Customer Reviews

Hellsing

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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

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.

This is a great show, lots of fight, tons of blood, and even a little bit of gore thrown in makes this one awesome anime. I love vampires, I love anime, and I love this vampire anime. About the show: The Hellsing Organization travels throughout England fighting and killing vampires and the Ghouls that the create in order to make the world safer for all. Below is a quick summary of each of the shows:

Disc 1:

Order 01: The Undead - Reports of missing people have flooded the small town of Cheddar. With local police knowing the problem in the town, they have ignored all of the warnings set down by the Hellsing Organization; the police that they have sent are all dead. Now Alucard has to go in and clean up the mess, soon the fate of one very alive police woman now resides in the hands of Alucard.

Order 02: Club M - Seras Victoria is still undergoing her training, not only as a rookie-cop, but also a rookie-vampire. However, she has to learn fast as the organization is faced with a new problem. Two psychotic vampires are wreaking havoc on the country, going from house to house, murdering entire families, drinking their blood, and mutilating the remains.

Order 03: Sword Dancer - With reports of the creation of a new artificial vampire, the report is confirmed when one college student ends up becoming a vampire. After an autopsy, it is discovered that he has a chip implanted in him to turn him into a vampire, but even after the chip is removed, he still searches for his lost love. However, it appears that the Vatican has sent their own agent to dispatch the vampire.

Disc 2:

Order 04: Innocent as a Human - After a series of vampire-related snuff films are released on the internet; the organization becomes interested when one of the videos shows one of their own members being killed. Victoria is dispatched to investigate the culprits behind the video after suspecting one of their own.

Order 05: Brotherhood - Following the murder of a government agent by two vampire brothers the Hellsing Organization begins to investigate the scene. However, the two strike first and attack the headquarters of the organization. With their own army, things begin to look pretty grim for the organization.

Order 06: Dead Zone - The Valentine brothers continue their relentless assault on the Hellsing Organization: Walter, Seras, and Alucard appear to be the only ones who can drive them off. Walter and Seras charge off to fight Jan and his army of ghouls while Alucard hangs back and waits for his brother Luke.

Disc 3

Order 07: Duel - Reeling from the massive losses suffered from the Valetine brothers' attack, Integra seeks out vengeance for the fallen members of her organization. After sending out Seras with a team to track down those who are responsible, Integra gets an unwelcome visitor from the Vatican. Following the heated meeting of the two organization, Alucard heads out to seek a fight with Paladin Alexander Anderson.

Order 08: Kill House - Following a raid in China that resulted in the destruction of vital evidence to the origin of the "Freak Chips", Integra steps up the search for the people responsible. Seras teams up with an MI-5 agent to gather information.

Order 09: Red Rose Vertigo - During a raid on an old castle, the Hellsing Organization is turned away by the S.A.S.. After the team evacuates the castle, Seras senses something strange in the castle. Integra gets an unexpected visit from her sister Laura, but upon her arrival strange things begin to happen and Seras suspects that something is up.

Disc 4:

Order 10: Master of Monster - In order to prevent the change to ghoul, Integra slits her own throat and as her surgeons try to save her, she begins to dream of how she met Alucard and became the leader of the Hellsing Organization

Order 11: Transcend Force - Integra is still healing from surgery but things turn worse as there have been several attempts on the queen's life in recent days. Upon receving word that the queen is coming to the Hellsing Castle, Integra begins to make preparations as she sends troops to the Tower of London to set a trap, but who's really setting the trap?

Order 12: Total Destruction - Things at the Tower of London has again turned grim for the organization as the troops are easily being wiped out, worse is that the organization itself has been labeled as a terrorist organization. As the British military tries to stop the Hellsing soldiers, Alucard goes to the Tower in hopes of fighting Incognito.

Order 13: Hellfire - The battle between Incognito and Alucard rages on as Walter and Integra head to the Tower. But as things begin to get worse and worse, Integra realizes that possibly the fate of the entire world rests in Alucard's hands.

Overall, this is a great show, the bad thing is that with only 13 episodes, they never really get to the creator of the "Freak Chips" and the ending is actually kind of open. The good news is that there is a new OVA slowly being released on DVD that'll hopefully continue the storyline more. The music in this show is awesome in my opinion, the show is pretty cool, some weird animation here and there, and lots of blood. However, there is quite a bit of profanity in this show and there is even some sexual situations so it is definitely not for children.

I'd never actually heard of Hellsing before, until my friend bought the first DVD out of impulse based on something she'd read on the internet. She leant me the first two and at first I was sceptical - vampires and Christianity don't really appeal to me much - but after watching only the first episode I was totally hooked! Whatever you read, whatever your original thoughts based on the cover art, the blurb or whatever, you really have to see it for yourself to make your own opinion.

The main character Alucard is one bad-ass vampire; arrogant as all hell, but he's got the skills to back it up: he's never let a target escape. It's impossible not to love him.
The story - set in modern day London - revolves around the Hellsing organisation, a secret society dedicated to freeing Britain of all Impure Souls. It is led by Integra Hellsing (sound familiar? She's the decendant of Dracula's Dr Abraham Van Helsing) a strong woman who is dedicated to eliminating Undead of any kind. So why is a vampire her secret weapon? (that's just one thing you'll have to work out for yourself from watching)

With the addition of Seras Victoria, a timid police officer turned vampire when Alucard has to shoot through her lungs to eliminate a target, the story kicks off.

Throughout the series the Hellsing Organisation has to deal with ghouls and a new type of man-made breed of vampire. That's not to mention interference from the Iscariot Organisation, a Catholic based organisation also dedicated to the elimination of vampires (Hellsing is Protestant, hence the enmity between the two)
Of course, there's much worse to come. In Hellsing when they say 'bad guy' they mean REALLY bad guy.

The series doesn't have a down moment. It's all fantastic! There's great action, characters you either love or love to hate and a brilliant soundtrack on par with Cowboy Bebop. The complete collection is a must have because it's so easy to watch the whole series at once, again and again (believe me, I do all the time ^^)
You need to watch it all more than once, because there's so much more to it than it originally seems. Anyone who says it's all action and no plot has really only taken in less than half the show.

And so, to sum myself up in a few words: Hellsing is one of the greatest anime to date. A must see for any anime fan and a must have! Trust me, you won't regret watching it.

Welcome to the Hellsing Organization; an army dedicated to keep the country safe from the undead. The group fights against vampires and ghouls of all sorts in the dark of night. Their ultimate weapon is a hunter that is a vampire himself, Alucard; an unstoppable figure that can face just about any sort of evil that the darkness has to offer him. Vampires and ghouls are not safe with this elite team of hunters and soldiers lurking about.

This collection of "Hellsing" is a set of four DVDs that reveal this exciting and bloody journey--a quest against the undead and all of their defects and imperfections. Join Alucard; a vampire who has dedicated his life to serving his master, Sir Integra, and leads to fight against the sleepless dead. You'll also follow the journey of Hellsing newcomer, Seras Victoria, who was once a police officer until turned vampire. The Organization is determined to defend humanity against all creatures of the night and vow to face any deadly foe in their way. These four volumes tell the story of ultimate darkness and evil--and how a certain group is possibly the only weapon against it.

I found "Hellsing" to be a complete joy to watch. While being very stylish and flashy, the series still has structure and depth to it. The characters are extremely fascinating in their own unique ways. Alucard has become one of my new favorite anime characters, as he's one not to mess around with! The series is short, with only having a total of 13 episodes. While this is a bit of a downside, it also works in a positive way as it won't take much of your time to get through it all. The first three discs run at about 75 minutes each and the fourth one runs at about 95 minutes total.

As I indicated in the reviews for the individual volumes, this is nothing young children should watch. This eerie and sinister anime series is extremely adult and offers what can be considered sometimes frightening and horrific moments. The series contains graphic violence, more than a fair amount of blood and gore, strong language, adult content, and dark and disturbing themes and imagery. The series gives you a feel of the "Spawn" series in some ways, but still offers a fresh and ideal concept.

"Hellsing" is recommended for any fan of anime, as well as any fan of ghouls and vampires. The series is exciting and thrilling as well as completely mesmerizing. These 13 episodes give you a wildly trip into the darkness. Are you ready to do battle against the undead? Do you think you can follow Alucard, or will you be left behind? The decision is yours, and it has always been yours as he would tell you himself...

Hellsing is a secret organization whose main objective is to destroy evil creatures, primarily vampires, in order to protect the country. This set follows a rather loosely strung plot involving the Hellsing organization and more importantly it's most insteresting member; the enigmatic Alucard. Alucard is infact a vampire who works with the Hellsing organization to help destroy those evil forces mentioned above. Clearly this series is about style; the cool characters and their mysterious nature. The soundtrack is astounding, think cowboy bebop type theme with spot on accurate jazz/rock music overlays (especially apparent when Alucard comes out to play).

The animation ranges from incredible to moderate. I especially like the overexposed white effect they used to give characters and scenery a certain "glow". Again, it's the overall style that wins you over. When Alucard whips out his 454 custom pistol and blazes a few rounds off, you can't help but smile. This animation is also a bit graphic in nature. But there should be no problem seeing exploding zombie goons and blood soaked vampires in a series of this nature.

The plot as mentioned previously is not the best but it is enough to perpetuate the series. Basically someone is making Vampires through the use of a cleverly designed chip that changes the poor victims body and DNA into that of a vampire. Hellsing basically hunts and kills them. But who's behind the these fake Vampires? Why are they being made? Most importantly can they be stopped?

The music is brilliant. The funky suedo jazz music that Alucard strolls to is great. The theme song is catchy and makes you want to watch the title sequence. I can't speak highly enough about the musical value of this set. The sound effects and voices (even in the dub) are accurate and depict the characters justly.

So now you ask, why only four stars? The plot could have used some fine tuning and more character development. The audio should have been remixed into Dolby Digtal or even Pro Logic to take greater advantage of this audio spectacle (Pioneer apparently likes to leave anime it in its original stereo sound). I would reccomend this series to those who like great vampire stylistic anime. But not to those who are looking for the next Vampire Princess Miyu (OAV). This set won't likely lead you to rumunation. But it will make you smile.

Hellsing is perhaps the best anime I've seen since Cowboy Bebop. It has action, mysterious characters, and a soundtrack that can compete with Cowboy Bebop. The main theme is simple enough. The Hellsing Family of Great Britian has guarded the Royal Family for hundreds of years from vampires and ghouls and other supernatural creatures. The family is currently head by Sir Integra Hellsing (a woman, I swear) who has the ultimate trump card: a vampire of her own. She ressurected the vampire Alucard, who serves her and hunts vampires for Hellsing. At the start of the series, Alucard rescues a young police girl named Seras, and makes her a vampire in his service. Through the course of the series they discover more and more about a plot by another organization that is creating "artificial" vampires. The series ends with Alucard fighting the strongest of them, Incognito (yes, the name is funny.)

What really makes the series is Alucard, who it is suggested is Dracula. He takes great pride in what he is, and finds the freak vampires to be disgusting abominations. Through the show, the viewer gets the impression that Alucard is bored. He spends his time trying to find a worth opponent that he can go all out against. He finds this in the form of Father Anderson, a Paladin working for a secret Vatican organization, and Incognito. But still, one feels sorry for the vampire because he is so alone. He had wiped out most of his race and can find no enjoyment in missions anymore.

Seras is a less likeable character at the start though. She has what I call "Anne Rice Vampire Syndrome" where she feels so conflicted about drinking blood and leaving her home. She does get over it, but very late in the series. The other characters are much more impressive like Integra, Anderson, and Walter, Integra's retainer. He seems like a nice old guy, but he's as ruthless as Alucard.

I really enjoyed Hellsing, but apparently Japan did not, since it was never that popular. It felt to me like the series was expected to continue, since there are so many plot holes left at the end. The ending notes seemed really tacked on, and there is so much that suggests a second season was intended. I really wish that it was, since the show could have only gotten better. The manga answers many questions, but in a way that seems cheap. But this is good DVD reguardless. The dubbing is well done, and the subtitles are accurate. The price is worth it, and if you get really into it, check out the manga.

This is a great series (I highly reccomend it), but if you're looking for the super-stylistic, 3d backgroundified version, that is the OVA remakes that are just being released this year. There seemed to be some confusion for the people who download the OVA videos, and then assumed that was the original series. I hope the that clears things up for the crowd that likes to download before they buy.

As with many anime series this was made while the manga was written and so the animators quickly run out of source material and have to make up stuff ("filler"). The problem here is while the filler material is good in its own right it is doesn't quite fit the rest of the series and so the series feels uneven. Of the 13 episodes only 1-3, 5-6, part of 7, and 10 come from the manga and even they feel "off" due to different amounts of filler material being mixed into them.

Sadly by Episode 11 this series give up any attempt at even following the manga story line and as seen by the other filler material the anime suffers as a result. There is a story going around that the studio doing this series quite literally ran out of money and had to wrap up the series in a hurry which would explain the totally unsatisfactory ending that is done in TEXT that leaves a LOT of plot thread dangling.

For fans of the manga who want a complete storyline I would recommend skipping this and going for the Ultimate OVA version as Seres, Walter, Anderson, and even Alucard get far more character development in that version then here.