What do you think?
Rate this book
The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions #1
The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions, Vol. 1
Since becoming a vampire, Albert’s life has fallen into an unchanging cycle—day to night, bat to vampire, USA to…Japan? After a mishap at a meat-processing plant in Nebraska, bat-Al is flash-frozen alongside his midday snack and shipped to a foreign land! Explaining to police how he really ended up wandering naked is out of the question, not to mention he doesn’t know a word of Japanese! Al will have to rely on the kindness (?) of his new companions if he’s going to get by in Tokyo—that is, if he can convince them he’s the bat!
236 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2016
About the author
Marimo Ragawa
161 books44 followersMarimo Ragawa was born on September 21 in Hachinohe, Aomori, but her age is not disclosed.
Marimo Ragawa first started submitting manga to comic magazines when she was only 12 years old, which is when she was in 6th grade of elementary school. She continued to send her manga to the same magazine for four years, but a positive critical reception was yet to come. Ragawa then decided to switch to a different magazine. Surprisingly, her first submission to this magazine, Hana to Yume, won a prize called the Top-prize. She succeeded in achieving her debut with her first manga, Time Limit.
Marimo Ragawa continues to draw other manga such as Aka-chan to Boku (Baby and Me), New York New York, and Itsudemo Otenki Kibun. She received the 1995 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Baby and Me. She continues to draw a tennis themed manga, Shanimuni-Go in Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams).
Marimo Ragawa's calm and cute design is one of the traits of her drawings. Her energetic drawing and characters are very attractive, even to non-manga readers. She is widely known for her great ability in describing complicated emotions, especially in New York New York and Baby and Me.
Her manga Mashiro no Oto has been nominated for the 4th Manga Taishō.
Marimo Ragawa first started submitting manga to comic magazines when she was only 12 years old, which is when she was in 6th grade of elementary school. She continued to send her manga to the same magazine for four years, but a positive critical reception was yet to come. Ragawa then decided to switch to a different magazine. Surprisingly, her first submission to this magazine, Hana to Yume, won a prize called the Top-prize. She succeeded in achieving her debut with her first manga, Time Limit.
Marimo Ragawa continues to draw other manga such as Aka-chan to Boku (Baby and Me), New York New York, and Itsudemo Otenki Kibun. She received the 1995 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Baby and Me. She continues to draw a tennis themed manga, Shanimuni-Go in Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams).
Marimo Ragawa's calm and cute design is one of the traits of her drawings. Her energetic drawing and characters are very attractive, even to non-manga readers. She is widely known for her great ability in describing complicated emotions, especially in New York New York and Baby and Me.
Her manga Mashiro no Oto has been nominated for the 4th Manga Taishō.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 16, 2022
This is a different sort of vampire -- not cool, or powerful, or seductive, or horrifying.
A normal young man, hooking up with the wrong girl, a vampire girl who accidentally bites him during a hook-up and isn't around to explain what's happening when he changes into a bat.
Yes, he's basically a were-bat. He doesn't have fangs or any supernatural powers aside from transforming into a flying rodent, which he can't control. He leads a lonely existence in a shack, eating raw steaks, unless he mistimes a visit to a meat-processing plant and ends up frozen in a box of beef. He thaws out in Japan, where he doesn't speak the language or have ID. Or clothing.
It's a little bit funny, but also pathetic. This is not at all a glamorous portrayal of being undead. Vampirism is a debilitating illness that leaves the sufferer perpetually hungry (the MC actually weeps from hunger) and isolates them from human society.
A normal young man, hooking up with the wrong girl, a vampire girl who accidentally bites him during a hook-up and isn't around to explain what's happening when he changes into a bat.
Yes, he's basically a were-bat. He doesn't have fangs or any supernatural powers aside from transforming into a flying rodent, which he can't control. He leads a lonely existence in a shack, eating raw steaks, unless he mistimes a visit to a meat-processing plant and ends up frozen in a box of beef. He thaws out in Japan, where he doesn't speak the language or have ID. Or clothing.
It's a little bit funny, but also pathetic. This is not at all a glamorous portrayal of being undead. Vampirism is a debilitating illness that leaves the sufferer perpetually hungry (the MC actually weeps from hunger) and isolates them from human society.
February 7, 2021
An unassuming bat is frozen in a shipment of beef and sent from Nebraska to Japan. The bat also has a human form - Albert Irving, erstwhile vampire (sort-of). Not speaking the language, facing extreme culture shock, and naked, Albert ends up in care of the withdrawn Akira, who likes Albert just fine as long as he’s a bat...
Phew, well, this is fun. I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into with this one and it turned out to be a mighty good laugh mixed in with some tenderness and some surprising pathos.
Make no mistake, this book is far more clever than it initially appears. It balances its pretty boy vampire tropes really well by being goofy as hell. I could watch Albert using his claws to smack bowls across the room all day.
Albert became a bargain basement vampire at a young age and as a consequence you can see a lot of ‘young idiot’ still left in him. His insistence on calling Japanese ‘clackety’ is such on-point use of the “ugly American” trope, but he’s clearly more culturally ignorant than insensitive.
Not that it matters; the Japanese hold their own, with the aloof and easily annoyed Akira, who ends up homing Albert as a bat and then winds up stuck with a ding-dong who falls for the easiest scams out there and likes to steal expensive meat.
To keep this from being a straight gag book, there’s a lot of emotion wrested from Albert’s situation. His condition has basically made him unable to hold a job and he just assumes that a life of homelessness is his only option anywhere.
Nor does he get any real sustenance from human food. There’s a later scene in a convenience store that is pretty melancholy, if not heartbreaking, as it quietly illustrates just what’s been stripped of Albert since the change. It’s one of the rare modern-era vampire books that suggests that this lifestyle actually kind of suc... uh... bit... er... isn’t very good.
Akira is fun, if aggressively disbelieving of the situation at first. Once he warms up to Albert a little the two start the formation of a tentative bond, but it’ll clearly take a bit of work. He’s the very definition of a tsundere and you best believe the book knows to call him out on it.
Every section with Albert in bat form gets more and more ridiculous. The ongoing trials of his interactions with the police and general issues with clothing only add to the sly comedy of this one.
3.5 stars. Definitely not my usual genre, but a fun premise, solid cast, cute cartoon bat, and a wicked sense of humour get this one the round up to 4. I have no idea where it’s going - the last couple pages are quite the diversion from the previous parts - but I certainly don’t mind tagging along for now.
Phew, well, this is fun. I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into with this one and it turned out to be a mighty good laugh mixed in with some tenderness and some surprising pathos.
Make no mistake, this book is far more clever than it initially appears. It balances its pretty boy vampire tropes really well by being goofy as hell. I could watch Albert using his claws to smack bowls across the room all day.
Albert became a bargain basement vampire at a young age and as a consequence you can see a lot of ‘young idiot’ still left in him. His insistence on calling Japanese ‘clackety’ is such on-point use of the “ugly American” trope, but he’s clearly more culturally ignorant than insensitive.
Not that it matters; the Japanese hold their own, with the aloof and easily annoyed Akira, who ends up homing Albert as a bat and then winds up stuck with a ding-dong who falls for the easiest scams out there and likes to steal expensive meat.
To keep this from being a straight gag book, there’s a lot of emotion wrested from Albert’s situation. His condition has basically made him unable to hold a job and he just assumes that a life of homelessness is his only option anywhere.
Nor does he get any real sustenance from human food. There’s a later scene in a convenience store that is pretty melancholy, if not heartbreaking, as it quietly illustrates just what’s been stripped of Albert since the change. It’s one of the rare modern-era vampire books that suggests that this lifestyle actually kind of suc... uh... bit... er... isn’t very good.
Akira is fun, if aggressively disbelieving of the situation at first. Once he warms up to Albert a little the two start the formation of a tentative bond, but it’ll clearly take a bit of work. He’s the very definition of a tsundere and you best believe the book knows to call him out on it.
Every section with Albert in bat form gets more and more ridiculous. The ongoing trials of his interactions with the police and general issues with clothing only add to the sly comedy of this one.
3.5 stars. Definitely not my usual genre, but a fun premise, solid cast, cute cartoon bat, and a wicked sense of humour get this one the round up to 4. I have no idea where it’s going - the last couple pages are quite the diversion from the previous parts - but I certainly don’t mind tagging along for now.
February 13, 2023
Love the illustrations and the plot is a neat idea, but the actual writing is not great.
Also, it ends in the weirdest spot.
Don't think I will continue the run.
Also, it ends in the weirdest spot.
Don't think I will continue the run.
July 21, 2021
4 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via Edelweiss. This has not influenced my review.*
This was so cute and funny! Just the right balance of silly, endearing, and heartstring-pulling.
Here are all the reasons I loved this:
– It had pretty art! Plus you get to look at cute guys and an adorable bat with a little chibi-esque bat face.
– It made me laugh!
– It also made me feel. I felt bad for poor Albert, the more I learned about his life as a vampire. Turned into a vampire against his will. And it wasn’t even done right, so he has no fangs and can’t control when he turns into a bat (it happens every night). Homeless and isolated and alone.
– The characters were lovable and unique and believable. Albert was only 21 when turned, and he was from a small town in Nebraska, so he was naive, lacked street smarts, and really struggled with being poorly turned and then abandoned. He was also immature in some ways (which makes sense, given the whole lack of worldly experience and having his life kind of halted at 21 thing), and noisy about his displeasure with Akira, but in an endearing and hilarious way. It helped that he was such an adorable bat half the time. Akira was a grumpypants and could be a bit harsh, but he did turn out to be sweet at times. Nukariya wasn’t as much in the story, but he seemed like a good friend who cared about Akira and was also kind to Albert.
– There was no romance in this one, but since it’s marketed as BL, I assume it’s coming. I like that it didn’t rush into romance and try to force it in before it felt right.
– I’m enjoying the story so far. This one was all about Albert ending up in Japan, getting out of jail, convincing Akira and Nukariya that he wasn’t some weird flasher/burglar, and then living with Akira while figuring out what to do with his life. The ending had an unexpected cliffhanger.
Overall this was a bit silly sometimes, but in a way that was fun and funny without being ridiculous. The characters were lovable and unique, and the story was the perfect combo of humor and heart!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Ebook*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes BL manga, vampires, adorable bats, and stories that combine humor with heart.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via Edelweiss. This has not influenced my review.*
This was so cute and funny! Just the right balance of silly, endearing, and heartstring-pulling.
Here are all the reasons I loved this:
– It had pretty art! Plus you get to look at cute guys and an adorable bat with a little chibi-esque bat face.
– It made me laugh!
– It also made me feel. I felt bad for poor Albert, the more I learned about his life as a vampire. Turned into a vampire against his will. And it wasn’t even done right, so he has no fangs and can’t control when he turns into a bat (it happens every night). Homeless and isolated and alone.
– The characters were lovable and unique and believable. Albert was only 21 when turned, and he was from a small town in Nebraska, so he was naive, lacked street smarts, and really struggled with being poorly turned and then abandoned. He was also immature in some ways (which makes sense, given the whole lack of worldly experience and having his life kind of halted at 21 thing), and noisy about his displeasure with Akira, but in an endearing and hilarious way. It helped that he was such an adorable bat half the time. Akira was a grumpypants and could be a bit harsh, but he did turn out to be sweet at times. Nukariya wasn’t as much in the story, but he seemed like a good friend who cared about Akira and was also kind to Albert.
– There was no romance in this one, but since it’s marketed as BL, I assume it’s coming. I like that it didn’t rush into romance and try to force it in before it felt right.
– I’m enjoying the story so far. This one was all about Albert ending up in Japan, getting out of jail, convincing Akira and Nukariya that he wasn’t some weird flasher/burglar, and then living with Akira while figuring out what to do with his life. The ending had an unexpected cliffhanger.
Overall this was a bit silly sometimes, but in a way that was fun and funny without being ridiculous. The characters were lovable and unique, and the story was the perfect combo of humor and heart!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Ebook*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes BL manga, vampires, adorable bats, and stories that combine humor with heart.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
December 7, 2023
In this manga adaptation, the vampire is so goofy that I LOL-ed so hard! LOL
If slow-burn yaoi romance and romance comedy with vampires is your thing, I will recommend 'The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions' series! LOL
If slow-burn yaoi romance and romance comedy with vampires is your thing, I will recommend 'The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions' series! LOL
November 3, 2020
If you thought Marimo Ragawa was all Baby & Me as a creator - surprise! She's actually better with something for an older demographic, and she draws some very lovely adult men and an awfully cute bat. But she also makes this feel like a manga in its own right rather than an adaptation of a novel, and that's harder to do than you might think. The story nicely balances humor and sadness, and as someone who doesn't even like vampire stories, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
March 21, 2021
A fish out of water story about an American vampire, Albert, who accidentally gets frozen in his bat form and shipped to Japan by a meat packing company.
So, I guess you could say he's a bat out of a cave...
So, I guess you could say he's a bat out of a cave...
June 19, 2021
Espantosa edición de Yen Press que no me ha impedido disfrutar del guión de Narise Konohara, esta autora realmente sabe como ofrecernos algo diferente en sus obras.
No daba un duro por este manga. Como no se puede comprar en España en digital, me obsesioné con conseguirlo en papel. La edición, viene con fallos en las páginas a color, el papel es espantoso, hay bocadillos que cuestan de leer porque no se puede abrir bien… Vamos, un desastre. Lo ojeé por encima y me dije que no era para mí, pero oye, resulta que está muy bien.
Al es un vampido, pero olvidaros del glamour vampírico, es un “pobre desgraciao”, le ha pasado de todo, no levanta cabeza y para colmo su llegada a Japón no puede ser más accidentada. Me ha parecido muy fresca la aproximación al tema vampiro y ha hecho que me enganche. El dibujo de Marimo Ragawa no es de mis favoritos tampoco pero he de reconocerle que en Akira se ha lucido, es guapísimo 😍
No daba un duro por este manga. Como no se puede comprar en España en digital, me obsesioné con conseguirlo en papel. La edición, viene con fallos en las páginas a color, el papel es espantoso, hay bocadillos que cuestan de leer porque no se puede abrir bien… Vamos, un desastre. Lo ojeé por encima y me dije que no era para mí, pero oye, resulta que está muy bien.
Al es un vampido, pero olvidaros del glamour vampírico, es un “pobre desgraciao”, le ha pasado de todo, no levanta cabeza y para colmo su llegada a Japón no puede ser más accidentada. Me ha parecido muy fresca la aproximación al tema vampiro y ha hecho que me enganche. El dibujo de Marimo Ragawa no es de mis favoritos tampoco pero he de reconocerle que en Akira se ha lucido, es guapísimo 😍
October 28, 2021
This is a cute premise. An American vampire gets stuck in Japan and because he’s not a full vampire with control over his transformations, he ends up relying on 2 Japanese men to survive.
The story is pretty entertaining. I like Akira and the detectives as characters. Overall, pretty solid vampire story.
The story is pretty entertaining. I like Akira and the detectives as characters. Overall, pretty solid vampire story.
February 8, 2021
2021 Read #61
Ehhhhh, not a big fan of this. Vampire stories have to be really different from the norm to get me interested, and I just didn’t care for any of the characters here (though Al’s bat form is cute). I don’t think I’ll be continuing.
Ehhhhh, not a big fan of this. Vampire stories have to be really different from the norm to get me interested, and I just didn’t care for any of the characters here (though Al’s bat form is cute). I don’t think I’ll be continuing.
May 31, 2021
Being a vampire really sucks. Or at least it does when you are as bad at it as Al. This vampire is the complete opposite of any dreamy dark romantic hero, he is uncultured, accident prone, and generally bad at being vampire (even though that's not his own fault). Being stuck in his bat form one day, he gets frozen by accident at the meat packaging plant he hangs around, and shipped to Japan, where he defrosts. Upon turning human again, he is promptly arrested for hanging around a women's bathroom naked. Not his fault, either, it's just where he defrosted and turned back. He is thrown in jail, but since the bat curse strikes again once the sun rises, he escapes. Kind of. Not knowing what to do with that poor screeching bat that turned up in the empty jail cell, a police office gifts the "bat" to his best friend, a reclusive embalmer....
I loved this so much. The educated, cultured all powerful vampire trope gets deconstructed to frozen steak hell and back, and it's so, so good.
I loved this so much. The educated, cultured all powerful vampire trope gets deconstructed to frozen steak hell and back, and it's so, so good.
March 4, 2022
A vampire from Nebraska is flash-frozen while in his bat form and when he thaws out he discovers, he's been shipped to Japan. I've told everybody who will stand still long enough about this plot because it is brilliant.
June 5, 2024
The style is very cute and balanced in contraposition of a plot that is all over the place. However, it does have some funny moments and Al being an half vampire (?) makes the story slight refreshing and absurd at times.
June 12, 2021
Just getting into the main begging of the story. Hopefully it gets better.
August 29, 2021
This was so cute! The romance is going to be more of a slow burn I can tell, but I don’t mind that. I absolutely love the way Al is drawn! He’s so handsome. He was a bit annoying at first, but I’ve grown to like him a lot and I love his dynamic with Akira.
December 20, 2021
Bought this series on a whim (first time seeing all four available volumes in store) and I am kicking myself for not starting it sooner!! I thought this was going to be a story about multiple vampires, but it’s really about one (kind of half?) vampire and the regular humans he meets. There’s a lot of great humorous scenes, and Al’s bat form is TOO cute. I’m excited to see where this goes!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2022
Picked this up because it was a recommendation from one of the B&N employees. I definitely enjoyed it and will be picking up the next 3 volumes. 😆
November 5, 2022
Definitely a different sort of vampire series where instead of a suave, charming guy, we get such a awkward bean
Read
November 25, 2023Loved this first volume, excited to continue with the story!
February 2, 2021
I picked up this manga because it had vampires and I was hoping it would be gay and I’m always down for gay vampires, but you know what? I don’t even care about that anymore because this manga has one of the most ADORABLE chibi creatures I’ve ever seen. The main character turns into a bat during the day and he. is. just. So. CUTE! He is fluffy and his face is so derpy. I can’t stop smiling whenever he’s in his bat form cause everything he does is ridiculously cute. He has the best facial expressions and I just love him so much okay? I would recommend this manga just for that bat.
Whew. Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest let’s talk about the story.
Since it’s the first volume there isn’t much plot and it’s mostly a humorous introduction to the various characters. The main character is named Albert Irving and he is an incomplete vampire. This means he can’t control the transformation from bat to human and is forced to be a bat during the day and a man at night. One day when he’s feeding off a cow carcass at a meat-processing plant in America he is frozen in with the meat and shipped off to another plant. After thawing out buck naked he finds himself in Japan where he is immediately arrested. He eventually turns back into a bat and everyone assumes he escaped jail. One of the detectives takes bat-Al to his friend Akira who likes bats in the hope that having a pet will make him feel less lonely. Multiple shenanigans ensue when Al turns back into a human and gets caught by Akira.
Despite it being mostly an introduction to the characters I really enjoyed this first volume. It was a fun read and I found the scenarios Al got into hilarious. With how this volume ends it’s obvious this won’t always be such a lighthearted story and I’m eager to see what happens next. I’m hoping this is a longer series because I can see how it can develop into a much bigger story.
In this volume we have only been introduced to three important characters. There’s Al, our pitiful vampire who finds himself in many unfortunate situations. He’s super energetic but also not a very motivated individual. He didn’t choose to become a vampire and that weighs on him. Then there’s Akira who is an embalmer that loves bats. We don’t learn much about him but I’m intrigued as to why he’s such a loner. His only friend seems to be Nukariya who is the detective that brings him bat-Al. We learned even less about him but I liked his easy going personality. They all complimented each other well and I loved all three.
I’m not sure if this will be a BL or just one of those queerbaiting manga, but I’m already shipping Al and Akira. Their dynamic was the best because they’re complete opposites. Akira is such a tsundere and I love it.
I admittedly wasn’t a fan with the artstyle on the cover but the art was much better inside. All three main characters have attractive designs, but honestly who cares about attractive men when you have the cutest bat in the world in the same story?
I’ll read the rest of this manga just for all the cute drawings of the chibi bat, but it helps that this first volume was fun to read and the characters are interesting too. If you like dying of cuteness overload please read this manga. You will not be disappointed.
Whew. Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest let’s talk about the story.
Since it’s the first volume there isn’t much plot and it’s mostly a humorous introduction to the various characters. The main character is named Albert Irving and he is an incomplete vampire. This means he can’t control the transformation from bat to human and is forced to be a bat during the day and a man at night. One day when he’s feeding off a cow carcass at a meat-processing plant in America he is frozen in with the meat and shipped off to another plant. After thawing out buck naked he finds himself in Japan where he is immediately arrested. He eventually turns back into a bat and everyone assumes he escaped jail. One of the detectives takes bat-Al to his friend Akira who likes bats in the hope that having a pet will make him feel less lonely. Multiple shenanigans ensue when Al turns back into a human and gets caught by Akira.
Despite it being mostly an introduction to the characters I really enjoyed this first volume. It was a fun read and I found the scenarios Al got into hilarious. With how this volume ends it’s obvious this won’t always be such a lighthearted story and I’m eager to see what happens next. I’m hoping this is a longer series because I can see how it can develop into a much bigger story.
In this volume we have only been introduced to three important characters. There’s Al, our pitiful vampire who finds himself in many unfortunate situations. He’s super energetic but also not a very motivated individual. He didn’t choose to become a vampire and that weighs on him. Then there’s Akira who is an embalmer that loves bats. We don’t learn much about him but I’m intrigued as to why he’s such a loner. His only friend seems to be Nukariya who is the detective that brings him bat-Al. We learned even less about him but I liked his easy going personality. They all complimented each other well and I loved all three.
I’m not sure if this will be a BL or just one of those queerbaiting manga, but I’m already shipping Al and Akira. Their dynamic was the best because they’re complete opposites. Akira is such a tsundere and I love it.
I admittedly wasn’t a fan with the artstyle on the cover but the art was much better inside. All three main characters have attractive designs, but honestly who cares about attractive men when you have the cutest bat in the world in the same story?
I’ll read the rest of this manga just for all the cute drawings of the chibi bat, but it helps that this first volume was fun to read and the characters are interesting too. If you like dying of cuteness overload please read this manga. You will not be disappointed.
August 27, 2021
I actually wasn't all that impressed with this manga. I was all set up for a vampire BL manga that was going to be AMAZING. However, i got a guy who wouldn't even say "Japanese", an abusive human, and a non-relationship. There are some sweet and funny moments, don't get me wrong. I suppose I was just expecting something better. Maybe the story gets better in the next few volumes, but I don't know if I want to read and find out.
What to do...
I will say, though, the art is pretty good and the concept of a lost american vampire is pretty good.
What to do...
I will say, though, the art is pretty good and the concept of a lost american vampire is pretty good.
June 15, 2021
CW: Blood, Animal slaughterhouse, Suicidal thoughts, depression
This is a fantastic start to a vampire BL series. In it we follow Al, an American actor from Nebraska turned vampire. He gets accidentally shipped to Japan inside a cooler full of meat. There he meets Akira, an embalmer with a prickly personality.
I like where this story went, and it made me want to pick up volume two immediately after finishing it.
This is a fantastic start to a vampire BL series. In it we follow Al, an American actor from Nebraska turned vampire. He gets accidentally shipped to Japan inside a cooler full of meat. There he meets Akira, an embalmer with a prickly personality.
I like where this story went, and it made me want to pick up volume two immediately after finishing it.
February 4, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect of this series, but this was...fantastic? I'm still kind of startled by how much I loved it.
The translation was top-notch, which probably helped; I've been reading some older/less polished manga recently, so it was pure pleasure to settle into a story that has such a good narrative flow and pays real attention to the development of its characters. I'm curious about how it reads in the original Japanese, since Nebraska-born Al doesn't speak a word of the language initially, and yells a lot at the people around him to speak English. (Which is a super accurate depiction of an American visiting another country...operating under the assumption that people there can and should speak your language, and that it's a huge inconvenience to you if they don't.)
I'll be interested to see how Al develops over time; while he's immature in some ways, having his development literally arrested by a vampire bite at the age of 21, and very ethnocentric, he still comes across as a really good person who's had a super rough deal in life...and death...and afterlife...
I wonder if there'll be any additional worldbuilding on the vampire side of things, and if there's a way to get Al's messed-up transformation fixed so he can start having more control over his human and bat forms. I was expecting the serial killer case (with neck wounds) to be an introduction to another vampire, but based on the way this volume ends, it looks like it's just some regular awful person going around stabbing people. So maybe Al will just be stuck like this forever? That's pretty rough and definitely creates limitations for how he can live and work and interact with others.
The main theme of this story is really just...loneliness, in its rawest and realest form. Al was a young guy with big dreams, and he made one stupid mistake that ruined his life literally for eternity. Vampire stories usually focus on the sexy (or scary) side, but Al is hungry and lonely and homeless. "It's not something you get used to," he says at a couple of points. "You deal with it because you have to."
This is an unexpectedly really deep message for a series that I thought was just going to be some silly romp about an American vampire in Japan.
So far, Al isn't making huge amounts of progress in building himself a better life, but he is working really, really hard. I have to say I don't think I've ever seen anything as ridiculously cute as Al in his tiny fuzzy bat form, struggling to turn the pages of a language book as he struggles to learn how to read and speak Japanese.
This is, of course, due to the "tyrant" who's grumpily taken him in - a very handsome embalmer named Akira. They have a tumultuous relationship at this point, and Akira's police detective friend, Nukariya, is a whole lot nicer to Al and more sympathetic to his circumstances. (Interesting, too, that Nukariya keeps jail-escapee Al's presence a secret once he finds out what's really going on - he's not much like his other colleagues, who wanted to brutally interrogate the suspicious naked foreigner who kept escaping from his cell and inexplicably leaving a bat in his place.)
The relationship between Akira and Al is slowly improving, though, and you can't really blame the guy for being unhappy that his cute little bat friend turned out to be a mouthy naked American who steals his clothes and steak and is stuck sleeping on his couch until he can get a job.
The scene with Al falling for a scam outside a train station was also hilarious. Poor Al, believing he'd finally managed to get himself a job. Poor Akira, having to drag him out of the mess he'd gotten himself tangled in. I love the balance between humor and pathos; it makes this such a well-rounded, really well-written story.
There's also an unexpectedly nice little extra at the end, with a glimpse of not-yet-vampire Al trying to get his big break in Hollywood (and a special guest appearance by someone who might become important to him in his future, although neither of them know it...).
Loved this, from start to finish. I'm really hoping the rest of the series is this good.
The translation was top-notch, which probably helped; I've been reading some older/less polished manga recently, so it was pure pleasure to settle into a story that has such a good narrative flow and pays real attention to the development of its characters. I'm curious about how it reads in the original Japanese, since Nebraska-born Al doesn't speak a word of the language initially, and yells a lot at the people around him to speak English. (Which is a super accurate depiction of an American visiting another country...operating under the assumption that people there can and should speak your language, and that it's a huge inconvenience to you if they don't.)
I'll be interested to see how Al develops over time; while he's immature in some ways, having his development literally arrested by a vampire bite at the age of 21, and very ethnocentric, he still comes across as a really good person who's had a super rough deal in life...and death...and afterlife...
I wonder if there'll be any additional worldbuilding on the vampire side of things, and if there's a way to get Al's messed-up transformation fixed so he can start having more control over his human and bat forms. I was expecting the serial killer case (with neck wounds) to be an introduction to another vampire, but based on the way this volume ends, it looks like it's just some regular awful person going around stabbing people. So maybe Al will just be stuck like this forever? That's pretty rough and definitely creates limitations for how he can live and work and interact with others.
The main theme of this story is really just...loneliness, in its rawest and realest form. Al was a young guy with big dreams, and he made one stupid mistake that ruined his life literally for eternity. Vampire stories usually focus on the sexy (or scary) side, but Al is hungry and lonely and homeless. "It's not something you get used to," he says at a couple of points. "You deal with it because you have to."
This is an unexpectedly really deep message for a series that I thought was just going to be some silly romp about an American vampire in Japan.
So far, Al isn't making huge amounts of progress in building himself a better life, but he is working really, really hard. I have to say I don't think I've ever seen anything as ridiculously cute as Al in his tiny fuzzy bat form, struggling to turn the pages of a language book as he struggles to learn how to read and speak Japanese.
This is, of course, due to the "tyrant" who's grumpily taken him in - a very handsome embalmer named Akira. They have a tumultuous relationship at this point, and Akira's police detective friend, Nukariya, is a whole lot nicer to Al and more sympathetic to his circumstances. (Interesting, too, that Nukariya keeps jail-escapee Al's presence a secret once he finds out what's really going on - he's not much like his other colleagues, who wanted to brutally interrogate the suspicious naked foreigner who kept escaping from his cell and inexplicably leaving a bat in his place.)
The relationship between Akira and Al is slowly improving, though, and you can't really blame the guy for being unhappy that his cute little bat friend turned out to be a mouthy naked American who steals his clothes and steak and is stuck sleeping on his couch until he can get a job.
The scene with Al falling for a scam outside a train station was also hilarious. Poor Al, believing he'd finally managed to get himself a job. Poor Akira, having to drag him out of the mess he'd gotten himself tangled in. I love the balance between humor and pathos; it makes this such a well-rounded, really well-written story.
There's also an unexpectedly nice little extra at the end, with a glimpse of not-yet-vampire Al trying to get his big break in Hollywood (and a special guest appearance by someone who might become important to him in his future, although neither of them know it...).
Loved this, from start to finish. I'm really hoping the rest of the series is this good.
March 14, 2021
Oh my goodness. This manga punched me in the heart.
Al is a vampire from America who is transported to Japan via a mistake involving meatpacking. He has no identification, no money, no job, and he cannot speak a word a Japanese. That would make surviving enough of challenge, but to add to the difficulty of his situation, he is only human during the night and a bat during the day.
Al is utterly helpless and dependent on the kindness of others and that is what made this a wonderfully painful story to read. While he starts off as a bit cocky, that attitude quickly melts as it is revealed how isolated his life has been and how little kindness he has experienced--just someone saying they believe him is enough to make him shed tears.
He also genuinely wants to be independent and help his benefactors where he can and feels horrible when he is unable.
Then there is Akira, who Al rightfully points out is a tsundere. That aside though, I adore how quick Akira was to turn the willing benefactor trope on its head and refuse to help Al at first. His points were valid and worked in tandem with Al's character to make for a powerful scene.
I also enjoy how he is very direct with Al and what his expectations are. It's wonderful to watch him set these high expectations, have Al do his best to meet those expectations, and when Al comes close but can't quite reach it, Akira helps Al either rise a little higher or lowers his expectations to be more within reach.
It's a beautiful dynamic of push and pull, and I can't wait for the next volume.
Al is a vampire from America who is transported to Japan via a mistake involving meatpacking. He has no identification, no money, no job, and he cannot speak a word a Japanese. That would make surviving enough of challenge, but to add to the difficulty of his situation, he is only human during the night and a bat during the day.
Al is utterly helpless and dependent on the kindness of others and that is what made this a wonderfully painful story to read. While he starts off as a bit cocky, that attitude quickly melts as it is revealed how isolated his life has been and how little kindness he has experienced--just someone saying they believe him is enough to make him shed tears.
He also genuinely wants to be independent and help his benefactors where he can and feels horrible when he is unable.
Then there is Akira, who Al rightfully points out is a tsundere. That aside though, I adore how quick Akira was to turn the willing benefactor trope on its head and refuse to help Al at first. His points were valid and worked in tandem with Al's character to make for a powerful scene.
I also enjoy how he is very direct with Al and what his expectations are. It's wonderful to watch him set these high expectations, have Al do his best to meet those expectations, and when Al comes close but can't quite reach it, Akira helps Al either rise a little higher or lowers his expectations to be more within reach.
It's a beautiful dynamic of push and pull, and I can't wait for the next volume.
July 23, 2021
The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions surely surprised me by being something totally different! I had a hunch this could be something and I was right! Albert is a vampire, but not fully. He turns into a bat by day and human by night. He somehow ends up from America to Japan and is soon in trouble, since he cannot speak the language and finding food and cover isn't easy. Because of a police operation he ends up with an embalmer guy and they try to think how to help the poor bat. Everything in this is made with heart and style. We get inside the characters' head, they actually talk and analyze and act like normal people with humor. This makes the manga amazing. How well the setting is combined with realism and understanding. The story is slow and we don't get to see what happens with it and it works so well. You just want to keep reading and feeling this.
The art looks grownup in a sense and highlights the story well. The bat actually looks like a bat, but it's still very humane. All in all masculinity is perfectly mixed with beauty and makes the series striking. I wish more manga like this was made and it's wonderful that this has been translated into English. I highly recommend!
The art looks grownup in a sense and highlights the story well. The bat actually looks like a bat, but it's still very humane. All in all masculinity is perfectly mixed with beauty and makes the series striking. I wish more manga like this was made and it's wonderful that this has been translated into English. I highly recommend!
September 14, 2021
I'm not going to lie, I was initially reluctant to read this because of the cover. It looks sort of cheesy and I've read so many reviews describing it as a "slow burn" that I wasn't sure if that was code for boring.
I finally got around to reading it and... I'm not sure what to say. There wasn't much that happened other than an introduction to the main characters and an explanation of how Albert 1. became a vampire and 2. ended up in Japan. Having said that, the story thus far is well written and entertaining enough to make you want to continue reading to the end. Also, the illustrations are actually quite impressive, despite what the cover will have you believe.
I was under the impression that this was BL but there wasn't any romance whatsoever. I was a little disappointed in that but am interested enough in Akira to give the second volume a chance. If a romance does develop it'll definitely be between him and Albert (though Nukariya seems to be a lot nicer to Albert than Akira). I guess I'll find out in volume 2 🙂
I finally got around to reading it and... I'm not sure what to say. There wasn't much that happened other than an introduction to the main characters and an explanation of how Albert 1. became a vampire and 2. ended up in Japan. Having said that, the story thus far is well written and entertaining enough to make you want to continue reading to the end. Also, the illustrations are actually quite impressive, despite what the cover will have you believe.
I was under the impression that this was BL but there wasn't any romance whatsoever. I was a little disappointed in that but am interested enough in Akira to give the second volume a chance. If a romance does develop it'll definitely be between him and Albert (though Nukariya seems to be a lot nicer to Albert than Akira). I guess I'll find out in volume 2 🙂
June 10, 2023
This was a fun, pleasant surprise. It got off to a bit of a rough start, but the humor and "human" moments are touching. I'm torn on the modern sad or pathetic vampire trope. I like them beautiful and powerful and tortured. Albert has cute and tortured down pat. LOL! How many times can a guy wind up in jail naked only to go poof!? I hope to see Al come into his own and find something that gives him power (or purpose). Loved where the ending stopped because it makes me want the next volume right now.
Not included in my rating - the short story at the back is kind of cute and definitely falls into the goofy back matter category. Al is described as having blond hair and green eyes, which threw me off since the cover has brown/brown.
Not included in my rating - the short story at the back is kind of cute and definitely falls into the goofy back matter category. Al is described as having blond hair and green eyes, which threw me off since the cover has brown/brown.
November 24, 2021
[rating = B+]
I was worried that this wasn't BL enough, but there is a subtle undertow of queerness that satisfies. Struggling with his shapeshifting (bat in the daytime, human during the night), Al (Albert) seems to run into trouble. But when he meets Akira (a dark-haired loner who works as a mortician), things start to change...slowly. Akira is unused to company, though he loves bats oddly enough. As Al learns Japanese and starts to chip away at Akira, some like friendship (or companionship) emerges. This manga is well drawn and the plot is steady. I actually bought all four volumes at once, and, so far, i'm not regretting it!
I was worried that this wasn't BL enough, but there is a subtle undertow of queerness that satisfies. Struggling with his shapeshifting (bat in the daytime, human during the night), Al (Albert) seems to run into trouble. But when he meets Akira (a dark-haired loner who works as a mortician), things start to change...slowly. Akira is unused to company, though he loves bats oddly enough. As Al learns Japanese and starts to chip away at Akira, some like friendship (or companionship) emerges. This manga is well drawn and the plot is steady. I actually bought all four volumes at once, and, so far, i'm not regretting it!
October 21, 2021
4 Stars for this BL romance
American Vampire Albert, turns into a bat during the day and on one such occasion was frozen and shipped to Japan. He had a few mishaps but was eventually rescued and given to broody Akira to take care of.
🌹
Akira is positively smitten by the cute little bat but nekkid human Albert, not so much😂😂. This was a fun read. Great banter between the characters and a lot of Grumpy alpha vibes, which I love. I'll be getting book 2 soon. Also, this one is definitely on the more mature side of things, jut a delicious little treat
American Vampire Albert, turns into a bat during the day and on one such occasion was frozen and shipped to Japan. He had a few mishaps but was eventually rescued and given to broody Akira to take care of.
🌹
Akira is positively smitten by the cute little bat but nekkid human Albert, not so much😂😂. This was a fun read. Great banter between the characters and a lot of Grumpy alpha vibes, which I love. I'll be getting book 2 soon. Also, this one is definitely on the more mature side of things, jut a delicious little treat
October 26, 2022
I loved everything about this manga. The art is beautiful, the story is so funny and the premise is original. I have immediately ordered all the other available volumes so I can binge read the rest.
I will say based on the cover I assumed this was probably going to be BL but I don’t get any romance vibes at all from it. It’s fine if it isn’t, though, because the story is so funny. I don’t want to check online to see if it turns into a romance eventually because I don’t want to run into any spoilers. We will see what happens!
I will say based on the cover I assumed this was probably going to be BL but I don’t get any romance vibes at all from it. It’s fine if it isn’t, though, because the story is so funny. I don’t want to check online to see if it turns into a romance eventually because I don’t want to run into any spoilers. We will see what happens!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews