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REVIEW: Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire Novel 1




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Agent355



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 4:13 pm Reply with quote
So many vampire stories, so little time! Razz This doesn't sound nearly as cliche as I expected it to be when the license was announced. That said, I'm a bit concerned that Azusa seems to be the only named female character in the novel. Does this volume pass the Bechdel test? If there are no other important female characters, is there at least a reason given for it? Wouldn't be the first time a fantasy premise decided that the supernatural creatures were all a singular sex/gender, but it's always better when they try to explain why.

It annoys me when young women are thrust into worlds where they are the only females important to the story and/or all other female characters are rivals.
(Also, is she considered important to the vampires because her blood is super nutritious, because she was specially designed to carry vampire babies, or both? Just curious, though I realize that might be a spoiler.)
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2599
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:20 pm Reply with quote
Don't worry, there are other named female characters, most of whom are vampires. Very Happy It actually does pass the Bedchel Test, albeit not perfectly. I was really pleasantly surprised.

As Azusa's blood, spoiler[vampires are fading, and unless the Ancient is brought back somehow, they're pretty well done for. There's someone else who has his body, so things are still in the...experimental stages, shall we say.] At least, that's what I remember - I actually wrote this review a while ago and pre-new semester mania is happily chewing on my attention span/memory! Wink
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CaRoss



Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 457
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:54 pm Reply with quote
I'm glad to see that this has been reviewed positively - and the early Vampire Knight comparison makes it a lot more appealing as I enjoyed the series until spoiler[it was revealed that Yuki was a vampire herself and everything just started to go downhill] - as there is a true dry spell on light novels oriented towards women in the west.

It also just sounds like it could be an interesting take on vampires in its own right.

Agent355 wrote:
It annoys me when young women are thrust into worlds where they are the only females important to the story and/or all other female characters are rivals.


I have the same issue with how light novels aimed at young men tend to do the same thing for male friendships. They're either woefully underwritten or only there as rivals. It's frustrating to see. So, I understand the feeling. [/spoiler]
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BlueAlf



Joined: 02 Jan 2017
Posts: 1493
PostPosted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 4:52 am Reply with quote
CaRoss wrote:

I have the same issue with how light novels aimed at young men tend to do the same thing for male friendships. They're either woefully underwritten or only there as rivals. It's frustrating to see. So, I understand the feeling. [/spoiler]


Damn you. I came here to read opinions about a vampire light novel aimed for women. Not to be reminded of a certain death in a certain popular light novel series aimed for males. Crying or Very sad
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