Owari no Seraph, or Seraph of the End, is a fresh, dark take on the vampire/end of the world genre, and while the characters are lively and well characterized, it's the plot of this series that really has kept me hooked.
I first heard about this series when it was featured in the Spring 2015 anime lineup. Needing a new anime to watch, I decided to give it a go, and needless to say I was hooked just watching the first 5 episodes. After watching the anime, I then moved on the manga which is much further ahead then the anime is currently.
The series follows Hyakuya Yuichiro (goes by Yuu), a young boy living in a world that has been taken over by the vampires after a mysterious virus that spread throughout the world nearly kills off the entire human population. They discover that the virus does not affect children age thirteen and younger, so the vampires decide to take the remaining children under their protection in "vampire cities". Basically, after a vampire kills the Director of the orphanage that Yuu and his close friend Hyakuya Mikaela (called Mika for short) are at, Yuu and Mika come to live at one of these vampire cities for four years. Yuu understandably harbors a deep hatred of vampires and dreams of being able to kill them all.
One day, Mika manages to steal a map and a gun from one of the noble vampires he was donating blood to and he and Yuu decide to escape to the outside world with their orphan family. However, it turns out this was a trap all long by the noble vamp, called Ferid, and he proceeds to kill off everybody except Yuu, who is saved by Mika who sacrifices his life. Yuu manages to shoot Ferid in the head with the gun and escape to the outside, where he meets Glen, the lieutenant of the Japanese Imperial Army. Glen tells him he is the prophesied person who will help them kill all of the vampires.
And this is just the first episode folks! The plot only thickens from there, as the saying goes. Note that there are SPOILERS from here on out, so read at your risk.
The story then skips another four years and Yuu is now a sixteen year old boy who, while a Private in the Army, hasn't really fought a real vampire yet as Glen hasn't let him. There's a few moments of school life as Glen forces Yuu to go to high school as punishment for not listening to his orders on a previous mission. We later find out that this school is merely a disguise, and it's true purpose is to find and train future soldiers for the Army. It certainly answered the question of why people were still going to school in a devastating world such as theirs.
There is then the shocking reveal that Mika is actually alive, and has been turned into a vampire by the Queen herself. Well, it was certainly meant to be a shock but the anime really ruined this through the opening theme. This is my only complaint of the anime; the opening theme really spoils a lot about the story, mainly that Mika is alive and the Cursed Weapons that the main cast use.
There was a whole period of going to a special class meant for training soldiers to fight vampires and Yuu meeting new friends that really remind me of Ao no Exorcist. There's Youichi (who's absolutely ADORABLE), a timid kid whose sister was killed protecting him; Kimizuki, a smart guy that initially hates Yuu's guts and whose sister is dying of the virus; and Shinoa, a snarky girl who is a member of the powerful Hiiragi family and is already a member of the elite Moon Demon Company. Yuu and his new friends eventually gain the Cursed Weapons, which are weapons that are formed by creating a contract with a demon.
Then it is revealed that Yuu was used for human experimentation during his time at the orphanage, and he was given some sort of dark power that makes him go insane with bloodlust. This is hinted at at several points in the manga, such as when Yuu's demon tells him something else is possessing him. Yuu himself is currently not aware of his other side. Glen has been aware of this from the beginning, and he was put in charge of a project called "Seraph of the End" (hence the name of the series), with Yuu as the main subject.
At this point, the manga takes a turn for the dark. The motives of each side do not simply become black and white but become a grey area. Each character's motivations for their actions are very interesting and I became really torn on which side to choose. The manga certainly delves into the human mind and makes you think about which side is truly evil.
For me, the dynamic of Yuu and Mika's relationship is what really makes the series for me. Yuu, in the four years after the escape, becomes your typical courageous, strong willed hero who strives to protect his family. The hatred and bitterness of revenge from his youth turns into a fierce will to protect those dear to him. On the other hand, sweet, gentle Mika becomes truly twisted in the four year time gap. He despises both humans and vampires despite being in the latter faction, and his main desire is to rescue Yuu from the humans who he believes is simply using his power for their own nefarious deeds. You can't really hate Mika though, as he still has kind moments towards humans and he refuses to drink human blood. The moment where Yuu discovers Mika is alive is fantastic and both become even more determined to save the other after the encounter. I am really interested in how the two will reconcile their differences.
Overall, this series is very well done. There were serious and dark points in the manga as well as lighthearted and comedic moments that made me laugh out loud. I would certainly recommend it to any shounen/fantasy fan out there.
Owari no Seraph currently has 8 episodes out, and will be a 24 episode anime. The manga has a total of 8 volumes out, but only 4 have been fully translated.
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