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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Vampire Hunter D Review



Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: In the distant future, humanity has regressed to the dark ages and all manner of monsters rule the night.

Review: This is probably one of my favorite animes as it was also one of the first I ever watched. I can still remember when anime was first beginning to build a following in the USA, and they would only broadcast movies at 2 or 3 AM heavily edited. It was only with the advent of DVDs when I finally watched this movie uncut. This film has it all: vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, monsters, mutants, and everything under the sun or moon I should say! A young and cute girl, named Doris, has been chosen to be the bride of an old and powerful vampire named Count Magnus Lee (he did his own selection), and she seeks anyone to help her with this plight. Conveniently for her, D, a half human/half vampire, passes through the area and decides to help her. D is a fun character as he's your typical stoic warrior, but he has a giant sword, cool outfit, mysterious origin, and really good at killing things especially vampires. D also has a living hand that can talk and help him. There is a somewhat cheesy love story whereby Doris likes D, and D, I guess, is attracted back but he fears his vampire side's bloodlust. Throughtout the movie, the Count's minions try to capture Doris with many different approaches as D continually contends with their attacks. These fights are really great as there are many kinds of monsters that give their best shot at taking down D. Unfortunately for them, many end up without a head afterward! This is probably a good time to mention this film is extemely violent. Eventually, this leads to a dramatic final battle at the Count's castle where he must go head to head with D. It is during this fight that it is alluded to that D is actually the only son of Dracula, who was the first vampire in this universe, and that is why he is so powerful. The ending does feel a bit shallow as D simply rides off into the sunset, but I suppose how else would it end? The animation is becoming noticeably dated, but I prefer the older styles to the modern form anyway. The action is awesome, the story is fun, pacing is solid, and D is a badass. Check out this bad boy if you love solid horror/action, anime, or simply good movies, but be prepared for the look of older animation.

Notable Moment: When D uses his full vampire powers to overcome Count Magnus Lee's telekinesis.

Final Rating: 9/10

2 comments:

Jerome Samson said...

Being a vampire has certain limitations, but it can also be a ton of fun. Your extra strengths and abilities can make you successful in almost every endeavor you participate in and before you know it the money and acquaintances will come streaming in. You can build wealth and gain prestige and notoriety and attempt things you may never have even considered as a human. One thing you will definitely have more of is time. Beef up your education and learn all you every wanted to. Travel the world to see things most people only ever see on TV This is going to be especially fun if you turned to share your life with one of us. Let us show you the wonders of the world. Learn new languages, go skydiving or scuba dive with sharks, visit the African safari. You no longer need to be scared of nature or wildlife – you will have become the worlds strongest predator. Have fun with it and your life as a vampire can be more fulfilling than you ever dreamed. Explore, experiment, experience and get excited. There’s a big world out there with lots to see and do and as a vampire, you can do it all. If your dream is to become a powerful person in life contact: Richvampirekindom@gmail.com

villainsrule said...

Whaaaat?