Vampire Hunter D

Director
Doyu Ashida
Production
Madhouse
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
80 mins
Year
1985

Vampire Hunter D

By Eric
23rd May 04

I'll be bashed for this, but I actually liked the sequel to this movie better than the original, even if it wasn't as gory. Oh Lord, this movie is gory. Limbs chopped off, guts fly all over, heads explode or split open...it's very, very violent. I hate to admit it, but it was pretty cool.

I'm not the type to praise an anime just because of gore, but Vampire Hunter D works because of its gothic setting, which makes the bloodiness of it all more at home than it would be in the likes of a modern based release.

Basically, a girl is bitten by a vampire who wants to marry her, have his fun with her, then find someone else. When you're immortal, you have to keep things interesting, right? The movie is basically about D being hired to kill the vampire before he marries her, thus making her one of his own kind. It's VERY straightfoward, but that doesn't keep it from being enjoyable. D's talking hand is a delight (though I wish they'd say how it got there) and there are some moments where we get to see into D's psyche.

Characters are enjoyable, although that one little boy annoyed me ("Oh D! You're so awesome! You're so cool! I'll repeat that just in case you didn't hear me!") The fights are pretty bloody, like I said, but they're done intelligently, with more than just hack n' slash. This does slow the action down in some places, though.

I don't like to bash this movie, as I did like it, but it is ugly. It's not well drawn at all. Try not to think about it too much while you watch.

Vampire Hunter D isn't a bad anime, nor is it one that will make you gasp with awe. It is an enjoyable piece of work. That's it. Watch it to have fun, not to see a brilliant, life-changing story that you'll cherish forever. It's just not meant to be viewed with those expectations.

7/10

-- Eric 23rd May 04

Vampire Hunter D Images