Vampire Princess Miyu

chohokei Dec 2, 2011

10

it doesn't often get better than this for an ova. a true masterpeice by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki/Toshihiro Hirano. faithful to the manga,  these episodes are beautifully illustrated and further enriched by the dark and haunting tone of Kenji Kawaii's soundtrack. a slow paced but fluid story that is enchanting and charming without having to resort to fan service or pop culture. though not a happy journey the story takes you through the internal torments, passions, desires and ultimate despair of self reflection, and the unusual lengths one will go to when trying to hold onto something they love.     set in the world in which Shinma ( a mixture of Divine and Demonic bloodlines) escape from their realm and inhabit the bodies of humans. feeding off of stimulants like endorphins or adreniline. each shinma is a complex symbiosis much like humans and equally deficient in certain aspects of their genetics specific to the subject. so the pairing of a shinma and a human takes more than just a vampires need to drink blood or zombies and brains. it is a cohabitation which may sometimes be benificial for both, but more often one sided for the shinma. these episodes may also be called "Spiritualist Himiko" as these four ovas introduce us to Miyu's world through the perspective of the young spiritualist who in the beginning does not even believe in "possessions" and other paranormal behaviour and simply does her job for the money. Himiko starts to believe gradually as Miyu reveals truths about herself and the  coming of the occidental shinma to japan. i've been told it's really depressing, i can see why some people would say that but understanding the macabre setting it is beautiful and in my opinion a great example of how anime looks when it is done right. wish there were more of them. much love and thanx to all that had a hand in this production for more of something like this i would recommend the manga books there are 15 (the first book and then 4 that follow.  and then another series of 10) from horror comics in japan. in english by antarctic press/ironcat studios  -ant    

zala Apr 12, 2020

7.5

Vampire Princess Miyu is a moody OVA that successfully creates a horror mood and introduces a memorable monster, but is held back by standard stories. I watched the old English dub from AniMeigo.  As an anime, Miyu is most interested in creating a mood of dread and sorrow. Humanity is preyed on by demons, and most of the humans do not leave their demonic encounters with happy endings. The most that humans can hope for is to leave their encounters with a shred of good health and sanity. The art directions enforces this gloomy atmosphere with strange background designs, sudden shifts in perspective and muted colors. The demonic world is crowded with too much detail to be easily understood, and the brief glimpses offered are unsettling. The soundtrack is eerie without becoming overly dramatic, and the animation, while limited in many scenes, is smooth for its age.  The character of Miyu, like all good monsters, is multidimensional in her actions. Miyu claims to be a guardian of Earth by vanquishing stray demons, but her hunger for human blood means that she is a murderer. Whenever Miyu seems vulnerable or sympathetic, her scheming actions prevent her from becoming too transperantly evil or good. Her portrayal as a vampire is strange, as she has none of the usual weaknesses of the Western vampire but has all the strengths. I would have enjoyed watching more episodes with this character, as she is easily the most enjoyable part of this anime.  The problems with Miyu come from the weak stories. Most of the monsters and humans are undeveloped beyond their basic story roles, and the stories do not seem to have been a priority for the screenwriters. The stories are not boring, but they could have been more interesting to allow the characters more opportunity to shine. The stories presented are not interesting enough to support the series, so the anime has to rest on the characters and atmosphere. The atmosphere is well done, and Miyu is enjoyable as a force of nature, but only the first and last episodes need to be watched to enjoy Miyu.  Vampire Princess Miyu is an example of a mood piece that succeeds in creating a certain horror mood while staying firmly within a PG rating. There is blood, death and horrific ideas, but the most horrifying parts are implied or happen offscreen. I wish that the stories were stronger, but the mood and main character made me interested in any further adventure with Vampire Princess Miyu.