Rosario and Vampire

Rosario + Vampire (ロザリオとバンパイア, Rozario to Banpaia, Rosario and Vampire) is a Japanese manga series originally serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump, between August 2004 and June 2007; a single extra chapter was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump in September 2007. In November 2007, the manga began regular serialization again, now in Jump Square, and is ongoing.

An anime adaptation also titled Rosario + Vampire aired in Japan from January to March 2008. A second season, titled Rosario + Vampire Capu2, began airing on October 2, 2008, continuing the story of the first 13-episode series and introducing more characters from the manga, as well as new anime-exclusive characters.

Cover of the first volume of Rosario + Vampire. Image is property of the artist Akihisa Ikeda and the publisher Shueisha.

Plot

Tsukune Aono is a painfully average high school freshman who is unable to get into any private school, due to his disappointing test scores. The only school he is finally accepted into turns out to be a secret school for supernatural monsters (yōkai), who are in disguise as humans. The first student he meets is the beautiful Moka Akashiya, who becomes his friend for an unusual reason; she is a vampire, and is attracted to the sweet taste of his human blood. Tsukune quickly realizes his admission into a monster school must have been a mistake and fears for his life.

Despite Moka's vampiric nature, she is a kind girl and Tsukune quickly falls for her. He decides to stay and be near her, despite the various dangers. He must hide his human identity from the faculty and other students, while trying to keep his grades up and avoiding conflicts with the various not-so-mythological monsters lurking around campus. Tsukune soon discovers that when he removes the "rosario" around Moka's neck, she transforms into a super-vampire, stronger and more powerful than almost any other creature at the school. However, in this state, she has an entirely different personality, often cold and merciless, so the rosario is only removed in dire emergencies. Tsukune is the only person who can physically remove it to transform Moka, and only in the case of an emergency (the rosario remains physically bound to Moka, while Tsukune attempts to willfully remove it in a moment immediately preceding, and sometimes interjecting - a malignant situation). Tsukune and Moka make new friends and enemies as their stay at Yōkai Academy progresses.

Characters

Main Characters

Tsukune Aono (青野 月音, Aono Tsukune)

Voiced By: Daisuke Kishio

The male protagonist of the series, Tsukune Aono is mistakenly enrolled in an academy for monsters. He soon meets Moka Akashiya, a vampire who takes an interest in him, due to the sweet taste of his blood (an ongoing gag that occurs throughout the series with her catching Tsukune off-guard and biting him on the neck). Fearful for his life and ready to leave the school, it is only his affection for Moka that gets him to continue attending Yōkai Academy. Though he has no special powers of his own, he constantly risks his life to protect his friends. Later on, he acquires vampiric abilities, then ghoul-based powers (the latter of which puts his humanity in jeopardy), allowing him to fight toe-to-toe with almost any supernatural foe.

Though ordinary and often cowardly, Tsukune's willingness to protect his friends without thinking twice about it earns him many new companions and the affection of the girls surrounding him. He is both gentle and understanding, and displays great courage when his friends are threatened.

Moka Akashiya (赤夜 萌香, Akashiya Moka)

Voiced By: Nana Mizuki

Moka Akashiya is the first person Tsukune meets when he sets foot in the yōkai realm. Exceptionally sweet and kind, Moka is a vampire, and takes a liking to Tsukune, after ingesting his blood, and becomes addicted in doing so. When the rosario around her neck is removed, the seal keeping her true nature is released. Cold and arrogant, the inner Moka is a completely different entity from the kind, loving Moka, going so far as to specifically remind Tsukune to "be kind to the other Moka".

It is revealed in an omake she loves tomato juice, but prefers Tsukune's blood.

Newspaper Club

Kurumu Kurono (黑乃 胡夢, Kurono Kurumu):

Voiced By: Misato Fukuen

Kurumu Kurono is a succubus, and is initially jealous of Moka's popularity overshadowing her own, though she eventually considers Moka a friend. She tries to seduce Tsukune and the male student body, using her charming techniques (through her succubi abilities, including her busty physique), making them her slaves. This is so she can find her "mate of fate", in order to save her diminishing species, with the assumption that Moka is blocking her path. After Tsukune persuades the unsealed Moka to spare her, she becomes infatuated with him and makes a decision that he will be her "mate of fate", becoming friends with the pair. Described as a tough character, Kurumu sports a pair of bat wings, tail and razor-sharp nails in her true form, and has notable body strength (seen when carrying people during flight). The use of illusions and reality-bending techniques make up for her lack of combat abilities. Kurumu also carries a unique, innate sense of knowing when danger might occur. As of the second manga serialization, she is learning basic witchcraft.

In an omake, Kurumu reveals she has a serious weakness for sweets, to the extent that she once ate poisoned cookies she made and planned to give to Moka. Kurumu's mother is Ageha, who appears during the start of the school festival.

Yukari Sendo (仙童 紫, Sendo Yukari)

Voiced By: Kimiko Koyama

Yukari Sendo is one of the smartest students at Yōkai Academy, and the youngest at age 11. Yukari is a witch, and always wears a typical witch costume (which consists of a hat and cape), though considered by some students to be a violation of the school rules. Despite ranking #1 on the examinations, she was a lonely prankster before meeting Tsukune and Moka. She initially hates Tsukune, claiming to have fallen in love with Moka, and uses her magical powers to try to drive them apart. However, after both Tsukune and Moka save her from bullying classmates (who were actually lizardmen), she falls for him too. Her obsession with both has driven her to try to create a three-way relationship between them. Yukari has, on occasion, developed some bizarre items, often leading to hilarious results or farfetched situations.

As a witch, she has problems with her classmates discriminating against her. In the series, witches are viewed as "border beings," those that are something between humans and the supernatural, as it is impossible to tell their difference by appearance alone.

Mizore Shirayuki (白雪 みぞれ, Shirayuki Mizore)

Voiced By: Rie Kugimiya

Mizore Shirayuki is a yuki-onna. Keeping in line with Japanese mythological creatures, she has the ability to control the element of ice at will, and can form clones composed of the previously said element. Frequently seen with a lollipop in her mouth (the yuki onna are vulnerable to the heat; doing so keeps their bodies cool), Mizore returns to school after a delayed absence and shows an immediate interest in Tsukune. In truth, she becomes infatuated with him, going so far as to create her own journal/scrapbook with all of his newspaper articles. She once confessed to a teacher she liked him, until he began to take advantage of her, thus she froze him. With the incident and rumors spreading about her, Mizore made it hard for herself to trust anyone, but took a liking to Tsukune, believing he was just as miserable as she was. She eventually warms up to the others, after Tsukune intervenes when the same teacher returns to kill her. Unfortunately, Mizore begins stalking Tsukune on a daily basis.

A running gag in the series is that Mizore always appears unexpectedly in the oddest locations (under tables, behind doors, the ceiling, bushes, even in the bathroom), and throws ice-based projectiles to disrupt any sort of tender moment Tsukune is having with any other girl. Mizore's mother is Tsurara, who appears during the start of the school festival. Like her daughter, she is very shy and serene, including the tendency to hide behind corners and what appears to be a lollipop in her mouth.

Ginei Morioka (森丘 銀影, Morioka Gin'ei)

Voiced By: Tomokazu Seki

The president of the newspaper club, Ginei Morioka is a werewolf. Commonly referred to as "Gin", this shameless peeping tom began as an antagonist to Tsukune, but becomes somewhat of a senior to him and his friends. Though he ceases his schemes (so other students will stop calling him a pervert), his affections lie with Moka, although the love is entirely one-sided, and still has not given up on her (it should be noted he has no second thoughts about trying to impress other girls). While working in the club, he tends to leave all the work to his subordinates, including the distribution of the paper. Ginei proves himself a loyal friend and has provided the group with helpful information, often acting as the comic relief.

As a werewolf, when a full moon shines brightly, his abilities are heightened to the point where his speed exceeds Moka in her super-vampire state. While werewolves in general are stated to have their power wax and wane with the lunar cycle, it is unknown if all werewolves receive this much of an increase. Regardless, Ginei is still exceptionally fast, even when the moon is not full.

In the second manga serialization, it is revealed he is Kurumu and Mizore's sparring instructor.

Ruby Toujyou (橙条 瑠妃, Dōjō Rubi)

Voiced By: Saeko Chiba

A witch from the human world, Ruby Dojo was part of a plot to destroy mankind as a response to a large garbage dump that was polluting her master's sanctuary. Her hate for humans stems from a car accident that took her parents' lives. After receiving help from Tsukune and his friends from a fight, and remembering the kind of love her parents had given her, she attempts to persuade her master to call off her plan, but to no avail, as her master was bent on destroying the human world. Ruby reappears when Tsukune becomes out of control in his ghoul-state, and helps the exorcist in sealing his abilities. She now resides at Yōkai Academy, as the board chairman's aide and continues to work for him in the second manga serialization. Despite not being an official student, she receives permission to become a member of the newspaper club.

In an omake, it reveals the main reason Ruby works under the board chairman is her infatuation with Tsukune, and by working at the academy, she could be near him. The anime omits the presence of her master or the inclusion of her parents, drastically changing the events surrounding her, including the reasons behind her return. Much of Ruby's magic revolves around a motif of ravens and flora, both as familiars and alternate forms for her to take.

Kokoa Shuzen (朱染 心愛, Shuzen Kokoa)

Voiced By: Chiwa Saitō

Introduced in the second manga serialization and anime adaptation, Kokoa Shuzen is the younger half-sister of Moka Akashiya. Bearing a similar appearance to Moka, except for her orange hair and cyan eyes, she arrives as a first-year student to Yōkai Academy. Like her sister, Kokoa is also a super-vampire, but her powers are not sealed and does not carry the same supernatural strength Moka possesses. To compensate for this lack of power, she has a pet bat, Kou, that can transform into a variety of weapons and wields it with enough strength to make herself formidable.

Kokoa despises Moka for sealing away her inner personality, whom she adores and loves. Before Moka left to study at the academy and prior to her receiving the rosario, the sisters often clash with one another, although Kokoa could never defeat her in a duel. She constantly attacks Moka, in hopes of drawing out the "inner Moka" and feels slightly angry that Tsukune has the ability to unlock Moka's true nature. She begins to begrudgingly accept the presence of Moka, and though she does not like her, she is quite fond of being around Tsukune. Like her sister, she too develops a craving for Tsukune's blood.

Faculty

Shizuka Nekonome (猫目 静, Nekonome Shizuka)

Voiced By: Kikuko Inoue

One of the many school teachers at Yōkai Academy, Shizuka Nekonome is also the advisor for the Newspaper Club. A neko-musume (cat lady), she is rather carefree in her attitude, and somewhat oblivious to certain things. The omake reveals she likes to eat raw fish, but specifically, goldfish. Her animated counterpart does not seem to show any hatred towards humans, unlike the rest of the teachers in the school. This is particularly shown prior to Tsukune's execution incident, when Shizuka worries about his fate and argues how the school was built to promote human relationships with yōkai.

Ririko Kagome (籠女 李々子, Kagome Ririko)

Voiced By: Aya Hisakawa

Ririko Kagome is a teacher at Yōkai Academy, specializing in mathematics. Seemingly innocent and deeply concerned for her students' grades, she offers private lessons to anyone willing, though at a price. In the dark recesses of her chambers, she becomes a lamia, with the head and torso of a beautiful woman, but the body of a serpent, and uses her abilities to drain students' emotions in exchange for knowledge; she does this through a flower-like appendage on her tail. She also seems to have a fetish for S&M outfits. Ririko is only lascivious to males, while any girls that need lessons are made to dress up in maid outfits and serve her tea. It is important to note that unlike other antagonists, Ririko is not inherently evil, but rather very passionate about the education of the academy's students.

Hitomi Ishigami (石神さん ひとみ, Ishigami Hitomi)

Ishigami is the art teacher at Yōkai Academy, and is the legendary Medusa. Her braided hair is a stand-in for the snakes of a gorgon, whose bite can instantly turn its victim into stone. Ishigami has a desire to turn any attractive female student into stone, but is stopped by Tsukune and Moka, resulting in her immediate sacking from the faculty. Ishigami returns, secretly informing the Student Police Committee of Tsukune's human nature, but immediately leaves the scene when the head of the Student Police is soundly defeated.

In the final chapters of Series I, Ishigami reveals it was she who gave Kyouko, Tsukune's cousin, the Lilith Mirror, with the intention of stealing his soul and the added bonus of releasing all the students into their monster state through the powers of the artifact in order to create an uproar that will destroy the school. She states how death and destruction is the purest form of art. Ishigami is defeated a second time and arrested.

Board Chairman (Exorcist)

A mysterious exorcist, who has a connection to the bus driver, he is always seen hooded beneath his garments and possesses extremely strong, anti-demonic powers, having the ability to seal Tsukune's ghoul nature with the Holy Seal of Judgement. He has the same strange eyes as the bus driver.

The chairman is, in fact, one of the three Dark Lords, the creators of Yōkai Academy, and the ones who placed a barrier separating the human world from the supernatural world. He is also aware Tsukune is human, but allows him to stay at the academy in exchange for performing favors and tasks, which includes rooting out members of ANTI-THESIS.

Student Police

A group of enforcers on school grounds charged with protecting the academy, these corrupt members use their status to their advantage. Anyone who opposes them is delivered swift punishment through methods of imprisonment and torture. They have a long-standing rivalry with the Newspaper Club.

Kuyou (九曜)

Voiced By: Ikeda Shuichi

Head of the Student Police Committee, Kuyou enforces the group's rules with an tyrannical, iron fist. He is a kitsune, with many fire-based abilities, and can take on a hybrid form between his human and yōkai appearance. He is defeated by Tsukune after he is injected by Moka's vampire blood, in the manga; in the anime, this task is performed by an unsealed Moka. Regardless, both cases end with Tsukune's human identity still hidden securely.

Keito (蛍糸)

Ordered by Kuyou to keep an eye on the Newspaper Club (to make sure it wasn't doing anything the Student Police considered "illegal"), Keito is a spider-woman. Her animated incarnation places her in charge of a rival "super newspaper club" which would have replaced the current one. Keito also has 3 underlings, made servants by her venom; she also wanted to add Kurumu to her clique.

ANTI-THESIS

A group mainly composed of hybrid yōkai, half-breed monsters that take no definitive, physical form of anything classified as a supernatural creature (such as vampires and werewolves), who wish for nothing more than to destroy the current school system. They have an extreme hatred of pure-blooded Yokai, who they claim look down on half-breeds, forcing them to become subservient to their pure-blooded masters.

Kaneshiro Hokuto (金城 北都)

The current president of the Yōkai Academy School Committee, Kaneshiro Hokuto is a charismatic individual and strikes a quick friendship with Tsukune, after he is admitted into the school committee. In actuality, Hokuto is the leader of ANTI-THESIS and a hybrid yōkai, determined to bring a swath of destruction and chaos upon the academy. However, he intends to break the barrier separating the human and yōkai worlds, flooding the supernatural creatures into city streets, igniting a bloody war between them.

Hokuto was originally human, and following years of physical abuse from his father, he accidentally enrolls himself into Yōkai Academy to escape him. Unfortunately, all he found there was death and unlike Tsukune, he admits he never had anyone to protect him when he first arrived. His true form is repressed by a Holy Lock, similar to Tsukune's, and he attacks the board chairman and claims his rosary, entering the basement of Yōkai Academy, where the mechanism controlling the barrier is located. Tsukune and Moka manage to bring him down, but it takes a combined effort from Tsukune, his friends and Hokuto to restore the barrier, with the hybrid recalling Tsukune's promise to bring some form of order back into the student body. Hokuto reconciles with Tsukune, but summarily leaves after the school festival begins.

Yoshii Kiria (吉井 霧亜)

The second-in-command of ANTI-THESIS, Yoshii Kiria is occasionally seen carrying and reading a small book. Calm and collected, he appears to be interested only in seeing how the events surrounding his superior, Kaneshiro Hokuto, will work out, and shares his view of releasing violence acted out on the students. Like Hokuto, Kiria is a hybrid, where his right arm becomes a scythe. It is revealed Kiria injected his blood to Hokuto, transforming him into a monster, so that he could "survive" the dangers of the academy. Ironically, he also appears grateful to Tsukune for changing Hokuto, after his foiled attempt in destroying the barrier separating the human and yōkai worlds. He leaves Yōkai Academy with Hokuto after the school festival begins.

Ueshiba Mizuki

A member of the School Committee, Ueshiba Mizuki approaches Tsukune after Tsukune is nominated to participate with the School Festival Committee. Unfortunately, he accidentally reveals himself to be the mole Tsukune is looking for in the Student Committee, alerting him to the prescence of ANTI-THESIS.

Yakumaru Mako (薬丸 麻子)

Disguised as a nurse in the school's hospital, Yakumaru Mako is first sent to assassinate Midou Kusabi, after the latter fails to kill Tsukune. In order to sow dissesion among Tsukune and his friends, Mako controls and manipulates Moka's body after injecting her with a hypnotic fluid, forcing her to kill him. When this tactic fails, Mako injects her fluid into a multitude of bystanders, all forced to attack Tsukune.

Midou Kusabi (御堂 楔)

One of the many enforcers within ANTI-THESIS, Midou Kusabi takes it upon himself to kill Tsukune, after witnessing his temporary vampiric powers, but faces super-vampire Moka, instead. Despite being thoroughly outclassed, he manages to disable her and deals a fatal blow to Tsukune, forcing Moka to inject too much of her blood into Tsukune, causing him to succumb to the vampire blood in his body and transforming into a ghoul. Midou is brutally pummelled within an inch of his life by the berserk Tsukune, only to be dispatched later by Yakumaru Mako.

Komiya Saizou (小宮 砕蔵; voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama)

The atypical class bully, Komiya Saizou attempts to rape Moka, but is knocked out by her super-vampire self, and disappears from Yōkai Academy for a while. In his true form, Saizou is an orc and reappears when Tsukune is elected class president. He joins ANTI-THESIS in the hopes of exacting revenge, but ends up defeated by when Tsukune temporarily transforms into a vampire. For hastily rushing ahead and bringing other members of ANTI-THESIS without consent, Saizou is killed for insubordination.

Other

Bus Driver

Voiced By: Norihiro Inoue

A mysterious, unnamed bus driver, who seems to know more than he reveals and constantly shows up to offer advice to Tsukune. He is the one who asks the board chairman to help keep Tsukune's ghoulish nature at bay. It is unknown if the bus driver is human or a yōkai, but seems to have an extensive knowledge in the supernatural, having identified Ishigami's Lilith Mirror as the cause of the uproar during the school festival. The similarities and the connection between him and the Board Chairman makes it a possibility that he also is one of the dark lords.

Nazo Koumori (謎 こうもり)

Voiced By: Takehito Koyasu

Nazo Koumori is a bat, who acts as the narrator for the animated adapatation (though he'd sometimes be affected by what was happening behind him). Occasionally covering up various shots of fanservice (done in the broadcast version, while the DVD version is uncensored), Nazo also appears to state the exact duration of a fight. In the manga, various bats of similar design are used to give information on the various yōkai encountered at the academy.

Kyouko

Kyouko is Tsukune's 17 year-old cousin. Described as a tomboy with a stubborn streak, she is overprotective of him and makes her appearance on the second day of the school festival while searching for Yōkai Academy. All the time she was spending at the academy she guesses different things about why his school is acting "funny.". Tsukune and his friends attempt to keep her from finding out about the academy's nature and its students, as well as prevent the authorities from discovering she is human. Kyouko manages to enter the yōkai world after she is asked to deliver a mysterious package to someone, while trying to find Tsukune. The envelope contains the Lilith Mirror, which houses a fairy, who claims it grants the owner any wish they desire, but at the cost of their soul. Almost towards the end of Kyouko's visit she thinks Tsukune is part of a "yakuza" a japanese meaning for the word "gang" by doing this in guessing random answers she happens to be gullible. Despite being Tsukune's cousin, Kyouko seems to have a crush on him (however in the Japanese culture cousin couples are not uncommon), or else was simply impressed by how much he had matured.

Jyunya Inui

A second year student who appears in the special chapter of the manga, Jyunya Inui claims to be vampire and is particularly familiar with the rules of the species. He becomes interested in Moka, and reminds her vampires cannot have relationships with other races. Tsukune is able to deduce his nature, stating he lacks the strength of a real vampire, after he takes a punch. In fact, he is an onimodoki, creatures who often pretend to be powerful monsters and intimidate other races, but are weak and frail.

Moka's elder sister

Begin to appear in the very end of chapter 12 season II as Tsukune's group enemy when they are trying to rescue Misore from the village elder force marriage. She could be as strong as or even stronger than inner Moka.

Music

Rosario + Vampire

Opening Theme:
"COSMIC LOVE" by Nana Mizuki (Episode 2 to 12)

Ending Theme:
"COSMIC LOVE" by Nana Mizuki (Episode 1 and 13)
"Dancing in the Velvet Moon" by Nana Mizuki (Episodes 2 to 12)

Character Image Songs:
"Akai Jounetsu (Red Passion)" by Nana Mizuki
"Akai SWEET PEA (Red Sweet Pea)" by Nana Mizuki
"Nagisa no Deka MELON (Big Melons on the Beach)" by Misato Fukuen
"Toki ni Ai wa" (Time Will be as Love)" by Misato Fukuen
"MAGICAL ROMANCE" by Kimiko Koyama
"DELICATE ni Suki Shite" by Kimiko Koyama

Rosario + Vampire Capu2

Opening Theme:
"DISCOTHEQUE" by Nana Mizuki (Episode 2 - )

Ending Theme:
"DISCOTHEQUE" by Nana Mizuki (Episode 1)
"Trinity Cross" by Nana Mizuki (Episode 2 - )

Reception

Vol 2 of the manga was the top 16th comic book in BookScan in September 2008.[1]

See also

• List of Rosario + Vampire episodes at Wikipedia

External links

• The original source of this page at Wikipedia

• Shueisha's official Rosario + Vampire manga website
• Gonzo's official Rosario + Vampire anime website
• Gonzo's official Rosario + Vampire Capu2 anime website