Dance In The Vampire Bund

[Archangel]

Not having read or even heard of the manga previously i can say i thoroughly enjoyed both these episodes

The animation is presenting itself in a very shafty manner just the way i like it, even though i could spot a few kinks that will probably get sorted out when the blurays/dvds come along (i love the studio but good god they're a greedy bunch aren't they?)

Extra:

When they decided to make Vampire Bund into an anime; I suggested them "you don't have to follow the manga; please do an original story" but Yoshino-san and Shinbo-san said they want to follow the manga since it's already good. I then asked them to challenge it by doing an original script but retain the manga's story as much as possible. I think we have done a good job to it, even me reading the script thinks it's interesting.

He also participate in scriptwriting, supervise and suggesting changes from Yoshino Hiroyuki's scripts.

[Buffalobiian]

Not having read or even heard of the manga previously i can say i thoroughly enjoyed both these episodes

The animation is presenting itself in a very shafty manner just the way i like it, even though i could spot a few kinks that will probably get sorted out when the blurays/dvds come along (i love the studio but good god they're a greedy bunch aren't they?)

Extra:



He also participate in scriptwriting, supervise and suggesting changes from Yoshino Hiroyuki's scripts.

On the other hand, I'm not impressed by these two eps. i haven't read the manga, and since comments suggest that the PVs are much closer to the mood and setting of the manga, I think I would have enjoyed a faithful adaptation more. video quality didn't help me swallow this any better neither.

[Pandadice]

whoa, that ep was awesome. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first ep, but it was still cool.

The animation in this is pretty amazing. Of course, when it's actually animated... so many real-ife/live-action images thrown in there v_v. I give it 4 more episodes before it's a still-image slide show D:

[Kraco]

Dance In The Vampire Shaft:

Episode 3 - SFW

[Pandadice]

Dance In The Vampire Shaft:

Episode 3 - SFW

lol, i read SFW and thought "safe for work? is this a censored version?" xD. but quickly realized it's the sub group.

[Kraco]

This wasn't actually a bad episode. Quite an odd contrast, perhaps, with Mina having the students play around by making them try to catch Akira when she herself goes to finish some important deals. It felt strange and kind of childish (not from Mina's pov; it was rather brilliant she got them to do it) because first it appeared to be a matter of life and death for the student council, but then Mina practically says: Hey, children, if you can catch Akira in a game of tag, I won't let vampires in, if you can't, then I'll do it.

Nevertheless, I'm as glad as Mina that Akira knows himself again.

[Ryllharu]

I'm a bit torn about Mina's character.

On the one hand I really like that she essentially is bribing her way into Japan. She has an egregious amount of money, and is gaining some level of autonomy by holding Japan's economy hostage.

On the other, when the student council president stands up to her, she at first is rather pleased. Nanami has plenty of confidence to stand up to her in the first place, and smarts enough to connect the strange features of the school with vampires so quickly. But Mina returns the favor by cowardly threatening Nanami about being able to go to college? That's pretty low. Mina is obviously prideful, I would have expected her to stand up to the challenge, not use lame threats. Then she just played games with them, knowing full well that worst come to worst, Akira could just use his newly remembered werewolf agility to escape.

So while I applaud her ability to get a bit more power from the government, I also greatly dislike her using that same level of coercion on a single individual just because she also refused to kowtow to her. I expected a bit more out of Mina-hime.


I really like the Student Council President, she has spunk. The end of this episode was rather ambiguous, same goes for the candy cruncher. Friend or Foe? Did Mina do it, or was it the other vampires?

Lastly, it seems kind of weird that so much of this episode happened during the day. It feels like they are over relying on that super sun block.

[Kraco]

So while I applaud her ability to get a bit more power from the government, I also greatly dislike her using that same level of coercion on a single individual just because she also refused to kowtow to her. I expected a bit more out of Mina-hime.

Just keep in mind she's a vampire queen. She does whatever it takes. Most of the time one would also expect her to side with the vampires, no matter what (in general, not with those hunting for her head like the weird spider dude in the previous ep). I rather prefer her to be like that, not some goody good hero of justice wanting humans and vampires to coexist in perfect harmony. Well, isn't she supposed to be Vlad Tepes's daughter (or something like that) - genetics alone dictate she can't be too good.

[Ryllharu]

Just keep in mind she's a vampire queen.

Doesn't that bring with it some level of dignity? It's one kind of gesture to figuratively harpoon the economy to keep bureaucratic invaders away from her territory (the Bund), but it is another to cowardly brush aside a one on one challenge from a relatively courageous foe. You might argue that Mina just doesn't want to deal with something that small when she has bigger things to worry about, but I disagree.

After the theatrics of the first episode, wouldn't Mina have gained a lot more in terms of enjoyment by toying with Nanami? It isn't like Nanami would win in the end anyway. Mina has been around for centuries probably, so like any casual game of chess, she could have gotten a lot of entertainment out of it.

[Kraco]

No doubt it was true she didn't want to waste time fighting the student council, seeing how she immediately departed for the meeting with those old geezers. However, on the other hand the student council was stupid to fall so easily into her pace and got played through and through. I think that was quite stylish from Mina's point of view, but extremely ungraceful from the student council's.

Besides, Mina was correct all along: It's her school and it was founded for the exact purpose of allowing vampires to get proper education. The student council was completely out of line trying to tell her what her school is meant for. What comes to Mina's entertainment, I'm not entire sure she can afford the time for that so easily. She's founding a new nation and must be wary of assassins at the same time. She's probably more looking forward to results than jolly time (except when Akira is concerned, obviously).

[Buffalobiian]

Despite Mina commenting that the Student Council has more spine than the Japanese government, as she said already, they're naught but children in her eyes. She's in every way superior to them (except regarding their 3-sizes), and I think that actually comes into play more so than the dignity factor.

She cornered the Japanese government into a game they can't win more out of necessity. She lured the Student Council into a game they can't win more because it was fun. While having a match against a true rival can be exciting (depending on your person), watching someone struggle against overwhelming odds is also entertaining in its own right.

Nanami was smart, but she was in no way on any level to compete with Mina. It just so happens that the government is even one notch lower.

Two things that I'm growing to love about this anime are the nekomimi twin ribbons and the ED.

[Yukimura]

That 'threat' Mina gave the President sounded more like a bribe offer to me. I didn't sense an undercurrent of "and if you don't get in line I'll fill your transcript with F's and you'll never get into college" coming from her. It seemed more like she was dangling a free ride in the presidents face to see whether she'd take the boon and leave or continue with her defiance. If the pres can't get into college without Mina's positive assistance that's her own fault not Mina's.

Even if she had threatened to fill the presidents transcripts with F's though I wouldn't consider that cowardly. In my view using your power to crush into submission an opponent for which you have little need for the approval of is just prudent behavior for a ruler. I can see how those opponents weaker than her might call her a coward for not forsaking her massive strength advantage and fighting them on a 'level' playing field but in my view if your opponents have to fall back on the argument that 'it's not fair' with nothing to back up why that should matter to the stronger party they don't really have a leg to stand on. If Mina actually needs the president's approval for something I might feel differently but as I see it she is at most a potential source of amusement for Mina and not especially worthy of any respect or special treatment.

I thought the president acted in a rather rude and disrespectful manner which cast her in a childish light and cemented my feeling that she wasn't worthy of Mina's respect or serious consideration anyway. She tried to barge into the Chairman's office, then once admitted she started making accusations and demands without the slightest formality or respect towards who she assumed was the Chairman (aren't you supposed to introduce yourself before addressing seniors/superiors you've just met over there?). Then, once it was out that Mina was the actual Chairman she still didn't show any respect nor any remorse for her rudeness and pressed on making demands and expounding on her prejudice. While she had every right to voice her complaints, unless the school is set up in an abnormal way we aren't privy to she has no real power and no authority to challenge or demand a change of school policy, particularly on an issue like who is allowed to enroll in the school.

[Ryllharu]

While she had every right to voice her complaints, unless the school is set up in an abnormal way we aren't privy to she has no real power and no authority to challenge or demand a change of school policy, particularly on an issue like who is allowed to enroll in the school.

Nanami mentioned that a vampire entered the school without any form of consent, and her tone was rather authoritarian. So, I wonder if the school isn't set up in a normal manner. Those kind of situations aren't that uncommon for anime, and since the chairman hasn't been around since the school was founded, someone else must have be running it. There is what I can only guess is the school charter at 7:29 to 7:34 in the SFW version.

Unfortunately, I can only read the characters for "1." through "7."

Screenshot of the plaque
Larger version (hopefully more legible)

[Buffalobiian]

Coalguys - Episode 04

[Kraco]

This was a nice episode. Stuff happened - although almost too much in too short a time, which killed much of the suspence. There was a bit too little development here. But I guess if this was only a minor incident, they didn't want to make it look bigger than it was by dedicating more than one episode to it.

The animation is getting very Shafty indeed.

[Ryllharu]

It was all very abrupt, it happened so fast it was hard to take seriously. Then again, that does add a bit of tension in to the series overall, displaying how quickly a threat to Mina can become very serious.

I'm still a bit perturbed at how many scenes take place during the day. Vera (who is a great character) was standing up on the roof staring at the setting sun with Akira for quite a while. Shade gel, yes yes, but doesn't it wear off after a short time like Mina said in the second episode?

I liked the scene with Mina and the kids the best, particularly Akira giving her a hard time about it. It was very cute.

[Buffalobiian]

The first two vampires transforming into various animals actually has me a bit confused as to whether Werewolves in this story are a separate species, or a subtype of vampires. I guess this episode cleared it up that it's in fact the latter.

[masamuneehs]

episode 1.

so, well, this was a pretty strong reinforcement of my commitment to watch as little Japanese TV as possible, particularly these "discussion" shows. not sure which ones I like less, the ones where they try to talk about menial things (celebs, minor scandals, etc) as though they were important, or the ones where they just wallow in the entertainment industry BS mill.

the end of the episode was OK. i thought that, as fun as it is to do a "as though the cameras were really there" presentation of a battle, it's never as good as a well-choreographed and executed fight scene...

i also can't figure out for the life of me what kind of leader makes their grand appearance on a night-time talk raggoo....

from what people had been saying, i was afraid i would be turned off entirely by the 1st episode. but i think i'll continue

episode 02
the "normal" high school boy with amnesia and the affection of the "almost pretty enough" normal high school girl is actually secretly a super-powerful demon? MAN I NEVER SAW THAT ONE COMING!!!

i was glad that this episode saw an end to Akira's amnesia, and gave us the backstory about him and Mina. I hate it when shows drag out revealing "the promise" and give us half a season of memory-loss angst... i wasn't, however, so satisfied with the silliness. not sure how much i'll be able to get into this one for comedy.

all i can think of, when i think of this show plot-wise, is Under World. Clan this, creatures of the night that. i sure hope this show brings us something new to the table. it almost seems too easy for "it's a female vampire with sex appeal" to be the one caveat this show makes. after all, this is the loli demographics home base they're aiming.

Mina better learn to fight a little bit. christ. the action in this show is okay. i suppose i've been spoiled by some of the awesome fights in FMA Brotherhood.

episode 03
okay. okay. so they are going to draw out the amnesia thing, at least partly. and they are going to have the "non-human" go to school. and it's OK because Milli-I mean, Mina, owns Ashfo- er, whatever the school's name is.

and the episode was chasing the dude all around the school, a little more fanservice (not down with the face, but the candy girl is pretty hot)

the best part of the episode was the end. i didn't think Mina approved of attacking humans, so I'm at least curious to find out who was behind whatever happened to the Student Council President. the way Mina was talking with Akira, it felt like she could be involved, or at least knowledgeable about what might happen to her...

but, yeah, this show is a little run of the moe for me...

also, think i'm going to refrain from SFW in the future... I didn't find their translations to be very good at all, let alone their lack of attempt to do on-screen text.

episode 04
and i'm caught up. a nice episode, although i could never understand the point of letting an underling take an attitude like that with you, even if Dermailles is an important supporter...

the bit with the Fangless at the end seemed sloppilly crammed into the episode.

all in all, i really dunno what to think.

[Kraco]

So satisfied with the silliness:

Episode 5 - Coalguys



- - - - - - - -



Not a bad episode by any means although I wonder how much more Shafty the weird camera angles and zooms are going to get before this is over.

Anyway, what really interests me is that who the candy girl is, what are her aims, and who is she working for.

[Ryllharu]

Not a bad episode by any means although I wonder how much more Shafty the weird camera angles and zooms are going to get before this is over.

I can't believe they are starting this crap again. This is like a huge step backwards for SHAFT. Being their usual selves with all the stills and close up shots of mouths, an eye, or even just the background, it feels like it is detracting from the vivid characters and setting of the series. The quirky charm works excellently in comedy series, but here it just feels like someone who always takes photos at 45° angles because it looks “artsy.”

Now with this episode, they are starting to return to their even older roots. Parts of Moonphase, another loli vampire show, were nigh impossible to watch. There was supposedly action, but between all the stupid color filters, angles, and stills, you had no clue at all what was going on. When the vampires showed up to attack Akira and Yuki, they returned to this.

They had made great strides in animation stylistically since Tsukuyomi Moonphase. They still kept their signature touches, but they were refined and when used properly, quite powerful. They started backsliding with Bakemonogatari. There were excellent spots in that show, not quite up to the level of ef, but up there. On the other hand, there were plenty of crap episodes cobbled together from still shots and shots with the characters partially or mostly out of frame.

Bund is a complete return to what they should have left behind. The art hasn't been anything spectacular, the framing has been...passable, but the lighting and now color filters have been atrocious.

tl;dr

Shaft sucks. Bund is a return to poor art direction, and it is really starting to detract from my enjoyment of the series.