Akihisa Ikeda's supernatural manga Rosario + Vampire has been published almost continuously since August of 2004, with a month-long break in October of 2007. However, its anime adaptation by Gonzo wasn't nearly so successful: its first incarnation ended after 13 episodes between January and March of 2008, and a reboot debuted in October of that same year and left the airwaves around Christmas.
Part of the problem was the show's massive use of fanservice (more on that later) which caused it to be heavily censored in some markets.
Now FUNimation has released the first iteration of Rosario + Vampire on DVD. It mostly succeeds as a supernatural take on the h?remumono (harem) anime genre, but some viewers will find the fanservice excessive.
FUNimation Presents Gonzo's Rosario + Vampire on DVD, Based on Akihisa Ikeda's Manga
Tsukune Aono's grades are so bad that no high school will touch him with a ten-foot pole. That is, except for the mysterious Yokai Academy. However, Tsukune learns on his first day there that Yokai is in fact a school for supernatural monsters and mythical creatures - all disguised as humans - and any real human found on school grounds will be killed.
Luckily, all monsters are supposed to maintain their human forms when at Yokai (part of the curriculum is teaching monsters how to properly pass as human) so Tsukune can hide among the student body. It also helps that he quickly befriends comely vampire Moka Akashiya, who keeps his secret in exchange for regular sips of his blood. It doesn't hurt that Moka - when Tsukune removes the rosario from her neck - transforms into an extremely powerful vampire with a deadly roundhouse kick.
Tsukune also attracts the attention of busty succubus Kurumu Kurono, lecherous werewolf Ginei Morioka, preteen witch Ruby Tojo and laid-back yeti Mizore Shirayuki. These four female monsters start a friendly rivalry with Moka for Tsukune's affections.
An informal count revealed that this show features no less than 20 panty shots per episode. Even 11-year-old Ruby gets sexualized in this manner, which ups this show's creep factor (and not in a good way). This doesn't include sexy other activities such as female students randomly grabbing their, or other girls' breasts, or rubbing them up against Tsukune's body for whatever reason. And let's not forget Mizore's ominpresent lollipop, which is often sucked on suggestively. Viewers will either find this arousing or disturbing, or possibly both. Either way, consider yourself warned.
Animation-wise, this show looks extremely good - whatever else you can say about Gonzo, their art is generally spectacular. However, there are sequences featuring the camera moving past a static image and recycled footage, especially the annoying voice-over that has to explain what happens when Moka's rosario is removed (we got it the third time, folks, no need to belabour the point). However, a bat that pops in to offer some exposition is a fun addition; he gets annoyed if someone else does his job for him.
Rosario + Vampire DVD Extras
There's a textless version of the closing song, but the real news is the enclosed 24 page art booklet. It's mostly a compendium of Tsukune's harem in various sexy poses (again, sexualizing Ruby; really, guys?) but the images are gorgeous.
Rosario + Vampire: Fanservice With the Occasional Story Breaking Out
This anime is either your fanservice cup runneth over or annoying as hell, depending on your personal preference. Rosario + Vampire DVD gets a 3/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
Join the Conversation