Introduction

Vampire Princess Miyu is a dark fantasy set in modern Japan. It originated as a manga1 titled Kyuuketsuki Miyu by Kakinouchi Narumi, and was adapted as a four-episode anime feature directed by her husband, Hirano Toshihiro. The episodes were released on two OAVs2 in 1988. Since the release of the OAVs, a television series has been produced; however, this article deals exclusively with the OAV version.

Plot Synopsis

The narrator of the story is Himiko, a spiritualist who, in the course of her work, encounters a strange, otherworldly child named Miyu. Although Miyu appears to be a young girl, Himiko realizes that she is in fact a vampire, and is at first convinced that the child is a monster who must be destroyed. Her initial conviction soon gives way to confusion, however, as she witnesses Miyu pursue her mission to banish from the world a race of predatory demons known as "Shinma". Himiko becomes obsessed with unraveling the truth about the girl who is not a girl.

Episode 1: Unearthly Kyoto

While attempting to assist the parents of a young girl possessed by a malign spirit, Himiko becomes aware of a series of bizarre, vampiric murders in the ancient capital of Kyoto. She soon realizes that the cases are related, and it is during her investigations that she first encounters the enigmatic young girl Miyu and her silent masked companion Larva (a rather odd name that doesn't sound Japanese; at least, I've never encountered the "v" sound in any Japanese word before).

Episode 2: A Banquet of Marionettes

Himiko is engaged by a distraught father to investigate the disappearance of a girl from her school. Mysteriously, a puppet was found on the spot where the girl was last seen. Meanwhile, Miyu pursues the Shinma responsible for this disappearance, and for others besides. Himiko arrives in time for the climactic battle between Miyu and the Shinma for the soul of a young boy.

Episode 3: Fragile Armor

Miyu approaches Himiko for assistance in locating and freeing Larva, who has been captured and bound by a Shinma. Himiko agrees, in return for information about Miyu, Larva, and the nature of their mission. The search is complicated by a supernaturally powerful and mobile suit of antique armor. In this episode the initial encounter between Miyu and Larva is revealed, and some of Miyu's limitations are shown.

Episode 4: Frozen Time

Himiko travels to her childhood home in Kamakura, pursuing unresolved memories. There she encounters Miyu once again, who reveals something of her own childhood, the origin of her mission to banish the Shinma, and the ultimate nature of the bond that exists between her and Himiko.

Critique

Unlike most entries in the anime genre, Vampire Princess Miyu is neither high-tech nor oriented toward action-adventure. There is a definite quality of Gothic horror that underlies the series. While from time-to-time some of the plot elements seem somewhat disjointed, they are always laced with complex underlying motivations.

It is easy in the West to underestimate anime. We are used to our own brand of animation: cartoons and animated feature films. While these are often quite sophisticated in terms of humor and story, they are nevertheless as a rule light-hearted and unambiguous. Disney's animated films are representative, technically marvelous and beautifully produced, but always setting forth a clear and simple message, ultimately aimed toward children.

Vampire Princess Miyu is not technically sophisticated. The animation is very simple, with the lack of fluidity that characterizes much of anime from the 1980's (although in many instances this stiffness of animation is adapted to the material, actually enhancing some of the scenes, such as the dervish quick movements of the Shinma in the first episode). However, the artwork is of superior quality, and at times is truly wonderful. Some of the backgrounds have the look of watercolor paintings. And the theme is neither simple nor easy.

At all times, right up until the end, Miyu's purposes and true nature are occult and ambiguous. What are her motives in pursuing her war against the Shinma? How does she regard the humanity that she both protects and preys upon? Does she possess any real human feeling at all? Unlike most of the animation familiar to English-speaking audiences, no clear answers or simple morals are presented; the viewer must make his own judgment.

By Way of Postscript, A Few General Observations

My interest in anime was sparked in a way that differed entirely from my sister's. Jenn was first hooked on the genre as a child through Saturday morning cartoons (check out her excellent personal memoir of that time in her essay "Anime's Enormous Eyes"). However, when I was a kid anime had not yet made it to the USA to any significant extent. Then, sometime in the mid-90's, I stumbled across a web-site called the Anime Picture Archive (from which the images on this page were adapted), now called The Ultimate Animanga Archive. The banner graphic was a beautiful and intriguing illustration which I soon learned originated from Vampire Princess Miyu. As I explored the images in the archive, I became increasingly impressed with the strangely evocative artistic technique, and its portrayal of faces dominated by large, stylized eyes. So, you see, I essentially "backed into" an appreciation of anime. Now that I reflect on it, that seems to be the way I've come to appreciate most things I value.

Tim Eagen
August, 2000

1"Manga" is a generic term for a graphic novel, or "comic book", in Japan, and is distinguished from "anime", which is the term for an animated feature.

2OAV is an acronym that stands for "original animation video". OAVs are direct to video releases, as opposed to feature films shown first in theatres, or television series. The term is also often abbreviated OVA.