Eternally 13, Miyu is a vampire unlike any other. She often appears as a schoolgirl in broad daylight with an innocent, childlike persona, but a hidden darkness lies within her falsified demeanor (or is it?). Her laughter rises up into the air, echoing all around you, cutting through those who desire her razor sharp kiss, yet she claims to not be the monster that spiritualist Himiko makes her out to be for her destiny is to capture and return the Shinma (creatures that are half-Demon, half-God) to the darkness where hence they came from, but with the help of her devoted guardian, Larva, who was once a evil Shinma himself. And the reason for him being bound to Miyu's side as well as trapped in the mask he always wears is later revealed in the last episode on vol. Two: "Frozen Time", where you come to know Miyu as a human and learn of her fate to become The Chosen One.
In "Unearthly Kyoto," Himiko travels to the ancient capital of Japan to exorcise a slumbering child, only to be confronted with a wave of vampire attacks. Here she meets the mysterious Miyu and her silent, enigmatic companion. Is Miyu behind the attacks? Or does she, too, seek the real culprit? And if so, why?
In "A Banquet of Marionettes" (my second favorite episode), Himiko is hired to investigate several mysterious disappearances at a school. At the site of each, a strange doll has been found. Here she again meets Miyu, now apparently a student. Miyu has designs on the body, and perhaps the soul, of the school hero, Kei. But so, it seems, does another...
Extras on this DVD include a lavish image gallery set to the gorgeous, melancholy music of Kawai Kenji (the soundtrack is wonderful!) and previews for other anime's available from AnimEigo.
[Run Time: 50 minutes]
In the first episode, "Unearthly Kyoto," Himiko comes to the city to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding young princess Aiko, who pricked her finger on a rose, and now has been unconscious for 60 days. At first, this seems to have nothing to do with a series of deaths in which the victims are found drained of blood. It is only when Himiko is confronted by the creature doing the killing and Miyu who is hunting it, that she comes to believe that Aiko is more than a victim of a tragedy.
Then, in "Banquet of Marionettes," Himiko, hired to find and eerie doll that has suddenly appeared and disappeared, again crosses Miyu's path. This time Himiko is granted insight into Miyu's own struggle with ninjo and giri (duty and desire) when the vampire competes with a Shinma for the love of a boy. However, Miyu is frustrated as we watch this Kabuki-like puppet show unfold.
Artistically and story-wise, these OAV episodes are the best of the Miyu series so far. The work, often very dark and Gothic provides perfect settings for the disquieting, tragic tales. What the TV series has that the OAV does not is a high standard of animation, while these tales are most often drawn minimalistically against a beautiful, but static background. All deserve careful attention, as both series are significant deviations from the traditional 'Vampire Hunter D' fare.
