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Rosario + Vampire (ロザリオとバンパイア Rozario to Banpaia, literally « rosary and vampire ») is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihisa Ikeda. The story revolves around Tsukune Aono, a boy who inadvertently enrolls in a boarding school for monsters. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a vampire who soon develops an obsession with his blood, and later meets other monster girls who soon take a romantic liking to him. The manga was serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump starting with the August 2004 issue, and ending with the June 2007 issue. A bonus chapter was published in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2007. Ten tankōbon volumes were compiled and released from October 2004 to October 2007.

Rosario + Vampire: Season II (ロザリオとバンパイア seasonII (Rozario to Banpaia Shīzun Tsū), a continuation of the series, was serialized from the November 2007 issue of Jump Square to the March 2014 issue, with an epilogue chapter in April. The series is licensed in North America and in the United Kingdom by Viz Media, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The series also spanned three CD dramas, two visual novels, a novel adaptation, and two internet radio shows.

A 13-episode anime adaptation of Rosario + Vampire aired in Japan between January and March 2008. A second season of the series, Rosario + Vampire Capu2, aired in Japan between October and December 2008. The anime is licensed in North America by Funimation, who released both seasons on December 20, 2011. The anime is also licensed in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, who released both seasons in 2012.

Plot: (no major spoilers)

Tsukune Aono is an average teenager who is unable to get into any local high schools due to his poor grades. As a last ditch effort to secure his education, his parents enroll him in a private school called Yokai Academy, which he discovers is a boarding school for monsters. The school teaches monsters how to coexist with humans, including disguising as them, but any real humans found on campus are to be killed. Although he fears for his life, Tsukune befriends a beautiful vampire girl named Moka Akashiya, who enjoys his company and especially the taste of his blood. During a fight with a school bully, Tsukune accidentally removes the rosario around Moka's neck, and discovers that she transforms into a powerful vampire with a completely different personality.

Because of Moka, Tsukune decides to stay at Yokai. He befriends formerly antagonistic students, including a succubus Kurumu Kurono and a child prodigy witch Yukari Sendo. They join the school's Newspaper Club and wind up fighting a variety of students and teachers, who use their monstrous powers to bully or to control one or more of the members for their own selfish or destructive ends. On a club trip to the human world, they meet a witch, Ruby Tojo, who defends a field of sunflowers from being torn down by developers. They later meet Mizore Shirayuki, a snow fairy student who becomes Tsukune's "stalker".

Conception of the series:

Ikeda drew inspiration from the monster manga series Kaibutsu-kun and has incorporated some references later into the first serialization of the Rosario+Vampire manga. In an interview at Lucca Comics 2012, Ikeda said he is a big fan of Tim Burton and was inspired by his works, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, and particularly Edward Scissorhands because the monster has a sensitive soul.

His first character design was Moka, a beautiful girl vampire with a crucifix around her neck; he then created the school of monsters and Tsukune afterwards. He credits the beautiful girls for the series' popularity and added the fighting elements. After the series ended in Monthly Shōnen Jump but was going to be featured in Jump Square, he retitled the second series to give it a sense of renewal
Updated by gamera68 over 5 years ago