Vampire Princess Miyu: Initiation

TokyoPop takes over the publishing of Vampire Princess Miyu from AnimEigo and does a very nice job with the first installment, a collection of three episodes. Miyu is a vampire who hunts evil demons called Shinma. In exchange for hunting the Shinma, Miyu is given inoculations from such things as sunlight, which would kill normal vampires. Joining her in the battle against evil is Larva, an ex-Shinma who Miyu has claimed as her servant. The animation is standard, and the voice acting is OK. However, the title’s real power is in its examination of the life of a vampire and the ironic plot twists that take seemingly predictable scripts and make them a lot more fun than they otherwise would be. You should enjoy Vampire Princess Miyu, though it’s slow, methodical pacing may turn some people off.