Manga: Platinum Blood

Sex and vampires go hand in hand. Add kink to make it even better. Add a taboo relationship, and theological questions, and I'm in. I read Platinum Blood, by Mor Ichigaya, in one sitting, and I'm craving for more because of how good it was! Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 226 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop
• Publication Date: April 15, 2023
• Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Gay, Homoerotic, Romantic, Yaoi
• Rating: 4 / 5 stars

The vampire Alucard — nicknamed Al — was brought up in a church, at the side of the kindly priest Kaname. Now all grown up and drop-dead handsome, Al has certain needs...

The dutiful Kaname generously allows the vampire to drink of his body — and it isn't just his blood that Al's sucking! Still, physical needs aren't the same as emotional desires, and Al finds himself stuck trying to get the oblivious, straight-laced Kaname to realize that he means more than an easy meal to him.

This book contains explicit content and mature themes, including (highlight to read) explicit sex, religious kink, age gap, dubious consent, and adoptive incest. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age.

I enjoyed this manga so much I want more! It is not fair that there's only one volume because the style and the art were both on point. I got trapped in the story from the beginning, loving it more as I progressed. Both Al and Kaname are beautiful characters I didn't get tired of at any point. I liked them for how imperfect they are and how organic that chemistry was.

The art was just as good, showing more than just what was happening. It included feelings, thoughts, the whole atmosphere of experiences that was going on in this story. The lines are so clean it felt the characters were alive, allowing you to get immersed in the pages with ease. Seriously, it felt so real I lost track of reality more than once!

Now, what I said at the beginning was a bittersweet thing to say, because there's more room for development, first of all regarding Al's origin and name. There's nothing in this volume to suggest that's his full name, although common knowledge plays a big part in here. However, I'm curious about the author's ideas, how this relationship developed, along with Kaname's theological insecurities. There's too much left to be said!

Platinum Blood is a great, beautiful story impossible not to love, not only because the superficial "who doesn't love queer, sexual vampires?" reasoning, but also because it offers a deeper, more interesting insight into humanity, love, life, and morality. There's sex, for sure, but there's also a story that could be turned into something longer, more enjoyable, more interesting, and more fascinating. Promising, to say the least.

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