Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not without its flaws
Review: After getting hooked with "Cowboy Bebop" and the movie "Spirited Away" (gifts from my beloved ^_^) I began my own venture into anime, deciding first to check out Vampire Princess Miyu as it sounded very interesting. I did, however, start with vol.'s 1 & 2 of the OAV's which I recommend before watching these as it will answers many questions some might have, like how did Miyu become the guardian and why is Larva's devotion to protect her unwavering? Here is a summary of the three episodes found on vol. 1 - Initiation: On "The Fang Knows" several young girls keep appearing dead. Machiyama, a young man from their school stumbles upon one of them lying in the street, drained of all her blood with two puncture wounds found on her neck. He suspects it's the work of a vampire, and he believes that that vampire is Miyu. He saw her walking away from the site, mysteriously vanishing into a cloud of mist. Suddenly she's a new classmate and so he follows her around (or tries to, anyway), determined to prove that his speculations aren't just his imagination. In the meantime a teacher is being harassed by some of her students who witnessed her doing something regrettable...something they won't seem to ever let her forget... "At the Next Station" is my favorite of the three. Miyu has made some friends from the school she now attends and is fitting in well, but as she tries to act normal she must also deal with a shinma (stray demon) who is behind the disappearances of many beautiful women - all of whom were last seen riding on the last car of a train (can't really say much about this one without giving everything away). On "The Forest Calls" a young man is plagued with nightmares and his behavior becomes abnormally strange after his father receives an odd looking mask from Africa that a witch doctor might have worn in the past to cast spells. Larva, however, has come face to face with the mask once before yet he does not understand its magical powers. He was unable to defeat it then, obviously, but it's slowly taking over Kouichi's life and Miyu must put a stop to the shinma's evil reign before it destroys anyone else. The TV series for Vampire Princess Miyu is a good anime, and the music by Kawai Kenji is gorgeous and haunting, but it does not live up to the amazing OAV's. I prefer whoever did the voice and drawings for Miyu on the OAV's better for they put more emotion into her voice and expressions. Here she almost seems lifeless... Also, what ever happened to spiritualist Himiko? I haven't watched every episode yet but she hasn't been mentioned, nor seen, once. As for the fluffy, recurring character of Shiina, well I'm not too crazy about that particular addition but luckily she doesn't show up much. It's a "good" shinma that has the ability to sense things just before they're about to happen and can see far into the distance with its red, bloodshot eye when it's no longer being covered with its long white ear (kind of resembles a bunny). Overall, though, if you enjoyed the wonderful OAV's then I'd continue with this but expect to be a little disappointed. It's not as good but it certainly has its moments.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not without its flaws
Review: After getting hooked with "Cowboy Bebop" and the movie "Spirited Away" (gifts from my beloved ^_^) I began my own venture into anime, deciding first to check out Vampire Princess Miyu as it sounded very interesting. I did, however, start with vol.'s 1 & 2 of the OAV's which I recommend before watching these as it will answers many questions some might have, like how did Miyu become the guardian and why is Larva's devotion to protect her unwavering? Here is a summary of the three episodes found on vol. 1 - Initiation: On "The Fang Knows" several young girls keep appearing dead. Machiyama, a young man from their school stumbles upon one of them lying in the street, drained of all her blood with two puncture wounds found on her neck. He suspects it's the work of a vampire, and he believes that that vampire is Miyu. He saw her walking away from the site, mysteriously vanishing into a cloud of mist. Suddenly she's a new classmate and so he follows her around (or tries to, anyway), determined to prove that his speculations aren't just his imagination. In the meantime a teacher is being harassed by some of her students who witnessed her doing something regrettable...something they won't seem to ever let her forget... "At the Next Station" is my favorite of the three. Miyu has made some friends from the school she now attends and is fitting in well, but as she tries to act normal she must also deal with a shinma (stray demon) who is behind the disappearances of many beautiful women - all of whom were last seen riding on the last car of a train (can't really say much about this one without giving everything away). On "The Forest Calls" a young man is plagued with nightmares and his behavior becomes abnormally strange after his father receives an odd looking mask from Africa that a witch doctor might have worn in the past to cast spells. Larva, however, has come face to face with the mask once before yet he does not understand its magical powers. He was unable to defeat it then, obviously, but it's slowly taking over Kouichi's life and Miyu must put a stop to the shinma's evil reign before it destroys anyone else. The TV series for Vampire Princess Miyu is a good anime, and the music by Kawai Kenji is gorgeous and haunting, but it does not live up to the amazing OAV's. I prefer whoever did the voice and drawings for Miyu on the OAV's better for they put more emotion into her voice and expressions. Here she almost seems lifeless... Also, what ever happened to spiritualist Himiko? I haven't watched every episode yet but she hasn't been mentioned, nor seen, once. As for the fluffy, recurring character of Shiina, well I'm not too crazy about that particular addition but luckily she doesn't show up much. It's a "good" shinma that has the ability to sense things just before they're about to happen and can see far into the distance with its red, bloodshot eye when it's no longer being covered with its long white ear (kind of resembles a bunny). Overall, though, if you enjoyed the wonderful OAV's then I'd continue with this but expect to be a little disappointed. It's not as good but it certainly has its moments.
Rating: 
Summary: GO TOKYOPOP!!
Review: Alright Tokyopop for releasing the excellent TV Series Vampire Princess Miyu. It has 26 episodes in all and the are all very well animated (better than the OAV) and more of a shoujo anime than the OAV. It is les than a horror show and more of a magical girl show, consisting of Miyu's rival, a small bunny-like ally, and a three parter about where larva came from!! Of course, you'll have to wait until future volumes come out. This volume has the first 3 episodes on it, the first one is about a big lizard and it isn't like all the other episodes. The 2nd episode really starts the plot line going: Miyu makes some friends in an all girls school and really gts to live life as a normal human. You should buy this tape RIGHT AWAY if you even THINK you might like this show. It won't disappoint you!
Rating: 
Summary: OAV = older is better
Review: For those who have never seen the original OVA series, Miyu is a vampire whose task it is to hunt down creatures of evil called Shinma and return them to the dark world of their origin. She is accompanied by Lava, a Shinma who has left the evil ways of his kind behind and serves Miyu unquestioningly. The series was noted for its artistic and atmospheric qualities and had a strong effect on the many vampire anime that followed it. The Fang Knows When Matchiyama, a young high school student comes upon Miyu while she is investigating a murder he decides that she is the vampire behind the murderers. But the truth is more complex than the boy suspects and will reveal a tragic element behind the deaths. Sometimes things are even worse than they seem. At the Next Station Miyu transfers to a new high school and finds herself making friends with several fellow students. Especially Chisato Inoue, who takes an unexpected liking to the normally distant vampire. Miyu discovers that the neighborhood has been plagued the disappearances of a series of beautiful women, all associated with the subway. Miyu confronts the Shinma, but there is little help for the lost souls of its victims. The Forest Calls When an African mask has strange effects on the brother of on of Miyu's friends the vampire investigates and discovers that Lava remembers a past encounter with the Shinma behind the mask. But this spirit is not entirely evil, just deeply angry about the ruining of the forests of its homeland. This new, made-for-TV series has been updated considerable form the original OVA. Among the casualties of the change is the Art Nouveau flavor of the first series. But this isn't a real loss, as the updated work is still just as compelling, but in a different way. Lava has been tinkered with as well, sometimes appearing without a mask. Miyu also has an additional companion, a lesser Shinma called Shiina. The story retains much of its atmospherics and dark plot and should be considered a success.
Rating:
Summary: Mistaken Identification
Review: For those who have never seen the original OVA series, Miyu is a vampire whose task it is to hunt down creatures of evil called Shinma and return them to the dark world of their origin. She is accompanied by Lava, a Shinma who has left the evil ways of his kind behind and serves Miyu unquestioningly. The series was noted for its artistic and atmospheric qualities and had a strong effect on the many vampire anime that followed it. The Fang Knows When Matchiyama, a young high school student comes upon Miyu while she is investigating a murder he decides that she is the vampire behind the murderers. But the truth is more complex than the boy suspects and will reveal a tragic element behind the deaths. Sometimes things are even worse than they seem. At the Next Station Miyu transfers to a new high school and finds herself making friends with several fellow students. Especially Chisato Inoue, who takes an unexpected liking to the normally distant vampire. Miyu discovers that the neighborhood has been plagued the disappearances of a series of beautiful women, all associated with the subway. Miyu confronts the Shinma, but there is little help for the lost souls of its victims. The Forest Calls When an African mask has strange effects on the brother of on of Miyu's friends the vampire investigates and discovers that Lava remembers a past encounter with the Shinma behind the mask. But this spirit is not entirely evil, just deeply angry about the ruining of the forests of its homeland. This new, made-for-TV series has been updated considerable form the original OVA. Among the casualties of the change is the Art Nouveau flavor of the first series. But this isn't a real loss, as the updated work is still just as compelling, but in a different way. Lava has been tinkered with as well, sometimes appearing without a mask. Miyu also has an additional companion, a lesser Shinma called Shiina. The story retains much of its atmospherics and dark plot and should be considered a success.
Rating:
Summary: Disapointed at DVD
Review: I am an avid fan of Miyu, and Kakinouchi Narumi's artwork and stories in general. When I first heard TOKYOPOP was bring over the series, I was very excited. I had already seen an episode aired while vacationing in Japan, and had also seen it taped from TV. I was aware of the quality of the show and had high expectations for a company that has roots in catering to hard-core fans. While I also much prefer the OVA story to the TV, I personally do not have as much difficulty with the difference between the two, since these differences more closely track the new manga. My issues are more with the quality of the DVD than the show. I have certainly seen better transfers in picture quality, but this was not bad and did not bother me as much as the fact that the opening and closing were cut between episodes. This might have been marginally acceptable if they had been trying to pack in 7 episodes, but I see no excuse for it here. Also, I found it very annoying that I can only jump to the beginning of an episode and not to the mid point. I also did not expect TOKYOPOP to alter the images; for example, where kanji are removed and replaced with english text. If the viewer is not willing to read subtitled kanji this is not the show for him/her since stylized kanji is integral to the artwork. I understand that this is the earliest work for them, but I was very disappointed and determined not to purchase another DVD in the series. However, rumor has it that the second attempt has corrected some of these problems, so I will probably give them one more chance. I give the story **** and the DVD *.
Rating:
Summary: Disapointed at DVD
Review: I am an avid fan of Miyu, and Kakinouchi Narumi's artwork and stories in general. When I first heard TOKYOPOP was bring over the series, I was very excited. I had already seen an episode aired while vacationing in Japan, and had also seen it taped from TV. I was aware of the quality of the show and had high expectations for a company that has roots in catering to hard-core fans. While I also much prefer the OVA story to the TV, I personally do not have as much difficulty with the difference between the two, since these differences more closely track the new manga. My issues are more with the quality of the DVD than the show. I have certainly seen better transfers in picture quality, but this was not bad and did not bother me as much as the fact that the opening and closing were cut between episodes. This might have been marginally acceptable if they had been trying to pack in 7 episodes, but I see no excuse for it here. Also, I found it very annoying that I can only jump to the beginning of an episode and not to the mid point. I also did not expect TOKYOPOP to alter the images; for example, where kanji are removed and replaced with english text. If the viewer is not willing to read subtitled kanji this is not the show for him/her since stylized kanji is integral to the artwork. I understand that this is the earliest work for them, but I was very disappointed and determined not to purchase another DVD in the series. However, rumor has it that the second attempt has corrected some of these problems, so I will probably give them one more chance. I give the story **** and the DVD *.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Compliment to the OVAs
Review: I for one was very happy to see more Miyu beyond AnimEigo's OVA releases. I found the pace of the TV episodes a little faster than the OVAs, not really developing who each Shinma was. You get bits and pieces, then Miyu banishes them to The Dark and it is all over. But all in all it is a good buy. One thing I found kind of annoying is that it seems none of the TokyoPop staff seemed to have read AnimEigo's liner notes for the OEM to see that AnimEigo had contacted the author, Ms. Kakinouchi, to get the correct romanizations of character names such as Larva (*NOT* Lava) and Lemures (which is actually Latin to begin with). It really doesn ot bother me since I refuse to use the Engish audio track anyways, but it does kind of mar the production.
Rating:
Summary: OAV = older is better
Review: I have been a fan of Miyu for a long time now. I first watched the "vampire princess" around 1996 when I had a chance to view a copy of the OAV: Volume One. I loved the unique style, vision, and grace of that original work. Recently, I noticed there was a new incarnation of the Miyu saga. After renting this, I thought I would share my feelings on the quality of this product. First of all, it is not the old series. The overall tone, mood, and atmosphere is very different this time around. Many parts were almost painful to me because of how vastly different the pacing and mood are at times. It seems like the overall chilling, sparse, and autumnal lushness of the OAV has been replaced here by an almost "silly" Sailor Moon meets Scooby Doo atmosphere. Indeed, in the later episodes, particularly the one involving the shamen's mask, I felt like I was watching a Scooby Doo episode populated by multiple Thelmas. So I was let down. However, there are saving graces. One, this is the kind of anime that teenage girls should watch instead of Sailor Moon. There are obvious but very powerful statements made about the kinds of cravings adolescent females fall victim to - the second episode embodied this perfectly. In this installment, women fall victim to an obnoxious metrosexual-looking shinma who promises them everlasting beauty. The consequence for those who crave attention and perfect beauty is an excruciating existence of neverending loneliness. I also enjoyed how in the first episode the creators made a very risky statement involving the obsessed geeky adolescent male who hungers after Miyu. It is at once a scathing satire of the typical anime fan (with typical obsession over illusionary anime girls) and a statement about fools who recklessly seek power and immortality. The geek eventually dies because of his obsession and his rushing headlong into illusion. So there are pros and cons. Just remember, they made it silly and even lighthearted at times. Rent it first.
Rating:
Summary: OAV = older is better
Review: I have been a fan of Miyu for a long time now. I first watched the "vampire princess" around 1996 when I had a chance to view a copy of the OAV: Volume One. I loved the unique style, vision, and grace of that original work. Recently, I noticed there was a new incarnation of the Miyu saga. After renting this, I thought I would share my feelings on the quality of this product. First of all, it is not the old series. The overall tone, mood, and atmosphere is very different this time around. Many parts were almost painful to me because of how vastly different the pacing and mood are at times. It seems like the overall chilling, sparse, and autumnal lushness of the OAV has been replaced here by an almost "silly" Sailor Moon meets Scooby Doo atmosphere. Indeed, in the later episodes, particularly the one involving the shamen's mask, I felt like I was watching a Scooby Doo episode populated by multiple Thelmas. So I was let down. However, there are saving graces. One, this is the kind of anime that teenage girls should watch instead of Sailor Moon. There are obvious but very powerful statements made about the kinds of cravings adolescent females fall victim to - the second episode embodied this perfectly. In this installment, women fall victim to an obnoxious metrosexual-looking shinma who promises them everlasting beauty. The consequence for those who crave attention and perfect beauty is an excruciating existence of neverending loneliness. I also enjoyed how in the first episode the creators made a very risky statement involving the obsessed geeky adolescent male who hungers after Miyu. It is at once a scathing satire of the typical anime fan (with typical obsession over illusionary anime girls) and a statement about fools who recklessly seek power and immortality. The geek eventually dies because of his obsession and his rushing headlong into illusion. So there are pros and cons. Just remember, they made it silly and even lighthearted at times. Rent it first.
| 
