Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 10, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

No one knew that the death and resurrection of “Mary” was actually an attempt to revive the weak and ailing Mary. When Mary learns this truth, he hears the voice of “Mary.” And now Maria must finally fulfill Mary’s death wish… But still a greater tragedy awaits…

Review:

And it draws to a close.

Mary and “Mary” finally come to a head, and we really get to see them see each other and understand what the other has been doing and why. They both get to understand why they have such differing wishes, and Mary gets to deal with his wish to die. “Mary” gets to see Hydra after so long, after we see Hydra confront Mary.

Then it's gets messy, as Mary attacks Maria. This part seems tragic, and then just odd of a choice to me. I'm not sure if I think it was necessary, how it happened, but I do think that what Maria does is important, particularly for his character but also the others.

The conclusion for a few of the characters seems odd to me, drastic, but then again it probably fits really well. I do like the ending for Mary and Maria.

I think my biggest hang up with this ending is the conclusion to who really is Mary. The reveal of what his name actually was, and his decision to stay Mary. It just feels overused, I guess? Something about it is off for me, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it just feels too anticlimactic, I'm not sure.

I did really enjoy this series, it definitely had me hooked, and I would definitely read another by her.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 9, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Mary’s twin brother, “Mary,” is unable to fend off his overpowering thirst for blood, and as a result, Mary comes ever closer to becoming “the blood-stained vampire.” Meanwhile, Hydra learns that Bloody Eye’s plan is to ultimately battle her. Then, Maria launches a risky strategy in an attempt to get Mary back. But will the risk be worth his own life?

Review:

We get some more background on “Mary” and Hydra, and it started good, but it quickly got messy with the two Mary's. After that, we get to see more of what Bloody Eye is up to. There's a confrontation between Hydra and Bloody Eye. There's also a confrontation between “Mary” and Maria.

I expected to dislike Hydra, that she'd done something bad, but now I'm starting to feel bad for her. She didn't start out with bad intentions, and she doesn't even have them now. She's the one who was hurt.

I definitely don't like Bloody Eye, though.

While some of what made Mary what he is now is getting cleared up, it's still very unclear how he and “Mary” became one. What actually happened to make them what they are now, and why they have such different personalities and wishes. And which one is actually Mary?

I'm quite into this series by now. I look forward to each new volume. They're dirty and messy and rather sad at times, but I kind of love it.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 8, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 5, 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!
"Bloody" Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited "The Blood of Maria" and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary's dismay, Maria doesn't know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria's bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.
Unable to bear the shocking truth that Maria reveals to him, Mary loses consciousness and locks himself inside while "Mary" comes to the surface to take his place. "Mary" heads out alone while Maria, along with Shinobu and Hydra, confront a trio of vampires. Bathed in blood, "Mary" gradually succumbs to madness...

Review:

We're slowly getting clues as to who exactly “Mary” is. We know that they were twins, but I still feel like there's something more here. I feel like there's some twist as to which one is the real Mary, and I'm wondering where that's going.

Of course, once Maria tries to shake some truth into Mary, he releases “Mary” for real.

During the Mary reveals, we also get to learn what happened with Hydra. And by this, I mean what happened with Hydra and Bloody Eye, the chick we haven't officially met in real time yet. It's an interesting revelation, and I'm intrigued by where that is going, by what happened after that flashback.

I'm also surprised by the new mix of yuri undertones with these yaoi ones. Though I'm seriously feeling the MariaxMary relationship. Especially in the extras after the story. They're so mean sometimes with how cute they are.

This series is messy and complicated and dark, and I rather love it. I can't wait for the next one.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 7, by Akaza Amamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

 A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

At the Sakuraba Estate, Maria and Shin discover the estate has been attacked by vampires. Meanwhile, hoping to rouse the immortal Yzak from his coma, Mary imbibes his blood, but the exorcist does not awaken. Weak and unstable, Mary stumbles back to find Maria but suffers from a bout of amnesia that leaves Maria shaken.

Review:

Things go down at the Sakuraba household; Takumi and Hasegawa are hurt, and Yzak is taken. Mary runs into the kidnappers, and we see that they have a history. Mary even snaps at one point, and becomes a Mary from before Maria. While we get to meet a few new vampires—Di, Dila, and Ves—there's also hints of this other bad vampire, who they're just calling Bloody Eye. It should be interesting to meet her, and find out why they're all so put off by her.

Meanwhile, I love the way that Mary runs after Maria and attacks him. It's adorable. Seriously, it will probably be actually disappointing when nothing comes of all this sexual chemistry.

So much happens in each volume, and it's so dark and twisty that I don't want to give any of it away, and I don't know what to say. I'm really loving each volume of this series, and am looking forward to the next one.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 6, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 7, 2017

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No/Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

“Mary” finally appears before Maria, who can't bring himself to ask about what happened on the night his father died. While Maria is unable to face the truth, “Mary” offers him a deal: if Maria can get Mary to recall the forgotten memories of Mary’s past, “Mary” will reveal what happened the night his father died. Meanwhile, Hydra, who has also come to England, has a reunion with the skeleton of “Mary” in an old castle…

Review:

This series is definitely getting darker, the further we go. We're learning more about who “Mary” is, and even Mary gets some of his memories back regarding that. This also means that Mary and Maria being around each other is growing more dangerous, when we find out that vampires like him are destined to kill Maria. We also get glimpses of what Lady Hydra is doing, and her words are rather unsettling. And finally, the cliffhanger.

I am quite enjoying this series so far, and it's getting more and more interesting. I must also comment on the intensifying sexual moments between Mary and Maria. There are a few here that... they're getting more intimate, and it's weird, but I'm definitely not against it. Especially that extra chapter at the end? Oh man.

I'm excited for the next one.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 5, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2016

Volumes: 10.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A blood-pounding tale of an unorthodox alliance between a vampire and an exorcist!

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Maria and Mary go to England to meet the mentor who taught Shinobu how to fight vampires, hoping that he might hold the answers that Maria seeks. But he’s already gone by the time they arrive, and they are met, instead, by a blonde beauty in a lab coat. Meanwhile, the familiar scenery stirs up long-repressed memories Mary had once forgotten.

Review:

We meet a new character in this volume: Lily. She's a scientist, the apprentice of the old man the group meant to meet up with. She's an interesting character, not too crazy. From her, we find out a new fact about Mary, and vampires like him.

We got quite a bit more development about Mary in this volume. About his past, who this other “Mary” is, and how he might have ended up where he is now. It's interesting to see, especially that his immortality might be unique to him, but his red hair isn't. His possible connection with Hydra should lead to something interesting, as well.

I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy this series. It's easy to forget, but then you jump right back in. And the development of everything is quite interesting and easy to get hooked in to.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 4, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: September 2016

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Bloody" Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited "The Blood of Maria" and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary's dismay, Maria doesn't know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria's bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Another “Mary” who resides within Mary turns out to be the one who killed Maria’s father, Yusei. In search of why his father had to die, Maria tries to get in contact with “Mary” but is unsuccessful. In the meantime, a mysterious man pays a visit to Maria and reveals how Maria’s mother first met Yusei and provides crucial information about Maria’s family lineage.

Review:

We meet Maria's uncle in this volume, and thus sets off a backstory of Maria's mother and father. We get more information on what happened, and who Yzak is and what he's doing.

We see Mary still dealing with his bloodlust, and Maria trying to understand what his family has done and what they're doing now. There are also some serious bromance moments between the two, and I could really feel the yaoi vibe. It was real in that church scene.

I'm surprised that this series is actually getting more interesting the more I read of it. I'm not in love with it, but it's not so jumbled anymore, it's actually making sense and causing me to be intrigued. I'm wondering what's going to happen with Maria's family next. I am definitely curious by Mary, though, and I want to know more about him and his backstory. 

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 3, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2016

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Bloody" Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited "The Blood of Maria" and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary's dismay, Maria doesn't know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria's bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Maria’s father, Yusei, was killed by vampires—and it was Maria’s own fault. Haunted by guilt, he sealed away the memory. That is, until he remembers the face of the murderous vampire…and it looks just like Mary’s! On a mission for answers, Maria comes to the kidnapped Mary’s rescue, but he finds someone else within Mary…

Review:

We finally get some background in this volume, to see what exactly led up to this moment. Who exactly Mary and Maria are and why Maria doesn’t have any powers. It’s a good vampire tale, I’ll give it that. It starts sweets, and gets dark fast.

We see what exactly is happening with Mary, why he’s such a mystery. It’s kind of a twist, but not actually too surprising; it makes sense. Though Mary and Maria are kind of left blind to it. There’s some calm down time, and then we end with the introduction of a new character.

This is a very intriguing series, though sometimes hard to follow and it doesn’t really stand out. I am intrigued to see what happens next, though, to see what we discover and where things go from here.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Bloody Mary, Volume 2, by Akaza Samamiya

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Bloody” Mary, a vampire with a death wish, has spent the past 400 years chasing down a modern-day exorcist named Maria who is thought to have inherited “The Blood of Maria” and is the only one who can kill Mary. To Mary’s dismay, Maria doesn’t know how to kill vampires. Desperate to die, Mary agrees to become Maria’s bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him.

Maria never knew he possessed the Power of Exorcism, which can kill vampires, but with Mary’s help, his research unearths the “Red Memories” that he has suppressed for so long. At the same time, the door to Mary’s own missing memories is thrust forcefully open. Where do Maria’s Red Memories and Mary’s past intersect…and what truths await them?

Review:

This series isn’t really sticking out in my memory, but I am enjoying it.

This volume, we found out more about who Mary might be and what is being kept secret from Maria. There’s still a lot of questions regarding Mary’s past, since he doesn’t even remember it, and some people in Maria’s family blame Mary for a death that Mary doesn’t have any memory of committing. And while Mary is dealing with the accusation of that, Maria is trying to figure out what his family is hiding, what his ancestors did, and figuring out who he can trust.

I like the artwork in this series, and I think that Mary is quite adorable. I like his growing relationship with Maria, too, how they have formed a pact of sorts. I also find the side characters interesting, like the vampires that Maria has formed odd relationships with, and Takumi.

I am enjoying this series, and will continue reading, I just hope that it gets better soon.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!