"Bloody" Mary is not your typical vampire. He can withstand sunlight, holds a reflection in mirrors, refuses to drink blood—and wants 17-year-old student and priest Maria to kill him. But to Mary's dismay, Maria doesn't know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria's bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him at last.
Rated: T
April 1, 2016
Gr 7 Up-Priest Maria is being stalked by a vampire, the 400-year-old "Bloody" Mary, who yearns for Maria to kill him. Unfortunately, Maria has no idea how to use his inherited powers to give Mary the death that he seeks. So Maria offers Mary a deal: if Mary can protect him from other vampires and help him unlock the secrets of becoming an exorcist, Maria will use his power to grant Mary's wish and end his life. There are a great many unanswered questions in this first volume, with numerous intriguing hints that suggest a far more complex story line to come. Though dark, this series also includes some humor: Mary's stalking and pleading to be killed are often ridiculously comic. The artwork and character designs, however, are where the manga truly shines. While the story is somewhat confusing and the jokes sometimes fall flat, the visuals are quite lovely. All of the main characters have a bishonen look, and many of the panels use the sparkle and floral screen tone designs that characterize a shoujo series. At first glance, this manga seems to be flirting with the theme of love between boys, but it never actually crosses that line. VERDICT Pair with Matsuri Hino's Vampire Knight for entertaining vampire manga with actual plot and a profusion of blood-drenched beautiful boys.-Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT
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