Book Reviews: Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Vols. 3 & 4

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 3 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

Having acquired Cursed Gear (the sort of weapon a human needs in order to kill a vampire in this mythology), Yuichiro is excited to leave school behind and start killing vampires. He's less excited about working in a squad, thinking he is better as a loner. The squad is even less appealing because his school rival, Kimizuki, is also a member. And he's not the leader of the squad, that's a more experience member of the Imperial Demon Army named Mitsuba. The squad travels to Shinjuku to investigate vampire activity. Little do they know that the rumors about an attack are true and they will get more action than they anticipated, even on the way.

I have mixed feelings about this volume. On the one hand, they moved away from the school drama that is prevalent in lots of other manga, so I was happy about that. But then they had an extended shower scene where Mitsuba (who is female) is thinking out loud about the situation. I've never run across more gratuitous fan service before. A combination of steam, body positioning, and dialogue bubbles keep her from being completely revealed. It was annoying and distasteful to me. She could have just as easily been enjoying a cup of tea or brushing her hair or walking out in nature. It's a short scene but it sticks out. The rest of the story is enjoyable, promising more proper drama and action.

Mildly recommended.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 4 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

The big battle plays out in Shinjuku as Yuichiro's team faces down a lot of vampires, including high-ranking Bathory and, most significantly, Yu's childhood best friend (and now vampire) Mika. The reunion is awkward and more than a little fraught with peril as the two former friends are forced to choose between each other and the factions to which they belong. Both Yu and Mika think the other group is evil and manipulative, so no easy answer is found yet.

The drama is handled really well. Some world-building works its way into the story, giving a bit of the larger context of what happened and how the humans are able to have a chance against the vampires. I enjoyed this volume and will keep going.

Recommended.