The fan-favourite armadillo from The Vampire Dies in No Time gets his moment in the spotlight as he finds himself at the mercy of a frightening vampire.
The VampireVampire Dies in No Time is a comedic anime about Draluc and Ronaldo, who live together as a vampire and a vampire hunter. Draluc’s armadillo companion, John, maybe the series’ most memorable character. Searching for the series on Twitter and Tumblr yields a plethora of memes and comments praising John’s character’s cuteness. Episode 8 of the comedy tests John’s gentle nature by throwing him into a risky adventure, but it also demonstrates that the armadillo is just as popular within the world as he is outside of it.
John goes out to acquire some bean jam pancakes, but a comical chain of misunderstandings leads to him being kidnapped by Nagiri Tsujigiri, the powerful VampireVampire Draluc unintentionally defeated in Episode 5. The armadillo’s adventure becomes riskier when a spider-like vampire who is responsible for a string of child disappearances enters the picture. Throughout it all, John remains unwaveringly compassionate and forgiving – and while he lacks a vampiric bite, his attitude is perhaps just as contagious. Ronaldo fears that John has been kidnapped because he is late returning from his errand to acquire pancakes for himself and his roommates. Ronaldo accuses Draluc of being barbaric when he laughs it off. Ronaldo frequently appears to care for John more than Draluc does, yet this scenario suggests that Draluc is more aware of John’s resilience. Draluc and Ronaldo are similar to parents, each with their own ideas about what is best for them. John calls Draluc from a payphone to let him know he’ll be late, but a moth scares him away.
Draluc misinterprets this as John’s kidnapping, and Ronaldo gathers the vampire hunters’ guild and the vampire control agency to find him. The search is joined by John’s fan club and the convenience store staff from Episode 1. It’s both uplifting and hilarious that John has amassed such a large following. The fact that Draluc has no idea who the fan club members are, despite the fact that John is familiar, demonstrates how John’s popularity has expanded beyond his comprehension.
When his disappearance is made public, two kids who desire the reward money chase him away. He is eventually forced to board a train to escape a flock of “Old-Man-Legs Ostriches,” but as he flees, he taps his card on the scanner as he leaps over the barrier. John’s refusal to board for free, even when he is on the run for his life, is yet another manifestation of his brilliant personality. Mutsumi Tamura (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Naruto) does a fantastic job of communicating John’s pride, anxiety, and relief with just a sequence of well-timed and emotionally charged “nu” sounds.
Nagiri soon kidnaps John, ironically. The VampireVampire is truly terrible as he fashions weapons out of his own blood. He wishes to assassinate John in retaliation for the loss of his immortality, which he blames on Draluc. The workers at the convenience shop notice the couple and loudly inform the rest of the search team. Nagiri eventually decides to abandon John, putting his safety ahead of his pride. “Don’t attempt to console me,” John says as he pats Nagiri’s hood with his paw. This is another proof of John’s extraordinary charity, as he consoled even the kidnapper who wished to kill him. The fact that Nagiri rejects it distinguishes him from John’s legions of devotees. This makes his subsequent actions all the more startling and meaningful.
At this point, a massive spider monster with human-like arms comes and kidnaps John. Nagiri soon learns that this is the VampireVampire who has been abducting children in Shin-Yokohama and that the search party still believes Nagiri is in possession of John. This implies that they may hold Nagiri responsible for both crimes. Nagiri has no choice but to save the cherished armadillo for entirely selfish reasons.
John and the children are encased in spider web cocoons evocative of the “Natagumo Mountain” arc from Demon Slayer. The Spider Monster seizes John and attempts to inject him with poison. Nagiri charges in, severing the Spider Monster’s head with one of his blood blades. As he shakes his paws placatingly, he condemns himself for “behaving like a hunter” and threatens John not to tell anyone. Despite this, John grabs Nagiri’s cloak and hands him one of the pancakes.
Draluc, Ronaldo, and the others make their way to the Spider Monster’s lair. As the other hunters release the children, a distraught Draluc shouts out to John and dashes towards him. Draluc presses John’s face to his. Given the perilous events Draluc has put John through, this understated scene serves to remind us of their overall positive and mutually supporting connection. Ronaldo also consoles John, demonstrating that in the little time they’ve known each other, Ronaldo has grown to care for him just as much.
Nagiri may be seen enjoying his pancake. Accepting John’s award could indicate that the armadillo’s thoughtful demeanour has rubbed off on Nagiri. This is endearing in and of itself because it implies that the fearsome VampireVampire has a tender side. He expresses dissatisfaction with the cold pancake. This final insight concludes John’s voyage by reminding us how long it must have been since John first purchased the pancakes and how far he has deviated from his modest aim of returning them home.
