Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Encyclopedia
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, known in Japan as , is a console video game developed by Konami
for the Xbox
and PlayStation 2
. Despite that it was released for Xbox
and PlayStation 2
, Japan
was only able to see a PlayStation 2 release. However, An Xbox version was released in Asia
(which includes Japan
) under the NTSC-J Format, but was still in the English language
. A manga adaptation has been published by Tokyopop
.
before it, Curse of Darkness differs from its predecessor in a number of ways. It includes a more complex, action
/adventure
style of gameplay, much like Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow. Hector is not a member of the Belmont clan, so he does not use the "Vampire Killer" whip; instead he has the ability (much like Alucard and Soma Cruz
) to equip a variety of different weapons ranging from swords (both one handed and two handed), spears, axes (also both one handed and two handed), brass knuckles and an extra type called special weapons (which varies from tonfas to gatling guns). However, there is an extra gameplay mode after finishing the game that allows players to play as Trevor Belmont, equipped with the "Vampire Killer" and the subweapons which are the knife, axe, holy water, cross, and stopwatch. The battle system is somewhat similar to that of Dynasty Warriors
, whereas one button is used for standard combo attacks, and a secondary button is used for stronger "finishing attacks" after a singular standard attack or a combo of standard attacks. As the player acquires progressively stronger weapons throughout the game, the number of standard and finishing attacks the player can perform increases accordingly. Each different weapon type has a different set of combos that can be performed.
Departing from the central hub level layout of Lament of Innocence, wherein the player chooses from a number of distinct stages all accessible from a central hallway, Curse of Darkness features a more complete game world with a complete castle map as in Symphony of the Night. However, the game still uses the same map engine as Lament of Innocence, rather than the square-based grid of 2-D Castlevanias. Furthermore, a noticeable difference in level design is that much of the game does not take place in Dracula's castle, but rather exploring forests, mountains, temples, aqueducts, ruins, and villages in Europe. The player will be also aided by "Innocent Devils", which are demonic creatures developed by Hector himself through the Devil Forgery skill, in order to defeat enemies and solve puzzles within the game. They're similar to Alucard's Familiars in Symphony of the Night, however they level up and evolve together with Hector. The Innocent Devils (commonly referred as I.D.'s) come in 6 different types. Each I.D. gives specifics bonuses to Hector's stats.
. Though defeated by vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, Dracula's
curse continues to ravage the European countryside, spreading disease, mob violence, and heresy in its wake. Amidst all this devastation is Hector, a Devil Forgemaster who had formerly worked under the employ of Dracula but betrayed him sometime during the events of Castlevania III. Eventually growing disgusted with Dracula's brutal methods, Hector leaves Castlevania and relinquishes his powers to live amongst humans, settling down to live a peaceful life. When Hector's fiance Rosaly is accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake, Hector learns that her murder was directed by his fellow Forgemaster, Isaac. Seeking revenge, Hector chases his former colleague back to his old home, and back to the demonic life he believed he had left behind him.
|
Trevor Belmont (unlock as playable): A member of the Belmont family. Wields the legendary Vampire Killer whip of his family. He doesn't appear until later on in the game. After the player beats the game as Hector, Trevor Mode is unlocked by naming a new file as @trevor. |English Voice Actor: Steve Staley
|
Isaac: Hector's fellow devil-forgemaster, he stayed loyal to Dracula after Trevor defeated him a few years before the start of the game. The player will fight Isaac a few times over the course of the game. |English Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien
|
Dracula: As with most Castlevania games, he is the main antagonist
of the game. He is revived in an imperfect form, and the player must once again defeat his two forms in order to return peace to the land. |English Voice Actor: Douglas Rye
|
Julia Laforeze: Isaac's sister, who is a witch. She provides items for the player in a shop. Hector notes she bears a resemblance to Rosaly, his deceased lover.
Zead: Seemingly someone who is against Dracula, though is later on revealed to be Death himself. |English Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien|
St. Germain: A person against Death. He can travel through time. He constantly asks Hector to abandon his quest, but never succeeds. He does fight Hector at one point in the game. He also appears strikingly similar to the character "Revolver Ocelot" from the "Metal Gear Solid" franchise. |English Voice Actor: Adam D. Clark|
, a mysterious time traveller who presses him to abandon his quest, but eventually leaves him alone with some cryptic comments about a "new destiny" having emerged for him.
At one point, Trevor decides to trust Hector, and uses his own blood to unlock a parallel world called the Infinite Corridor, where Isaac is supposedly hiding. However, when Hector fights a Dullahan there, an evil glyph channels his energy and uses it to summon a new incarnation of Dracula's castle. Isaac, who intended this all along, cruelly stabs Trevor and leaves him for dead.
Hector enters the new Castlevania, where he fights and defeats his nemesis. As he prepares to kill him in a fit of rage, he suddenly remembers Julia, who had warned him not to let the Curse take hold of him. Horrified, Hector realizes that his actions are being controlled by Dracula's Curse. A triumphant Zead appears and confirms this, explaining that the Devil Forgemasters were supposed to fight to the death, with the blood-stained Hector becoming the vessel for the Count's reincarnation. Having secured Isaac's body for this purpose, he reveals himself to be Death and attacks, in vain. Hector proceeds to destroy Dracula, and then uses his powers as a Devil Forgemaster to lift the Curse. Julia comes to his rescue, and they start a new life together. Meanwhile, St. Germain departs for the distant future, wondering how the struggle between mankind and Dracula will end.
(also known as IGA), who has worked on several other games in the Castlevania
series, including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
and Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
. Also returning are series artist Ayami Kojima
and composer Michiru Yamane
.
Animaze has done the English language
-voicework for the Characters.
gave Curse of Darkness a 3 out of 5 while IGN gave it a 7.8, or "Good" rating. GamePro
Magazine gave the game a 4.0 out of a 5.0 fun factor, stating that it was a game that got more intriguing as it goes on. Gamespot
rated it 6.8, saying it looked good and had solid controls, but the level design was "monotonous".
and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, the manga centers on Isaac and Hector. Tokyopop
licensed it for English-language release in North America. The first volume, (ISBN 978-1-4278-0053-4), was released September 1, 2008, and the second, (ISBN 978-1-4278-0214-9), was published January 1, 2009. It is also licensed in France by Soleil Manga.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness was positively received by English-language readers. The first volume ranked 72nd on the list of the top 100 best-selling graphic novels in September 2008 with an estimated 1,564 copies sold. In December 2008, the second volume placed 171st on the list of the top 300 best-selling graphic novels with an estimated 720 copies sold. However, it received mixed reviews from English-language critics—two of whom were fans of the Castlevania franchise. Criticism focused on Sasakura's artwork which tended to focus on close-ups and neglect the backgrounds, and the lack of fleshed-out characters. Mania Entertainment's Nadia Oxford disliked having a child as one of the main characters, calling it "unnecessary pandering to a younger audience" and concluding that "It's disappointing to see Castlevania thrown to a kid like so many other great properties." Conversely, another reviewer described it as "a fairly well done vampire comic book" with a "pitch perfect mood" and pleasant artwork, and About.com
's Deb Aoki ranked it fifteenth on her list of the twenty-two best vampire manga.
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. Despite that it was released for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was only able to see a PlayStation 2 release. However, An Xbox version was released in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(which includes Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) under the NTSC-J Format, but was still in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. A manga adaptation has been published by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
.
Gameplay
Being a 3D game like Lament of InnocenceCastlevania: Lament of Innocence
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, released as in Japan, Europe, and Australia, is an action-adventure video game developed by Konami for the PlayStation 2 console. Belonging to Konami's Castlevania video game series, it is the first installment of the series on the PlayStation 2 and the third to...
before it, Curse of Darkness differs from its predecessor in a number of ways. It includes a more complex, action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
/adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
style of gameplay, much like Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow. Hector is not a member of the Belmont clan, so he does not use the "Vampire Killer" whip; instead he has the ability (much like Alucard and Soma Cruz
Soma Cruz
Soma Cruz, known in Japan as , is a fictional character and the protagonist of Konami's action-adventure games Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, part of Konami's Castlevania video game series. He was designed by Ayami Kojima as part of producer Koji Igarashi's desire to...
) to equip a variety of different weapons ranging from swords (both one handed and two handed), spears, axes (also both one handed and two handed), brass knuckles and an extra type called special weapons (which varies from tonfas to gatling guns). However, there is an extra gameplay mode after finishing the game that allows players to play as Trevor Belmont, equipped with the "Vampire Killer" and the subweapons which are the knife, axe, holy water, cross, and stopwatch. The battle system is somewhat similar to that of Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
, whereas one button is used for standard combo attacks, and a secondary button is used for stronger "finishing attacks" after a singular standard attack or a combo of standard attacks. As the player acquires progressively stronger weapons throughout the game, the number of standard and finishing attacks the player can perform increases accordingly. Each different weapon type has a different set of combos that can be performed.
Departing from the central hub level layout of Lament of Innocence, wherein the player chooses from a number of distinct stages all accessible from a central hallway, Curse of Darkness features a more complete game world with a complete castle map as in Symphony of the Night. However, the game still uses the same map engine as Lament of Innocence, rather than the square-based grid of 2-D Castlevanias. Furthermore, a noticeable difference in level design is that much of the game does not take place in Dracula's castle, but rather exploring forests, mountains, temples, aqueducts, ruins, and villages in Europe. The player will be also aided by "Innocent Devils", which are demonic creatures developed by Hector himself through the Devil Forgery skill, in order to defeat enemies and solve puzzles within the game. They're similar to Alucard's Familiars in Symphony of the Night, however they level up and evolve together with Hector. The Innocent Devils (commonly referred as I.D.'s) come in 6 different types. Each I.D. gives specifics bonuses to Hector's stats.
- Fairy Type (Aids Hector with healing and can cure magical ailments.)
- Battle Type (The physically strongest of the I.D.'s. Has the most Heart points.)
- Bird Type (Flying I.D.'s that fight other airborne monsters.)
- Mage type (Attacks with long-distance magic.)
- Devil Type (The ultimate type of innocent devil.)
- Pumpkin Type (Add high bonuses to all stats, but possess no offensive skills)
Setting
Curse of Darkness is set in the year 1479, three years after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's CurseCastlevania III: Dracula's Curse
-Reception and legacy:Nintendo Power listed it as the ninth best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, praising it for its strong improvements over previous entries in the series.A 1991 Captain N episode was based on this game....
. Though defeated by vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, Dracula's
Dracula (Castlevania)
, whose real name is Mathias Cronqvist , is a fictional character from the multi-platform Castlevania video game series...
curse continues to ravage the European countryside, spreading disease, mob violence, and heresy in its wake. Amidst all this devastation is Hector, a Devil Forgemaster who had formerly worked under the employ of Dracula but betrayed him sometime during the events of Castlevania III. Eventually growing disgusted with Dracula's brutal methods, Hector leaves Castlevania and relinquishes his powers to live amongst humans, settling down to live a peaceful life. When Hector's fiance Rosaly is accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake, Hector learns that her murder was directed by his fellow Forgemaster, Isaac. Seeking revenge, Hector chases his former colleague back to his old home, and back to the demonic life he believed he had left behind him.
Characters
Hector (playable): Main Protagonist of the game. Former Devil-forgemaster. He betrayed Dracula and left for a normal life. He took back his devil forgemaster powers in order to defeat Isaac and once again bring peace back to the land. The player controls Hector in the normal play mode. |English Voice Actor: Crispin FreemanCrispin Freeman
Crispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
|
Trevor Belmont (unlock as playable): A member of the Belmont family. Wields the legendary Vampire Killer whip of his family. He doesn't appear until later on in the game. After the player beats the game as Hector, Trevor Mode is unlocked by naming a new file as @trevor. |English Voice Actor: Steve Staley
Steve Staley
Steve Staley is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Cannon. He is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates.When he is not working in the booth, he teaches a voice acting class at Kalmenson & Kalmenson in Burbank, California....
|
Isaac: Hector's fellow devil-forgemaster, he stayed loyal to Dracula after Trevor defeated him a few years before the start of the game. The player will fight Isaac a few times over the course of the game. |English Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien
Liam O'Brien
Liam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...
|
Dracula: As with most Castlevania games, he is the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the game. He is revived in an imperfect form, and the player must once again defeat his two forms in order to return peace to the land. |English Voice Actor: Douglas Rye
Douglas Rye
Douglas Forsythe Rye is a Los Angeles-based voice actor who has done Narration for such notable companies as Bank of America, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, NBC, The Playboy Channel, Qwest, Carl's Jr. and DaimlerChrysler...
|
Julia Laforeze: Isaac's sister, who is a witch. She provides items for the player in a shop. Hector notes she bears a resemblance to Rosaly, his deceased lover.
Zead: Seemingly someone who is against Dracula, though is later on revealed to be Death himself. |English Voice Actor: Liam O'Brien|
St. Germain: A person against Death. He can travel through time. He constantly asks Hector to abandon his quest, but never succeeds. He does fight Hector at one point in the game. He also appears strikingly similar to the character "Revolver Ocelot" from the "Metal Gear Solid" franchise. |English Voice Actor: Adam D. Clark|
Story
When the game begins, Hector arrives at an Abandoned Castle to confront Isaac. The latter scoffs at his desire for revenge and dares him to regain his powers so they can settle their score in a satisfying way. Hector reluctantly accepts the challenge, and starts hunting his former friend across the Transylvanian countryside. During his quest, he encounters several people: Julia Laforeze, a young witch in exile who turns out to be Isaac's sister, Trevor Belmont, who distrusts him for being a Devil Forgemaster, Zead, a kindly holyman who provides him with reliable information about Isaac's whereabouts, and St. GermainCount of St Germain
The Count of St. Germain has been variously described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and an amateur composer. He achieved great prominence in European high society of the mid-1700s, and since then various scholars have linked him to mysticism,...
, a mysterious time traveller who presses him to abandon his quest, but eventually leaves him alone with some cryptic comments about a "new destiny" having emerged for him.
At one point, Trevor decides to trust Hector, and uses his own blood to unlock a parallel world called the Infinite Corridor, where Isaac is supposedly hiding. However, when Hector fights a Dullahan there, an evil glyph channels his energy and uses it to summon a new incarnation of Dracula's castle. Isaac, who intended this all along, cruelly stabs Trevor and leaves him for dead.
Hector enters the new Castlevania, where he fights and defeats his nemesis. As he prepares to kill him in a fit of rage, he suddenly remembers Julia, who had warned him not to let the Curse take hold of him. Horrified, Hector realizes that his actions are being controlled by Dracula's Curse. A triumphant Zead appears and confirms this, explaining that the Devil Forgemasters were supposed to fight to the death, with the blood-stained Hector becoming the vessel for the Count's reincarnation. Having secured Isaac's body for this purpose, he reveals himself to be Death and attacks, in vain. Hector proceeds to destroy Dracula, and then uses his powers as a Devil Forgemaster to lift the Curse. Julia comes to his rescue, and they start a new life together. Meanwhile, St. Germain departs for the distant future, wondering how the struggle between mankind and Dracula will end.
Development
It was produced by Koji IgarashiKoji Igarashi
, also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and one of the producers of the Castlevania video game series. He is best known as the assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, his first major involvement in the Castlevania series , also known simply by the nickname...
(also known as IGA), who has worked on several other games in the Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
series, including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It is part of Konami's Castlevania video game series, and the third installment of the series on the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in North America on...
and Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, released as in Japan, Europe, and Australia, is an action-adventure video game developed by Konami for the PlayStation 2 console. Belonging to Konami's Castlevania video game series, it is the first installment of the series on the PlayStation 2 and the third to...
. Also returning are series artist Ayami Kojima
Ayami Kojima
is a Japanese game and concept artist who is best known for her work on the Castlevania series of video games with Konami. She is self-taught and enjoys reading shōnen manga...
and composer Michiru Yamane
Michiru Yamane
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. She is known primarily for her work on the Castlevania series and other Konami games, including Suikoden. Her debut composition was Twinbee...
.
Audio
Michiru Yamane once again composes the music. Guitars, which were omitted from Lament of Innocence's score, have returned in Curse of Darkness. There was a sampler given away as a bonus to anyone who pre-ordered a copy of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness from supporting retailers.Animaze has done the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-voicework for the Characters.
Reception and legacy
The game was generally well received, generating mid to high review scores. Common praises often go to the game's battle system - which as stated by IGN "...can offer up a fairly wide variety of skirmishes and strategies..." -, the Innocent Devil system and musical score. Common criticisms of the game go to the game's environments, which have generally been considered dull and repetitive. X-PlayX-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave Curse of Darkness a 3 out of 5 while IGN gave it a 7.8, or "Good" rating. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
Magazine gave the game a 4.0 out of a 5.0 fun factor, stating that it was a game that got more intriguing as it goes on. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
rated it 6.8, saying it looked good and had solid controls, but the level design was "monotonous".
Manga
Adapted and illustrated by Kou Sasakura, a two-volume manga adaptation titled was published in Japan from 2005 to 2006. Taking place between the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's CurseCastlevania III: Dracula's Curse
-Reception and legacy:Nintendo Power listed it as the ninth best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, praising it for its strong improvements over previous entries in the series.A 1991 Captain N episode was based on this game....
and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, the manga centers on Isaac and Hector. Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
licensed it for English-language release in North America. The first volume, (ISBN 978-1-4278-0053-4), was released September 1, 2008, and the second, (ISBN 978-1-4278-0214-9), was published January 1, 2009. It is also licensed in France by Soleil Manga.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness was positively received by English-language readers. The first volume ranked 72nd on the list of the top 100 best-selling graphic novels in September 2008 with an estimated 1,564 copies sold. In December 2008, the second volume placed 171st on the list of the top 300 best-selling graphic novels with an estimated 720 copies sold. However, it received mixed reviews from English-language critics—two of whom were fans of the Castlevania franchise. Criticism focused on Sasakura's artwork which tended to focus on close-ups and neglect the backgrounds, and the lack of fleshed-out characters. Mania Entertainment's Nadia Oxford disliked having a child as one of the main characters, calling it "unnecessary pandering to a younger audience" and concluding that "It's disappointing to see Castlevania thrown to a kid like so many other great properties." Conversely, another reviewer described it as "a fairly well done vampire comic book" with a "pitch perfect mood" and pleasant artwork, and About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Deb Aoki ranked it fifteenth on her list of the twenty-two best vampire manga.