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t has been eight years since the 4-part OVA series Vampire Princess Miyu was made. Between then and now, the show has gained much popularity, with manga based on the show and drama CDs being released. The series, though considered shoujo -- or young ladies -- anime (and manga) has also won a following among male audiences as far as in the United States (where it's distributed by AnimEgo).

The mysterious world of Vampire Princess Miyu continues this year with the 25-epsiode TV series, and it has been broadcast over Telebi Tokyo (TV Tokyo) since 6 Oct 97, at 1.15 am (every Monday).

The late timeslot is perhaps warranted since the series, like the OVA which preceded it, is equally dark and disturbing. In fact, one scene from the series will be censored when aired on TV Tokyo, as it resembles too much the shocking murder which took place in Kobe recently. However, the video and LD releases of the series will contain that scene.

Once more, the guardian of the Japanese shinma(god-demon), Miyu, hunts down the lost shinmas which are creating havoc in the human realm, but unlike in the OVA, Miyu will settle much better in school, and will befriend some humans along the way. One of the girls who becomes her close friend is Inoue Chisato -- whom Miyu treats like a sister. How but is the significance behind their relationship?

Besides Inoue Chisato, there are also new characters to the series. One of them is an animal which resembles like a pink rabbit. Called Shina (never die), it is also a shinma, but since it is not malevolent (in fact, it is quite helpful), Miyu has not banished it back to darkness. Another main character is the yuki-onna Reiha, a snow fairy in Japanese folklore who controls the snow and blizzards. She becomes a key rival of Miyu's in the series, but unlike other shinmas, Miyu cannot banish her, since Reiha is also a guardian of the Japanese shinma -- much like Miyu herself. Larva returns as Miyu's servant and companion in the TV series, but he is more often seen without his mask on. One change that might be a disappointment to fans is that the voice-cast for the original OVA and drama CDs will not be featured in the TV series. Instead, a new cast is used.

According to Hirano, this TV series is targetted at those of ages from 15 and above. Newtype magazine's breakdown of the show is as follow - 10% romantic comedy, 20% action, 20% horror, 50% suspense. - (27 Nov 97)

Staff
Original Concept / Supervision: HIRANO Toshihiro
Series Editor: HAYAMI Yuji
Original Concept/Original Character Sketches: KAKINOUCHI Narumi
Character Finalisation: KADONOSUNO Yuji
'Shinma' Conceptualisation and Design: TERAOKA Kenji
Music: KAWAI Kenji

Cast
Miyu: NAGASAWA Miki
Larva: MIKI Shinichirou
Reiba: OGATA Megumi
Shina: KANAI Mika
INOUE Chisato: SHIRAKURA Asako

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