Vampeerz Vol. 05

Vampeerz Vol. 05: My Peer Vampires

As the school year progresses, it is now time for a field trip. And this one takes Ichika and Aria to the mountains for a class camping trip. Out in the woods and nature, there is plenty of time to get to know friends and partners on levels that are much more intimate than what is commonly seen in normal society. People have to work together to survive, and in this case with an accident threatening their lives that is at a premium.

And then we get a long flashback to Ichika’s grandmother’s teens. How was her relationship with Aria? Were her heartstrings also pulled tight?!

Series overview: Ichika’s life has taken a sudden turn. Her grandmother has passed away, so as family and friends come from far and wide to pay their respects, she finds herself in the spotlight as many of these old faces have taken an interest in her youth. As a fourteen-year-old Ichika could be dating. She could be participating in extra-curricular activities. She could be looking to her future. …But she hasn’t done any of that.

All of that will change, when a young guest who she does not recognize visits her home. Aria seems to know quite a bit about her family and property, and while she may be there to say goodbye, she may have found her way into Ichika’s heart.

Biographical Notes:

Akili (1985-) was born in the far-western Japanese prefecture of Shimane. A member of the Japanese Cartoonist Association, they are best known for the young-adult yoga manga STRETCH (Shogakukan). Heavily influenced by jazz, sci-fi literature and comics from the Year 24 Group, Akili’s works tend to focus on the day-to-day lives of Japanese women.

Author Akili, an adult comics artist, is also a part-time musician, and he made a small EP to complement the worldview of the piece.

Title Notes:

English Language Debut Popular up-and-coming artist.

Highly-demanded title from a growing genre within manga.

Series has sold more than 300,000 units in Japan since its debut.

10,000 unit print run Excerpts in OtakuUSA Magazine.

More details on AKILI:

Akili’s Twitter account

Akili’s Instagram account

Publisher’s Twitter account