Servamp

Would you rather live a simple life with fewer responsibilities than a complicated one? What would you do if one day your routine was upended and the essential lifestyle you gave yourself became something you could never have envisioned in terms of preserving humanity? This is the tale of a young boy who valued simplicity in life and had a compassionate nature that led him to help those in need.

“Servamp” is an anime adaptation of a manga series that consists of 12 episodes, with 24 minutes each. Itto Sara served as the chief director, Hideaki Nakano as the director, and Kenji Konuta handled the series composition for the anime, which was made by studio Brain's Base and Platinum Vision. The producers were Frontier Works, Lantis, Kadokawa Shoten, AT-X, Sony Music Communications, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, Yomiuri TV Enterprise, Adores, and Heroz. Junko Yamanaka created the character designs, while Kenji Kawai composed the soundtrack.

The Anime aired from July to September 2016. Funimation has obtained the licensing rights outside of Asia for streaming on their website. Muse Communication has the rights to the series in Southeast Asia. The series belongs to the genres of action, comedy, drama, and supernatural, with its key themes being vampires and the demographics of Josei. It received a rating of R - 17+ for its violence and profanity.

On June 15th, 2011, Strike Tanaka published Servamp in the first edition of Media Factory's Monthly Comic Gene magazine with the provisional title “Eve and Servamps.” The magazine's chapters were compiled into 18 tankobon, which Kadokawa has just made available. Seven Seas Entertainment announced in July 2014 that it had licensed the series for North American release. There have now been fifteen translated volumes of manga into English, and more have been promised. Six drama CDs were also inspired by the series, “Servamp Specials,” “Servamp: Hai ni Mamireta Shoukei - All the World's a Stage,” and “Servamp Movie: Alice in the Garden.”

The story's protagonist, Mahiru Shirota, dislikes complex tasks and favors simple ones. Mahiru learned how to effectively juggle his philanthropic tendencies with his uncle's motto, "To live in a simple way, far from complications." On his way home from school one day, he sees a stray black cat that is too exhausted to walk because of the heat, and he chooses to bring the cat home with him. Due to his black fur, he names the cat Kuro and gives him a bell. Kuro is not your typical cat, though He learns that Kuro is a servamp, also known as a servant vampire. In fact, he is a "sloth,” one of the seven siblings of the “seven deadly sins,” and his real name is Sleepy Ash. How does Mahiru find out? Quite the funny story!

The next day, Mahiru learns that a stranger is dining and watching TV in his flat, which prompts him to assault the stranger, who skillfully dodges the blows. The young guy transforms into Kuro just as Mahiru pulls back the curtain, letting the sunshine enter the room. Mahiru then confirms the transformation again, proving that Kuro and the stranger are the same. Thus they unintentionally enter into a master-servant relationship. How did that happen? Once more, it's a funny story that you should witness for yourself! After the two form the contract, the story gets interesting. Mahiru is steadily drawn into the intricate world of vampires as the conflict between the eighth sibling of the seven deadly Servamps and the seven Servamps ensues.

Teenager Mahiru has light brown, short hair that frames his face. He has broad, dark eyes and a short temper. He projects a strong sense of determination and assertiveness, an absolute go-getter. Since Mahiru didn't have parents, his uncle Toru Shirota raised him. But because of his job, his uncle had to spend days away from home and was quite busy. Thus, Mahiru was an independent child who raised himself. As a result, he taught himself how to cook, clean, sew, and do other fundamental household tasks.

The deuteragonist of servamp is Sleepy Ash (Surīpī Asshu) or Sloth (Taida), who is frequently referred to as Kuro throughout the series. The name was given to him by his Eve, Mahiru Shirota; he is the oldest Servamp among the eight. He morphs into a black cat when exposed to sunshine.

In his human form, Kuro has blue hair that is shoulder length and bangs that extend to his eyes. He has large, dark circles under his red-hued eyes. They always have their lids partially open and appear bored. He has sharp teeth, much like every other vampire. His dark under eyes, hair and bored looks might remind one of “L” from “Death Note.” Kuro, the sloth servamp, is lazy and likes playing video games. He doesn't feel guilty about fleeing to avoid any issues and avoids making choices. He also takes great delight in his cat form.

Kuro is shown to have a dark side despite his slothfulness and, at times, a funny demeanor owing to his disputes with Mahiru. This is evident every time someone brings up his history. Even the mention of Kuro's past causes him to become hostile, but he is typically laid back. He hates that he sees himself as a monster but starts to get influenced by Mahiru's transparency and genuineness, even though he constantly masks it by seeming uninterested and lax. Regardless, Kuro's life does indeed benefit from Mahiru's influence.

The behaviors and personal conflicts of the characters are believable. Strong impressions are left by its high moments, which effectively integrate the central concept. Additionally, it has good supporting characters such as Sakuya Watanuki, Mahiru’s best friend who he hangs out with after school, and Lawless, Tsubaki, The Mother, Licht Jekylland Todoroki, All of Love, Doubt Doubt, and more.

This series also has a superb voice cast, which makes one fall in love with the voices more than their looks. The concept that vampires serve the people they feed on and are attached to makes this narrative extremely original. Since it does have a faint ‘Black Butler’ vibe, I think fans of that series would particularly appreciate that element in this series. This anime series finale might feel rushed and leave the viewer unsatisfied.

Even though it occasionally appears sloppy, the animation is generally acceptable. While this anime isn't primarily about sorrow or romance, there may be times when it makes one shed a tear or two. Fans would like the combat scenes' animations and the weapons' summoning. The series has released multiple character song CDs, as well as an original soundtrack CD, in addition to drama CDs. A character song mini-album and original soundtrack were published in October 2016, in addition to the five-character duo CDs released throughout 2015. The opening and closing themes for the anime series were "Deal With" by Oldcodex and "Sunlight Avenue" by Takuma Terashima, respectively.

I would suggest this anime to someone who is just starting out or looking for something that wouldn't require much dedication because it is an exciting show to watch. It is a delightful story, especially if you’re into demons, vampires, or shows such as "Black Butler." Even if you’re not, it's definitely worth giving it a try. Recommended!