Kyuuketsuki Miyu TV
Gaze into my eyes Deep within reveals A heart chained in sorrow Born of a flame in darkness In the night I crave to feel your breath And your touch For you, the eternal happiness comes At the price of your blood
Many years had passed since the release of the Vampire Miyu OAV, until finally between 1997-98 Vampire Miyu returned, this time as a 25 episode TV series. The OAV aired in 1988, and years later anime culture itself was a different thing. While the TV series comes across as polished in appearance and character design, it was also done on a TV series budget and the animation sequences often suffered - the fight scenes did anyway. At the time, there was also quite a bit of controversy in Japan when it was announced that Watanabe Naoko who did the voice in the Miyu OAV, would not be playing her in the TV series. Naoko played the part of girlish Miyu flawlessly in the OAV, but Miyu isn't quite the same in the TV series and is typically stoic and detached more than eerily playful. Larva also changes a bit in the TV series, and blossoms into his truly spectacular potential and goes as far as to say four or five lines of dialog per episode.
While the OAV was more an introduction to the dark world of Miyu, the TV series is more a look at Miyu in a modern society fighting age old shinma. Miyu attends a local school, in which she actually makes friends. Most noteworthy of these is Chisato who is suspiciously similar to Hikaru from Magic Knight Rayearth (and just as hyper for that matter). And out of all the oddities.... there is the little creature named Shiina. Probably the last thing you would expect to see in the TV series, is a little cute pink creature... which has one psychotic eye.
Still, I found this series to be thoroughly enjoyable. Not quite the aesthetic portrait that was the OAV which had a harder, sinister edge to it (a true reflection of the 90's I suppose). But after seeing the first episode I thought to myself "Wow... that's certainly as twisted as something you would see in the OAV." Even the soundtrack has a different feel to it. Like the OAV, the TV series has a mysterious feel to it, but has a much more driving beat at the same time. Overall I was rather impressed with the TV series. After hearing about Shiina, I was a bit worried about what was done to Vampire Miyu, but after seeing the TV series, my worries were put to rest. Shiina seems like the typical anime mascot and is oddly cute, but somehow manages to fit in with everything.
-:- Story -:-
I've decided not to go into a synopsis for every episode of the TV series. Summing up 25 episodes is far to exhaustive for me, and I don't think I could do a very good job anyhow. The general happenings of the Miyu TV series deal with Miyu going to a local school. It's usually at the school that Miyu learns about strange happenings which usually lead to a Shinma. Miyu often has to walk a fine line since she doesn't want people to discover her true nature (that she's a vampire). Miyu also struggles with the fact that she gets attached to her friend Chisato. The biggest problem of Miyu is probably Reiha; a snow demon who would like to be the guardian. Miyu for the most part despises Reiha, for her methods, as well as for her lack of compassion for humans.
Overall the stories usually are set apart from one another, although a few episodes involve the past of Miyu, and Larva. I must admit that I really enjoy the slightly twisted little tales of Vampire Miyu. It's truly anime at its best.
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