It’s impressive how much of the Dark Moon franchise has made it into English. Created by HYBE, the Korean boy band ENHYPEN, and the Japanese boy band &TEAM, the series originated as a Wattpad webnovel and a webtoon simultaneously, and then as an anime – all three of which are available as of this writing. (Plus three spinoffs currently serializing on WEBTOON, Dark Moon: Two Moons, Dark Moon: The Grey City, and Children of Vamfield; the similarly titled Summer Moon is a different HYBE collaboration. There’s a fourth series not currently available in English as I write this, Dark Moon: The Blood of Vargr). The series features the ENHYPEN members as vampires and the &TEAM members as werewolves in what feels like a throwback to the Twilight years. The anime follows the manhwa‘s plot rather than the novel’s, and there are significant differences between the two written versions. Most notably, the novel doesn’t include Sooha’s friend Chris and introduces her mother, and the nature of Vamfield House, where the vampire boys grew up, is much darker. Both storylines are interesting, but if you’re a novel reader, be prepared for some distinct differences.

The plot follows Sooha, a high school student, as she enrolls at the prestigious Decelis Academy. Sooha has a deep and abiding hatred of vampires, both because they murdered her childhood friend Chris and because her preternatural strength makes people think that she is one. Her preconceptions are almost immediately challenged when she meets seven “brothers” (they’re not blood related; they grew up in the same orphanage) who also boast mysterious abilities. Heli, the leader of the group, is immediately drawn to Sooha, and his brothers aren’t far behind. They do reveal their powers, and it’s honestly Sooha’s willful ignorance that keeps her from realizing that they’re vampires for so long. Fortunately, by that point, she’s aware that she can’t tar all vampires with the same brush, although the plot goes out of its way to make sure that we know that the good ones aren’t really the norm.

That’s thanks to their progenitor, a man called Dardan. Dardan is the primary antagonist of the series, although the gang spends more time fighting his minions than him. Dardan’s goal is unclear for most of the show, although he very much wants Sooha and to dispose of the seven young men who form her reverse harem. And possibly the seven werewolf brothers who are her back-up harem. (I’ve written two other reviews for this franchise‘s media, and I feel as if it may be getting sillier each time. This apparently won’t stop me from continuing to consume it.) Dardan and the boys, and Sooha, of course, are all tied to a mysterious moon-based kingdom in the distant past, and one of the most interesting elements of this story is the way it seems to deliberately evoke Sailor Moon. While it lacks the astrological and astronomical elements of Naoko Takeuchi‘s magical girl powerhouse, there are a few too many similarities to ignore. The princess with a moon-based name (Selen here, Serenity there), the handsome knight, and the jealous suitor are all present, as are the loyal followers and a history full of reincarnations in an attempt to right the wrongs of the past. There’s some gender swapping going on – Dardan is analogous to Beryl, and the princess’s loyal retainers are male – it’s enough to feel at least a little deliberate.

This similarity, deliberate or not, is only a piece of what makes Dark Moon: The Blood Altar entertaining. Although I would hesitate to call it “good” in any sense of the word, it is very, very consumable. Sooha is a strong heroine for the most part, although some of this is robbed from her at the end because of the necessity of having the boy (band) save her (and their brand). She doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, and she ably handles the affections of Heli and his brothers while never hinting that she likes any of them the same way she likes him. She’s nice without being a doormat, and when she’s confronted with an uncomfortable truth or situation, she does her best to calm down and think it through. The boys are all unique enough that you can tell them apart by more than their hair colors, and the character with the most baggage, Solon, feels like he’s earned his issues. The werewolves aren’t nearly as developed, but their leader, Khan, isn’t just furry Heli, and they do have their own storyline and priorities that a twelve-episode show simply doesn’t have time to explore fully.

The pacing is a bit off, with the first half moving much more slowly than the second. Although it’s unlikely to be true, it feels like this was written with the thought of being twenty-four episodes and then was chopped down to twelve. The art is a decent adaptation of the comic’s art, though the animation isn’t always up to the task. The power walk in the opening theme just looks ridiculous, and noticeable shortcuts are taken during the episodes, although they never shy away from showing blood, and characters’ clothing doesn’t become magically clean until actual magic is employed. There’s a real effort here, even if it doesn’t always pay off.

Music does a bit better, as you’d hope in a series based on two separate boy bands. ENHYPEN performs all the theme songs, and they’re appropriately catchy. The opening theme is the same for all twelve episodes, while the ending theme alternates between “Criminal Love” and “Fatal Trouble,” which is more of a ballad. Background music isn’t anything special, but I did enjoy all three theme songs. I also very much enjoyed the English dub, which made the unusual choice of having UK voice actors play all of the vampires. It just adds a little something extra to the experience.

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, isn’t necessarily a good show. It’s a story you can’t think too hard about. The animation isn’t great, and the plot doesn’t hold much water, but despite that, it’s a lot of fun. Turn off your brain or turn back on the Twilight portion of it. This may not be high art, but it’s definitely a good time.