Trinity Blood

Hundreds of years after Armageddon, the tension between Methuselahs (vampire-like creatures) and Terrans (humans) continues. Terrans are led and protected by the Holy Roman Empire, of which the capital is Vatican, while the Methuselah are backed by Byzantine. A third major player, Albion, is known for its manufacture of war technology. It is a predominantly human colony but independent of Vatican's control. 

At the start of the anime adaptation, the Terrans and Methuselahs are in a standstill. Viewers are introduced to Abel Nightroad, a member of the AX Agency, Caterina Sforza's special operations group. At the outset she is shown at odds with Francesco di Medici, a cardinal in the Vatican, who wants to start a war and is trying to intimidate young Pope Alessandro XVIII to do so.

Caterina's goal to have diplomatic relations with the Byzantine Empire is carried out secretly with the help of the AX agents. It seems that a more grievous threat is about to reveal itself and they suspect that a fourth party,  the Rosenkreuz Order is orchestrating a war.

Abel in his Crusnik form.

While the series uses historical and religious names, it has no religious references. However this take on said figures might be interesting to history buffs.

As for the protagonist Abel Nightroad, he is mostly overshadowed by other characters. There is too much focus on plot and development of the setting and very little characterization on his part. The last few episodes of the series however makes up for the little information in his past that was provided in the earlier episodes. His motivation however and his vow to become a pacifist seems all too predictable for a character of his type and background.

The series is cramped with too much information at once. Too many names to remember; some of them play minimal role in this anime adaptation. There isn't much to look forward to in fight scenes because one of the characters usually overpowers the others in a few strong attacks. Still, there are some fights that deserve credit and some promising characters as well.

Rating: 7 out of 10