MANGA REVIEW | "Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite" - Volume Five
Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to spark a friendship with the voice actor of my favorite characters. Sure, I may be Facebook friends with some people in the industry, but it’s not like I’m able to hang out with them or grab a coffee. So when I see Hina and her opportunities to tag along with the voice of her favorite "Vampire Cross" character, I sort of wish I could be just as lucky. However, as Volume Five of Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite shows, it might not be as fun if they were bloodsuckers, and I was a hopeful target.
However, before we get to that, Amanatsu needs some cheering up, and Hina may have a solution to that problem: hugging a baby tiger. After waiting a long time in line, the vampire girl nabs a ticket, something that Mao voice actor Rinya Mizuki himself is incapable of doing. As the two are chatting, something leads Amanatsu to feeling a little uneasy. Is he suspicious of Rinya, or is it something else? Whatever the case, it’s not going to keep him from hugging a baby tiger!
What is going to keep him from protecting Hina from Rinya is a "Vampire Cross" stamp rally. It’s here where Rinya finds out why Hina is attached to Mao, something that even the voice actor can’t comprehend. Not only does the reveal open Rinya’s heart, but it pushes him to aid Hina in her quest for a Mao keychain. And with so much success happening in the end, Rinya feels a sort of joy and excitement that he hasn’t experienced in over a century.
It was hinted in the previous volume that Rinya was a vampire. But for his true intentions when it comes to Hina, well that’s still up in the air. Right now, the vampires in Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite are about 50/50 good and bad, with some just looking for friends whilst others seek blood and servants. For Rinya, it appears that he’s in the former category, but one will have to see how much he interacts with Hina and Amanatsu to clearly figure out what his true deal is.
Speaking of Amanatsu, the dude can’t get a break when it comes to vampires wanting his blood. For starters, a loser vampire YouTuber first targets Hina for his streaming show, only to find out that it’s Amanatsu that has the aroma vampires crave. And once the YouTuber gets a taste, he reveals that the blood is so good that it’s the only kind he can crave. Ergo, a plethora of vampires start to target Hina’s human pal.
It leads Hina to want to become the hero of Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite. Although she’s still very much the damsel of the narrative, her vampiric abilities make her a candidate to be the strongest in the series. Alas, Amanatsu is too thick-headed and stubborn to accept her help, even if it means saving his life. Thankfully, someone else has a better solution, which leads to a pretty funny visual punchline towards the end.
Volume Five of Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite has a good amount of heart and humor packed into it. Rinya is fleshed out a bit more, and his inclusion into the narrative could bring something interesting to the table. As for Amanatsu, it feels like he’s being pushed down the Hina ladder more and more, a fate that — let’s face it — is more his fault than anyone else’s. Maybe author Julietta Suzuki will give him a break for once next time around. After all, those tiger cub hug opportunities don’t come often!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
