The Eroticism and Romance of The Case Study of Vanitas
*Spoilers ahead for the anime and manga, 3.6k words
**I apologize in advance for any grammar and spelling mistakes. English is not my native language
Fan service, a common trope in fiction, is used to sexualize situations and characters and is often irrelevant to plot and character development. Some people like it; others do not. I fall on the latter. While fan service is a neutral term, it has created a more polarizing reaction from anime and manga fans. However, this reaction is justified. From the sexualization of young girls to the romanticization of problematic relationships. It is often an unpleasant and frustrating experience to witness. However, despite my opinions, one manga/anime stood out. The Case Study of Vanitas.
The Case Study of Vanitas follows Noé Archiviste, a young vampire sent to find The Book of Vanitas by his teacher. It is a book believed to cause harm to the vampire kind. While traveling to Paris, Noé meets Vanitas, a human doctor specializing in curing cursed vampires using The Book of Vanitas. While on their quest to heal vampires, they fight against Charlatan, a supernatural being who curses vampires. On their adventures, they meet Jeanne, known as the Hellfire Witch. A former executioner turned cadet for a French noble, Luca. When Vanitas lays his eyes on Jeanne, romance blossoms between them, and the sex appeal begins.
The Monsters of the Night turned sex symbols trend began debatably with Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. An influential book predating Bram Stoker's Dracula by twenty-five years. The romance between a human and a monster is nothing new today. However, when Carmilla was published, readers considered the story unusual. The big reason is that the main love interests are women. Not to mention how the vampiress expresses her desire for the main character, Laura. The confident and sexually liberating vampire seducing the sweet, virginal Laura caused a stir. Though not explicit by today's standards, it was still taboo. The Victorian era, where society imposed purity on young girls. Where the public oppressed their sexual desires. The belief that sex is for marriage and procreation, which still plagues our society, was prevalent in Victorian times. Sexual activity still occurred. Frequently.
According to Sebastian Gonzalez Rosario from The University of Puerto Rico, "Vampires were sexualized to strike fear into people of the taboo and sinfulness of sexual behavior, but later, this sexualization became a metaphor for repressed desires, until finally their sexualization caused them to be humanized." (Rosario, Sebastián G. The Humanization of the Vampire and the Dehumanization of the Queer Community. pg. 1). With repressed desire, both Jeanne and Vanitas fit well with that description. Vanitas suppresses the idea of opening up to people and embracing love. At first glance, Vanitas is rude, arrogant, and purposely annoying to those around him. As a child, Vanitas faced pain and abuse. He lost his parents, and the Catholic Church took him in, only for a corrupt doctor to experiment on him. The doctor dehumanized him by assigning him a number, like humans do with their cows. Later on, someone brought a new child for the corrupt doctor to use as a guinea pig. Mikhail. An abused child who was under the care of Vanitas and who never let go of Vanitas after meeting each other. Though Vanitas didn't warm up to Mikhail, he eventually cared for him. One day, when the doctor wanted to use Mikhail for an experiment, he pleaded for Vanitas to help him. To be saved from the doctor, Vanitas made a sacrifice. He asked the doctor to experiment on him rather than Mikhail. At that moment, Mikhail and Vanitas became brothers. Unfortunately, in one of these cruel experiments, the doctor injected the boys with the blood of Vanitas, The Vampire of The Blue Moon, the creator of the book of Vanitas. At some point, the original Vanitas vampire rescued both. Despite their demeanor, OG Vanitas was sympathetic to the children's suffering and adopted both boys. Everything at that point was great. However, all good things must come to an end. The injected blood of the vampire means that both boys will not live long. To save the boys, the vampire offered a deal for them. Have them become vampires. While Mikhail agreed, Vanitas harshly rejected it. He refused to lose his humanity. At some point, Vanitas killed the vampire and their parental figure and took their name. Their parental figure became cursed, and Vanitas killed them before they lost control. For a certain amount of time, Vanitas believed that Mikhail died and was left alone.
Because of his upbringing, Vanitas grew to have an unhealthy mindset toward love. His flaws, as mentioned earlier, are what he uses to distance himself from everyone. It is almost as if he is afraid to connect with someone. He is afraid people would be hurt if they got too close to him. Despite his demeanor, Vanitas is kind-hearted, dependable, and always ready to help and sacrifice himself or put himself in danger. Unfortunately, that means he suffered alone. He suppressed his desire for connection and, in a way, dehumanized himself.
Jeanne suppresses her desire to do what she wants for herself. Jeanne comes across as strict, serious, and intimidating. Jeanne was a former executioner of vampires, her kind. Something that is often forgotten about since, as the story progresses, she is kind-hearted, sensitive, and naïve. It is because it was not her choice. Her family, who adopted her, was killed during wartime. The war between humans and the original vampires that still have tension even after the war. That’s where her teacher, August Ruthven, takes her in and uses her for the benefit of the war, as an executioner. I can’t imagine what she has seen during the war. Not to mention, she had to kill her friend and sister figure, Chloé, after discovering of the existence of the Beast of Gévaudan. She never live her life, the way she wanted to. She never experienced freedom. Jeanne suppressing her desires is dehumanizing her. Even as a vampire, there is still a heart that wants to be caressed and protected after centuries-long suffering.
One anime that incorporates unnecessary and painful examples of explicit fan service is Code Geass. An action-packed, political, and dramatic show contains awkward and sudden fan service moments. A show taking place during a war, dictatorship, and colonization takes painstaking pauses to focus on teenage girls' sexuality. Code Geass incorporates nudity, suggestive posing, shower scenes, and an out-of-nowhere masturbation scene. All of which do nothing for plot and character development. Sometimes these scenes are portrayed as jokes, which makes me uncomfortable. The show had the potential to portray strong female characters, but chose every opportunity to degrade them and make them disposable. Not to mention shoving unnecessary romantic subplots into the story. Particularly with Kallen, a compassionate and loyal woman with strong morals and a highly competent soldier. The creators sexualized her and reduced her to a love interest for the main character, Lelouch. Eye candy for the audience. Shirley, a friend and classmate of both Kallen and Lelouch, whose sole purpose was to be a love interest and nothing else. She has little plot relevance. Not to mention, the official art books the animators created while the anime aired do not help in this case. It's safe to claim that Code Geass does not pass the Bechdel test with female characters such as Shirley and Kallen. Unfortunately, Code Geass is one of the more tame examples of gross exploitation of female characters.
Another anime and game franchise, Diabolik Lovers, involves vampires and is a worse example of using fan service in the “story”. The “plot”, if you are feeling generous, involves Yui, a human girl, who is the sacrificial bride of six vampire brothers by her priest father. The anime constantly subjects the main character, Yui, to sexual abuse and harassment. Even when Yui explicitly rejects and attempts to stop the boys' advancements, they still violate her boundaries and privacy. All of which are without meaningful purposes. No attempt to bring nuanced discussions concerning sex and consent nor to justify including these uncomfortable scenes. Although the “story” is not complete, it is safe to assume the anime will end with Yui marrying one of the vampire brothers or with her death. Although, there are plenty of examples of anime/manga having tasteless fan service moments from Fire Force to Sword Art Online to Soul Eater to Bungo Stray Dogs. All of which are harmful and will continue to infect their stories.
One key aspect of Vanitas’ and Jeanne’s relationship that I enjoy is how vulnerable and intimate they act around each other. They show their true colors. It shows sides of themselves that they don't want to share with others. Vampire bites and drinking blood are often metaphors for sex, and TCSOV is no exception. As Sebastian Rosario puts it, "...The bite is the signature move of the vampire, it is how they multiply, how they feed and how they kill... The bite is the most intimate and sexual encounter one can experience with a vampire, while also being a sort of dance or courtship with death." (Rosario, Sebastián G. The Humanization of the Vampire and the Dehumanization of the Queer Community. pg. 16). The bite of a vampire brings pleasure the same way sex does. It's as intimate as sex. The first bite occurred early in the story. In episode four/chapter eight, Vanitas witnessed Jeanne in a difficult position as she had not had a drink of blood for a while. She clutches her chest as the pain spreads throughout her body. Giving an almost sick appearance. The lack of blood made Jeanne fall ill. Vanitas offered his blood for her to drink. Not to help her, but more because he’s curious about what it is like to be bitten by a vampire. Also, by stating, "There's no reason". In desperate times, she accepted his offer. Once her fangs pierced into his skin, they gave in to one another’s needs. Vanitas clings on to Jeanne's dress, and she clings on to his shoulders. Feeling each other's heat as the moon shines. The mixture of pleasure and pain clouded their minds. Their soft moans, rosy cheeks, and warm blood dripped out of his neck and into her mouth. As Vanitas says softly, “This isn’t so bad after all.” As American singer-songwriter Madonna puts it, “Only the one that hurts you can make you feel better. Only the one that inflicts pain can take it away." (Madonna, and Shep Pettibone, Erotica.)
During their first date, Jeanne gets tempted to drink the blood of a child who scraped their knee nearby. Jeanne got to safety in a secluded building with Vanitas before anyone got injured. Vanitas confronts Jeanne with a question that has bugged him since he met her. Is she a curse-bearer, or is she addicted to drinking blood? However, she hesitated. It is almost as if she is forced to be silent as she becomes out of breath and her hand grips her throat. Instead, he offered his blood to her to feed her craving. However, instead of focusing on the physical aspect of the blood-sucking scene, there is an emotional element added. During the blood-sucking scene, Jeanne begins crying during the act. She expresses that she fears losing herself and hurting the ones she loves. Afraid that this "illness" could corrupt her and take control of her. Killing her loved ones is what she fears the most. He comforts her. "If that time comes, I’ll kill you. I promise… I’ll kill you. I love you. I’m the one who’ll make your wishes come true. It has to be me. So, Jeanne… there’s nothing to worry about.” (Episode eleven, "Promises.") In his twisted way, this is how he shows his love. This is his confession. He will be the one to save her from destruction. He will make the ultimate sacrifice to save herself. To which a tearful Jeanne agreed. He shall take her life if needed. She finds comfort in his words. However, it makes sense. In a way, Jeanne seeks an escape from everything. From her illness, her responsibility, and her isolation. It is where I fell in love with their love.
We all like to be taken care of, to be treasured. But by a vampire? Yes, to me at least. Monsters are representations of what the public fears at the time. For example, vampires are often represented as diseases nobody knew how to treat and death. However, despite their representation, people are still loving these monsters. A film that reminds me of this phenomenon is The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. In the film, we follow Elisa, a woman who works as a janitor at a secret government facility and happens to be mute. One day at work, Elisa finds a humanoid amphibian who is treated horribly by scientists in their laboratory. So, she decides to meet him in secret and forms a friendship, and later on, a romantic relationship. Though I understand why someone may not like this dynamic, I find it sweet. The idea of a creature who is dangerous and can harm you, yet is neither and rather sweet towards you sets my heart aflame. Not to mention, oftentimes monsters are interpreted as minority groups, and seeing characters that are an oppressed minority group feeling comforted, loved, and protected around these monster characters makes me feel seen and loved. Especially since I am a part of a minority group. The possibility of love is still there for people like me. A place where you can finally find a connection in a world that seems like it hates you, you find love with someone you can relate to and feel happy.
A similar scene happens in episode fourteen/chapter twenty-seven, after losing a battle against The Beast of Gévaudan. A dangerous mystical creature whom Jeanne used to fight against but never killed. Jeanne finds Vanitas injured because of taking a hit for Jeanne. Despite his protest and insistence that Jeanne leaves him behind, she refuses and takes him to an empty cabin with her. Unfortunately, with the uncontrollable shivering and flustered, reddened cheeks, Vanitas became ill. So, how does Jeanne take care of Vanitas? She suggested they disrobe and cuddle in front of the chimney. It makes sense since the snow has soaked both of their clothes. Plus, the story takes place in the late eighteen hundreds. Vanitas, usually one to flirt and tease, was shocked and flustered by her suggestion. But he obliged. As they snuggled in front of the chimney, a warm blanket wrapped around them, Vanitas developed a fever. Jeanne quickly gets water for him to drink. Vanitas stubbornly refuses to drink the water. With Jeanne wanting to slaughter the beast and Vanitas wanting to save it, he encourages her to leave him behind. He insists that she should focus on her goal rather than nursing him back to health. Jeanne, being equally stubborn, refuses. Without thinking clearly, she came up with a plan to make him drink water. A good old mouth-to-mouth.
There could’ve been other ways to have him drink water, yet she chose the mouth-to-mouth method. Interesting. Especially since Vanitas is usually the one being the “dominant” and flirty one. An interesting twist, though. This event reveals a lot about them. One, Vanitas was willing to sacrifice his well-being for Jeanne to achieve her goal. He never asked for her help. Second, Jeanne, despite having a different goal regarding the beast and who has slaughtered hundreds and thousands of vampires, is not a cold and heartless person. He saved her life, so she will save his. They do care for one another.
Another aspect I appreciate about their relationship is it is never explicit. There are no actual sex scenes, no nudity, no groping scenes, non-con content, and no hyper-fixation on Jeanne's body. As I mentioned with Code Geass and Diabolik Lovers, both shove fan service, which is unnecessary and downright uncomfortable to watch. All of which are absent in The Case Study of Vanitas. I appreciate how the story does its best to restrain itself from showing explicit sexual content. I hope this continues as the mangaka continues to write her story. However, I wish the mangaka had not included those elements in TCSOV.
One of the most powerful scenes in the anime/manga is when Vanitas is confronted with his feelings towards Jeanne. After Vanitas helps save Jeanne's long-lost friend's life, she thanks him with a kiss on his cheek. A small affectionate gesture that had an impact on Vanitas’ psyche. Especially when she turned around and blessed him with a beautiful smile. Vanitas realized he fell for her. Something that he was afraid would happen. As in the next episode/the next chapter, when Noé finds Vanitas feeling “sick”, Noé seeks medical help. However, when describing his symptoms, none of them aligned with an actual illness. As Vanitas describes his symptoms, “…My face has always flushed and my heart feels like it’s trapped in a vice. It’s been beating out of control”. (Episode twenty, "The Incurable Disease.") To him, it is a curse. Jeanne put a curse on him. Later on, he bumped into Roland, a vampire executioner for the Catholic Church, where Vanitas was taken as a child. Vanitas nervously asked Roland for romance advice without revealing who he was smitten with. After describing Jeanne in his unique, poetic manner, Roland concluded that Vanitas was in love with Jeanne. The revelation made Vanitas revolted and heartbroken. In his words, “How could it be possible to love a person like me?” (Episode twenty, "The Incurable Disease.") It was all a game for him until it became too real. This is keeping the theme of Vanitas’ self-hatred and his idea that he doesn’t deserve love.
Meanwhile, a similar scene occurs, where Jeanne realizes her feelings for Vanitas are genuine love. In the same episode (Episode twenty, "The Incurable Disease."), Jeanne was with her master, Luca, to tell him the events that happened when fighting the beast. During the conversation, she mentions that she couldn’t stop thinking about Vanitas. The more she talked about him, the faster her heart beat. Afterward, she realizes that she is in love with him. Interestingly, she mentions that she’s afraid that the next time she meets him, she will want to consummate their relationship. Despite Luca's and her friend, Dominique's insistence that her feelings for Vanitas are not genuine and that Vanitas isn’t worth loving, Jeanne insists. She loves him. In her eyes, he’s a good person, she loves him. Her first step is to doing what she wants without worrying about pleasing others or being useful to others. However, despite her love, she wouldn’t want a relationship with Vanitas because she believes Vanitas wouldn’t pursue someone who is attracted to him. He likes a chase. In episode six ("Love"), Noé asks Vanitas why he likes Jeanne. He explained that he likes how strong, kind, and beautiful she is. He added that he is not attracted to someone who would love him. Though this is about to change soon, I can feel it.
Unfortunately, Vanitas and Jeanne do contain problematic elements in their relationship. After their first fight in episode three/chapter four, where Vanitas defeated Jeanne, he forces a kiss on her in front of several people, including Jeanne's master. Jeanne did not process the kiss and had no opportunity to stop him. An ugly start to their romance. It is unclear whether it is for comedy or to use the trope of love at first sight. Regardless, it is only the beginning. Jeanne and Vanitas have a relationship based on an unofficial contract where Jeanne can only drink Vanitas' blood in exchange for his silence. He will not reveal Jeanne’s medical condition to her master. Nor will he mention the mark that Jeanne accidentally placed on Vanitas’ neck during their first bite. Wanting to avoid conflict and worry from her master, she begrudgingly agrees to the agreement. Twisted as it appears, Vanitas disguises this as blackmail. In the end, this blackmail also benefits Jeanne. In a world where people are afraid of vampires and where Jeanne has a medical condition, Vanitas will always offer her his blood. She can always rely on him for a quick fix. We can also claim that the cabin scene is non-consensual, since Vanitas had a high fever and Jeanne took advantage of him. He did not get the chance to consent to the kiss. Though, even then, it was to nurse him back to health. Regardless, I was disappointed that the creator included these elements in their relationship. But it has gotten better over time. I believe the emotional aspects override the problematic elements of their relationship. Not to mention, there will be more opportunities to explore their love.
Despite the questionable aspects of their relationship, the eroticism and romance between the main characters of TCSOV bring nuanced discussions. It is not a perfect representation of a healthy sexual relationship, but it is heading in the right direction. And it works well for both characters. I believe it will be a tragic and passionate romance to remember fondly for years to come. Similar to that of Romeo and Juliet or Beauty and the Beast. At least, I have high hopes for them.
In conclusion, I love vampires. Where can I find one nearby? There’s no real point to this post. I just like to ramble after all.
Madonna, and Shep Pettibone. "Erotica." Erotica, 29 Sept. 1992.
Rosario, Sebastián G. The Humanization of the Vampire and the Dehumanization of the Queer Community. 2021. University of Puerto Rico, MA thesis.
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