Vampire [Princess] Miyu is a twenty-six episode long show, centered on the life of Miyu, a vampire. As is stated in every single opening, no one knows how old she really is - however, in the Japanese city that she lives in, she takes the pose of a high school student. (Why she goes to school is beyond me. Some secret fantasy of hers?) Miyu is the Guardian, or Watcher, of Stray Shinma. Shinma are half gods, half demons that were banished long ago to the Dark. Unfortunately, many of them escaped, and Miyu's duty as a Watcher is to seal them away again. She does this with the help of Larva, her own personal 'bodyguard' Shinma and Shiina, a fluffy, pink, bunny-like Shinma that she keeps for her own uses.
I enjoyed this show - a lot. I'd recommend anyone to watch it, as long as they weren't expecting some light-hearted, shoujo anime. This is a very dark show- very dark theme, very dark episodes, and very little lighthearted stuff. I like this show because it's very scary, and the plot is very detailed. Every episode has its own, intricate plot- every episode is different, and detailed. They planned this out very well from the beginning. The only thing repetitive about this show is the fact that most of the episodes seem to begin (and end) with shadows on the streets, and sometimes a dead body.
One thing that is absolutely unique to this show is its eloquence. VPM is very elegant- even though the themes and battles are always dark, everything about this show is very neat, and clean. All the details are hemmed in well. There's nothing tacky or unsophisticated about this show - every episode is very precisely made. It corresponds well to the OVA (a 4 episode series) - I prefer the TV show, but both do justice to the story.
[ OAV ]
Reviewer : Kylara
The original story that was the inspiration for the TV show by the same name, Vampire Miyu, the OVA series is a haunting four-part horror, centered on the spiritualist, Se Himiko. An adult woman, she makes her living using her knowledge of the 'next world' and various psychic feelings that she has to exorcise people and the like. While in Kyoto (wow, not in Tokyo, for once) on a job, she encounters the work of a 'kyuuketskii', or vampire. [For some odd reason, they constantly use both the English word 'Vampire' and its Japanese counterpart, 'kyuuketskii' throughout both the OVA and the show. I have no idea why they switch back and forth.] While trying to exorcise the sleeping body of a young child, she meets Miyu, a young girl with a childish giggle that looks only about thirteen. Upon discovering that this 'Miyu' is a vampire, and not only that, but a vampire that seals away 'Shinma' (half-god, half-demon), she becomes determined to stop Miyu. For what kind of person is Miyu? If Shinma are a threat to mankind, and Miyu is one who seals them, then that would make her a protector of mankind. But Miyu is a vampire; one who drinks the blood of humans, granting them 'eternal happiness' and life in the fantasies of their mind.
Packed with meaning, depth, and the frightening moments that are more psychological than anything, the OVA series took me a very long time to watch. Each of the four episodes is about 25+ minutes long. However, it only took me a long time because I was a tad bit overloaded with the depth of it; I didn't have the courage to watch more than one at a time. (It didn't help, later, that I had to re-watch it to review it.) Although the OVA is called "Vampire Princess Miyu", it seems to actually center more around Se Himiko, the spiritualist, and her encounters with Miyu.
There are not many characters in this, and for the most part, they are well developed, especially Miyu and Himiko, the main characters. Larva, Miyu's Shinma servant, is unable to speak, leaving little room for character development. Himiko is the very embodiment of what she believes to be right; as a human spiritualist, she thinks that it is her mission to 'stop Miyu'. Although, I really wonder how she planned on stopping an omnipotent vampire girl… Himiko is so very human, and in this show, that is not very flattering. She holds onto her mortal views so tightly, it clouds her vision to what Miyu's goal is. In the course of Vampire Princess Miyu, humans usually do not have the capabilities to understand Miyu, or the Shinma, and their goals. Mortals are too clouded, and Himiko, with her psychic abilities, seems to be no exception. Miyu herself, the young vampire girl, is quite - scary. With a very young, innocent appearance, she has large golden eyes, and her hair is tied neatly with a red ribbon, which is wound in and out of the braid. She laughs at the most inopportune moments, and the laugh is simply bloodcurdling. Although it is childlike and innocent, the reasons why she is giggling insanely are horrific. It shows throughout this entire OVA series what kind of person (?) Miyu is - she is very well developed. Miyu also has very interesting looks; pale skin, bright golden-brown eyes (that aren't human), and the overall vision of a china doll.
The plot of this is rather short, being only four episodes long, but it did cover all the truly important parts of Miyu's life, as well as the disturbing, uncanny revelation at the very end. The first two OVA are much like the TV series, both with their own Shinma. Number two's Shinma was so disturbing, I couldn't bear to watch number three for over a month. The plots are intricate, spine chilling, and full of depth and meaning, playing in your mind over and over again, long after you are done. The twists and turns, which allow you to see into the minds of the characters, build up through the series, even though it is only four episodes long. The ending of this OVA series was wonderfully blood chilling; as an added note, the ending of the TV show is just as disturbing.
This truly differs from the TV show in many ways. (As another note, the TV show [plot-wise] is NOT a continuation of the OVA series. -_- Both flashback to how Miyu became a vampire, and the two are so different, you could not possibly believe that the TV is a continuation. However, the storyline itself came out from its manga counterparts, and the OVA was written first.) Many things differ; for instance, Larva, her servant, has much more of a personality in the TV series, and has a bigger role to play in her 'life'. Miyu herself is different; just as cold and chilling, but seems to show her emotions more. The OVA series also is deeper, with more meaning, stemming partially from the fact that the TV show had to have this many episodes, so you had a "Shinma of the Day" factor. However, I will not make a judgment on which is better, because in my opinion they're both wonderfully horrifying. I would recommend watching both.
