With a decent start, Vampire Knight proves to be an inspired anime as it transfers seamlessly from the manga to anime form. Vampire Knight Episode 2 continues to reveal about Zero’s degradation from a human to a vampire. Nothing is said why he is turning into a vampire, but it is certain that the time of transformation is near. However, Kaien suddenly drags Zero and Yuuki over for breakfast. It turns out that today is a special day where they do not have to fulfill the usual duties as a guardian.
They are given a treat, but also to inspect the dorms of the Day and Night Class. What hilarity will ensue? For VK viewers who do not want to be spoiled by the summary, use the anchor tag “[Skip the summary]” after the read more to jump to thoughts.
Episode summary
The vampires are anticipating a surprise check as Seiren informs them. The vampires are not worried, and Ichijou is warned about his underwear lying around. However, Ichijou proudly proclaims that his underwear is of high quality silk. Kain enters Aido’s room, with Aido proudly proclaiming his collection of the items that Kaname destroyed in anger. Kaname finds out and starts breaking the ceiling lights, and glares coldly at Aido. Yuuki also confiscated most of the vampire photos taken by the Day class. Yuuki understands that it is due to the beauty of the vampires, and notices that Zero is lazing off. She goes to warn him, only for him to report that he is done.
They move over to the vampire’s mansion. Aido’s prized possessions are taken away as well. Yuuki wants to know the thing in Zero’s pocket, and realizes they are pills. However, Zero gets angry and rushes off, telling that it has nothing to do with him. Yuuki gives chase before panicking when she loses sight of Zero. Yuuki starts thinking about being worried to be lonely, as she remembers that day of red blood. Yuuki sees a dash of red, but it is just a red balloon. She helps the boy with the balloon, but he runs off. Yuuki gives chase, while Zero is eating some food. Yuuki finds the boy but realizes he’s a vampire.
Yuuki screams in fear, as Zero senses it and leaves abruptly. Yuuki tries to escape from the vampire, as another appears. She then runs up an abandoned tower, as she wonders about the danger of vampires. She fights against her own knowledge of beautiful and peaceful vampires. Her past memories start to haunt her, as Zero reaches the spot where Yuuki is bitten. The female vampire appears to attack Zero. Zero seems to be reminded of something as he hesistated. The vampire calls Zero a comrade, and Zero shoots her with the bloody rose.
Zero sees the young vampire, and remembers someone in his past. The kid attacks Yuuki, but Kaname appears. He covers Yuuki’s eyes as he destroys the boy (mouthing that the vampire hurts someone precious to him). Yuuki thinks that it is not a vampire, but Kaname also says that it is a level E vampire. Kaname adds that Zero has left for his dorm, when he is waiting below. Kaien talks about the vampires of vampires, the pureblood vampire aka Kaname. Kaname discusses about Zero, as he wonders what Kaien is doing about Zero, as Zero is threatening the peace.
Yuuki looks for Zero back in the dorm. Kaien explains that Zero has already suffered terribly from the massacre of his family and does not want to hurt him. Kaname reminds Kaien that Zero is bitten by a pureblood vampire, just like him. Yuuki finally finds Zero, only for Zero to chase him off. Yuuki thinks that Zero considers her a hindrance, as Zero tries to reach out for her. However, he simply unveils her bandages, as he smells blood. He then bit on Yuuki, as Yuuki realizes he is a vampire.
Way to up the ante, Vampire Knight. Studio Deen is really pulling the nice stops to make Vampire Knight accessible for even the new anime viewers. Vampire Knight really gets exciting this episode, what with the revelation (which is like ABOUT TIME) that Zero is a vampire. Now, it is a slight departure from the manga canon. In the manga, Yuki only visibly fears the vampires for the first time when Zero bites him. However, in the anime, they added some original content to increase the tension in Yuuki’s heart.
This is a very rare occasion, considering how often animation companies screw up with original content. However, I say Well done for adding this original scene. It not only makes it much scarier, but it has a stronger impact to Yuuki when she realizes that the person she cares for so much is also a vampire. If it’s not enough that the person she loves is a vampire, her closest compatriot turns out to be a vampire that bites her happily.
That is painful enough. Add to the fact that she has just been assaulted by two vampires and the disturbing memories of her past. That just adds to the emotional turmoil. The best thing is that it has been done with some style in Episode 3. It’s worth watching again.
I really like the scene when Zero’s mouth is filled with the blood of Yuuki. It is just such a haunting scene as it states everything that Zero does not want to be. I hope it explains a little why he is so emotional. It is his own fear in which he is transforming to something that he has been trained since young to hunt down. He is transforming to a being that kills his own family. He is bitten by a pureblood that wants to increase his suffering. He sees his own family getting killed.
Yet, at the end, he is shocked at his own loss of control. He actually hurts someone he cares for so much. I really sympathize with Zero a lot, because it is clear that he cares for Yuuki a lot, but he has struggled in his heart about being a vampire. He is a beast in human form, one that will survive on blood. A bloodthirsty animal that will go berserk at the sight of blood. He will be a creature that might break the peace between humans and vampires, if he is allowed to remind with the humans.
On the light side, I really like Ichijou so much this episode. He is so hilarious with his proud proclamation that his underwear is high quality silk, and will not be embarrassed by the search. Aido’s worship of Kaname is awesome too, with Kaname’s response at his collection priceless. Let’s end off the review with some questions.
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1. How do you think Yuuki will be likely to react to Zero’s true identity, considering she is freaked out just a few hours ago?
2. Kaien is revealed to be an ex-vampire hunter, any opinions to that?
3. How do you like the modifications to the anime episode (question for manga readers)
4. How much do you think this episode conveys that tension (question for anime viewers)
Cheers!
13 Comments
That original sequence in the anime, definitely scared me (the manga clearly didn’t brought forth those feelings in me) and it was amazing, I liked it very much. The music definitely added to the creepy feeling. If this episode is a preview of the kind of storytelling they’re going for, I’m thumbs up for it.
I liked this episode a lot. Very dark and atmospheric, with touches of comedy.
I actually really like what the animators are doing with the series. I don’t mind the fact that they departed from the manga storyline. It seems like they’re pushing the story along and doing so in a very effective and sensible way. I had been worried that they were moving the story along really slowly, but this episode moved things up a bit.
I think it was really cool actually see how the “Bloody Rose” works when it hits a vampire. You don’t really see that in the manga.
@Kai_Y: I think if there is one thing that has shone in this episode, it’s the fear factor. Despite the vampire theme, the manga has never evoked any creepiness in the series. That is perhaps something that the animation can do, because it makes visible the images and feel that the manga reader is supposed to imagine. Hence, it forces you into that mode when the music and fluid animation starts running.
What do you think about Yuuki’s possible response?
@JC: It’s a very good style imho. I personally like how series try to make it light at the start of the episode before delving into darkness. That makes you rather relaxed and complacent before getting a huge smack in the face. In fact, I think this push makes it even better than how the manga is doing it.
Actually, I realize that Studio Deen took some liberty with the original stuff, showing the powers of Aidou/Kain, and now how the Bloody Rose works. It rocks because it brings the things into “life”, as they say. I just wish they show more tangible visualizations of Kaname’s powers. I wonder if it is wind X_X?
1: I scanned through volume 9 of the manga … so ….
2: Who’s Kaien?
4: I thought it was really good but I know this is going to sound horrible: I can’t stand the artwork. Then again, Zero looked really upset and so I felt his pain. I don’t think Yuki will mind this: Zero being a vampire. I mean, it might scare her and freak her out, but I think she’s the strong protagonist sort of type that doesn’t lose hope too early in the series.
@Blissmo: Heh, Kaien Cross, the headmaster O_O?. Anyway, Zero is really animated well in the episode, with his anguish all apparent when he realizes that he bit on Yuuki. The soft background music is so beautiful in which to sound the pain in Zero’s eyes when his red glow turns back to his normal eyes. I think he will be completely disgusted with himself, to hurt a person he cares a lot.
Yuuki should probably be able to shake it off eventually. I do wonder how much turmoil it will cause to her psyche. Emo time?
What do you think about Yuuki’s possible response?
I’d like to see it the way the manga did it, but more edgy considering what she just went through. She’d definitely be scared and confused. But I think it’ll be resolved within one episode.
Yay, emo time! Actually, I’m not really enthusiastic about that, but I guess every one has their moment. I hope she doesn’t go emo though. She’s like the strong type right? I guess she’ll be like scared or maybe Zero will suffer more than her? Like she wants to still be his friend but he doesn’t want to because he’s scared he’d hurt her again?
I smell a patern: every episode starts cheerfuly and ends in drama , but I love it. :>
.And I love the animation.
1.I would like Yuki to react like she did in the manga. I really want to see the”love triangle ” drama.She gave me the impression of a strong person altough she looks so fragile.Maby the fear factor is interesting but I wish to see her defeating it.
Presuming that Yuki saw Zero’s reaction to what he did , his inner conflict and pain like we did ( XD ) ,I think she’ll get over it soon enough,he is her childhood friend after all.But you know producers : they have to make things more interesting ,adding some drama or changeing the plot and inserting some twists.
I hope they won’t get to emo with it…
2.No comment.
3.I wellcome them. In order to be interesting and thrilling/exciting they have to make some changes and skips.It would be to boring if there would be only comedy and romance ,there are few action scenes in the manga.HOWEVER I miss the background story of the characters and some of their personal thoughts. They might show them later.
4.I think they done their best.Soon enough this tension will be thick enough to cut trough it XD.The background music is great, it does the job
question 1: so it seems like Zero was regretting biting her, because he said he’s sorry, right? I think Yuuki will understand his pain, I’m hoping her reaction will be like in the manga; -MANGA SPOILER- that she will surrender and keep giving him her blood, in order to save him. I actually didn’t like how they did his red eyes at the end, after he had bitten Yuuki, and how they kept glowing red for so long. it wasn’t the red glow that Kaname and the other vampires had shown. But I liked how Yuuki was so surprised, poor thing. <3 Anyways, in some scenes Zero was really beautiful, I love his eyes!!
question 3: I like it but I think the anime is moving too quickly. maybe that’s a good thing, because the story is progressing and we get to see more stuff. but I don’t know. I feel that if I hadn’t read the manga, then I wouldn’t understand much of this episode, I feel good in knowing things otherwise I would be all “what the hell?”.
question 4: I liked the feel of this episode, it had some (nice) action that I didn’t expect.
Love your review, Impz! This is my first time to comment. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!! Here’s my opinion:
1. Yuuki’s reaction – well, I think she sympathizes Zero for he had became the creature he hated the most. Even though Yuuki always seemed to wonder Zero’s feelings and such, (remember when Yori said that both of them are close in the first episode, and Yuuki asked herself “Close huh?”) the fact is, she cares deeply for Zero. Zero never shown to have talked to any of the girls like he did with Yuuki. (I am trying my best not to give any manga spoilers here! There’s one interesting line which Kaname said to Zero that makes me scream like a crazy fangirl!!)
2. Kaien Kurosu indeed an ex-vampire hunter. It seems like he knows Kuran family very well… (need to.. stop.. or else.. there will be spoilers.. hehe!)
3. Modifications – oh well, as expected anyways! As long as they don’t tamper with the original storyline too much, I’m perfectly fine.
4. I suppose they have (pretty much) manage to convey the tension as non-manga readers (like one of my friend) found it hard to resist this series.
@Shadowcat: Oh, you do know that most of the shoujo drama that tends to do well uses this pattern. In fact, a drama series that I remember that uses this so well is Honey and Clover. They always have a sweet or happy opening, but by the end of the episode, you go all drama-mama.
On the background story and some of their personal thoughts, I believe that some of them have to be cut. I can imagine that it will please manga readers, but they do not translate well into anime form. I am sure people will bored with random thoughts of characters. Heh heh.
However, I feel so bad for doubting Studio deen now. I think it’s them turning me off big time with a few series, but hey, they are making me feel even sad for Zero. After re-watching the end of the 3rd episode, I felt so bad and pitied Zero. That voice of Yuuki lingers in my head. arghhh!!!
@Denise: Well, I prefer it to go fast somewhat rather than “Am i going to be a vampire, am i not?”. Many series suffer from slowness or fillers. I am hoping that VK continues on this pace because they do have enough background manga to cover the ground. This might turn out to be a totally awesome series.by the end of this.
How come you didn’t like his eyes. Well, I actually like it because his red eyes look more savage than those of the vampires in the school. It represents some sick awakening by Zero, which feels more malicious than the “classy” red. However, it might be because I am way too impressed with the episode that I could care less about anything bad.
@Nomiya-chan: I do not know though. Yuuki looks completely freaked out when that happens, and I do not know how her psyche will take it since she is in shock of vampires. Her comment that those who attack people are truly beasts in human form will hurt Zero badly. He is now that beast.
Heh, I am also resisting saying any manga spoilers. So ya. ^^
–MANGA SPOILERS ABOUND–
2. I was really quite pleased that this was revealed earlier in the anime than in the manga. In the manga it was very sudden, and hasn’t really been brought up since. I’m hoping that the anime, by introducing the subject earlier, will allow us to firstly get more character development on Kaien’s part and secondly learn more about the hunter organization.
3. Bravo~! The tiny inclusion of Ichiru was a fabulous choice. The manga sprung this on readers too quickly, which made it feel like a sad, generic plot device undeserving of a place in VK. This way we get hints towards Zero’s past, so when Ichiru is introduced it won’t be too sudden. Also, I really liked how we got to see vampires doing vampire things (as Impz stated) as well as the set up for the vampire classification system. I think the show is moving along at a steady pace that is sure to clear up some of the pacing issues the manga has.
4. I was very pleased with this aspect! I could actually feel the tension, which I never got in the manga. That small child was quite scary I think. I also agree with what’s been said in the other comments about Yuuki’s past adding to the tension before she is finally bitten by Zero.
Overall, wonderful episode. I’m not a huge fan of the manga, but I still enjoy it, so I was hoping that the anime would improve it and this episode has given me hope.
Thanks for reviewing the episode!
When will Episode 8 be out?