Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Season One, Part One (Review)

In a world overrun with vampires, humans have been hunted to the brink of extinction. The only way they can fight back is with a series of demonic weapons known as Cursed Gear. Reserved for soldiers with exceptional talent, these weapons require humans to form pacts with ancient demons in exchange for their power. Yuichiro Hyakuya is a young member of the Moon Demon Company, a prestigious army squadron armed with Cursed Gear and tasked with exterminating vampires. After the blood-sucking monsters killed his family when he was a child, Yuichiro vowed he wouldn’t stop fighting until every last one was dead. But when a familiar face from his past appears sporting a new set of fangs, the line drawn between good and evil begins to blur. There’s something special about Yuichiro—a dark power that the vampires call the Seraph of the End. When that power is unleashed, will he be the key to humanity’s salvation or its complete destruction?

Seraph of The End: Vampire Reign is truly a must see show for any fan of anime. The show is truly a breath of fresh air with compelling characters, an intriguing dilemma and a wonderful story. As describe the synopsis above centers around our protagonist Yuichiro Hyakuya whose family was killed by the vampires as a child. This leaves Yuichiro vengeful and filled with the desire for revenge. Yuichiro is hellbent on killing the vampires and will do at all cost. When we first Yuichiro he is very much a lone wolf. Yuichiro is unable to communicate, trust or even make friends with anybody. Nothing matters to him but killing the vampires. He tends to come off as arrogant. and allows pride get in the way. However deep down he's a very scarred wounded character who can't get over the events of letting his family die. This layer of guilt is shown through the entire part of season one and it's executed well and effects his relationship with other members of his team. One day I think this anime did well is balance a large cast of characters and give time to each of them so the audience can connect with them. Every main member of Yuichiro team has a reason for wanting to end the vampires or why they join the fight. Yoichi Saotome fights because his sister was killed by the vampires while trying to protect him. Shihō Kimizuki who joins the Moon Demon Army in order to save his sister who is sick in the hospital. Each character has a flushed out backstory and a reason to fight that gives more depth and more connection to each of them that makes the pacing of the show run smoothly. There wasn't any dead scenes or moments that I fast forward. The characters plight, the establishment of lore in this world is spot on. One dynamic I love is that conflicting ideology between characters and the rivalry between Vampire and Humans. The show gives multiple perspectives that you can't really tell who the antagonist is. From Yuichiro perspective the Vampires are the true villains. However as the final episode of part one on Season One you might feel the humans are the antagonist. Both sides have their reasons and ideologies and will keep you guessing on who is really pulling the strings. Overall the story well written with great pacing and memorable characters. 

The voice acting is also well done in English and Japanese. Micah Solusod is great as Yuichiro bringing this confidence but arrogance tone his voice. When the dramatic parts come into play he really nails it bringing in depth and compassion to the character. The supporting cast do well also and I enjoyed watching them. Presentation wise the anime looks great and the action scenes are done with flare and is very stylish. Each battle doesn't just have a random battle just for the sake of action. Each fight has a reason and has some pretty high stakes that will make you feel a little tense especially the last three episodes. 

Final Grade 4.5/5 Stars - Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is a great show and I can't wait for part two of season one. Great characters, great plot and wonderful action. The theme of revenge and the effects of it is clearly present and gets it's view across well. This is one vampire tale you need to check out..