Manga Review: Vampire Doll by Erika Kari

You gotta love the storyline for Vampire Doll.  A powerful vampire prince, Guilt-na-Zan, was sealed into a cross necklace by an exorcist. Years later, the exorcist’s descendant, Kyoji, releases him but there’s a catch. You see, instead of letting the vampire free to hunt, feed, and generally be his good old evil self, he awoke in the body of a wax doll. Not only has the exorcist handicapped Guilt-na-Zan by placing him in a cute blonde-haired girl with ruffles, he also expects him to be his maid.

Such a concept probably has you wondering if it’s a horrible joke. Nothing like this could ever be good, right? Wrong. Though I was skeptical at first, I found Vampire Doll funny and entertaining. Example? There are many.

First, when Guilt-na-Zan first awoke, he tries to summon tempest and beasts, but with his new found doll body, all that comes is flowers and teddy bears.

Next, when he is given an apron by Kyoji, he asks what it is. Kyoji says,

“A special battle apron. Now your maid skills are at level two and your cuteness level is at five!”

Something about a powerful vampire prince being treated like a dress up doll is just too funny for words.

Other characters include Guilt-na-Zan's faithful bat servant, Vince, who is now in a man’s body. Although he has his own room with a bed, he insists on sleeping hanging from his feet in the closet.  He is cute, but very dumb.

Kyoichi is Kyoji’s brother and they have a bitter rivalry in which they try to kill each other regularly. Kyoji’s sister Tonae seems to be the only sane one. She adores Guilt-na-Zan’s doll form and every time she lets him drink a drop of her blood, he is able to transform into his male vampire form. These rare occurrences conveniently coincide with an event where they need his vampire skills to survive. Though Guilt-na-Zan's male form is like a 1980's hair band reject, he's still rather intimidating as the vampire prince.

In volume two, a master doll maker and his doll arrive to mix things up. The doll has scissor hands and a soul!

The Extras

• Glossy color pictures of the characters

• Bonus comic strips which put the characters into silly positions or to tell jokes.

• Author notes.

• Trivia and Japanese word/concept definitions.

• A funny manga about how the book is made.

• A one page manga called “Sweets and Me” where the author explores why strawberries on cakes look so arrogant.
  “Nothing is done to them. They are naturally born with that shape. Yet, they have the attitude of a main ingredient!”

• Cross over comics with the characters of Strange Plus.

Entertainment for hours awaits you in the pages of Vampire Doll.  If you’d like to purchase them, they are available at Amazon.com.