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| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
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| Rent | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
 Ggultra2764
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[series:236#1552] |
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(Rent-/ Watch+) Quite the mixed bag of a reboot for Vampire Princess Miyu. Many episodes of this TV take on Miyu are "Shinma of the day" setups where a random Shinma is manipulating a different human, Miyu senses its activity, she and Larva confront it and in many instances, tragic developments befall the Shinma's human victim. The Shinma cases for the TV anime are more on the dramatic side compared to the suspenseful horror of the 80s OVA adaptation. The setting and characters here also have their noticeable differences with Miyu being more reserved in personality and taking the guise of a middle school student, Larva being able to talk and remove his mask and the two having a cuddly new companion named Shiina. I didn't have much problem with the changes to Miyu and Larva for the TV anime, though Shiina was more an annoyance than an interesting character as he didn't get any fleshing out and seemed to be around in the show's attempt to have some kind of cuddly mascot. For the most part, the "Shinma of the day" episodes don't do anything to advance the show's plot as many episodes were self-contained with their plots. The introduction of Reiha's character and a number of arcs seen in the show's second half help save the series from complete mediocrity as they help add more depth and dimension to aspects of Miyu's character and her conflicts. The mentioned "Light of the Sea" two-parter explores Larva's character with the life he led before meeting and becoming Miyu's partner. Reiha's character serves as a foil and rival to Miyu with their differing beliefs about hunting Shinma and the treatment of humans where their hostility towards one another increases greatly as the show progresses. The final six episodes are the high point of the series where events come to a head in Reiha and Miyu's rivalry, Miyu's past gets explored and some shocking events unfold involving one of the schoolgirls Miyu befriended from earlier in the series. Still for as much as these elements are engaging, the first half of the series is somewhat of a struggle to go through thanks to the "Shinma of the day" episodes and the series lacks a conclusion as Miyu is still fulfilling her duties as the Guardian by the end of the show. Visually, the Miyu TV anime sports nicely drawn scenery and character designs that have a great amount of detail to them and have subdued color tones to go along with the show's dramatic mood. However, the animation for the series is rather subpar with reused animation frames, still shots and speed stripes. The soundtrack did its part to enhance the drama of key scenes in the series, mixing dramatic and traditional musical pieces. Overall, the "Shinma of the day" really put a dent in the quality of this TV anime take on Vampire Princess Miyu. While the show does gradually improve in its second half when we start learning more about Larva and Miyu, the mentioned "Shinma of the Day" episodes seemed to drag the series out too much as Miyu TV would have been better either as a shorter series at 13 episodes or had more linear plot developments. While still engaging to watch, I'd still find the 80s OVA to be better to watch in terms of length and story setup. Last updated Friday, January 25 2013. Created Friday, January 25 2013. | ||||||||
| Buy |
 aoneish
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[series:236#1615] | ||||||
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Not the best kind of anime. There's the whole shinma-of-the-week thing. The animation is well, old. The music isn't really worth mentioning. But the characters (the main ones at least) are still drawn beautifully. While it's still serial in some aspects, sometimes it feels episodic due to the fact that each episode is, as I've said, a shinma-of-the-week deal. It isn't until we get near the gritty end (maybe last three dvd's?)that the stories come out, Larva's past (and how he met Miyu), Reiha's hatred, Miyu's destiny, and the "twist." Very well worth it to see that, although there still are shinma-of-the-week eppies in between. You might not like Miyu, you might not even like Larva. There's no great drama or angst in this series, except when we see their stories, just a tired, weary, generally sorrowful feeling because they've been doing it so long. They've lived for centuries and so nothing really gets to them much. But once their stories come out you see that they do care for each other (if you didn't see that already), and when Miyu feels, she isn't such a weakling anymore. It's not a happy series, but damn if it's not a pretty good one.
Last updated Thursday, September 28 2006. Created Thursday, September 28 2006. | ||||||||
| Avoid | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
 Tom
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[series:236#1086] |
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You'll have to forgive me for being honest with my opinion of this anime, I simply didn't like it. I wasn't scared, and I definetly didn't think it was creepy. The backgrounds were well done, and the character designs were good as well, but the animation itself was choppy and the stories were bland at best. The action itself wasn't very good either, it may get better as the anime progressed, but I couldn't stand to watch more than 4 episodes.
Last updated Sunday, November 30 2003. Created Sunday, November 30 2003. | ||||||||
| Rent | 9 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
 Devil Doll
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[series:236#752] |
[Score: 79% = minimum "Rent+". Recommended Fantasy/Horror anime: sola, Interlude]
It is difficult to tell. Other than in most series I've seen before, the Characters aren't introduced with special episodes but grow at certain events when the storyline calls for it - and in the end they all worked for me... ah, yes: The Story. For about a dozen episodes I didn't believe there even were any, as long as Miyu played her standard pattern over and over again: Spot the stray shinma, make it appear in its original form, block its first attack (mostly using Larva for that - somewhere else I read this were a pun with "Lover" as well), and seal it away. Those repetitive episodes (although executed nicely with ever changing and interesting shinmas) became very predictable after a short time, and I was rather disappointed during the first half of this series. I even learned quickly to interpret Miyu's "mysterious" responses to her unsuspecting school friends ... did I possibly read too many Sherlock Holmes stories before? And some fights were so close that I wondered early why these stray shinma never teamed up to made a joint attack against the Guardian. Then the double episode 13+14 "Light of the Sea I & II" marked a first turnaround. Not only are we given essential information about Miyu's and Larva's history now, but Reiha's character is growing from this point as well. The standard episodes nearly disappear at this stage - the storyline becomes dominant, just like in Silent Mobius. But the real show actually starts no earlier than episode 21! From then on we really learn what's up, what happened in the past, and what will lead to the two great final conflicts. I am very thankful for several of the reviews here that made me patiently wait for this - and in a way I am happy I did bet my money on the right two characters half-way through the show, although I certainly missed to pay attention to the first important hint about the ending that has been given in one of the very first episodes. I simply took something for granted that wasn't. I was surprised about the ending to say the least. They actually tried to fire up all they had, and invested some of the "material" very skillfully. Still, I believe they tricked me and this isn't a real ending at all - in a way it reminds me of Serial Experiments Lain where many things you believed to be important just lost their meaning in the end. Anyway, the Miyu ending at least made sense to me (although I don't like the final statement: If there is nothing but fate, then does it matter at all what you fight for? Compare how different Silent Mobius is in this aspect!). Unfortunately, the series also didn't answer the questions I had after having watched the OVA, but you can't always get what you want ... So overall, the last six episodes saved the day and made Miyu TV a good show. But while the individual episodes absolutely matched Silent Mobius, Shin Seiki Evangelion and SEL, this Miyu's storyline and character development did not - the makers wasted a little too much time during the first half of the series. Still, a solid "Rent" rating from me - and don't you dare to give up watching before the end! Last updated Wednesday, August 10 2011. Created Wednesday, July 30 2003. | ||||||||
| Buy | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
 Sesen Kelader
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[series:236#471] |
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In my opinion the TV series is way better than the OVA. The first time I watched Miyu was on TV (I lived in Taiwan at that time) 4 and half years ago (A.C. 1998). At first I thought: what the heck does it want to say? But it really caught me afterwards. TV series is completely different than the OVA. The settings, the characters, and the fights are all different. TV series does not connect with OVA in all senses except one: the Fate. Vampire Princess Miyu is an Anime based on the idea of Inevitable Fate. Different than Christianity and most Western religion, Incarnation and Reincarnation deeply influence traditional Japanese belief.(remember the scene that a man turns into a baby and is fetched away by a laundry pot (or a rice pot)? It holds the sense of reincarnation.), and so are the ideas of fate accompanied with them. Miyu suffers from her born fate that she will be the Guardian forever and ever, especially when she has to face her best friend Chisato at the end. Vampire Princess Miyu describes the dark and weak sides of human via its pessemistic way. Shinmas are no more than dramatized human desire and greed that bring men to destruction. On the other hand, Miyu stands for the last dim light in human's heart, struggling against darkness, so It's also understandable why Miyu has the ability to give people sweet, everlasting dreams, dreams of hopes and wishes. Although she knows her fate, she still holds her hope that she might be able to taste happiness. In fact the entire story's mood raises as Miyu goes through all the fights against shinmas and her only enemy Reiha, who ironically has similar fate and understands Miyu. When one might think Miyu could stay happily with her friends at last, the story mood drops into an abyss by her two friends' death and the shima awakening of her best and last friend, Chisato. The story concludes with inevitable fate, saddness, loneliness, futile hate towards destiny, and Miyu's dark yet gentle love. Although Miyu once says that human matters are not her business. She sends Shinmas (plz notice that Miyu does not have the ability to "kill" shimas, all she can do is to send them back to the darkness) to the darkness simply because she bears the fate of Guardian. She seems to be cold and couldn't care less about humans, yet she always goes very soft and easy on unfortunate victims she encounters. She does not hate humans. She does not hate Reiha. She does not hate her parents. She does not even hate shimas. she only hates her eternal fate. Vampire Princess Miyu is one of my favorite Anime. Its sadness, loneliness, and unnoticed love touch me deeply. Miyu can give people but never herself sweet dreams. Last updated Thursday, January 02 2003. Created Thursday, January 02 2003. | ||||||||
| Buy | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
 Reiha
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[series:236#435] |
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Some words to describe Vampire Princess Miyu: Dark, Sad, Creepy, and definitely very Tragic. This anime series is one of my favorites. The TV series is somewhat different from the OAV's, storyline and all. But its just as good. One of the best thing about Vampire Princess Miyu is the music. Music makes a great first impression when it comes to watching anime for the first time. And music for Vampire Princess Miyu reflects the episodes and atmosphere; dark, sad, creepy, melancholic, etc. Aside from the story, music is also one of the factors that drew me in this series. I wouldn't consider Vampire Princess Miyu an action packed horror film. The battles usually does not last very long, as mentioned by Midnighter's review. But then again, its not really necessary. The episodes are concentrated more on the story and characters rather than action. Instead of horror films that scare you with blood and gore, Vampire Princess Miyu is creepy enough to send chills down your spine without the violence. Some of the stories are repetitive though. Miyu looks for stray Shinma and sends them back to the Dark. I have seen all 26 episodes and I don't recall having any of them have a happy ending. This just goes to show how this series is sad and tragic. I've seen some reviews who got tired after maybe watching the first thirteen episodes because they find the episodes a bit redundant. Trust me, I think this anime series have one of the best endings EVER!! The last 5 episodes alone are enough to keep you glued to your seat!! So I would say its well worth the wait to watch all episodes. I definitely highly recommend this series for people who likes deep, dark, and creepy horror. If you're craving for an action packed horror anime, stay away from Vampire Princess Miyu (even though Larva looks cool with his scythe). Vampire Princess Miyu is an anime series that makes you think and asks you questions like "what, why, and how can such a thing happen?" in disbelief. Last updated Wednesday, November 27 2002. Created Wednesday, November 27 2002. | ||||||||
| Buy | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
 Midnighter
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[series:236#94] | |
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Unflinchingly dark, unapologetically sorrowful, and unafraid to tell stories that won't appeal to mass market audiences. I loved it. Vampire Princess Miyu was a series I've been looking forward to getting on DVD since I saw the first 13 fansubbed. Tokyopop has come through with high-quality DVD release that does justice to the beautiful art in this series. The character designs are absolutely gorgeous, based on the OAV designs but streamlined, stylized and updated for a new audience. Gone are the horrible '80's pudginess and Ranma-style eyes. Miyu and Larva have never looked better. The art and backgrounds rival El Hazard in terms of sheer beauty, a deep world of dark blues, purples, and earth tones suck the veiwer into the show. One can almost smell the evening breeze. Unfortunately, Miyu suffers from poor animation. Choppy, rough, and simplistic, it is unforgivably noticable. Often resorting to static pans and blurred backgrounds, Miyu's minimal TV budget was used with obvious restraint. In it's defense, the money must have gone to the finale, because the last episode looks fantastic, particularly during Larva's last stand. If only the rest of the series looked as good. An excellent Japanese voice cast plays it very subdued and softspoken, in contrast to the stereotypical squeeky, manic female voice actresses that populate too many anime. The first rate Japanese cast makes the bad Tokyopop dub even more disappointing, even though it features actors that I like in other things. The storys are driven by characters, not action, which immediately caught my attention, as it shows that thought was actually put into the series. In fact the bit players and enemies are so interesting that it seems like a shame when Miyu must inevitably destroy them. These battles rarely last more than a few seconds, which gives them an unfortunate tacked on feel. Its almost as if the creators said, "Well, we should probably throw some action in," as an afterthought. Still everything is always neatly wrapped up by the endings. Speaking of the endings, there are no happy ones in Miyu's world. The unfortunate characters that inhabit it are LUCKY if they manage a bittersweet ending. This is not the feel good series of the year. Overall, I highly recommend Vampire Princess Miyu. With strong stories, characters that are always interesting (though not always consistant) and wonderful art, Miyu offers much to love. Tokyopop's DVD releases feature 4 or 5 episodes per disc, with the exception of 3 on the fist volume, so Miyu is worth buying. 9-16-02 NOTE: During the first couple of volumes, Tokyopop mistranslates Larva's name as "Lava." This is rather glaring as "Larva" is Latin for "Mask"--an important part of his character. Last updated Monday, September 16 2002. Created Monday, September 16 2002. | ||||||||
| Buy | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
 Mark Clifton
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[series:236#126] |
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Shinmas beware, because this series is just awesome. It has a great storyline, where you get to know more about Miyu, Larva, Shinmas, and all the rest of the unfortunate people. Just one thing to remember when watching this series, there is NEVER a happy ending! This is a dark TV series, one of the reasons why it aired on TV Tokyo at 1:30am on a Friday Night (what a wonderful time slot). This is a show truly made for the hardcore fans. Last updated Wednesday, January 24 2001. Created Wednesday, January 24 2001. | ||||||||
| Rent | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
 Joseph Owens
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[series:236#127] |
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Vampire Princess Miyu is the sickest, darkest, and wrong wrong wrong anime series I have ever seen (well unless you count Pokemon), I kind of liked it. It's the kind of series that makes you want to go cry yourself to sleep. I have never seen a TV series that didn't have at least one happy ending in it, that is until I saw this one. I would say watch it if you want to see a dark anime series.
Last updated Wednesday, January 24 2001. Created Wednesday, January 24 2001. | ||||||||
Other Sites
| Name | URL |
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| AIC | http://www.anime-int.com/e/ |
