his sword detects it. He proclaims himself Kiyo's bodyguard when he learns that Kuroboshi is a vampire. He fights Kuroboshi during the Romeo and Juliet play, and he still claims his position as bodyguard because he claims that Kuroboshi is weak. Volumes Reception The series ranked 9th in About.com 2009 Readers Poll for Best New Shōjo Manga. However, Carlo Santos of Anime News Network and Connie C. of Pop Culture Shock were not that positive on their reviews. Santos said "The main characters are generally appealing and the chemistry works, but the overall execution falls flat", citing the frequency of vampiric neck-biting as the main drawback—which led him to consider it "just mindless formulaic fanservice". Connie C. criticized the two main characters as stereotypical and its plot for using "a few terrible shojo plot devices". Nevertheless, she appreciated the development of their romantic relationship, which attracted her to read the second volume. Connie C. and Santos dubbed the art as "confusing" and "mess" respectively, although she said the panel layouts "tend to muddy up the flow of the page", while he affirmed that it "help to keep the story moving at a decent clip, and the elegant sense of character design guarantees some attractive visuals". Santos was again critical of excessive usage of neck-biting, "the epitome of all vampire clichés", and for this and other clichés labeled it "just a copy of 80% of all other shoujo manga", affirming it is "a series designed to be forgotten just like all its other clones". Despite this, he considered Bloody Kiss "a refreshing tongue-in-cheek affair that isn't afraid to poke fun at itself—and the entire genre. ... All in all, the story moves at a fun, bouncy pace, and the delicate lines in the artwork make this one go down nice and easy." For the series conclusion, Connie C. wrote that "It's an okay story that manages to be a light and enjoyable read, if nothing spectacular. I was a little disappointed that such common plot devices were used in this volume ..., but I really didn't expect too much from the series otherwise. The main draw is the adorable (if shallow) romance between Kiyo and Kuroboshi. Neither really stand out as terribly developed or original characters, but the chemistry between them is believable." References External links 2004 manga Hakusensha manga Manga series Shōjo manga Tokyopop titles Vampires in anime and manga