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The Record of a Fallen Vampire #1
[The Record of a Fallen Vampire: v. 1] (By: Kyo Shirodaira) [published: May, 2008]
Thousands of years ago, Vampire King Akabara 'Red Rose' Strauss lost both his kingdom and his queen. Since humans were unable to kill the queen, they sealed her away, erecting thousands of fake seals so that the king would never find her true location. Despite being pursued by relentless dhampires, Akabara continues to search for his queen to this day....Akabara's quest takes a sinister turn when an entity called the Black Swan appears. The Black Swan inhabits the body of a young human girl every 50 years, giving her the power to destroy the Vampire King and his queen. With each incarnation the Black Swan grows stronger--will the 49th Black Swan mean the end of Akabara?
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First published December 22, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 5, 2015
Having very much enjoyed Tsugumi Ohba and Taskeshi Obata's Death note series, beginning with Death Note: Black Edition, Volume 1, I was interested in trying out some new manga. The story of The record of a fallen vampire seemed interesting and the artwork looked nice too.
However, while the premise of the story is good and we are introduced to a number of interesting or mysterious characters in this series, I found that some of the action sequences, particularly in the first half of the book, were somewhat difficult to follow. Luckily, the text would explain what had just happened on occasion but, frankly, it shouldn't have to do this.
Encounters between the Vampire King and his pursuers are also largely resolved by combat and the use of magic, which gets dull after a while. It would have been more interesting, I think, if there had been more subterfuge, fewer direct confrontations and, for this first volume, an off-stage presence of the Black Swan, which would've added to her mystique. Also, the Vampire King should, at least on occasion, hunger for a bit of human blood - we never even see his fangs!
I don't think I'll follow this series despite the intriguing ending of its first volume.
However, while the premise of the story is good and we are introduced to a number of interesting or mysterious characters in this series, I found that some of the action sequences, particularly in the first half of the book, were somewhat difficult to follow. Luckily, the text would explain what had just happened on occasion but, frankly, it shouldn't have to do this.
Encounters between the Vampire King and his pursuers are also largely resolved by combat and the use of magic, which gets dull after a while. It would have been more interesting, I think, if there had been more subterfuge, fewer direct confrontations and, for this first volume, an off-stage presence of the Black Swan, which would've added to her mystique. Also, the Vampire King should, at least on occasion, hunger for a bit of human blood - we never even see his fangs!
I don't think I'll follow this series despite the intriguing ending of its first volume.
September 24, 2017
I disegni della Kimura ricordano il periodo migliore della Clamp. Chi sia in cerca di menti appuntiti e grandi occhi in primo piano, avrà pane per i suoi denti. I dialoghi di Shirodaira sono grotteschi ed eccessivi, la storia invece sfrutta un classico della mitologia vampirica: Il sovrano perduto con alleati che ne attendono il ritorno per centinaia di anni. Il tutto mi sembrava più piacevole a suo tempo. Nel complesso direi che si tratta di una miniserie su cui una decina di anni di vita sembrano già troppi.
[2.5 arrotondato per eccesso].
[2.5 arrotondato per eccesso].
June 16, 2011
The Record of a Fallen Vampire is shonen manga about vampires. Obviously. Well, the vampire part anyway. Right so the story's about this vampire named Akabara who's the King of All Vampires. The story behind his "falleness" starts hundreds of years before with the sealing of his Queen, a being of extreme chaos and power, who was unable to be killed and was therefore sealed in a secret location by both humans and dhampirs. So Akabara basically runs around for ages trying to find the right seal and you know save his Queen. Who may or may not destroy the world when she gets out. Ah, true love.
What was that? Seals? Yes, I forgot to mention that didn't I? Because they didn't want the King to find his Queen, the humans and dhampirs created like hundreds of fake seals so Akabara will never EVER find his Queen. Yeah, pretty tragic, eh?
Also enables the writers to essentially keep the story going on for like EVER, but I digress.
Right so along with these tragic mix of well tragedy is a bunch of dhampirs who's main motivations are basically stopping Akabara. And since they and Akabara can LIVE FOREVVVVEERRR, the dhampirs just keep getting more and more badass. In addition to these is the Black Swan, a spirit like entity that periodically takes over the bodies of chosen female humans for the sole purpose of destroying Akabara. Oh, and they have all the memories of the previous ones, and get stronger every time they die.
Sucks for the Vampire King doesn't it?
Right, so for the majority of this first volume in the series there's a little of that repetitive intro stuff where we're told the TRAGIC history of Akabara over and over again, and then about the Black Swan, blah, you get the picture. Anyway the story doesn't really move much in this first volume (as expected) until the end where an actual arc starts to appear.
But, honestly, I didn't really care for the most part. The manga kind of relies on your pity for the TRAGEDY that Akabara is suffering through, and I felt it was kind of weak to rely on a kind of fairy tale to get me to care about the main character. But I did feel kinda bad for him so I guess it works.
The fighting scenes, it's shonen so it's pretty much all fighting and angsty anger, were pretty well done, and have a lovely mix of magic and short swords and daggers. The art overall, in general, is nice enough, though a few characters (Akabara in particular) look a little off. In Akabara's case, I think it's his hair, it looks too flat for some reason.
The characters are pretty basic, and don't offer much for personality in this first volume. If I was going to continue the series, I'd assume there'd be more hints to the whys and hows and whats that will give the manga more depth than it has right now.
With enough potential for a long story, deep characters, this interesting premise promises a good beginning to the slightly overused vampire genre. 2.5-3/5
What was that? Seals? Yes, I forgot to mention that didn't I? Because they didn't want the King to find his Queen, the humans and dhampirs created like hundreds of fake seals so Akabara will never EVER find his Queen. Yeah, pretty tragic, eh?
Also enables the writers to essentially keep the story going on for like EVER, but I digress.
Right so along with these tragic mix of well tragedy is a bunch of dhampirs who's main motivations are basically stopping Akabara. And since they and Akabara can LIVE FOREVVVVEERRR, the dhampirs just keep getting more and more badass. In addition to these is the Black Swan, a spirit like entity that periodically takes over the bodies of chosen female humans for the sole purpose of destroying Akabara. Oh, and they have all the memories of the previous ones, and get stronger every time they die.
Sucks for the Vampire King doesn't it?
Right, so for the majority of this first volume in the series there's a little of that repetitive intro stuff where we're told the TRAGIC history of Akabara over and over again, and then about the Black Swan, blah, you get the picture. Anyway the story doesn't really move much in this first volume (as expected) until the end where an actual arc starts to appear.
But, honestly, I didn't really care for the most part. The manga kind of relies on your pity for the TRAGEDY that Akabara is suffering through, and I felt it was kind of weak to rely on a kind of fairy tale to get me to care about the main character. But I did feel kinda bad for him so I guess it works.
The fighting scenes, it's shonen so it's pretty much all fighting and angsty anger, were pretty well done, and have a lovely mix of magic and short swords and daggers. The art overall, in general, is nice enough, though a few characters (Akabara in particular) look a little off. In Akabara's case, I think it's his hair, it looks too flat for some reason.
The characters are pretty basic, and don't offer much for personality in this first volume. If I was going to continue the series, I'd assume there'd be more hints to the whys and hows and whats that will give the manga more depth than it has right now.
With enough potential for a long story, deep characters, this interesting premise promises a good beginning to the slightly overused vampire genre. 2.5-3/5
September 9, 2018
This volume has some tedious fight scenes in it - especially the first one, which appears before the characters are properly introduced. I wasn't invested in the characters yet and I wanted to know more about the story and the characters at that point in time.
That being said, the story is quite interesting and when the volume was over, I wanted to know more. So I'll keep reading.
__
EDIT, upon re-reading 3 years later:
I still agree with the above. I think the reason why the fight scenes are tedious is because all the characters just keep spouting lore and backstory, in a "tell don't show" kind of way. They aren't talking about the here and now, only about this thing that happened a thousand years ago. It's not until the very last chapter that I felt like the status quo was finally being overthrown, which is something that usually happens at the end of the first chapter if you want some kind of urgency in your story.
In any case, like in the above review, the final chapter made me want to keep reading. I bought volumes 1-9 secondhand for a steal, and I'm planning to finish 'em all.
That being said, the story is quite interesting and when the volume was over, I wanted to know more. So I'll keep reading.
__
EDIT, upon re-reading 3 years later:
I still agree with the above. I think the reason why the fight scenes are tedious is because all the characters just keep spouting lore and backstory, in a "tell don't show" kind of way. They aren't talking about the here and now, only about this thing that happened a thousand years ago. It's not until the very last chapter that I felt like the status quo was finally being overthrown, which is something that usually happens at the end of the first chapter if you want some kind of urgency in your story.
In any case, like in the above review, the final chapter made me want to keep reading. I bought volumes 1-9 secondhand for a steal, and I'm planning to finish 'em all.
May 17, 2018
I love vampires, so, when I saw this manga a long time ago, I decided to read it. I found it so good, I read the second book, and never found the last seven volumes! Now, I got them all, so I think I'll read them back to back!
I love that the tragic tone is compensated by some humor! The action scenes are quite good, and I love the illustrations. Like all vampire stories, there is a lot of drama, but I can bear it for the time being.
I love the little twist in the end!
I love that the tragic tone is compensated by some humor! The action scenes are quite good, and I love the illustrations. Like all vampire stories, there is a lot of drama, but I can bear it for the time being.
I love the little twist in the end!
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October 4, 2010one of the best man gas i have ever read
April 29, 2018
There are some manga where you can remember details with clarity years later, after having only read it once, and then there are manga where a re-read is almost as fresh and brand-new when you come back for a second time. For me, the first volume of The Record of a Fallen Vampire falls in the latter category. I believe I was a sophomore in high school when I read the first four volumes of this series, borrowed from a classmate. Many years have passed since then and this series passed out of memory until I spotted the first volume while on my most recent trip to Half-Price Books. I recognized it at once, despite the fact I barely remembered thing one about it. Actually, the only thing I remembered was this manga had a crapton of fighting in it, and decided I would add it to the small stack of books I was planning to pick up.
Revisiting The Record of a Fallen Vampire, volume 1, has been a breath-of-fresh-air experience. The summary for this volume really only covers the events of the first chapter, and it underplays the intensity of those events and the story of the series itself. This book reads fast, with several twists and turns hinting at a larger, more in-depth story to follow that is simply entrenched in intrigue and corrupted history and supernatural society. Saying much more than that would be spoiling, naturally.
But it is so good. I'm sure the art style will throw some people off initially; the characters are drawn with soft, rounded faces and large eyes reminiscent of other anime and manga such as Magic Knight Rayearth and Fruits Basket. Seems a little odd for a bloody and somewhat political series about vampires, dhampires, and human slayers, wouldn't you think? It works in a weird way however, and doesn't distract from the overall plot or the fast-moving action-based imagery.
Largely, I highly recommend this series. People who are fans of Castlevania and other stories dealing with themes like this are probably going to enjoy this best, but if you're not quite into "vampire stories" yet, this isn't a bad way to get your feet wet. Give it a shot; The Record of a Fallen Vampire is definitely worth trying out.
Revisiting The Record of a Fallen Vampire, volume 1, has been a breath-of-fresh-air experience. The summary for this volume really only covers the events of the first chapter, and it underplays the intensity of those events and the story of the series itself. This book reads fast, with several twists and turns hinting at a larger, more in-depth story to follow that is simply entrenched in intrigue and corrupted history and supernatural society. Saying much more than that would be spoiling, naturally.
But it is so good. I'm sure the art style will throw some people off initially; the characters are drawn with soft, rounded faces and large eyes reminiscent of other anime and manga such as Magic Knight Rayearth and Fruits Basket. Seems a little odd for a bloody and somewhat political series about vampires, dhampires, and human slayers, wouldn't you think? It works in a weird way however, and doesn't distract from the overall plot or the fast-moving action-based imagery.
Largely, I highly recommend this series. People who are fans of Castlevania and other stories dealing with themes like this are probably going to enjoy this best, but if you're not quite into "vampire stories" yet, this isn't a bad way to get your feet wet. Give it a shot; The Record of a Fallen Vampire is definitely worth trying out.
August 28, 2019
I thought this was all right at first, but I wasn't going to read past the first volume. That twist at the end changed my mind. It went from a repetitive story to grabbing my interest.
Side Note: The translated version I'm reading made mistakes in the numbers for the Black Swan and how many years had gone by, kind of annoying, hopefully it doesn't continue to be a problem in the following volumes.
Series Review: I didn't make it through the fourth volume. I gave it more than enough volumes for a fair shot. The story drags in this manga. There's so much information to get out, that they're constantly explaining things around food. There are decent plot hooks and points that are interesting, but they don't even choose to focus on those. They introduce aliens, which doesn't even make sense. Who puts aliens in a Vampire story?
Side Note: The translation I used could have been better. It seemed like there was no proof reader.
Side Note: The translated version I'm reading made mistakes in the numbers for the Black Swan and how many years had gone by, kind of annoying, hopefully it doesn't continue to be a problem in the following volumes.
Series Review: I didn't make it through the fourth volume. I gave it more than enough volumes for a fair shot. The story drags in this manga. There's so much information to get out, that they're constantly explaining things around food. There are decent plot hooks and points that are interesting, but they don't even choose to focus on those. They introduce aliens, which doesn't even make sense. Who puts aliens in a Vampire story?
Side Note: The translation I used could have been better. It seemed like there was no proof reader.
January 3, 2020
Great story, awesome illustrations, I can't wait to read more!
February 11, 2020
A good start, although it could have been better paced and much smoother page to page. I found the characters interesting too. So I would recommend it.
March 30, 2022
This was a pretty interesting start to the series
September 7, 2025
DNF. The action style is hard to follow and there are too many characters that look the same.
October 2, 2011
The legend says that the Vampire King, Akabura Strauss, was too strong to resist, and in retaliation, the humans kidnapped his Queen, Adelheid, holding her hostage for Akabura's surrender. Instead, Strauss fought to reach his queen, his kingdom being destroyed by the battle in the process. Adelheid, distraught, sought to destroy the world in retribution by her own dark magic, and the humans sealed her away by their own magic. The king searches for her to release her, and to regain his kingdom, though the humans have set up thousands and thousands of traps and fake seals, in hopes of killing the king before he finds his queen.
Strauss goes by the alias 'Red Rose', and to reach each of the sealed areas, he must contend with Dhampires and humans who want to destroy him for wanting to release the queen back into the world. He is an excellent fighter, however, his foes, namely, a woman going by the appellation of 'Black Swan', grow stronger and wiser with each battle. After Strauss kills the forty-ninth Black Swan, Yuki, Rin Jenka, Strauss's oft-time Dhampire opponent, vows eternal vengeance. Strauss also picks up the eighteen year-old, child-like Dhampire, Laetitia, known as the Mountain Cat, and she travels with him from that point on, watching his back and intent on helping him regain his queen.
The art is good, though the battle scenes are a bit hard to figure out (too many fancy explosions or something, and a lot of cuts so it's hard to tell exactly what's going on). The story of vengeance and true love is an old one, but the opening chapters of this story are compelling enough, especially with the backstory Strauss offers Laetitia when she complains about how hard her life is and how she wishes she'd never been born. So far, the only differences seen between the vampires, Dhampires and humans is...absolutely none other than what side they're fighting on. The Vampires and Dhampires do not seem to be monstrous at all, despite the legend of the king and queen.
The sound effects are translated and there are no Japanese jokes which need to be translated. The characters are more-or-less childlike in appearance, with slightly over-large heads and extra-large eyes, but it seems to suit the dreamlike quality of the story. I will be looking for more of this manga to read.
Strauss goes by the alias 'Red Rose', and to reach each of the sealed areas, he must contend with Dhampires and humans who want to destroy him for wanting to release the queen back into the world. He is an excellent fighter, however, his foes, namely, a woman going by the appellation of 'Black Swan', grow stronger and wiser with each battle. After Strauss kills the forty-ninth Black Swan, Yuki, Rin Jenka, Strauss's oft-time Dhampire opponent, vows eternal vengeance. Strauss also picks up the eighteen year-old, child-like Dhampire, Laetitia, known as the Mountain Cat, and she travels with him from that point on, watching his back and intent on helping him regain his queen.
The art is good, though the battle scenes are a bit hard to figure out (too many fancy explosions or something, and a lot of cuts so it's hard to tell exactly what's going on). The story of vengeance and true love is an old one, but the opening chapters of this story are compelling enough, especially with the backstory Strauss offers Laetitia when she complains about how hard her life is and how she wishes she'd never been born. So far, the only differences seen between the vampires, Dhampires and humans is...absolutely none other than what side they're fighting on. The Vampires and Dhampires do not seem to be monstrous at all, despite the legend of the king and queen.
The sound effects are translated and there are no Japanese jokes which need to be translated. The characters are more-or-less childlike in appearance, with slightly over-large heads and extra-large eyes, but it seems to suit the dreamlike quality of the story. I will be looking for more of this manga to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2013
I picked this up because I liked Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning. I must say, this slow rolls even more than Spiral does.
The characters are good far as I can tell, but part of the problem is that there's so much info-dumping here that you don't get a good idea of the many, many characters (and there are quite a few appearing this volume).
Volume 1 is all background. I'm hoping that the rest of the series will have more happening.
And no, these guys don't sparkle.
The characters are good far as I can tell, but part of the problem is that there's so much info-dumping here that you don't get a good idea of the many, many characters (and there are quite a few appearing this volume).
Volume 1 is all background. I'm hoping that the rest of the series will have more happening.
And no, these guys don't sparkle.
July 12, 2015
Intriguing vampire manga
The Record of the Fallen Vampire's first volume has earned my interest in the series. This title reminds me of the Vampire Hunter D novels and manga. It isn't just the whole vampire thing so much as the air of knowledge tinged with melancholy from the hero. The plot has a few aspects I haven't seen in recent memory, mainly those surrounding the Black Swan. If I had to choose one thing to criticize, it would be the somewhat predictable start of the story. I personally didn't mind it much but I could see two of the events coming.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable read and I will be purchasing the next volume.
The Record of the Fallen Vampire's first volume has earned my interest in the series. This title reminds me of the Vampire Hunter D novels and manga. It isn't just the whole vampire thing so much as the air of knowledge tinged with melancholy from the hero. The plot has a few aspects I haven't seen in recent memory, mainly those surrounding the Black Swan. If I had to choose one thing to criticize, it would be the somewhat predictable start of the story. I personally didn't mind it much but I could see two of the events coming.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable read and I will be purchasing the next volume.
June 29, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this Manga, I thought that the vampire king was a very noble character. To make himself the enemy so the world could have peace was brilliant and I feel that it helped carry the story. The thing that I feel let it down a bit was the whole aliens thing, I felt that the story was supported well enough and did not need the extra angle. This is just my feelings on the story but I am sure there are others who love the added twist. The saga is a very enjoyable read all though.
April 27, 2010
An okay modern fantasy manga with some potential, but some big gaping plot holes too. Though there's time to fill those in and this may improve my rating in retrospect.
The art style is not to my liking but it mostly tells the story well so, having experienced the converse in Full Metal Panic, I have to credit it as a significant positive.
The art style is not to my liking but it mostly tells the story well so, having experienced the converse in Full Metal Panic, I have to credit it as a significant positive.
June 14, 2021
*UPDATE*: Having now completed this series, I barely remember anything about it. I would say it's obscure for that very reason: while it had some memorable emotional points, the overall plot and flat characters were forgettable.
Original Review: The lore and premise were pretty interesting and unique, but the art and characters were pretty mediocre. Overall, it wasn't terrible, and it doesn't seem to be falling into the typical vampire story traps, so I'll continue with it.
Original Review: The lore and premise were pretty interesting and unique, but the art and characters were pretty mediocre. Overall, it wasn't terrible, and it doesn't seem to be falling into the typical vampire story traps, so I'll continue with it.
July 22, 2014
Strauss has been searching for a thousand years to find the one true seal behind which his Queen is locked. He's a bit broody at times, but he's a vampire on a mission and I think a bit of angsty-ness is normal in this situation. I liked the story, loved the characters, and the artwork is gorgeous. A win all around.
February 16, 2009
I was heavily reminded of Dragonball (I am not a fan) when I first started this and found it incredibly difficult to finish. However, it left a huge question looming, which peaked my curiosity to read the next one.
June 15, 2009
I did NOT like this at the start, and it has far too much "action" to suit my fancy, but...I'm definitely intrigued by the characters. And we all know what a sucker I am for vampires and tragic love stories. There's even a supercute character.
August 19, 2012
One of the best manga I have ever read!!! <3
When it started with the battle, I was like: WOW!
And as it went on, it was still amazing!! The characters are great, drawing's great and story's amazing!! Looking forward to read it to the end :D
When it started with the battle, I was like: WOW!
And as it went on, it was still amazing!! The characters are great, drawing's great and story's amazing!! Looking forward to read it to the end :D
December 30, 2012
This series is so amazing! The first time I read it, the 100 years ago love story was slightly confusing, now it's clear as day, and the entire series isn't too long or to short and yet so complicated!
February 20, 2009
I loved the art and it has an interesting storyline. However, I am having slight trouble following it.
April 1, 2009
OMG!! i learned that dhampires are half-human, and that people can draw waaaaay better than i can
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June 30, 2010F SHI roafv v.1
June 26, 2013
i like this very much it was really good
August 24, 2014
Gets interesting in volume 2. Might continue with this.
March 11, 2015
It seems interesting...
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March 16, 2016awsome
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews