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Title | Volume 1
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2003
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1996
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Title | Volume 2
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2003
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1996
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Title | Volume 3
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2003
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1996
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Title | Volume 4
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2004
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1996
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Title | Volume 5
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2003
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1998
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Title | Volume 6
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2004
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 1999
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Title | Volume 7
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Patrick Coffman / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2004
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2000
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Title | Volume 8
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Patrick Coffman / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2004
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2000
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Title | Volume 9
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Patrick Coffman / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2004
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2000
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Title | Volume 10
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Patrick Coffman / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2005
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2001
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Title | Volume 11
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Patrick Coffman / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2005
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2002
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Title | Volume 12
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2005
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2002
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Title | Volume 13
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2005
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2003
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Printing Status | Available
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Title | Volume 14
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Ikoi Hiroe / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2006
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2004
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Printing Status | Available
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Title | Volume 15
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Author | Judal
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Translator | Yuki N. Johnson / Jason Dietrich
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Publisher | Tokyopop - 2006
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First Printing | Shinshokan Publishing Co. - 2004
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Printing Status | Available
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Category | Manga
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Warnings | Some shonen-ai references
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Main Characters | Lady Ishtar, King Duzell, Darres, Vord, Seiliez, Laphiji, Jill, Krai, Yujinn, Jened, Illsaide, Sharlen, Diaage, Falan, Leene, Ashley, Lucy, Lassen, Hume, Lailis/Rishas
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Main Elements | Vampires, sorcerers, demons
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 Volume 1
Long ago, in an epic battle of might, King Phelios defeated the Vampire King Duzell. And as both laid dying on the field, Duzell swore that his reincarnation would find King Pelios' reincarnation and exact his revenge. A hundred years later, the moment of reincarnation has arrived...the only problem is that Duzell has been reincarnated as a harmless house cat. And to add to his frustration, he can't find the reincarnation of King Phelios. Luckily, he has been adopted by Phelios' grand-daughter, the teenage princess Ishtar, through whom Duzell may be able to track down who in the Phelios tribe is host to the great king's reincarnated soul.
Volume 2
The vampire game unfolds as Ishtar and Duzell journey to La Naan, accompanied by Ishtar's increasingly frustrated protector Darres. It's festival time in La Naan, as the kingdom's famous martial arts competition kicks off. Among the competitors are three strong possibilities for carrying the soul of Phelios, the three princes of La Naan. As the competition is know for being extremely brutal and violent, a lot of blood will be spilled, including the blood of the princes. A lot of blood that may reveal - after Duzell has tasted it - the identity of Phelios' reincarnation. As Duzell attempts to find his nemesis, Ishtar manages to complicate matters by promissing to wed whichever prince wins the tournament. With the Queen's loutish son Vord the expected winner, it will be up to Darres to save Ishtar from a true marriage of inconvenience.
Volume 3
Blades meet and blood spills in the most exciting volume of Vampire Game yet! The La Naan Martial Arts Tournament is underway, and with the throne of Pheliosta at stake, competition is fierce. Among the finalists are the three princes of La Naan, Darres, and...Princess Ishtar? Well, with a shapeshifting vampire as her companion, all may not be as it seems...a notion that might also apply to Lady Ramia's three sons. With their captain busy fighting in the tournament, is it up to Jill and Krai to investigate Yujinn's claim that one of the princes may be illegitimate. So why are they spending all their time in the red lantern district? And what is Duzell handing out with a bunch of kittens?
Volume 4
In order to collect the keys to the kingdom, Prince Seiliez must defeat Princess Ishtar in the final battle of the La Naan Martial Arts Tournament. With Duzell preoccupied in getting back to nature, things are not looking so good for the princess. Her fighting skills are dubious and her chances are slim, but winning is her only option...because losing means marrying the bizarre Prince Seiliez.
Volume 5
How to get out of La Naan? A little magical portal action and BAM...Ishtar and Duzell accidentally plop down in the middle of Ci Xeneth, much to the consternation of Sir Keld, Darres, and the rest of the Pheliosta court charged with protecting the young princess. But the princess and her dashing shape-changing vampire take this opportunity to resume their search for the reincarnation of St. Phelios among the brood of her wicked uncle, Lord Jened.
Volume 6
When the disguised Duzell and Ishtar visit the kingdom of Ci Xeneth and discover an unusual collection of love affairs, plots for war, hidden identities and the inhumane treatment of monsters, they must temporarily put aside their mission to find Phelios. In the mayhem that ensues, will Duzell say, "I do" to Illsaide?
Volume 7
In a no-holds-barred showdown, Ishtar, Duzell and Darres face off against Lord Jened and his High Sorcerer Diaage. Falan observes helplessly, caught between the love of her father and her desire for justice. Duty, loyalty and devotion are all pushed to the breaking point, as everybody's decisions meld into an explosive, heartbreaking and - if we do say so ourselves - pretty darn shocking climax.
Volume 8
When the news of Prince Yuujel's return reaches everyone in Zi Alda, all hell breaks loose, leaving Ishtar, Duzell and Darres speechless. Lady Leene's resentment becomes more apparent - although married to Captain Ashley, she still holds a flame for the prince. As her fury grows, so does the plot to destory Ishtar and all those close to her.
Volume 9
Life in Pheliosta can be downright toxic, especially if you're friends with Lady Leene. With three very poisonous pills in her possession and thoughts of revenge on her mind, Leene is set to deliver a deadly dose of destruction to all that Princess Ishtar holds dear. There's just one problem: Leene's really not very good at vengeance, and the fact that she's actually beginning to like Ishtar certainly isn't helping matters...
Volume 10
Something's rotten in Zi Alda. Lady Leene has been working hard at making Princess Ishtar absolutely miserable, but so far, her attempts have all failed. Now, the mysterious Diaage has given her the tools to end Ishtar's trip...permanently. But will her attempt to poison the princess be foiled by Darres and Ashley, or will this deadly drink be one too many for Ishtar?
Volume 11
Family bickering has never been worse - Lassen, Ishtar's cousin has always coveted Pheliosta's throne. Sharlen uses this to his advantage, creating the ultimate challenge for Darres. Meanwhile in Ci Xeneth, Falan is researching information for Ishtar when she disappears! Danger threatens Yujinn, Darres, Ishtar and Duzell! Can they find a way for Darres to unsheathe Sidia, find Falan, and escape with their lives?
Volume 12
Rishas, Duzell's former lover and companion, has been reincarnated as Lailis, the Queen of Lodoc. Lailis confesses that she was reincarnated to find Duzell and serve him once again. However, seeing Duzell's love for Ishtar, she is bitterly disappointed. Meanwhile, Lassen is busy paying a visit to Darres and Yujinn, with a group of undead soliders of Lodoc under his command...
Volume 13
The danger and drama come to a head as Duzell and Ishtar escape from Mil Seii, in this breathtaking climax of their darkest and most exciting adventure yet! Will the villainous Lassen and his evil cohorts Sharlen and Hume succeed in their quest to usurp the throne of Pheliosta from Ishtar? And what of Lailis and her former lover, Duzell? The world of Vampire Game will never be the same!
Volume 14
The pieces are in place as the players ready themselves for their final moves in the no-limit game. At stake: the throne of Pheliosta - and the livelihood of our favorite princess, Ishtar. But Illsaid is questioning his loyalties toward Falan! He's strong enough to tip the scale in the favor of whomever he aligns with...will he choose Ishtar or Lassen?
Volume 15
When Yujinn is slain by the King of Razenia, Vord violently seeks out the murderer. But how can he avenge his friend when the killer is his own flesh and blood? Meanwhile, the villainous Lassen unveils his master plan to usurp the Pheliostan throne. With an army vastly superior to Ishtar's readying its attack, the future of her kingdom rests in the loyaties of two powerful beings: Duzell and Illsaide. It's the kingdom's darkest hour, and true bravery and spirit will shine, as heroes rise - and fall!
Review by SunBlind:
The most important thing you must know about my ability to give a fair review of this series is that I've only ever read one other single manga volume before these three. That's right, not another series, a single book (Fruit Basket if you're wondering). I am no manga or anime expert. So not knowing what a true fan looks for a in a really good manga, I'll tell you what a newcomer thought about this series.
Vampire Game was suggested to me by someone on a messageboard when I decided to try out this new literary form. I said I didn't want something based on an anime, because I didn't want to spend that amount of money on something I'd already seen on TV. I also like fantasy and magic, and some darkness wouldn't hurt. Nor was I afraid of shonen-ai (translated basically as boy love) but I didn't want to go hentai (explicitly sexual). The fact that this series has all of this, and vampires too, made it a perfect match and I went out and bought the first volume.
I was hooked and forever indebted to my fellow messageboard frequenter. Though the plot line is serious, there are many scenes where I just had to stop reading because I was laughing so hard. What else would one expect where the premise is that the great and powerful vampire King Duzell gets reincarnated in the form of a kitten. =^.^= But that kitten sure has attitude. And the fact that he can use his magic to shape-shift into Lady Ishtar's form makes for some very memorable scenes.
Lady Ishtar to "Duzie": "But one request. If you can only shape-shift into a boy, please don't use my face. You have no idea how much that weirds me out."
Mwhahahaha!
The only downside is that the manga format makes for very quick reading and each volume doesn't last nearly long enough. It also took a while to get used to the quick scene changes and rapid-fire events, all which must be read from right-to-left and from top-to-bottom. And though I love all those beautiful bishie-boys with long flowing hair, it is sometimes hard to know if one is reading about Seiliez or Yujinn...or a girl for that matter. But practice makes perfect, and by the third book it was less of an issue.
And the artwork is amazing. I've always been a fan of this form of art, and this series is absolutely beautifully done.
One thing of note, based on the name of the series you might think that Duzell is the main character, and he was supposed to be when Judal started...but Ishtar kind of took over. She has a way of doing that. So the story is really about her, the fact that Duzell is a vampire is really secondary to their interaction. I thought that it was nicely done and very appropriate. It would never have worked as well otherwise.
I then acquired the next three in the series and they didn't disappoint. More laughter, more ridiculous situations, and more mixed up relationships that would make a soap opera blush. Things really start picking up around volume 9, to the point where it was hard to put it down. The only thing stopping me was that my bookstore never seemed to have the volume I needed next. Finally I read the last three in one night, I couldn't stop! So many love triangles to sort out, so many characters to potentially pair up! Find out who Phelios was reincarnated as, and don't forget, save the kingdom along the way. A whole lot of fun.
And now it's all done...but I want more! But I don't think a sequel series would be appropriate, however this series would make an amazing anime! It would be spectacular to see the b&w art filled in with colour and brought to life.
So if you are a manga fan, or a vampire fan, or just want something funny and exciting to read, what are you waiting for! Go now, or I'll send Duzie-kitty to nibble on your toes!
Review by Skye (August 2008):
Vampire Game is a good manga with a unique story line. The story is all about the Vampire King Duzell looking for revenge against the reincarnation of King Phelios. King Phelios defeated Duzell and his minions in a batte of epic preportions. When he does find the supposed reincarnation of his foe, he is shocked. Lady Ishtar, the supposed reincarnation, is not what he expected at all. How is he supposed to get revenge, now trapped in the body of a Kyawl?
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