Vampire Princess Miyu - Illusion (TV Vol. 3)

Rating:
Summary: It Keeps Getting Better
Review: It seems Tokyopop has found the best way to master these DVDs. The episodes exist as seperate titles and the chapters are arranged nicely. Definitely an improvement over volumes 1 & 2.\

The episodes themselves are excellently written you definitely get a sense of sympathy for the human victims. The Shinma are a wide variety and offer different challenges to Miyu instead of her usual clash-clahs "Stray Shinme to the Dark!" and it's over routine.

And yes, Reiha makes her presence known once more.

Rating:
Summary: It Keeps Getting Better
Review: It seems Tokyopop has found the best way to master these DVDs. The episodes exist as seperate titles and the chapters are arranged nicely. Definitely an improvement over volumes 1 & 2.\

The episodes themselves are excellently written you definitely get a sense of sympathy for the human victims. The Shinma are a wide variety and offer different challenges to Miyu instead of her usual clash-clahs "Stray Shinme to the Dark!" and it's over routine.

And yes, Reiha makes her presence known once more.

Rating:
Summary: "Where Time and My Feeling Pass By"
Review: Toshiki Hirano's pattern in this series is to create a situation that a shinma can take advantage of, bring Miyu into the story to oppose the shinma, and then allow the damage done by the shinma to progress to its logical conclusion. This is disquieting, since the humans involved are often destroyed by the underlying tragic conflict. Thus, the series is dark, and moody, the only peace is sometimes brought by the vampire's kiss.

Take 'Red Shoes,' for example. In a deft retelling of the old legend of a pair of magical dancing shoes, we find Chisato and Miho in a talent competition. To everyone's surprise, Miho wins and, with the help of a pair of magical red shoes, she is on her way to becoming an idol singer. However, behind the shoes are a shinma who uses them to drain away Miho's life. Miyu tries to stop the shinma but, as is always the case with this legend, there is a terrible price.

In 'Your House,' a young couple rescues a cat from a couple who died in a suicide/murder. The woman becomes insanely dependent on the animal and history is on the way to repeating itself when Miyu tries to intervene.

On a less grim note, Chisato, Miyu, and their friends visit Ikegafuchi, a well-known hot springs. Chisato stumbles into a swamp and discovers a young boy who has sworn to wait for the return of a guardian. Miyu finds that what was guarded was an ancient shinma and must battle to prevent a repetition of its release on the world.

Then a gangster, killed when an assassination fails, gets an opportunity to live again, complete with a new face. In 'Supple Face,' he has an opportunity to make thinks right again, but soon he finds himself waking with no memory, blood on his hands. Even when Miyu breaks the curse of the shinma, destiny refuses to budge.

In several of these stories, Miyu drops into the background, only becoming directly involved when it is time for the shinma to meet its fate. This is reminiscent of the OAV series, where sometimes she is more of a force of nature than a real character. While she cares more for humanity that Reiha the snow demon does, the vampire still feels no great allegiance - the tragic events of the episodes are beyond her responsibility. . The victories of the spirit world are often more chilling than reassuring.

Rating:
Summary: Great Miyu Episodes
Review: Vampire Princess Miyu, vol. 3, "Illusion," contains episodes 8-11 of the long series. If you have never seen the OVA Vampire Princess Miyu, fine. If you have, you may or may not be disappointed. The OVA was pure horror at its finest. This series is mostly creepy and spooky, with a few moments of horror. It is a kind of Spooky Sailor Moon, except that Miyu and her supernatural friends are completely humorless. Larva, one of anime's most fascinating characters in the OVA, is still formidable, but his bishoujen (pretty boy) face is featured on many of the series' DVD covers as a romantic Tuxedo Mask character.

"Illusion" has four episodes:

Episode 8: Red Shoes - A very touching, rather than scary, episode. Anyone who has wanted to be a star but does not feel pretty enough or is too shy will relate to this episode. The viewer will debate whether or not the Shinma in The Red Shoes was evil or not.

Episode 9: Your House - A black cat wreaks havoc. Elements of horror.

Episode 10: Swamp of Promises - Touching AND scary. Snakes! Snakes! Lovely elements of Shintoism.

Each DVD has an insert of great illustrated notes by the animator. Some of his Shinma are pretty out there - one is a combination of a horse and a piano. Again, reminds me so much of the Youma in Sailor Moon. But Kenji Teraoka stresses in the notes he has wanted to remain true to and emphasize Japanese culture, which he does beautifully sometimes.