Blood: The Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts

by Mamoru Oshii

published

2005 by DH Press

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binding

Paperback, 300 pages

isbn

1595820299 (isbn13: 9781595820297)

description

At Yokota Base in Japan, American soldiers stand guard at the brink of the Vietnam War. Although they fear the enemy outside their base, an even more ...more

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Speedtribes rated it:

03/15/08

bookshelves: horror, media-tie-ins, stalled, translated

Read in March, 2008

This book (less horror and more mystery thriller with some vaguely horror elements) is interesting at first, until you realize that it doesn't intend to shift to the main character of the Blood series anytime soon. The first half of the story, while intriguing, has the same sort of lack of focus that have become characteristic of Mamoru Oishii's more recent films.

Heavy on psychology, sociology and philosophy with little explanation of why a given character even knows all this information -- ...more This book (less horror and more mystery thriller with some vaguely horror elements) is interesting at first, until you realize that it doesn't intend to shift to the main character of the Blood series anytime soon. The first half of the story, while intriguing, has the same sort of lack of focus that have become characteristic of Mamoru Oishii's more recent films.

Heavy on psychology, sociology and philosophy with little explanation of why a given character even knows all this information -- educated sounding soliloquies abound, taking 5 or 8 pages longer than I feel is necessary to get any single point across. Granted, I do find the twisty, labyrinthine verbal plot-point-latin-historical-sociological-political-walk-throughs to be interesting and at times amusing, but they don't actually help the narrative all that much.

I stopped reading at the chapter long, deliberately obtuse thesis on the morality and scientific development of vampiric folklore as related to society at large, with a side dose of 'modern science' and random throwaway Latin.

It was amusing to see that the lack of focus that I found in the main character, who was some sort of student political activist, was actually deliberate on the author's part -- why did he fight? What political group did he belong to? Is he right wing? Why does he never say anything about what he believes in, well, other than the ennui that is Japanese teenage life?

"Pretty piss poor for a bunch of activists. Marx is rolling in his grave."

Shibino shot back angrily, "We're not Marxists!"

"What are you?"

"Well..."

"We're extremists. Do you have a problem with that?" Rei spoke up for Shibino, glaring at Gotouda. "I have a question, are you really a detective?"

You and me, kid. And oi, "I'm an extremist." isn't a particularly good answer either.

I'm amused, but in no mood to continue reading. It seems well written/translated enough that I definitely will return to it. But at the moment, it's going into my 'stalled' folder while I shift my attention elsewhere....less

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Blood: The Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts

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