Rosario + Vampire

|} Rosario + Vampire (ロザリオとバンパイア, Rozario to Banpaia, Rosario and Vampire) is a Japanese manga series originally serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump, between 2004 and June 2007; a single extra chapter was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump in September 2007. In November 2007, the manga began regular serialization again, now in Jump Square, and is ongoing.

An anime adaptation aired in Japan from January to March 2008, and a second season, tentatively titled Rosario + Vampire Capu2, is currently in the works, scheduled to start airing in October 2008.

Plot

Tsukune Aono is a painfully average high school freshman, who is unable to get into any private school, due to his disappointing test scores. The only school he is finally accepted into turns out to be a secret school for supernatural monsters (yōkai), who are in disguise as humans. The first student he meets is the beautiful Moka Akashiya and wants him for an unusual reason; she is a vampire, and is attracted to the sweet taste of his human blood. Tsukune quickly realizes that his admission into a monster school must have been a mistake and fears for his life.

Despite Moka's vampiric nature, she is a kind girl and Tsukune quickly falls for her. He decides to stay and be near her, despite the various dangers. He must hide his human identity from the faculty and other students, while trying to keep his grades up and avoiding conflicts with the various not-so-mythological monsters lurking around campus. Tsukune soon discovers that when he removes the "rosario" around Moka's neck, she transforms into her true form: an S-rank vampire, stronger and more powerful than almost any other creature at the school. However, in this state, she has an entirely different personality, often cold and merciless, so the rosary is only removed in dire emergencies. So far, Tsukune is the only person who can physically remove the rosary to transform Moka, and only in the case of an emergency (the rosary remains physically bound to Moka, while Tsukune attempts to willfully remove it in a moment immediately preceding, and sometimes interjecting - a malignant situation). Tsukune and Moka make new friends and enemies as their stay at Yōkai Academy progresses.

Characters

Main Characters

Tsukune Aono (青野 月音, Aono Tsukune)

Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio

The male protagonist of the series, Tsukune Aono is mistakenly enrolled in an academy for monsters. He soon meets Moka Akashiya, a vampire who takes an interest in him, due to the sweet taste of his blood (an ongoing gag that occurs throughout the series). Fearful for his life and ready to leave the school, it is only his affection for Moka that gets him to continue attending Yōkai Academy. Though he has no special powers of his own, he constantly attempts to protect his friends with his own life. Later on, he acquires vampiric abilities, then ghoul-based powers (the latter of which puts his humanity in jeopardy), allowing him to fight toe-to-toe with almost any supernatural foe. The ghoul-based powers are sealed in a holy-lock on his right arm knowing that if removed he would lose his humanity. The Board Chairman also reveals that the more Tsukune fights the weaker the seal of his holy-lock becomes.

Moka Akashiya (赤夜 萌香, Akashiya Moka)

Voiced by: Nana Mizuki

Moka Akashiya is the first person Tsukune met when he first set foot in the monster realm. Exceptionally sweet and kind, Moka is a vampire, and she takes a liking to Tsukune, after ingesting his blood, and seems to get addicted on doing so. In addition, she also has the ability to inject her own blood into another; doing so on Tsukune grants him temporary powers comparable to Moka's unleashed strength, though the process eventually begins to break Tsukune's body down. When the rosario on her chest is removed, the seal that keeps her true nature is released. Cold and arrogant, the inner Moka is a completely different entity from the kind-loving Moka, even going so far as to specifically remind Tsukune to "be kind to the other Moka".

It is revealed in an omake that she loves tomato juice, but much prefers Tsukune's blood.

Newspaper Club

Kurumu Kurono (黑乃 胡夢, Kurono Kurumu): Voiced by: Misato Fukuen

Kurumu Kurono is a succubus, and is initially jealous of Moka's popularity overshadowing her own. She tries to seduce Tsukune and the male student body, using her charming techniques (through her succubi abilities, including her busty physique), making them her slaves. This is so she can find her "destined one", in order to save her diminishing species, with the assumption that Moka is blocking that path. After Tsukune persuades the unsealed Moka to spare her, she becomes infatuated with Tsukune and makes a decision that he will be her "destined one", becoming friends with the pair. Described as a tough character, Kurumu sports a pair of bat wings, tail and razor-sharp nails in her true form, and has notable strength (seen when carrying people during flight). The use of illusions and reality-bending techniques make up for her lack of combat abilities, plus she also carries a unique, innate sense of knowing when danger might occur. As of the second manga serialization, she is learning basic witchcraft. An often running gag is she uses her bust to seduce him, which, more often than not, makes his nose bleed. She also uses love potions in sweets to secure his affections.

In an omake, Kurumu reveals she has a serious weakness for sweets, to the extent that she once ate poisoned cookies that she made and planned to give to Moka.

Yukari Sendo (仙童 紫, Sendo Yukari)

Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama

Yukari Sendo is one of the smartest students at Yōkai Academy, and the youngest at age 11. Yukari Sendo is a witch, and always wears a typical witch costume (which consists of a hat and cape), though considered by some students to be a violation of the school rules. Despite ranking #1 on the examinations, she was a lonely prankster before meeting Tsukune and Moka. She initially hates Tsukune, claiming she's in love with Moka, and uses her magical powers to try to drive them apart. However, after both Tsukune and Moka save her from bullying classmates (who were actually Lizardmen), she falls for him too. Her obsession with both has driven her to try to create a three-way relationship between them. Yukari has, on occasion, developed some bizarre items, often leading to hilarious results or farfetched situations.

As a witch, she has problems with her classmates discriminating against her. In the series, witches are viewed as "border beings", those that are something between humans and the supernatural, as it is impossible to tell their difference by appearance alone.

Mizore Shirayuki (白雪 霙, Shirayuki Mizore)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

Mizore Shirayuki is a yuki onna. Keeping in line with Japanese mythological creatures, she has the ability to control ice at will, and form clones composed of said element. Frequently seen sucking on a lollipop, Mizore returned to school after a delayed absence and showed an immediate interest in Tsukune. In truth, she became completely infatuated with him, going so far as to create her own journal/scrapbook with all of his newspaper articles. She once confessed to a teacher she liked him, but the teacher tried to take advantage of her, thus she froze him. With the incident and rumors spreading about her, Mizore made it hard for herself to trust anyone, but took a liking to Tsukune, believing he was just as miserable as she was. She eventually warms up to the others, after Tsukune intervenes when the same teacher returned to kill her. After that, Mizore begins stalking Tsukune on a daily basis.

As of Season II she learned to shape her Projectiles into Shurikens and became stronger with her ice techniques. Also, her desire for Tsukune elevated to the point where she wants to have intercourse with him to create a baby and form a family, although admitted by an aphrodisiac.

A running gag in the series is that Mizore always appears unexpectedly in the oddest locations (under tables, behind doors, the ceiling, bushes, even in the bathroom), and throws ice-based projectiles to disrupt any sort of tender moment Tsukune is having with any other girl.

Ginei Morioka (森丘 銀影, Morioka Gin'ei)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki

The president of the newspaper club, Ginei Morioka is a werewolf. Commonly referred to as "Gin", this shameless peeping tom started out as an antagonist to Tsukune, but becomes somewhat of a senior to him and his friends. Though he ceases his schemes (so that other students will stop calling him a pervert), his affections lie with Moka, although the love is entirely one-sided, and still hasn't given up on her (though it should be noted that he has no second thoughts about trying to impress other girls). While working in the club, he tends to leave all the work to his subordinates, including the distribution of the paper. Ginei has proven himself a loyal friend and has provided the group with helpful information plenty of times. Often he acts as the comic relief of the group.

As a werewolf, when a full moon shines brightly, his abilities are heightened to the point where his speed exceeds Moka in her super-vampire state. While werewolves in general are stated to have their power wax and wane with the lunar cycle, it is unknown if all werewolves receive this much of a boost. Regardless, Ginei is still exceptionally fast, even when the moon is not full.

As of the second series, he has made no appearance.

Ruby Toujyou (橙条 瑠妃, Dōjō Rubi)

Voiced by: Saeko Chiba

A witch from the human world, Ruby Dojo was part of a plot to destroy mankind as a response to a large garbage dump that was polluting her master's sanctuary. Her hate for humans stems from a car accident that took her parents' lives. After receiving help from Tsukune and his friends from a fight, and remembering the kind of love her parents had given her, she attempts to persuade her master to call off her plan, but to no avail, as her master was bent on destroying the human world. Ruby reappears, when Tsukune becomes out of control in his ghoul-state, and helps the exorcist in sealing his abilities. She now resides at Yōkai Academy, as the board chairman's aide. As of Series II, she is still working for the chairman. Despite not being an official student, she receives permission to become a full member of the newspaper club.

In an omake, it reveals that the main reason Ruby works under the board chairman is her infatuation with Tsukune, and by working at the academy, she could be near him. Although she tries to hide her feelings, when her guard is down she appears to be a masochist towards tsukune.

The anime omits the presence of her master, drastically changing the events surrounding her.

Shuzen Kokoa (朱染 心愛)

Introduced in Series II, Kokoa Shuzen is the younger half-sister of Moka Akashiya. Bearing a similar appearance to Moka, except for her orange hair and cyan eyes, she arrives as a first-year student to Yōkai Academy. Like her sister, Kokoa is also a super-vampire, but her powers are not sealed. Yet she does not carry the same supernatural strength Moka possesses. To compensate for this lack of power, she has a pet bat, Kō, that can transform into a variety of weapons and wields it with enough strength to make herself formidable.

Kokoa despises Moka for sealing away her inner personality, whom she adores and loves. Before Moka left to study at the academy and prior to her receiving the rosario, the sisters would often clash with one another, although Kokoa could never defeat her in a duel. She constantly attacks Moka, in hopes of drawing out the "inner Moka" and feels slightly angry that Tsukune has the ability to unlock Moka's true nature. She later begins to begrudgingly accept the presence of Moka, and though she does not like her, she is quite fond of being around Tsukune. Like her sister, she has a craving for Tsukune's blood. But rather than biting him, she will wait until he is bleeding and lick the blood away.

Faculty

Shizuka Nekonome (猫目 静, Nekonome Shizuka)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

One of the many school teachers at Yōkai Academy, Shizuka Nekonome is also the advisor for the Newspaper Club. A neko-musume (cat lady), she is rather carefree in her attitude, and somewhat oblivious to certain things. The omake reveals she likes to eat raw fish, but specifically, goldfish. In the anime, Shizuka does not seem to show any hatred towards humans, unlike the rest of the teachers in the school. This is particularly shown just before the Tsukune execution incident, when Shizuka worries about Tsukune's fate and argues that the school was built to promote human relationships with demons.

Ririko Kagome (籠女 李々子, Kagome Ririko)

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa

Ririko, pronounced Lilico from a Japanese standpoint, is a teacher at Yōkai Academy, specializing in mathematics. Seemingly innocent and deeply concerned for her students' grades, she offers private lessons to anyone willing, though at a price. In the dark recesses of her chambers, she becomes a Lamia, with the head and torso of a beautiful woman, but the body of a serpent, and uses her abilities to drain students' emotions in exchange for knowledge. She also seems to have a fetish for bondage-type leather outfits as well as a whip. When transformed, she uses her tail like a whip instead. She is a rather lascivious person, though she doesn't reveal it in the beginning. In the anime, she makes Ginei stay in her chambers for make-up lessons, as well as to teach him "manners". She is shown whipping him during these lessons, to her glee and his chagrin. It's also revealed that she is only lascivious to males, while any girls that need lessons are made to dress up in maid outfits and serve her tea, albeit in an embarrassing way. It is important to note that she is not evil, but rather, very passionate about the education of students.

Ishigami

The now ex-art teacher of the school, who is in fact a Medusa. Her braided hair is a stand-in for the snakes of a gorgon, whose bite can instantly turn its victim into stone. Ishigami had a desire to turn any attractive female student into stone, but was stopped by Tsukune and Moka, resulting in her getting sacked from the faculty. Ishigami returns, secretly informing the Student Police of Tsukune's human nature, but immediately leaves the scene when Kuyou is soundly defeated.

In the final chapters of Series I, Ishigami reveals it was she who gave Kyou, Tsukune's cousin, the Dark Mirror, with the intention of stealing his very soul. After 4 months, she hatched a plan by sending a package to Kuyou in order to make her go to the School to send the package to him as revenge for making her lose her job and make for giving her a scar on her forhead. She also planned to release all the students into their monster state to create an uproar that will destroy the school, as she now sees death and destruction as the purest form of art. Also note that the mirror releases the victim's true desire and, in many cases, love or suvival. She was soon defeated by Moka, when Tsukune and the others arrived; the fairy got captured by the Chairman.

Board Chairman (Exorcist)

A mysterious exorcist, who has a connection to the bus driver, he is always seen hooded beneath his garments and possesses extremely strong, anti-demonic powers, having the ability to seal Tsukune's ghoul powers. It is said the chairman is the strongest yōkai in the academy, on a completely different level than the students.

The chairman is, in fact, one of the three Dark Lords, the creators of Yōkai Academy, and the ones who placed a barrier separating the human world from the supernatural world.

Student Police

A group of enforcers on school grounds, charged with protecting the academy, these members are in reality corrupt, using their status in the group to their advantage. Anyone who oppose them are delivered swift punishment through methods of imprisonment and torture. They have a long standing rivalry with the Newspaper Club.

Notable members include

Kuyou (九曜)

Voiced by: Ikeda Shuichi

Head of the Student Police Committee, he enforces the group's rules with an iron fist. He is a kitsune, with many fire-based abilities, and can take on a hybrid form between his human and yōkai appearance.

Keito (蛍糸)

Ordered by Kuyou to keep an eye on the Newspaper Club (to make sure it wasn't doing anything the police considered "illegal"), Keito is a spider woman.

The anime changes Keito's character by making her in charge of a rival "super newspaper club" which would have replaced the ordinary Newspaper club. Keito also has 3 underlings all made servants by her venom, to which she also wanted to add Kurumu as a servant. She was made more evil in the anime than her manga counterpart.

ANTI-THESIS

A Group of hybrid Yokai who wish for nothing more than to destroy the current school system. They have a high hatred of pure-blooded Yokai. Failure for anyone in this group means they will be finished off by a higher ranking member.

Its leader is Hokuto, who seems to have no other purpose than to just lead the school into a path of destruction. It was revealed by Kiria that they plan to destroy the barrier that separates humans & yokai.

Notable Members include:

Kaneshiro Hokuto (金城 北都)

The current president of the Yōkai Academy School Committee, Kaneshiro Hokuto is a charismatic individual and the leader of ANTI-THESIS, a group of yōkai which wants nothing more than to see the school head towards a path of chaos and destruction. Unlike most yōkai, Hokuto is a hybrid yōkai who was originally human like Tsukune (though unlike Tsukune, he admits, he never had anyone to help protect him when he was at the academy). His true form is repressed by a Holy Lock, similar to Tsukune's.

Yoshii Kiria (吉井 霧亜)

The second-in-command of ANTI-THESIS, Kiria is seen carrying and reading a small book occasionally. Calm, collected and quite cute, he appears to be interested only in seeing how the events surrounding his superior, Kaneshiro Hokuto, will work out, and shares his view of seeing violence acted out on the students. Like Hokuto, Kiria is a hybrid yōkai. His right arm becomes a scythe. It was revealed that Kiria gave his blood to Hokuto, causing Hokuto to become a monster so that he could 'survive' in the Academy. He also thanks Tsukune (not to Tsukune's face, but while watching Hokuto recover in hospital) for changing Hokuto after Hokuto changes his mind and helps Tsukune stop the plan to destroy the barrier.

Ueshiba Mizuki

A member of the School Committee, he approaches Tsukune after Tsukune joins the School Festival Committee. He reveals himself by accident to be a member of ANTI-THESIS and attempts to kill Tsukune.

Yakumaru Mako (薬丸 麻子)

Disguised as a nurse in the school's hospital, she attempted to kill Tsukune by controlling and manipulating Moka's body after injecting her with a hypnotic fluid, but ultimately failed, when Moka regained her senses.

Midou Kusabi (御堂 楔)

A punk-like member who seems to have one of the strongest hatreds of the pure-blooded yokai. He acts as a squad leader and is in charge of a large number of grunts. He takes it upon himself to kill Tsukune, but faces Moka in opposition. Despite being thoroughly outclassed, he manages to disable her temporarily through the use of water. He eventually deals a fatal blow to Tsukune, causing the series of events where Tsukune succumbs to the vampire blood in his body and becomes a ghoul. He is then brutally pummelled almost to death by Tsukune, but only to be finished off later by Yakumaru Mako.

Komiya Saizou (小宮 砕蔵; voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama)

Appearing in the first chapter and episode of the anime as a bully who beats up Tsukune and attempts to rape Moka (this fact was removed from the anime version), he was defeated by Inner Moka and disappears from school for a while. He is an orc.

Reappearing when Tsukune has become class president (Saizou disagrees with this fact because he finds Tsukune weak and pathetic, as he was gone during the few times Tsukune turned temporarily into a vampire) he joins ANTI-THESIS looking for revenge against Tsukune. Along with some other members, he attempts to beat Tsukune, but ends up defeated by him when the danger activates the lingering vampiric blood in his body.

STUDENT COMMITTEE

A Group in charge of running the school. The charismatic individual Hokuto is its leader. Tsukune was forced to join this group by the Exorcist or face expulsion. He was also asked by the Exorcist to help weed out a mole that was in this group. The mole was defeated after letting slip by accident he was a member of ANTI-THESIS (by accidentally revealing his knowledge of what had happened to Tsukune, which no one else outside Tsukune's group & ANTI-THESIS knew).

After his defeat, it was revealed that Hokuto was actually the leader of ANTI-THESIS. He killed all the other members apart from Tsukune, who accidentally barged in that moment to confront him about the question whether he was an actual member of the hybrid yokai group, after Moka told him.

Other

Bus Driver

Voiced by: Norihiro Inoue

A mysterious, unnamed bus driver, who seems to know more than he reveals and more than he should considering this statement he said on the bus while doing a Tsukune a favor, "As expected of his choice.... But the path you've chosen is filled with thorns, young man," and constantly shows up to offer advice to Tsukune. He was the one who asked the exorcist for help in keeping Tsukune's ghoul nature at bay. It is unknown if the bus driver is human or a yōkai. It is also interesting as the bus driver bares a strikingly similar resemblance to the exorcist, namely the white gloves, and the glowing eyes, suggesting a possibility that he, like the exorcist, is one of the three dark lords.

Nazo Koumori (謎 こうもり)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

Nazo Koumori is a bat, who acts as the narrator for the episodes. Occasionally covering up various shots of fanservice (this is only done in the broadcast version, while the DVD version is uncensored), Nazo also appears to state the exact duration of a fight. In the manga, various bats of similar design are used to give information on the various yōkai encountered at the academy.

Tsurara

Tsurara is Shirayuki Mizore's mother. Like Mizore, she is very shy and serene, hiding behind corners just like Mizore does. She also seems to have a lollipop in her mouth, similar to Mizore having a lollipop in her mouth. Her powers are far greater than Mizore's, in that her ice claws are much larger than Mizore's and she can even create large ice spikes out of a glass of water. She is very beautiful and her beauty even caused Tsukune to blush. Tsurara has a bad habit of making sharp objects out of ice whenever she gets emotional. During Youkai Academy's School Festival, she meets Tsukune for the first time. At that time, Tsurara was under the impression that Tsukune was Mizore's boyfriend and opts for a quick marriage between the two, even going as far as to use her powers to "persuade" Tsukune into marrying Mizore when she speaks out that she likes Tsukune being with her daughter. However, when she realizes that what Mizore told her was a lie, she punishes Mizore with her large ice claws.

Ageha

Kurumu's mother is very similar to Kurumu. She has very large breasts, just like Kurumu's, but they are much softer, according to Tsukune when he was hugged by Kurumu's mother. Her behavior is also similar to Kurumu's, as she said that her daughter is "innocent" and gives Tsukune permission to take her forcefully as she still thinks her daughter is still "innocent". She even allows Tsukune to touch her breasts, claiming that she will use her body to teach Tsukune the way of love between a man and woman, this to everyone's chagrin -- especially Kurumu's. She first meets Tsukune during Youkai Academy's School Festival. At that time, she is under the impression that Tsukune is Kurumu's fiancé. However, when she learns that Kurumu was lying about Tsukune being her fiancé, she punishes her daughter.

Yukari's Parents

Yukari's parents appear at Youkai Academy's festival, but not much information is given, aside from the fact that Yukari's mother appears to be a witch and her father appears to be normal man with glasses but is seen holding a tome.

Kyouko

Kyouko is Tsukune's cousin and is only briefly mentioned in the anime. She's two years older and is seen as a big sister to Tsukune. She's described as a tomboy with a stubborn streak and is overprotective of him. She makes her appearance on the second day of the school festival while searching for Yokai Academy, (due to the fact that Tsukune's cell phone will not work in that area). Tsukune and his friends attempted to keep his cousin from finding out about the Academy and its students, as well as keep the authorities from finding out that she's human. Kyouko managed to enter the academy while being asked to deliver a mysterious envelope to someone. The envelope contained a mystic artifact called a Lilith mirror which houses a fairy, who reveals the nature of the academy and its students to Kyouko. It grants the owner any wish but at the cost of the owner's soul. Though initially scared and resentful of Moka and the others, Kyouko is saved by her when the other students and the mirror's spirit attack her. It is soon revealed that Ishigami gave Kyouko the mirror.

Music

Opening Theme: "COSMIC LOVE" by Nana Mizuki

Ending Theme: "Dancing in the Velvet Moon" by Nana Mizuki

Character Image Songs:
"Akai Jounetsu (Red Passion)" by Nana Mizuki
"Akai SWEET PEA (Red Sweet Pea)" by Nana Mizuki
"Nagisa no Deka MELON (Big Melons on the Beach)" by Misato Fukuen
"Toki ni Ai wa" (Time Will be as Love)" by Misato Fukuen
"MAGICAL ROMANCE" by Kimiko Koyama
"DELICATE ni Suki Shite" by Kimiko Koyama

See also

• List of Rosario + Vampire episodes

External links

• Manga official website Template:Jp icon
• Sample manga pages Template:Jp icon
• Anime official website Template:Jp icon
• Rosario + Vampire ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Review at Mangaspain.com

Rosario + Vampire
Cover of first volume.
Genre	Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Harem, Supernatural, Romance
Manga
Written by	Akihisa Ikeda
Published by	Shueisha
Magazine	Monthly Shōnen Jump Weekly Shōnen Jump Jump Square
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	2004 – ongoing
Volumes	Series I: 10 Volumes (40 chapters) Series II: 7 chapters (ongoing)
Anime
Directed by	Takayuki Inagaki
Studio	Gonzo
Released	January 3 2008 – March 27 2008