Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Babanba Banban Vampire

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Sarah Rasmussen

Jump to:

Episode Reviews

TV Series Review

As Ranmaru scrubs the floors at the Koi Bathhouse, he says, “Cleaning up the bathhouse … is an ideal job for me. You could even say this bathhouse work is the reason for my existence.”

At face value, you might conclude that Ranmaru simply loves his gig. But Ranmaru is hiding a secret.

He’s a vampire.

And a 15-year-old boy named Rihito is the real reason Ranmaru is staying at the bathhouse.

Ten years ago, Ranmaru collapsed outside of the Koi Bathhouse on the brink of death. Though initially frightened, 5-year-old Rihito eventually invited Ranmaru into the bathhouse to stay. And Rihito’s innocence and purity immediately mesmerized Ranmaru.

You see, the vampire has a particular—ahem—taste when it comes to humans. And Ranmaru finds pure, virgin, 18-year-old boys particularly delectable. So Ranmaru devised a plan: He will work at the Koi Bathhouse until Rihito’s 18th birthday. Then he’ll indulge in Rihito’s blood.  

It’s been a decade since Ranmaru first met Rihito, and things are pretty much the same. Sure, Rihito is 15 now, but he’s still the same innocent kid as before.

But that innocence is threatened when Rihito starts high school.

On the first day of school, Rihito falls in love with a girl in his class, and Ranmaru realizes his plans could unravel. So, Ranmaru vows to protect Rihito’s virginity until his 18th birthday.

Then, he’ll have his reward.  

Bloodsucker

Based on the Japanese manga series Baban Baban Ban Vampire by Hiromasa Okujima, Netflix’s new anime series Babanba Banban Vampire contains some bloodcurdling content.

For one, Ranmaru frequently acts according to his violent vampire nature. Some scenes feature him biting into the necks and shoulders of various characters, who bleed as they painfully pass away. Additionally, Ranmaru’s desire throughout the series is to drink Rihito’s blood. Sometimes, Ranmaru is almost overcome by this desire, and he thinks, “I could drink him dry right this moment.”

As you might’ve guessed, even more troubling than Ranmaru’s vampiric desires are the sexual suggestions that underscore these longings. Ranmaru explains his blood-drinking preferences by saying, “I only settle for 18-year-old virgin boys.” Ranmaru’s statement seems to refer to more than his culinary taste in humans.

For example, when Ranmaru thinks about Rihito’s purity, he sometimes experiences physical arousal. Ranmaru also looks longingly at Rihito’s unclothed body—which viewers do see—as he bathes in the bathhouse. And the overall relationship between the 450-year-old vampire and the 15-year-old boy appears alarmingly intimate. Additionally, Ranmaru reveals that one of his ex-lovers was another man, for whom he expressed his love by biting his flesh and drinking his blood.

Adding to the sexual undertones of the series are frequent scenes featuring animated nudity. Apart from some bare backsides, nothing critical is seen, but the show is animated in such a way that critical features are barely hidden. (Readers of this review should note, however, that much of the nudity is due to the show’s setting in a traditional, single-gendered Japanese bathhouse, or sento, in which complete nudity would be considered acceptable—and not at all sexual.)

Additionally, while the show’s narration is entirely in Japanese, its subtitles employ harsh profanity, including the f-word, “h—” and misuses of God’s name. And of course, since the show features a vampire protagonist, there are references to Ranmaru’s superhuman abilities and talismanic forces. 

If you’re looking for a family-friendly animated show about vampires, I’m inclined to suggest Hotel Transylvania instead of this Netflix anime. After all, Babanba Banban Vampire probably contains far too much disturbing sexual content, nudity and profanity to suit your family.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

Episode Reviews

Jan 11, 2025 – S1, E1: “The Vampire of the Public Bathhouse”

When Rihito falls in love with a girl on his first day of high school, Ranmaru realizes his decade-long plan to sup on Rihito’s innocent blood might become thwarted. So, Ranmaru vows to prevent Rihito’s romantic feelings from escalating.

Several scenes feature animated men who are completely unclothed. In one scene—which takes place in a traditional Japanese bathhouse—unclothed men wash each other’s backs with soap and bathe in the same pool. Critical areas are visible, but—other than a man’s bare backside—specific body parts are indistinguishable.

Though most of the scenes that feature nudity are not overtly sexual, moments between Rihito (a 15-year-old boy) and Ranmaru (a 450-year-old vampire) contain sexual undertones. For example, although Ranmaru’s goal is to drink the blood of Rihito, the show seems to correlate Ranmaru’s vampiric desires with sexual desires. In one scene, Ranmaru seems to experience physical arousal when he thinks about Rihito’s youthfulness and purity. Ranmaru also imagines Rihito experiencing similar sexual arousal.

A character suggests that Ranmaru had a promiscuous love life. Later, we discover that Ranmaru used to be in a relationship with another man. When he finds out about Rihito’s school crush, Rihito’s father implies that he is OK with Rihito engaging in sexual activity, and he simply instructs his son to use protection. A man has painted nails. Ranmaru repeatedly thinks about how he desires to drink the blood of Rihito. There are also a few scenes in which a vampire bites into the necks and shoulders of human characters, who contort their faces in pain as they die. Ranmaru states that he wants to murder Rihito’s crush, and later, he attempts to act on this desire.

Characters use profanity such as the f-word, “g–d–n,” “h—” and “p-ssed.” Adults drink alcohol.

Due to talismanic forces, vampires cannot go into homes unless they are invited inside.

The Plugged In Show logo
Elevate family time with our parent-friendly entertainment reviews! The Plugged In Podcast has in-depth conversations on the latest movies, video games, social media and more.

Sarah Rasmussen

Sarah Rasmussen is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2023.

Latest Reviews

Animation

Dead Sea Squirrels

Some 2,000-year-old squirrels offer some great lessons about both the Bible and life in this clever new Minno series.

goldie
Animation

Goldie

Goldie’s about a very, very big girl. The show’s heart is pretty big, too, while its problems are refreshingly tiny.

Crime

Burden of Guilt

Unlike some true crime shows, Burden of Guilt steers clear of exploiting victims of tragedy. But its disturbing subject matter might not be for everyone.

Comedy

Cobra Kai

The Gen X-targeted nostalgia bait revisits Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry from The Karate Kid … 34 years later.

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family, that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!