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 story 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. At that time, Funimation had obtained the licensing rights outside of Asia for streaming on its 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 demographic 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. So far, they have translated fifteen volumes of manga into English, and they have promised more. 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 juggle his philanthropic tendencies effectively 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 back 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 a 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 captivating. Mahiru is steadily drawn into the complex society 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 he avoids making choices. He also takes immense delight in his cat form.
Despite his laziness, Kuro reveals a darker side and occasionally adopts a humorous demeanor due to his disagreements with Mahiru. This trait 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 benefit from Mahiru's influence. The characters' behaviors and personal conflicts are convincing. The series's high moments effectively integrate the central concept, leaving strong impressions. Additionally, it has good supporting characters such as Sakuya Watanuki, Mahiru’s best friend, whom he hangs out with after school, and Lawless, Tsubaki, The Mother, Licht Jekylland Todoroki, All of Love, Doubt Doubt, and more.
The series boasts an exceptional voice cast that captivates listeners more than their physical appearance. This narrative is extremely original due to its concept of vampires serving the people they feed on and form attachments to. 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. Although this anime doesn't primarily focus on sorrow or romance, it may occasionally evoke emotional responses. 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 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!
