Wit Studio’s ‘Vampire in the Garden’ is a dark fantasy anime that revolves around a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by the endless war between vampires and humans. Pushed to the brink of extinction and with their backs against the wall, humanity also finds ways to hunt down their arch-rivals. The brutal struggle for survival that ensues between the two factions also leads to disillusionment with the ultimate goals of the war on both sides. A young girl named Momo dreams of living peacefully with vampires – a desire also shared by Fiine, the vampire queen.
When the two unlikely strangers cross paths, they both take the plunge and embrace each other in pursuit of the imaginary heaven that promises harmony. After its worldwide Netflix release, the show became an instant hit with the anime fandom; who would wonder if it is manga inspired or not? If you have the same question, we’ve got you covered.
Is Vampire in the Garden based on a manga?
No, ‘Vampire in the Garden’ is not based on a manga. The show is an original net animation written and directed (with Hiroyuki Tanaka as an assistant) by Ryoutarou Makihara. With the rise of over-the-top media services like Netflix and Funimation, original animation has slowly gained ground, while shows based on mangas and light novels have remained as relevant as they have been in the past. However, original anime is not necessarily a new concept and has been around for decades.
Another popular early 21st century vampire anime entitled “Legend of Duo” was based purely on the original scripts written by Daisuke Ishibashi and Inoue Toshiki. Interestingly, the show also covered similar supernatural and fantasy themes, introducing viewers to a world torn apart by a conflict between humans and vampires. When a mysterious virus ravaged the world, humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction, while vampires managed to survive after finding a cure but keeping it a secret from the human race.
Since the cycle of death seemed endless, a vampire named Duo shared the cure with humanity to save it from extinction. Unfortunately, his compassionate actions didn’t go down well with his own kind, and he accidentally invoked the wrath of the mighty vampire Zieg-, who swore he would make Duo pay for his transgressions. Shows like “Legend of Duo” provide ample evidence that not only have original anime been around for quite some time, but they’re so common that we can look back and find examples where the central premise bears many similarities to “Vampire in the Garden.”
But now that we’ve established that, it’s also essential to appreciate the quirks of ‘Vampire in the Garden’ that make it a unique work. While “Legend of Duo” and other vampire anime have similarities to the show, almost none of them envision a world where prospects of peace have led to the friendship of a vampire and a human who have risked their lives to a place where both races can coexist in harmony.
There have been shows like “Trinity Blood” and “Legend of Duo” where someone from vampires or humans has pushed for the idea of peace, but in the end both have mostly worked with their own kind or gone against their people. Moreover, the concept of Paradise, where people coexist peacefully despite the ongoing war in a fictional world of conflict, is rare. Shows like ‘Wolf’s Rain’ have a somewhat similar concept, but it’s not quite the same.
The confluence of these original and unique ideas makes ‘Vampire in the Garden’ an unforgettable show. Since Hiroyuki Tanaka came up with the storylines himself and didn’t find inspiration anywhere else, we can confidently reiterate that “Vampire in the Garden” is not based on a manga or any other work in popular culture, making it an original animation.
