Vampire Princess Miyu Volume 1

The Manga arrived in a really good timely manner and the book was like new. I would tell anyone about the seller I got the book from. He even e-mailed me thanking me for my purchase and that it is on its way. Nice guy.

Miyu is an immortal vampire girl fated to banish the evil shimna, demons that prey on humanity, back to the dark from whence they came. To aide her in the eternal quest is her masked servant, Larva, a shimna bound to Miyu by her blood. But who is Miyu? And how did she come to be a vampire? This manga tells the story of Miyu and Larva?s origins and explores the price she must pay to fulfill the role she was destined for. For new readers, I would recommend starting with this volume, as it sets up the narrative and characters that the later graphic novels follow. The NEW VAMPIRE MIYU series is a spin-off of this original, and while its not completely necessary to know the back story, it can help provide readers with a stronger sense of the history upon which this series was written.Unlike the spin-off series, Vampire Princess Miyu is published in the traditional Japanese format which means the book reads right to left instead of left to right and the text on each page is written vertically (top to bottom) Publishing these manga novels this way means that the graphic images did not need to be ?flipped? when they were translated. Considering how lovely the artwork is in this manga, minimizing the distortion required to bring this book to an English-speaking audience is a boon. Readers not used to the format may find it awkward at first, but I believe it adds to the experience of reading. To aid the reader, the front matter contains a helpful visual tutorial to aid readers and acquaint them with the Japanese-style graphic novel. The artwork in this first volume is absolutely beautiful in it?s execution and arrangement. The artist plays with light and shadow and uses an artistic style that matches the story. You won?t find the elaborate detail so often used in CLAMP novels; it would feel out of place in the elegant poetry and subtle poignancy of the story.If you are expecting a sensual or violent vampire tale of blood drinking and monster fighting, you might not find Miyu quite what you are looking for. The stories move like poetry, full of emotion and powerful themes about humanity and the nature of dreams. Readers who prefer sexual satire or action adventure may feel disappointed by the dark and gentle pace of this graphic novel. At its heart, this volume is a beautifully translated and stunningly illustrated exploration of the dreams that drive each of us and what they mean to the human soul. This remains one of my favorite graphic novels, and I pull something new out of it every time I read it.If you enjoy this manga, I?d recommend trying to find the other volumes available in the Vampire Princess Miyu series. Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^