vampire knight vol 1 by matsuri hino

Yuki and Zero are part of the Discipline Committee at their high school, Cross Academy, tasked with keeping the Night Class and the Day Class separated. When it’s time for the Night Class to go to school, they herd the rest of the Day Class to their dorms like a batch of cats in heat. All the girls have the hots for the beautiful guys of the Night Class, but Yuki and Zero know the deadly consequences of letting the two classes mingle. That's because the Night Class is full of vampires. These vampires are "pacifists" and agree not to feast on humans at least until they're done with their schooling. Both Discipline Committee members have tragic backstories: Yuki was saved ten years ago from a vampire attack and adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, while Zero's entire family was slaughtered by vampires in front of him. A budding romance may derail the efforts to keep the classes separated, while Zero goes through an unwanted transformation that will completely change the dynamic of the Discipline Committee.

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I picked this series up for review because I have heard for years how good it is. This first volume was very enjoyable but definitely more for fans who want a paranormal romance in line with Twilight. There's already the groundwork for a love triangle with Yuki, Zero, and the president of the Night Class, so that will please romance fans who like their stories a bit complicated. There is some suicidal ideation from Zero that might require a trigger warning for readers - Zero's weapon of choice for keeping Vamps in line is a gun, and he considers turning the weapon on himself rather than transition into what he hates.

Hino's illustrations in this series are some of the best in the business. There is so much detail packed into every panel that I often stopped reading to admire everything that was on a page. Some of the dialogue in this volume is a little cheezy, but the art more than makes up for the silliness in the speech bubbles.

VIZ rates this for older teen, probably for the violence and some of the more mature themes.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: January 2, 2007
ISBN: 9781421508221 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Paranormal, Romance ​