The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1 by Jun Mochizuki

This can be a bit jarring at first – how much of the story is given over to chibi – but once you get into the rhythm or Jun’s storytelling, it’s part of the charm it’s a very “natural” and un-indulgent way to bring the world to life.

Mix into this inklings of lore regarding spells, and the human / vamp history, and it should be expository as all get it, but it flutters by effortlessly – and quite gorgeously, to boot, with Mochizuki’s flowing character designs and intricate settings worthy of frequent pauses to savor the art, and before you get worried about all of this seeming a bit heavy-handed, there’s a bevy of chibi / slapstick moments scattered about as well, twisting from comedy to action to drama at a moment’s notice. Noe has been sent to Paris by his master – an unseen, mysterious figure at this point – to research the existence of a book called Vanitas, which is thought to create the blue moon curses, and on his airship journey thereabouts, he intercepts a man called Vanitas, who also has the book called Vanitas, but who uses it to cure cursed vamps. The first trick is how complicated this seems to explain, but how easy it becomes to grasp: that in this version of the world, vampires and humans co-exist thanks to some agreed upon behavioral rules, though there’s still fear and animosity between the species that this is paralleled by a similar dynamic within the vampires, where “red moon”-borne vamps are the norms, and “blue moon”-borne vamps are cursed with a transformative bloodlust. And Jun Mochizuki manages to do it within pages of the first volume of The Case Study of Vanitas, mingling curses and vampire lore and goofy buddy comedy and steampunk into a charming blend that forefronts the important bits – its story-telling and characters – and then supports it with amazing design and artwork. Yes, that uniqueness is deserving of an exclamation (though it would also apply to the cohesiveness), as it’s fairly “easy” to pluck design and story elements from all of your faves, and then put a hat on ’em to make them seem like a new creation, but actually imbuing said brew with its own spirit is truly a whole separate accomplishment.

A whirlwind of ideas and concepts brought together in an amazingly cohesive – and unique! – character-rich world.

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1 by Jun Mochizuki