Kyuuketsuki Miyu (TV)

Also known as Vampire Princess Miyu, this anime series of 26 episodes explores the darker sides of human desires. Contrary to a lot of other series, the endings to each episode are often unexpected and are definitely not your average hero-kills-bad-guy-everyone-is-happy conclusions. As someone who is fascinated with the supernatural, Vampire Princess Miyu very much appealed to me through its characters, human drama and "gothic" (for a lack of a better word) atmosphere.

There are some major differences between the OAVs and the TV series, mainly regarding the background/history of some of the characters such as Reiha, Larva and Miyu herself. The plot for each episode is also much easier to understand and there aren't nearly as many hidden twists and turns.

Most of the episodes are about how Miyu finds and defeats Shinma, creatures that are a mix of god and demon and who like to play around with humans. Miyu is The Guardian and it's her responsibility to see that all Shinmas are returned to the dark.

Miyu is a paradox. She is young and yet old, world-weary and wise, yet innocent, all at the same time. She is sympathetic to human beings and even Shinmas but can be ruthless towards them. Her character is fascinating and her own struggle between her duties and her feelings endear her to you.

Larva is a Western Shinma who usually wears a mask and holds a giant scythe. He originally intended to kill Miyu but joined her after she defeated him and then shared her blood with him. He is often labeled as a traitor by the other Shinma. He is such a hunk! ;)

Shiina is a small harmless little Shinma who is companion to Miyu and Larva. His main power appears to be concentrated in his eye (which is hidden by a floppy ear most of the time).

Chisato, Yukari and Hisae are Miyu's friends at school. Chisato is Miyu's best friend, but she will play an astonishing role later on in the story .. Her character is shown as being innocent, playful, exuberant and downright friendly.

Reiha is a snow demon whose past is linked with Miyu's. She singlemindedly hunts after Shinma and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. She has a doll named Matsukaze who has powers of his own. It's unclear as to whether Reiha and Matsukaze are a single entity or two seperate beings.

Personally, I don't think that the animation was anything *extraordinary*, but it definitely wasn't cheap either. Some of the Shinma are beautifully drawn and other elements of the anime, such as the background of Miyu's parallel dimension, are just fantastic.

I found that the voice acting was well done. For example, Miyu's voice is a quiet, reflective and often emotionless - something that suits a vampire who tries to keep herself from feeling too much very well.