Danica Davidson
October 31, 2023 
The Black Cat and the Vampire is a BL story that takes place in an all-boys boarding school. The boys are all from well-to-do families, and they’re all very pretty. The main character, Yuki, can come off as cold and aloof, and he takes his studies very seriously. Jean, meanwhile, is flirtatious and amiable. Oh, and one of them is a vampire.
The first hint of a vampire comes when a boy is listless and has strange marks on his neck. While others can explain this away as bug bites, one boy is absolutely certain it means there’s a vampire — or vampires — present. On top of that, a corpse was found at the school years ago, and the boy has a theory about that, also involving vampires.
Yuki is too logical to believe in vampires. Or, at least he is until there is indisputable proof that Jean is a vampire. The story is fairly ho-hum until we get to this part, and then it really starts picking up. Jean acts less amiable and is more tormented by the fact he has to drink blood. Yuki, pulled into this dark world, has his own torments, and some of those torments involve his sexual feelings rising to the surface.
As we get deeper into the book, it also starts to delve into its own vampire mythology. It also turns out that this school isn’t what we first thought it was.
The Black Cat and the Vampire gets a 16+ rating because of some suggestive imagery and scenes. The first volume has promise, though it will take future volumes to see how well it develops its own story and characters. This would be of most interest to BL fans who like vampires or horror tales, and could be a good read to pick up for Halloween.
Story & Art: Nikke Taino
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
