Personally, I find that really good vampire stories are a real rarity in the manga and graphic novel world. I’m sure there are those who would disagree with me about this, but that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. In fact, the last two good vampire series in the genre that I read were the 30 Days of Night graphic novels and the Hellsing series. Thankfully, I finally have something new to add to that list with Dance in the Vampire Bund.

The story for Vampire Bund instantly hooked me from its opening prologue detailing a conversation between a little boy and the Queen of Monsters. The little boy, troubled by the queen’s sad and distant gaze, bravely asks her how he can help her to be happy. The Queen, impressed by his courage, tells him that if he can make her one wish come true than she will stop looking so sad all the time. The catch is that if he fails in the task, she will devour him. Despite the dire consequences, the little boy quickly agrees. This entire sequence is only four panels long, but it serves to set the tone for the entire series.

Volume one of Vampire Bund primarily focuses on the Queen of Vampires, Mina Tepes, coming to Japan to formally lay claim to an artificial island that has been built for her by the Japanese government. Here plan is to reveal to the world that vampires are real and use the island to build a new nation that will be a safe haven for her people. In order to keep her safe during this perilous transition, a young man named Akira is recruited to be her personal bodyguard and servant. Akira is a descendent of the “Earth clan,” a group of people who have served the royal family for generations, is a man possessing of many unique gifts and unusual talents. All of which he will need in order to keep his young charge alive as the many plots against her begin to come to fruition.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I was equally impressed with the overall high quality of the art. Every page was a delightful adventure brimming with detail. Aside from a few hiccups here and there, the layouts have a smooth clean flow to them that deftly shuttles the reader back and forth between moments of quit intimacy and high intensity action.

With all that said, I must finally address the giant pink elephant in the room that can no longer be ignored. To put it simply, the Queen of Vampires is a loli. There I said it. She looks like she’s ten (if that) and she gets naked…a lot. I realize that this bit of info will cause many potential readers not to pick up this series, which is a real shame. Dance in the Vampire Bund is as much a story about a people seeking to carve out a place for themselves in the world as it is the story of a lonely woman who’s childlike body hides a soul that is far older and wise then her appearance lets on.

Bottom Line:
Despite some of its more controversial story elements, Dance in the Vampire Bund is an excellent modern day vampire story filled with action, intrigue and humor. I very much recommend it…as long as you can look past its more taboo elements.

Final Score: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by: LC1
Review Format: Manga