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Is The Case Study of Vanitas a BL Anime?
Traditionally, anime hasn't been great when it comes to lgbtq+ representation.
Published: Mar 01, 2022, 11:47 am Updated: Mar 01, 2022, 4:43 pm
Traditionally, anime hasn't been great when it comes to lgbtq+ representation , as relevant themes have been often been played for laughs if they were there at all. This is slowly changing, with more works featuring lgbtq+ couples or characters that are actually competent and interesting to watch, as is the case with anime like Requiem of the Rose King .
When The Case Study of Vanitas first came out, many thought it was going to be a shonen-ai, or boys' love anime, as the promoting materials portray the two male main characters very close, suggesting at least a bromance. But is The Case Study of Vanitas really a BL love anime?
About The Case Study of Vanitas
The Case Study of Vanitas is based on an ongoing manga by Jun Mochizuki. It follows Noé Archiviste, a young, enthusiastic vampire, and Vanitas, a bitter human who uses a cursed grimoire to restore vampires' true names and rescue them from unnatural bloodlust. The two start off hating each other, as Vanitas is very obnoxious and his behavior brings him in direct conflict with the friendly, optimistic Noé.
Despite that, the two embark on a journey to heal vampires and prevent tragedies like the ones they themselves experienced, growing closer in the process. But there's a catch; Noé, who is narrating this story retrospectively, after an undefined passage of time, admits that he ended this joint journey by killing Vanitas .
Unfortunately for fans of the romantic sub-genre, The Case Study of Vanitas is not a BL anime, though it might appear as such if you look at certain scenes out of context. The banter between Vanitas and Noé is often permeated by an almost romantic or sexual tension. However, the two never really pursue a romantic path, and, Vanitas, in particular, is explicitly romantically interested in Jeanne , a female vampire, who shares his feelings, although it takes a while for this romance to become clear.
Does this mean that the tense scenes between Vanitas and Noé are queer-baiting? Lgbtq+ viewers should be the ultimate judges of that. The show has not been explicitly advertised as BL, and it has no BL tag on streaming platforms and databases, so it doesn't withhold promised representation, though some viewers might still consider the lack of romance between the two main characters as a missed opportunity.
Related: Who Is The Strongest Character In The Case Study of Vanitas?
The good news is that The Case Study of Vanitas, while far from perfect in its representation of gender and sexuality, has a few interesting elements in that regard. Dominique, one of the main female characters, is bisexual, and, while her romantic life isn't a plot point at this time, there are a few queer coded scenes. In a masquerade ball early on, there's a dance between characters of the same gender, which, while far from being considered groundbreaking representation, is quite interesting as a directing choice. At the end of the day, romance is not the shonen show's main element, so fans are free to interpret character interaction in their own way and even create fan works about them.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for shonen-ai works, we have compiled and updated list of 15 BL anime to watch in 2022 .
Related: When Will The Case Study of Vanitas Be Dubbed in English?
Why Some Fans Think The Case Study of Vanitas Is a BL Anime
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When it came out in 2021, The Case Study of Vanitas barely made ripples, much less waves; its first season reached a tepid score of 7.91 and only ranked #709 on MAL. However, the anime’s story about 19th-century vampires fighting against a spreading malady was captivating enough to grant the series a loyal audience. Currently, The Case Study of Vanitas has over 400 thousand members on MAL -- more than Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, which is ranked #2 on the website. Its protagonist Vanitas, a human 'doctor' who wishes to cure vampires from the 'curse' affecting some of them, joins forces with vampire Noe, who decides to fight alongside him on his journey.
The strong bond building between Noe and Vanitas, as well as their chemistry, has caused some fans to wonder whether the anime may be moving toward a BL development . Similarly, when looking up the show online, some people seem to think that the anime is in fact a BL, without the plot ever proving that assumption correct. Is it all a matter of wish fulfillment, or is there some truth to the idea that there might be more to Noe and Vanitas’ relationship than is made explicit?
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The Case Study of Vanitas Looks Like a BL Anime
The author of The Case Study of Vanitas is known for her stunningly handsome male characters -- as well as their beautiful female counterparts. When looking for a potential relationship to support, fans may be drawn to anime with pretty characters, especially if they are the protagonist duo. When the anime promises to center around the alliance between two men as handsome as Noe and Vanitas, potential fans will inevitably wonder where that relationship is going to go.
It doesn’t help that there is a lot of 'yaoi bating.' In Episode 7, upon discovering that Jeanne has bitten Vanitas, unwillingly marking him as her own, Noe admits to feeling "anguish" at the thought of them. Whether he is jealous of Vanitas is left up to interpretation, especially since he declares that he regrets that "Jeanne got to [Vanitas] first." Dominique -- Noe's childhood friend and love interest -- seems to think nothing of it. However, in a world where sucking blood is often depicted as a highly erotic sexual encounter, Noe’s thirst for Vanitas’ blood is curious, to say the least.
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The Series Focuses on Vanitas and Noe's Relationship
While Dominique and Jeanne are strong and self-assured, as well as well-rounded characters with peculiar quirks and fun personalities, their relationship with the main duo is secondary to the one between them. The show is clearly more concerned with what Noe and Vanitas feel for each other than what they might look for in their volatile attraction to the two women. For instance, while Vanitas spends a sexually charged night with Jeanne in Episode 14, the next morning, Vanitas seems unbothered by what happened between them, more preoccupied with finding Noe and saving him than being with Jeanne.
As in many romance stories, Noe and Vanitas start off as enemies. When they meet, they immediately fight and, even once Vanitas’ good intentions are uncovered, Noe still states that he doesn’t like him. Their antipathy hides an evident interest on both parts, which soon morphs into admiration and respect. Noe especially, who has no problem being earnest about his feelings, declares that he "is interested" in Vanitas and wants to follow him wherever he is going to go next. With the dawn on the horizon and a tender smile on Noe’s lips, it’s hard to resist the temptation to see more than the start of a platonic friendship.
Noe saves Vanitas numerous times and vice versa, Vanitas being the only obstacle between Naenia -- the curse-inducing antagonist -- and Noe. What is initially a lukewarm friendship quickly becomes a vital bond, and one that often forces one of them to risk their lives in order to get the other out of trouble. In Episode 16, Vanitas reciprocates Noe’s initial confession by promising that he will follow him to where he wants to go, despite disagreeing with him on the matter at hand. From such a closed-off character, it’s as good as a declaration of undying love.
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If Noe and Vanitas Ended Up Together, It Wouldn't Be Surprising
The anime wants the audience to believe that Vanitas and Jeanne will end up together, and that is probably what will happen. However, clues are hidden in off-hand comments and character traits that suggest other possibilities. For instance, Vanitas is very firm when he declares that he has no interest in someone who might love him; he also admits to not knowing what love is. Nonetheless, he keeps making exuberant confessions to Jeanne at every turn, never stopping even when she seems to be reciprocating his feelings.
Does he actually love Jeanne? To a shrewd viewer, it might look like Vanitas is very fond of his own buffoonery but struggles when it comes to articulating honest feelings. When he is worried about Noe or wants to give him his support, he always tries to avoid a direct approach. When it really matters, Vanitas is shy and awkward. If Noe and Vanitas were suddenly to pursue a romantic relationship and the anime had a homoerotic turn, it wouldn’t be all that strange. After all, both Noe and Vanitas are quite inconsistent about their attitude toward Jeanne and Dominique. Noe refers to Dominique as a friend and often compares his relationship with her to what he had with her brother Louis. Vanitas, for his part, goes from extravagant declarations of love to utter coldness, with Jeanne having to navigate the rollercoaster of his moods as if he were a bratty child.
While The Case Study of Vanitas is not officially a BL -- and won’t likely turn into one in the canon -- one can see why many think that it could or should be one. Noe and Vanitas’ intense relationship shows more chemistry than that of many couples in other romance anime. If The Case Study of Vanitas were to suddenly change its course, it would therefore be unlikely to encounter significant resistance from its audience.
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