Blood Lad

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**May contain some spoilers+Could be long to read**
Story: One might think when coming across this manga that this is just another vampire manga, but in actuality it isn't. How? Well, when I first looked at this manga I thought, "oh great another vampire story zzz probably full of ecchi scenes since this big-boobed girl is with this male protagonist and full of violence. Also since there's a human before him he's obviously going to go having scenes of sucking her neck all the time right?" (kinda over dramatized my first impressions) Anyway, I was however proven wrong, which I'm very thankful for. Like the summary ... says on MAL, it talks about how Staz, a vampire who is very powerful yet is very obsessed with the Japanese culture. I couldn't believe that this type of character could exist and when he heard of a human girl in his demon world he didn't want to suck her neck, and instead of that he wanted to chat with her! He was thinking about how they could talk about manga together and such. Unfortunately after meeting her he had to go for a few moments to deal with an intruder in his area, and thus he found that she was dead and only her soul remained. Staz saddened by this greatly, since this was the first human he had ever met decides to make her alive again. So, the adventure starts and a lot of comedic events too. I'm sure once you read the first chapter of this manga you'll be just as amused or enchanted as I am with this manga.

Art: I don't think it's that impressive, but all of the characters look different and you'll never have to guess who is who.

Characters: Okay, I won't get too much into this one, but all I can say is this is what made me enjoy the manga greatly. Every character introduced in this manga is quirky and entertaining. No one will be too annoying, not even Yanagi which I think is good. If she was like Orihime (girl from Bleach) I think I'd have to rip my hair out. :P

Enjoyment: Seeing as how I already mentioned that this was not the typical vampire story I was expecting and how the characters are all wonderful you should know that I'm going to say I enjoyed it highly! I give my enjoyment a 9.

Overall: In my opinion if you want to read a story that will make you laugh all the time check this out! I'm sure it will not disappoint you, and sure there are some perverted moments in this manga but there isn't many. Go read Blood Lad! I command you to (just kidding; you don't have to!).

Dude I have to say this is my second by far most favorite manga I've read!

I highly recommend this manga if you're looking for the following -

1.High Comedy
2.Other Anime references (DBZ)
3.Very detailed characters with their motives.
4.Love rivalry
5.Sad moments
6.When the main character is heavenly estimated
...

cons -

1. I think the manga was to short I'd love it if it got like a nice special
2.The sister needed more attention I feel as if she was more stronger than she seemed. Just wasn't given the opportunity to show that power off.

Overall -



this one a chance I re-read this manga 3 times its so good! Please give this one a chance! HF READING!

I am reading this manga after watching the movie "twilight" (on my friend's request). When i read the summary, i went "wtf..more Vamps?" But i could put up through the whole movie so i thought that a manga couldn't do any worse, but poof! It turned out to be exactly what i did not expect! :D
Its a nice manga with great artwork, a bit shaky-waky story which is compensated by the comical scenes; has the typical character line, and does not bore you at all! :D
A recommended read to anyone who is bored of Twilight, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, blah blah blah!

Still a better love story then twilight.
-
When I saw Blood Lad, it looked extremely interesting. The art was different from many mangakas that I've seen so far, the plot looked creative but not dangerously and recklessly so, and it had a score of 8/10 along with some good reviews. . . so I decided to read it, and now I'm hooked.
While reading Blood Lad, please toss out any labels of vampires you have of dark, gloomy, reclusive creatures that just happened to be extremely handsome- none of that here. (Although I'm not saying Staz isn't attractive. . . he is, but just not in ... that elegant, superior kind of way.) I can't really say anything that won't spoil the manga, so I'll just point out the pros and the cons-
The pros:
As I said, Blood Lad has amazing art- I don't think I've seen much of this kind of art. Blood Lad also manages to hold up the plot- it isn't a wreck like I was afraid it would turn out to be. It has a great plot so far, and it's being drawn wonderfully. The characters are all lovable, although the more criticizing of us manga readers might get angry that Fuyumi doesn't have much of a background. There is a subtle mix of comedy and action, and the supernatural theme isn't being exaggerated too much.
The cons:
There are few, if any. One of them could be the lack of background for some of the supporting characters- however, I have a feeling most of that will be taken care of later on. (I mean, the manga is still publishing and it would be a real bummer if it suddenly got cut off.) No matter how hard I look, besides that, I really just cant find anything wrong with Blood Lad. I mean, I'm literally sitting here, about to make my dad's $3000 PC burn up with my ferocious glares, trying to spot any errors the author did.

Blood Lad really is an amazing piece of work so far- I'm crossing my fingers that the publishers don't rush it and end it crappily, because it's gotten a lovely headstart.

Story : 7
Art : 8
Character : 7
Overall : 7.5

The story stars off simple enough,with the male protagonist,which is Staz, an otaku vampire who is a boss in the underworld, found a human girl, Fuyumi who has fallen into his territory. Fuyumi was then eaten by a monster and somehow turned into a ghost. Staz must now find a way to turn Fuyumi back to normal and send her back to the human world.

It's a typical shounen type manga,with the main character being overly powerful and getting even more powerful later in the story. The story isn't all that original but it is enjoyable and fun ... to read,with a few hilarious moments in the manga. The art is well drawn and pretty detailed in my opinion,and i especially like how cute Fuyumi's character looks like (Flushed cheeks and all). I give it an overall 7.5 and it is a good read if you want a funny manga that isn't too serious or simply just to pass your time.

This manga had enormous potential and was actually very enjoyable up until the last fights when it just turned bad. It's a classic example of manga that completely fail to write a good ending and in the end you'll be left disappointed that the story ended the way it did.

The story is very straightforward and enjoyable enough, but it also feels a bit too rushed in terms of pacing. It's pretty much straight to the point which is both a strength and a weakness. However as already stated the ending is mediocre at best and I think I would have liked the series a ... lot more if I hadn't read the ending at all.

As far as characters go they are also pretty great up until the last fights. What I mean by this is that what you can consider the two main characters in Staz and Wolf have essentially everything they've been through made void by how useless they are in the end which doesn't sit right with me. Due to the ending it feels like the character development completely stopped or even as much as declined.

As far as the combat goes it was also pretty good up until the last fights and especially the last fight was just complete garbage and honestly I wish I could erase it from my mind. In the end you're sitting there waiting for an epic fight of sorts to break out but it never happens, there's no real climax for the reader, just bitter disappointment.

If you wish to read this manga I recommend not reading the last couple of volumes as you'll just end up disappointed. Apart from the ending the manga is pretty good though with a relatively good story, combat and comedy.

Blood Lad honestly scared me at first. Not because of its violence or supernatural trappings, but because that first volume was rough to read through. I thought I was in for a LONG ride of a read, but thankfully by volume 3 it found more solid footing and rolled with it. It's not a *great* manga (definitely not a seinen, for one thing), but it has its pros in competent pacing for a solid plot, and engaging artwork.

[Story - 7]

Our story starts off simple - in a 'demon' world where every stereotypical supernatural being exists, a human girl stumbles into the 'territory' of a vampire. ... She gets killed after he tries to capture her for Blood Consumption, and he resolves to revive her to get said blood. The first several volumes follow Staz (the vampire) and the series of efforts he makes to just revive the girl, but it soon turns into another Save The World From The Ancient King story.

While I was initially critical of this change, I found that it was ultimately for the better as the latter is more intriguing than the former, despite its generic beats. The former had slow pacing in the first couple of volumes, and by the time it got to the 'plot twist and switch', it was moving along swimmingly. Naturally, the themes for the title are best suited for this pacing: the Powah of friendship/family/romance, along with some toying of how one's role in the world affects said world rather than the other way around. There's a ton of ecchi mixed in with the Ha Ha That's A Reference-type of comedy, but there /is/ actual comedy sometimes.

[Art - 8]

The artwork is what actually caught my eye, and convinced me to give it a crack. As multiple people have noted before me, it's very reminiscent of a shonen that I highly enjoy/admire (Soul Eater), but I feel as though it still stands out by itself. It has a very 'minimalistic' feel: While the setting + action has enough detail that you can tell what's going on, it also feels as though these are still unfinished sketches being sent off to serialization. It works, however, since the story and characterization are fairly lightweight.

Character design is very......hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes it works really well in having a memorable feel (Wolf's modern chic look, Bell's FLCL-esque gear, Akim's stitches and scars) but other times it just looks rather generic and bland (The Blood Brothers, the Blacklisted). This is probably me being nitpicky, but having most, if not all, of your prominent women possessing huge knockers is an immature and tacky look, especially in a title that's supposed to be a seinen.

[Character - 5]

Characterization is where I found the manga to be slacking the most, unfortunately. There are actual character arcs and dynamics here, but it just feels really......inferior compared to what could have been.

For starters, let's go with our protagonist, Staz. From the get-go, he's portrayed as a perpetually-lazy and selfish lord, but of course gradually matures into a much more responsible person. This isn't bad, per say, but considering how many times the idea of him being an 'anti-hero' is discussed in the title, it's rather disappointing. He definitely falls into the trap of suddenly becoming a Noble Hero, when his initial characterization + those discussions suggest otherwise. It would have been genuinely interesting to see Staz still indulge in his 'lesser' ideals and morals while on his quest to revive the girl and save his world.

Another character whose writing I found frustrating was the 'leading woman', Fuyumi. The 'leading woman' is marked as such because she's so severely underwritten that it almost got me to drop the title three times throughout the journey. While I didn't mind it in the first few volumes (but note that she's incredibly ditzy and objectified), having her stay essentially the same at the LAST FUCKING CHAPTER is ridiculous. This is made even more excruciating to read when her main arc of development is realizing that she loves Staz (big shock), and literally.....nothing else. That's her entire arc. I'm not kidding.

Other characters, while fun to read about, also feel really underused. Wolf, for example, doesn't have a huge arc outside of suddenly developing another power; Bell also has a similar arc to Fuyumi, along with the added bonus of Making Friends; and so on/so forth. This is frustrating because they ARE fun to read, especially with their group dynamics, but yet they're so much less than they could have been.

[Enjoyment/Overall - 6]

As I said at the beginning, this isn't a great manga by any means. It's definitely not meant to be in the same magazine as Erased and Bungou Stray Dogs, but makes a fun and light read nonetheless. I'd recommend this to anyone who just wants a title that's 'easy' on the mind in terms of characterization and story, but is packing a lot in action and ecchi. Otherwise, skip it over - there are better titles like this one out there.

Fact: Blood Lad is an underrated manga that could've become a legend if it had more than one anime season.

After I read the 17 volumes, I felt the urge to write a review, and that's so weird of me. Must be a good reason. I'll make it as short as possible:

PLOT:
The story is about a human named Fuyumi that somehow ended up in the demon world, freaking died there, became a ghost, and an otaku vampire wants to revive her in order to suck her blood because she's japanese. That's all.

I want to warn you that this isn't a dark manga at all. It has ... some serious moments, but please do not expect this to be Berserk—it's more like Dorohedoro.

CHARACTERS:
The real soul of this work are the characters and their developement. Yuuki Kodama managed to create an ENTIRE WORLD full of interesting individuals with their own problems, contradictions and hopes (even for the ones that were introduced later in the story). This was the real reason why I could not help reading more than a volume each time I decided to read the manga. It's addictive to see what kind of wacky situations Kodama puts them in and how they react. You might feel identified with at least one of them, I'm 100% sure. They're pure gold.

STORY:
This is something truly interesting about Blood Lad. If you're familiar with monthly-released manga, you know perfectly that every single chapter always ends with a cliffhanger to keep you interested in reading the next issue, right? Well, BL (funny abbreviation, huh?) does the same, but here nothing ever feels gratuitous or out of nowhere. Every chapter, no matter what, is a step further in solving this big puzzle.

Unlike the majority of shounen manga, BL has no real arcs where our main cast finishes off a villain and then takes a break until the new antagonist emerges. To me, it feels like an anecdote, something like "you'll never guess what happened to me yesterday" because the story is a non-stop sequence of action and lore, like a really long shot (in cinematic terms).

Also, what I really appreciate about Kodama is that the conflict grows and grows because of the characters' decisions. Nothing happens "just because," but as a consequence of someone's actions. There is always a guilty party behind every plot twist. Using another analogy, BL is like watching the author play chess, where the same characters and conflicts transform depending on how they are combined.

P.S. If you're doubtful about the "pop anime culture references" everyone is pointing out, don't worry. BL doesn't rely too much on them; they're just funny references that only the protagonist uses because it's part of his otaku personality.

FINAL VERDICT:
Blood Lad is a great manga, please give it a try.

It's an ok manga.

It has the ability to stand out on its own as a shounen manga and it is a fun read. It has a non complicating and interesting storyline and not the cliché kind you usually find in a typical shounen manga.

The comedy factor is there too although its not any major "Ha ha, oops I shit my pants" material but still good for a few laughs. Characters are never dull and has their own personalities and add more flavor to the story.

The artwork is well made and although there might be a few flaws here and there, but still ... good.

I highly recommend this to fans of Soul Eater, Ao No Exorcist and the like.

Story: 7
The story is good. There are some plots that i though Yuuki Kodama could of focused on. For example, at the beginning it explains that there are bosses who control different regions & fight to keep control. After a few resolutions about it. Its not exerted further & moves on to different plots. Some of those plots are used the same way so its kind of a wasted potential. But other than that its reasonably good.
Art: 8
The art is very good. Not as detailed but it has a ... very clean and vanilla feel to it. Everyone looks different enough to depict who is who.
Character: 7
The cast is good. Personally my favorites being Staz & Braz. Staz displays more personality and is more reckless. While his brother shows more intellect and kinda has a deadpan manner of humor. The rest have a certain..genericness to them.
Enjoyment: 9
The enjoyment is great! I had a lot of fun seeing the struggles & misunderstandings between the characters. The fights are well done.

Overall: 8
I think Blood Lad is very good. There aren't many fun vampire/Demon World manga series like Blood Lad. I recommend it. 👍

found this manga about 2 years ago and when i first saw the main character(staz) he reminded me of rin from ao no exorcist and since i like the series allot i decided to try out this one and after reading a few chapters i just went and read all the chapter that was out and loved it was laughing the whole time and thought the fight scenes were really good and now this manga is one of my fave manga;s but not in my top 10 just yet but very close close to it and staz is just awesome

tl;dr: A pretty standard shounen with mostly decent quality but a number of issues.

This manga is pretty standard Shounen. The protagonist, Staz, is interesting, in that he starts out incredibly self-centered and someone that even acknowledges themselves as a villain, but becomes a hero by the end. Through all that, he's pretty dense but also somewhat sly, which makes him interesting over his entire character arc. The heroine, Fuyumi, didn't really get much development or an arc at all, rather she just seemed to be herself going with the flow with what was happening. Ultimately, she was the major impetus for character change in Staz, so to that end ... they had really good chemistry together, but just on her own she felt kind of flat. On the other hand, Bell had a lot more time and development, so her character/relationship arc felt a lot more fleshed out, which ultimately made it a lot easier to root for Bell, though that sort of died out as it went on. The rest of the side characters didn't feel like they got much development either, where even though many did get what seemed like character arcs, they were far too sudden and rushed for them to really feel substantial. That brings us to another problem with the manga, in that the plot drags the focus around way too much. The focus on Staz works well enough, but there are parts where it doesn't really feel like its focusing on anyone, and the storyline is just floating around aimlessly, in part because as mentioned the other characters feel pretty flat. The battle manga aspects of this manga aren't all that great either, wherein the action is solid enough, but the power ups and power levels are random and don't really feel like they have any impact even though such a large emphasis is put on them. Rather the more plan-oriented parts seem to work a lot better. In terms of endings, the final battle was awesome enough and Staz's development got showcases really well after that, but I've never really been a fan of memory related endings, and though this was handled the best way such an ending could be handled, I really don't see why it was necessary in the first place. The comedy was decent enough to keep things amusing but it was never really hilarious. The art was really good for special pages, and decent enough during the main pages in terms of being clean and such, but what really stood out was that the character designs were great and used well. 

Blood Lad presents a whimsical premise within the supernatural realm but falls short in delivering a satisfying experience due to its reliance on otaku pandering. Despite showcasing promising elements, the manga is plagued by significant narrative and character flaws, along with an overemphasis on generic otaku tropes.

One of the most prominent issues with Blood Lad is its fragmented storytelling. The manga struggles to establish a cohesive narrative structure, opting instead for episodic arcs that often lack a strong connection to the overarching plot. This disjointedness not only disrupts the flow of the story but also hampers the development of a compelling narrative arc. As a ... result, readers are left feeling detached and disconnected from the world the manga attempts to construct.

Furthermore, Blood Lad succumbs to excessive otaku pandering by heavily relying on overused tropes that appeal to the otaku demographic. The manga incorporates familiar elements such as the 'otaku protagonist' archetype, embodied by Staz, the vampire with a preference for manga over blood. While this concept initially presents an intriguing premise, it quickly becomes evident that the manga fails to explore the potential conflicts and complexities that could arise from this unique trait. Instead, Staz's otaku nature is used as a shallow gimmick, reducing his character to a mere vessel for otaku wish-fulfillment rather than a fully realised and relatable individual.

The overemphasis on otaku pandering extends to the humour in Blood Lad as well. The comedy predominantly relies on repetitive gags and predictable otaku referential humour, catering to a specific audience without offering significant innovation or depth. This approach detracts from the potential for genuine wit and cleverness that could have elevated the manga's humor. By frequently resorting to generic self-deprecating otaku humour, Blood Lad fails to broaden its appeal beyond a niche readership.

Although Staz's otaku nature is meant to be a defining aspect of his character, it is disappointingly underutilised throughout the manga. The supporting characters also often conform to familiar tropes, lacking depth and genuine growth. This reliance on pre-existing character archetypes prevents the manga from delivering compelling and unique character arcs that would have added depth and emotional resonance to the story.

Despite these flaws, Blood Lad manages to capture the essence of silly supernatural adventures reminiscent of series like Soul Eater. The manga infuses its narrative with whimsy and humour, resulting in an entertaining read. The world-building, while not as intricate as some other supernatural manga, still creates an engaging backdrop for the story. The presence of demons, vampires, and mystical creatures offers ample opportunities for comedic situations and imaginative scenarios.

The artwork in Blood Lad, while remaining mediocre, possesses a certain charm that contributes to the overall experience. The character designs exhibit visually distinct features and unique quirks that enhance the manga's silly nature. Protagonist Staz, with his laid-back and nonchalant attitude, embodies the manga's carefree spirit, and the interactions between the characters, their comedic banter, and exaggerated expressions further contribute to the manga's overall appeal.

However, Blood Lad falls short in exploring the supernatural realm in a profound and engaging manner. The manga introduces various supernatural creatures and realms but fails to fully flesh them out or delve into their intricacies. Many of these elements merely serve as backdrops or convenient plot devices, further diminishing the potential for rich world-building and immersive storytelling.

Blood Lad offers an entertaining blend of unapologetic fanservice and a lighthearted approach to supernatural storytelling. While its heavy reliance on otaku elements and fragmented storytelling hinder its potential, the manga's execution of fanservice, presented in a playful and visually appealing manner, adds an extra layer of enjoyment. Its reminiscent nature, akin to Atsushi Ookubo's silly and whimsical series like Soul Eater and Fire Force, further enhances its appeal. Nonetheless, the inconsistent storytelling and occasional prioritisation of fanservice over character and narrative depth are notable drawbacks.

So, Blood Lad was one of the fist anime I watched where, afterwards, I told myself I needed to read the manga. I've finally done it.

Alright, so I think the art in this manga is absolutely gorgeous. Okay, well, it isn't as breathtaking as a couple other manga I've read, but the imagery is still astounding. The two-page spreads in Blood Lad are always really good at giving you a sense of grandeur and fantasy.

The story itself did get better after the anime (obviously), though I will say I kind of got jaded of it somewhere after chapter 50. The story kept getting bigger ... and bigger and bigger, and it didn't all level out into a nice plot until close to the end. At least, in my opinion, but maybe that was just because I sped through it. All in all, the pacing was really well-done. The unique humor this manga has kept it from getting too bogged down in places, so it was used well.

But the characters. The characters are electric. That's the absolute best part of this manga. Give me a crap story any day, because if the characters are on point, I'll indulge myself until I can't anymore. Staz, especially, had *such* remarkable character development throughout this series. It's kind of amazing to see how smoothly he transitioned from who he was at the beginning of the manga to who he was at the end. It's believable, and honestly, I feel like a lot of narratives don't know how to get their characters to take that last hurdle at the end to change who they are, but Staz's hurdle was done so beautifully.

I kind of suck at reviewing manga, but I guess to summarize, Blood Lad was really fun to read. The characters' relationships to each other, the characters themselves, the humor, and the romance made up for any dips in the story. This manga really does have some of the best characters I've seen in any work of fiction. So, for that fact alone, I'd really recommend this manga to anyone who is interested or loved the anime. I'm happy I got to see where these characters ended up (finally).