"Vampire Hunter/Another" spinoff

[Suzaku]

Hey, guys. I've been away from the VHD "scene" for a while, but much to my surprise, nobody has mentioned the new spinoff series that Hideyuki Kikuchi created to explore the history of the Nobility.



In January, Hideyuki Kikuchi published Vampire Hunter/Another: The Noble Gray Lancer (吸血鬼ハンター／アナザー　貴族グレイランサー), a spinoff about a noble who made an appearance in Vampire Hunter 22: Nightmare Village. It's illustrated by Ayami Kojima, famous for her work on the Castlevania series.

The novel is set in the year 7001 of the Noble Calendar, during the early stages of the conflict between the Nobility and the Outer Space Beings, which would come to be known as the Three Thousand Years' War. It follows the exploits of Gray Lancer, a powerful warrior of the Nobility and Lord of the Northern Frontier Sector, as he battles the invading OSB and an anti-Noble faction, and gets caught up in a conspiracy involving the ruling Council and the rebel Mayerling.

D doesn't appear directly, but the Sacred Ancestor's imperial heir is mentioned briefly.

[Pluto VIII]

Oh my god that sounds awesome, finally Kikuchi is opening up to an expanded VHD universe.

Now we only have to wait 20 years to get it here. Joy.

Seems like everyone has disappeared from the VHD "scene" recently, not just here but everywhere.

[18thAngel]

That's awesome! Can't wait to read it. Maybe this will draw a few more people in to the D world!

[Scygoku]

hopefully they pick up this aswell,then again if the character doesn't appear till a later novel ^^'

[Transient Guest]

This is truly amazing. There is so much content in his work to do a spin off and also, Id be really happy to see some characters from past novels get some more attention as they are all so unique and interesting but unfortunately D (coolest heroin ever!) has a habit of killing them faster than I'd like to see them go . Hopefully a release date is sooner than later.
Long live Kikuchi !

[Scygoku]

^-^ Hurray for an spin off series that will explain a later character,novel 17 for D is out on October 25th so we still have a ways to go before getting to 22.

[werepuphoy]

OMG this is extremely awesome and interesting I've always wondered what the VHD world looked like when the Nobles ruled, I Can't wait for it to be in english already...plus Gray Lancer sounds like an awesome guy.

[Suzaku]

Thanks to Amazon's "Look Inside" feature, I've been able to skim through Tyrant's Stars Parts Three and Four.

In the newly written postscript, Kikuchi talks a little bit about the spinoff, which is officially translated as "Another Vampire Hunter: The Noble Greylancer". He mentions that Lord Greylancer and Baron Mayerling were two of the few vampires praised by the humans during the Nobility's rule. His interest in developing this spinoff began while working on Tyrant's Stars, which was his first real effort to expand on the history of the Nobility. Unfortunately, they have not yet made plans to translate it into English.

The book's also got a preview for Fortress of the Elder God, slated for release in Fall 2012.


Might also be worth noting that Amazon Japan's also now got "Look Inside" features for all the Japanese versions of the books through Volume 22, including the Sonorama Selection reprints for Vampire Hunter 1-18. Perhaps kindle releases aren't far behind?

[werepuphoy]

I read in wiki that kikuchi just finish the second installment of this series, I think it was titled Blood of a Hero. I read the summary and was just as intriguing as the first

[Suzaku]

Here's the PR for the second book in the series, The Noble Greylancer - Blood of a Hero, taken from Hideyuki Kikuchi's official fansite. The book was released on November 12, 2011.



Five years after the previous volume, a new enemy of the Nobility has arisen. The hero Sunhawk, after rampaging across the Frontier, has finally invaded Greylancer's northern Frontier sector. However a mysterious disease has claimed the lives of several Nobles who have fed on human blood, and the fearful Nobility has ordered Greylancer to infiltrate a free land known as the Twilight Zone in order to discover its source. Awaiting him are the malevolent OSB and a rebel Noble, along with the assassin's who have joined him. Meanwhile, a conspiracy to place the entire Frontier under the sole rule of the Capital is revealed, and a noble begins to slaughter humans with toxic blood. The chaos leads Greylancer to the Nobility's Grand Ball, lance in hand. What will become of Sunhawk, and what will come of the incident?


I sent these into the Vampire Hunter D tumblr the other day, but I figured I could go ahead and post them here, too.

Basically, both of the Another Vampire Hunter books have a dramatis personae, along with a character montage illustration by Ayami Kojima. I've gone ahead and translated the character listings for the first two books.


The Noble Greylancer Dramatis Personae

Greylancer - Overseer of a northern Frontier sector. The Nobility’s greatest warrior.

Mayerling - Overseer of a western Frontier sector.

Duchess Mircalla - Overseer of a southern Frontier sector.

“Zeus” Macula - Overseer of an eastern Frontier sector.

Barossa - Weaponsmith who has served House Greylancer for many years.

Michia - Villager from Ardoz who rescues Greylancer after he’s wounded.

Leticia - Country girl from a western Frontier sector who meets the injured Greylancer.

Gallagher - Marksman who gets captured by Greylancer and becomes one of his retainers.

Shizamu - Swordsman who practices the Streda style.

Note: Greylancer made his first appearance in Vampire Hunter 22: D - Nightmare Village. Mayerling is well known for his appearance in Vampire Hunter 3: D - Demon Deathchase, and its subsequent anime adaptation, Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust. “Zeus” Macula first appeared in Vampire Hunter 16: D - Record of the Blood Battle.

In the illustration, from the top, counter-clockwise: Greylancer, Mayerling, Barossa, Michia, Leticia, Shizamu, Gallagher, Duchess Mircalla, “Zeus” Macula.


The Noble Greylancer - Blood of a Hero Dramatis Personae

Greylancer - Overseer of a northern Frontier sector. The Nobility’s greatest warrior.

Sunhawk - Aspires to overthrow the Nobility, leader of mankind's Revolutionary Army.

Jennifer, Ralph - Lost their parents, siblings who live on a farm and collaborate with Sunhawk.

Yunus - Greylancer’s adjutant.

Shizamu - Greylancer’s retainer, called the Swordsman.

Gallagher - Greylancer’s retainer, called the Marksman.

Ken Kurama - Greylancer’s guardian.

Grand Duke Bartholomew - Overseer of a southern Frontier sector.

Dulcinea - Grand Duke Bartholomew’s wife.