Hiromasa Okujima’s wildly unconventional supernatural comedy Baban Baban Ban Vampire is officially heading toward its conclusion. Retail listings indicate that the manga's upcoming 15th compiled book volume, scheduled to ship on December 8, will mark the beginning of the story's final stage.
Originally launched in Akita Shoten's Bessatsu Shōnen Champion magazine back in October 2021, the series follows Ranmaru Mori, a 450-year-old vampire working undercover at a traditional public bathhouse. His ultimate goal? To protect the purity of the bathhouse's fifteen-year-old heir, Rihito, ensuring he can eventually harvest prime, eighteen-year-old virgin blood. International audiences will also soon get a chance to experience the chaos, as Dark Horse Comics has licensed the series for an English release starting November 10.
The franchise has expanded significantly beyond its print origins since its debut. A television anime adaptation premiered in January and is currently streaming via Netflix, bringing Okujima's eccentric brand of dark comedy to a global audience. Meanwhile, a live-action film adaptation overcame earlier production delays to debut in Japanese theaters last July, landing solidly at #5 during its opening weekend.
