Strike the Blood – 01

Akatsuki Kojou was once an ordinary high schooler in the Demon District of Itogami City, but somehow became the Fourth Primogenitor – the world’s strongest vampire. The Lion King Organization, an agency tasked with preventing supernatural calamities, dispatched the apprentice Sword Shaman Himegari Yukina to observe Kojou – and eliminate him if necessary.

Like Staz last season, Maou the season before, and Mirai this season, Akatsuki Kojou is a reluctant host to a potentially world-threatening power, but still in a low-power state, who would rather just live a normal life, but the story will probably make sure that doesn’t happen. In the beginning he’s presented as just your run-of-the-mill slacking high-schooler whose nose bleeds when he’s turned on. And that he’d like nothing else but to keep that nose down and stay out of trouble. Trouble will of course eventually find him, however, so continuing to pretend he’s not the Fourth Primogenitor is futile.

Enter the heroine, Himeragi Yukina, who doesn’t seem to be there only to keep an eye on him and destroy him if he tries anything. It’s possible the powers that be paired her with Kojou because they’re both still figuring out who and what they are. Perhaps they’re not even certain anyone can defeat him, so they’re going with a softer approach to appeal to the humanity still within him, in an effort to manage the threat. Or maybe they have so much faith in Yukina, despite her youth and inexperience, to be a Sword Shaman who can handle the Fourth.

Rating: 6 (Good)

Stray Observations:

• There’s not a lot we haven’t seen before in this series, and the expansion of the cast the OP foretells could be troublesome, but we know for sure that we like the two leads, and after an unfortunate upskirt incident, they eventually settle down and interact cordially. Considering they’re stuck together, making peace was the logical course.
• Yukina is a lot less stealthy than she thinks.
• Animation quality is a step down from the other Fall series so far, but it doesn’t embarrass itself. Where the series is truly let down is in its uninspired soundtrack.
• We appreciated the restraint with which the episode handled ecchi elements, but Kojou’s bloody nose will probably continue to get him into trouble, which is kinda lame.