Hideyuki Kikuchi: The Stuff of Dreams

• ISBN-13: 9781595820945
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Publication date: 9/13/2006
• Pages: 204

Even Vampire Hunters cannot resist the siren song of an ageless sleeping beauty.
 In a world where even the smallest and most remote village cannot avoid being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and the vampire Nobility have coexisted for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sybille Schmitz has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire's immortal kiss.
 The mysterious Vampire Hunter known only as "D" is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau. But there are a number of people who do not welcome the presence of the dhampir, fearing D will disturb the delicate balance upon which the fate of the town rests. They will stop at nothing to protect that balance, even if it it means destroying the most feared Hunter the world has ever known.

 In our beloved D's fifth adventure, he encounters a foe that he may not quite be able to deal with - not because he's so much stronger, but because he's a dream. What? Yes, that is indeed the plot. D finds himself called into someone's dream, to do what, we don't know. Neither does he.
 Once again, I found myself noticing Kikuchi's strange prose. It strays occasionally into cheesy and over the top territory, but after the first chapter or so, you get used to it and move on with your life. Also, I did notice that D talks a whole lot more in this installment than he has so far. Which is somewhat jarring, because you don't really expect him to explain his actions or ask questions - the D we know and love would just figure the mystery out on his own, based upon pure observation. So it's a little unusual in that respect. The plot, however, is fantastic.
 Kikuchi weaves a crazy complex story, that I only realized was so complex when I was trying to explain it to my dad. He didn't get it. I probably wasn't doing that well with my explanation, but it's not like he really cared, so I'm not going to be bothered about it. Suffice to say, it is well and truly a mind-fuck. Yes, guys, I did just drop my first f-bomb on this blog. We should through a party. Back to the plot, though. It leaves you wondering, definitely. Who was right? Did everything turn out as D expected? Were the characters happy with the choices they made? I leave those questions to you, as Kikuchi does. At the end, you're left to your own devices to decide how everything might have turned out. Because D doesn't much care, and Kikuchi certainly doesn't tell you.
 This novel is one of the shorter ones, so it flies by, but you hardly notice at what speed you're reading because the story is rather engrossing. And that's all I'll say about the plot. I'm done, I swear.
 Characterization: As I said before, D seems to be a little more open in this novel, which, honestly, displeases me a bit. One of the reasons I love D is that very stoicism that seems to be missing from The Stuff of Dreams. The other characters are pretty shallow since it is such a small novel. A novella, really. The only person that really interested me was Sheriff Krutz. He was just so wonderfully conflicted, and you felt a connection with him and his wife right at the moment you met them (separately, but the same feeling).
 Overall: B+
 Because of the smallness of the work, a lot was crammed in and characterization definitely suffered. But the story was fascinating and definitely set your brain to working, so that's why the score isn't lower. Although, I did enjoy it, so don't freak.