Going to keep this going with vampires now. What got you so interested in vampires in the first place? What are some of your favorite vampire tropes? And your least liked tropes? And what are some of your favorite vampire media/characters? And your least liked vampire media/characters?
Oh gee, I just ranted so much over yanderes the other day, time to rant about another one of my special interests! Just keep in mind that I'm not as informed about this trope (...species?) as I am about yandere characters, so I'll just be talking about my subjective interests!
Again, this will probably get pretty long so the rest will be under the cut!
What got you so interested in vampires in the first place?
...Would you believe me if I said I got into vampires out of spite...?
Once upon a time, I consumed uhh copious amounts of indie chicklit stories on sites like Wattpad and Inkitt. There are some tropes more popular than others on those sites, and one of the most popular was werewolves/omegaverse. One or two stories was fine, but I wasn't a huge fan so I struggled to find things I was interested in. So then I got to thinking... where are the vampire stories?
It reminded me of when Twilight was popular and so many people had those vampire vs. werewolves fan wars. I never got into Twilight (only ever watched the first movie) but in case you couldn't tell, I like vampires more lol
I just think that sucking blood from someone is rather intimate and awesome. And the angst potential of not wanting to be a monster, but having to search out blood to survive, of not wanting to be feared or hunted, but knowing they'll never belong anywhere is unmatched. Wolves travel in packs, but vampires are often lonely people - many of which don't remember what it's like to be human anymore and I am eating it up.
Oh, to be an innocent human maiden who wanders into the decrepit mansion of a lonely vampire lord... sighs dreamily.
So yeah... I got into vampires thru chicklits!
What are some of your favorite vampire tropes?
I want my vampires like I want my yanderes... full of misery and contradictions. I love it when vampires can't easily go out into the sun (yet yearn for the light), I love it when vampires don't want to drink blood (but they can't help themselves), I love it when vampires stay trapped in the past (because both their minds and body cannot age anymore.)
To give some specific examples from media...
In the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy (also know as the Magnificent North trilogy) vampires are former humans who have been Turned after getting healed by a vampire bite. Vampires have two different kinds of bites - one that is for feeding and one that is for Turning. If a human who is Turning feeds soon enough, then they'll Turn into a vampire, but if not - while their wounds will be completely healed - they'll end up falling into a deep sleep for a while. Vampires in this series are creatures that act on their impulses, and with stronger speed and strength, it's not hard for them to do so. The only problem is that they cannot go out in the sun, and... they spend all their time chasing the things they cared about when they were human, because their minds are in perpetual stasis. There is no maturing to be done when you cannot grow anymore. Plus, for a fun twist, the legends behind vampires are cursed, so that no matter how horrific they should be, humans are always more intrigued by vampires than terrified. Which is... pretty accurate to how I feel about them lol
I also really like the vampires in The Vampire Diaries (series, I guess?) What I like most is that because the series is so long, the supernatural creatures in this world are given a lot of depth. Vampires are quite selfish creatures by nature, and usually only care for their own survival. Their faces change to more resemble a monster when they're feeling bloodthirsty - and for some, if they start feeding, they can't stop. Additionally, drinking vampire blood can heal a human from even the worst injuries, but if they die with vampire blood in them, then they'll Turn into one. Vampires in this series can show up in photographs and mirrors, they're fine with garlic and crosses, but they do have plenty of weaknesses. A wooden stake through the heart (or simply removing it altogether) will kill one. They will burn in sunlight unless they have something like a ring enchanted with witch magic with them. Werewolf bites are toxic to them. They cannot enter a building without being invited inside (as a side note, I love how in-depth the series gets with this restriction. Like public buildings are okay, but for private property, only the one whose name is on the deed or their dependents can invite vampires in. Once they get an invitation, it cannot be revoked until the deed changes hands. I love little details like this.) An herb called vervain weakens them, and any blood from a human who has ingested vervain does as well (and also makes them immune to compulsion until it wears off.) Of course, vampires as blessed (or perhaps cursed) with super strength, speed, reflexes, compulsion (simple mind control), and are ruthless by nature, but when humans know how to deal with them, they are rather low on the proverbial food-chain... which means that staying hidden is important. Of course, the Originals (or "purebloods," so to say) play by different rules, but the point is that there is a lot more to vampires in this series than just creature that sucks blood and can be killed with a stake. And I'm a sucker for little details like that!
Unrelated to any media, but after watching The Vampire Diaries, I couldn't help but want a buddy cop series with a vampire (specifically one with the same strengths and weakness from TVD) in it. Like, what's the name for those cop shows where there's a straight-laced detective who ends up having to team up with an eccentric consultant who's weirdly good at getting answers but pretty bad at dealing with people? That's my favorite flavor. Can you imagine that, but with a vampire who can use compulsion to grab answers, struggles to be at a crime scene cuz of all the blood, is speedy and has great reflexes, but also has to deal with vampire hunters? And the detective could maybe be someone who is committed to justice but doesn't quite know how to deal with their supernatural partner. I dunno, I've never gotten very far with this idea but I would love to see it.
Wow, I feel like I got carried away with that question uhhh onto the next one!
What are your least liked vampire tropes?
This doesn't just apply to vampires, but I'm not a big fan of soulmates or mates. (Probably why I don't really like werewolves all that much.) I prefer when couples are given a choice if they want to be together, instead of being a predestined thing. So something like a vampire being able to only drink one person's blood doesn't really appeal to me.
That being said...
チョコレートヴァンパイア (or Chocolate Vampire) is a good exception.
In this series, there are blood contracts that humans and vampires can form. This makes it so that the vampire can only drink that human's blood and no other vampire can drink their blood. This is a contract usually formed due to mutual love, but there are cases of vampires abusing these contracts to control humans (which is one of the conflicts in the series.) I find this series very interesting, because it has the appeal of mates, but also includes choice. (Also it's just a really great series, I highly recommend.)
Okie, next question!
What are some of your favorite vampire media/characters?
Oh boy. I'm not sure if any specific vampire characters jump out to me, but here are some vampire media series I love! Some that you may not have heard of before too!
The Vampire Diaries. I already talked a lot about this one so I'm not going to add more. Just, I know it's long. I know the fandom can be pretty toxic. I know some seasons are just pretty awful (god, I do not like the last season.) I know all the characters are just kinda horrible in their own ways. I know some parts just haven't really aged well. But it's interesting, the drama is fun, and it's got plenty of spicy moments. Recommended if you like TV shows and are looking for something to binge!
The Honey-Blood Beauty & Her Vampire (available in English!) is a fairly short series (only four volumes iirc) about a girl with honey blood (blood that is irresistible to vampires) and her vampire bodyguard. It's a fun, somewhat spicy read, with a bit of revenge thrown into the mix. Recommended for those who want a short, fun read - though I feel like this series ends too soon.
For a darker recommendation, I would suggest 私とこわれた吸血鬼 (Me and the Broken Vampire) After their parents' deaths, Itsuki has been desperately working several jobs to support her younger siblings, but they won't give in the light of day. In her despair, she reunites with her childhood friend, "Yoh-chan", and learns that he's not the prince she always thought he was - but instead a vampire who cannot control himself when it comes to her. When I say it's dark, I mean, it can get pretty bad (still thinking about that bathtub scene...) - and the characters are all separate shades of awfulness and questionable decision-making. Still, it's a compelling read and I recommend it to anyone who is okay with the subject matter!
(The Once Upon a Broken Hearts trilogy gets a special mention since I love the series and the vampires in it, but the story doesn't center around those vampires, hence why I'm not going to write a section about it lol...)
Alright, onto the last question!
What are your least liked vampire media/characters?
I don't know... Twilight, maybe?
I'm just kidding! Like I mentioned before, I've only ever watched the first movie so I don't really know enough about the series to judge it one way or another.
I don't really have any specific series or characters to name, just... I like well-thought-out lore, lots of small details, and high stakes. If a series has vampires but none of those, I probably won't enjoy it. But honestly, vampires in media has been weirdly rare lately, so I'll probably take anything that I can get lol
So yeah, to sum it up: I like vampires a lot cuz they're hot and sad, and I really want vampires to be more popular again! Maybe next year fae will lose popularity and vampires will finally be the talk of the town again. A girl can dream. Thanks for the ask and I hope I answered your questions!
