5 Vampire Tropes That Need A Rest!

As a writer and avid reader of vampire fiction, I’ve seen a lot of different themes, styles, and clichés come in and out of popularity over the years. Rather than nit-pick which is which, it’s easier to call all of these things tropes, which is a more neutral term that has come to mean any…

The Myth of Japan’s Shuten Dōji

Today we shall travel to the wonderfully dark world of vampire myth and legend, to a Japanese tale of a bloodthirsty beast named Shuten Dōji (Drunken Boy). While the creature of this story isn’t technically a vampire, he has a vampiric taste for blood that would rival that of any undead. According to Asian legend,…

Watch Japan’s Vampire Drama ‘RH Plus’

It is no surprise that the love for vampires can be found all over the world, I mean, they’re universally awesome. Every country has their own hit books, movies and shows – in English speaking countries the most popular vampire TV shows are The Vampire Diaries, Being Human and True Blood, but other countries have…

Melodramatic ‘Twilight’ Actress Tweets About Her Own Death

After the heartbreaking 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, tsunami warnings were posted along the West Coast on Friday – from the US to Canada, every coast on the west was to be affected by the quake. But anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that while the west coast was to be hit with some…

Higanjima

Vampire movies aren’t just popular in North America, they are huge all over the world (vampires are taking over the world! Bwhahaha!). We’ve got the incredibly noted Swedish ‘Let The Right One In’ and the beloved Korean ‘Thirst’ and now we have the new Japanese vampire flick ‘Higanjima.’ Written by Tetsuya Ôishi  and directed by…

The Tree of Blood

I have come across a wide assortment of strange and twisted vampire stories – from vampire cats to floating heads, but today’s tale is a new one even for me. Among the many fascinatingly wicked Japanese myths, the jubokko is for sure my new favorite. According to the myth, on grounds where there has been…

A Japanese Bloodsucker

How does some Japanese vampire lore sound? Good? Good. Today’s blood drinker of choice is one of the most feared demons in the very large Japanese pantheon, the Hannya. The hannya’s most common form was that of a woman, although there are a few male hannya out there. It is said in old tales that…

Vampire Cat

What?! A vampire cat? Oh yes dear readers, today’s vampire lore post is about a vampire kitty. The cat of Nabeshima is an old Japanese tale that never fully died, like many old myths and legends. The Cat of Nabeshima is a horrible vampire demon from Japan that took the shape of a cat, murdering…