On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, Kodansha US launched the debut episode of BLOOD BLADE, a horror motion story created by mangaka Oma Sei. Episode 1 is cut up into two components and so they’re each out there without spending a dime to learn now on the Kodansha.us web site.
This manga is surprisingly additionally one of many uncommon few to be printed first in English earlier than the Japanese launch. As Kodansha describes it on their web site, Blood Blade is “Made in Japan, published in English!”
So what precisely is Blood Blade and what makes it stand out from different tales involving vampires and vampire teenage women? From the primary web page of Episode 1: Part A, readers are knowledgeable that that is a story about Vlad the Third, who’s extensively identified as Vlad the Impaler or in any other case identified by his extra iconic title: Dracula. It’s then revealed that the principle character of this story, the person identified as Vlad the Impaler, is as an alternative a younger girl with black hair carrying a black cloak and armed with a blade. Her identify is Vladislaus Draculesti, and he or she’s a vampire who’s uninterested in the peaceable state of the world, and is raring for some motion.
We then meet our secondary character, who we ultimately discover out is the granddaughter of Doctor Frankenstein. When we first encounter her, she’s a terrified blonde-haired lady named Clara, who’s on the run in a wintery panorama solely to be impaled by a mercenary’s blade. She is rescued due to the intervention of Vlad, whose powers make brief work of the merc.
It’s instantly established that Clara isn’t human, as she survives what would have in any other case been a deadly wound. Instead, we discover out that she’s a Golem created by a company identified merely as Cerberus. Then two extra unnamed characters allied to Vlad are revealed as Vlad makes a proposal to Clara: “Come home with us.”
The second installment, Episode 1: Part B, continues straight after Part A inside Vlad’s fortress as we’re then given some transient exposition and world-building as effectively as the stakes that the characters are up in opposition to. As Clara explains to Vlad, Cerberus is successful a conflict in opposition to the monsters in this world. They’ve already slain many creatures and are additionally chargeable for the creation of human-monster hybrids for the sake of world domination. The stage is then set as the mercenary from half A returns to battle Vlad on her house turf, as Cerberus seeks to kill vampires most of all, and Vlad, who’s already looking forward to bloodshed, is able to take them on.
The artwork of Blood Blade, from the very first web page, is crammed with darkish shadows, vibrant colours, and a double web page unfold with the title reveal – the type of artwork that resembles what one may anticipate at first look, from a Western-style comedian. But that’s the catch! Immediately afterwards, readers are contrasted with the acquainted black and white artwork type synonymous with most Japanese manga. Sei attracts every character with exact skinny traces with some delicate use of traces for detailing on garments and character’s faces. They additionally artfully use numerous blacks to emphasise shadows, hair, and clothes, to carry this gothic fantasy world to life. Sei additionally balances the values out with some neat touches of white to carry out highlights and quantity on the clothes and hair.
The line artwork is typically blended with intelligent utilization of images transformed into line artwork. It doesn’t conflict with the drawn characters and the general artwork type, whereas additionally saving time for the artist, in order that they don’t have to attract each single background. In another panels, it’s clear that the backgrounds are drawn, nonetheless, it has been completed in a approach that makes the distinction barely noticeable whereas studying. This places the main focus extra on the characters who stand out from the background artwork, all of the whereas additionally complementing and enhancing the story itself.
Although there’s solely 42 pages out there to learn now in these two components, there’s sufficient info revealed for brand new readers to make connections about the place the story’s general premise. At the identical time, it additionally raises some new questions, which add to the thriller of the story. Questions such as, how did Vlad turn out to be Vladislaus? Is Blood Blade related to the lore established in Bram Stoker’s unique novels, or is it extra impressed by the traditional Universal monster films? Who are these new characters? Where precisely is the world the story is going down in?
From interviews with Blood Blade’s mangaka, Oma Sei said that “Blood Blade was heavily inspired by classic horror films and dramas.” and that they purpose to “bring the spotlight back to these monsters of yore.” It appears that upcoming chapters of Blood Blade will function some acquainted and iconic characters and creatures from traditional Hollywood monster films. Given how we now have “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”-inspired characters already, together with a direct point out of Doctor Frankenstein, solely time will inform what’s in retailer subsequent for readers.
Blood Blade is accessible now on Kodansha US web site, with extra chapters releasing weekly on Wednesdays. Episode 1: Part A, is at present out there without spending a dime, whereas Episode 1: Part B, whereas additionally free, is accessible solely to those that register for a free Kodansha Reader account. Registering won’t solely will let you learn extra of Blood Blade, but in addition provide you with entry to different tales from Kodansha, plus the choice to straight buy e-books of Kodansha manga releases.
The first quantity of the Blood Blade manga is scheduled to be launched on February 20, 2024.
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