Bloody Cross is a manga about a half vampire half angel hybrid Tsukimya, who teams up with another half angel Hinata, to free themselves from their curse. Hybrids are hated equally by the vampires and the angels. The biblical Book of Prophecy supposedly gets rid of the curse but the side effect is the cursed person dies. Both angels and vampires are corrupt and dangerous adversaries. It also focuses on the inner machinations of the vampires and angels the war between them. There is also a mystery brand mark placed on the characters bodies that represents how cursed they are by God himself.
Character development is gradual but well paced. Initially, you don’t know much about them but as the story progresses you learn what motivates them and the reasons for their actions. Tsukimya and Hinata have easily one of the most bickering and multi-dimensional relationship I have seen since Cowboy Bebop’s Faye and Spike. They had some pretty good interactions with one another and they do share great chemistry despite the amount of petty bickering they engage in.
Tsukimiya is an unpleasant and very ruthless individual. Her biggest flaw is her arrogant and impulsive nature. She easily head into dangerous situations without much thought for the consequences. Hinata is more easy going and friendly but still is a deadly individual. He has a habit of groping Tsukimiya’s breasts at times which is so wrong. His x rated comedy comes from the stress of having to remove the brand. As time goes by, the pair realize that they have to rely on one another and look out for each other.
Everyone has their own agenda and betrayal is a common them throuhgout. Nobody has any loyalty except for themselves and is it impossible to tell who to trust. The sense of mystery is there as well since both sides are using different strategies to outsmart the other and they have to adapt when things don’t go exactly as planned. Alliances are temporary and its only due to mutual benefit and once they are no longer needed, they are back to killing each other.
The suspense and the overall atmosphere is a perfect mix of horror, mystery and action and drama. The action scenes were all very intense and fun to look at. Every character had their own unique powers and abilities to keep fights feeling different from one another and the fight scenes were intense with no way to predict a winner. The art style is nicely drawn and many characters had their own distinct design. There is a lot of comedic moments as well.
You are really going to have to pay close attention to the story because the numerous plot twists can be confusing, especially in the first chapter when you are immediately thrown into the story. There are numerous characters in the story so the focus is not on one person or group. At times this, can make things disjointed since it can jump from one group to the next. Sometimes the story is rushed it reveals things all at once.
Bloody Cross was entertaining and fun and an excellent read.
It gets 4 out of 5 stars.
As an anime adaptation, this could work as a full series.