Vanitas (The Case Study of Vanitas)

Sherlock Holmes was a major inspiration for Vanitas.

Following Pandora Hearts, Jun Mochizuki wanted to draw vampires in a high school setting. Vanitas was originally intended to be a vampire and the series' only main character. Following the creation of Noé Archiviste, Mochizuki decided to tell the story of Vanitas from Noé's point of view.[1] While visiting Mont Saint-Michel, France, she mused on drawing the story of a vampire who had watched over an island for about 100 years. Everything else about The Case Study of Vanitas came from that idea, and the general forms of Vanitas and Noé were created. Mochizuki thought about doing multiple things after Pandora Hearts, like adding more romance and battle elements. The head editor told her to reduce them because she was not skilled at writing those. She started thinking about drawing more, believing they would be more appealing the more she practised.[2]

Initially, Vanitas was a vampire and Noé was human. Drawing from Sherlock Holmes, Vanitas took the role of Holmes and Noé of Dr. Watson, but her boss called the idea generic. She was eventually suggested to switch the protagonists' roles, which she found more striking. A friend criticized Mochizuki's design for Vanitas' hair so she gave him two-level side bangs.[2] Mochizuki called Vanitas' regular clothing "The Outfit That Nobody Understands" due to his multiple accessories. The color of his vest stripes depended on the artist's mood and, while clarifying Vanitas is a human, she gave hands a claw-like appearance a result of the gloves he wears.[3] Due to the lead's contrasting natures, Mochizuki wrote them to avoid turning them into friends. She did not have any specific points of fixation about expressions but she usually redrew the expression several times in each panel.[2] The character's name comes from the title of a book of illustrations Mochizuki found by chance. When checking the meaning, "Deceiving", she realized it refers to a type of subject in art in which people see skeletons, skulls, food and other symbols. The title of this type of work is often "vanitas". Mochizuki liked it and decided to make it the name of her next protagonist.[4]

According to Mochizuki, the manga's main story is Vanitas' possession of a grimmore that is capable of saving cursed vampires. Mochizuki wanted to explore the themes of identities, which a person can lose and recover.[5] Anime News Network said the meaning of the character's name implies there is a double meaning to his personality as seen both by the reader and Noé;[6] Mochizuki said Vanitas is a person who hates himself.[2] From the start, Vanitas had to inspire a feeling of freedom and eccentricity, and acts upon his ideas. This allowed Mochizuki to balance Vanitas with Noé, who is purer and kinder, and has a strong sense of justice and responsibility. As a result, both are complementary.[7] Initially, the concept of Vanitas as a vampire savior was already established but Mochizuki had to think about how to depict him healing vampires in the story. Making Vanitas perform medical procedures did not interest her and she does not think her readers would have liked it. Mochizuki thought about something more conceptual, which is where the idea of using this real-name story came to her.[7] According to Mochizuki, Vanitas is frustrated by Noé's naivety but admires his honesty and innocence.[2] Mochizuki regards Vanitas to be an eccentric and believes Vanitas is popular is because readers also have a certain interior.[4]

Casting

Natsuki Hanae voices Vanitas in Japanese

In the anime adaptation, Vanitas is voiced by Natsuki Hanae. Both Hanae's play and Kaito Ishikawa's (Noé) plays were noted to complement each other when interacting. Hanae tried to make full use of all the cool, uncool, and sexy parts to bring out the charm of Vanitas. Hanae was cast as Vanitas for his acting experience and the sex appeal he brought to the character. Sex appeal was emphasized in scenes in which Noé takes Dominique's blood and Jeanne takes Vanitas' blood, even though the characters are clothed.[8] When first seeing Vanitas, Hanae got the impression he is a cheeky character but when he performed the part based on his behavioral philosophy, there were many pure and cute parts. Because the character makes the audience feel kindness and melancholy, the actor consciously faced dubbing so he could show that as well. The actor noted Vanitas is an uncommon character based on his behavior. Director Tomoyuki Itamura told him despite the character's personality, Vanitas is not a villain.[9]

According to Hanae, In the first place, Vanitas is a character with many different facial expressions, so I thought it would be a waste not to express him in a variety of ways. When he talked with the director about various things, he thought that the best way to act would be if he spoke like he was singing, so that is what he decided to do. For the second half, Hanae commented that Vanitas' true feelings are being shown more often.[10]

Mochizuki said Hanae makes Vanitas feel like a hateful character but is appropriate for his age. Zeno Robinson voices Vanitas in the English dub, while Cherami Leigh plays the character's younger self.[11] Robinson said it was difficult to play Vanitas as a result of finding the comical style with which the casting director often talked to him, something he had never done before.[12]

Among the multiple parts from Vanitas' design, there is an emphasis on hourglass-like earring which reflects the character's limited lifespan and how he is trying to accept the death of his relatives too.

Critics' initial response to Vanitas was favorable. The Fandom Post praised his heroic personality,[21] while Manga News and El Palomitrón found his characterization good and comical.[22][23] The Fandom Post found the early fight scenes of the series the most appealing parts because of Vanitas' unpredictability, especially when dealing with Jeanne.[24][25] Bleeding Cool noted while Noé appears to have more respect from the cast, Vanitas prefers the idea of being a loner who is hated by society. Bleeding Cool found the season's climax depicting Vanitas' true past tragic and powerful because it affects the relationship between the two protagonists, who initially fight until Vanitas finds himself unable to kill Noé.[26] Anime Feminist called the character "peak trash" while other reviewers enjoyed his dynamic with Noé.[27][28][23] Bleeding Cool said Vanitas' personality is one of the most-entertaining parts of the series because while he constantly smirking or laughing, it is obviously a facade behind which he hiding something from his past, comparing him with Fullmetal Alchemist protagonist Edward Elric and also enjoying his relationship with Noé.[29] In another parallel with Fullmetal Alchemist, Comic Book Resources noticed Vanitas is seen disturbed for the first time in the narrative when failing to save a vampire from a curse in a similar pattern to Edward becoming shocked with the transformation of Nina Tucker and her dog into a chimera.[30] Anime News Network said the revelation of Vanitas' connection with Doctor Moreau makes the character more vulnerable than anticipated; when meeting his torturer again, Vanitas' personality drasticaly changes, giving him survivor's guilt and relying far more on Noé.[31] Manga News praised the handling of Vanitas through his tragic backstory and his apparently fated duel with Noé.[32]

Several reviewers focused on Vanitas' relationship with the vampire Jeanne. Vanitas forcing a kiss with her was criticized as being inappropriate as comedy.[33][34] The Fandom Post found the delivery in the anime entertaining.[24] The focus on romance between arcs was praised for its handling of Vanitas as a hilarious character, considering how poorly he reacts to his feelings towards Jeanne, making them a believable couple.[35][26][34] El Palomitrón said while there is no boys' love between the two leads due to the focus on other, more explored relationships, the reviewer found the connection between Vanitas and Noé deep and comparable to the one between Vanitas and Jeanne.[36] Caitlin Moore from Anime News Network listed the handling of vampirism between Jeanne and Vanitas, and between Dominique and Noé, as the best moment in anime that year due to the amount of sex appeal the characters portray.[37]

The character of Vanitas was popular in Anitrendz; Vanitas and Jeanne were nominated in the couple category.[38] Anime Feminist enjoyed Natsuki Hanae's work, calling his characterization enjoyable and said he gives hidden depths to a difficult past.[27] Anime Trending was more critical of Hanae's work for leaving Vanitas' true personality "static" in favor of supporting characters, who are explored more in the first half of the anime.[39] Vanitas' French actor Brieuc Lemaire was also a nominee for the 6th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[40]

Vanitas wears an earring that looks like an hourglass. Upon first seeing it, writer Deko Akao believed the earring has a history, which was confirmed upon further seeing Vanitas' past depicted in the manga.[41] Anime News Network stated the earring reflects Vanitas' mortality and short lifespan, which the reviewer inferred as the message the author wanted to portray.[42][43]

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona noted that Vanitas stands out as a protagonist for the way he interacts with other female characters. While Vanitas at first is portrayed as the started from a relationship by stealing Jeanne's kiss, in the next scenes it is Jeanne who becomes more active in growing relationship comparable to those of shojo manga instead despite the actual male oriented demography.[44] Despite Vanitas toying with Jeanne, it was noted that Vanitas eventually cared for her.[45][46][47]

• Vanitas at The Case Study of Vanitas anime official website (in Japanese)