Vampire Knight (ヴァンパイア騎士 Vanpaia Naito) is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino . The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha , with nine volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in English by Viz Media . The English adaptation premiered in the July 2006 issue of Viz's Shojo Beat magazine, with the collected volumes being published on a quarterly basis.
Two drama CDs were created for the series, as well as a twenty-six episode anime adaptation. Produced by Studio Deen , the anime series' first season aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 8, 2008 and July 1, 2008. The second season, titled Vampire Knight Guiltyaired on the same station from October 7, 2008 and December 30, 2008.The anime uses many of the same voice actors as were used for the dramaCDs.
Anime
Studio Deen produced a twenty-six episode anime adaptation of the Vampire Knight manga, using many of the same voice actors featured on the drama CDs and directed by Kiyoko Sayama .[8] The episodes started airing on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 8, 2008 and ran until the season conclusion on July 1, 2008. The episodes were also aired at later dates on TV Aichi , TV Hokkaido , TV Osaka , TV Setouchi , and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co .[8] The second season, named Vampire Knight Guilty, premiered on the same station October 7, 2008.[9] [10] The final episode aired on December 30, 2008.
The series uses four pieces of theme music. The opening themes of both the first and second season are performed by the duo On/Off , with "Futatsu no Kodō to Akai Tsumi" (ふたつの鼓動と赤い罪) as the opening for the first season, and "Rinne: Rondo" (輪廻 -ロンド-)Kanon Wakeshima performs the first season ending theme, "Still Doll", and also the second season's ending theme "Suna no Oshiro" (砂のお城). The soundtrack is composed by Haketa Takefumi and consists of 30 tracks (including the opening theme and ending theme). as the opening for the second.
Characters
- Yuki Cross (黒主 優姫 Kurosu Yūki)is the adoptive daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, and aGuardian, one of the members of the school's disciplinary committee.Ten years prior to the start of the series, Yuki was rescued from avampire attack by another vampire, Kaname. She lost all memory of herlife from before the attack, and was adopted by Headmaster Cross. AfterZero's vampire nature is revealed, she begins giving him her blood todrink. However, Yuki loves Kaname, who has always been protecting herand has been by her side during her childhood as a vampire. When RidoKuran, their uncle, resurfaces at Cross Academy, Yuki's memories areunlocked, revealing that she is actually a pureblood vampire, bothKaname's "sister" and his fiancee.
- Zero Kiryu (錐生 零 Kiryū Zero), who is a year older than Yuki Cross,
comes from a vampire hunter family. His parents were killed by thepureblood vampire Shizuka Hio after they were ordered to assassinateher lover, a former human that had not yet fallen to level E. Zero wastaken in by the headmaster of Cross Academy and became a Prefect(Guardian), alongside Yuki Cross.
He has a great hatred for vampires because of what happened to hisparents, but it is later revealed that he himself is a vampire as aresult of Shizuka's attack.
It is also later revealed that his twin brother, Ichiru, also survivedthe attack and lived at Shizuka's side. After he consumes Shizuka,Kaname lets Zero drink some of his blood to keep Zero from losingcontrol of himself in order to protect Yuki.
- Kaname Kuran (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname),a pureblood vampire, saved Yuki from an attack by another vampire whenshe was little. He is the class president of the Night Class, muchfeared and respected by the other Night Class students. While he iscold and authoritative towards his fellows in the Night Class, he isalways kind and sweet to Yuki. He has shown that he cares deeply forYuki, and loves her in a romantic sense. He allows Zero to live becausehe knows his death would sadden Yuki, and because Zero is useful. He isboth jealous and angry of Zero for biting Yuki and endangering herlife. Kaname has been raised as Yuki's older brother. At a young agethey had pledged to marry each other when they grow up, just likeHaruka and Juuri, who were siblings yet married to each other. It iscommon for pureblood siblings to marry as it is essential to keep thebloodline pure. Also, a fact yet to be revealed to Yuki is that Kanameis not her "true brother". He is actually the ancient ancestor of theKurans, and Rido is his master who awakened him from his grave, and putthe ancestor's spirit in the 'real' Kaname's body, making him unable tokill his 'master'.
Director Kaien Cross is Yuuki the adoptive father, who a few yearslater to maintain Zero. Kaien Cross dreams of peace between humans andvampires, for that reason he established a night class. Cross is insome bizarre cases, but also has a serious side. Kaien was once ahunter and what is not so. He hid it from all up to the point at whichYuuki browsed records before the sixteen years, and discovered a reportsigned by Kaien Cross.