she tries to convince Shiki to snap out of his state and calls him an idiot for letting Rido control him. Badly wounded, she is sent back to the Moon Dormitory by Ichijo. Rima is later seen at the vampire ball with Shiki and at a photoshoot at a school Sara Shirabuki was spotted at. Rima rejoins the newly established Night Class, but has since become a critic of Kaname's actions.

She becomes worried because Senri has taken the new tablets, and rushes to him after Takuma and Sara accompany Zero to the Hunter's Association.
Voiced by: Eri Kitamura (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English)

Ruka Souen
Ruka Souen (早園 瑠佳 Sōen Ruka?) is a female noble vampire who provides a stark contrast to Yuki Cross. She is 169 cm tall. Her power is to control other vampires into killing each other or themselves. Ruka has been in love with Kaname Kuran since she was a child and thus remains close to him as a faithful friend. However, she ironically remains unaware of Kain's unrequited love for her. She is also long time friends to her cousins Aido and Kain. She has an intense jealousy towards any humans that raise Kaname's interest. Her character becomes more jealous and disheartened towards the end of the first arc after she learns that Yuki is engaged to Kaname. Despite all this, she continues to maintain an unrequited love for Kaname. Like the rest of the night class, she works with Kain and Aido to defend girls in the Day Class during the attack on Cross Academy from hostile vampires. After Yuki's transformation into her former vampire self, Ruka remains closer to Yuki, such as giving her etiquette lessons, though she stills intensely jealous about Yuki. While Ruka is kind to Yuki and other girls, she avoids them when she can. Yuki eventually confronts Kaname about her, to which Kaname tells Yuki that it will be a long time before Ruka can forgive him for once drinking her blood- consequently making Ruka believe he loved her- but never truly repaying her for the act.
In chapter 81, Ruka helps Kaname get away from Yuki by creating an illusion of Zero killing her, and later apologizes to Kaname about letting Yuki see something horrible.
Voiced by: Junko Minagawa (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English)

Seiren
Seiren (星煉 Seiren?) is a student of the Night Class, and is Kaname's unofficial bodyguard. She is usually the first to defend Kaname from anyone regarded as a threat to his safety. She threatens to kill Zero when he threatens Kaname with the Bloody Rose. Seiren also appears to serve Kaname in the capacity of a spy or informant, for example she is the one that tells Kaname that his uncle, Rido, has risen. She practices martial arts to use herself as a weapon against enemies mainly focusing on her intensely sharp finger nails. Sieren follows Kaname Kuran at his bidding throughout the course of the story.
Voiced by: Risa Mizuno (Japanese), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English)

Senri Shiki
Senri Shiki (支葵 千里 Shiki Senri?) One of the youngest Night Class members, he works as a model with Rima Toya. When the night class is given orders to hunt down a level E vampire, Shiki is usually the one seen out hunting the level E vampires. He has a whip-like weapon which develops from his blood. It is later revealed that Shiki is in fact the son of Rido Kuran, meaning he's Kaname and Yuki's cousin. Shiki possesses a personality similar to Rima Toya. He is usually impassive, and often detached to the rest of the vampires except for Rima and Ichijo. He rarely expresses emotion, and may seem like he doesn't care about his surroundings. Because of his reserved nature, he keeps to himself, and never has much to say. Later in the manga, Senri takes the new blood tablets. He goes to Ichijo and Sara, claiming that he will return to Ichijo's side.
When Zero announces to Sara that he will hide her at the Hunter's Association, Senri is shocked when Takuma agrees to go as well, however, Senri does not come along.
Voiced by: Sōichirō Hoshi (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)

Takuma Ichijo
Takuma Ichijo (一条 拓麻 Ichijō Takuma?) is the vice-president of the Night Class. He is a noble-class vampire nearly as powerful as Kaname, whom he is close to and respects. With his cheerful and enthusiastic demeanor, Ichijo appears very "un-vampire like", lacking the dark atmosphere that surrounds most vampires and making him appear more like a human. Ichijo maintains a close friendship with Senri Shiki. Ichijo is ordered by his grandfather Asato Ichijo to spy on Kaname while attending Cross Academy but refuses out of loyalty for his friend. When Senri Shiki is possessed by Rido Kuran, Ichijo is forced to go against Kaname in order to protect his friends. Once Shiki is freed from Rido's possession, Ichijo rejoins Kaname's side and stops Kaname from killing his grandfather, instead asking that he be the one to handle the issue. It appears that Ichijo intended to end his life along with his grandfather's. Takuma was discovered unconscious afterwards by Sara Shirabuki, who said that she always wanted "to have" Takuma. Following the year time leap, Takuma remains at Sara Shirabuki's side and cannot return to Kaname's side after being fed with Sara's blood when he was injured, because Sara's blood has been taming him and turn him into her slave. After poses as Sara's brother at the elite school she is scouting, he comes back to the new Night Class formed by Yuki Kuran in Cross Academy, along with Sara, completely under Sara's possession.
In chapter 80, Sara admits to him that she has always wanted him, which Ichijo takes as a love confession, and believes that Sara was also jealous of Kaname because Ichijo was by his side for so long. Ichijo wonders if Kaname was ever his friend, or was using his powers to keep Ichijo around him.
Takuma agrees to follow Sara to the Hunter's Association under Zero's command in chapter 81. Senri, who is with them, asks him why he would make this decision. Ichijo answers that this was always his decision.
Voiced by: Susumu Chiba (Japanese), Spike Spencer (English)

Vampire Hunters
Vampire Hunters are the enemies of vampires. They were created thousands of years earlier by one of the first vampires who desired to give humans a chance to defend themselves against the vampires that were turning the human race into their slaves. By drinking her blood deeply, she poisoned the humans, those who survived became Vampire Hunters who developed accelerated healing, the ability to sense vampires. They also are capable of using magic to detect and detain vampires. Only Vampire Hunters are capable of wielding anti-vampire weapons, such as swords and guns, that will only harm vampires and are the only weapons capable of killing the immortal pureblood vampires. The abilities were passed on through the genes, however as a result of sharing some vampire instincts, twins are rare, normally devouring each other in the womb and are stillborn. They set up an association of hunters with rules and regulations that they must follow in order to hunt vampires. The hunters maintain a list of vampires who have become dangerous and violated the rules as defined in the treaty with the vampires.

Headmaster Kaien Cross
Kaien Cross (黒主 灰閻理事長 Cross Kaien) is over 200 years old,the oldest and most powerful known Vampire Hunter, nicknamed "The Fangless Vampire". In spite of being a vampire hunter, Kaien maintained friendships with several pureblood vampire families, especially the Kurans. Kaien adopted Yuki and also took Zero and Saboten into his home after they lost their families. Kaien retired as a vampire hunter and became the Headmaster of Cross Academy, he established the Day Class and Night Class with Kaname Kuran with dreams of promoting peace between humans and vampires. Kaien is an eccentric character who often provokes Zero and irritates other characters with his silly mannerisms, though he is a serious character when it comes to matters he cares about. He carries a hidden anti-vampire weapon in his cane which he uses to fight against the President of the Hunter Association who had turned corrupt from drinking Rido Kuran's blood. It is also pointed at, although never said directly, that he was in love with Juri Kuran.
After the one year time skip, he is not impressed by Kaname's rebellion against the rest of the purebloods, and tells Zero that he will go to stop him. The hunters later reveal to Zero and Yuki that they think that he should just let Kaname do what he wants. Kaien and Kaname fight with swords, and Kaien tells him that he will never return Yuki to him, though she still believes in him somewhere in her heart, and that it is his turn to change her back into a human. When Kaien slashes Kaname, he is revealed to be Toma, who has been used by Kaname. Kaien carries Toma back to the Hunter's Association.
When Zero brings Sara to the Hunter's Association, he thinks that Sara and Kaname killing each other is a sick joke.
Voiced by: Hozumi Goda (Japanese), Christopher Corey Smith (English)

Kaito Takamiya
Kaito Takamiya (鷹宮 海斗 Takamiya Kaito?) is a young hunter and a teacher-in-training. He is first introduced in the light novel Vampire Knight: Ice Blue's Sin (ヴァンパイア騎士 憂氷の罪 Vanpaia Naito: Aisu Burū no Tsumi?) and does not appear in the manga until the second arc when Matsuri Hino needed another hunter character, she liked Ayuna Fujisaki's creation so much, she asked to use him.
According to Kaien, Zero and Kaito share Yagari's attitude because they trained under him. Kaito was trained by Yagari with Ichiru and Zero after his former teacher was wounded. During that time, Kaito picked on Ichiru for his physical weakness and Zero for his soft heart. Later, Zero and Kaito become more friendly. He is a ruthless vampire hunter and trusts no one. His elder brother was bitten by a Pureblood and on his first mission with Yagari, he insisted on killing his brother himself. Kaito is invited to the academy by Kaien to be a student Ethics teacher, while they are relying on his competence as a skilled hunter to assist the Hunter Association's organization. Kaito makes his own plans, inviting Yori to sneak into a vampire soiree, later revealing to Zero that it was to stir up the vampires as an excuse to hunt and as a test on Zero's control around them. He later reveals that his role is to observe Zero and invites Zero to rely on him as Zero once did on Yuki.
Zero orders Maria to take Handagi's servant to Kaito, and he guards her with Hanabusa and Maria. Handiagi's servant is angry that the Vampire Hunters are letting Sara do what she wants, and Kaito agrees. At the Hunter's Association, she is angry that Sara is there with Zero, and Kaito tells her that she would get killed if she tried to attack Sara when Handagi's servant asks to be let free to kill her.

Toga Yagari
Toga Yagari (夜刈 十牙 Yagari Tōga?) is currently the top ranked vampire hunter, as well as the one who trained Zero to be a Vampire Hunter. He lost his right eye trying to save Zero long ago when Zero's old school nurse turned out to be a Level E Vampire and tried to attack both Zero and Ichiru. Yagari told them to leave but in an attempt to help his teacher, Zero refuses and stays. It is during this time that the nurse goes for Zero, that Yagari stands in front of him and gets a blow to his face, losing his right eye. He appears at Cross Academy in the guise of being a new Ethics teacher for both the Day Class and the Night Class, but he's really there to see if Zero's become a Level E. One night when Zero tries to drink Yuki's blood, the two fall in a swimming pool and when the emerge from the water Yagari shoots Zero in the shoulder with an anti-vampire gun. Later when Ichiru returns to confront Zero, they get in a fight. Yagari steps in, and to avoid Ichiru having his sword fall through his face Yagari stands over him and lets the sword fall through his own shoulder.
Yagari is shocked to learn the Senate's decision to punish Zero for the death of Shizuka Hio and later reappears to arrest Zero. Yagari subsequently joins the Kaien Cross to protect Cross Academy from the Hunter Association.
When Kaien goes to Kaname to stop him after the one year timeskip, he is angry at him and tells him that he should let Kamame kill the purebloods.
Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (Japanese), Travis Willingham (English)

Taito Takamiya
Taito is a young hunter that appears in Season of Transcience, as a level e that Zero and Kaito are meant to hunt. However, he reveals to be Kaito's older brother, who Kaito thought had simply ran away because he hated his job. Taito attempts to beg for his life, but it turns out to be a trick and he damages Kaito's shoulder. Before he can bite Zero, Yagari arrives, and Kaito ends up killing Taito himself.

-END-

And now back to how I feel about it.
It's a bit confusing,honestly speaking,for some unknown reasons. ( ^_^)/~~~
The art is a bit weird as well. But still acceptable. I don't really like the way she draws the characters lips,bit too realistic... I don't really like how Kaname looks like the most. :/

Couple pairings:
RimaXSenri
YuukiXZero
RukaXKain
YuukiXKaname
MariaXIchiru [who is most unfortunately dead ]

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