English Dub Review: Vampire Dormitory “Love 3. The pretty boy stays over.”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Takara and Juri invite Mito to go on a glamping trip.  Not having been on one, Mito is thrilled to go.  Ruka, on the other hand, continues to struggle with strange feelings for Mito.  With Ren showing up at the campgrounds, it becomes one unsettling night!

Our Take:

This week’s episode shows that it isn’t a summer vacation without a good old-fashioned camping trip, or in this case, a “glamping” trip.  It’s like camping but with the glamour.  However, the glamour part isn’t just from the fireworks or lack thereof.  The episode sees Mito going on her first BBQ camping trip with Ruka, Takara, and Juri to celebrate her welcome party.  Unfortunately, this relaxing get-together underneath the sun quickly turns into a stressful vacation, not just for Mito but also for Ruka.

While Mito struggles to hide her boyish disguise, Ruka experiences strange sensations that run through his veins whenever he’s near Mito.  But that’s not the only thing threatening to ruin their joyful trip, as Ren also arrives to keep Mito from being turned into a vampire.  However, we find out later that vampires aren’t allowed to turn other people into vampires, but that doesn’t ease the pain of Ruka explaining that he’s holding his love for his destined partner, much to Mito’s heartbreak.  What’s even worse for Mito is that her cover’s almost blown by Ren while she baths in the mixed-gender bathhouse.

Overall, the episode felt a bit rushed with its seasonal plot development, but it features moments that could make the characters’ challenge of finding love more challenging.  In addition to Mito’s secret almost getting exposed twice, the episode showcases that Ruka must not love anyone besides his destined partner by order of the vampire Founder.  Since Mito is already having feelings for Ruka, this could wind up being a disaster if she finds out about Ruka’s true intention.  We also see more of Ren’s tragic past, which made him despise vampires, with his mother abandoning him for the bloodsucker when he was young.  It may not be a splendid getaway for these characters, but on the bright side, I’m still interested in seeing where this goes.