Author:Tomu Ohmi
Illustrator: Tomu Ohmi
Publisher: Viz Media, Inc.
Copyright: 2013-2014 (Japan: 2007)
Price: $9.99 each
ISBN: Vol. 1: 978-1-4215-5944-5
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Kaya Satozuka knows what she wants to be and that is a secretary. She works hard to be the most efficient, pleasant, and best secretary anyone knows. No one can really say a bad word about her work. Actually, they'd say she really should take some time for herself. Her identity is built around the idea of her being a secretary. Otherwise, she's got a baby face and looks much younger than she really is. Being a secretary allows her to comfortably be her age and be taken seriously. Things change for her though when she's assigned as Director Tohma's secretary. Unfortunately, it is not the blonde haired Director Masaki Tohma, whom she has a crush on in the beginning
Kyohei Tohma is just one of the directors of the Tohma corporation. He's known to be a womanizer, constantly taking women into his office for a little afternoon fun. On the other hand, he is good at what he does. Kyohei does have some strange tendencies that at first just seem odd. When Kaya stumbles upon the truth that he's a vampire, she does what she would naturally do: research and support her boss for all that he needs.
Just one problem: the moment he tastes her blood, he realizes he doesn't want anything or anyone else and it infuriates him. Kaya and Kyohei navigate what at first is a working relationship that slowly becomes deeper.
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Recommended Audience: adult
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Things to be aware of: nudity, sex, a little blood (vampires!)
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Further Thoughts: I have not been this excited for a manga artist/writer for a long time. Until recently, my all time favorite artist/writer was CLAMP (which is actually a collection of women). Tomu Ohmi is now up there. I could gush about her art for hours and I have pretty much decided I will own as much of her work as I can get. I am currently reading/purchasing her new series Spell of Desire (SO GOOD).
Just to recap, I was reading this at the same time as Happy Marriage?! My review of that you can find here. In my review, I mentioned that Midnight Secretary felt similar. The similarities include: a secretary falling for the head of a company (and vice-versa), the head of the company changes his original direction and theoretically takes a step down, the male love interest is dark and brooding, and lastly, the characters are navigating how to be in a relationship with each other.
Now Midnight Secretary is much more serious than Happy Marriage?! and the similarities I list above end there. Whereas I felt Happy Marriage?! let me down, Midnight Secretary was closer to what I wanted: a considerate hero, a smart heroine. The story about the vampire clan was a successful subplot that eventually becomes the plot.
The romance never felt as if one of the two had to be dominant over the other. Kyohei started out thinking he needed to be that way, but Kaya was willing to stand up for herself. She did not let him walk all over her. I admire her for her ability to take what she wanted and take into consideration her best interests. She makes a few missteps, but she's human.
I also admired that Kyohei could see her beauty and understand why she did what she did. There was a story where her glasses break, and he finds out what she really looks like with her hair down and everything. He offers to get her glasses, even after finding out the glasses are fake, but tells her she doesn't need them. On the other hand, he recognizes that her personal image is "the secretary." She breathes that image and he doesn't want her to change that if that's what she wants.
Kyohei is a considerate vampire hero and one that I like (unlike another one who borders stalking). Kyohei depends on Kaya being herself. Instead, his internal struggle is realizing that he does need someone to keep him in check after spending so long convincing himself, for the safety of himself and others, that it was better to be alone. Kaya works with this. When the hero disappears (as required of a romance hero) she doesn't just stop, she shines. Yes, she has her meltdowns, she misses him, but in a glorious scene, when they meet again, he explains everything. His actions speak louder than the words he uses.
The physical part of the romance is always consensual. He never takes her blood without permission. The only reason it starts is that she recognizes he needs help or he'll be ill. He considered the circumstances and took it. Looking over it again, I realized that in a way, the blood offering is almost always a sexual gesture and he takes a brief moment to ask please (more in a body language way).
Let me take a moment to talk about the vampire mythology. The mythology is strong in this. He's a vampire while his brother isn't because his mother is and not his father. It is interesting how vampires could "walk among us" so easily in this story. With a few adjustments to their schedules, activities, and such, the vampires are just like anyone else. I know I wanted just a little more about The Clan mythology, but overall, I enjoyed the subplot and conflict that was The Clan. The way the series ends, I have a small hope that we'll see these characters again, but more secondary.
In the end, Kyohei and Kaya are individuals and remain as such throughout the story, but without each other they couldn't grow into stronger individuals. This is how a relationship should be to me. They come together and eventually work through the forces tearing them apart, together. Side characters support them and are three dimensional. Occasionally, they get their own small story at the end of the volume, which adds even more depth to what is happening.
The art: Kyohei is the traditional brooding manga hero, but he is crazy sexy. He has the requisite dark hair, narrow eyes, the right muscle lines and I have a crush on him from the art and the story combined. His one fault is that he smokes, but hey, he's a vampire and adult.
Kaya is different for a manga heroine (at least compared to that other title). She starts out pretty much a blank slate with her dark hair in a bun, glasses, and the standard issue secretary uniform (which is a thing). When her hair is down, she looks childish with big eyes. The glasses narrow her eyes a bit. As the story progresses though, her style slowly changes from a wisp of hair here, to fashion that I want in my closet. The hair tends to stay up in a professional setting and the glasses stay, but she's coming into her own and you can see that.
Overall feeling: If you're considering adding "new adult" manga titles to your collection but not sure where to start, then this is a strong one and at 7 volumes, affordable.
If you read romance but not manga, or new adult and not manga, please weigh in and ask me questions! As I said, I don't really read romance, but this genre of manga is something I will be sure to read more of as it comes stateside (if it does).
Tomu Ohmi's stuff better keep coming stateside, and while we're at it, let's get CLAMP back in publication!
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Note: Looking at the back covers, I noticed there is a small "animation" going from each volume that works up to them kissing. HOW COOL IS THAT?
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Source: Vol 1-3 purchased; 4-7 Edelweiss ARCs and then purchased vol 4-6. Still need to get myself volume 7 apparently.
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