Karin

Karin (which is known as Chibi Vampire in Japan), is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Yuna Kagesaki. The anime series was produced by J.C. Staff, and directed by Shinichiro Kimura. Karin ran for twenty-four episodes, which aired on WOWOW from November 3, 2005 through May 11, 2006. The U.S. license for the anime series is held by Geneon Entertainment. In 2008, FUNimation Entertainment announced that their company would distribute the Karin anime in the United States, but that Geneon Entertainment would retain the license for the series.

Karin, the main character of the series, is the middle child in a family of vampires. However, instead of feeding on blood like a normal vampire, Karin produces blood. When Karin bites people, she does it to expel the extra blood inside of her instead of sucking their blood out. If Karin doesn’t expel her extra blood, she ends up having exaggerated nose bleeds. Karin is able to venture outside during the day and follows the sleep patterns of normal humans. These traits allow this fifteen-year-old vampire to attend a regular high school. Since she attends a regular high school, Karin tries very hard to hide the fact that she’s really a vampire.

The peacefulness of Karin’s life is disrupted by the arrival of a transfer student named Kenta Usui. Any time Karin goes near him, her blood increases. She tries to avoid him, but the two of them are in the same class. Kenta learns Karin’s secret, and Karin’s older brother attempts to erase his memory. However, Karin’s younger sister convinces their brother to leave Kenta’s memory intact. Karin’s sister also convinces their parents that Kenta can serve as an ally for Karin during the daylight hours. Over the course of the series, Karin and Kenta’s attachment to each other grows. As their attachment grows, so does their problems.

While the main characters in Karin may have a “cute” look about them, the anime isn’t appropriate for younger viewers. With Karin’s blood production issues, a lot of blood is seen in the series. There are also some hints of “fan service” (such as in the first episode, where it’s implied that Kenta catches sight of Karin’s panties when she falls down). Also, the concept of vampires could potentially be frightening for younger viewers. Personally, I would recommend Karin to anime viewers who are thirteen or fourteen years of age and older.