Anime Reviews:

Vampire Princess Miyu

(1988)

Agreeable fantasy about vampires who, instead of attacking humans, fight against Earth-bound demons in the spirit world. Coming across like a anime remake of a Hong Kong live action fantasy, these vampires do need blood to survive but are unaffected by the standard defensive icons usually employed to despatch them. Huge demons can be destroyed with a simple chant if backed up by a strong enough faith.

Kenji Kawai provides a suitably haunting soundtrack to accompany the attractive art. In this universe things are not simply light or dark, the princess of the title would normally be considered an archetypal image of evil, but here the vampire is our heroine who, when she bites her victims, tells them she is giving them eternal life, "...something that even God cannot bestow". Seemingly a traditional Japanese folk tale, Miyu is a welcome enough addition to the few 'hardcore' fantasy anime titles available in the UK, if not so spectacular. 7/10

Rob Dyer (January 2005)

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