Storyline

Blood+ to say the least, is of course a bloody show, in the gore factor but any story that features vampires would definitely involve blood and said creatures are referred to as “Chiroptera” in the show.

However, the main character isn’t so much of a cape-wearing, charming gentleman with fangs but a teenage girl, Saya, who leads a normal school life until she is confronted by a beastly chiroptera which promptly eats her P.E teacher in front of her. However, in an ironic twist the predator soon becomes the prey as Saya runs into a mysterious man, who carries with him a large cello case. The man (named Haji, who does not identify himself until a few episodes in) then passes Saya a unique katana (A Japanese sword) following which Saya literally dissects the chiroptera in the school science lab with her blade… after which her life changes forever as Saya discovers her true identity and origin.

Art and Music

Blood+ shows itself to be a quality show especially through its stellar cast of characters and their designs, from the mysteriously handsome Haji to the cute and clumsy Saya, the designs themselves are immediately representative of the usual personality that each has. As such, the designs also bring much surprise to the viewers as their pre-conceived notions of the characters are shattered in later episodes when the characters take unexpected actions, Haji can transform himself into a half-chiropteran form whereas Saya deals out much damage in a schoolgirl uniform, thus this brings about a fresh albeit slightly shocking change in the initial impressions one might have of the protagonists.

Music-wise, Blood+ is very much an extravaganza, not withstanding the outstanding openings and endings that feature colorful scenes and wonderful songs, a personal favorite would be “Colors of the Heart” by Uverworld, a band which has also performed openings for other popular anime such as Bleach and Gundam 00. Meanwhile, Haji’s cello playing also gained much popularity through the course of Blood+’s broadcast and a soundtrack exclusively featuring Haji playing his instrument was released.

Conclusion

While the premise of Blood+ would be the love story between Haji and Saya, the show would seemingly be more suitable for girls who prefer romantic anime; however, in the personal perspective of a male, the show contains much action and mystery making it a good watch for all.

Review by Lim Ming Qing Stanley