Almost six years after AnimEigo's release of the oft-praised Vampire Princess Miyu OVA series, TOKYOPOP delivers the very worthy follow up of a TV series to DVD. Even though it is not exactly up to AnimEigo's almost unreachably high standards, TOKYOPOP has done an excellent job with the series' translation, going even as far as to include liner notes to explain the "Shinma" (demons) that appear in the disc, along with a poster offer (although it expired on December 31, 2002, it was the thought that counted...). TOKYOPOP definitely went the extra mile to insure that Miyu fans would not be disappointed by its spectacular offering of the Miyu TV series.

The story to Miyu is one that is easy to follow, and puts an interesting spin on an old formula. The show is basically a "monster of the week" series, in which Miyu battles with a different Shinma every week. To accent this fact even further, right before Miyu faces off with each Shinma, the name of the beast appears onscreen for a good five seconds before the fighting begins. Even though it follows an old formula, it is executed well, with each episode revealing more and more of Miyu and Larva's clouded pasts. It rarely feels like the show is just going through the motions with an old formula; instead, the series is more a celebration of the old genre, brought to life through inventive variations. The format is very episodic, and can be seen in almost any order without too much loss in the story.

Miyu's plot is not exactly a plot at all at this point, but rather a grouping of stories that involve Miyu and Larva. Even so, the "pseudo-plot" that lies beneath is executed very well. Viewers are led on an interesting ride, as Miyu helps to solve problems of those that were led astray by the Shinma in various ways. The series creates a wonderful blend of drama, horror, and action in portraying how Miyu lives her double life. Such a format allows for a look into the psyches of the characters that are involved with each episode, allowing a better understanding of the secondary characters as well as the leads. The stories themselves lead Miyu through various situations in her day life as a modern day student, be it snooping classmates or new friends, as well as her activities in her night life, dealing with the Shinma that hold the city in a stranglehold. Granted, this sounds a bit like other vampire dramas like Nightwalker; but, Miyu executes this extremely well, with each episode being unique and different from the last.

The enigmatic duo, Miyu and Larva, return in all their mystery and majesty in the TV series.	Miyu turned mahou shoujo, replete with mascot? Only until said "mascot" opens her oversized bloodshot second eye...

Being a series set in modern day Japan, it is only fitting that the characters, for the most part, fit this environment. Many of the characters are people that could be seen right outside, from students to a stylish hairdresser. The series accentuates reality with excellent use of more somber colors for the character designs, which gives a more believable style to the series as a whole. Miyu and Larva are the climax of character design, both of whom show a large amount of detail and have a unique atmosphere compared to the rest of the cast. The artists at AIC definitely went the extra mile to make sure that Miyu and Larva remained memorable. That is not to say the other characters are not good, though. Many of the side characters are very nicely done, with great care taken in each of their design. Even the "inactive" forms of the Shinma are very nice, with interesting touches to them that set them apart from the series' everyday population. The Shinma themselves, however, seem to hit a stumbling block. Their designs range from the very interesting to the very dull, with "interesting" being the likes of a tribal mask wearing demon called "Kamen" (Japanese for "mask") and dull being a living set of clothes called "Roh-Sha". Even with small falling points, Vampire Princess Miyu manages to deliver beautiful characters with inventive and fascinating designs.

For a simple television series, Vampire Princess Miyu holds an amazing level of quality. Granted, there are a few spots where frames are eliminated, but this is to be expected in the conversion from OVA to TV. Even so, the downgrade is very hard to notice, especially since the rest of the series animates beautifully, with fluid character movement and nice detail in background actions. Now that the praise is out of the way, maybe it is time to expose the few flaws in Miyu's animation. There are a few instances in which everything, including the people, stops around the main characters. This is not so much a problem as it is a nitpick, but it is noticeable when many of the show's scenes take place in a crowded area, such as downtown, or a classroom. Other than a few small quirks, the animation in Vampire Princess Miyu is fluid, and on par with even a few OVA series that have been released.

Music is definitely one of Vampire Princess Miyu's strongest points. The show makes wonderful use of strings, the piano, flutes, and percussion instruments to create an atmosphere that suits any situation, be it a happy scene of Miyu with her schoolmates or a very tense moment. To accompany the show's battle scenes, a faster-paced yet traditional-sounding remix of the opening theme is used to heighten the mood. The opening song is a simple choral piece sung in Japanese that sounds quite nice, while the ending theme is a vocal piece that fits in line with the rest of the show very nicely. As a whole, Miyu's musical score is very strong, and sets the mood for any situation nicely.

If the evening calls for a supernatural experience or an interesting drama, it is hard to go wrong with Vampire Princess Miyu. The show's eerie atmosphere, and excellent storytelling mean for a night of frightful fun. Whether a quick scare is needed, or a tense drama is more in demand, Miyu definitely will not fail to deliver.

Distributor: TOKYOPOP
Creator: AIC
Released: 1997

Plot: B+
Character Design: B
Animation Quality: A-
Music: A-
Overall: B+