The things I loved about Vampire Knight initially: the art and that it was a high school drama but with vampires (substitute teenage hormones for blood lust). A little overdone these days, but keep in mind this manga started in 2005. Then the story really dips in the middle, like a sagging mattress. What kept me going was finding out what happens to all the characters I'd grown to love.

Having finished this manga in 2016 thinking and 'meh' and 'finally I'm done'. Coming back to it in 2017 after forgetting how it all ended, I read through a chapter summary page, re-read some key scenes in the manga and gotta say, I appreciate it much much more.

You need to have an appetite for bittersweet love stories, as opposed to neat, happy tidy endings (nothing on the level of 'She, the Ultimate Weapon' mind you). Personally, I appreciate bittersweet romances, they leave lingering feeling of what might have been. Worth remembering that this doesn't mean such romances are without happiness, you just need to accept the imperfect elements of the romance(s) as well.

Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I read a synopsis of the story in a few years time..again, definitely.