Vampeerz

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At the time of writing there are 17 chapters out. This is another story from the mangaka behind Prism, a yuri manga cancelled after only a very short run, but that is still highly regarded in the genre. So far, Vampeerz is quite a cute manga, that offers a nice change of pace from typical yuri manga by offering a plot outside of the relationship between the two girls. Of course, that plot relates to the vampires in the story, in this case revolving around their interest in an ancient knife, however it is too early to comment on how that story will develop.

In many ... ways, this manga reminds me of some earlier harem manga such as Tenchi Muyo or Ah! My Goddess! - well, the latter I do not really consider harem, but similarly involves a main character being introduced to more fantastical characters as the story progresses, and living with some. Vampires are similarly introduced at a regular rate in this manga. At the time I found those stories charmless, but reading a manga like this in 2020 feels comfortable and nostalgic.

The main characters are sweet, although the relationship has been a bit one-sided, which I do not enjoy in yuri manga, but it is still early days. The artwork is absolutely delightful as well, probably some of the nicest art in a yuri manga I have ever seen.

So far, I don't think this is anything groundbreaking as a manga in general, but for the yuri genre it really stands out by offering a less standard plot, amazing artwork and well-paced intimacy between the two girls. I will look forward to the rest of the releases.

Skip to the conclusion for a TL;DR.

~Intro~

I happened upon this work when the bright red cover caught my eye from the sidebar of a manga site. It had a timeless look that frankly set my expectations too high. I'm usually more of a shoujo/josei yuri reader, but I'm a sucker for vampires and I think it does well enough with what it's trying to accomplish.

~Art~

- The quality of the composition varies throughout, ranging from utilitarian and flat to bursting with creativity to borderline confusing to cluttered mess.
- The backgrounds are almost exclusively 3d objects or filtered photos, which I found distracting for most ... of the experience.
- Facial expressions remain consistent for most of the series and are occasionally exaggerated or stylized for comedic effect. But there are several instances where they just look awkward, like the artist can't take the expression far enough and its stuck in an uncomfortable limbo.
- There's a stiffness to some of the poses that's mainly noticeable during action scenes. Some of the fights in the later chapters look BAD. The lines of action are off, the poses aren't just stiff but also awkward, there's no sense of depth or momentum, the pacing of the action and dialogue seems unnatural, and I could probably go on. I wouldn't be surprised if you told me this artists draws over photo or 3d character references.

+ The character designs are simple, but they stand out enough that I wasn't ever uncertain about who was who.
+ The quality of the character illustration is great. Accurate proportions and clothing. Besides the manga-esque faces, the style aims for photorealism.
+ There are some panels and pages that are very memorable (and not just ecchi ones).
+ As you would expect, a disproportionate amount of care and detail is spent on the ecchi scenes, to the point of becoming hyperreal in the detail of the kissing. There's also a strong emphasis on the eroticism of blood sucking shown skillfully through facial expressions and body language.

Overall, the combination of photorealism, 3d/photo backgrounds, and stiffness left the art generally feeling sterile in a clinical way. Plenty of panels look fantastic, but the space between them felt bland.

~Writing~

The comedy landed more often than not. The emotional beats of the later chapters were effective. The dialogue is decent. The themes center around immortality, which is explored from start to finish. There's a seriousness and gravity afforded to some of the scenes that balance out the ecchi and comedy to form a more well rounded whole.

~Plot~

There are elements that are introduced and later dropped, time spent on things that ended up not mattering, and inconsistent pacing. It starts off slow and seemingly aimless, but overtime develops a narrative destination as well as internal vampire lore. For the first half, things are just happening without much information given to the reader. The latter half begins tying these threads together. The ending hinges on factors that feel convenient rather than satisfying, but it did look cool.

The story is okay. Its serviceable as a backdrop to the relationship and romance of the two main characters. There are a variety of locations spanning several continents which was fun to see.

~Characters~

The main character, Ichika, is our point of view for most of the manga. Unfortunately, she has limited agency, so the plot is happening around her for most of the story. She's impulsive, sincere, and kindhearted, and acts as a foil to Aria, who is reserved and apathetic after living for so long. The supporting characters are pretty one note, with the exception of two who get an extended flashback sequence that was one of the highlights of the manga for me.

The characters don't develop much through the story, and their motivations aren't always clear. The racial diversity of the supporting characters is notable, which includes an Indian woman and an Arab woman.

~Conclusion~

If "male-gazey yuri vampire erotica with plot" sounds good to you, give it a shot. Otherwise, skip it. Cute girls kissing and sucking blood is the focus of this manga. Everything else is secondary. That’s not to say there's nothing else of value, but that should be the reason you choose to pick this manga up.

If you tend to have reactions like "ugh, why is anime/manga like this?", then give this one a pass. There are things that will definitely trigger a reasonable disgust response in many people.

For clarity up front, I have read 21 chapters at the time of this review and have no intention of reading any more.

Vampeerz is a perfect example of two things I always try to avoid in media; specifically, two things that I try to avoid in any stories about lesbians. The first and, in all fairness, the most egregious thing is the sexualization of young girls. I didn't get the same feelings to this degree when I read Prism, Show Higashiyama's other major non-hentai work. In Prism, while a bit questionable in how prevalent the kissing and touching scenes are with children, nothing was explicit ... enough to set off alarms for me to look into its author. I should have when I read Prism, as Vampeerz is not the same kind of story.

In Vampeerz, there are consistently shots of children's panties, incredibly explicit French kissing panels between young girls, an open pedophile played off as a joke, numerous shower/bath scenes between the children or characters of unknown age, etc. Vampeerz rides a very fine line between child pornography and an otherwise sort of OK romance. Unfortunately, it finds itself on the wrong side of that line far far far too often.

The other thing I try to avoid that Vampeerz is a perfect example of is the male gaze in stories about women; especially the male gaze in stories about gay women. Similarly to the movie Blue Is The Warmest Color, a movie about two young gay women having sex with each other directed by a man, Vampeerz exists to pander to the desires of its male creator and his presumed male audience.

The most difficult thing about being a woman trying to find stories about gay women is avoiding straight male fetishization of lesbians. This story doesn't explore or address any truths or hardships about being a gay woman because the author is a straight man. If you are looking for something by and for us, look elsewhere.

The art in Vampeerz is, for the most part, very well done, though the characters all have a near-identical face. Also, most characters don't outrageously suck, if you're reading this and still interested. I personally cannot condone anyone read an author who draws child porn.

And, in case anyone wants to object to me giving this a 1: the lowest numerical score possible to give to something is exactly what that thing deserves when its content, creator, themes, and morals are repulsive. Vampeerz has no value to anyone not interested in watching little girls be sexualized for the sake of a creepy straight dude.