Recommended for Mature Audiences

Reviewed by Laura Phillips:

Based off the original "Kyuuketsuki Hime Miyu" (Vampire Princess Miyu) OAVs, this series is only available in Japanese, or fan-subbed.

In the first episode of this series, we find out that Miyu has transferred to a school in Tokyo (presumably), to chase the shinma that are stray in that area. As the series goes on, Miyu hunts and seals numerous shinma.. until the last episodes, when we get more background info on Miyu's life. Things also heat up a bit, and the audience is hit with a MAJOR plot twist..

For those who have seen the original OAVs, think alternate universe here. Many elements have been changed and adapted to the series, and Miyu's personality is far different from that of the OAVs and the comics. The whole show takes on a much darker mood, but still makes far less of an impact than the original did.The animation is lovely, and high quality, but definitely not even close to being comparable with it's predecessor. The character design was done by the same individual who did "Magic Knight Rayearth", so don't expect the same Kakinouchi art that we all love so dearly. Miyu no longer has her trademark giggle in this series, as they changed voice actors for both her and Larva (tragically, the original voice actor that played Larva is now deceased). There are also added elements in this new VPM, i.e. - Miyu's trademark flute.

If you are a die-hard fan of the original, you will most likely be very disappointed in this series...but all in all it is a wonderful new take on "Miyu", and if watched with an open mind, can be very enjoyable. The plot is good, and the depressive, dark mood is tantalising.

The Vampire Miyu TV series contains quite a bit of violence and gore. In the very first episode, the giant iguana-like shinma is sliced clean in half by Larva.. providing us with a very gratuitous shot of it's insides, blood, intestines, etc.. spilling and gushing out. Miyu also has a habit of lighting them on fire, and burning them alive. (This is the method in which she seals them) Also, Miyu could care less about humans, and shows no compassion when they die gruesomely. This will get no complaints from fans like yours truly, but parents of young children may not take too kindly to these scenes.

Parent's Guide Rating:

red (recommended for mature audiences)

There is little/no sexual content, but dark themes and violence run amok. Swearing is also used, mostly by Shiina, Miyu's strange little "pet". (Basically a mockery of all the cute fluffy anime pets out there, like Ryo-Ohki. The difference is that Shiina cusses frequently and *seems* cute.. until you see it's eye..)

NOT FOR KIDS.

If kids could understand the story line, it would just disturb them more. This is definitely a series that older teens and young adults will appreciate.

Additional Comments by Lei Magnus:

A PG-13 rating is needed here. Vampire Princess Miyu is not so extreme that it deserves an M rating, yet by general standards it is definitely not a PG series.

One addition that should be mentioned is the moody (they're all moody) Reiha, a young girl who hates Miyu (explained later in the series) and acts as a Watcher, which Miyu is. Reiha carries a Japanese doll with her which, literally, talks with her and has an even nastier attitude than Shiina. While Miyu is at times compassionate towards humans and shinma, Reiha only shows compassion on the rarest of occassions, and even then someone has to die by her hand.

Furthermore, what has failed to be mentioned in the review is Miyu's and Shiina's sense of humor. Vampire Princess Miyu, at least in the first nine or ten episodes, is very much black humor. At the end of the first episode, a stalker of Miyu desires to be a vampire like Miyu. Miyu mocks him then walks away teleporting off to where-ever. The boy, trapped in Miyu's realm, chases after her, crying out that he is bored with being just a human; but her realm fades away a little too late and he plummets off the side of the building he was on (in the human realm). The last scene is a pair of broken glasses spattered with blood, and Miyu's voice comes in with a cynical tone, "Now you won't be bored anymore." In episode nine Shiina makes a crack about suicide and Miyu adds her two bits at the end of the episode as well.

If you do not approve of black humor then be wary of Vampire Princess Miyu.