NOBLESSE

After 820 years, a vampire awakens from slumber in this uncredited translation of a South Korean WEBTOON manhwa.

Cadis Etrama Di Raizel emerges from his coffin in an empty building, with no knowledge of his whereabouts or how long he’s slept. Attempting to blend in by wearing a white jacket, pale gray shirt and trousers, and white jabot—copying “the most common attire” he sees on people in the streets—Rai follows Shinwu, a formulaic delinquent with a heart of gold, to Ye Ran High School, where he discovers his devoted servant, Frankenstein, in charge. Completely unfamiliar with the modern Korean language and culture, Rai enrolls at Ye Ran to help with the adjustment. Not long after Rai awakens, a pair of violent henchmen with supernatural powers arrive in the area under orders from “the higher-ups” to find Rai’s coffin. With little planning or fleshed-out motivations, the henchmen begin targeting humans, focusing on Rai’s new classmates. This opening volume covers the first set of entries of the original online series. The central characters have pale, peach-toned skin. Yuna, the only named girl in the story, functions as a potential love interest and a rescuable plot device. Rai adheres to the trope of a stoic, superpowered protagonist, revealing little more than glimpses of a personality. Occasional moments of humor add appeal, and while there is high-stakes action, its suspense is blunted by the thin worldbuilding.

As bland and dated as the protagonist.