ANIME REVIEW | "Li’l Miss Vampire" Fits in Just Right
Sometimes, vampires just want to blend in with their surroundings. Yes, many of them want to suck blood and bring terror into the night. But not Luna Ishikawa (Minami Tanaka), the star of the new anime comedy series Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right. All she wants is a normal school life, making friends, and taking part in activities. Alas, she has a problem: she quickly loses energy fast, which is why she’s often got a snack in her mouth to regain as much gumption as she can.
So why doesn’t Luna simply drink blood to get her pep back into her step? Well, did you read the title of the anime? It’s not called Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right for nothing! Luna doesn’t know how to properly drink blood from humans, which is why she is often tired and in a very cute chibi form. Thankfully, that’s where classmate Tatsuta Otori (Kensho Ono) comes in, who offers to help Luna train to be better at sucking blood. As a result, his arm is often covered in fang bites, but he doesn’t mind much, especially when Luna’s in her cute tiny size.
This is a world where monsters and humans coexist with one another, in the same way as a show like Interviews with Monster Girls. Humans don’t freak out at the sight of a vampire or a werewolf because they’re a common part of society. Still, people keep their distance from Luna, but not because they’re scared of her. Nay, it’s that old intimidation factor, as many students see Luna as too cool or too beautiful, making them unworthy of their time. However, it’s merely a misunderstanding due to Luna’s low energy, with her tired looks being mistaken for some cool aura.
With the help of Otori, Luna finds her way into the mesh of school life. Playing basketball at the sports festival, eating with friends at an udon shop, going to the beach, and partaking in the school fair are just some of the ways Luna becomes a true part of the class. The more she interacts, the more students find that there’s never been a wall between her and the rest of the school. In actuality, Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right is teaching its viewers that old saying of never judging a book by its cover.
The anime takes a more laid-back approach to both its narrative and humor. Unlike Himouto! Umaru-chan, another anime whose main character has a chibi form, the silliness isn’t off-the-walls zany. Instead, Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right takes a more observational approach to its comedy. Little tidbits here and there about the situation may leave you with a chuckle or two, but I wouldn’t say anything here will leave your stomach aching from laughter. However, what you do see is both fairly entertaining and enjoyable.
As for the bond between Luna and Otori, nothing yet gives a hint of love or romance. And perhaps that’s a good thing. Sometimes an anime needs people to be just friends, rather than build up to some big love fest. There are many people who are head-over-heels in love with Luna, but these characters are so secondary that they don’t even budge the needle. Instead, allowing Luna and Otori to be the type of buddies that look after one another is a nice change of pace for the anime realm.
Visually, Studio Feel (Hinamatsuri, A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics) knows how to make the world of Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right look bright and pretty. Almost every scene is filled with lively color, and the settings are brought to motion in a comforting and cartoonish way. And when Luna turns into her chibi form, one can’t help but embrace just how adorable she looks and moves. However, the one thing that I can’t get over is why Otori is never drawn with a mouth. I don’t know if it’s merely following the design of the original manga, but it still looks weird nonetheless.
With the anime focused on both Luna and Otori, it’s fairly understandable that their voice actors would hold up most of the show’s weight. And thankfully, both Tanaka and Ono play their characters in a delightful way. Tanaka switches between cool vampire student voice and cute chibi vocals with the snap of one’s fingers, bringing out a plethora of cuteness to her performance. For Ono, his Otori has more of a laid-back sound to it, which works well considering how much energy is zapped from him after Luna sucks his arm.
Composer Tomoki Kikuya (Bocchi the Rock!, Detectives These Days Are Crazy!) delivers a wonderful soundtrack that fits strongly with a slice-of-life vibe. From its mandolin-filled melodies when things are relaxing to the more ska-influenced guitar parts when there’s a little excitement in the air, Kikuya does a stellar job with adding extra flavor to every scene. Pop rock group HΔG take over both opening and ending theme duties, with opener “Seishun no Silhouette” being an audible delight that aids in getting the audience ready for the fun this show delivers. Ending theme “Senkō Hanabi” — featuring Minami Tanaka on co-vocals — closes out every episode with a sweet pop flair that’ll surely give viewers a warm feeling every time they hear it.
Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right is a fun anime. It may not be the most crazy or laugh-out-loud hilarious show of the year, but it acts as a nice breather for when you want to watch something that’s a bit more relaxing. Also, it’s hard not to admit that Luna is one of this year’s cutest anime characters, although she has some big competition ahead of her. But that would seem fine for Luna, who’s not in it to be the best. All she wants is a nice, normal high school life, and Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right gives her plenty of opportunities to experience that. Having us viewers along for the ride to cheer her on is simply a bonus.
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Li’l Miss Vampire Can’t Suck Right can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and has been licensed by Crunchyroll. Episodes 1-10 were observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.
