A decent adaptation of the first Vampire Hunter D novel, thought the art in this volume is very heavy on the lines, to enough of a degree that it disrupts the flow. ( )

The plot was predictable and tired. The dialog was simplistic and boring. And the artwork was horrendous and shoddy. This was an incredible waste of time. ( )

Not bad! The story was intriguing and the characters were somewhat compelling. The good guys aren't perfect and the bad guys have at least some redeeming qualities in the end. However--holy golly, the large breasts on the women and all the scanty cladding. Geeze. I was reading this in public and felt like I had to close the book when little kids were standing next to me. ( )

My introduction to the works of Hideyuki Kikuchi was through Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1, Saiko Takaki's manga adaptation of Kikuchi's light novel of the same name. I first read Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 after borrowing it from my local library; later, Digital Manga would send me a copy as part of a Kikuchi care package. It seemed appropriate to give Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 another, closer look for the October 2012 Manga Moveable Feast which focused on vampire manga. The Vampire Hunter D manga adaptation is an interesting project. Coordinated by Digital Manga with Kikuchi's direct involvement, the goal is for each volume of the original Vampire Hunter D series of novels to be adapted. (So far, six of the more than twenty novels have received the treatment.) Takaki was personally selected by Kikuchi to work on the project and is responsible for illustrating and adapting the novels as manga. Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 was simultaneously released worldwide in 2007.

After nearly annihilating themselves in a nuclear holocaust, the remnants of human society now struggle to survive in a world filled with mutants and monsters, the most powerful of which is a race of vampires known as the Nobility. But even the Nobility's reign of terror can't last forever; thousands of years later the vampires themselves are now also in decline. Even though their control over the world is slipping away, the Nobility are still extremely dangerous and are a threat to what is left of humankind. Doris Lang, a beautiful young woman from the frontier town of Ransylva, has been bitten by one of the Nobility, putting her life at great risk. To save herself, she hires a vampire hunter known only as "D." Although appearing as a young man, D is a dhampir--the son of a human mother and one of the Nobility. Reviled by both vampires and humans, D is in an unusual position. His heritage grants him superhuman skills and power, making him an ideal vampire hunter and nearly as dangerous as the Nobility.

Takaki's artwork in Vampire Hunter D is well-suited for the story. It's darkly beautiful, striking, and yet disconcerting. (Although, perhaps, not always as horrifying as I might hope.) At times the art is vaguely reminiscent of the work of Yoshitaka Amano, the illustrator for the Vampire Hunter D novels. Great care has been taken with the character designs, especially D's. He is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome--easily the prettiest character in the manga. I particularly liked the attention given to the details of his attire. A brooding anti-hero who rarely smiles, the more terrifying side of D's dhampir nature is rarely seen. It's easy to forget how dangerous he really is as he plays the part of the "good guy" well. But occasionally there is a glimpse of fangs and malice as he struggles to control his desires.

While I wasn't overly impressed by Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 when I read it for the first time, the manga has grown on me after subsequent readings. Since I haven't yet read the original Vampire Hunter D novel, I can't comment on how the manga compares or even how it works as an adaptation. However, I do think it is fairly successful as its own work. The story is quickly paced but there are leaps and potential inconsistencies in the plot that require readers to fill in what happened themselves. (This is actually something I've seen in other works by Kikuchi, so it wouldn't surprise me if this issue comes directly from the source material.) Still, there is plenty that I like about Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1: it's post-apocalyptic setting, D himself, the mix of traditional vampire lore and advanced technology, the interesting powers granted to the mutants. In the end, I do want to read more of the Vampire Hunter D manga and maybe even give the original novels a try.

Experiments in Manga ( )

This is the 2nd media adaption of the first story of Vampire Hunter D that i have seen, I saw the anime adaption from the 80's when i was a kid. The story is somewhat typical. girl get bit by one of the Nobles (a race of Vampires that rule the post apocalyptic world of the future) hires D to kill said vampire and take it from there. Although the story is nothing new what really make the book shine is the world building that Kikuchi has done. I love the idea that the monsters and mutants of the world were created by the fallout of nuclear war, science and that human society is reduced to that of the quasi feudal society. I also liked that although the Nobles stepped into the ruling roll of the world and ruled through fear they also helped the save what was left of society(the nobles still have access to high tech like satellites while humans are at a tech level of about 1800-1900s. However now after thousands of years of ruling they themselves are corrupt and must be hunted down in order to save humanity. The art in this adaption is amazing it dark, sexy, and haunting all at once. In addition, it would seem that Saiko was influenced by the art of Yoshitaka Amano, who did the cover art for the original novels but still was able puts his own spin on it. Overall its a mix of sci-fi, western, and horror that works real well. It has some beautiful art and is a quick read that is sure to entertain. ( )

I was very impressed by the manga adaptation of the first Vampire Hunter D novel. It's a story I've seen already in two other media -- anime and prose novel -- and I like this version best. The artwork is beautiful, lush and sexy and gothic, and the story moves along briskly and without the awkward translation of the novel. The book itself is impressive, larger and thicker than the average manga, with an embossed cover and red-tinged page edges.

Mangaka Saiko Takaki did a great job of drawing D, making him truly look beautiful, as he's described in the novels. He's a bit over-muscled for a 17-year-old boy, which is what he's supposed to look like, but he does look young and gorgeous.

I eagerly await the next volume. ( )