4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Want Bloody Good Vampire Anime? You've Got It!, March 15, 2006
This review is from: Hellsing, Vol. 1: Impure Souls (DVD)
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, the series focuses on the efforts of the Hellsing Organization, a powerful private enterprise helping to defend "God, Queen, and Country" from the ravages of vampires. Run by the descendents of the van Helsing family of Dracula fame, the organization employs the enigmatic vampire Alucard in their hunt against creatures of the night.
Alucard by far makes the series as one of the most hard-boiled ...anime heroes to date with just enough hint of a savage, barely-kept dark side to make him interesting. He dispatches the armies of the night with a huge .454 Casull gun filled with explosive, blessed silver bullets in style and with panache.
In this first volume in the series, the first two episodes really serve as introductory material for the characters and setting. Seras Victoria, a police woman caught in the middle of an operation gone bad and the only "survivor" of her unit, becomes a vampire at Alucard's hand and joins the Hellsing Organization, and the organization must hunt down disturbing human-created "freak" vampires increasingly a problem in England.
The third episode is where the series really begins to come into its own, introducing the rival Iscariot Organization of the Vatican and its rabid human regenerator.
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.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth buying for action fans, January 9, 2006
This review is from: Hellsing, Vol. 1: Impure Souls (DVD)
This is an anime I can recommend with little hesitation to any person who likes action, with a bit of drama as well. The title refers to a British vampire hunting organization. They have two vampires who work for them: Alucard, a hard-core killing machine, and Seras Victoria, who is new to being a vampire and is uncomfortable with what she has become. In episode three, we meet the recurring villain, Alexander, whose fight with Alucard is not to be missed.
The animation is fairly fluid and well-done, especially in the fight scenes. The English voice acting is superb - they obtained British VAs for all of the British characters - this is one case where the English dub makes more sense than the original Japanese. The voice actor for Alexander immediately makes him an awesome character - think of an Irish priest crossed with a ninja, and you have the idea.
The series is definately rated R with gratuitous blood and gore. Sex/nudity is very mild.
Important note - this DVD only has the first *three* episodes of Hellsing. The series is only 12 episodes long.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!, December 21, 2005
I watched the series previously before I bought the umd but I recommend this to any anime fan who would like to watch a little anime on the run. The episodes are fantastic. The show is a rich mixture of horror, action and a little comedy. I don't recommend this show for children because of language and content but for everyone else BUY IT! Also check out the manga if you love the show.
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