Gran Familia Vol. 1
Writer/Artist: Kenji Hamada
Publisher: Titan Manga (print version)
Translation: Motoko Tamamuro
Author: Skylar Rutan
Publication date: September 30, 2025
Rating: 15+
Genre: Supernatural
Provided by Titan Manga
Gran Familia once again taught me the lessons I learned as a child. That means you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I felt like I had forgotten all that when I saw a white-haired young man in an unpinned tuxedo lounging in a red armchair. There was nothing that screamed, “You’re going to love this!” To me. Even the plot, about vampires wanting to coexist peacefully with humans, felt pretty basic.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Gran Familia. Hamada writes stories about a world divided between humans and supernatural beings called demi-humans, or demis for short. Demis are only a small portion of the population, but are persecuted for their power. The result is fear, hostility, and hatred on both sides, but the main character, a vampire demi named Leo, wants to create a world where the two races can live in peace with each other.
Gran Familia Vol. 1. Published by Titan Manga in 2025.
Interestingly, it’s hinted that Leo wasn’t always like that. Someone in his family, his father or father figure, had a huge influence on how he saw the world. The question then arises: what caused this change in mindset and where is this father figure now?
Gran Familia touches on the concept of found family through restaurant employees Zach and Rose. However, you don’t see many of them unless they’re there as backup or to add humor to Leo’s scenes. Obviously, they’re important to Leo, but they don’t seem important enough for the reader to learn more about. I wish Leo had explored the theme of found family more by adding the Demis (and humans) he rescued to his family. That would go well with what Leo says later in this volume: “Everyone on my lawn is family to me.”
Much of the humor comes from Leo’s dual personalities. A clumsy and forgetful restaurant manager who makes you question your own abilities, and a leader of the Gran Familia whose mere mention of his family’s name causes fear. And Kenji Hamada clearly differentiates the two characters through his vibrant artwork, with details such as eye shape, hair styling, and most importantly, clothing. I really liked Mr. Hamada’s character designs, as each character was unique (I especially liked Aria’s design).
Leo seems to be having smooth sailing, but we see small cracks in his surface, such as when he is invited by his children to act out a war between humans and demi-humans, and when he sees demi-humans being abused and killed for simply existing. Although she desperately hides her sadness and pain, her determination never wavers, and I can’t help but root for her to succeed in her dreams.
The first volume of Gran Familia sets up the story and characters well, with great world-building and unforgettable characters. Although it contains six separate stories, it didn’t feel all that disparate to me because Leo’s dreams run through it. The story style reminded me a little of Black Butler. Because it too starts with an unrelated story and ends up settling on a major conflict. I hope the same goes for Gran Familia.
Something like this:
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