Vampire Knight: If you want to know more

For those who have not heard about this fabulous manga ‘Vampire Knight’, I’m going to talk about it right now (And I’ll be introducing the characters soon enough.

Vampire Knight is currently a 6/7 volume manga still ongoing by Matsuri Hino, also known for her works MeriPuri (Or Marchen Prince at some countries) and Captive Heart. The manga is currently serialized in Lala magazine in Japan and published from Hakusensha and other publishers from other countries like ViZ Media, Shojo Beat and Chuang Yi.

The story is about Yuki Cross, a 15/16 year old girl studying and living in Cross Academy with her friend Zero Kiryu who is a year older than her (But still in the same class) trying to find out her memories she’ve lost 10 years prior to the story. Her foster father, Kaien Cross, is the chairman of the academy and knows the dark secret of Cross Academy.

The class system is seperated into 2 groups: the Day Class and the Night Class. Most people (With the exception of Sayori Wakaba, or Yori for short who’s a good friend of Yuki, does not admired the Night Class students and think of them as scary people) are fans of the Night Class students because they look gorgeous (Or beautiful for some) and they are also known as elites. Yuki and Zero are guardians of the academy and also know the dark secret of Cross Academy; the Night Class students are all vampires!!!

No one knows the secret, except Yuki, Zero and Kaien. And the story continues with introducing more characters (Mostly Night Class students), the introduction of the vampire caste system, the war between humans and vampires which is now long forgotten and the secrets of the characters themselves. Yuki found out that Zero was bitten by a pureblood 4 years ago before coming into the Cross household and now a vampire, but the fate of all human vampires is that they will eventually be turned to Level E (Or Level End to be exact), a level which human vampires will become insane and lost their minds as they could not accept their instincts are true vampires. And the only way to save themselves are to drink the blood of the pureblood who bit them to become true members of the Night soceity.

Vampires in this story are immune to traditional weakness you’ll find in other vampire fiction stories such as garlic, running water and stakes. They hate sunlight, but vampires exposing to sunlight will not hurt them. They age rather slower than humans, so they’re not immortal.

Let’s meet the characters of the story:

Yuki Cross:
The main character of the story, she’s an upbeat and cheerful girl studying at Cross Academy. She’s one of the two Guardians who make sure any Day Class students do not get near the Night Class students while they make their way to the classrooms. Saved and found by Kaname Kuran 10 years prior to the storyline, she is fond of Kaname (RV’s Opinion: I hoepe she doesn’t cling to him for the rest of her life) and sometimes hated by the other Day Class students. She was adopted by Kaien Cross, her foster father and her blood smelled good to most vampires, so many vampires are attracted to her, which is a mystery to herself. She has also found out that her friend Zero Kiryu was a vampire and when he turned to a Level E vampire one day, she would use his gun and kill him.

RV’s Likeable meter: 8/10

Zero Kiryu:
Friend of Yuki Cross and always the one to attack Kaien whenever he said something stupid or silly to him. (Despite some of the facts are true) Being born in a family of vampire hunters, he hated vampires till the core (Especially Kaname Kuran) but his entire family was killed by a pureblood (Not Kaname). Later, this pureblood turns out to be Shizuka Hio who was labeled by the Council as insane and took Zero’s long lost twin brother, Ichiru, as her servant (Who was taught by Zero that he was killed). Forget about him smiling, he hardly smiles and is also protective of Yuki even though he didn’t look like it and told her if he turns into a Level E vampire one day, Yuki will kill her using his gun.

RV’s likeable meter: 9/10 (He’s one of my favourite character)

Sayori Wakaba:
Sayori (Or Yori for short) is a good friend and dorm-mate of Yuki and knew her since middle school. She does not admire the Night Class students like the other Day Class students do (She finds the Night Class student are creepy) and is very observant of Yuki and Zero. Does not know the secret of the Night Class. Unlike Yuki who is upbeat and lively, she’s passive and calm at situations. She also cares for her friends.

RV’s likeable meter: Same as Yuki

Kaien Cross:
The chairman of Cross Academy and foster father of Yuki. He was the one who adopted Yuki after Kaname saved her and most of the time joking and silly which sometimes can make Zero hit him or break objects (Eg. His office table, still not fixed till now). But he had a serious side as well when the time comes and dotes on his daughter. He also treated Zero as his own son most of the time and was also the one who found the peace treaty so that vampires and humans could co-exist together. Seemed to know Kaname’s deceased parents and previously a vampire hunter.

RV’s likeable meter: 10/10 (Overall, he’s my No.1 favourite character despite his role not as major as Yuki or Kaname)

The Night Class students

The entire Night Class is made out of vampires and introducing the vampire class system, which is based on the purity of their blood:

Level A: A minority but powerful of them are in this level and do not have a single drop of human blood in them. They can change a human into a vampire and only a handful of them will do that. Examples: Kaname Kuran, Shizuka Hio.

Level B: More than Level A vampires, they’re nobles and are very protective of Level A vampires. They are powerful and most of the Night Class students are in this level.

Level C: The most number of vampires in the system and they are consider ordinary. No examples.

Level D: Humans who are bitten by Level A vampires will come to this level, and it’s the fate of all Level D vampires to fall to Level E. Only by drinking the blood of the pureblood who bit them could turn them into a true member of the night soceity, or vampires. They cannot take in blood tablets, which can be taken in by other vampires. Examples: Zero Kiryu

Level E: The inevitable fate of Level D vampires. Unless they drink the blood of the pureblood who bit them, they will lose their sanity as they could not completely accept their vampire instincts and this class is seperated from the other classes.

Kaname Kuran: (Boy I hate him so much)
Perhaps the only pureblood in the entire Night Class, he saved Yuki from being attacked from a Level E vampire 10 years ago and is respected and feared by the other Night Class students. The president of the Night Class. He’s kind and sweet in front of Yuki and also cares for her in some sense that he loves Yuki. The only reason why he did not kill Zero is that if he kills him, Yuki will be sad and he would not want to see Yuki to be sad. He wanted Yuki to be by his side forever and nearly turned her into a vampire and he’s angry and jealous of Zero able to drink Yuki’s blood.

He has commited a taboo; drinking a blood of another pureblood, Shizuka Hio and the suspicious fell into Zero, who did not commited the taboo but he saved Zero from being excuted from the Council. He let Zero drink his blood to slow down Zero from being turned into a Level E vampire (RV’s comments: Again, and it’s all because of Yuki. Can I send in a reverse vampire to turn you into human?)

RV’s likeable meter: My current most disliked character. 3/10

Aido Hanabusa (Strange name…):
He’s one of the ‘right-hand man’ of Kaname and nicknamed ‘Idol’ by the Day Class students (Aido, Idol. Get it?). He fiercely serves Kaname, and his cousin is Kain Akatsuki, another Night Class student. He’s pretty powerful and a genius (In some of the chapters it is shown) and witnessed Kaname drinking Shizuka’s blood but still serves Kaname, finding out the murder who killed Kaname’s parents. He could be friendly and cheerful one moment, and cold the next but most of the times he’s cheerful. (And in some omakes he always get himself and Kain into deep trouble)

RV’s likeable meter: 7/10

Kain Akatsuki:
The other ‘right-hand man’ of Kaname and nicknamed ‘Wild’ by the other Day Class students, despite being much mellower than Aido. He’s always gets dragged into trouble whenever Aido does something wrong, ending up the both of them getting punished in the end. (This is also mentioned in an omake/bonus story at the end of Volume 2 of VK) Doesn’t talk a lot to others and also the one who gets hit or attacked whenever he wants to solve a problem (In which people think he was trying to make the problem worse)

RV’s likeable meter: 8/10 (Despite being a vampire, he’s one of my favourite characters)

Ichijo Takuma (Or the other way round…):
The vice-president of the Night Class and a good friend of Kaname. Unlike other vampires, he lacks the dark atmosphere of other vampires and make Yuki think that he’s almost human. Likes to read manga (Once he forced Aido to read vampire manga series). He is also aware of the relationship between Kaname and Yuki, and has once asked Yuki the relationship of she and Kaname is a little different from when she was a child. The only reason why he’s staying in Cross Academy is his orders of his grandfather from the Council to spy on Kaname even though he does not want to hurt him.

RV’s likeable meter: 8/10

Ruka Souen:
A female Night Class student popular with the Day Class students and faithful and very protective of Kaname. Does not like Yuki and Zero (As their relationship between Kaname. No yaoi between Kaname and Zero) and would call the Day Class students commoners (as she is an upperclass vampire). Although she have feelings for Kaname, it’s considered one-sided.

RV’s likeable meter: 5/10 (Sorry, Ruka fans)

Senri Shiki:
One of the younger Night Class student and works as a model with Rima Tohya, another Night Class student. He and Rima sometimes are seen together and usually the one to hunt down Level E vampires. His body is currently possessed by his father’s soul, who was supposed to be dead.

RV’s likeable meter: 6/10

Rima Tohya:
Another younger Night Class student and sometimes seen together with Shiki. She works as a model with Shiki and cares for him too. Her personality is somehow similar to Shiki.

RV’s likeable meter: Can be debated. Unknown.

Other characters:

Toga Yagari:
Currently the top ranked vampire hunter and was formerly Zero and Ichiru’s instructor. He lost his right eye while saving Zero from getting killed or hurt by a Level E vampire a few years ago (Before Shizuka killed Zero’s entire family, except Ichiru.). He turned up at Cross Academy and temporary become a teacher in the Night Class, deciding if Zero is considered dangerous or not. Makes more appearances in other chapters of the story (But not too often)

RV’s likeable meter: Unknown.

Shizuka Hio (Deceased):
The pureblood who killed the Kiryu family, turned Zero into a vampire and Ichiru as her servant. Known as the ‘Mad Blooming Princess’ by other vampires, she was once in love with a Level D vampire but was killed (Despite him haven’t turned into a Level E yet) by Zero’s parents. In revenge, she killed Zero’s parents. Her blood can prevent Zero from falling into Level E, Yuki risking her life to save Zero but was killed by Kaname. She predicted of Kaname’s future to be in total darkness and bleak before she died.

RV’s likeable meter: 4/10 (She’s also another hated character)

Ichiru Kiryu:
Zero’s younger twin brother and was taught to be dead by still alive currently. He was being taught by Toga when he and Zero were young but his hunting skills are not as good as Zero and was sickly (But all that changed after his parents were killed and Zero turned into a vampire and drank Shizuka’s blood to be stronger). He then later claims to hate Zero after overhearing his parents that they preferred Zero over himself. He later goes missing for some time and in recent chapters studying at Cross Academy by the orders of Shiki’s father.

There are more characters, but I suggest that you read the manga by yourself to find out more characters and unveil more of the series’ storyline. (And I can say that manga-ka Hino is taking a lot of breaks, taking a lot of time to finish a chapter. I’ve been waiting for about 2 months for the chapter to appear). You can read it slowly and updated once a month (I think, but sometimes could be as long as 3 months) so you do not need to rush on the story. If shoujo and drama is not your thing, there are horror and actions elements in it. It’s a pretty good manga but if you want to find out more you can buy the manga at any nearby stores (Whatever stores you have in your country that sells manga) or read it online.