Product Details

• Actors: Jôji Nakata, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Fumiko Orikasa, Steven Brand, Ralph Lister
• Directors: Umanosuke Iida, Yasunori Urata
• Writers: Kohta Hirano
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
• DVD Release Date: August 1, 2006
• Run Time: 330 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FVQYQ8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,349 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Hellsing: Complete Box Set" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The vampire-turned-hunter saga Hellsing owes a lot to both the original and remake of Vampire Hunter D. In Britain, vampires that were artificially created by implanting chips in their necks are attacking people. Dispatching them is the job of the Royal Order of Religious Knights, headed by the icy (and apparently female) Sir Integra Hellsinger. Her chief agent, the red-clad Arucard, destroys one vampire, then turns police woman Victoria into a servant-vampire, bound to him. The outré story violates the rules of the traditional legends: vampires wear crosses, enter churches, and pose as priests; Hellsinger's mortal enemy is the Vatican's Iscariot Organization. The animation is very static, and the design style changes from character to character. Despite grotesque imagery borrowed from Night of the Living Dead, the result is more silly than scary, and the series suffers from underdeveloped characters, a plot that is sketchy at best, a surfeit of pointless violence, and inadvertently hilarious dialogue.

In subsequent episodes, Luke and Jan, the Valentine Brothers, lay siege to the headquarters of the Hellsing organization, the Royal Order of Religious Knights. After numerous humans have been killed and eaten by an army of ghouls, Sir Integra Hellsinger, Arucard, and Seras must hunt down the perpetrators. Not surprisingly, the finale is elaborate, violent, and inconclusive. The closing titles announce that the search for the creators of the artificial vampires continues, so a sequel may be in the works. (Rated 16 and older, but unsuitable for viewers younger than 18: graphic violence, profanity, gore, violence against women) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bloody Vampire Series Available!, April 24, 2003

By 

John Nolley II (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

The Japanese seem to find the western version of the Vampire myth quite appealing, and the expression of that fascination reaching a peak with the anime series Hellsing.

Set in modern-day Great Britain, Hellsing focuses on the effots of a powerful private enterprise headquartered in Great Britain and dedicated to defending "God, Queen, and Country" from the ravages of vampires. Led by Dr. van Helsing descendent Sir Integra Hellsing (an icy-cool, determined woman) with the aide of her vampire minion Alucard--the coolest and toughest anime hero to come along in many a day, the Hellsing Organization faces an onslaught of man-made "freak" vampires and ghouls plus the dangerous Iscariot Organization of the Vatican and their knife-wielding human regenerator.

If you enjoy bloody anime, this series is for you. It's not nearly as gruesome as many out there but does have more blood and violence than any of the stuff shown on Cartoon Network today. If you like vampire anime, then this series is also for you; it's a neat take and breath of fresh air in a genre well-exercised in Japan.

The animation itself is done really well in terms of visual quality, with a blend of CG and hand-drawn cel work; however, it is somewhat more static in nature than much contemporary anime, comparable to that done for the Record of Lodoss War series.

The audio, though presented only in stereo sound, features a soundtrack you'll want to hunt down like a freak after fresh blood. Surprisingly, the english dubbing is quite good, featuring British-accented voice actors far superior to the average anime dub.

Hellsing is an excellent addition to any anime fan's library and a must-watch for vampire lovers everywhere.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hellsing For Evermore (please!), July 26, 2006

By 

MarfyBarfy "mahfromwi" (Janesville, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hellsing: Complete Box Set (DVD)

Tne biggest problem concerning the "Hellsing" video series...its over too quickly. Those of us with a "Hellsing" addiction discover all too soon there is no other production, anime nor western animation, that will placate our longing and we are forced to suffer the reality of being unsatisfied over and over again.

Technically, "Hellsing" is not much more than a slide show that drips and oozes. The artwork and graphic design is almost minamalist by today's standards. The storyline ranges from the far-fetched to the ridiculous.

With all of the above problems, "Hellsing" is still the most compelling and alluring series I have seen to date.

I find myself being mesmerized by the graphics, while simple they glow of raw talent. The idiot storyline is not only tolerable but enjoyable due to the wonderful sophisticated characters and their interactions aided by the marvelous voice acting. Between the art and the voice acting, these inspired characters jump off the screen.

If the reader has gotten as far my post, the basic set-up of the story is more than likely understood: The "Hellsing Organization" searches for and destroys vampires (as did Stoker's Van Helsing) with a twist; the "Hellsing Organization" uses vampires to kill vampires...and with one very special vampire in particular.

What is interesting is the triangular relationship of the three main characters: Integra Hellsing (the woman in charge and ruler of the Hellsing empire), the vampire Alucard who is also Hellsing's powerful secret weapon, and Seras Victoria the newly created reluctant vampire and devoted follower of Alucard.

The characters are so very interesting (but subtle), they could have written any old plot and I would have watched hungrily. Sometimes it seemed as almost the writer Hirano was out of a fresh idea for a storyline and threw in Sett towards the end. The way the series ended, though, corrected the course with smart scenes that kept its viewers guessing and never underestimated its audience intelligence.

marf

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a bloody good show!, September 26, 2004

By 

Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

I'm an avid fan of anime and love all aspects of every genre, whether it be a romantic comedy or action thriller, but I was looking for something darker and that's when I stumbled upon "Hellsing". Based on so many recommendations I bought the Japanese import, which I actually like more than the one advertised here for the entire series (episodes 1-13) are included in two discs, packaged within a light gatefold box, therefore much more compact.

Although I enjoy "Hellsing" for what it is and laugh with shameless mirth at the pure delight Alucard gets when battling a true vampire, I was hoping for something more atmospheric. I basically wanted something moodier; more mysterious. Something sinister to give me nightmares at night. This, however, did not do the trick, but neither was it supposed to, I assume, so that's my own personal gripe, I guess. This unfortunately won't give you shivers nor chills down your spine but there are some fine points I must mention about this anime. For one I loved the Gothic backdrops (blood red skies and intensely glowing moons, for instance). Also, I instantly became curious as to why the vampire Alucard was serving the human Sir Integra - head of the Hellsing organization, and found myself intrigued with the growth of Seras Victoria - known as kitty before her transformation, while she was still a feeble, timid police girl, so the character's in general and their development throughout the series is fascinating to say the very least. As for the plot, their best weapon against the legions of evil is the powerful Alucard, equipped with special "blessed" bullets capable of disintegrating unholy creatures, as well as ghouls (undead slaves of the vampire - corpses that move under their control). With his and even Victoria's help, the loyal troops of Hellsing fight to protect mortals from secret wars brewing in the wicked night.

"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."

By no means is this the best anime I've ever seen but if your into vampires, or anything supernatural, than this is definitely worth checking out.