Books #80 - 86: Midnight Secretary vols. 1-7
I enjoyed Spell of Desire enough that I picked up Tomu Ohmi's other major manga series, Midnight Secretary. It just wasn't as good or as smart. It picked up near the end and got more complicated, which I enjoyed, but just when things really ramped up they ended, and with a sort of implied "happily ever after" that wasn't satisfying. The art, though, is lovely.
The main character, Kaya, is a secretary at a major corporation. She discovers that her boss, Kyohei, is a vampire, but rather than that terrifying her, she decides to protect his secret and even helps him feed on other humans. It turns out that vampires don't kill humans, only trick and seduce them so they can feed on them. They are also born from the union of a vampire and a human - Kyohei's father is human, his mother is a vampire, and his brother is human. There is also a vampire clan that Kyohei continues to run afoul of. They have far-reaching financial and political power and use humans as necessary tools. This vampire lore is the most interesting part of the story.
Obviously, Kaya falls for Kyohei, in spite of his arrogance and contempt for humans. By the end of the series, he is in love with her as well, and is willing to throw off all his vampire advantages to be with her. I understood what he saw in her - her bravery and dedication are winsome. But I couldn't figure out what she saw in him, at least at first, especially when she has other, kinder options available. She says it's because he trusts her and she's never had that, but I'm sure the bad boy thing is part of it, though it's never stated. That just didn't appeal to me. As he changes and evolves, he becomes more agreeable, and of course he isn't human so he shouldn't act entirely like one. But still, the match up just wasn't as charming as in Spell of Desire. I also didn't like the whole Japanese corporate culture work dedication thing. I just don't understand it and it's a big motivating factor for all the characters and it really took me out of the story. I imagine a Japanese audience wouldn't have this problem.
The main character, Kaya, is a secretary at a major corporation. She discovers that her boss, Kyohei, is a vampire, but rather than that terrifying her, she decides to protect his secret and even helps him feed on other humans. It turns out that vampires don't kill humans, only trick and seduce them so they can feed on them. They are also born from the union of a vampire and a human - Kyohei's father is human, his mother is a vampire, and his brother is human. There is also a vampire clan that Kyohei continues to run afoul of. They have far-reaching financial and political power and use humans as necessary tools. This vampire lore is the most interesting part of the story.
Obviously, Kaya falls for Kyohei, in spite of his arrogance and contempt for humans. By the end of the series, he is in love with her as well, and is willing to throw off all his vampire advantages to be with her. I understood what he saw in her - her bravery and dedication are winsome. But I couldn't figure out what she saw in him, at least at first, especially when she has other, kinder options available. She says it's because he trusts her and she's never had that, but I'm sure the bad boy thing is part of it, though it's never stated. That just didn't appeal to me. As he changes and evolves, he becomes more agreeable, and of course he isn't human so he shouldn't act entirely like one. But still, the match up just wasn't as charming as in Spell of Desire. I also didn't like the whole Japanese corporate culture work dedication thing. I just don't understand it and it's a big motivating factor for all the characters and it really took me out of the story. I imagine a Japanese audience wouldn't have this problem.