Vampire Princess Miyu

Vampire Princess Miyu
Company type	Franchise
Industry	Manga, anime
Founded	1988
Founder	Narumi Kakinouchi, Toshiki Hirano
Area served	Japan, international
Products	Manga series, original video animation (OVA), television anime series

is a Japanese horror manga series developed by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano, which has inspired various adaptations. The franchise originated with a 4-episode original video animation (OVA) released in 1988, distributed under license by AnimEigo. It subsequently evolved into a 26-episode television series in 1997, licensed by Tokyopop and later by Maiden Japan.

Primarily published by Akita Shoten for the Shōjo audience, the manga includes several installments such as the original series (1988–2002, 10 volumes), New Vampire Princess Miyu (1992–1994, 5 volumes), and related spin-offs like Vampire Princess Yui (1990–1995, 5 volumes) and The Wanderer (1996–1997, 3 volumes). Subsequent releases targeted the Seinen demographic with titles including Vampire Yui: Saishuushou (2017–2018, 2 volumes) and Vampire Miyu: Saku (2017–2020, 7 volumes).

The ongoing partnership between Hirano and Kakinouchi has been instrumental in maintaining the franchise’s presence across both print and animation formats. English-language licenses have been managed by companies like Studio Ironcat for the manga and Madman Entertainment for anime distribution in Australia, highlighting its global reach.

Plot

The narrative centers on Miyu and her Western Shinma companion Larva. Born a vampire from a human and a Shinma parent, Miyu serves as the Guardian responsible for hunting rogue Shinma and returning them to the darkness. Before she turns 15, she yearns to rejoin the darkness herself but must first eliminate the Shinma roaming Earth and uncover her true origins, which have been concealed since her awakening.

The story’s backdrop predominantly reflects traditional Japanese settings.

Main

: Miyu (OVAs) (Japanese), Pamela Weidner-Houle (English, AnimEigo dub), Annemarie Zola (English, Manga Entertainment dub); Miyu (anime) (Japanese), Kimberly J. Brown (English, episodes 1–7), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (English, episodes 8–26); Although appearing between ages 13 and 15, Miyu is much older as a vampire. Her origins vary by version: in OVAs, she is a dhampir born to a human father and vampire mother after World War II in Japan; in the anime, she is the offspring of a human mother and Shinma father before World War II. After losing her parents, she assumes the role of Guardian. Her abilities include teleportation, levitation, creating dimensional gateways, and wielding fire attacks. Unlike typical vampires, she is unaffected by sunlight or holy symbols and possesses a visible reflection. She feeds selectively on consenting victims who have experienced loss, granting them eternal dreams in exchange for their blood. Protective of Larva, she hints at emotional attachment toward him. In the anime, she adopts the alias when disguised as human.
: Larva (OVAs); Larva (anime); A Western Shinma originally dispatched to kill Miyu but becomes her ally after forming a blood bond with her. In OVAs, his face and voice are concealed behind a mask as punishment; however, in the anime and manga versions he can speak and remove his mask. Larva fights using his nails as weapons and employs a scythe in the anime series. He can tap into Miyu’s flame powers but seldom does due to previous defeat. His name is derived from Roman mythology’s lemures (larvae), with his mask symbolizing this connection.
: Shinma are supernatural beings from another realm known as the darkness who possess shapeshifting and flight capabilities and manipulate human souls through illusions tied to desire. After escaping imprisonment lasting millennia into the human world, Guardians like Miyu are tasked with sending them back to darkness. While many feed on human emotions, some consume humans directly. Not all Shinma are malevolent; some manipulate or assist humans for their own purposes. They originate from various regions including Japan and China. The kanji translates as "god-demon".

OVA series characters

: A skeptical and headstrong spiritual medium who encounters Miyu during an assignment in Kyoto. Initially, Himiko perceives Miyu as a threat but her opinion shifts after gaining insight into Miyu and Larva. By the fourth OVA, she recalls an earlier encounter with Miyu from childhood. It is suggested that she possesses dormant vampiric qualities, being the first human to share blood with Miyu after her appointment as Guardian.
: Introduced in Episode 1, Unearthly Kyoto, Miyahito is a young boy from Kyoto whose girlfriend was killed by a Shinma disguised as a vampire. Overcome with grief, he consents to exchange blood with Miyu. By the episode’s conclusion, he remains unresponsive; however, Miyu assures others that he is at peace.
: Also from Episode 1, Aiko is the daughter of affluent parents who has been comatose for sixty days. Her family summons Himiko suspecting demonic possession. Himiko confirms this but is unable to exorcise the entity and is attacked by a Shinma; Miyu intervenes. Following a car crash and a blood transfusion from her parents (implied to be hh blood), Aiko sinks into depression, blaming herself for their demise. The "parents" who contacted Himiko were actually ghosts or Shinmas. Aiko made a pact with the attacking Shinma to recreate her past life. Before Miyu expels the demon, it tries to bite Aiko; Himiko steps in, but Aiko dies after the exorcism.
: Featured in Episode 2, A Banquet of Marionettes, Ranka is a lesser Shinma who captures victims' souls within dolls to drain their vitality. She falls for Kei Yuzuki, a student disillusioned with his monotonous existence. Kei willingly submits to Ranka and asks to be transformed into a being like her. Miyu banishes both following this change. In the manga adaptation, Ranka serves as an ally to Miyu.
: Appearing in Episode 3, Fragile Armor, Lemures is an old acquaintance of Larva who aims to liberate him from Miyu’s control. Employing sorcery and possessing a human-turned-Shinma encased in samurai armor, he imprisons Larva within a wall. Larva breaks free after his puppet Shinma injures Miyu. Rather than banishing Lemures, Miyu kills him with fire due to his kidnapping and harm of Larva. Lemures reappears as an adversary in the manga.

TV series characters

: Miyu’s closest school friend who remains unaware of her vampire nature. In the final episodes, Chisato is revealed to be a rogue Shinma.
: A rabbit-like Shinma ally supporting Miyu, distinguished by one yellow eye capable of seeing great distances and dispelling illusions.
: A Yuki-onna endowed with abilities such as levitation, teleportation, and wind control. She is the daughter of Kitjutsushi, leader of Shinma guardians responsible for ensuring Miyu’s rise as guardian. After Kitjutsushi’s death at the hands of Black Kite, she discovers her ice powers and becomes Miyu’s rival, intent on eradicating all Shinma and willing to eliminate any obstacles. Following their final battle and Matsukaze’s self-sacrifice, Reiha is decapitated but pledges to return.
: Reiha’s talking doll companion who harbors hostility toward Miyu. It wields ice powers to imprison Larva and sacrifices itself defending Reiha.
: A tomboyish classmate who protects Hisae and Chisato. She is killed by Chisato after uncovering Miyu’s true identity.
: An introverted and intelligent classmate investigating Miyu’s secret but meets death alongside Yukari.

Manga Characters

: A human who once loved a Shinma and later joined forces with others to seek vengeance against Miyu. After being exiled, she dedicated her life to chasing Miyu.
: The offspring of a human woman and a Shi demon, appearing about 12 to 13 years old. She is partially vampire through Miyu’s lineage. Yui is innocent and reserved, with the goal of reviving Miyu by using her power to manipulate cherry blossoms, which she ultimately transfers to Miyu. She is the central figure in the spinoff manga Vampire Princess Yui.
: A Shinma guardian who is deeply committed to protecting Yui. Though quick-tempered, he remains faithful and permits Yui to feed on him instead of humans.

Cast

OVA series cast
Character		Japanese	English
Character		Japanese	AnimEigo/ Swirl Films (1995)	Manga Entertainment/ World Wide Group (1997)
Main cast
Narrator		Gorou Naya	David Stokes
Himiko Se		Mami Koyama	Stephanie Griffin
Miyu		Naoko Watanabe	Pamela Weidner-Houle	Annemarie Zola
Larva		Kaneto Shiozawa	Zach Hanner
Guest cast by episode
1	Ryouko	Kiyoko Kobayashi	Connie Nelson
	Miyahito	Katsumi Toriumi	Shaun O'Rourke
	Female College Student	Rena Yukie	Sarah Wakild
	Clerk		Greg Taylor
	Police Captain		Steve Rassin
	Police Lieutenant		Mac Ingraham
	Aiko's mother	Youko Matsuoka	Hope Brownewell
	Aiko's father	Hidetoshi Nakamura	Turner Knox
	Doctor	Tesshou Genda	Lee Domenick
	Schoolgirl (1)		Amy Anderson
2	Schoolgirl (2)		Amy Anderson
	Schoolboy		David Bjorkback
	Ranka	Mayumi Shou	Belinda Bizic-Keller
	Kei Yuzuki	Ryou Horikawa	Michael Granberry
	Giddy Schoolgirls	Hiromi Nakamura
	Kei's mother	Toshiko Asai	Ellen Lee-Seltz
	Kei's brother	Masato Kubota	Robert Wailes
	Kayo	Emi Shinohara	Linda Carlisle
	Shiba	Toshiya Ueda	Tom Maddis
	Kei's girlfriend	Yuya Yoshikawa	Shelby Reynolds
3	Armor Monster	Tesshou Genda	Rick Forrester
	Lemures	Yuuji Mitsuya	Chad Carlberg
	Policeman	Morimasa Murakuni	Ralph Brownewell
4	Miyu's father	Kiyonobu Suzuki	Bob Sayer
	Miyu's mother	Masako Ikeda	Melissa Stanley
	Schoolgirl (3)		Shannon Taylor

Original Series

This ten-volume manga serves as a narrative bridge between the OAV and television adaptations. It features Ranka as a secondary Shinma character and keeps Reiha in the storyline. Most volumes present self-contained tales of Miyu’s pursuit of rogue Shinma, with several chapters exploring western Shinma characters. Notably, before arriving in Japan, Lemures was Larva’s companion. Carlua, daughter of Larva’s adoptive uncle Pazusu, harbors deep affection for Larva, as does Lemures; both unsuccessfully attempt to "save" him from Miyu’s influence, leading to Lemures’ exile and Carlua’s rejection, while her sister Lilith is destroyed by Miyu.

Volume 4 introduces Yuma Koizumi, a human girl marked by Tsubaki, a Shinma from the Muma clan. When targeted for hunting, Tsubaki accepts his fate with resignation; after Miyu returns him to darkness, Yuma swears vengeance. Supported by Tsubaki’s allies, she tries but fails to eliminate Miyu. Out of both spite and respect for Tsubaki, Miyu refuses to feed on Yuma. By the tenth volume, Yuma devotes her life to pursuing Miyu without success; ultimately, Miyu visits her at death’s door to drink her blood.

The series was licensed for release in the United States by Studio Ironcat, which ceased operations before finishing publication.

New Vampire Princess Miyu

Known in Japanese as 新・吸血姫美夕 (Shin Vanpaia Miyu), which translates to "new," this five-volume installment delves into events suggested near the conclusion of the original series' tenth volume, taking place chronologically between the first two volumes. The Western Shinma faction, commanded by Pazusu and aided by Carlua, Lemunia, and Cait Sith—a formidable young Shinma—abduct Larva, cleanse his blood of Miyu’s influence, and erase his memories of her. In a decisive confrontation, Larva kills Miyu; however, her spirit survives within Yui, who inherited Miyu's blood while still in the womb. Yui is drawn toward Miyu's domain to assist in her resurrection.

The operation was orchestrated by Cait Sith to reclaim a sealed sword housing his mother's spirit. Both Cait Sith and Miyu hail from the nearly extinct Quarl clan; notably, Cait Sith originally provoked the conflict between Eastern and Western Shinma. After reviving their queen and injuring Pazusu, a race ensues to escort Yui to the site of Miyu’s rebirth. With assistance from Eastern Shinma and Lemunia, Miyu is restored to life. Larva regains his memories, reinstating his connection with Miyu. Together with the surviving Western Shinma, they confront and defeat the Quarl clan, ultimately destroying the queen. Pazusu requests Larva to end his torment; Carlua attempts to seize Larva but withdraws when Miyu challenges her with support from Lemures.

During Miyu’s absence, numerous stray Shinma fled from the Darkness; consequently, Miyu and Larva embark on a mission to recapture them. Studio Ironcat secured licensing rights for this series’ English publication but ceased operations after completing its release.

Vampire Princess Yui

Yui is born of a human and a Shi—a demon species opposing Shinma—and carries vampiric traits through the blood she received from Miyu during gestation. Miyu describes Yui as simultaneously sister, daughter, and an extension of herself. Yui appears approximately twelve or thirteen years old with long dark hair. She faces hostility from rival Shi groups who reject her existence. Like Miyu, Yui has a blood-bound guardian: Nagi, a younger Shinma who supports her despite his fiery temperament. Rejecting human victims for sustenance, Yui draws nourishment exclusively from Nagi. Her weapon of choice consists of magically controlled cherry blossoms, a power she eventually bestows upon Miyu for her rebirth.

This series was also licensed by Studio Ironcat for English translation; although fully serialized in monthly comic issues, only one collected volume was published before the company folded.

Vampire Yui: Kanonshou

As a sequel to Vampire Princess Yui, this series begins with a mysterious girl arriving at a church covered in blood, calling out for "Nagi." A priest takes her in as she gradually recovers memories of her identity as Vampire Princess Yui through enigmatic dreams. Residing peacefully in a mountain church surrounded by sakura trees, Yui’s calm existence is disrupted by reports of vampire attacks—signaling that her past will soon catch up with her.

Studio Ironcat obtained licensing for English distribution but managed to publish only one out of eight volumes before ceasing business.

Vampire Yui: Saishuushou

This series serves as the concluding chapter of Yui’s narrative and follows Vampire Yui: Kanonshou. It consists of two volumes released in June 2018.

Vampire Miyu: Saku

This installment focuses on Miyu's transfer to a new middle school and portrays the initial meeting between Miyu and the vampire Lara. It can be interpreted either as a prequel or as a standalone narrative separate from the original manga continuity.

Vampire Miyui

This series introduces the first encounter between protagonists Miyu and Yui, broadening the franchise by delving into their early interactions.

Anime

In 1992, AnimEigo distributed the OVA series on VHS, offering distinct English audio and subtitle versions alongside liner notes that were later revised for the DVD edition. In the United Kingdom, Manga UK acquired licensing rights and produced an alternative English dub for VHS and television broadcasts, while the UK DVD release retained AnimEigo’s original dub.

Tokyopop brought the TV series to VHS and DVD formats between 2001 and 2002. Initial DVD editions excluded certain opening and ending sequences, a choice that sparked criticism and was subsequently rectified in later issues. Following the expiration of Tokyopop’s license, Maiden Japan reacquired the rights and reissued the series as a comprehensive box set in 2013.

Reception

The Vampire Princess Miyu OVA has been met with largely favorable critiques. Anime News Network commended its "dark, surreal exploration of the occult," though it expressed reservations about the English dub’s casting choices, assigning it a C− grade while awarding the subtitled version an A−. Raphael See from THEM Anime Reviews rated it 4 out of 5 stars, praising its animation quality, artistic style, action sequences, narrative depth, and soundtrack, albeit mentioning that some background art appeared somewhat "sketchy."

The TV adaptation of Miyu also garnered mostly positive feedback. Jeremy A. Beard of THEM Anime Reviews gave it a 3 out of 5-star rating, acknowledging strengths in character development, atmosphere, musical score, and design elements but criticized an overabundance of filler episodes, suggesting that condensing the series to around 13 episodes would have enhanced its impact. Similarly, Carlos Ross from THEM awarded it 3 stars out of 5, appreciating the storyline and voice performances but noting a drop in animation quality compared to the OVA and expressing dissatisfaction with its episodic "Monster-of-the-Day" structure. He highlighted that its mature themes make it unsuitable for younger viewers. Cody J. Riebe of PopMatters provided a positive review emphasizing the narrative, soundtrack, ambiance, and animation while pointing out flaws in the pilot episode and Tokyopop’s localization efforts. He observed that despite these qualities, the series failed to achieve significant popularity in Western markets and lamented its current unavailability.

Erica Friedman from Okazu analyzed the spin-off manga Vampire Princess, noting prominent yuri themes and homoerotic subtexts connected to vampirism. Regarding the anime adaptation’s ending, she described it as "bizarre" and "the least logical," also remarking on the absence of any romantic closure or explicit expressions of affection among characters.

External links

Official AnimEigo site