The Case Study of Vanitas Part 2

The case study of vanitas is nothing short of a complex story done right. From small wholesome moments to complex character relationships and psychological depictions not to mention the mysteries themselves. The strength of this Cour particularly lies with the progression of plot and unexpected revelations and character moments. What the author basically excels at is balance. Mostly complex stories dont take there time and throw a bunch of stuff at your face(I am only talking about the majority here) However Mochizuki is basically devoid of that. Taking a slow but pre planned approach not only makes it intriguing but immersive at the same time. You stillmight get lost in the story but events following that might just explain most of the questions you might have. However that's where the main complain lies as well Vanitas is "slow" The first Cour is needed to establish your link with the characters for delivering the main flavour in the 2nd one. For the most part, the story has still Just begun Strengths: Character relationships: Its very common for people to actually misinterpret the relationships between the characters since the writer is fond of writing complex, eccentric yet extreme relationships. Her approach is basically related to psychological trauma and self worth of the characters. However due to these things even friends can be mistaken for love interests since the depiction of "love" in her stories is completely different from what one might expect. Which kinda explains why people often ship Vanitas and Noe and of course some people due to their misinterpretation or biasness use it to criticise the series. Sadly people who actually do that dont understand her works or what she tries to potray however But back to the question, why would you consider it as a strength? It establishes an emotional connection of the viewer to the degree they might not expect, if you truly understand their bonds and psychology that is. If there is one thing the anime was able to depict properly, it was these relationships. Simply put, the writer explains the extent of a bond, whether its between siblings, friends or something entirely different in its most pure yet extreme form and that is its main appeal. The characters have conflicts but what results after that is nothing short of a worth it pay off due to these "relationships" Characters: OfCourse these relationships are great because the character themselves are written well. Every character in the story has a unique distinct personality that develops gradually and also they are always opposite of what a viewer might initially expect them to be(most of the time). For example Jeanne was shown to be quiet submissive in the drama of the "supposed" relationship between her and vanitas only to be proven false when they actually develop feelings for each other. Same goes for Vanitas. Who was actually the exact opposite of "the cool quirky character" he was shown in the start. And some characters are written in such a beautiful manner that you cant help but love them(yes i am talking about you Noe) From the mysterious "teacher" and creepy yet adorable Mikhail to the lovable "Vampire of the blue moon" every character has interesting characteristics and they are not just empty shells (Except Doc he is pretty annoying an i just want him to suffer) However the anime did not do justice to some characters(Mainly dominique) Plot and Worldbuilding: No work is great till the writing itself is something to behold. Vanitas as i mentioned above vanitas is still developing and even then the twists, conflicts are planned and executed with care. (the anime was a bit fast in depicting that however so it did not give the same experience in contrast with some parts of the manga) Its unpredictable, different and intriguing, opposite to a Typical mystery. The careful approach with all the things done with drip feeding, not to mention unique world building which takes inspiration from real historical events(Beast of gevaden, de sades and several other things) makes you realize how much care is put into the plot. And well that's all there is to it Final Judgement: Surprisingly the adaptation was great since I truly believe that Mochizuki works are hard to adapt. Even though the anime rushed at some parts during the beast arc and was not able to depict the same tension in the manga(most of the time), it was much better then I initially expected it to be. Manga is still better but the anime did a great job(comparable to the orginal) and I would obviously recommend it. If you read this far then thankyou and have a great day

Say what you want about the quality of this season of anime, at least the sequels lived up to their respective hypes. That should tell you already how I feel about the new season of The Case Study of Vanitas. The first season was one of my favourites from last year thanks to its great cast of characters, great production values and an absolute brilliant ED. So naturally, I looked forward to this second season and to see where the story would end up next. Starting with the story, my main complaint with Vanitas season one was the lack of an overarching narrative to tieall these stories together. Season two sort of addresses this but doesn’t fix it. This season does start tying all these plot threads and storylines together, as if to say season one was just setup and season two is putting it all together. The plot threads start to connect and come into more effect as the story goes on. Yet the show doesn’t give a clear reason as to where the story wants to go. It still focuses on dealing with the now, rather than any potential problems that can come later. Like these two arcs don’t have any prior buildup besides a cliffhanger before it starts but are significant in terms of the plot for the majority of the core cast of characters. There is also a massive plot revelation surrounding the dark spirit Naenia that doesn’t leave an impact on the story as I would’ve liked. Sure, the way it was delivered was fantastic but It’s pretty significant plot revelation and the characters act like it doesn’t matter much after seeing it. This is where I think the show’s comedic tone at times, as much as I find it amusing, can hinder some pretty important narrative beats. That’s not to take away from the arcs themselves, they are still well told and are very engaging to watch. The first arc takes the bulk of this season and acts as as a sort of narrative high where the stakes get higher than they have before and the characters must act in order to stop it; with the second arc being smaller but very significant for character development. It continues the show’s story strengths, which is their direction, pacing and how our characters interact with it. Only now, character development has taken a step up from season one. I am more interested in these characters in this season than in season one. Now that could be because I already like these characters before the season started but this season continues to go in the right direction when it comes to the characters. So while the story still has the same problems, it still has the same strengths and continues its good but flawed narrative. The Characters though were always the strongest point when it came to this show. I love this cast of characters and their interactions with one another. But one of the main themes when it comes to season of Vanitas is character backstories. Noé and Domi were the only ones that got a dedicated backstory but this season gave us backstories for Vanitas, Jeanne, Domi again, Astolfo and newcomers Chloé, Jean-Jacques and Mikhail. They are thankfully engaging and help us get attached to the characters even more, while also being crucial to the narrative as they give more clarity into the situation as they do answer some very important questions. While I feel like they could’ve spread them out better over the course of these two seasons, they do contain plot points that would’ve been spoilers for what is to come so I get why they are clumped up here. But then again, you could’ve done some good foreshadowing for what is to come. In terms of the characters themselves I am so glad that the relationship between Vanitas and Jeanne has developed this season. Season one had its fair share of development between the two, but this season is where I think it has truly blossomed and I love the interactions they had with each other this season. Chloé and Jean-Jacques act as interesting antagonists because while they are the main threat in the first arc, they aren’t strictly evil as we soon learn, the situation is more than just being black and white and there is some complexity to it. By the end, you aren’t rooting for them to be stopped, you are rooting for them to see if they can be saved. Mikhail acts more antagonistic as a thorn to Vanitas’ side but you can clearly tell that something has warped this young boy’s mind. But he wasn’t as compelling as Chloé and Jean-Jacque but still good. Going back to the story quickly, I like how the show portrays how humans and vampires can both be monsters, especially in the first arc where you can clearly see how Humans affected Chloé’s life and how Vampires affected Astolfo’s through their backstories. It just goes to show that Vampires aren’t just bloodthirsty creatures of the night, they have their own flaws that makes the difference between Humans and Vampires not that much different. It doesn’t go into depth about the human, vampire dynamic than a show like Shiki, but does just enough to make it subtle and interesting. In terms of production values, it remain unchanged from season season one. It still looks great and sound great and I’m glad Studio Bones is able to keep it up. Although I do want to say the soundtrack has gotten some very notable new tracks that make the scene they are used in much much better. This season has made me like the ost more as its usage is very good. But I want to talk about the OP and ED since they are obviously new. Let’s start with the ED first. It was going to be VERY hard to top “Zero” by LMYK from season one for me. To me, that ending was my pick for best ending sequence from 2021. I loved the song and it was a great contrast to season one’s more upbeat OP with Noé trying to reach out to Vanitas at the depths of isolation, with Vanitas just simply waiting to grab his hand. It had a great rhythm, it looked great and…...hold on a sec, I need to go listen to it again………...”Was it you that I have been searching for? Spend my life alone and waited for?”…….Ok, I’m back. While I do admire the attempt by "Salvation" by Mononkul, it just doesn’t hold a candle to Zero. While the visuals are on par, forshadowing Noé and Vanitas’ strenuous relationship, the rhythm and pacing of the song just feels weaker than Zero. It really is just the case that Zero was the better song by a mile that doesn’t make this ED as good as season one’s ED. The OP however, I do think is better than season one’s OP. Titled, "Your Name" by Little Glee Monster, the OP is not as light hearted as "Sora to Utsuro" by sasanomaly, the OP does a better job at showcasing the, “I need you, I don’t need you” relationship Noé and Vanitas has where they are off doing their own thing and end up just looking for each other anyway while the synthesized lyrics and calm instruments play in the background. While season one’s OP was more fun, I feel like season two was more clear and realistic with the relationship between our two main leads. Overall a great OP. So where does this lead to where to how I feel about season 2? Honestly, I got the same amount of enjoyment as I did with season one. The story was the main aspect of this show I wanted to see happen next and while it does take steps forward, it also takes some steps back and doesn’t address some of the criticisms I had with season one. The characters though are the heart and soul of this series and to see them still being fun and engaging to watch with the new characters not brining it down does make this season still worth the watch. While I would like to know where the narrative ultimately wants to go, the arcs themselves through good pacing, direction and character development do help make up for it. The Case Study of Vanitas still remains one of my favourite Vampire themed anime alongside Hellsing Ultimate and Shiki and even after I did my review on season one and now with season two, it’s still worth the watch. Story: 7/10 (While the arcs are engaging to watch due to good direction and pacing alongside some payoff with these plot threads, there is still a lack overarching story to drive the narrative forward) Characters: 10/10 (This is still a great cast with fun and interesting interactions, only now, their development has gotten better) Animation: 8/10 (Remains unchanged from season one. Bones still nailed the Aesthetics and animation of this series) Sound: 8/10 (While the ED has taken a backseat, the new OP and some new OSTs make up for it) My Personal Enjoyment: 9/10 (This still remains one of my favourite vampire anime and most of the things I loved are still great) Overall Score: 8.4/10 Recommendation: Watch It

When I reviewed part one, I talked a lot about the director, the studio, the production—that was a mistake. Because who cares? That shit is boring. And fuck the “plot” too. What people really want to read about is hot goss, and Vanitas no Karte continues to deliver. This show reminds me of Gossip Girl. There was always stuff going on at the school, and there was always some pretense that what you were watching was a young woman’s coming of age story, but the only reason people really watched it was for the juicy teen drama, and I think Bones putting less effort intothe fight scenes than they put into the kissing scenes says a lot. The user Sarwan111 created a forum thread where he asked a question which, whether intentional or not, served as a scathing critique of this show’s flawed characterization. What he asked was, “Can anyone explain me who is the protagonist in this?” And no one could give him a straight answer. After all, there isn’t one. If this were a boys’ love manga adaptation structured like a shoujo manga, especially one written by an author like Jun Mochizuki, then the answer would clearly be Noé. At the end of the day, you experience most of the story with essentially the same information he has, and most of the internal monologging we get is from his perspective. Shoujo protagonists are typically introduced living very reserved, plain, innocent lives, and the story begins with a dashing, mysterious, domineering older male love interest suddenly appearing out of the blue, spicing up her mundane life, and sweeping her into a new world of wonder and passion. This handsome heartthrob would of course be Vanitas. Initially, the plot usually focuses on her arc of self-discovery, and the story usually then moves on to her new boyfriend’s hidden past and the melodrama that comes with resolving it. The problem with this understand of the story, though, is Vanitas and Noé don’t fit these roles. The author is merely shoving them together to make the audience ship them and draw yaoi doujins. The real love interests are Jeanne, who Vanitas just sexually harassed until she liked it (which is actually great, but don’t pretend it’s anything more than a fanservice device), and Domi, who’s whole existence is frustrated by the author’s deliberate refusal to explain why Noé hasn’t fucked her yet. They both like each other, and they have seemingly no reason not to hook up. The result is an awkward story with no real protagonist, but rather two “main characters” who compete for the right to undergo even the slightest bit of a character arc. To top it all off, despite the shoujo-style characters, the actual plot progresses much more like a weekly shounen manga, with no well-defined goal and endless meandering between tensionless fight sequences, tactless exposition dumps, and meaningless reveals to nebulous mysteries which could’ve come at any time. The term “comedy relief” is a literal phrase; if executed correctly, jokes add levity & help scenes flow. This show, however, uses chibi regardless of the tone or atmosphere, even cutting into life or death situations. This art style is obviously being abused so Bones can put as little effort as possible into the drawings. The overuse of chibi screams laziness, and considering that whole incident back in part one where just episode nine itself needed eighteen different animation directors working on it just to stay afloat, the state of the production is obvious. People were impressed when they saw a show that didn’t immediately and outwardly look like total trash and then overpraised it before they could realize it was just any other inconsistent, otherwise decent-looking romp. Ultimately, the visuals continue to look mediocre at best, and despite all the show’s actual attempts at comedy, that CG book continues to be the funniest, most memorable thing on screen. Thank you for reading.

Spoiler Warning: Once again, it's time for another re-review, this time with the second part of this anime. Part two of The Case Study of Vanitas blew my expectations away from the first half of the series. The way the production for this series functions made me realize many aspects of this anime that I missed in my previous review. The concept of vampire anime never interested me, and after the second part, I can now say that this series is, by far, the most intriguing vampire anime I've ever watched. From here, I will further explain what the series did great and what the animecould improve on in the future with its production. Continuing from the first part of the anime, the second half focuses on a different area that introduces more characters who play significant roles for most of the episodes. Once the first half of the second part ends, it then returns to Paris to focus on developing the primary cast even further. What the anime does right is the emotional and dark tone of the characters' backstories, showcasing how tragic their lives were when they were younger. The execution of those backstories is so well done that they make us feel sympathy since certain flashbacks are hard to watch, and this anime did an incredible job with that aspect. While I find the comedy part of the anime to be a good point of relief, it can sometimes be overused, removing tension from serious scenes at times. Even though it didn't bother me, what somewhat surprised me was the anime's pacing. Unlike the first half, the second half was a little fast-paced, cutting out certain parts from the manga to adapt the entire thing in just twelve episodes. The story itself resumes Vanitas and Noe's journey to Gevaudan to learn more about a beast residing in said location. After a while, the primary cast struggles through many obstacles and eventually saves the two characters in that arc, allowing them to live in peace. For the remainder of the second half, the anime further dives into the backstories behind the main characters and later adds tons of intense and dark moments to make each episode more notable. At first, I thought this series was only about two vampires that bicker with each other working together, but the expansion of the characters made the anime even more intriguing to watch. The fact that each of the primary cast has their characters expanded makes is what made me love this anime. Considering the events during the final episodes, I'm intrigued to see how the story will continue to unravel after everything we witnessed in the finale. If everything in the story gets written neatly, then this could be one of Jun Mochizuki's masterpieces, but for now, all we have to do is wait. As usual, everyone in this series is still enjoyable to watch. Even with all the introductions to brand new characters, what makes each one of them intriguing is their chemistry between one. The romance between Vanitas and Jeanne is one of my favorite character interactions. Seeing as though they developed genuine feelings for each other is reassuring to watch. Another well-written chemistry is between Vanitas and Noe. Even though they dislike each other, they still work together. Such moments are why I find them one of my favorite anime duos. As for the backstories of certain characters, such as Domi, not only does it expand on how they truly feel on the inside, but it shows how tragic it was as well. After watching each backstory, I felt sad that they went through such pain, and some characters like Vanitas went through even worse hell. Overall, the balance between the comedic and tragic moments is done neatly. I believe that such a combination of those genres can put us at ease after enduring the painful past of each of the characters. The animation in this adaptation itself focuses more on the visuals in most scenes than the action scenes. After watching both types of those scenes in the anime, the former is what Bones did better in terms of its quality. That said, even though the fight scenes were smooth, I felt like the visuals in them were also the best part, as it shows just how beautiful the anime is when it features those moments. On a separate note, whenever there's a comedic moment, I love how most of the characters become chibi and describe how funny each scene is when it is animated. Even though the animation was wonky at times, it's still well animated for most anime moments. Once again, this anime's strong point is the breathtaking visuals, such as whenever the Book of Vanitas is used by the said character himself. I know that Bones still gave this series justice, and I look forward to seeing future series animated by them. I love the music composed in this series. I never mentioned it before, but the one that created the soundtrack for this anime is none other than the famous Yuki Kajiura. It only took me a few songs to realize that she made the music, and it matches the anime's atmosphere so much, and they sound incredible. By far, the pieces: Destiny Waltz and Inverse operation are my favorite OSTs in this anime. Kajiura did a splendid job composing each song, and it matches the vibes of each area perfectly. The opening song, Your Name by Little Glee Monster, took a little while for it to grow on me. But I find it to match the winter vibes that took place in the first half of the anime's second part as well as how it also came out during the winter 2022 season. The ending song, Salvation by MONONKVL, is not only a catchy song, but it also foreshadows what will come in anime when future chapters are eventually adapted. Despite the many flaws in this adaption of Mochizuki's work, The Case Study of Vanitas as a whole is a work of art. From the character expansions to the change in tone, this anime took me by surprise and is one of the best anime that studio Bones ever adapted. The beauty in the visuals and soundtrack were breathtaking, and it works well for the content of this series. Even though the anime adapted almost the entire manga, I'm nervous the anime might go the same route Black Butler took with its second season. Even though it may take years for another season to come, I hope a second season gets announced with enough source material in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing how the characters will continue this incredible story from this point onward.