Manga Mondays (47): Vampire Knight vol. 5 - Matsuri Hino

Current Giveaways on Alison Can Read 

GIVEAWAY: Win a Swag Pack of Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe

GIVEAWAY: Win two copies of Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Vampire Knight vol. 5 - Matsuri Hino

-Now that I'm done reviewing all 23 volumes of Fruits Basket, it's time to return to an old favorite: Vampire Knight.
You can see my reviews for volumes One, Two, Three, and Four back in December and January.

Summary

Zero smells blood, and a panicking Ichiru runs to Shizuka's side. Kaname had disappeared, so Ichiru assumed that Zero was the one who killed Shizuka because he had shot her with his gun...
The Night Class reports to the Vampire Senate that it was Zero who killed Shizuka Hio, and they send assassins to take care of him. Kaname interrupts, and stands against the Senate...
Later, a Day Class student collapses, with fang marks in her neck. Kaname openly suspects Zero, and Yuki shouts at him, saying that she won't talk to him again until he admits that Zero is innocent. Kaname discovers the culprit, while Zero has a vision of himself accidentally killing Yuki. Yuki asks him what's wrong, and he, rejoiced that she was still alive, leans in to kiss her... (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

At the end of the last volume, it was revealed that Shizuka, the vampire who turned Zero, was inhabiting the body of Maria. Shizuka tried to attack Yuki but Zero saved her, at great personal expense. Drinking Shizuka's blood could have kept Zero from going insane as a Level E vampire. But he chose to save Yuki instead.

Kaname kills Shizuka. He is not just motivated by revenge. Combining her pureblood blood with his own makes him a much more powerful vampire. It amazes me how much killing there is in this series. And it's done without second thought. It's a rather fun departure from the typical reluctant hero story.

Even thought Kaname killed Shizuka, other vampires are blaming Zero. He certainly had an axe to grind with Shizuka. Killing pureblood vampires is a particularly heinous crime and the Senate wants Zero's head on a pole. Kaname stops them, but doesn't reveal that he is Shizuka's real killer.

Yuki doesn't know that Kaname killed Shizuka, but she knows that he is very influential. She refuses to speak to him until he affirmatively admits that Zero is innocent instead of just hinting at it. I love how courageous Yuki is. She worships Kaname, but will stand up to him to protect Zero. She also offers her blood to Zero so he will not be in pain. Her courage is founded in love.