Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, Volume 1

Kouhei would like to be a professional photographer someday but no mainstream magazine will take his work because he has the unusual ability to capture ghostly apparitions on film. So no matter what or who he takes a picture of, there's always this spooky shape hovering around them! The only time this comes in handy is when he does freelance work for the editor of Occult Magazine, Hiromi. In their latest collaboration they have travelled to Germany with Kouhei's cousin, Seiji, who also happens to be a powerful psychic. They have come to do a story on the legendary Schwartz Quelle Castle, a gigantic edifice that comes with a ton of local legends about its past and tales of things that go bump in the night inhabiting its walls. Kouhei's other talent is that curses and assaults by supernatural beings have no effect on him, which makes him the best guinea pig to see what will happen when a human enters the castle. Little does he know that inside is a young vampire girl named Hazuki who has been held against her will for years, waiting for someone to rescue her. In addition to her rescue, she also wishes to make this knight in shining armor her submissive slave with a bite of her fangs! I read this first volume of the manga after I watched the first volume of the anime, but actually the manga came first. I found the manga just as enjoyable, even though the cuteness factor had been taken down a notch. For example, in the anime, Hazuki wears actual cat ears, while in the manga, they appear to be more symbolic and appear just in certain scenes. The horror element of the first episodes of the anime have also been toned down, so we're basically left with the cuteness and humor. What sets this manga apart is the sense of abandonment that Hazuki and Kouhei share, having both lost their mothers. Actually, that causes the first big fight between the two, because Kouhei tells Hazuki that her mother left her, not knowing what the true story is. Hazuki gets so mad she forgets the time and almost gets stuck on the streets as the sun rises! The dynamic between the two lead characters is still evolving so you can't tell whether it's going to be romance or more a brother-sister relationship. Nice art and the story has a lot of potential. I would also recommend the anime version. Another manga with a similar storyline of a girl vampire that's worth checking out is Chibi Vampire. Also the anime and manga of Full Metal Panic for a similar relationship dynamic.

Another vampire manga? Well...this ones a little more for the shojo and gothic lolita crowd. Kouhei is a photographer working for a spiritual investigation magazine. The problem for him is everytime he takes a picture a ghost appears somewhere in it. He is part of a long line of spiriualists and psychics, although his only real ability is spectral photography. He and his crew are at an old castle in Europe which is rumored to be haunted. While taking pictures from far outside the castle, Kouhei notices a young girl on one of the towers. Later that night, Kouhei goes in to investigate. He finds the girl inside. Her name is Hazuki, and she sweet-talks him into kissing him. It turns out that Hazuki is really a vampire, and the kiss is supposed to make Kouhei her servent. However, Kouhei is psychically immune to all forms of possession, and he's also very thickheaded. Then, Hazuki's guardian comes after the both of them, but Kouhei escapes the castle. Unbeknownst to him, Hazuki also is now free of the bonds placed on her within the castle, and she follows him back to Japan. Once she catches up to him, Hazuki convinces Kouhei to help her find her mother. Hazuki's mother was seduced by a powerful vampire lord, and he placed Hazuki in the castle to keep her to himself. Since her father was now gone away, Hazuki could search for her mother, but she needed the help of her "servant" to do that. This is a pretty good and intriguing manga. It's funny and well drawn, with an engaging storyline. Hazuki's habit of wearing different outfits(primarily ones with cat ears)make it a good selection for cosplay fans.

I was very satisfied with the product. I came in in a short amount of time and was in good quality. It was also very interesting.