Written By: Takeshi Konuta
Studio: Brain’s Base
Original TV Run: July 7, 2013 – September 8, 2013
Episodes: 10 (plus a one OVA)
You know about vampires, right? Of course you do. From the simplicity of Dracula to the sex-fueled “True Blood” series that took the world by storm a few years ago (and does “Twilight” have to be mentioned?), vampires have become associated with all forms of popular entertainment media including anime. But what you don’t know about vampires could fill a manga. Take for example Staz Charlie Blood – the series’ lead character (something he proudly introduces himself as being during the inaugural episode’s opening seconds). Some vampires actually respect humans so much they’ll stay in the Demon World and admire them from afar. You see, Staz’s an otaku of Japanese culture.
But Staz can’t just sit around playing video games and reading comics all day. Come to find out, Blood has the honor of being a territory boss in East Demon World. Staz, though featuring a slacker attitude toward most of life’s problems, shows incredible focus when need be to ensure someone doesn’t defeat him and takes his spot (you know, by killing him). So of course Staz has the responsibility of not only finding out why a random human suddenly appears in the demon world, but also how he can stop her from being devoured. The news of this unexpected arrival sets Staz off, not in anger, but excitement.
Being so obsessed with human culture, Staz immediately orders his seconds to deliver this individual – a school girl named Fuyumi Yanagi – to him at once. The feeling that overcomes Staz almost causes his heart to explode out of his chest. Yanagi eventually breaks the ice, giving Staz insight regarding some of the latest gaming releases (including a knock on the “Final Fantasy” franchise).
Before Staz and Fuyumi can become acquainted – though Staz does admit his need to feed on her is almost too overwhelming – Blood is forced into battle to defend his position as a territory boss. It’s during Staz’s crushing of an enemy’s heart that something terrible and unexpected happens: a walking carnivorous plant scales the building housing Yanagi, digesting everything about her other than Fuyumi’s skull and a couple of bones.
Staz, understandably distraught, laments about his inability to now feed on deceased human. The ghost of Fuyumi appears in the place of her death not long after Staz’s discovery. With Yanagi no longer a human, Blood has no feelings for his dead guest. The vampire warrior decides he must revive Fuyumi so he can accomplish his goal of finally tasting human blood just like his ancestors. But to do so, Staz might have to return to the place of his banishment while encountering friends and foes both new and old. Oh, and spoiler alert: there aren’t seven mystical balls anywhere in this story than can help Staz complete his mission.
Pacing: As mentioned in “The Facts” section, “Blood Lad” is only ten episodes long. Some shows suffer from pacing problems no matter the series’ length. Thankfully, “Blood Lad” doesn’t succumb to pacing problems simply because the series attempts to focus solely on Staz’s mission. Yes there are moments where it seems the mark is being lost (such as the third episode that appears to be nothing more than a way to get a fight sequence into the show), but the endgame is always apparent (as seen in the previously noted third episode that concludes with Staz discovering the person responsible for writing a book on human resurrection while also showcasing the potential of Blood’s powers – a plot point that becomes incredibly important during the final episodes). “Blood Lad” does a great job keeping the story moving, the sceneries fresh, and fights from turning into acts of unrealistic tedium.
Are You in on the Joke: One of the brightest spots of “Blood Lad” is the series’ ability to laugh at itself, the vampire genre and anime in general while paying homage to those same things that can be easily mocked. With Staz being Japanese otaku, he has a penchant for saying the things long-time anime viewers would probably be thinking when a certain scene begins. As noted above, video gamers will probably laugh with Staz about “Final Fantasy” being anything but final. There are also moments for anime fans including Staz doing his best Goku imitation while heralding him as the greatest fighter ever. “Blood Lad’s” ability to make fun of itself without turning into a full-blown parody is quite a feat and can provide the most hilarious sequences of the series.
Fan Service: In Japan, it’s called “ecchi”. In America, it’s referred to as “fan service”. You know the moments when a clumsy Fuyumi falls while wearing a tight-fitting shirt to extenuate her busty nature and the camera moves toward her chest’s landing point, or that scene where Bell Hydra (a secondary character that eventually plays a huge role in the plot) bends over in short shorts to give the viewer a full view of the bottom half of her butt. Though the fan service in “Blood Lad” isn’t terrible compared to other anime (“Samurai Girls”), it becomes the crutch of certain characters – including Fuyumi – to make them worth watching. Not to mention the opening credits features two of the series’ most pivotal female characters in unnecessary, provocative poses for no obvious reason.
Cliffhanger: While the very little character development of Staz essentially makes up the finale’s entirety, “Blood Lad” suffers from the terrible fate of being an anime based off of an on-going manga. The series ends with a definitive conclusion to what is essentially the first act. And with no promise of a second season, the series could go on incomplete for those who don’t want to invest their time and money in the manga.
Characters’ Development: Alongside the problems that caused a cliffhanger ending feel anticlimactic is a lack of character development. With only ten episodes, a series like “Blood Lad” has only so much time to allow a viewer to become emotionally invested in mostly everyone. With this knowledge of episode constraints, one has to wonder why the adapters of this manga-turned-anime would introduce so many characters during the series’ short run. Other than Staz and Hydra, really no one gets a chance to grow, develop or even leave a lasting impact on the viewer; not even Fuyumi. A majority of the cast really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of the story and could’ve been easily replaced by a random note floating out of the sky to continue the plot and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
“Blood Lad” is the type of anime (or any form of visual media) that is pretty enjoyable while you’re experiencing it, but after it’s over you quickly forget about it not long after the finale. It does nothing revolutionary with the concept presented while sticking with prototypical anime style humor and action. Thankfully through the power of streaming services like Hulu, “Blood Lad” is available in full – making it the perfect way to experience a series that would make for a disappointing physical purchase.
