Episode 11 of The Case Study of Vanitas features two bloodsucking scenes that take place very differently, but represent two sides of the same idea.
Vampires are some of the most adaptable creatures in all of fiction, and every adaptation has some variation on how vampires work. Sometimes the bite can turn a human into a vampire, other times it is a means to gain more power. The way The Case Study of Vanitas presents vampires differs in that vampires are born rather than created, meaning their bloodlust is easier to control, like a natural instinct – unless they are cursed.
Episode 11 has two bloodsucking scenes in two very different circumstances, one between Jeanne and Vanitas and the other with Lord Ruthven and Noe. Both scenes show the bloodsucking that symbolizes Vanitas’ world, specifically the idea of control – both losing and gaining it over others.
The episode begins innocently, with Jeanne trying to get Vanitas to stop caring about her. Jeanne consulted with Domi, who suggested that she pretend to care about him, since she heard Noe say that Vanitas doesn’t care about those who love him. Jeanne asks Vanitas to go on a date, but Vanitas sees through her plan and agrees to go on a date. So, ironically (but not surprisingly) Jeanne found herself caught up in the charms of Vanitas.
At the same time, Noe is also dating. When Lord Ruthven invites him to a coffee shop, he seems friendly enough at first, but as seen in the previous episode, Ruthven is having an affair with Charlatan, so it’s clear what his intentions are. that when inviting Noe.
At the same time, when Jeanne and Vanitas’ date ends, she sees a human boy with a scratched knee, which awakens her bloodlust. She almost attacked the boy but Vanitas stopped her in time and let her bite him. Jeanne’s difficulty in controlling her bloodlust prompts Vanitas to ask her again if she is the bearer of the curse. Jeanne was unable to answer due to someone’s command, although from the silhouette it was clear that it was Ruthven.
Ruthven reveals a bit of her own past to Noe: he was a vampire teacher when humans and vampires were at war, and somehow his students both died. This could be the motive behind his actions, because when Noe says that he doesn’t see humans as enemies and considers vampires and humans as equals, he immediately attacks Noe and humans. suck his blood.
The visuals of both blood-sucking scenes are quite interesting, Ruthven is physically stronger and mentally also much more manipulative than Noe, so he handles Noe easily, and he has complete control over the situation. Figure. These panoramic mirrors represent Ruthven’s duplicate nature. When Noe finally sees himself in the mirror, that’s when he chooses to reveal his true nature to Noe.
In the case of Jeanne and Vanitas, while the bloodsucking was allowed, it only happened because Jeanne was unable to fully control her bloodlust. Physically, she seems to control Vanitas – even climbing on top of him – she is not really mentally controlling. Though Vanitas too, who can only help quench Jeanne’s thirst, cannot cure her until she acknowledges her illness. When it comes to treating patients, it seems Vanitas is more concerned with consent than usual.
The reshoots aim to demonstrate the relationship between lifesteal and control, and how they can be linked to the villain’s goals. Since vampires in this world don’t need to shed blood to survive, this act has a symbolic meaning: control can be gained or lost through this act. Vampires are eliminated when they are cursed and out of control, which is why Charlatan is so terrifying, but control over others is what powerful vampires seek, and maybe it is. is also what Charlatan is pursuing.
Since vampires are created when someone tries to control the world, the need for control is probably inherent in vampires as a species. Even in more romantic or erotic situations, there is a possessive aspect of bloodsucking, as in the case of Jeanne and Vanitas.
