Personal Review: Trinity Blood Rage Against the Moon vol.1

Review By Jong Chung

Trinity Blood Vol. 1: From the Empire found a strange niche for me. Due to the recent (as in within the past several years) boom in popularity of the vampire genre in just about everything, I was reluctant when I first began to sift through the opening pages. Suddenly, realization kicked in. It was rather, or actually, very enjoyable! Before I knew it, an hour had passed in no time. The writing wasn't toned down like certain other translated light novels I've read in the past, and the story was just gritty enough without the over exposure of the “romantic vampire” setting that I have assumed the genre was riddled with. No, it actually provided a solid writing and plot (though probably slightly cliché) and characters that have distinct roles and fit them to a tee.

Now, I have mentioned there are several clichés to be found while reading this series. While I will not list any specific elements, I will make it clear: they are not detriment to the story. Often times you would expect a pile of clichéd elements to break a story, but not so here. If anything, I could say the whole thing serves to reinforce the story, as it is quite well written. (Or well translated, whatever the case may be.) Perhaps another thing that kept me reading was the familiar element of the gentle hero with a tragic tale... who just so happens to be a literal monstrosity in battle. For anyone familiar with anime and/or manga in general, this may ring a bell or several. I can not compare Trinity Blood to any other vampire genre anime/manga/light novel series, but I can say that I enjoyed it as it provided these comfort zones for me as a fan of the culture.

And of course, what sets it apart from everything else is actually rather difficult to point out. Because I have been exposed to many different anime/manga/light novel series in the past that almost everything seems cliché, but in this case, I have to note a peculiarity. Rather than one noteworthy thing that sets Trinity Blood apart from everything else would be the combination of the aforementioned elements that come together to make the product. While at its core it is a bloody, gory affair, the presence of the (seemingly) still-present naiveté in the protagonist is both distressing and refreshing to me as a reader. Also, quite off point, but I have saved this for last: props to the protagonist being named Abel Nightroad. While I am skeptical of the surname, I found myself smiling at the commonly seen technique of meshing two random words in English together to form a name.

Why should you read the Trinity Blood novels? I can not answer that for the average fan of the vampire genre. However, for those who were reluctant to be drawn into hype of vampires and such in general, I warn you: you are missing out on a very solid story, simply put. While it may not draw you into all things vampire, it will most definitely provide you with good entertainment.

Why you should NOT read it? For convenience and emphasis, here it is: if you are uncomfortable with adult themes (rape, corpse mutilation, gore, violence, etc.) then stay clear of Trinity Blood. While there are no scenes with or even with implied rape, a character is threatened with it in the first few chapters of the volume. Everything else mentioned should be standard affair, but I did sit a bit uncomfortably with mention of necrophilia, even if only briefly. Still, why there is no age rating or warning on the cover is beyond me.

Overall, it is a highly recommended read. As it provides a good setting and story on its own, I recommend it to anyone simply looking for a worthwhile read.
© 2010 Linda Thai

Note: The version of Trinity Blood Rage Against the Moon Vol. 1 being review is identified as first printing April 2007.

Thank You Tokyopop Marketing Manager Kasia Piekarz for the Trinity Blood Rage Against the Moon Vol. 1: From the Empire cover art!