The first season of Rosario + Vampire was an interesting concept. Not an original concept, but one that had potential. It all begins with a poorly student named Tsukune Aono, he’s done so poorly in fact that he is unable to move on to High School, that is until his parents get their hands on a pamphlet that allows Tsukune to enroll in a mysterious school named Yokai Academy. On his first day he makes friends with Moka Akashiya and they head to their first class. It’s here that Tsukune finds out that the school is for monsters. Luckily for him one of the rules at the school is that while on campus no one is allowed to reveal their monster forms. This rule helps Tsukune blend in without revealing that he is in fact a human.

In the beginning the show was interesting. ; A human in a school for monsters, a budding romance between himself and a vampire girl, a monster of the week opposition that could eventually turn into something more. All the pieces were there to make it a great show, and let’s not forget how hilarious it was. Then I watched season 2 and, though some of the humor was fun, the show simply went downhill with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Two terms popped up the most when I was doing research for my review and they were “Harem Series” and “Fan Service”. Without a doubt. The series, take away some of its saving graces from your first time view, is nothing different then the stripped down idea for Tenchi Muyo or UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie. You’ve got one guy, a handful of girls jealously smashing one another over the head for his affection, no basis for their obsessions really, and a whole lot of both suggestion and flat out raunchiness. Seriously, the second season marks itself down as being the American Pie of anime. The panty shots become annoyingly repetitive, bouncing breasts get boring, and suggestion becomes so often you might as well turn it into a drinking game. The only thing that really changes is Moka’s transformation. In the first season when Tsukune would “accidentally”  trip and break off her rosary, the thing that was hiding her S Class Monster status, bats would fly all over her and they’d do an up skirt shot in which her behind gets more rounded, breasts bigger, I think she might also get taller. The first time I saw that it reminded me of the Sailor Moon transformation only a bit more risqué. The music in that sequence was and is awesome. In this season, there’s not so much of that, she just instantly becomes her S Class form.

I wanted to love this one, enjoy it even, but it simply failed to progress as a series. The clincher at the end of the series is so obvious I had been thinking it would pop up eventually. What you get is a monster of the week battle, so many suggestive panty and breast shots that you yawn at the idea of seeing another pair of either, and a story that never comes. It does have some excellent illustration and color schemes that suggest someone was into the whole concept but at the end of the day revelation is simply fruitless. As always final judgment is yours. Enjoy.