Manga Monday: Vampire Dormitory Vol. 1

Series: Vampire Dormitory #1
Author/Artist: Ema Toyama
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: August 20, 2019
Received: NetGalley

So I’m a little bit late to this one. Vampire Dormitory Vol. 1 first dropped in 2019, and I only recently found it. On the bright side, there are plenty more books in the series for me to dive into! (I hope my library has them!).

Mito has had a tough life. She lives on the streets, having been cast out by her family. She has nobody to love or cherish and nobody to care for her. To help make her life a little bit safer, Mito masquerades as a young boy. Yes, she still looks like an exceptionally attractive boy, but this is still safer than the alternative.

Enter Ruka. After rescuing Mito, he takes her into his life, though perhaps not for the reasons you might expect. Ruka is a vampire, and Mito’s blood is the first human blood he’s tasted in ages. It tastes bitter and sad – the effects of living so long without love. With any luck, Ruka will be able to change that.

Vampire Dormitory Vol. 1 is a solid start to the series. We’re quickly introduced to the leading characters, plus a few relevant secondary characters. Likewise, it doesn’t take long to understand the gravity of Mito’s situation.

Naturally, when Ruka steps in to save the day, I found myself rooting for all this to work out. Even if it does mean that Mito will have to continue hiding who she is (read: a woman). I kind of like this added complication to the story. Even though I can predict how it may end, it’ll still be highly entertaining to see it all unfold.

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.