Anime/manga review: Seraph of the End
This series is a creative and emotional dark fantasy featuring a post-apocalypse world and a war between humans and vampires. Episode 1 drops you right into the drama, as a sudden plague devastates the adult human population. Vampires immediately move in and put the children of Tokyo, including 8-year old Yuichiro (‘Yu’) and Mikaela (‘Mika’), under their “protection”. A time-jump of four years reveals that the children serve as living blood banks within the vampire city of Sanguinem. Yu and Mika’s bond and their differing attitudes to their situation are immediately apparent, with Yu being more openly belligerent and defiant, while Mika is a gentle pragmatist, willing to bend as necessary to keep Yu and the rest of their adoptive orphan family safe. But Mika’s been secretly planning an escape plan…which goes badly wrong at the last moment, leading to Yu reaching the human world alone. We meet up with Yu again when he is sixteen. The second and third episodes flagged a bit because a lot of random stuff seems to be thrown together. Why does this apocalypse also feature giant monsters? What’s with the high school setting? Who is this slightly off-kilter purple-haired girl following Yu around as a military observer? However, all those apparently disparate elements get woven together as the story goes on, resulting in a satisfying narrative.
The vampires in this story are great. If Lestat is your favorite character in ‘Interview with the Vampire’, you will like these bloodsuckers! The first one we meet is Ferid Bathory, a devious and utterly fabulous noble in thigh-high boots. Two other important players are the tiny but ferocious Queen Krul Tepes and the perpetually chill Crowley Eusford (a bigger presence in the 2nd season). Their interactions are top-notch:
[Crowley, after a fight with the humans that killed 5 nobles] “I’m sure it was you that leaked that intel.” [Ferid, fake pouting] “I’m hurt. There’s nothing worse than selling out your friends.” [Crowley] “Really? Well, not that I care. What I do care about is that you also gave them my location. I thought I was in your clique.” [Ferid, smugly] “But didn’t you have fun?” [Crowley, who didn’t get a scratch] “Well, yeah. I guess it was fun.”
Their underground capitol has a creepy design that is architecturally distinct from both the more actively inhabited human areas and the post-apocalyptic ruins. These vampires have the usual enhanced speed and strength, but none of the traditional weaknesses: they get sleepy in the mornings but can go out in sunlight1 and re-attach limbs, and even a stab to the heart with ordinary steel or wood won’t kill. The overpowered vampires mean the humans have taken some extreme measures to fight them, and that in turn adds moral complexity to the story.
1. Well, not intrinsically, according to the manga. But burning doesn’t kill them, and they’ve developed tech to protect themselves from UV light.
In order to combat vampires, the human army has developed cursed weapons that require making a deal with a demon. They’ve also been experimenting on people – including Yu, unbeknownst to him – in the hope of gaining that extra edge. The vampires describe humans as greedy creatures who wreck their own world, and as the story progresses it becomes clear that they sort of have a point! Perhaps to symbolize this moral ambiguity, the human army wears high-collared double-breasted black uniforms like the officer’s dress uniforms from the WWII Imperial Army with details - epaulets, cross-belts, high boots, and (for sergeants and above) arm-bands - that echo German SS uniforms. The vampires wear white and have more of a shared aesthetic than a uniform per se, with each noble blending modern styles (the double-breasted jacket, say) with more archaic elements like capes, frilly cravats, or top hats. The human and vampire secrets regarding the titular "Seraph of the End", and the complicated politics and internal factions of both sides become more of a focus in season 2.
Left: LTC Guren, who recruits Yu into the Black Demon Company, with his demon sword. Right: Yu’s squad, including Yoichi, Kimizuki, Mitsuba, and Sergeant Shinoa.
Yu has been motivated to the point of recklessness to fight the vampires by his belief that they killed everyone who was close to him for no good reason. But that conviction wavers when he finally encounters Mika again and discovers he’s no longer human. Later in the second season there’s an incredible scene where Yu is trying to persuade Mika to bite him because he needs the blood. Mika resists, talking about how hard he’s tried to avoid drinking human blood and becoming a full vampire. Yu replies that he can’t bear to see him die. “You gotta be joking! Are you telling me to become a vampire just for you?” Mika says incredulously. “Yeah! You have a problem with that?” Yu retorts. He won’t listen to whatever important thing Mika has to say until he’s safe. Mika weeps, saying “I’m going to become a monster because of you,” and Yu assures him that’s OK. Then Mika lunges for his neck, and:
So, time to talk about the gay subtext in this story which, while not as “loud” as in ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’, is very much present. There are viewers who insist that Yu and Mika have a close brotherly relationship. True, the two tend to refer to each other as “my family”. However, they pointedly do not say “brother” - I’ve watched enough ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ to recognize that word – even though the other orphans did refer to “big brother Mika”. It would make sense if they were a little unclear on how else to refer to their relationship, since they were separated while quite young, are now on opposite sides of a war, and haven’t had much time to talk. But what, after all, is the most common unit of a new family other than a couple? Also, it should be noted that Ferid - who’s an effective villain in part because he’s good at figuring out what people want - definitely thinks Mika is in love with Yu. And if there’s any character in this series I’d trust to have impeccable gaydar, it’s Ferid!
Ferid, captain of the ‘ship: “Wow, look at that cute reaction [As Yu and Mika recognize each other]…No wonder you’re attached…But he’s a human too. Humans will never become our friends. Oh, I know! Then, just like Krul did to you, I can turn Yu into a vamp-[Mika threatens to strangle him]…I’m just kidding…go save your princess”
Mika certainly goes to great lengths for Yu. He didn't put his escape plan into action until confirming that Yu would come with him and, when mortally wounded, insisted that Yu run and save himself. He resists being turned not so much out of his own principles as because Yu hates vampires…and possibly because it would be weird to stop aging when Yu is still growing up. When he learns the humans have been experimenting on Yu, he resolves to save him and find a way to run away together again. As for Yu, while Shinoa has feelings for him that could possibly be partially reciprocated, his first thought, his dreams and his nightmares, are always about Mika. Once he knows Mika is still alive, he is so torn between going with him versus saving his new comrades from the other vampires that it awakens the dark force inside him. At which point Mika lets Yu stab him for the second time that day (with a weapon that could actually kill him if activated) just to make sure Yu doesn’t murder Shinoa while he’s out of his mind and hate himself. And Yu, in turn, is willing to stick with a commander he suspects of trying to turn him into a weapon because it gives him the best chance of finding Mika and maybe turning him human again.
Perhaps most significantly, when it comes to vampire stories - at least the ones where the vampires have human level intelligence - blood-drinking has always been a metaphor for sex, exploitative power, or some combination of the two. When the orphans get better food than usual following Mika’s visit to Ferid’s home and Yu is so upset that he can’t eat it - the metaphor there is pretty clear! In case it wasn’t, the manga (read from right to left) adds this interaction:
Crowley’s busty assistant drinking blood from his finger was apparently considered suggestive enough to have to happen slightly off screen. Whether vampires in this world have a human-like sexuality or whether, as in some interpretations, blood entirely substitutes…if either Yu or Mika were female most viewers of that first blood-drinking scene would assume this relationship is romantic. Not to mention that Mika’s next line is: “It’s weird, right? This is weird.” And Yu replies: “Who cares? It’s not like we want to be normal.” He means it, too; If you look at the ending of season 2 and do the math, there’s already no way this a one-time thing.
Now, do you have to view their relationship that way? Well, the “close brotherly feelings” interpretation could work for Yu because he is pretty protective of other people as well…though his near-suicidal determination to never leave “family” in danger was clearly born out of his guilt over Mika. But I think it makes the story better – tenser, potentially more tragic – to treat it as a Romeo and Juliet situation. Actually, that’s selling it short: Those two impulsive teenagers knew each other for about three days (and Shakespeare never meant it to be a model relationship!), while Yu and Mika have had years to build a bond and prove their devotion to each other. Does the ambiguity make this queerbaiting? I’m not going to rush to say so, because the story is clearly far from finished (even in the manga...but see below for that). And it isn’t as if there are any confirmed straight relationships either – everyone’s been too busy running around trying not to die!
There are certainly some things you can critique. My biggest gripe would be the female characters, who are across the board less developed than their male counterparts. Shinoa and Krul are fun and distinctive, but I don’t feel I understand Shinoa as much as I do Guren, and Mitsuba is just kind of there. Ironically, the fact that they are more senior means that we don’t get to see how their demons tempted them, which revealed important details about the boys, such as that Yoichi doesn’t really want revenge but can be motivated to seek power to protect his friends, or that Kimizuki fears and denies the thought that his sick sister is a burden. Crowley’s two assistants are the most objectified – perhaps not totally out of line with the “I’m sexy and I know it” vibe of most of the vampires, but they have lower than average independence and personality. In terms of minor quibbles, while we get some hints about what created the monsters, big mindless beasts don’t seem that interesting as antagonists compared to vampires, so they could have been left out without really affecting the story much.
Regardless, this tale is a good exploration of how people can be torn between multiple loyalties. We all have more than one person we care about; should we let four friends put themselves in danger to help us save a best friend or a lover, or vice versa? Should we stick with “our side” even if it is putting the world at risk? Is it harder to die for someone you love, or to fulfil their request that you not die by living without them or becoming something you despise? Questions like that – paired with some awesome action sequences and creative worldbuilding and character design - are what make this such an addictive show.
'Owari no Seraph' manga: The story continues
The anime so far is incredibly faithful to the manga up the last scene, which combines some information from chapters 41-45, but leaves other things out. While the anime ending might seem unexpectedly positive, there are hints that Yu is not as totally fine as he might initially seem, and that is borne out in the manga. The rest of the 100 chapters of the manga (so far) slowly unfold the relationships between humans, vampires, demons, and angels, and how human choices led to the apocalypse. The complex and ever-shifting web of alliances and betrayals definitely keeps the characters and the readers on their toes. The fact that both humans and vampires have been experimenting with the “Seraph of the End” despite the fact that it could destroy the world just because they are trying to pre-emptively counter each other has clear cold war parallels.
Much of the rest of the story so far is a mix of the good and the hopeless. On the plus side, our two heroes get to be with each other and Yu’s other friends, and they gain some unexpected if not-entirely-trustworthy allies. That means more Ferid and Crowley, which I am absolutely down for:
On the minus side, both Mika and Yu are slowly losing their humanity and Yu’s similarity to Guren starts to take on some ominous implications.
You really have to feel for Mika,
since he just wants to keep Yu safe but his own semi-miraculous reappearance seems to have convinced Yu that, together, they can always save everyone else.
Over and over Mika has this look that says: “FINE. I guess I’ll come along so
you don’t get killed or captured or go berserk and murder the friends you’re
trying to save. Uggh, why did I have to fall in love with such an idiot?” And
I’m not making up that last bit. Remember the blood metaphor? Well...
No comment needed, I think- except to note that Yu is annoyed there because he is running away from a powerful enemy while carrying a wounded Mika and so really doesn't have time to melt into a happy little puddle. Ordinarily, he is very quick to offer, even if his vampire boyfriend has another ethical option but just doesn't seem that into it. And Mika does eventually tell Yu he loves him, although in very sad circumstances. Their story is clearly not done, though, not when humans can become vampires, vampires can become demons, and neither boy was fully human to begin with. Speaking of which, Shinoa falling for Yu does turn out to be quite plot-relevant, though that is probably not going to go well for her – in a demon-related way, not just because Yu is finally realizing how he feels about Mika!
There’s another romance sub-plot that is very odd, though. Guren and Shinoa’s sister were in love, but she got promised to Shinya by her family. Now, Guren and his silver-haired sniper pal Shinya are described as rivals, but Shinya got roped into the engagement thing too, and I think Guren recognizes that. After all, you might forgive a romantic rival who indirectly led to your beloved’s tragic demise, but would you react to their death like this?:
*Spoiler deleted
Shinya comes off a bit like a cross between Ferid and Mika, actually. He's toned way down compared to the vampire lord, but there are similarities in the voice and sense of humor and flair for the dramatic. For example: a sample of Shinya and his demon gun. Like Mika, though, he is a genuinely good person who is extremely devoted to Guren and clearly the voice of reason in that relationship. This scene (though I don’t love the dub) where Shinya shows up in war zone driving a sports car, dorkily munching toast, to go “Hi Guren! I hear you got sent on a suicide mission. I’m here to help!” really just sums up his whole character. At this point I don’t think the intention is to portray Guren and Shinya as a couple, or at least not to have it be reciprocal, but given images like the ones above and below you can see why some fans hope! A character I didn’t realize was queer-coded until halfway through the manga was Asuramaru, Yu’s demon. One of the vampires starts referring to their brother, Ashera, who became a demon. But "Ashera" is a female goddess name and Asuramaru is drawn very feminine, even wearing a long backless gown and tiara:
Left: Shinya and Guren, following a battle. Right: Asuramaru.
Unlike Grell in ‘Black Butler’, who frequently refers to herself as a “girl” or “fair maiden” even if other characters say “he”, Asuramaru doesn’t give a clear indication of what their gender is. Is that significant? Well, as with Ferid, Asuramaru seems to recognize and even be rooting for Yu and Mika’s relationship. They wake him up in time to save Mika’s life, refer to him as Yu’s “partner” and, when Yu falls into despair over potentially losing Mika, basically go: “Hey, you know…I do want to take over your body and all. Evil demon. Grr. But, uh, you might want to think about whether this is as hopeless as it seems before you let me do that.” However, though that may seem to confirm Yu's statement that they are friends, Asuramaru's motives are complicated and not easy to interpret - perhaps even to the demon who, like Yu, is missing some early memories.
All this is why I don’t feel bad about enjoying Ferid. The queer-coded evil villain trope has been frequently and rightly criticized. But, personally, I say we keep the Ferids, Scars, and Ursulas and just balance them out with a wider range of representation. This crew is a pretty decent start! Unfortunately, an extra 60 chapters of story hasn’t done much for the ladies. Shinoa and Krull are still the only remotely interesting ones, unless we can count Asuramaru. And, even then, it’s a bit weird that while we see a wider range of female designs from tall ass-kicking soldier to busty femme fatale to bespectacled geek, the only ones that are halfway well-developed as characters are all tiny and adorable and mostly interact with the men.
Overall recommendation:
If you like vampires, or tales with complex relationships and political maneuverings, you would probably enjoy this series…so long as you don’t mind minors being the focal characters in a vampire/war story! Links to Season 1: Vampire Reign and Season 2: Battle in Nagoya here, though the latter has some serious pop-up ad issues. [Edit: I've learned the series is available on Hulu!] I look forward to seeing what happens next, and whether the reported season 3 of the anime will stick to the manga plot or do its own thing. I like that the anime has so far mostly cut Shinoa’s weird obsession over boob sizes or her questioning Kimizuke’s masculinity because he’s a good cook, so hopefully any changes will be to the story’s benefit – like maybe giving those poor boys a chance to talk about their feelings when neither is on the brink of death!
