Vampire Knight

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Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight anime promotional image
ヴァンパイア騎士
(Vanpaia Kishi)
Genre Action, Drama, Romance
Manga
Author Matsuri Hino
Publisher Flag of Japan Hakusensha
English publisher Flag of the United States VIZ Media
Flag of Australia Madman Entertainment
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Flag of Japan LaLa
Flag of the United States Shojo Beat
Flag of Germany Daisuki
Original run January 2005 – ongoing
Volumes 9
TV anime
Director Kiyoko Sayama
Studio Studio Deen
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Original run April 7, 2008 – ongoing
Episodes 26

Vampire Knight (ヴァンパイア騎士 Banpaia Naito?) is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eight volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed for an English language release by Viz Media. The English adaptation premiered in the June 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 premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2008 and is still airing. The anime is scheduled to air in the United States in late 2009 or early 2010. The anime uses many of the same voice actors as was used for the drama CDs.

Contents

[edit] Plot

[edit] Story

Yuuki's earliest memory is of a snowy night in winter, when she was attacked by a vampire and was saved by another, Kaname Kuran. Ten years later, Yuuki Cross, the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, has grown up and become a prefect (or guardian) for the school, with two purposes: To protect the Day class students (humans) from the Night class students(vampires) fangs and to protect the true identity of the Night class students from being discovered by the Day class students. Her fellow guardian, Zero Kiryu, a childhood companion whose family (except his twin younger brother) was killed by a pureblood vampire (Kuran Kaname is a pureblood, but not the murderer of Zero's family) is now determined to kill them all and refuses to trust them. Through a cruel twist of fate, Zero becomes a vampire himself, having been bitten by the pure blood vampire four years before. Kaname, Yuuki's savior, leads the group of Night class, with the help of Takuma Ichijou (the vice president).

[edit] Setting

The vampires in Vampire Knight have the characteristics of a separate species, which contrasts with most vampire stories which portray vampires as transformed humans. In Vampire Knight, vampires can have children among themselves and with humans, and they age, albeit at a much slower rate than humans. Vampires are nocturnal and they dislike sunlight, but exposure to it does not harm them. They are likewise immune to most of the traditional vampire weaknesses such as crosses, garlic, and holy water. They can also regenerate quickly and easily when wounded, therefore, making them very hard to kill unless a weapon made especially for vampire hunting is used. An example of a vampire weapon is a gun called "Bloody Rose". In episode 6, an example of a bullet that contains anti-vampire magic can also be used to kill a vampire.

Vampires organize their society based on the purity of their blood. Level A are the Purebloods - a very small but very powerful minority. Only a bite from a Pureblood can change a human into a vampire. Pureblood siblings sometimes marry each other to keep the bloodline pure, which is not a rare practice. Level B refers to Noble vampires with advanced powers. Ordinary vampires make up Level C, by far the largest group. Level D consists of vampires who were once human; they are a small group, as turning humans into vampires is forbidden and only a handful of Level A vampires would dare to. The final designation, Level E, is separated from the others because it is reserved for former human vampires who have become violently insane. Falling to Level E is considered the inevitable fate of all former human vampires, who can never completely accept their vampiric instincts and their need for blood. Level D or E vampires are left in the care of Level B vampires and purebloods, so they can keep them in check.

Vampires have warred with human vampire hunters for centuries, though the existence of vampires, and the war itself, is kept secret from most humans.

[edit] Main characters

See also: List of Vampire Knight characters
Yuki Cross (黒主 優姫 Kurosu Yuuki?)

Yuki is the adopted daughter of the Headmaster at Cross Academy and is a member of the Disciplinary Committee, also known as a Prefect (Guardian). She, like Chairman Cross, believes that vampires and humans can live together peacefully. She also has been giving her childhood friend Zero her blood to save him from becoming a Level E, a mad and bloodthirsty vampire. Yuki has no memory of her life before she was 5 which is also when she met her hero Kaname Kuran who saved her from a Level E. When Rido Kuran Yuki's uncle resurfaces Kaname awakens her vampiric side and pureblood powers in order for her to be protected. Yuki is the beloved hidden daughter of Juri Kuran and Haruka Kuran whose existance was kept secret for her own safety. After Rido kills her parents she is adopted by Headmaster Kain Cross former Vampire hunter. She is the sister of Kaname Kuran and also his fiance which is a common practice among purebloods as it is essential to keep the bloodline pure. Juri and Haruka Kuran were also brother and sister.

Zero Kiryu (錐生 零 Kiryu Zero?)

Zero's family was killed by the pureblood vampire Shizuka Hiou. He was taken in by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and became a Prefect (Guardian). He has a great hatred for vampires even though he is revealed to be one himself a Level D(former human vampire), due to Shizuka's attack four years ago. He also Has a younger twin brother Named Ichiru who was living faithfully by Shizuka's side as her manservant. Even though Kaname killed Shizuka Ichiru blamed Zero and assumingly wanted revenge but instead wanted death so he let Zero "eat him" making Zero complete putting him at a tier of power above vampires and hunters and possibly saving him from becoming a Level E indefinatly.

Kaname Clan (玖蘭 枢 Kuran Kaname?)

Kaname is a pureblood vampire (Level A) that saved Yuki from a Level E vampire ten years prior to the events of Vampire Knight and brought her to the headmaster. Also, he is the president of the Night Class and Moon Dormitory, both respected and feared by the members of the Night Class. He has a deep love for Yuki and it hurts him to see that she has been giving blood to Zero. He has loved Yuki ever since they were children and he is her brother. They are also engaged which it is a common practice of pureblood siblings to marry as it is essential to keep the bloodline pure and their parents were also siblings. Also, a fact yet to be revealed to Yuki, Kaname is not her "true brother". Rido Kuran killed Yuki's real brother and placed Kaname's soul in his body (which their parents mentioned in a flash back later in the manga) making Rido his master and making him unable to kill him.

[edit] Media

[edit] Manga

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Vampire Knight, written by Matsuri Hino, premiered in the January 2005 issue LaLa magazine. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eight volumes currently released in Japan. The series is licensed for an English language release by Viz Media. The English adaptation premiered in the June 2006 issue of Viz's Shojo Beat magazine, with the collected volumes being published on a quarterly basis. The English translation of the manga appears once a month.

[edit] Drama CDs

Two drama CDs have been released for Vampire Knight. The first, LaLa Kirameki was released as a bonus with the September 2005 issue of LaLa Magazine. The second, Vampire Knight Midnight CD-Pack was released only via mail order.

[edit] Anime

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.
Main article: List of Vampire Knight episodes

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. The anime premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2008 and is still airing. It is scheduled to air in the United States in late 2009 or early 2010

Opening theme song (1-): On/Off - Futatsu No Kodou To Akai Tsumi -

Ending theme song (1-): Kanon Wakeshima - Still Doll

[edit] References


[edit] External links

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