Charming and dangerous vampires fight for survival in Volume Two of Black Blood Brothers.

plot summary

Far from finding the peace they sought, Jiro and his brother Kotaro are in more danger now than when they first entered the Special Zone. Although the Company compromiser, Mimiko, assured the two vampire brothers they’d be welcome in the Special Zone, they’re anything but.

In order to successfully survive in the Zone, new vampires must approach one of the affiliated vampire houses and ask for membership. This is harder to achieve than Jiro could imagine, and much more dangerous as well.

Some of the obstacles he must overcome are from past ties and acquaintances, but there’s also a fresh threat from the Kowloon Children. Facing either old friends or new enemies, Jiro is still determined to find a safe haven for his bloodline. But will the Special Zone ever be safe with Jiro around?

Review

The world of Black Blood Brothers doesn’t feel recycled. Maybe it’s because the sorry state of the world is due to mutant vampires and not bombs or some other man-made catastrophe. It could be because vampires are the secret allies of humans and both fight a common enemy. It could also be because there aren’tany angst ridden fifteen year old heroes saving the day. Whatever the reason, the setting doesn’t seem stale.

The ideas aren’t new by a long shot; supernatural hero in red with sad past tries to move on by saving the world. But the combination and dosage of the ideas feel pretty fresh.

The story treatment of vampires in Black Blood Brothers is also a contributing factor to the fresh appeal of the anime. Vampires in this world are almost human, but follow their own code and formalities. They can even walk during the day, but will dissolve (not die) in water. They don’t turn human victims into vampires with just a bite, either. To the contrary, humans get quite a rise out of being bitten. It’s the ultimate pleasure.

If I have any negative comments on the series, it’s the hentai-ish manner these vampire-human scenes are handled. They’re visual softcore speed bumps which add nothing to the story. I prefer to “see” these things offstage. Leaving some things to the imagination is a good policy in such instances. Geez.

Character Development

Things got interesting quick in this volume. Tiny flashbacks at the beginning of the episodes started to fill in the blanks to Jiro’s checkered past. Jiro’s relationship to Lord Dragon, Cain and Cassa are becoming fleshed out by bits. Jiro’s history as a trouble-magnet is being hinted at with casual remarks and pointed instances.

After the third episode, it’s evident what a name the Silver Sword really has for himself and why the poor guy can’t catch a break for himself and his bro.

The Kowloon threat is starting to develop as well, with the introduction of a character who until now has been in the offing. It’ll be interesting to see how far Jiro’s past is interwoven with the Kowloon Children.

Conclusion

Volume Two zipped by and was over before I knew it. So much was revealed, hinted and promised the time flew by, but the anime was never rushed or cramped. There’re only four more episodes left to BBB so it’s understandable why the story is zooming so fast. Black Blood Brothers gets big time credit for not cramming useless info (except those out of place bite scenes) into the series and for having excellent pacing. With interesting characters, unique situations and good pacing, Black Blood Brothers has an engaging bite.

Rating

Black Blood Brothers, Volume Two gets 3.5 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:March 25, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:5-8
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

The word manju is derived from the word mantou, the Chinese word for the treat which was originally a sweet mochi based bun from China. It was then brought to Japan in the 1300’s. Manju is also called chukaman in respect of it’s Chinese origins: chuka (Chinese) -man (manju). The Japanese took to the sweet confection and it’s since evolved into a savory or sweet wheat flour bun favored by the masses in the cooler months.

Manju, aka, man, is a popular winter snack in Japan. When the temperature drops, the sales of this steamed bun increase and there’s plenty of manju varieties to choose from to keep warm with. Even the fickle foodie will find some type of manju appealing to them.

Although manju is inexpensive and readily available at street vendors and konbini (Japanese convenient markets, including 7-11 and Circle K) people still make manju at home. There are a slew of recipes on the internet for making this snack. Some call for baking soda as a leavening, some for yeast, others for both. Some recipes call for shortening and some for oil, or both. Water is used in a few and milk in others. The combinations of the basic ingredients are impressive. Everyone has their own recipe for manju.

Some recipes say to use a yeast based dough for savory man and to reserve the baking soda dough for sweet manju. To be fair, I’ve tried all types of dough and have mixed and matched savory and sweet doughs with various fillings and haven’t favored one method over another. The yeast dough is lighter than the baking soda dough, but not by much. I made choco man (chocolate manju) with a yeast dough and it turned out well and then I turned around and made matcha man (green tea manju) with baking soda, which was absolutely terrific.

It all boils down to a preferred dough consistency and flavor. There is no ONE manju recipe that trumps all others. In fact, using the basic principles of a manju recipe, it’s possible to tweak a recipe to personal taste. That’s what cooking’s all about!

Aside from choosing how to make the dough, it’s also necessary to choose which fillings to stuff into the man. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few popular manju available at konbini and vendors which should get you thinking:

• Shiro Kare Man: Made with white curry.
• Matcha Man: Green tea flavored manju, with or without anko or other fillings
• Terichikin Mayo Man: Teriyaki flavored chicken with mayonnaise.
• Kare Man: Curry or tumeric flavored dough with curried chicken or pork filling.
• Pizza Man: Manju stuffed with Japanese pizza ingredients, including but not limited to, pizza sauce, meat, corn and cheese.
• An Man: Anko filled bun.
• Niku Man or Buta Man: Chinese-style meat filled bun.
• Choco Man: Cocoa flavored dough filled with gooey chocolate filling.
• Hamburger Man: Manju filled with ground beef and cheese.
• Koma Man: Black sesame paste filled man.
• Ebi Man: Shrimp stuffed bun.
• Squid Ink Man: Yeah, it’s what it sounds like…

If you’re thinking about creating your own filling, but are stumped for ideas, chew on these:

• Barbecue Man: Man stuffed with barbecued TVP or pork.
• Cheese Man: Provolone, mozzarella, and asiago cheese filled buns.
• Greek Man: Sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta with a dash of lemon and oregano.
• Feista Man: Nacho cheese, black beans, corn and jalapeño stuffed man.
• Pina Colada Man: Pineapple and coconut man.
• Mocha Man: Espresso flavored dough with a chocolate center.
• Apple or Cherry Pie Man: Manju stuffed with pie fillings with a cinnamon flavored dough.
• Smore’s An: Marshmallow and graham center surrounded by cocoa flavored dough.
• Amanatto Man: Dough mixed with amanatto and filled with anko.
• Super Man (I couldn’t resist): Blueberries, apples and cherries stuffed into a bun.

Some websites have some truly inspired ideas for man, such as Ume man, a manju shaped like a plum and filled with koshi an, and Momiman, taken from momi- (short for momiji: maple leaves) and man. Check ‘em out for further inspiration (site language is Japanese).

Part Two of “Man, What’s Up With Manju?” will have recipes for you to play with, plus recipes for sweet and savory man. Keep reading for more manju!