Dance in the Vampire Bund



Out of the blue, Japan finds itself host to a new "mini-nation" inside of the Bund, an artificial island off the coast. Mina Tepes, heiress of the Tepes Dynasty of Vampires, announces to the world that Vampires exist, she has paid off Japan's national debt, and that they are choosing to live in peace inside the Bund from now on.

The story is told from the point of view of Akira Kaburagi, Werewolf and Mina's chosen guardian. Giving up a life as an ordinary high school student when Mina decides to out the entire vampire population, Akira has his work cut out for him, as Mina has pissed off just about everyone with her announcement -- the humans want to wipe the Bund off the face of the Earth, rival vampire clans want to wipe the Bund off the earth, and even members of her own family want her for their own reasons.

An animated adaptation was released in 2010 (trailer here, NSFW) by Studio Shaft. Yes, we do mean that Studio Shaft. God help us. The animated adaptation was later licensed and released, uncensored, by FUNimation in the US; Similarly, the manga has seen a fairly faithful release by Seven Seas Entertainment in the west. There is also a side story spin off, Dive into the Vampire Bund, which likewise was released by Seven Seas Entertainment.

Now has a Character Page.

Tropes:
""I just wanted... to spend some time feeling like a normal child. To feel like a normal girl, just for a little while... with him.""
 * Absurdly Powerful Student Council: Justified by the school's mysterious founder explicitly decreeing that "All operations, except for finances and education, will be managed by the will of the students themselves." Of course when the founder and the council butt heads....
 * Action Bomb:
 * A would-be assassin tries this on Mina during a press conference by purposely letting herself get turned, then sewing the bomb inside her now undead body with the trigger on her tongue. Luckily Akira's senses find her and she is stopped.
 * A major plot point of vol. 3. More than that,
 * Adaptation Dye Job: Mina's hair is light pink in the manga while it's blond in the anime which makes her resemble a certain lolita vampire of a fighting game, as well as another aristocratic blonde vampire lolita who is even more powerful than Mina.
 * Affably Evil: Duke Rozenmann is charming, urbane, smiles constantly, is the only one of the three suitors who actually seems to treat Mina with something resembling respect, and with grace and amusement. None of this should suggest that he is not a heartless, amoral bastard.
 * Perhaps THE heartless, amoral bastard. Rozenmann can be traced to almost every single antagonistic event in the manga, with the possible exception of the actions of Telomere. Check that, he's behind those, too
 * Rozenmann's affability extends only so far as to things that don't materially hinder him. When things don't go his way, he descends into hysterical anger and is more than willing to take it out on his nearest targets, loyal to him or not.
 * Ambiguously Gay:
 * Vera's sexuality is not a matter of any great discussion, but her past relationship with Hysterica is heavily implied to have been romantic, and some have speculated she was in love with Mina's mother.
 * Angie, who exploits it for all it's worth.
 * Anti-Villain:, who, despite being one of the assassins sent after Akira in Vol.4-5, seemed genuinely friendly to him and actually lets him go at least once in order to not harm a bunch of children, and later does a full Heel Face Turn.
 * Artistic License Economics: This argument could be made about Mina's claim of paying off Japan's national debt at the start of the story.
 * Artistic License History: "Tepes" is the nickname Vlad Draculea was known by (which means "The Impaler"). Not a clan/family name.
 * Badass Adorable: Akira's baby brother Yuuhi, with little hints of Tyke Bomb mixed in. Seven years old. Absolutely adores his "Onii-chama". Will rip out your throat with his teeth if he catches you being mean to his big brother.
 * Battle Butler:
 * This is one of Akira's roles.
 * Vera, who is Mina's driver and personal secretary in addition to bodyguard duty.
 * Battle Couple: Akira may be Mina's bodyguard, but it doesn't in any way suggest that she couldn't look after herself, thank you very much.
 * Beauty Equals Goodness: The more powerful vampires can take on a "true" form that supposedly is a reflection of their inner soul. We get a good look at three and glimpses of a fourth. Guess which one looks like a centerfold with optional bat wings and nominal Spikes of Villainy?
 * Mina lampshades this, or rather its inverse, during her final battle with.
 * Beethoven Was an Alien Spy:
 * Berserk Button: While Mina occasionally allows herself half-staged hissy fits among those she actually trusts, just about the only thing that will genuinely make her lose her composure is threatening or seriously harming Akira and/or Yuki.
 * Beta Couple: Nanami & Yuzuru
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Do not mess with
 * Big Badass Wolf: The Earth Clan in general, and their elite forces known as Beowulf in particular.
 * Ironically, "Beowulf" ("Bees' Wolf") is an Old English euphemistic name for a bear.
 * Allow me to expand: Big Badass Wolf in a Badass Longcoat
 * Boisterous Bruiser: The Lords of the Earth Clan Senate to the point where they scare the crap out of Beowulf when they show up for just a sparring session
 * Boobs of Steel: Vera can kick all kinds of ass while still being one if not the bustiest woman in the manga.
 * And then there's.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Lower class vampires can be "reprogrammed" to serve a different master and be controlled by them like slaves; usually when this is seen they're no better then rabid animals. Mina of course is against such a practice, but two antagonists in the second and third volumes have no such qualms.
 * Volume 7 has at least two of them. Volume 9 shows us a third, and a particularly tragic one at that.
 * Played with in vol. 11, when.
 * Break the Haughty:
 * Bulletproof Human Shield: Mina's gone here a few times. Her being a small target, fast enough to rapidly close with a shooter's allies, and strong enough to juggle said allies around makes it a natural part of her Waif Fu. (Also, a Stakeproof human shield is entirely plausible.)
 * But Not Too Foreign:
 * Akira Kaburagi Regendorf, son of Wolfgang Regendorf.
 * Inspector Seiji Hama. Half-Navajo, ex U.S. Special Forces,.
 * Canon Foreigner: Mei Ren who takes over Hama role in the anime as he does not exist in that version.
 * Carnival of Killers: The basic plot of volume four, minus the Squick factor.
 * The Chessmaster: The as yet unnamed leader of Telomere, having set up the Wham! Episode below, has secured this ranking.
 * Completely Missing the Point: The vampire antagonist in the second volume who thought Mina started the Bund to show their superiority over humans.
 * Cute and Psycho:
 * An oddly suicidal example. . Yikes.
 * over the course of volumes 10 and 11.
 * Dancing Theme
 * Death By Childbirth: Implied to be fairly common for members of the Earth Clan since bearing a werewolf child puts a tremendous strain on a woman's body.
 * Death From Above / Colony Drop:
 * Defrosting Ice Queen: Arguably Mina. She is rather aloof at the start of the series but eventually becomes kinder (though no less manipulative or vicious when pressed) as the manga goes on.
 * Doppelganger:
 * In the anime,
 * In the manga, ] The anime was aired before this development came to light in the manga, so it's not known at this time if they were aware of this or if they just came up with it by coincidence.
 * Drop the Hammer: Compared to Beowulf's swords, the Lords of the Earth Clan Senate on the whole prefer hammers, maces and other bludgeoning weapons. They make perfect tools to take on
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady:
 * Dying Moment of Awesome: In Volume 13.
 * Eldritch Abomination:
 * We only see a glimpse of "true" form in vol. 11, which consists of a gigantic crab-like claw and implies the rest is even more monstrous.
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita: Side-character Alphonse Medici Borgiani has an entire army of these, and they are quite capable sword fighters too.
 * Embarrassing Old Photo: Mina has a photo album borne of regular communication with Akira's mother; the results are inescapable.
 * Everything's Worse With Bears:
 * , easily the most cool character of the later part of the manga, is a werebear.
 * The name of elite corps of the Earth Clan, Beowulf, is Old English for "bear".
 * Expy: Mina looks suspiciously similar to Evangeline A.K. Mcdowell from Mahou Sensei Negima.
 * Face Heel Turn:
 * Fan Disservice / Fan Service: Loads on a number of them.
 * Fantastic Racism:
 * Very typical since the masquerade is uncovered. Most of the humans hate the vampires, and regard them as little more then mindless monsters. Most of the royal vampires seen hate werewolves (making Akira's job much tougher then usual) and those that decide to live fangless (i.e. they don't wish to drink blood) are hated by the usual vampires.
 * The Fangless are actually starting to subvert this; they're still the subject of racism from other vampires, but some have started interacting with normal humans and they get along just fine. Which makes sense... they don't kill people and they aren't huge jerks. That's already two reasons for the mortal populace to like them over most of the 'normal' vampires.
 * Fiction 500: Mina pays off Japan's entire national debt. This doesn't seem to affect her overall wealth at all.
 * Form-Fitting Wardrobe: A staple feature of Nozomu Tamaki's drawing style. On women, even the most shapeless fabrics define the bust like a leather halter, and most clothes fit like PVC or rubber. When something's form-fitting in-universe, it defines individual breasts and buttocks to a degree only body paint could match.
 * Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: The official public face of the Bund at large. Closer inspection, however, subverts this by showing that majority of the Bund's populace seem to be, if not 'evil', then at least huge jerks. Also played straight in that there are several (Vera, Nanami, the Fangless) who really are harmless, or at least would be if left to their own devices. Mina herself, despite numerous Pet the Dog moments, is too ruthless/manipulative to qualify...unless you take the other three (surviving) clan heads as benchmarks.
 * Full-Frontal Assault:
 * Akira is much bigger as a Werewolf than a human. He has no Magic Pants.
 * Mina rather enjoys doing this, especially when . So far, she's never worn any clothing when . There are also a number of instances where she runs around wearing only a billowing cloak or similar garment.
 * The shape shifting assassin hunting Akira in the fourth volume. Near the end of their battle, "she" is completely naked.
 * Vera in volume seven; she
 * Heck, all of Vol. 7 is like this, as it covers some of Akira's backstory where he and three other werewolves undergo their coming-of-age ritual... in which, it was already explained in the previous volume, they are thrown out into the wilderness in the middle of winter without so much as a stitch of clothing, and told to survive for a month.
 * Genre Savvy: At one point, Mina uses the movie Nosferatu and its depiction of Count Orlok as a reference when discussing vampires.
 * Even better... Nosferatu depicted one of the most vicious and inhuman vampires in popular culture. Mina not only references it, but points out that it is a very accurate depiction of what far too many vampires are actually like. The woman knows very well she is in a horror story, thank you very much.
 * Girlish Pigtails: Mina's default hairstyle.
 * Going Commando
 * Gun Kata: Seiji Hama with a shotgun.
 * Harmful to Minors:
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * In volume 13
 * Ho Yay:, taken Up to Eleven during . There's also a major (and intentional) subversion (inversion?), since ; see the Funny Moments page.
 * Hoist By Her Own Petard:
 * How Hysteria (the villain in the third volume) is beaten when Nanami, whom she "reprogrammed" (and not to mention mercilessly abused), is secretly "reprogrammed" back by Mina and delivers the final blow to her. With her own weapon, no less.
 * Chapters 40-44 are pretty much all about this, especially when.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl:
 * Akira's pretty tall for a 17-year-old Japanese highschooler (he is a half-German werewolf after all,) but not abnormally so. Mina's just that tiny -- she barely gets to his chest, and it's even more apparent in his wolf form, where he towers over her. Somewhat subverted in that Mina's true form is bigger than Akira's normal size.
 * Inverted for good with Nanami and Yuzuru.
 * I Did What I Had to Do: Mina takes this position based on the very hard decisions she has to take as leader of the Vampires in the Bund. For example, after
 * I Hate You, Vampire Dad: Subverted. When Nanami is turned, she goes on a rampage, calling herself a monster. Mina and the others assume this Trope, but
 * I Just Want to Be Normal:
 * The Fangless. Those vampires willing to extract their own fangs are the ones that are serious about keeping away from the whole predator thing.
 * Most of Mina's motivation for enrolling in Akira's high school.
 * Inverted for good with Nanami and Yuzuru.
 * I Did What I Had to Do: Mina takes this position based on the very hard decisions she has to take as leader of the Vampires in the Bund. For example, after
 * I Hate You, Vampire Dad: Subverted. When Nanami is turned, she goes on a rampage, calling herself a monster. Mina and the others assume this Trope, but
 * I Just Want to Be Normal:
 * The Fangless. Those vampires willing to extract their own fangs are the ones that are serious about keeping away from the whole predator thing.
 * Most of Mina's motivation for enrolling in Akira's high school.

"Nanami: "We don't have time to waste sitting around. Where is the Director?"
 * Idiot Hair: Nelly's appears to react to turn-ons
 * Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode title is taken from a horror movie, giving us titles like "Howling", "Teen Wolf" and "Interview With the Vampire".
 * Immortal Immaturity: Mina treats this trope like a yo-yo, going from pensive matron contemplating how she may be robbing her teenaged knight of his happiness to a bouncing teeny-bopper brainstorming with her friend over a Boys Love story literally in a matter of moments.
 * Indirect Kiss: Akira and, in Episode 10,.
 * Subverted:
 * Interspecies Romance:
 * Played straight - Mina is a vampire, Akira is a werewolf, both are in love, but there's a social stigma. Thank the devil that Mina is in charge of everything.
 * Reinforced in the anime
 * And then there's Yuki – literally the first scene of the manga (that doesn't read like a storybook) is of her confessing her feelings to Akira. She never does get completely over those feelings, either.
 * Lap Pillow - Yuki provides this for Mina in vol. 4 after the chastity test.
 * Legal Jailbait - Mina is now the hottest contender to dethrone Evangeline A.K Macdowell as the Queen/Goddess of this trope.
 * This show is probably the only one to ever justify this trope as we learn that.
 * Les Yay:
 * Part of Hysterica's treatment of Nanami; also heavily implied to be part of her relationship with Vera in olden times.
 * Mina and Yuki, once they've settled their differences, have these sorts of moments all the time. Mina has explicitly stated that Yuki is her most precious person after Akira, flirts with her, and even cops the occasional feel. For her part, Yuki has a tendency to turn a lovely shade of red at all of the above, and has more than once commented on how beautiful Mina's true form is. Yuki may have lost her shot at getting Akira all to herself, but if she plays her cards right...
 * And as if the Yuki/Mina Les Yay wasn't obvious enough already, they have apparently started bathing together at Yuki's apartment, meaning the two of them were willing to inconvenience Mina's entire bodyguard unit and risk an international incident so they could have a sleepover with just the two of them. Wow.
 * Lotus Eater Machine: Mina goes through one in vol 6.
 * Luminescent Blush: We get quite a few of these in the lighter moments. Yuki is especially prone to this, with Mina nearly as often. Doesn't exactly help that Nozomu Tamaki's drawing style makes her look absoultely adorable. Even Akira isn't immune.
 * Manchurian Agent:
 * Manipulative Bastard: Almost every vampire. Mina is queen bitch of this trope, however. For example, she
 * That's nothing. Try
 * is even worse, and in a purely malicious fashion.
 * Marshmallow Hell: gets a good dose of it in Episode 10 of the anime.
 * Mars Needs Women: The Vampire race is Mars, Mina is the woman in question, and her potential suitors are the most disgusting things on this planet.
 * Mayfly-December Romance: If Duke Ivanovic is any indication, Mina will actually grow old eventually, and Akira's regeneration will probably extend his lifespan some decades beyond the human norm, but we are still looking at life expectancies differing by an order of magnitude here.
 * Meaningful Name:
 * Akira, pledged to serve the Princess of Vampires from birth, has a name meaning "Daybreak" (which, for vampires, would connote something along the lines of Horrible Burning Death). Make of it what you will.
 * And then there's his little brother Yuuhi ("evening sun"). It seems ol' Wolfgang really does have a sense of humor, after all...
 * Also possibly a stealth Shout-Out: Akela, the leader of the wolf pack in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, becomes "Akira" when spoken through Japanese phonetics. (The name also means "single, solitary" in Hindi, which rather accurately fits Akira's personality as well, after .)
 * Telomere.
 * Meido: Mina's ladies-in-waiting.
 * Mercy Kill:
 * Mook Horror Show: Chapters 1 & 2.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Vera or Mina.
 * Murder the Hypotenuse:
 * My Master, Right or Wrong: Gerhard, Rozenmann's werewolf retainer. He knows Rozenmann is wholly unworthy of his loyalty, but he's still the master Gerhard's sworn to, even if Gerhard has to stoop to dishonorable tactics.
 * The Necrocracy: Type II, more or less.
 * New Transfer Student: Mina. No, she does not seem to regard having secretly founded the school and commissioned the construction of the campus to her specifications as causing a conflict of interest.
 * No One Could Survive That: Played straight with, much to Akira's eventual regret.
 * Not Safe for Work: When your boss looks over your shoulder at what you're reading and sees a naked twelve-year-old girl, do you really think he'll let you explain how deep and engaging the plot is?
 * Older Than They Look:
 * Many vampires, but notably Mina, who appeared to be six or seven when she met Akira as an infant. He is now sixteen, and she appears to be around twelve of thirteen.
 * Anna, one of the Fangless kids in the Volume 5, looks four. She's explicitly said by Jiji to be the oldest of the three, and actually goes to high school, eventually ending in Mina and Akira's class.
 * Which is also responsible for a Crowning Moment of Funny in the Vol. 5 omakes.
 * Omake: Each volume features one or more, in Yonkoma format. They generally revolve around Mina's maids, and are quite funny...until the plot takes a serious turn for the worse, in which the humor becomes mixed with drama.
 * Ordinary High School Student: Subverted. Akira's really a werewolf, and.
 * Our Vampires Are Different: They really aren't. However, some vampires remove their fangs and become "Fangless", and are hated by just about everyone. Well, except for the whole "attending a Catholic School (with nuns, no less) thing". Looks like someone doesn't have an issue with crosses.
 * Vampirism in this story is transmitted simply through feeding rather than a blood exchange. The change takes 48 hours to become permanent, and can be stopped with a vaccine. Not to mention that the vampires don't HAVE to have blood to survive (Fangless, etc.) There is also a synthetic substitute for blood called (conveniently) Stigma.
 * Vampires also don't HAVE to be the merciless predators as shown in other places as well. The Fangless children get along perfectly well with humans, for example -- as does any vampire with a ideal to hold onto (Mina herself, Nanami, Vera, etc). Only those without a strong belief become hedonistic animals (ordinary humans themselves become the same way - see Caligula for examples).
 * Parental Abandonment: A short scene when Yuzuru find Nanami's parents moving away after their daughter was turned.
 * Pieta Plagiarism: Wolfgang with Akira in the end of volume 5. Subverted in that Akira was only wounded and recovered completely, thanks to.
 * Pinky Promise / The Promise: Akira and Mina make one at the end of the anime.
 * Poor Communication Kills: A great deal of trauma and violence could have been avoided if Mina had just sat down with Akira and explained in detail that yes, she was taking measures to protect the students and no, she was not
 * This was not a unique occurence. Some of the biggest strains on Mina's and Akira's relationship are caused by one of them either hiding something from the other for their own good or putting their foot in their mouth.
 * In vol. 11, reveals to  that the confrontation between Mina and Akira hurt Mina more than anyone could imagine, and that
 * Public Secret Message: Mina makes a public announcement, speaking in an ancient language as a challenge to another vampire, but with fake subtitles in Japanese.
 * Rape As Drama: This shows up a few times, although mostly as subtext:
 * The vampire attack in the church has heavy rape undertones (lots of ripped clothes, bites in...delicate areas, and Mina telling Yuki that the victims are going through specialized counseling after their rescue and vaccination).
 * The virginity test, although it's not truly "rape" given the circumstances.
 * gets raped in ch. 41.
 * does his best to assualt Mina in vol. 9, and tries again in vol. 10 after
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Mina is the poster child, though it's debatable (she could be as young as her nineties). She still looks twelve, though.
 * Right Behind Me: Akira, Hilarity Ensues.
 * Right in Front of Me: The chairperson of the student council stormed into the office of the school's director to demand an explanation for the admission of a New Transfer Student without informing them, only to find said student (Mina) in said office.
 * Right Behind Me: Akira, Hilarity Ensues.
 * Right in Front of Me: The chairperson of the student council stormed into the office of the school's director to demand an explanation for the admission of a New Transfer Student without informing them, only to find said student (Mina) in said office.

Mina: "Yes... I know, I know."  "What is it you have to say?""


 * Royal Decree: The first episode ends with Mina giving a long one to the vampire of the episode, culminating in "I order you to die." He does.
 * Sarcastic Confession:
 * Shapeshifter Guilt Trip: One of the assassins in volume 4 uses it against Akira to perfect effect. Unfortunately, then it tries using Mina... Speaking of which, that assassin is, naturally, a...
 * Shapeshifter Weapon
 * Shout-Out:
 * Seiji Hama = Sledge Hammer. You dig it?
 * Aforementioned Nosferatu reference as well.
 * As well most vampire media including Bram Stoker's Dracula, Béla Lugosi and Hammer Horror.
 * Shown Their Work: The first episode of the anime makes it abundantly clear that they know what they're talking about.
 * Single Mom Stripper:
 * Sink or Swim Mentor: Wolfgang intentionally comes off as this where his son is concerned.
 * Skinship Grope: Go on, guess.
 * Smug Snake: Really, Rozenmann tries to be a magnificent bastard, but when he's outmaneuvered, he won't take it well. He's not as smart or in control as he thinks he is and will not react well to realizing that, as his temper tantrums in volume 12 are proof of.
 * So Proud of You: The look on Wolfgang's face when he carries Akira to the infirmary along the saluting ranks of the Earth Clan.
 * Subverted in the anime
 * Stalker Shrine: Mina has a small private cubbyhole that contains her true personal treasures. It contains some old furniture, an antique gramaphone, a few other knicknacks, and many photos of Akira.
 * Stalker With a Crush: is revealed to be this to absurd levels where  is concerned.
 * Star-Crossed Lovers: A distinct undertone in the whole plot.
 * The Stinger: Consisting of an Eyecatch-style picture and the caption "You will watch the next episode.".
 * Stupid Sexy Flanders: Damn you, Angie!
 * Super Mode:
 * Vampires are capable of assuming a "true form" which is the ultimate expression of their power and usually involves turning into a monstrous form. In Mina's case,
 * Of course, there's also the Earth Clan. A super mode is standard equipment for any werewolf, after all...
 * Or the (anime-only)
 * Also, see Eldritch Abomination above.
 * Together In Undeath: Nanami and Yuzuru (the above mentioned babysitter couple), the latter willingly letting the former turn him after she was freed from the antagonist's control.
 * Toplessness From the Back: Angel Avenanto, repeatedly... as if he needed more Stupid Sexy Flanders potential.
 * Twelve-Episode Anime: Mostly condenses volumes 1-5.
 * Undead Children: Vampires turned before puberty? We have plenty. Pint-sized horrors that invoke feelings of the natural order being defiled in all who see them? Not so much.
 * Undying Loyalty: The Beowulf for Mina, especially Akira. Vera for Mina as well, being a surrogate mother to her. Also, Rozenmann's werewolf servitor Gerhard seems to know that his boss is an immoral snake, but is compelled to obey him regardless.
 * Unequal Pairing: Highborn matron in love with her head guardsman's teenage son? Raises almost as many eyebrows as what Mina and Akira actually look like together.
 * Unlucky Childhood Friend: Akira's normal human high school friend Yuki, whose feelings he turns down right before being taken away by Mina. Mina, being a Manipulative Bastard, keeps her around as a friendly enemy and to rub her victory in her face...
 * Cursed With Awesome: ...and ends up being pretty much best friends with her... complete with frequent Les Yay. Yes, Yuki lost a boyfriend, but she ended up a confidante of one of the most powerful people in the world and still keeps her humanity. Not a bad consolation prize.
 * The Unmasqued World: Vampires and Werewolves: Not much of a secret anymore.
 * Vampire Maid: The second chapter starts off with Mina's maids absolutely wrecking a squad of special forces soldiers. deserves a CMOA all its own.
 * Vampire-Werewolf Love Triangle: First Mina/Akira/Yuki, then Mina/Akira/the Royal Three (so it's a Pentagon... sort of...).
 * Well, considering that there is no love between the Royal Three and Mina (it's more of a power grab than anything else)...
 * Then of course there's Mina/Akira/Angie, which, unlike Mina/Akira/Yuki's Type 11, is very much a Type 4.
 * Vapor Wear
 * The Voiceless:
 * , as a result of brain damage suffered from.
 * Waif Fu: Half a dozen freshly turned grown men. One scrawny prepubescent vampire queen. No problem.
 * The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask: Mina is a particularly blood-soaked and Machiavellian variant.
 * Wham! Episode:
 * The end of vol. 8, when it's revealed that
 * Volume 9 in general, and chapter 53 in particular.
 * What Could Have Been: Studio Shaft was willing to do a faithful adaptation of the manga until the author of the manga told them to do it in their own way. Needless to say, a lot of manga fans were somewhat displeased, although some found it a pretty good adaptation nonetheless.
 * Who Wants to Live Forever?: Played with. The major reason vampires aren't in complete control of the entire world is that most of them find eternal life so hard to deal with that they behave like suicidal lunatics in an effort to find some kind of sensation; it's so bad that within a matter of weeks of the Bund's settlement, maybe 10% of the population have already been killed in one way or another. The level-headed, vaguely happy vampires are the ones who have found something to hold on to that helps them cope with eternity (the most obvious example being Mina's love for Akira).
 * Widget Series: Whether it applies to the manga or not, just keep in mind that Shaft is doing the anime.
 * Wife Husbandry: Inverted. While Mina didn't personally raise the boy who was born to become her companion, there are strong and intentional shades of this, especially when she pulls out his baby pictures to show people... one of which is her holding him as an infant.
 * Wolverine Claws: The weapons used by.
 * Yaoi Fangirl: Yuki's latest novel is apparently a Boys Love story... and one of the main characters is heavily based on Akira. Also, Mina (although she didn't understand some of the, er, "advanced vocabulary" at first) absolutely loved this story when she read it, so make of that what you will...
 * The maids get a lot of mileage out of it as well.
 * Mostly Nero, though. Others are mildly interested, but Nero seems to be a full-blown Otaku.
 * As of chapter 33, Mina has puzzled out that the book is essentially about her boyfriend's romance with another man... and this has made her like it more, and even start actively contributing to the 'creative process'. Upon discovering this, Akira was... not amused.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Volume 13
 * You Shall Not Pass: Volume 13