Hi! I recently stumbled across your account and have really been enjoying your posts. It’s refreshing to see constructive criticism of a piece of media you once loved (haha, I say this because I’ve grown quite bitter toward VK myself).
One of the things that interested me most about VK, aside from the romance, was its vampire lore—which, in my opinion, had a lot of untapped potential. We’ve seen so many different interpretations of vampires in series like The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, True Blood, and Interview with the Vampire. Each of them adds unique elements to their lore, whether it’s vampire politics, religious origins, blood bonds, or social status.
For example, I always found traditional takes of vampires a little more interesting and a bit funny. (Not being allowed into someone’s home without being formally invited)
I guess my question is: what aspects would you have added or changed in VK’s vampire lore? What elements do you think worked well, and which ones fell flat? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Firstly, thank you so much for perusing through my blog and enjoying my content! I’m really glad it was entertaining for you. ;)
Ah, yes, this series… gosh, it does inspire such difficult feelings when concepts are intriguing but execution falls flat… Alas, can only such issues lend to thoughtful analytical postulation on how to fix said problems—and I do love theorizing what could shape the story to be more satisfying for the narrative, plot and characters! It’s what keeps me going for my own story writing of the series. ^^
Oh, boy! Synthesizing and analyzing vampire lore was once my greatest hyperfixation when I was younger! It’s just such a fun mythos to delve into since it keeps evolving as the genre of monster changes with almost each new iteration. I completely agree, too! Original vampire lore used in modern media is quite funny at times but at least has more logical sense to how the vampires tick. They’re the undead, the methods of transformation to vampirism is widely the same—usually. Though I did find Hino’s vampires of being more.. human-like fun, too, and a subversion of the traditional vampire lore. Only problem, however, she doesn’t flesh out her changes correctly and creates more problems than solving her own issues.
So, yes, I definitely agree with the untapped potential and all the issues Hino had with her own lore.. so much was left to interpretation or fan theories to grasp her concepts because she didn’t take the time to shape her world building.
Take magic, for example, it had been one of the issues for me to conceptualize in the series when I was reshaping the worldbuilding for my writing. There’s also the lack thereof religious elements or spirituality, as well… and since you brought up other series that do use such things like paganism—meaning witches! Such supernatural entities help shape the world’s magical attributes which would’ve aided to explain the original purebloods than just.. Darwinism.. pseudoscience.. mutations..
Honestly, it’s the lacking details for her vampire origins on how her vampire lore works that’s such a conundrum for the series. Take purebloods—as a concept—they’re god-like beings with magnificent power, however, we never understand their limitations in magical prowess and the only grounding aspect is simply: they turn humans into vampires (slaves), they live infinitely, their blood is a medicine and/or poison, and they can control lesser vampires in the caste system.
But logistics really matter when you get down to it—what makes them magical? Is it really just a biological mutation, so more science based? Why the magical powers?
I had to explain away that a vampire’s blood is the magic—blood magic. If you’re familiar with DND—the mechanics usually have it that vampire’s power is from their blood. In doing so, I solidified that all magical spells and seals are used with vampire blood which can be used in alchemy. Though, that was my only way to make proper sense of Hino’s version of things when it comes to hunter’s using spells or seals—or even the pureblood sealing ritual to make a pureblood human.
However, I started to ponder the method of turning humans into vampires—what makes pureblood fangs have some kind of magical property to turn humans into vampires, then? I don’t like this dissonance in logic why purebloods are the only vampires to turn humans via their “special fangs.” It creates another problem of: “why is that the only way to turn vampires and that leads to level-Es”? It makes these mutated species more snake-like if their fangs are so special that it’s a poison/venom or disease they’re spreading? It’s less vampire like, of course, than typical vampire lore because the method of transformation is to be on the brink of death via being drained of one’s blood and being given the blood of your sire to complete the ritual—essentially, you die and come back a monster, the undead. Hino’s vampires are quite human-based—they’re alive, they can procreate, they can walk in the sun (albeit, it’s uncomfortable, but they’re alive and well), holy water isn’t an issue or stakes—no religious iconography in use to say they’re demons or children of the damned. Hino paints her vampires as monsters and beasts but they’re the least beastial than any vampire lore out there. There’s even a solution to their feeding problem—blood tablets (I take issue with this despite liking the concept—it solves the problem but then it shows how much of a paradise it is for vampires? There’s no side-effects to blood tablets, it’s just that they’re not appetizing. Otherwise, it’s a solid living choice to blend into society without having to deal with true bloodlust problems. No conflict = no fun for the story! They’re monsters—act like it! But that’s only reserved for level-Es and the manipulative machinations of purebloods.)
The fact that vampires—on the whole—can procreate means they don’t need purebloods! They’re just ruled by this royalty system and stick to such ways—out of pride? Obligation? We don’t know. There should’ve been so much more conflict in the caste system!
Hino’s vampires also don’t suffer much despite the disparaging leveling within the caste system. Taking that tablet solution from earlier—how much more intriguing would it have been to explore level D and Cs that aren’t as rich as the Bs and As, and so they can’t afford this blood tablet solution. There could be some level D vampires that were forcibly turned that just want to live comfortably and not feed off humans like a beast. So petty crimes in blood banks (actually have them? Like, come on, it’s in modern vampire stories everywhere! VK has hospitals!) or robbery/recreation of blood tablets that have bad side-effects can hit the black market for those lesser in the caste system to obtain. Have “drug” lords over these less-than-savory tablets to hand out to the lower caste system. Have the Cs and Ds HATE the Bs and As! Have the Bs try to kill the As! Why would aristocrats WANT to be subjected under pureblood rule? They can get by on their own merit! Such political conflicts make for a fun story! Adds mystery, intrigue, crime, political machinations, etc.
Anyways, I’ve touched on most bases on how Hino’s vampires work, so as for your true question: what aspects would I change or keep. It’s funny, cause I wrote a lot here of what I’m doing for my fanfic to make sense of Hino’s world: essentially, what I’d actually change would be quite a lot but not as much because it’s the technicalities I’d like to alter.
As I mentioned, I like this subversion to vampire lore by making them human-like: procreation, not burning by sunlight, can eat/drink human food, don’t need to be invited to enter homes, no weakness to holy water/stakes. All such fun takes! But, I’d like to add witches or gods to the vampire origin lore. I’d also keep it to two types of vampires, kind of like TVD/Originals: a family of progenitor vampires and the rest are vampires (no other class differentials). However, all vampires can turn humans into vampires—it’s not selective to the progenitor family. The progenitor family can be the same in lore wise to the Mikaelsons—they can control every vampire but no vampire can control them. Having two separating sects in the vampires completely simplifies everything without going into that disparity of the caste system or lore discrepancies with the purebloods.
IF we keep purebloods as an entity with multiple families and they’re the only ones to change vampires—I’d probably change the method of how they create vampires: their fangs aren’t what makes a vampire, it’s their blood. Only the blood exchange with a pureblood blood in your system can you become a vampire, thus this cancels out the:
They can never bite any human because their fangs make vampires
So, I’m eliminating the level E issue entirely and the hunter’s main objective is more police force to keep the vampires in line and human safe, less having to deal with the mess of purebloods making level-E beasts. This also simplifies the lore greatly without facing the whole: what makes their fangs different? Otherwise, you’re having to explain: is it a poison/venom on their fangs, and if it is, does it mean their saliva is tainted with it? If so, doesn’t that mean even a kiss or any saliva contact could make you a vampire? It gets more into.. snake attributes as I stated earlier… I don’t like it, lol.
Now, this means purebloods have fantastical powers via blood magic and they can make vampires but it’s not tied to their fangs but that very blood magic—almost disease-like of a spread. I did think they can still cause a former human pain if we link psychological effects onto the victim—say, if the subject being transformed has a will to reject becoming a vampire and that mental fight causes them to go insane—this refusal manifesting in the body can cause issues and be the level-E substitute.
I do think keeping the pureblood pheromones as a proponent to subjugate the vampires below them is a nice touch. Though, adding in hypnosis via compulsion would be a nice psychological twist that doesn’t just need to be sire-fledgling bond. I also don’t think we should make it towhere the purebloods are prey to other vampires—it’s silly. Keep to the narrative that they’re the dominant ones that control, not victims we need to feel sorry for except their own hubris and mental erosion that leads to lack of humanity/compassion. They’re pitiful beings but ultimately, they’re monsters.
I think the last issue is blood drinking, aka: “Only the blood of the one you love can quench your thirst.” In theory, it’s romantic and poetic but really—the logistics of it, once again, falls flat. It feels like a mind-over-matter type deal while also being a oxytocin/serotonin/dopamine junky kinda thing. That’s how I’d explain the need to drink from the one you love, at least. I don’t mind it but shaping it as a taste preference: I’ve seen vampire lore have vampires addicted to the taste of humans with adrenaline or cortisol (fear) running through their veins—I see no difference for the other hormones, really.
Okay! I think that’s all my thoughts! There’s definitely some points I didn’t get to but I think I got to the ones I held big issues with so I hope you enjoyed my long-winded meta building of vampire/Hino’s lore nonetheless, anon. I certainly had so much fun with this discussion cause it’s constantly on my mind on how to reshape the series and what I can play with. Thank you so much for your ask, your input, and your presence cause it’s so nice for me to see such people that want to discuss things outside of the LT/shipping/fandom nonsense. LOL
Thank you so, so much again, anon! Please drop by any time! Hope to see your asks in the future and if you ever want to, feel free to drop me a message, too. I’m always up for a discussion on vampire lore, this god forsaken series, or anything in between! ^^ Have a good one!
