Karin (A.K.A Chibi Vampire)

 

Love can be so embarrassing!

Genre - Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo, Vampire

Length – 24 Episodes

Run - Nov 3, 2005 to May 11, 2006

Animation Production – J.C. Staff, FUNimation EntertainmentL

Ah Karin....what a delightful series this was. I'd say Karin is awkward love at its best. Predictable? Yes, but oh so lovable...

There is a "freak" among the vampire clan of Maaka, her name is Karin Maaka. In the beginning of the anime you see Karin portrayed as a shy, timid, awkward, and well-endowed teenage girl; which never actually changes throughout the show. Normally vampires go hunting for prey to drink blood from, but Karin is a bit different. She gets urges but it's not for blood sucking, it's for blood giving. You see Karin suffers from a strange condition where she produces too much blood according to her blood affinity. If she cannot find a victim to inject blood, she spews it out in the form of a massive nose bleed. 

Karin when she overflows with blood.

Everything seems rather normal at Karin's school, kind of a typical setting. This is probably what annoyed me while watching Karin in the beginning. Typical setting with typical characters with typical uniforms and a typical best friend. Maki Tokitou is the best friend of Karin and at times producer of lulz. Maki is a rather cheerful person; rarely will she be shown in a bad or sad mood. She makes it a habit to tease Karin, especially when she starts to get familiar with Usui Kenta, the new transfer student. Yet again another predictability. Often mistaken as a delinquent, Usui is actually a nice hardworking guy (and let's not forget shy and awkward). His mother has horrible luck maintaining jobs so he has to work to make sure there is food on the table. Coincidentally, he and Karin work in the same place; oh yes...another predictable setting.

So what have you learned so far? Predictability? "You keep repeating that word bro, I thought you liked this show?" Yes well that's because this anime is predictable and I figured I would get that out of the way before someone else does. However, the mechanics of this series make the predictability something to forget. For all its inconsequential nature, generic characters and predictable story, Karin is one of the most thoroughly entertaining experiences I can remember for a long time that spawned from the girl-meets-boy formula. Karin’s comprehensive lack of aspirations for a deep or meaningful story is the thing that saves it from the beginning. Simple character designs with even simpler character personalities are introduced at the beginning and set the mood for this light-hearted high-school romance with a vampire twist. First of all, the characters are likable. Karin is simply adorable with her shy nature that makes you want to pinch her cheeks. 

 Karin being teased by Maki.

Winner Sinclair is mass producer of lulz that makes you wish he had his own show, and Karin's parents along with her younger sister Anju and older brother Ren make you wish you were part of the family. In essence, you will love all the characters right from the start.

Moving on to the Animation, Karin is decent for its pre-HD time. The colors used are vibrant but the backgrounds could have used more work. The transitions normally put for commercial break purposes are rather humorous at times. Normally in anime these transitions stay the same throughout the entire series but In Karin they change in every episode along with the teaser for next week's episode that sometimes features a provocative Karin or Anju picture. Speaking of provocative, the OP is rather provocative (yes I know I'm using that word too much).
 

How can you not like this OP?

The soundtrack is stagnant. Nothing really changes but I wouldn't have it any other way. Aside from the OP, the sounds and music used create the perfect atmosphere for the setting or scene being shown. Everything compliments each other.

Around the final episodes of the series, there is a life-threatening vampire hunter element implemented. This brings the series down a bit. The majority of the progression in the story had been largely character-focused and the sudden change to a plot-intensive story with a serious mood was too difficult to swallow. What made it worse was that this section was driven by some seriously silly plot devices. It was the ending itself that redeemed the series, trumping the somber section with a plot twist so asinine that it’s unforgettable. More importantly, it delivered Karin back to the light-hearted mood that made it so lovable. For this reason, as silly as it was, I have nothing but compliments for the absurd resolution and the note on which Karin concluded.

To sum things up, a cast of lovable characters mixed with a perfect blend of comedy, action, and romance makes Karin a must watch. "Oh lord Jebus make this man shut up and hurry!"

Art - (8/10) Sound - (8/10) Plot - (7/10) Enjoyment - (9/10)

Overall
8/10

Note: Karin is just so...