#DRCL: Midnight Kids is a singular retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Created by Shin-ichi Sakamoto, the manga follows Mina Murray, the one feminine pupil on the prestigious Whitby Faculty. Collectively together with her classmates, she kinds the Camellia Membership to conquer an historical evil. The premise is satisfactorily mysterious –and hints seeded all through the e book invite readers to query how a lot of what they’re witnessing is actuality. Sadly, this thriller is overshadowed by a essential flaw: the id of Luke/Lucy Westenra.
Having launched in English on September 19, Midnight Kids reminds audiences a number of occasions all through that it’s meant to be a narrative the place gender, nationality, and social standing are disregarded within the face of a standard enemy. A flashback offered by Quincy illustrates how essential it was for him that his close-knit pal group was as numerous as attainable. The boys do torment Mina, however it’s hinted that they may change their methods as soon as the plot actually will get going. Then, readers are launched to Luke Westenra, a.okay.a. Lucy Westenra, and confusion ensues.
Luke is a fragile boy with a gentle disposition; an artist susceptible to poetic, flowery language. Mina refers to him as “Lucy”, making him a male substitute for the unique Lucy in Bram Stoker’s story. This in itself could be a enjoyable, unique twist. The waters get muddy, nonetheless, when readers be taught that Lucy isn’t only a cute pet identify. Fairly, that is the identify of Luke’s alter-ego, a feminine character that solely Mina appears to know. Whereas this may usually be a optimistic signal of gender-nonconforming illustration, the confusion comes from the context across the swap between Luke and Lucy.
When Lucy is first launched, she’s depicted as being curled up in a birdcage hidden beneath Luke’s swimsuit jacket. When he opens the jacket, the cage unlocks, and Lucy is freed. This looks like imagery mirroring how somebody in nineteenth century Britain, like Luke, might really feel that their true id have to be saved hidden and locked away. Later, Mina explains that Lucy solely comes out at evening, seemingly a results of sleepwalking, and that she doesn’t keep in mind something that occurs when Luke is in management. Whereas extra express than the birdcage imagery, this clarification feels much less concrete, as a substitute suggesting that Luke has one thing akin to Dissociative Identification Dysfunction.
Whereas it’s not unimaginable for somebody with DiD to have personalities that determine as completely different genders, the truth that the road between this clarification and that of Luke being gender non-conforming is so blurry turns into an issue. As an alternative of emphasizing the shunning of stereotypes that Midnight Kids needs to champion, Luke/Lucy’s character calls again to doubtlessly dangerous stereotypes and emphasizes them, detracting from their character and leaving readers befuddled as they struggle to determine what precisely they’re being advised.
Sakamoto has managed to place a modern-feeling spin on the traditional Dracula story, turning it right into a manga with beautiful artwork and a singular setting, in addition to the hero of the story being younger Mina. Nevertheless, the complicated portrayal of Luke/Lucy muddles the story and retains the readers’ focus the place it shouldn’t be. The evening has historically symbolized a time when folks might discover their id away from prying eyes, however is also seen as a set off for Luke’s id swap. The truth that the “actual” clarification is rarely made clear solely reinforces unfavourable concepts about being transgender, one thing #DRCL: Midnight Kids must handle.
#DRCL: Midnight Kids is obtainable in English from Viz Media.