The fanservice is still there in abundance, but it does feel like it is on the decline. Or perhaps the rise of more character development and character interaction has averted my attention. It is amazing what a sprinkle of character interaction can do for a show–it has completely revised my opinions of Rosario + Vampire.

I can get excited over Rosario + Vampire again! Like I mentioned prior, the fanservice was distracting, but it was mainly due to the lack of any substance to this show. Midori no Hibi and Love Hina had a lot, but the story and characters made up for it. If I wanted a lot of T & A, I would just watch pr0n or Ichigo 100%.

Having watched episode 4, a lot of the “meat” that I felt was lacking in the first 3 episodes was found. That meat was character interaction and the development of relationships between them. Whether characters are generic or deep almost does not matter if they are not utilized well through interactions. Through the first 3 episodes there was little to no character interaction other than the initial introductions and the “Tsukune is mine!” banter at the end of each. Scenes like that are to be expected, but not as shallow as they were presented. Characters who only operate within themselves show no depth and give you little reason to be interested in them, which is what happened with Tsukune, Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari. Other than Moka, I was given no reasons to like the characters. Moka had her loneliness and apprehension towards humans. Plus, she is two discrete characters, which almost by default makes her intriguing.

Episode 4 provided the needed “meat” to Rosario + Vampire by demonstrating that these are indeed characters who possess likable traits and that these are characters who are forming relationships to which the series will play off of. Not only was there finally a show of friendship between these character, but some depth was seen on Tsukune’s part. His homesickness and his uncertainty about staying in paired up with the girls’ realization that their affection of him is more than a mere crush and the realization that they have developed friendships, at least in my mind, provides the meat and vegetables that were needed. Maybe, just maybe, Rosario + Vampire turns out a bit more endearing than “another harem show with a twist.”

Tsukune is still your generic male lead, but giving him a bit more background helped to the point that he is now understandable. Prior to episode 4 all we knew was that he was a human stuck at a school for monsters. He wanted out, but his friendship with Moka kept him going. A male lead with some sort of personality quirk or influential past event is nothing new, but in the case of Tsukune is was completely absent through 3 episodes. His quirk is the fact that he is a human being among the supernatural; however, demonstrating human characteristics, such as getting homesick and wanting to be among his new friends, goes a long way here. He no longer carries the aura of “I’m here for the T & A” that he used to have. There is sincerity in his character, but more important, there is now reason to care about him. There is a bit more to this human at a school for monster. Being “normal” makes him different in this show, and how he deals with that normality with his new friends will ultimately dictate how Rosario + Vampire will go.

Episode 4 also yielded new OP and ED animation sequences. Both were improvements, but I am curious as to why they opted to reanimate them. The OP “looks” more like an OP with a lot less footage taken from the episodes and does enhance COSMIC LOVE a bit. It also highlighted the other characters in the show, which was a welcome change.

The ED was also an improvement, even though I liked what they had there originally. It was a lot sexier figuratively and literally. Figuratively, in the sense that showcasing Silver Moka in battle form going up against not only random ghouls like this were Hellsing, but also against her fellow haremettes. And literally, because [reptilian brain] Silver Moka wearing nothing but bed sheets is a good thing. xD [/reptilian brain] I am more surprised by the ED changing more than the OP changing. In the case of the OP, it was needed because of the excessive reliance on footage from the episodes. However, I did not see a reason to change the ED animation; even more so considering that it was only shown twice.