Overall, Im kinda conflicted about VnCs first chapter.
I like Noe well enough so far, and the setting is interesting. The art is
fantastic, of course. So far, the way Mochijun is incorporating vampires is engaging and fresh enough (though the true name mechanic
desperately needs some elaboration pretty soon to make much sense).
The action sequence was neat, though one particular part wasnt as clear as it probably should have been (What did Noe do after he threw Ameila in the air? It looks like he flipped backward, but Vanitas wasnt in front of him when he did. And then in the next panel, hes
right in front of Vanitas punching him? Huh? How?). I wonder if thatll be touched up for the final release or not.
What mainly concerns me, though, are some
major possible inconsistencies which
need to be addressed for the chapter to make any sense:
- Vampires and their eye color
So, vampires apparently have red eyes. If this is a distinct feature of vampires in this world, then how did Noe not immediately recognize Amelia was a vampire? Surely those red eyes would jump out at him as soon as he sees her face, especially if hes a vampire himself. Ill forgive Vanitas not immediately recognizing Noe, since hed only seen him from a distance and even commented on his mistake afterward, but Noe not noticing Amelias red eyes upon first few glances is dumb. This needs elaboration, badly.
- Vampires can be affected by fellow vampires bites
Noe is bitten by Amelia and not only bleeds profusely, but also observes how his strength is being drained. Its important to note that this is not the poison; he only later realizes she had poisoned him. This is the bite itself affecting him, draining his strength. So, vampires are affected by other vampires bites in this world? And they bleed excessively, too? Is this an intentional departure from the norm, or a slip-up in the writing? Or is this a completely normal detail in the vampire mythos, and Im just ignorant of its existence?
- Vanitas
Vanitas claims he is a regular human being. Lets just ignore the obvious fangs he has in this series which has vampires in it. The real question is: if hes just human, how did he survive that massive fall from the air transport? Not to mention that he fell head-first. If he is just a regular human being like he claims, then that makes a negative amount of sense, and is a glaring problem.
I really,
really hope the next few chapters clear these up, or at least address them in some way.