Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, Volume 3

After the failure of Elfriede to persuade Hazuki to return to Schwarz Quelle Castle, Count Kinkle, the mysterious vampire that had imprisoned her there, decides to take the matter into his own hands. Using his supernatural powers, he deceives Hazuki into following a wraith that appears to be her mother, thereby luring her away from the protection of Kouhei and his family. Kouhei and his grandpa set out on a rescue mission, even though in Hazuki's mind, she is not in need of it. Meanwhile, Elfriede begins to wrestle with her own conscience after her drinking of Kouhei's blood begins to open up her mind to thoughts of freedom. Moonphase does a good job of making just the right mix between cuteness, cartoony art style, and action. Hazuki is so cute that you begin to see why Kouhei reluctantly cares for her. She's like the complete stereotype of a little sister, which lends some sort of absolute truth to the notions of love and family that Hazuki and Kouhei have been missing. Even Elfriede is getting sucked into these warm feelings. On the other hand, Kinkle represents the opposite: imprisonment, compulsion, coldness, and hate. This is not a dark title, but instead is about the bonds between people who find a common need filled through each other.