Title: Chibi Vampire
Author: Yuna Kagesaki
Price: 8.99
Rating: 10
Synopsis:
Outwardly Karin Maaka seems every bit the normal (if cute) little high school girl, but in reality she's the middle child in a family of vampires which settled in Japan in decades past. Even amongst her kindred Karin is an oddity, however; she lacks many normal vampire traits but is able to function during the day. Most importantly, she has an abundance of blood rather than a shortage of it, so instead of draining blood from people she bites, she gives blood to them, an experience which can potentially have beneficial side effects for the “victim.” And if she doesn't do it on a monthly basis, she experiences gushing nosebleeds!
Although Karin has been able to hide her secrets so far, trouble is on the horizon when her blood becomes excited by Kenta Usui, a new transfer student who not only arrives at the school but ends up working with her at her part-time job, too. Can her siblings help her sort out the cause of the problem and help their mostly incompetent sister develop her vampire heritage?
Review:
Chibi Vampire is a title invented by Tokyopop for their English release of this manga series. It is a decision doubtless driven by marketing potential, for such a name is far more likely to catch attention and pique a potential reader's interest than the bland and non-descriptive original title “Karin,” which it shares with its late 2005 anime adaptation. (The anime has not been licensed for release in the States as of the time of this writing, but one can probably expect a similar renaming in the event that it is picked up.) The accuracy of the name is a matter for some debate, since no chibi artwork is used anywhere in the regular content, but it is at least suggestive of the diminutive stature of the title character.
