Rosario + Vampire (PG14)

Rosario + Vampire

Storyline ***
Graphic Style ****
Character Structure ***
Soundtrack ***
Entertainment ***

Rosario + Vampire (we'll just call it "Rosario") was a decent moe Anime. Cute girls of all types, the dimwitted guy, and school setting all work together to make a cliché but enjoyable Anime for both guys and girls.

The story is about a boy named Tsukune Aono who gets accepted into a private school full of demons disguised as humans. Of course, he doesn't know it's a school of demons at first. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a bright and cheerful vampire with a taste for only Tsukune's blood. The two eventually work out a pact to keep Tsukune's human identity a secret, for if the school finds out that the's not a demon, he will be killed. The story goes on to reveal both characters' strengths and weaknesses as well as their real personalities. They meet more friends like the succubus Kurumu, the witch Yukari, and the ice woman demon (yuki-onna) Mizore. And when the characters are in a pinch, Tsukune often finds himself accidentally taking off the cross rosario around Moka's neck to reveal the sealed, true form of Moka Akashiya who is ruthless, cold, and powerful.

Though the story progresses smoothly, I know I was caught at times wondering why a few of the episodes were necessary. The first 'season' spans only thirteen episodes and one would think that within thirteen episodes, each episode would greatly impact the storyline overall. While there were character progression in the episodes, I feel they could have been intertwined into a better plot development.

It's also necessary to point out that this isn't a cliffhanger Anime. The end of most of the episodes are the end of that particular mini-story and you aren't waiting to finish a scene by watching another episode. I really appreciated this because I tend to end up watching a full season in one sitting thanks to cliffhangers. This Anime let me take breaks and come back to it the next day. It was an easy going Anime.

It was also easy for the eyes. It wasn't too flashy or too high paced. I also felt that the art was beautiful and cute. Men may find the women to be well drawn and well endowed (unless you're into the under-developed, in which case you have Yukari). Women may find the characters to be cute and lovable. It's not drawn to be all that sexual and it wasn't drawn to be a sappy romance Anime. I think the art style appeals to both genders quite well.

Couple the well done graphics with well done soundtrack and you have a decent Anime. The mood shifts often in each episode and whatever music they pair with the scene compliments each mood without a drastic change.

Speaking of mood shifts, I'd like to explain why there is such drastic mood shifts. The characters all have a very wide range of personalities. Even the characters on the side have very definitive personalities. Though the problems presented in each episode vary from trivial to life threatening, there's always a character to lighten the mood or make things serious.

Overall, Rosario was very well done. The comedy within it made it very entertaining even if the serious moments are too ridiculous to like. Each characters' personalities nearly guarantees that you will have a favorite character (I love Mizore). Each episode, even if not necessary to the storyline, is short and to the point. This Anime is just a nice 'feel-good' Anime to watch once in awhile when you're bored. The series as a whole is short and it really doesn't require you to invest a lot of time. I'd recommend this Anime to anyone who's stuck waiting between new episode releases of other Animes they may be currently watching.

Watch out for a "Rosario + Vampire Capu2" review, coming soon!