A volume that changes how we perceive characters
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Akaza Samamiya
Translation/Adaptation: Katherine Schilling
What They Say
Maria’s father, Yusei, was killed by vampires—and it was Maria’s own fault. Haunted by guilt, he sealed away the memory. That is, until he remembers the face of the murderous vampire…and it looks just like Mary’s! On a mission for answers, Maria comes to the kidnapped Mary’s rescue, but he finds someone else within Mary…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
When we last left the story, Bloody had been taken captive in the underground chambers of the Sakuraba Estate by Yzak. As we pick up the story, the elder Maria tortures a chained Bloody provoking another personality to take control of the vampire’s body. Unlike the childish, suicidal Bloody, a malicious and calculating personality creates a level of threat none of the earlier chapters offered.
The story, once again, is thin and only serves to reveal more details about the characters and their pasts. Maria enters the Sakuraba Estate accompanied by Takumi and Hydra, a gothic lolita vampire who has an uncertain history with Bloody. I will not tell you what they find because the entire purpose of the story is for little bits of information to be gleaned from the conversations. Bloody, with the Mary personality, confronts Yzak. Maria and Hydra have an interesting conversation regarding each others’ motives of what they want from Bloody. Most importantly, we learn the reason behind Yzak’s oddly maniacal behavior.
Artwork seems less detailed and location-focused as some of the earlier chapters. In fact, the backgrounds may not exist as more than shades of gray that obscure everything including the foreground and faces of the characters. After reading the volume, that is how I remember the artwork as a whole. This lack of detail gives much of the stories a dreamlike quality where characters only exist in memory or imagination.
In Summary
Volume 3 offers more important exposition with little story development. For the first time, Yzak’s backstory helps readers make sense of some of the attitudes and behaviors of the characters in the earlier chapters.
Above all, the characters and their motives seem more defined, but unlike a standard shojo fairy tale, each character has complex experiences that do not fully explain their actions and attitudes. Akaza Samamiya builds a mystery by foreshadowing and providing clues that promise a more unstable world in future chapters.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: June 7th, 2016
MSRP: $9.99
