Every so often, you encounter a series that is more fun than sensical, that wears its influences on its sleeve and gleefully indulges in narrative conventions designed not so much to tell an engaging and coherent story, but to be as delightfully fan-servicey as possible. That, my friends, is precisely what Dark Moon: The Blood Altar is. Written with the collaboration of not one, but two boy bands, this is a glossy YA romp about a girl who is so special that she has both seven vampires and seven werewolves on her side as she fights against a fate set in motion centuries before by a jealous would-be suitor.

If this sounds like the description of many a Wattpad novel with a hint of Sailor Moon thrown in for good measure, that's because that's pretty much what it is. The novel version of the series (whose release in English is upcoming as of this writing) did, in fact, originate on Wattpad, and in many ways the plot of this variant has a lot in common with Sailor Moon; it's like a reverse harem version of Naoko Takeuchi's classic magical girl story. Both of those things are features rather than bugs, particularly the latter. Even if a princess named Selen is a bit too close to Princess Serenity, HYBE's use of Takeuchi's story as a loose framework for the finale of the series (volumes five through seven) really does help to bring everything together in a way that didn't seem possible earlier on.

The story wastes no time in setting up its reverse harem elements. Heroine Sooha has recently transferred to Decelis, a prestigious academy, in pursuit of the specter of her childhood friend, Chris. Chris was killed in a vampire attack on their hometown, so she's not sure what's going on. But rather than Chris, she quickly meets the seven beautiful brothers who are the idols of the school – not brothers by blood, but brothers in that they were all raised in the same orphanage…and that they're all vampires. It becomes apparent to a slightly nervous Sooha that these boys aren't like the typical bloodthirsty vamps she's used to, though – they have special powers and act like humans otherwise. It doesn't take long before they're all interested in our girl, but it's also obvious that the only one who has a chance is Heli, their de facto leader.

As the series goes on, the Heli/Sooha relationship is revealed to have roots in a shared past; he's basically the Prince Endymion to her Sailor Moon, with another retainer, Dardan, functioning as Queen Beryl, with his realization that love doesn't equal control calling to mind several other Sailor Moon villains. Heli's brothers fulfill the roles of the Inner Sailor Guardians, while the werewolves, also all fascinated by Sooha, play the part of the Outer Guardians. Once you notice the similarities masked by reverse harem trappings, it's hard to unsee them, and it really all fits far too well not to be at least a little deliberate. But it also works surprisingly well and feels as natural a part of the wish-fulfillment fanservice as fourteen hot boys all desperately trying to get the attention of one average girl. It also allows the vampire and werewolf lore to be just different enough from the norm to be interesting; vampires, specifically, are tied to the past and Princess Selen, with the reincarnation angle being a part of it, highlighting their importance to her. There's real effort made to give the lore its own unique flair, something that works better as the series goes on. This is definitely one of those titles that gets more interesting as it goes on.

I can't speak to how this story works with the actual members of the boy bands involved in its creation. All of the vampires are based on members of K-pop group ENHYPEN, while the werewolves come from a collaboration with J-pop group &TEAM. Each volume includes a brief comment on their characters from ENHYPEN; the werewolves, though important, are clearly second-tier characters, and we don't get to hear from &TEAM about them. But I can comfortably say that familiarity with the groups is not necessary to enjoy the story, though knowing them almost certainly adds a little something to the experience.

Art for Dark Moon is very pleasant – there's gore, but not excessive, and everyone is suitably distinct and pretty. I particularly like how color is used to showcase the vampires' powers, and the transformation of Dardan in the later volumes is particularly well done. Legs can be excessively scrawny, and necks have a tendency to elongate, but overall, this is visually enjoyable. The translation is likewise solid and fast-paced; these are the sort of books you can devour in quick succession.

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar knows precisely what it wants to be and who it wants to be for. It's a fun, occasionally intense fantasy hung on a familiar framework and filled with small delights. It's not trying to be deep, and it absolutely succeeds as a piece of entertainment. It's perfect for a cozy day of reading.