Rosario + Vampire (2008) User Reviews

A shame they didn't develop it further

[yasenkiranov · 8/10 · 30 June 2013]

This anime was recommended to me by a friend,who has also read the manga and spoke highly of both.I recently finished watching both seasons and i felt a little disappointed.I won't go into specifics about the story to avoid spoilers.Plus,I don't think that will be necessary in order to explain what my main complaint is.

Our protagonist is a fairly average teenage boy,Tskune,who after failing an exam ends up enlisting in a school for supernatural beings also referred to as monsters.It is left ambiguous if this is mere chance or fate.The presence of supernatural elements is typical for anime,so nothing new there.It was interesting,however,that our protagonist was placed in an environment where he is all but powerless.This is clearly noticeable as in the first couple of Episodes Tskune is fearful,unsure and,well,I'd hate to call him a wimp,but that is what he is.This was,however, necessary in order for him to develop and stand up for himself and his friends.

The best part of Rosario,in my opinion,was the way the characters were developed and the interactions between them.This is most notable in the first season,because the characters introduced in season 2 were not that many and didn't have important roles.And here we come to the main problem of this anime.The overall flow was good in the first season,story arc was complete,characters received adequate development.Season 2,however,breaks that flow.The first 2 episodes introduce a new character,Moka's sister,who receives very little in terms of development(which is not so in the manga).The next episodes contribute nothing to advance the overall plot and the pacing becomes horrible.A subplot about Moka's Father pops out of nowhere in the final 3 episodes,when it should have been developed,or at least hinted,throughout the entire season.The characters are also do not receive as much development as in season 1.

I think that by the time they started making season 2 they ditched they Idea of the anime being it's own separate thing and instead turned it into an advertising tool for the manga,which,most people agree,is far superior to the anime.And that's a real shame,since it had a lot of potential.

Although season 2 is kind of a let down,especially the ending,I would still recommend Rosario,as it is very fun to watch and has very likable characters.

Well, nobody has reviewed it yet...

[mentalcritic · 6/10 · 28 May 2011]

To be honest, reviewing things on the IMDb has become a very unattractive pursuit in the last few years, for reasons I shall not go into here. But to see an entry finally added for Rosario + Vampire and not see any attempt, leave alone a good one, to make readers aware of what to expect... well, what can I do? Rosario + Vampire can basically be discussed in a couple of parallel threads. There is the manga, and there is this anime. Comparing one to the other is important, because it is important to understand why fans of the manga still cry out for a visual media adaptation. Another good point of comparison would be the enormously successful HBO series True Blood.

Manga and anime alike start through the eyes of a boy in his mid-teens who goes by the name of Tsukune. Tsukune is a profoundly average boy, and has failed the entrance exams to pretty much every school in Japan. But this is not meant to be a commentary about the intellectual caste system of Japan. Rather, it is a setup to explain how Tsukune is enrolled by his parents in the Youkai Academy after his father happens across a flier dropped by a suspect-looking person. Of course, anyone who knows the meaning of Youkai in Japanese knows where this is going. Tsukune, upon learning that he is enrolled in a school for mythical creatures, begins to write his withdrawal notice and make his way toward the exit. But what stops him is the young woman he met earlier in the day, a Vampire who goes by the name of Moka. Where Tsukune is the most average, unremarkable Human, Moka is one of the most elite and powerful Youkai of the lot, extraordinary even by Vampire standards. And she finds the taste of Tsukune's blood very much to her liking.

It is more or less after this introduction that the manga and anime go on very different paths. Whereas the characters of the manga face some extreme challenges that go straight to the root of their psyches, the anime is mostly farcical and only superficially explores any of the feelings the characters have about anything. We get told that Moka is very frightened of Humans because of her experiences of trying to attend school in the Human world, but aside from flashbacks, we get very little to concrete it. Mizore, easily my favourite character from the manga, is basically reduced to running jokes about popping up in the weirdest places and taking her desire of Tsukune a little too far. In the manga, the arc that introduces her shows her dealing with trust and abandonment issues as one of the sensei tries to take advantage of her. The kindness that Tsukune shows her as she fights off that sensei once and for all makes it patently obvious why she loves him. In the anime, we are just expected to accept it as a given.

Where the anime partially saves itself is in the relationship between Tsukune and Moka. Seeing them grow together as people as they learn to deal with each others' differences is a major component of the early manga that has been sadly lacking in recent volumes. One almost wishes the series had been around for George Lucas to watch when he was writing scenes for a pair of characters earlier in this decade. Since the anime is also very brief and to the point, there is a lot less gnashing of teeth about why Tsukune has to be so indecisive about which of the women chasing him he wants. But the biggest selling point of the anime by far is Nana Mizuki's voicework as both Inner and Outer Moka. As the more demure, gentle Outer Moka, she sounds sweet and childlike in a way that manages to not sicken this jaded old viewer (quite a feat in itself that Harry Potty et al could never achieve). Then when the Inner Moka comes out, she gently, calmly sounds like she could tear the viewer's head off just to see the rest of them twitch. It is no coincidence that all of the theme songs also feature Mizuki's voice prominently.

So if you are curious as to whether to introduce yourself to Rosario + Vampire through this series, I feel a comparison says it best. The manga is like Tim Burton's Batman. The anime is a somewhat more grown-up version of the Adam West abomination. But who knows? Maybe one day we might get that Takashi Miike R+V adaptation I hold my breath for.

Uhh....I really, I don't even know.

[basedeggs · 7/10 · 22 November 2018]

Watched this when I was young and it gives me major nostalgia, I love Tsukune (The main character) But most of the characters are very cliche anime arc characters... It's very sexualized but as a female I don't really mind, some of it is funny, there is some comedy and etc- Good laughs. There isn't really a plot to be found which is a big bother to me (The manga is very good and way less sexualized, I think the anime maybe follows the manga for like 3 episodes? The plot is much more superior and Tsukune isn't completely useless in it) They really changed A LOT of this show, it's very messy as sometimes the show gets very serious and initiates a short story... The second season is a complete janky crap, the last few episodes really just made me mad as the show makes the group out to be a clique that quite literally outs the other real Moka just for not being the old Moka, (Explained by watching the show) which in reality would be extremely lonely and I can't help but just feel bad for her, which is ridiculous because they try so....hard. Honestly it's okay sometimes, a few moments were really cringy yeah. Idk, I don't hate it, I just don't love it. I can't help but be somewhat okay with it still just for the fact that I really enjoyed it growing up.

Side Note: Mizuki Nana sings all the ending and opening songs, I love me some Mizuki Nana.

Rosario + Vampire

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 28 August 2015]

Protagonist Tsukune Aono can't get into any of the schools he wants to; then he sees an advert for the private Yokai Academy… he applies and is accepted. When he gets there he is in for quite a surprise; it is no ordinary school; it is a school solely for monsters and humans caught on site are killed! Luckily its primary purpose is to train them to pass as human and in the school they are meant to maintain their human form at all times. He befriends vampire Moka Akashiya but soon learns she isn't quite what she seems; when the rosario, a cross, is removed from her neck she transforms into a far more powerful creature. She learns his secret but doesn't tell anybody else as she likes the taste of his blood!.

Over the course of the series they must deal with a variety of other monster students; inevitably at the end of the episode Tsukune will pull the Rosario from Moka's neck; she will transform and defeat the menace… if this menace is female she will inevitably end up joining Tsukune's ever expanding harem. It isn't long before it includes a vampire, a succubus, a young witch and a 'snow fairy'. Early on it is very much a 'monster of the week' show but later, as the group joins the school's newspaper club, we get longer running story lines that lead up to a final battle against the head of the school's Security Committee.

This is a rather fun series with some good characters and an entertaining story. The idea of having the protagonist trapped in a school for monsters is good and leads to plenty of great moments. Being a harem show it won't come as much of a surprise that this features plenty of ecchi moments. These are mostly limited to rather frequent shots of the girls' underwear, the only actual nudity is a brief flash of Moka's backside as she transforms. The characters are distinctive and the animation is okay but nothing special. The series gets better as it progresses and more characters are introduced, including more threatening bad guys. Overall an enjoyable series but not really a 'must see'; good enough that I'd still watch the second season at some point… if you want a monster-harem series 'Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls'; which was still airing when I wrote this review, is more amusing… but be warned it takes the ecchi quite a bit further!.

These comments are based on watching the first series of 'Rosario + Vampire' in Japanese with English subtitles.

Simple and fun to watch

[300Megahertz · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

There is no grand plot going on. In every episode Tskune and his friends have to defeat another foe and they need to work out their love triangle. The focus clearly is on the latter as the fights aren't that spectacular, though the visuals are often gorgeous.

His friends (or rather his harem) are typical naive but lovable anime girls. Only Moka (due to her importance to Tskune) has more of a personality. Tskune himself is a bit lacking as he is very weak and consequently has to be rescued by his female friends all the time; a fact that he is painfully aware of himself. He would have been way cooler if he had at least one useful skill like sword fighting; just anything instead of whining about how weak he is. His weakness is also very much at odds with his protective nature.

Though plot and characters aren't anything spectacular, there are some really beautiful and funny moments to be found, lessons about love and friendship (though nothing too deep). And 13 episodes are a good match for this format.

Fun, entertaining, alluring, and humorous.

[ajrcvr · 9/10 · 21 June 2016]

When I came across this series, Rosario + Vampire, I thought the premise to be unusual enough to watch; the concept of an ordinary mid- teen human kid accidentally going to a school of monsters was a cool one, and had a lot of potential.

Rosario did not disappoint. Though monsters, most of the students at Yokai Academy are pretty good looking in their human form, including Tsukune, the male protagonist, while the girls are unsurprisingly pretty sexy. You have to get used to the amount of fan service the creators provide, but, like watching girls in bikinis on a beach, after a while you get used to it and it's not that big a deal, just a very pleasant spectacle; however, the girls ARE very attractive, and the various mini story arcs constantly remind one of their powerful sex appeal. That, and the pretty decent animation, plus great music, makes it an entertaining thing to watch and listen to. The adorable Nana Mizuki has a great voice, and does a wonderful job with the songs-as well as the sedate Moka's voice - even if in Japanese; if you have a chance, look this charming little lady up!

There is no overwhelming story to take in, other than the adventures of a teenage human boy in a school of monster people, but the little ones they provide, and the resulting fights that the gorgeous Moka Akashiya has in her powerful vampire state, are very cool to see; but, of course, Moka always is, no matter what state she's in. The series is strewn throughout with comic moments, which one can see is what the creators decided to make this, rather than an anime with hard science, plots, and dramas, which is what it appears confuses those people who also read the manga. I didn't. Rosario doesn't try to become something terribly serious and dramatic, although it does have some interesting dramatic and semi-serious moments in it; but ultimately they give way to more humorous and amusing resolutions. Tsukune is a charming young boy with a naive but very good heart, and it's easy to see why the girls - otherwise in a school of high-octane monster males - love him. His human scent is not the reason, it's just there, and something more that interests them; but the love they have for him is because of his good, accepting nature and wishes of good will for everyone, which, in a school of monsters, makes for many comic moments.

Altogether, Rosario's characters are attractive and charming, male and female alike, the anime colorful and pleasant to watch, the villains (who are only villainous for a short time) interesting and then amusing, and the story lines light and entertaining; that is why it has its popularity. And of course, there are Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, & Yukari (not to ignore Rubi Tojo, the exotic adult witch, Ririko Kagome, the super sexy & busty math teacher, & the nearly as sexy & always funny homeroom teacher, Shizuka Nekonome) all of who are always attractive, captivating, slightly erotic, & very entertaining to watch. But it is always the dazzling Moka Akashiya that is the central focus of the series, who manages to stir up most of the action & drama, one way or the other, and is any man or boy's dream girl; and if you have to offer up a little blood every once in awhile, well, that's the price for having a stunning vampire girlfriend who adores you. It's a definite hoot, and worth watching a few times.

is this anime is worth watching

[vinay-48659 · 10/10 · 19 April 2016]

Well this anime series Rosario +vampire is my second watch anime series in my college.when the first episode start i didn't know the meaning of Rosario but when the series continue i understood very well that it is a Jewellery wear by moka main vampire character.when his rosary remove he become a strong scary cute vampire. But the human appearance of moka is very cute and his vampire form is just opposite. Well this is about rosary. This anime series is excellent for people who just start watching anime.and it is also good for serious anime viewers. Nothing for review for this anime it is perfect just watch and write your own review.but i am eager to watch the season 3 of this anime bcoz this anime is incomplete. Overall this anime is worth to watch and you are addict to this anime.i get this anime infinite star not 10.

Don't know why this is so popular

[ikrani · 4/10 · 25 January 2014]

Many moons ago, I began to see a reoccurring theme on the net: one that spoke of something called "Rosario+Vampire". Every other day I'd find someone had posted something online about it, so I decided to check it out.

It's a harem anime. Well, one of my favorite anime of all time is a harem anime, so I gave it a chance.

The premise is some teenage boy gets mixed up and enrolls in a school for monsters who need to be taught how to coexist with humans. Not sure how one makes a four-year curriculum out of that, but I've seen shows work with far less. He meets a pink-haired vampire girl called Moka who is immediately enraptured by his human odor.

Okay, I'm gonna have to stop you right there, show. See, you can't really expect us to buy into your "love is the way you smell" nonsense. That's not how real feelings work.

So, the rest of the harem arrives soon after and begin competing for the guy's affection (even though it's pretty clear who's his favorite out of the lot): a overly horny succubus, a prepubescent witch, and a shy, forward and somewhat unnerving ice-creature named Mizore.

After this, the group move from boring plot to boring plot, some of which are used for gratuitous fan service and others actually somewhat intriguing, such as curry that turns people into curry-zombies. Each episode has a fight in it that the show tries to joke about by telling us how many seconds each fight lasted.

Okay, have to stop you again, show. Simply pointing out your own failings isn't funny unless you have a punchline for them.

I really have nothing to say on any of the supporting cast in this series because I recall none of them. Okay, there is some flaming fox demon in the Season 1 finale. He was pretty badass, and he also came with a dark tale about prejudice, totalitarianism and the effects of keeping cultures separate. THAT was awesome.

Alas, things do not stay awesome for our male lead when we see Moka's younger sister arrive in season 2. Her goal is to see Moka go from pink-haired mild-mannered student to no-nonsense authoritative vampire permanently. Yeah, she's pretty annoying.

You may have noticed that I only used two characters' names and labeled the rest by their role or monster types. This is because I find these characters to be so utterly forgettable. I remember Mizore because she was the only one out of all of them who was actually rather complex in struggling with her anti-social tendencies as well as being a bit suicidal when we first meet her. I remember Moka's name because she's the character in the title card and the only one who has any decent action scenes. She's still pretty bland, though.

This is your clichéd harem anime: uninteresting characters, slow pacing, and WAY too much fan service. I never get the vibe that any of these girls have legitimate feelings for our weak-boned male lead and the only reason they hang around him is because he's got that human stench about him. And, worst of all, the episodes are just so BORING. They all feel like they were made as filler for a better show. There's little conflict in each one and most of it revolves around Blandness's personal harem finding new ways to be gratuitously horny. Even the episode names are boring: "Security Committee and a Vampire", "Tsukune and a Vampire". Oh yeah, THAT'S what Blandness's name is...

I would've given the show a 5 out of 10 if it had made me feel indifferent about itself. However, its blatant objectification of its female characters leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. While I do recommend the two episodes I just mentioned, as they manage to deliver a pretty solid plot and some hardcore monster-vs-monster action, give the rest a miss. They're all pretty boring.

Amusing show

[ashleytubbs-78358 · 10/10 · 22 March 2020]

Don't get me wrong I don't like the bleeding noses when the guys get turned on or how all the girls are so desperate in this. But other than that it's quite amusing. I have watched the show before and since it's been a long time I'm watching it again. I didn't even know there was a season 2. Honestly wish there was more.

It's Reverse Twilight

[maxmages · 2/10 · 6 May 2019]

All the reasons why I love "Elfen Lied" so much are here are only in bad. In the course of the plot is devastating entanglements and countless embarrassing scenes Beyond the comic with a few jokes and the rich fan service, with pantyshots over 9000 and 'Big jiggling breasts', the story itself however is little original and have little to offer.

It's just reverse "Twilight" and everyone at school is jealous, needy and/or greedy. In addition to the many cheap comedy and (un)erotic, the series also contains some action, but this is staged very unspectacular. (I know that's the joke, but it does not make it more watchable). The fourth wall is constantly broken because the series does not get any transitions and is so poorly explained that I had to rely on the Wikipedia article to follow the broken World Building.

The character designs are very cute and colorful but too bland to be really distinguishable. The constant adulation of the 2 protagonists makes some moments so unbearable it causes headaches. Imagery and subtlety are also present, but it feels more like an austerity measure. The whole series moves only in circles and it is so episodic that you have seen 99% of the series after the first three episodes and is so predictable that you know after the first episode how it goes on and how it ends.

It has some surprising moments but they do not justify the wait and the end is just disappointing + two episodes were so cringeworthy that my nose started to bleed and I got migraine.

The animation looks like TV from the early 2000s and the CGI like PlayStation 2 graphics.

Not a bad Halloween-type of series

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 27 April 2018]

This series is really good I have to say. I like the fact that we get to meet a young fella who went to the wrong bus and ended up being in a monster school. Of course in the end, he also turns into a vampire thanks to Moka while she was trying to save him from that evil dude (sorry I cant find his name anywhere and forgot about it after watching the anime!).Moka in her super vampire form was not too bad, although I would've rathered if she turned out to be more scary and unpredictable, she was more like your typical mean girl type than how an actual vampire really acts. Still, the voice actress did a great job with the voice and of course the characters superpowers were pretty good.

Kinda dumb.

[invisibleunicornninja · 4/10 · 9 April 2018]

I watched series one, and its not that great. The animation could've been better. Every female is sexualized. Pretty much every episode has the same format (there's even a bat character that comes in and compares every episode to the previous one and how similar they are). All the characters are watered down and shallow. There is some entertainment to be found, but not much. Miscommunication is often used as a plot device, which is really frustrating. I wouldn't really recommend this.

Unwatchable most of the time, but decent fights

[jtheman13 · 4/10 · 25 September 2019]

OK, I watched this show when I was a teenager, and I managed to maneuver through panty shots every damn minute, and made it through (I skipped the hot springs episode and a few others). Some fights were awesome, and some were mediocre, but I tried a couple years after to watch it again and couldn't even make it through the first episode. So much fanservice, so little anything else.