Title: Vampire Knight 17
Writer: Matsuri Hino
U. S. Distributor: Viz Media
U. S. Release Date: Nov. 5th, 2013
Format: manga / Paperback / 200 pages
Genre: Shojo, Romance, Supernatural
Age Rating: T+
Overall Grade: B
Synopsis:
Kaname has returned to Cross Academy to kill Sara Shirabuki. Zero has joined forces with Sara, leaving Yuki in the middle of the conflict. Even if Kaname’s ultimate goal is to kill all purebloods, is Yuki ready to fight him?
With Sara being protected at the Hunters headquarters will Kaname be able to take Sara out or will this battle against the Hunters bring on a new era of Vampire wars? Will Zero prove to be Sara’s savior and will the night school manage to stay with the path of coexistence with the humans?
Commentary:
Vampire Knight is a highly loved manga series that takes the Vampire world and turn it a little upside down and make it a place that wants to live with humans. This story line is country to their very nature which adds plenty of tension, but when you add a princess vampire who was raised as a human and a young man who is infected with vampire blood and who was raised as a vampire hunter and make them a love interest it complicates the story in a very interesting way. Vampire Knight is a shojo anime, but it lends itself to plenty of action and drama and the romance aspects of the series ends up taking a back seat except for moments of high tension. For me this just might be the most vulnerable part of the series. This tug at the heart strings at critical moments ends up failing getting in the way. The ultimate outcome will end up being decided by these love interest, but rather than make them the weakest point if the series they should be the strongest link and allow these characters the ability to make decisions rather than becoming frozen by their dilemma.
Overall Grade: B
Vampire Knight provides plenty of wonderful writing and artwork and stands at the center of the Shojo genre. It is great to see this long running series bringing thins to a head and the final two volumes should be a real treat. Volume 17 does a great job of setting up the final battle and also reveal the real plant that Kaname has and is it possible that that he understands something that will be better in the end? Vampire Knight fans will love this volume. For someone looking for a supernatural series that combines a solid romance early on with a drama that keeps the reader engages should grab the series at volume one ad start enjoying this star of the Shojo genre.
