Rosario + Vampire: A school comedy with fascinating characters and plot developments

Rosario + Vampire: A fascinating story of school life and monsters

■Overview of the work

Rosario + Vampire is a TV anime series based on the popular manga by Akihisa Ikeda. The 13-episode series aired from January 3 to March 27, 2008, and follows the chaos caused by the human protagonist Tsukune Aono at Youkai Academy, a secret school for monsters. Animation was produced by GONZO, and the series was directed by Takayuki Inagaki.

■Broadcast information

"Rosario + Vampire" was broadcast on the following stations:

• TOKYO MX: January 3, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 23:30 to 24:00
• Chiba TV: January 3, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 26:00 to 26:30
• tvk: January 3, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 26:15 to 26:45
• Teletama: January 5, 2008 to March 29, 2008, every Saturday from 25:30 to 26:00
• TV Osaka: January 5, 2008 to March 29, 2008, every Saturday from 26:40 to 27:10
• TV Aichi: January 10, 2008 to April 3, 2008, every Thursday from 25:28 to 25:58
• Aomori Broadcasting: January 10, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 25:34 to 26:04
• Kids Station: April 22, 2008 to July 15, 2008, every Tuesday from 24:00 to 24:30

■ Story

Aono Tsukune, an ordinary boy who failed the high school entrance exam, is accepted into Youkai Academy. However, the school is a secret school attended by monsters, and there are strict rules that require students to hide their human identity. Tsukune is frightened by the rule that anyone who learns the school's secrets will be killed, but he decides to stay at the school after the beautiful vampire Akasaya Moka falls in love with him. Furthermore, beautiful girls with unique personalities such as Yumu, Murasaki, and Mizore appear one after another, causing a big commotion around Tsukune. What will happen to Tsukune's school life from now on?

■Explanation

"Rosario + Vampire" is a story that begins with the setting that the girl he falls in love with is a vampire. Aono Tsukune, who passed the entrance exam to Youkai Academy, falls in love at first sight with Akaya Moka. However, she is actually a vampire, and Youkai Academy is a school for monsters, with a rule that anyone who finds out her secret will be killed. With Moka's affections, Tsukune begins his school life. This is the first TV series based on a popular comic, and has captivated many fans.

■Cast

• Aono Tsukune: Daisuke Kishio
• Moka Akaya: Nana Mizuki
• Kurono Yume: Misato Fukuen
• Sendou Murasaki: Kimiko Koyama
• Snow White Sleet: Rie Kugimiya
• Cat Eye Shizuka: Kikuko Inoue
• Silver Shadow of the Forest Hills: Tomokazu Seki
• Orange Ruby: Chiba Saeko
• Mysterious Bat: Takehito Koyasu

■ Main staff

• Original author: Akihisa Ikeda
• Director: Takayuki Inagaki
• Series Composition: Hiroshi Yamaguchi
• Main character design: Mariko Fujita
• Monster design, prop design: Kobe Yoko
• Chief animation director: Satoru Kiyomaru
• Art director: Shigemi Ikeda
• Art: Atelier Musa
• Color design: Suzuki Toshie
• Director of photography: Ayumi Ushijima
• Edited by: Kiyoshi Hirose
• Music: Kohei Tanaka, Shiro Hamaguchi
• Recording Director: Takeshi Takadera
• Effects: Kenji Koyama (Sound Box)
• Sound production: HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
• Producers: Soji Machida, Shinya Shinozaki, Taichi Hashimoto, Satoshi Matsui, Shinichi Ikeda
• Production producer: Tsuyoshi Wakamatsu
• Animation Production: GONZO
• Produced by: Youkai Gakuen Newspaper Club (Shueisha, GDH, Happinet, Yomiuri Advertising)

■ Main Characters

• Tsukune Aono: An ordinary boy. He fails all his high school entrance exams, but finally manages to get into Youkai Academy (which is actually a school for monsters!), where he lives his life hiding the fact that he is human.
• Moka Akaya: A perfect beautiful girl with beautiful looks and a sharp mind. Her true identity is the great demon vampire, and she loves Tsukune's blood, which she drank directly for the first time. Having experienced loneliness at a human school, she hates being alone and has always wanted to have friends.
• Kurono Kurumu: A cute, busty succubus. She has decided that Tsukune is her one and only soulmate, and feels a sense of rivalry towards Moka.
• Sendou Yukari: A genius witch who skipped grades and entered the school. Hated by both humans and youkai, she had become extremely distrustful of people, but she fell in love with Moka and Tsukune, who saved her from her loneliness.
• Shirayuki Mizore: Tsukito's classmate who didn't attend school in the first semester. A very sensitive Yuki-onna. She loves Tsukito and is jealous of Moka who is always with Tsukito.

■Subtitle

• Episode 1: New Life and Vampires (2008/01/03)
• Episode 2: Nightmares and Vampires (2008/01/10)
• Episode 3: The Little Witch and the Vampire (2008/01/17)
• Episode 4: Goodbye and Vampire (2008/01/24)
• Episode 5: School Swimsuit and Vampire (2008/01/31)
• Episode 6: The Newspaper Club and the Vampire (2008/02/07)
• Episode 7: Yuki-onna and Vampire (2008/02/14)
• Episode 8: Mathematics and Vampires (2008/02/21)
• Episode 9: Summer Vacation and Vampires (2008/02/28)
• Episode 10: Sunflower and the Vampire (2008/03/06)
• Episode 11: New Semester and Vampires (2008/03/13)
• Episode 12: The Public Safety Commission and the Vampire (2008/03/20)
• Episode 13: Tsukune and the Vampire (2008/03/27)

■ Related works

"Rosario + Vampire" has a sequel called "Rosario + Vampire CAPU2", which also tells the story of Tsukune and Moka at Youkai Academy.

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1: COSMIC LOVE
  • Lyricist: Ryoji Sonoda
  • Composer: Junpei Fujita
  • Arrangement: Junpei Fujita
  • Sung by: Nana Mizuki
• ED1: COSMIC LOVE
  • Lyricist: Ryoji Sonoda
  • Composer: Junpei Fujita
  • Arrangement: Junpei Fujita
  • Sung by: Nana Mizuki
• ED2：Dancing in the velvet moon
  • Lyricist: Nana Mizuki
  • Composer: Noriyasu Agematsu
  • Arrangement: Noriyasu Agematsu, Masato Nakayama
  • Sung by: Nana Mizuki

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Rosario + Vampire" has gained many fans thanks to its unique worldview and attractive characters. In particular, the setting in which the main character, Aono Tsukune, hides her human identity and lives among the monsters, gave viewers a fresh surprise. Also, don't miss the unique portrayals of the beautiful characters, including Akasaka Moka. Their love lives, friendships, and the various episodes in their school life have the power to draw viewers in.

GONZO, the animation production company, focused on the visual expression of the monsters, maximizing their visual appeal. In particular, Moka's appearance as a vampire and Yume's charming scenes as a succubus are visually very impressive. Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and the theme songs "COSMIC LOVE" and "Dancing in the velvet moon" sung by Mizuki Nana further deepen the worldview of the work.

The story development is also one of the highlights. Viewers empathize with Tsukune's growth through her life at Youkai Academy, the changes in her relationship with Moka, and her interactions with other characters. In addition, different youkai appear in each episode, and each episode depicts different problems and incidents, which keeps viewers interested.

■ Recommendation points

"Rosario + Vampire" was loved by many viewers as a fantasy work depicting the coexistence of monsters and humans. In particular, the following points are the reasons for recommending it.

• Attractive Characters : Beautiful characters with unique personalities such as Moka Akaya, Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendou, and Mizore Shirayuki add excitement to the story. Their attractive appearances and personalities are a major factor in attracting viewers.
• Unique worldview : The setting of a secret school attended by monsters provides a fresh surprise to viewers. Life at Youkai Academy and the various incidents that occur there have the power to draw viewers into the world of the story.
• Music : The theme songs "COSMIC LOVE" and "Dancing in the velvet moon" sung by Nana Mizuki are key elements in creating the atmosphere of the show. Her powerful singing voice captures the hearts of viewers.
• Storyline : Tsukune's growth, the changes in his relationship with Moka, and his interactions with other characters resonate with viewers. Also, different monsters appear in each episode, and different problems and incidents are depicted in each episode, which keeps viewers interested.

■ Message to viewers

"Rosario + Vampire" is a fantasy work that depicts the coexistence of monsters and humans, and has been loved by many viewers. The charming characters, unique world view, music, and story development have the power to attract viewers. Please watch this work and enjoy the story of Tsukune, Moka, and her friends at Youkai Academy.