Sharp fangs, red eyes, pale skin and lots of blood—vampire anime, anyone?
Whether you’re a ride-or-die JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fan or you became instantly obsessed with The Case Study of Vanitas, vampires in anime are here to stay. While some aren’t always as terrifying as others, you can still expect to find some variation of the vampire tropes that we know and (mostly) love!
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So if you’re feeling spooky despite Halloween being months away, we’ve got a handful of vampire anime shows in our catalog that are bloodthirsty for your attention. I’ll see myself out now…
Let’s take a look!
The Case Study of Vanitas
If you’re familiar with PandoraHearts, you probably already know that The Case Study of Vanitas is by the same author, Jun Mochizuki. The show’s backdrop is 19th-century steampunk Paris where vampires lurk among humans.
We quickly meet Noé Archiviste, a vampire, and Vanitas, a self-proclaimed doctor who cures vampires of “malnomen,” a condition that causes involuntary predatory behavior.
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After a fateful meeting in which Noé tries to protect a young vampire woman from getting captured by Vanitas, the latter uses a grimoire called the Book of Vanitas to heal her and cast away the malnomen. After witnessing the grandeur of Vanitas’s curing spell, Noé decides to join forces with him to heal cursed vampires.
New to Funimation’s Summer 2021 anime lineup, The Case Study of Vanitas is a must-watch for fans of PandoraHearts and ikemen!
Watch The Case Study of Vanitas on Funimation!
MARS RED
MARS RED was part of Funimation’s Spring 2021 anime lineup this year and is a show that, rather than focusing on action and gore, takes a theatrical approach, as it’s based on a stage reading play by Bun-O FUJISAWA.
The stage is set in 1923 during the Taisho period in Japan, and the Japanese government has created a vampire unit in the military called Code Zero to combat the threat of illegal “Ascra” trades, which have increased the vampire population.
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At first, the show focuses on Colonel Yoshinobu Maeda who’s in charge of Code Zero and captures or kills vampires. As the story progresses, the focus shifts to the other Code Zero members and eventually names the youngest vampire of the unit, Shutaro Kurusu, as the main lead.
Themes of immortality, life and death, war, and trauma are prevalent and often portrayed through theater performances by characters like Misaki and Defrott.
If you’re wondering if there’s any action in MARS RED, the answer is yes! Just don’t expect flashy fight choreography sequences. The show’s strength comes from its thematic messages and cinematic storytelling.
Watch MARS RED on Funimation!
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Whether or not you’re a fan of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you can’t avoid the memes, references and hypermasculine characters that pop up throughout the anime community. If you told someone who’s never heard of the show that it’s about vampires, they might get confused. But vampires do exist in Phantom Blood through the man, the myth, the legend: Dio Brando!
The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure universe kicks off with two brothers, Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando, with the latter being the adopted son of the Joestar family. Bad blood runs between the two brothers as Dio tries to steal the heir position from Jonathan, but his attempts fail. As a last resort, Dio uses an ancient Stone Mask to transform himself into a vampire and destroys the Joestar estate.
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Jonathan goes on a journey to master the Hamon martial arts technique to stop Dio from fulfilling his goal of world domination. The adventures don’t end with Jonathan and Dio, though; as you might’ve already seen, each new part spurs descendants of the Joestar family as the new protagonist, with the recently announced Part Six: Stone Ocean having Jolyne Cujoh as the first female JoJo!
Watch JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure on Funimation!
Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign
Ever wondered what a world ruled by vampires would be like? Enter Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, a bleak dystopian setting where a “human-made” virus wiped out every human except for children under the age of 13. The vampires emerge and take control of society, demanding blood from humans who seek “protection.”
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The story revolves around Yuichiro Hyakuya and Mikaela Hyakuya, orphans who grew up together, only to be separated with the former joining the vampire extermination unit, the Moon Demon Company, and the latter taken captive by vampires. Yuichiro sets out for revenge against the vampires that killed his family and turned Mikaela into a vampire.
Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign offers drama, comedy and action with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. If these check off the boxes for you, plus vampires, you’ve got yourself a new show to watch!
Watch Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign on Funimation!
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Blood Blockade Battlefront is full of chaos and comedy, with a unique premise and a ton of supernatural characters (yes, vampires included!).
A young photographer named Leonardo Watch obtains the “All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods” after his sister loses her eyesight. He later moves to Hellsalem’s Lot (formerly New York City) where paranormal creatures have blended in with human society.
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Leo joins Libra, an organization that fights monsters, terrorists and deadly vampires with magic and superpowers. The show is episodic and captures the chaos and crimes that ensue in Hellsalem’s Lot, but these events are everyday occurrences for the members of Libra and a lot of comedy is infused in each episode.
If you’re a fan of Trigun, you might be surprised to find out that Blood Blockade Battlefront is by the same author!
Watch Blood Blockade Battlefront on Funimation!
Hellsing
For a classic anime with vampires, you can’t go wrong with Hellsing! Inspired by and named after the Royal Order of Protestant Knights originally led by Abraham Van Helsing, Hellsing exterminates threats to the queen and the country.
Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing leads the organization and is accompanied and protected by her family butler, Walter C. Dornez, and the original and most powerful vampire, Alucard.
Vampires, the undead, war—if any of these words spell out a must-watch show for you, then you’ll definitely want to add Hellsing to your queue!
Watch Hellsing on Funimation!
