Matsuri Hino

Vampire Knight, Volume 1

Vampire Knight, Vol. 3

Briar's Reviews

Vampire Knight continues in the 3rd Volume with a lot of Yuki's history being explored.

Honestly, this story just keeps getting better. Once you get over the lack of action in the first couple of volumes then a lot more starts happening. There's lots of history and super cute pictures explored in this volume and I think it really adds something to the story. I felt more engaged with the story and way more interested. 

We're also introduced to Maria, who is clearly up to something shady. Is she who she says she is? She seems like she's gonna be one of our big baddies, at least for the next couple of volumes. 

I have to admit, I'm totally digging this manga. I didn't think jumping into my old faves from high school would work well, but it shockingly has! The potential love triangle, the drama, and the fantasy are all vibing really well with me. I'm enjoying all of the YA goodness of this story. It's also quite amusing that it has held up really well for me. I think I might even be enjoying it more now than back in the day...

Four out of five stars!

Tomo Kimura

Yuki Cross, who was adopted by the headmaster of the Cross Academy after a vampire attack, must protect the students in the day classes from the vampires in the night classes.

Vampire Knight

The drama continues in Volume 5.

This time around, Zero has been accused of killing his vampire master, so the Senate puts an execution order into place for Zero. It seems like something is developing between Yuki and Zero, and Kaname is getting more intense. We also get a little bit of back story on Shizuki and why she is the way she is (or was, I guess). With Kaname doing some dirty deeds, it'll only take some time until the secret is released...will Yuki ever trust Kaname again?

Even though there was more action and the potential love triangle was starting, I wasn't as invested in this one. I can't quite put my finger on it to be honest. That being said, this series is really ramping up and getting good! I'm totally impressed with how Matsuri Hino is taking this story.

I still like the art, even though there doesn't seem to be much emotion in the characters' faces.

Overall, pretty good! I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Three out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 9

Vampire Knight Volume 9 continues the epic plot from the previous volumes and ramps it up!

Things are getting messier for the Night and Day class. It seems that a war is on, and brutal secrets are being revealed. Relationships will be tested in this volume, as many friends are reunited and drama is going down. Rido Kuran, Ichiru and more characters are being tested... 

There's still a lot of volumes left, so I'm curious to see what's going to happen. This series keeps getting more intense and is honestly surprising me with the plot twists it takes. I haven't seen half of this coming!

Three out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 11

I didn't enjoy this one as much. It felt very choppy and the plot line is getting super convoluted. The plot lines I was enjoying and following aren't really there anymore. It's a real shame. I'm going to keep trucking through this series though, because it might just surprise me! Here's hoping.

Two out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 13

Well, that was interesting.

I'll be honest, if I didn't have the next two books sitting on my TBR shelf at the moment I would stop this series. The twist this book took with the series hurt my brain and kind of ruined the rest of the series for me. Was there actual hints towards what was going to happen? Because I haven't noticed anything...

The illustrations are still wonderful, but I wanted more Zero and less of a confusing storyline. This story is just dragging on and on and on... 

Three out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 14

Vampire Knight Volume 14 continues on the very long story of Yuki, Kaname and Zero.

I have zero clue what's going on anymore. I felt that around the 11/12 mark this series could have ended with a nice bow tied on it. But it just keeps going... I'm super confused on Kaname's character and why he's doing what he's doing. It seems random and just a way to keep this series going. I am intrigued to see how this will go though, so I'm going to follow through as best as possible. It's just so tragic and sad... I really am hoping for some form of happy ending. This series used to be more of a romantic comedy/fantasy mix and now it's just... depressing.

Two out of five stars.

Just as I started this review, my power went out. Oh, the irony.

I found Volume 15 to pick up the comedy and romance that I used to love about this series. I had been anticipating this one to fall flat again, but it brought back some of the joy I had when I initially started this series. I truly still have no idea what in the world is going on with Kaname, and I can't even guess what it is. Deep inside of me, I really hope we find out what the issue is because it was super random for him to do what he did.

But, more Zero? Maybe? That was good. His dramatic character change had been super annoying for the past few volumes.

Maybe. Just maybe... We'll get lucky and this series will pick things up a bit for the last few volumes.

Three out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 12

This series is kind of waning on me. I simply want to finish it, but it feels like it's going on and on forever. I found that this volume was more interesting than the last few, but it doesn't pull me in quite as well as the initial volumes did. It's interesting to see the flash forward and see Yuki going out for the first time, but I also felt like it was just too dry. I find a lot of these volumes could be excluded and it wouldn't affect the story as much. 

I find the illustrations are still marvellous though. I absolutely still love all of the pictures, and I swear that is one of the reasons I stick to this series.

Two out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 16

I'll be honest, I'm over this series. I found that this series kind of went off the rails and got too confusing me for. And I'm even sad over it! The first 8 or so books in the series I was OBSESSED with. I totally dug them and really wanted to binge the whole series. Then the story went onto a random path and I just couldn't get into it anymore. It's kind of upsetting! I think Matsuri Hino is SO good! She's great at storytelling and manga. The pictures are STUNNING. The illustrations are one of the best parts of this whole series. I find it difficult to find such great illustrations that are consistent. 

I am totally confused on what's going to happen but I will finish this series. Will she end up with Zero or Kaname? I'm betting Zero now, but that's because Kaname pulled a 180 and is completely different. I almost want a little timeline about what actually happened because things changed fast.

Overall, this series is gonna be the death of me but I'm gonna see it through.

2 out of 5 stars.

The #1 hit series from Shojo Beat—a tale of vampire romance Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! Outside the safe boundary of the academy, Yuki is attacked by a vampire. Injured and unable to defend herself, two Night Class students come to her aid and kill the vampire. Yuki asks them why they killed their own kind, and they tell her to come to the Moon Dormitory at midnight to learn the answer...

Vampire Knight, Vol. 2

The binging continues....

Since I have the first fifteen volumes of this series, I might as well binge one a day until I've finished what I have! Then I'll have to hunt down the remaining once all of this insanity is over...

But until then, it's Vampire Knight season!

This time around:
A sexy vampire hunter guy with an eye patch comes around and he knows Zero. Zero goes into hiding, so of course Yuki has to go find him because she adores him. And she does something so wildly against the rules...

Also, Kaname is hanging about with the night class and they're all up to their old hijinks. 

Review:
I actually am really enjoying this series again, just like I did when I initially read it almost a decade ago. The love triangle here is a lot more dynamic than the typical "I love him, but I love you too" trope that goes on in YA a lot. The characters seem very real and deal with issues in an almost realistic way (I mean, they're vampires so you know... as realistic as it gets). Essentially, these guys are emotional beings and deal with things the way people actually would. Just not temper tantrums, rants and smooches. 

The artwork is also ridiculously stunning. Half the time I forget to read because I'm admiring how beautiful the pictures are. Judge me, okay? I like pretty things.

My only con for this book is that it didn't feel like much happened within the five chapters. I'm sure this is only ramping up to the good stuff (and I've got thirteen more volumes so it's not like I won't be able to read it) but it was a bit of a let down after the first volume. I want action and drama, and I want it now!

Overall, I enjoyed this. I'm sure I will continue to enjoy my little addiction for the next little while. If you want some manga in your life packed full of fantasy, romance and new adult blood and tension, grab this series! 

Four out of five stars.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 7

Number 7! I'm well on my way to finishing these books.

This book went much faster than the last one. The drama is amped up and we will eventually find out Yuki's past. Kaname is getting closer to Yuki as well... Zero was not as involved as I wanted during this volume.

Four out of five stars.

Zero warns Yuki to stay away from Maria Kurenai, the new Night Class transfer student, although he won't tell Yuki why. Kaname is also wary, and he sends Ichijo to watch Maria so she doesn't start trouble. Who is this girl, and why does she have the entire Night Class on edge

Another day, another Vampire Knight Volume. My binging continues!!

I'm still really digging this series, especially since we're getting into the meat of the drama and action. Maria is definitely NOT who she said she was, and man is she causing some drama for our leads. Yuki cares for Zero and wants to make sure he's safe and well, but she might have to go too far to make sure that happens... Also, Kaname is way smarter than he lets on. He knows something is going on, and clearly is going to make a move of his own... Also, a person from Zero's past makes an appearance and changes the trajectory of his story....

The suspense is amped up in this volume. It's totally pulling me in as a reader and I can't wait to grab the next volume. The cliffhanger drove me absolutely wild, but thank goodness I already have the next volume within reach! To add to all of this, the romantic lines in this book KILL ME. They are so cute and are totally the swoon worthy YA romance I needed in my life. Gah! So cute!

Overall, this gothic fantastical romance is definitely what I needed to fill in my time. I will continue to binge this series until I run out of books in my hands. Any recommendations for series similar to this? Send them my way! I am eating this series up!

Four out of five stars!

Vampire Knight, Vol. 8

Ah, another ride down Vampire Knight lane!

This one is INSANE for plot development. So much was brought forward and WOW, I totally forgot about all of this from when I read it before. But, NO SPOILERS.

Yuki's past is brought forward in Volume 8, and man is it wild! I didn't see it coming but I'm also not surprised? I'm very impressed because it does make a lot of sense... it feels planned and I like that! It's kind of weird, but this is manga so weird can be pretty normal. 

I'm curious how this story will continue on for almost another ten volumes. I'm sure Matsuri Hino has something up their sleeves... 

Four out of five stars.

It's been many years since I've picked this series up, and since I'm stuck with only studying and staying indoors I might as well pull out the old books. I have the first 15 volumes in this series, so it's time to do some binge reading and sink into the world of Vampire Knight.

I was OBSESSED with this series as a kid. I went to my local Wal-Mart every week to see if there was a new volume. I'm not kidding, I searched the book section like there was a pot of gold hidden. 

So, the basic summary of this series: there's a school where the day class are humans and the night class are vampires (shh, it's a secret). Kaname is a hot vampire who's the lead of the night class. Yuki is a human and is guarding the day class and making sure those pesky vampires aren't up to their old tricks. Oh, by the way, everyone has some deep, dark secrets. 

There's pretty pictures (because seriously, Matsuri Hino's art is STUNNING), a potential love triangle coming, lots of fantasy lore with vampires, some action, and lots of teenage drama. It's your YA addiction all wrapped into a manga! It's one of the better YA vampire adaptations, if you ask me. I still need to check out the anime of this too...

This first volume in this book isn't packed full of action, it's more story telling to set up this massive series. Don't be scared off by that though, this series does get better once you know everyone and get into it. 

Yuki is kinda silly and annoying for me as an adult, but I adored her as a teen. It's seriously based on your reading preferences with how you're going to take this book. Go back into your YA mindset and you'll adore it. There is blood and a little rough action in this book, but it's nothing a teenager couldn't handle. 

Four out of five stars! It was such a delight to grab this series again!

Unknown

** spoiler alert **
           A vampire attacked Yuki Cross ten years ago, but she had no memory of what happened before that. She’s adopted by Cross Academy’s headmaster and assigned to guard the school’s secrets with another student, Zero. Cross Academy divides into two classes: the Day Class and the Night Class. When Day Class students return to their dorms at twilight, they cross paths with Night Class students. The Guardians of the Academy are Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu, doing their part to protect the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: vampires rule the Night Class.

 In this story, Yuki is the protagonist, and there’s nothing to like about her. There is an intriguing mystery surrounding Kaname’s strange obsession with Yuki, as well as the tragic backstory of Zero in which he seeks revenge against a powerful vampire. This results in some pretty dramatic stakes and tensions between Zero and Kaname.The world building in vampire lore was very limited. They revealed Kaname is a Pure Blood Vampire that can turn humans into vampires. There was a hint that a pure blood vampire had attacked Zero.

The book reveals Yuki was not informed for over four years of Zero’s vampire status. Zero wants Yuki to kill him with his gun is heartbreaking. There are several forces at play, but the main one is romance. 

As far as the story is concerned, it’s sometimes tricky to tell what Hino is trying to do. Hino specializes in romantic comedies. In Vampire Knight, you can still see that influence, which is part of why this volume is so strange. It’s clear that Hino is trying to write a serious story, with dark characters, a dark past and lots of blood. 

However, there are lots of panels in this first volume where Yuki and Zero are like some kind of comedy team. A big source of comedy is the headmaster, who teases Zero, exults over Yuki, and sparkles with his apparently naïve dream of promoting peace between humans and vampires. Lighthearted scenes are so rare that they become jarring compared to the darker scenes.

Can you see yourself continuing to read this series? Yes, I enjoy some parts of manga, especially when it turns dark. 

Is it for anyone? It depends on your taste for dark vampire stories.

Kirsten Simkiss

To be honest, I can’t get into this series. I had a friend who loved these, but I never cared enough for the art or any of the characters to want to continue reading. Besides that, it feels like a forbidden romance manga for vampires and humans, a trope that is very overdone. Honestly, I would not recommend this manga.

Ken Yuen

I liked the style and premise initially, but eventually felt lost by the complexity of the politics of the story.