case study of vanitas does noe like domi

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Vanitas no Karte

The Case Study of Vanitas

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Why Some Fans Think The Case Study of Vanitas Is a BL Anime

The relationship between Noe and Vanitas, as well as ambiguous scenes in the series, have caused some confusion over the anime's potential as a BL.

When it came out in 2021, The Case Study of Vanitas barely made ripples, much less waves; its first season reached a tepid score of 7.91 and only ranked #709 on MAL. However, the anime’s story about 19th-century vampires fighting against a spreading malady was captivating enough to grant the series a loyal audience. Currently, The Case Study of Vanitas has over 400 thousand members on MAL -- more than Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, which is ranked #2 on the website. Its protagonist Vanitas, a human 'doctor' who wishes to cure vampires from the 'curse' affecting some of them, joins forces with vampire Noe, who decides to fight alongside him on his journey.

The strong bond building between Noe and Vanitas, as well as their chemistry, has caused some fans to wonder whether the anime may be moving toward a BL development . Similarly, when looking up the show online, some people seem to think that the anime is in fact a BL, without the plot ever proving that assumption correct. Is it all a matter of wish fulfillment, or is there some truth to the idea that there might be more to Noe and Vanitas’ relationship than is made explicit?

RELATED: Dakaichi Was Almost the Perfect BL Anime – Here’s Why It Fell Short

The Case Study of Vanitas Looks Like a BL Anime

The author of The Case Study of Vanitas is known for her stunningly handsome male characters -- as well as their beautiful female counterparts. When looking for a potential relationship to support, fans may be drawn to anime with pretty characters, especially if they are the protagonist duo. When the anime promises to center around the alliance between two men as handsome as Noe and Vanitas, potential fans will inevitably wonder where that relationship is going to go.

It doesn’t help that there is a lot of 'yaoi bating.' In Episode 7, upon discovering that Jeanne has bitten Vanitas, unwillingly marking him as her own, Noe admits to feeling "anguish" at the thought of them. Whether he is jealous of Vanitas is left up to interpretation, especially since he declares that he regrets that "Jeanne got to [Vanitas] first." Dominique -- Noe's childhood friend and love interest -- seems to think nothing of it. However, in a world where sucking blood is often depicted as a highly erotic sexual encounter, Noe’s thirst for Vanitas’ blood is curious, to say the least.

RELATED: The Summer Hikaru Died Is a Chilling BL Horror Worthy of Mainstream Success

The Series Focuses on Vanitas and Noe's Relationship

While Dominique and Jeanne are strong and self-assured, as well as well-rounded characters with peculiar quirks and fun personalities, their relationship with the main duo is secondary to the one between them. The show is clearly more concerned with what Noe and Vanitas feel for each other than what they might look for in their volatile attraction to the two women. For instance, while Vanitas spends a sexually charged night with Jeanne in Episode 14, the next morning, Vanitas seems unbothered by what happened between them, more preoccupied with finding Noe and saving him than being with Jeanne.

As in many romance stories, Noe and Vanitas start off as enemies. When they meet, they immediately fight and, even once Vanitas’ good intentions are uncovered, Noe still states that he doesn’t like him. Their antipathy hides an evident interest on both parts, which soon morphs into admiration and respect. Noe especially, who has no problem being earnest about his feelings, declares that he "is interested" in Vanitas and wants to follow him wherever he is going to go next. With the dawn on the horizon and a tender smile on Noe’s lips, it’s hard to resist the temptation to see more than the start of a platonic friendship.

Noe saves Vanitas numerous times and vice versa, Vanitas being the only obstacle between Naenia -- the curse-inducing antagonist -- and Noe. What is initially a lukewarm friendship quickly becomes a vital bond, and one that often forces one of them to risk their lives in order to get the other out of trouble. In Episode 16, Vanitas reciprocates Noe’s initial confession by promising that he will follow him to where he wants to go, despite disagreeing with him on the matter at hand. From such a closed-off character, it’s as good as a declaration of undying love.

RELATED: Why Given's BL Status Is Crucial to the Story

If Noe and Vanitas Ended Up Together, It Wouldn't Be Surprising

The anime wants the audience to believe that Vanitas and Jeanne will end up together, and that is probably what will happen. However, clues are hidden in off-hand comments and character traits that suggest other possibilities. For instance, Vanitas is very firm when he declares that he has no interest in someone who might love him; he also admits to not knowing what love is. Nonetheless, he keeps making exuberant confessions to Jeanne at every turn, never stopping even when she seems to be reciprocating his feelings.

Does he actually love Jeanne? To a shrewd viewer, it might look like Vanitas is very fond of his own buffoonery but struggles when it comes to articulating honest feelings. When he is worried about Noe or wants to give him his support, he always tries to avoid a direct approach. When it really matters, Vanitas is shy and awkward. If Noe and Vanitas were suddenly to pursue a romantic relationship and the anime had a homoerotic turn, it wouldn’t be all that strange. After all, both Noe and Vanitas are quite inconsistent about their attitude toward Jeanne and Dominique. Noe refers to Dominique as a friend and often compares his relationship with her to what he had with her brother Louis. Vanitas, for his part, goes from extravagant declarations of love to utter coldness, with Jeanne having to navigate the rollercoaster of his moods as if he were a bratty child.

While The Case Study of Vanitas is not officially a BL -- and won’t likely turn into one in the canon -- one can see why many think that it could or should be one. Noe and Vanitas’ intense relationship shows more chemistry than that of many couples in other romance anime. If The Case Study of Vanitas were to suddenly change its course, it would therefore be unlikely to encounter significant resistance from its audience.

The Case Study of Vanitas Episode 21 - So Much Pain

The Case Study of Vanitas  episode 21 wastes no time jumping back into the dark fantasy that this is. Of all the flashbacks we’ve had, Domi’s point-of-view of Louis’ death is by far the most depressing and emotionally tormenting. While Noe witnessed his friend’s beheading, Domi on the other hand is tortured by her self-blaming, not to mention the ignorant comments of her older sister Veronica. It’s terrible to watch and almost too much to bear. How did we go from the happiest episode of the season to the most emotionally cruel one this quickly?

It blows my mind that this episode alone manages to change my impression of Dominique de Sade. Despite all the confidence, elegance, and playfulness — underneath all of that is an internal conflict of survivor’s guilt and the pain of being unwanted by her family. It hurt when she kept questioning her life — “Noé’, would you have chosen Louis instead?” I hate that she thinks Noé’ doesn’t care for her, even though it’s pretty obvious that they adore each other so much. However, it does make a lot more sense now about why she’s envious of Jeanne’s self-actualization from the last episode .

Personally, I feel bad that it took this long for us to realize it. I’ve loved Domi since her first appearance, but gosh, I wasn’t expecting such a painful backstory like this! (I want to hug her!) The pacing of this anime has been amazing, and I love-hate both this development and the music accompaniment in this episode.

What makes it all the more awful is the fact that Mikhail is not only taking advantage of Domi’s pain but at the same time, also forcing Noé’ into this hostage situation. The young boy is taunting and manipulating our Noé’, and I honestly hate seeing it. It’s already well-established that Noé’’s righteous character respects Vanitas and his past. They even maintained a trusting relationship together back in Gévaudan. However, Vanitas specifically forbade Noé’ to get his blood, so I can just imagine how unsettling and troubling this is all about to be. Especially with Domi’s life on the line.

I think we can all agree that this was a very heavy episode. All in all, The Case Study of Vanitas episode 21 was brutally heartbreaking. It seems that the finale arc is shaping up to be like this, especially with more of Vanitas’ backstory on the way. (We should probably brace ourselves.) It’s always been a curious subject but I’m afraid that learning this now may come at a price. I don’t even know what to feel for Mikhail because the episode also showed how messed up his childhood was.

Also, I know amusement parks are fun settings, but in this case, it’s a creepy one. Painful feelings aside though, Roland was the best and most precious one in this episode! I’m interested to see where Mikhail and Vanitas’ childhoods converge, and most likely why Vanitas has so much self-loathing. Most importantly, the subject of “why he killed their Father.” Is this the person who I think it is? You know, this episode somehow feels like a ripped-off band-aid, with the old wounds reopened. I have a strong feeling next week isn’t going to be an easy one too.

The next episode will air on  Friday ,  March 25, at 24:00 JST . The English subtitled versions will also be available later on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Bilibili in select regions. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to vote in our  weekly polls !

Images via Bilibili ©Jun Mochizuki/SQUARE ENIX, “Vanitas no Carte” Production Committee

Carla Carreon

Hello, I'm Carla Bianca! Just a fluffy bean with introverted energies. Reading, watching, drawing, playing Genshin, and sleeping mostly take up my day. Someday, I will have my manga library and Rimuru shrine!

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Why Does Noe Kill Vanitas in The Case Study of Vanitas?

The Case Study of Vanitas has proved itself, time and again, to be one of the anime gems of 2021

Published: 27 Aug 2021 4:50 PM +00:00 Updated: 20 Oct 2021 5:00 AM +00:00

The Case Study of Vanitas has proved itself, time and again, to be one of the anime gems of 2021. Love them or hate them, the characters are unforgettable, and the plot is both interesting and illustrated with such beauty that you can't help wanting to keep watching. And, of course, there's this first-episode spoiler, that hooked us right from the start: why does Noé kill Vanitas?

First, a little context: In the first episode of The Case Study of Vanitas or Vanitas no Karte, Noé, a young vampire is out on a quest for the book of Vanitas, a cursed grimoire that corrupts vampires and causes them an unnatural bloodlust… at least, that's how the story goes.

In Paris, Noé meets Vanitas, a human who possesses the legendary book but uses it to cure vampires of the corruption of their true names and return them to normal. His motivations are a mystery, as he's extremely obnoxious and hard to work with. Nevertheless, Noé and Vanitas have a common goal. But then Noé, who is narrating this story retrospectively, after an unknown passage of time, admits that he ended this joint journey by killing Vanitas.

As the manga of Vanitas no Karte is still ongoing, we can't tell why Noé would kill Vanitas. He is, after all, the more mild-mannered and idealistic of the two (so far in the anime, at least) and he's fascinated by Vanitas even when he can't stand him.

At this point, we can only speculate, but given how difficult a character Vanitas is, it could be that he did something unforgivable at some point – though, given the regret in Noé's voice when he narrates, he probably doesn't feel justified in doing whatever he did. This fact illustrates Vanitas' death more like something Noé considers his fault.

Over the span of the 12-episode first cour , Vanitas and Noé navigate numerous dangers, and peril is bound to become greater later on. It would be plausible to speculate that Noé was unable to protect Vanitas at some point – after all, no matter how hard he's to kill, Vanitas is human .

Of course, this is Jun Mochizuki we're talking about; the author ofPandora Hearts has blurred the line between life and death on several occasions, and why would we expect anything different here, in a work about vampires no less?

Related: When Will The Case Study of Vanitas Be Dubbed in English? When to Expect a Dub Release Date for the Anime? - August 2021 UPDATE

One guess – far-fetched but not entirely implausible – could be that Vanitas might become a vampire later. Or, he might not even be dead at all. It might be that Noé only believes so.

Whatever the reason Vanitas died, and whatever Noé's words mean, one thing is certain; spoiling the ending in the first episode can be a blast by way of storytelling. Even if what's happening right now isn't exactly your cup of tea, there's reason to persevere and keep watching – knowing that the journey is more important than its conclusion, but also that you want to know how the foregone conclusion came to be.

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Vanitas/Relationships

• View history

• 1 Noé Archiviste
• 2 Vanitas of the Blue Moon
• 5 Amelia Ruth
• 6 Parks Orlok
• 7 Roland Fortis
• 8 Doctor Moreau
• 10 Manet and Nox
• 11 References

Noé Archiviste [ ]

Vanitas has a strange relationship with Noé in which they are simultaneously best friends and frequently annoyed at each other. Vanitas behaves in an incredibly contrary way around Noé—begging the vampire to team up with him one minute and telling him to leave the next. The two have had plenty of arguments, as Vanitas is extremely protective of Noé but hates it when Noé tries to protect him (despite asking Noé to be his shield in the first place); but despite this Vanitas seems to genuinely care about Noé in a roundabout way. He won’t admit that he likes Noé, but Vanitas seems to enjoy his company and trusts him.

Vanitas and Noé are often in tune with each other’s emotions— this is usually more evident on Noé’s side of things but Vanitas is often able to calm Noé down when the latter is angry or upset, and is frequently seen saving Noé from visions of the past and from Naenia.

Such understanding is clear during their fight in the amusement park, when Noé takes notice of how lonely Vanitas truly is, and how he believes loneliness means freedom. Despite the frantic situation they were pulled into, Noé is able to regain his senses and realizes that Vanitas was acting mostly out of fear instead of anger, and greatly blames himself for trying to force the human into giving him his blood. Their bond is so strong that he manages to snap Vanitas out of his hypnotic trance, reminding him that is not just any vampire, but his friend. Noé then vows to never set Vanitas "free", meaning that he will never leave Vanitas alone.

Vanitas of the Blue Moon [ ]

At a surface level, Vanitas seems to despise Luna— he repeatedly states that he wants revenge on Vanitas of the Blue Moon and during many of his initial flashbacks he seems to despise the vampire. However, Vanitas and Luna seem to have been closer than Vanitas might want others to think. While feverish, Vanitas says “I didn’t really hate you, Lu...”, which seems to be a reference to Luna. He lets Luna hug him and Luna often comes to mind when Vanitas is curing malnomen. Luna was a parental figure in Vanitas’s life, as they were in Misha’s.

Dante works for Vanitas on a contractual basis and also acts as his primary information broker, obtaining rare information and charging exorbitant prices for it. He refuses to do work for Vanitas that does not involve payment. The two are frequently seen yelling insults at each other, communicating in a disrespectful manner, and each refer to the other with an insulting nickname; Dante refers to Vanitas as a "Quack," often used as a term toward physicians accused of fraudulent and ignorant practice of medical skill, while Vanitas calls Dante "Baldy" as a curse to force his hair to thin faster. [1]

The two bicker semi constantly, but do genuinely care for each other as more than business partners. Dante is easily able to see through Vanitas’s flippant attitude. Vanitas was the first human to ever accept Dante and see him as equal to humans and vampires (even if it was because he just hates everyone equally) and Dante, as many times as he states that Dhams only care about other Dhams, will never forget that. Despite that, Vanitas sometimes seems to undervalue how much Dante values him, and often goes as far as threatening Dante’s life to get what he wants.

Despite all of this they seem to be good friends, eating dinner together at a cafe. Dante knows a solid amount about Vanitas’s current life, and jokes about Vanitas and Noé being in a romantic relationship a few times. [2] [3]

Vanitas initially seemed to be toying with Jeanne during their interactions, messing with her emotions and being intentionally abrasive to get a reaction. However, as time goes on Vanitas seems to display a more gentle side of himself around Jeanne. During their night in Gévaudan, Vanitas tries to push Jeanne away by flirting with her, expecting her usual negative reaction. When Jeanne isn’t put off by this, Vanitas seems to get more and more upset as the night wears on. Vanitas began his relationship with Jeanne almost entirely due to her amusing reactions to him, and he becomes very upset when she starts to break this trend.

During their time in Gévaudan, Vanitas starts to genuinely fall in love with Jeanne when she displays a genuine cheerfulness and strength that he hadn’t seen in her before. He is exceptionally upset by his growing attraction, and truly believes that Jeanne could never fall for a person like him.

Amelia Ruth [ ]

After being cured of her malnomen, Amelia and Vanitas have been on friendly terms. She is very grateful for his help, and even offered a token of gratitude in return for curing her, although he declined it. [4] She cares about him and respects his boundaries, although she does enjoy teasing him a little bit about his softer side. Amelia seems to understand Vanitas' personality well enough, reading past his grumpiness and recognizing his own special way of apologizing. She also shows concern for Vanitas' friendship with Noé, keeping track of their fights and reconciliations.

Parks Orlok [ ]

Orlok doesn't like or trust Vanitas, choosing to keep him under surveillance for the time being.

Roland Fortis [ ]

Roland and Vanitas have a love/hate relationship— love from Roland, hate from Vanitas. Vanitas is disturbed by Roland’s self- righteous pity towards him, and tells Noé that he dislikes people like that within moments of first meeting Roland. Vanitas treats Roland like a necessary (if annoying) ally, and is frequently seen trying to escape from Roland’s hugs and hide from the Chasseur. Vanitas does seem to trust Roland when the latter gets serious, and even speaks to Roland and Olivier about Jeanne.

Doctor Moreau [ ]

While a young Vanitas was training to become a Chasseur, he was kidnapped and given him the name “No. 69”. During his time as Moreau’s test subject Vanitas saw many vampires come in and get torturously experimented on by Moreau and his fellow researchers. Vanitas never escaped because he feared Moreau would kidnap another child and experiment on them in his place. Moreau decided to inject Vanitas and Mikhail with the blood of the Vampire of the Blue Moon in an attempt to make the boys into pseudo-kin of the blue moon and open the Books of Vanitas, leaving both boys traumatized for life.

When they meet again in the Catacombes years later, Vanitas puts on a fake smile and pretends to be delighted in seeing him again, claiming to be Moreau's supporter in order to get information out of him. Despite the torture he inflicted on Vanitas in the past, Moreau claims that Vanitas was an excellent test subject, complimenting him and even going as far as crying after the boy was taken away years ago. He also seems to somewhat coddle Vanitas when the latter apologizes, hugging him and saying he's not the least bit angry.

In spite of his misleadingly affectionate gestures, Moreau only cares about Vanitas' use as a test subject — only praising him for being a cooperative guinea pig — not caring if he was suffering or in pain, going as far as asking for one of Vanitas' eyeballs for research. All things considered, Moreau has always been more than willing to risk Vanitas' health and life to reach his goals. For Vanitas, Moreau is someone he only needed to gather information on Vampire disappearances at the time, and he had planned to kill the doctor as soon as he was done.

Mikhail [ ]

Mikhail and Vanitas were both Doctor Moreau’s test subjects as children. When Misha first arrived at the lab, Vanitas was told to watch over the boy by Moreau. Vanitas and Mikhail quickly became close, with Misha calling Vanitas his “big brother” and sharing a bed with him in their cell. Upon hearing that Mikhail would be part of a deadly experiment in the lab, Vanitas told Moreau that he would willingly participate in the experiment instead of Misha. Vanitas collapsed and fell ill right after escaping the lab with Misha and Luna, which Luna suggested was due to him finally relaxing after spending so much time on edge trying to protect Mikhail. At some point during their time with Luna, Misha and Vanitas promised to stay together forever.

After Luna’s death, Vanitas, believing Mikhail was dead as well, left and began his quest for “revenge”. Vanitas frequently has visions of Misha admonishing him, telling him that he broke their promise and he caused Luna and Misha’s deaths. Vanitas is shocked to learn that Mikhail is alive and has kidnapped Dominique to seek out Noé. He refuses to call Mikhail by his nickname and is furious to learn that Misha has been trying to bring Luna back to life.

Manet and Nox [ ]

Both siblings seem to dislike Vanitas, most likely since the latter is both a human and quite disrespectful during their encounters. However, Vanitas seems mostly neutral towards them.

References [ ]

• ↑ Volume 1 Omake: "Tell me, Doctor Vanitas"
• ↑ Mémoire 24: Forêt d'argent
• ↑ Entracte: Jours Bruyants
• ↑ The Case Study of Vanitas Vol. 5 Bonus pages
• 2 List of Characters (The Case Study of Vanitas)
• 3 Noé Archiviste