One of the more interesting OVA series from the end of the 80s, Vampire Princess Miyu still holds up extremely well as an eerie horror anime.
The premise has the titular Miyu hunting and sealing away monsters known as Shinma. These are otherworldly and strange demons that are the first inkling that this take on vampiric horror is somewhat different.
Miyu is accompanied by her own Shinma, known as Larvae and voiced wonderfully in the Japanese version by the endlessly versatile Kaneto Shiozawa. While it initially looks as though Larvae acts as Miyu’s enforcer, the reality is actually the opposite, as Miyu is a formidable force in her own right.
The series itself is quite understated, but it handles its set piece animation very well, and the overall aesthetic is suitably pristine throughout.
The music, by Kenji Kawai, is also notable and, as you would expect, fits the eerie tone of the anime wonderfully.
The OVA itself was also in part directed by Toshihiro Hirano, who also handled the storyboards. As you would expect. Hirano tackles the subject matter in a way not dissimilar to Iczer One, but what really stands out in this OVA are its unearthly and downright alien Shinma designs.
These have often been overlooked in the years since the OVA’s release, but I think they are an essential part of nailing the surreal atmosphere this anime so wonderfully evokes.
‘Vampire Princess Miyu’ holds up extremely well for a late 80s OVA.
I feel that the reason for this critical oversight is due to the fact that the Shinma designs were penned by Yasuhiro Moriki, who is better known for his mecha design work on later anime such as Hades Project Zeorymer, which Hirano also directed.
As most people don’t really keep track of mecha designers and also look down on the genre, I feel that Moriki’s creative contribution here has been unfairly omitted.
Moriki is also a noteworthy figure when it comes to modern Gundam movies, such as the recent Gundam Hathaway adaptations. His original mecha designs for the novels back in the 90s have now been lovingly recreated for these new anime movies. So Moriki’s creative legacy is still very much a current one.
As an aside, Moriki released a wonderful artbook some years back, and that also comes highly recommended.
When it comes to this Blu-ray set, this is another excellent AnimEigo release. It has wonderful subtitles, some fun extras, and an inclusive approach to the English dub, with this release also containing the original UK audio.
I still prefer the Japanese voices, as Kaneto Shiozawa is always a delight to listen to, but the overall package here is excellent. Both the video and audio are also handled excellently and on par with prior AnimEigo releases.
Overall, Vampire Princess Miyu is a thoughtful, restrained but still an eerie OVA that deals with the strange nature of the Shinma in a unique way. The animation and art direction also hold up very well even by today’s standards, and subsequently this release comes recommended to anyone who likes their vampire horror a little different.
Vampire Princess Miyu is available from the mediaOCD store for $24.95.
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This article was originally published on Forbes.com
