Search - Karin, Vol. 4 - Human or Vampire on DVD

A deep scarlet tale of teenage love.

Steven Redding | Tunkhannock, PA United States | 10/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Karin Anime series from Geneon now distributed by the anime saviors at Funimation, aka the "Chibi Vampire" manga series from Tokyopop, is just great. Let me expand on what I mean by great. I'm not a real big fan of shojo romances. However, Karin, though centered around the trials and tribulations of a teenage unvampire teenage girl is a legitimate shonen anime. And it really has something to it "A real heartwarming story" There's a suprising amount of action and drama amid the gooey lovey stuff. To summarise Karin is an unvampire, she produces extra blood unlike normal vampires "if you could describe vampires as normal". She literaly infuses her extra blood into her "victims" who awaken unharmed and feeling rather good about themselvs.

In Volume four Karin realises that she is totaly in love with her classmate / workmate / and friend, Kenta Usui. She dosn't know if Kenta feels the same way about her but her love for him is aparent. She makes him a bento lunch every day for goodness sake. In Volume four Karin's grandmother Elda (play on words for elder?)awakens from a long slumber and checks in on the family, much to their shagrin.
Elda warns Karin that love betwixt a human and a vampire cannot endure. Elda then goes after Kenta, Karin saves Kenta and then Kenta saves Karin.

JC Staff was the animation company that made Karin. They tend to push the fanservice a little but in the case of Karin it is tastfully and artfully done. The begining theme features Karin and Kenta un clothed and standing back to back. But this is a metaphor for bearing ones feelings to to one another. Suprisingly this story is quite moral. Karin and Kenta are good concientious people who care about the people around them. Kenta dreams of being a good citizen, a hard worker and a family man. It's a little like vampire Donna Reed!

The english voice cast is excelent! The dub was created by Odex of Singapore and was expertly directed by Paul Pistore who voiced the charicters of Henry Marker and Boogy. Chelsea Curto and Yahav Rom were excelent as Karin and Kenta and the rest of the cast was equally good.

I can't reccoment this anime enough to anime fans otaku's or just fans of a good romantic comedy.

This series features digressions into each charicter and givs ample background. This brings the viewer into the story in a very subtle way. Again this series reeks of love. Not just that teenage gooey love, but the love between family members and friends.

So have a funny gooey action filled time buy all six volumes of Karin and read Chibi Vampire."