Dance in the Vampire Bund Discussion Thread.

[heretic]

Picked up something fairly new last week, found it a good read, and noted a lack of discussion on it.

Note the operative word, Read. The recent Anime by SHAFT? Well, the mangaka is on record as explicitly letting them chuck the storyline and giving them free reign but I call it an error.

TVTropes has a good summary:

Out of the blue, Japan finds itself host to a new "mini-nation" inside of the Bund, an artificial island off the coast. Mina Tepes, heiress of the Tepes Dynasty of Vampires, announces to the world that Vampires exist, she has paid off Japan's national debt, and that they are choosing to live in peace inside the Bund from now on.

But they are not going away.

Not only do we get the obvious bloody brawls (Special Forces Teams < Vampire Maids and Werewolf Bodyguards) and almost-as-bloody politics, but interestingly deep character studies and yes even romance 'twixt a slightly schitz vampire queen and a young japanese/german werewolf with a traumatic past who was just living a normal high school life when summoned to pledge fealty to her.

Of course there is a warning. The fanservice, esp. the loli fanservice (it is mathematically impossible for Mina to be younger than her mid 20s, and odds are she is at least double that, but the woman looks twelve at best) is inescapable.



Thoughts?

HTG

[master of read]

loli and shota abound in this manga. but its a good read.

[FistofIron]

Its a pretty good manga.

[Ghost]

I've read some of it. It's not bad, but I can't say I'm crazy about it either.

Occasionally makes for decent softcore porn, though.

[master of read]

I've read some of it. It's not bad, but I can't say I'm crazy about it either.

Occasionally makes for decent softcore porn, though.

damn right. i wouldnt be surprised if a few of those scans were a bit.......................sticky

[OverMaster]

I am officially on record as the Only Person in The Internets who has liked what has been shown of the anime so far.

Then again, it's a SHAFT show. If SHAFT did a show about a limbless blind bullfighter and his travels around the world with a talking pink aadvark and called it a Godzilla adaptation, I'd probably like it too.

Haven't read the manga yet.

[KnockBlock]

Well, the story has something going but I'm not endeared by the characters. Dance in the Vampire Bund is almost making me want to turn away.

[Kirika]

I've read some of it. It's not bad, but I can't say I'm crazy about it either.

Occasionally makes for decent softcore porn, though.

I've started reading it, it's a pretty good story.

It also helps that the artwork is also stylish and well detailed too-- if you know what I mean (And I know you do.).

But along with what I written, it really is a good story, the artwork just adds to that, very well, very, very, well.

[Siriel]

I am officially on record as the Only Person in The Internets who has liked what has been shown of the anime so far.

Then again, it's a SHAFT show. If SHAFT did a show about a limbless blind bullfighter and his travels around the world with a talking pink aadvark and called it a Godzilla adaptation, I'd probably like it too.

Haven't read the manga yet.

That's probably why. At the author's request, the anime is a different story than the manga, so those who expect a straight adaptation are angry.

[Ghost]

I've started reading it, it's a pretty good story.

It also helps that the artwork is also stylish and well detailed too-- if you know what I mean (And I know you do.).

But along with what I written, it really is a good story, the artwork just adds to that, very well, very, very, well.

Eh, like I said, it's decent. But honestly, I'm not that interested in the story and even the blatant fanservice has limits.

I mean, the mangaka somehow managed to design a vampire loli I don't find especially attractive. oO

That's probably why. At the author's request, the anime is a different story than the manga, so those who expect a straight adaptation are angry.

Actually, this might have been a good move. Having them toss the manga storyline and make their own is probably preferable to trying to adapt the manga but failing, getting of to a decent start only to diverge significanly later, or drown the anime in low-grade filler.

Provided, of course, they make the new storyline awesome enough to stand on its own.

[Siriel]

Actually, this might have been a good move. Having them toss the manga storyline and make their own is probably preferable to trying to adapt the manga but failing, getting of to a decent start only to diverge significanly later, or drown the anime in low-grade filler.

Provided, of course, they make the new storyline awesome enough to stand on its own.

The writer is helping in the anime's writing too, IIRC.

So presumably, those who liked the manga will end up liking the anime, assuming they give it a chance.

[heretic]

The writer is helping in the anime's writing too, IIRC.

So presumably, those who liked the manga will end up liking the anime, assuming they give it a chance.

Just saw the first three eps. Too much of a pastiche between MonsterOfTheWeek and a few of the manga plotlines. May look on Youtube off and on but it has an uphill battle.

On a different note, any thoughts on a proper fate for Dukes Ivanovic, Li, and Rozenmann from those who have seen vol. 4-5?

HTG

[The Xenos]

I picked up the first couple of volumes of the manga when I saw them on sale. I like vampires and this sounded kinda oddly interesting. The whole Mina Tepes name was kinda funny.

Plus I like manga that pushes American obscenity and 'virtual child porn' laws that are outright illegal in Cananda and Austrailia. F--- yeah, freedom of speech.

[heretic]

A few thoughts on Vol. 6

• There is a non-zero chance of the whole Yuki/Akira/Mina triangle ending up a menage a troi. More to the point there is a very major chance that Mina's true test in dealing with humans in a sane manner will be some 50-60 years down the line, if Yuki refuses undeath in order to die of old age and Mina has to let her.
• Say it with me: spoilers:

  STUPID SEXY ANGIE!!!!

  end of spoilers
• spoilers:

  The whole Lotus Eater bit was well done. I especially like how Mina _knew_ it was an (extremely pleasent) lie, but it was only when her mother showed up that she really gave up on wanting to care. I also hope that she has a long and healthy unlife if The Bund starts fraying apart that fast at this point... but she certainly has a good number of shock troops if things with the other dukes degenerate to open warfare.

  end of spoilers

More thoughts?

HTG

[Paploo the Ewok]

http://www.gomanga.com/ Just in case no one's aware, or someone reads this thread and wants to buy the series, it has been licensed and released by Seven Seas

http://www.gomanga.com/manga/danceinthevampirebund.php

6 volumes have been released to date.

Don't have it myself, but their KashiMashi omnibuses are awesome, as are the omnibuses they made of their domestic series like It Takes a Wizard, and they published a nice set of Yuri manga series under their Strawberry line. I imagine their edition of Dance in the Vampire Bund is a fairly good quality in terms of presentation/binding/printing based on my experiences with their books.