Vampire in the Garden

What would you do if you awoke one day to find the world in the midst of a never-ending conflict between humans and vampires? Would you choose to aid either side or attempt to bring peace to the chaotic world? The answers would differ according to your perspective, but most of us would still wonder, “For what cause?”. Are there justifiable causes for war? Is there a cause worth more than thousands of lives?

“Vampire in the Garden” is a 5-episode ONA series that aired on May 16, 2022. Wit Studio brought it to life while working with Production I.G. and Netflix. This is an original anime featuring the genres of action and fantasy, along with the themes of the military and vampires. It consists of 26-minute episodes and received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older. It was slated for a worldwide release on Netflix in 2021 but was delayed owing to pandemic-related issues.

This anime's world first experienced a plague of nearly immortal vampires many winters ago, and their numbers continued to increase at an unbelievable rate. The vampires then destroyed humanity's position at the top of the food chain, which caused chaos. The last group of humans concentrated everything into their only remaining haven, a small city encircled by massive walls, in an effort to prevent extinction. This is where the two kinds waged war against each other for countless years.

The story turns its focus to a particular day when a ruthless vampire attack occurs. This is when our protagonist, a human soldier named Momo, first encounters the queen of the vampires, Fiine. Momo sees Fiine attempting to save her best friend from a rampaging vampire, which piques her interest and prompts her to follow Fiine back to her house.

The two heroines connect here thanks to their shared love of music and wish to escape all the fighting. Together, they journey to find a supposed paradise where humans and vampires can coexist. While they are uncertain of the existence of this utopia, they pursue their goal of escape regardless. But things will be complex, given that both races are after the pair. They must now evade their pursuers and only hope to reach their peaceful destination in one piece.

The plot of “Vampire in the Garden” is pretty standard as far as vampire stories go. There’s nothing groundbreakingly unique or refreshing, which is unfortunate because it had the potential to throw in something extraordinary. The way I see it, the plot itself is the weakest, where it struggles to make the audience care about anything or anyone in particular. From the synopsis, you’d expect a lot of emotional depth here, but it’s found in the character of Momo, and it’s nearly not enough to carry the whole show.

The series progression is very film-like and predictable, but there are more aspects to keep you hooked with time, like certain characters getting some well-needed development. So you will be engaged at one point, but unfortunately, that point is far too close to the finale. Therein comes a considerable issue: this should've been a 12- or 13-episode series instead of just five episodes. They honestly had enough material to work with: characters to develop, relationships to build, motivations to flesh out, and just letting their cast breathe.

But they opted to cut it short, leaving behind a series that would’ve worked better as a single movie. On that note, the pacing also has issues where things just feel rushed. Don’t get me wrong, this anime looks and sounds pretty great, especially for younger audiences, thanks to its graphic violence and easy-to-follow storyline. It simply had the potential to be more and reach many more hearts, but it fell short, which is disheartening.

In the character department, the series follows the two protagonists like shadows. Momo is a human and the daughter of a big-name militant who hated her job and ran away from home. She wishes to learn more about the arts, especially music, rather than engage in all this war. On the other hand, Fine is a vampire royal with issues dealing with her past. Although she exudes a vibrant demeanor, she is internally deteriorating due to her cessation of blood consumption and various other personal concerns.

They both hate their own kind for robbing them of their freedom, prompting them to run away together. We watch their unlikely journey as they live, survive, and flee together from their pursuers, all while their relationship develops. This relationship is the show's highlight, making you root for them amidst all the hardship. But where are they headed? To a paradise where vampires and humans happily coexist, singing and dancing together. So you can bet their escapade is full of ups and downs and a noticeable amount of hope, no matter how small it may seem.

When it comes to character backstories, this series chooses to leave their past in the past, only giving us short spans of flashbacks and memories that hint at what could’ve happened. So don’t expect a proper explanation of Fine’s flashbacks, or any other character's, for that matter. You will constantly be kept in the present; you will know what’s happening right now and get a full-blown picture of it. And no, it’s not very confusing either, so props to the excellent execution.

The remainder of the characters are a likable bunch as well, even the ones that have little to no screen time. The studio did an excellent job of giving them enough depth not to be one-dimensional. Whoever did the character writing has my praise because they did a fantastic job with just five episodes.

Moving onto art and animation, this is standard Wit Studio territory. This series is mainly set around arctic and industrial locations, giving it a vibe similar to Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga. As for character designs, Tetsuya Nishio did a fantastic job giving life to the characters on screen yet again. Each character looks unique, showcases their different connections, and resonates with the voice actors at a high level.

The visual aesthetics do a fantastic job of giving an impression of what the show is about, so there isn’t any misleading here either. Oh, and the transformed vampires look suitably horrifying! The animation is fluid and decent overall, except for the occasional highly noticeable CG and slow pans over still frames.

If you are watching this anime, I recommend the Japanese dub because the English dub is noticeably stiff and unnatural. The Japanese voice actors do a fantastic job, so props to them. There is only one musical theme: "Oratio Nocturna: Yoru no Inori" by Yoshihiro Ike. In Episode 2, you’ll have the treat of experiencing the lead voice actors’ Opera, which is absolute honey on the ears. The OSTs are pretty good across the board, but nothing you’ll remember months after finishing this series.

Overall, Vampire in the Garden is an excellent example of a series that did a lot within just five episodes, setting the bar for other ONAs with similar runtimes. While the story falls short, it is still fairly engaging, and the characters have their own circumstances and troubles that require resolution. While it boasted some of the best production values and talents of the anime season, it failed to keep the ball rolling and fell victim to common pitfalls. Is this a must-watch? Absolutely not. But if you are bored and want to watch a short series without stressing the details too much, this is a decent pick for you.