Novel Review: Vampire Hunter D Volume 1

[Floating_Sakura]

Vampire Hunter D: Volume 1
Author: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
Published by: Dr Master
Genre: Seinen, Action, Supernatural


Vampire Hunter D: The Novel Volume 1 introduces us to D the Vampire Hunter and takes us on a journey through the dark, empty solitude of D’s world. The story is set in the year 12,090 A.D where the world has been ravaged by war. Humans have barely survived and those still alive are struggling to hold on to what little humanity remains. The world is full of darkness, and within that darkness, the Vampires evolved.

In the first chapter, we are introduced to Doris Lang, the daughter of a Werewolf Hunter. Doris is young, beautiful and strong. She has also fallen victim to the ‘Kiss of the Nobility’ – which means a vampire of noble blood has preyed upon her. When Doris meets D, it is almost as if fate has brought them together, as if their paths were destined to cross. Doris manages to persuade D to work for her and protect her from the Vampire. Unknowingly, D is being drawn into a Vampire feud.

The story continues with D working on behalf of the victimized Doris and eventually coming into direct contact with the daughter of the Vampire noble he is hunting. D soon realizes that Doris is in for a rough ride when the daughter of the Vampire noble proclaims that she wants Doris dead to save the family’s bloodline from being tainted.

Author Hideyuki Kikuchi’s storytelling is incredibly descriptive and hooks you in straight away. The flow of the story is very well structured, holding a consistent pace throughout. One would have to wonder how much of this book was translated literally into English. Though many of the character descriptions at times feel a little over-exaggerated, in the end everything seems to flow nicely with the style of Kikuchi’s writing.

Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D is a likeable character. Nicholas Bane (D) has a past that haunts him constantly, which easily explains his distant, sullen and brooding disposition. Without any background information on Vampire Hunter D, we are left with many questions unanswered. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially since this is the first in the series of Vampire Hunter D novels.

Kikuchi tends to write about his characters and their interactions in such a way that it sometimes leaves very little room for the imagination of the reader. This is probably the only negative comment I could make about the book. The exceptionally romantic writing style may also have some readers wondering about the book’s direction. We don’t get as much exposure to the character of D as we would like, though, since the book usually focuses on things happening around him instead. It is almost like Nicholas Bane is on the outside looking in at the world he is inextricably linked to.

Throughout the book there are several pages of illustration, all black and white and drawn in what looks like an extremely erratic drawing style, which fits the story perfectly. D is drawn as eloquently as he is described and these drawings fit with the image we have created in our minds of what D would look like.

With the anime, comics and novels all released, Vampire Hunter D has become a popular character. This novel is well written – even though it sounds a little overemphasized in parts – and is specifically structured to uncover portions of who the character Vampire Hunter D is. I think that the novels are a great companion to the anime and comics and do a great job of filling in the gaps. We look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Reviewed by: Xen
Proofed by: wintry
Edited by: Marlex