Customer Reviews

Vampire Hunter D [VHS]

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

A good portion of the not so positive reviews for this film are due to the authors' preference of the 16 year in coming Vampire Hunter D film, entitled "Bloodlust". I understand that the aforementioned film is quite beautiful, with some of the most stunning visuals I've ever seen in anime. Therein lies the problem, however, because viewing "Bloodlust" first usually leads to a bias; people then usually see the first one and claim that "Bloodlust" has so much going for it besides just a gorgeous presentation (it's almost formulaic how it happens).

Many people fail to see the potential of this 1985 classic (based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's first in a series of japanese novels), and instead they complain that the animation is "dated". What people fail to see is the very compelling (albeit familiar) story and unique characters. Most of all, the few underlying themes within the film. The film (set in the year 12,090) is about a victimized yet strong female character named Doris who lives in a rural area and looks after her younger brother Dan without the help of any family (the only one that can care for both of them is the local doctor, Ferring). Humanity lives in a time where after a nuclear holocaust, they coexist with mutants, monstrosities, and vampires (the latter of which is seen by themselves and others as "nobility"). During a routine hunt, Doris's horse is viciously (and graphically) killed by the werewolf of the local 10,000 year old vampire count, Magnus Lee. Lee then bites Doris, and intends to take her as his wife. Doris encounters the very stoic, very strong and dark vampire hunter, named D. The movie follows D's efforts to storm Lee's castle, deal with his many monstrous henchmen, and kill the count, in order to save Doris from becoming a vampire.

2001's film, "Bloodlust" (based on Kikuchi's third novel in the series) is about the kidnapping of a young woman named Charlotte Melbourne by a young looking vampire named Meier Link. Charlotte's father hires D to bring her back, or kill her if she is to become a vampire herself. Not only does Charlotte's father hire D, but also the cocksure team of bounty hunters called the Markus Brothers (and sister, Leila). Meier Link becomes wise to the various hunters, and hires members of the Barbaroy, a clan of viscious monsters. Throughout the film the viewer learns that Charlotte may not have been kidnapped, and she and Meier Link may actually love each other (despite Meier's realization of the inescapable lust he will have to have for Charlotte).

Though both films may seem to have similar stories (A cool calm and collected hunter needs to save a girl, etc), it is the 1985 film that clearly shines. The way the story is told in the original one is very straighforward, whereas "Bloodlust" is a very cheesy romantic story full of plot holes and an overabundance of characters. There are very smart themes throughout the film, such as identity (D's dealing with the imbalance of his vampire and his human side, Lamica and the harsh realization of her true nature, and mutant Rei's yearning for nobility), and the ignorance of true nobility (the Lee family mistakenly goes against their famous ancestor's true beliefs). The themes of "Bloodlust" are a bit more cliche, such as the dealing with characters' pasts which they can't escape, and love vs. lust.

Another quality the 1985 film has going for it are the powerful characters. D is a man frustrated with his identity (a half human and half vampire who has to deal with his possesed left hand constantly and wryly reminding him of his true nature) and struggling with the possible love of the female protagonist. Doris is a damsel in distress (albeit a strong one) with the responsibility of caring for her brother and the humiliation of being shunned by her hometown for being bitten by the Count. Doris also has to understand that she cannot ever have feelings for D, because D cannot repress his vampiric lust. The Lee family looks at themselves as noble yet they are gravely ignorant of their ancestors true beliefs. Count Lee is a near 10,000 year old vampire overridden by boredom, resulting in his turning to "having fun" with human women every hunderd or so years. Lee's daughter heavily follows her father's mistaken belief of humans being nothing more than livestock (leading to a pounding realization later in the film). Lee's henchman Rei Ginsei is a mutant with strange talents, who wants to be accepted into the house of Lee so that he isn't looked at as scum. Supporting the main characters are Dr. Ferring the town's humble doctor who tries his best to stand up for Doris; and Doris's brave younger brother Dan who looks up to D as a role model and tries to shape himself into the same kind of person. The problem with the characters in "Bloodlust" is that amongst the main characters of D (suffering from similar issues in the original film), Leila Markus (haunted by the past of her dead mother during her childhood), and Charlotte & Meier (their yearning to share their misunderstood love for each other), there are various supporting characters such as the Markus Brothers (hunters with no real past besides a reputation), the monstrous Barbaroy (ditto), and the bloody Countess Carmilla (the evil spirit of a vampire who aids the couple, with an agenda of her own). This "supporting cast" doesn't really seem to have a point, other than to be killed in some way by D or someone else. The story of Carmilla in relation to D seems to be a plot hole that isn't exactly explained.

Before comparing animation, I will first say that "Bloodlust" has some of the most vivid and gorgeous visuals I've ever seen in any anime and it would be no comparison as to which one is of finer quality. However, the art style and tone of the 1985 film is much more representative of the type of story being told. The original film is very dark, eerie, mysterious, a bit more of the macabre. "Bloodlust" however has many bright scenes, and seems much less dark and much less serious (a small tidbit that will soon be covered), this takes away very much from the dark nature and intention of the title character and the genre. The music shows this too: In "Bloodlust" it is very theatric, and over the top, whereas in the original it is subtle and foreboding.

Although this quality of the 2001 piece is less outward than the rest of what I have mentioned, it is nonetheless remarkable. There is a very evident Americanization of a story of Japanese origin within "Bloodlust" and the genre its story represents. As mentioned before the tone of "Bloodlust" is often times comedic and more action oriented than horror, which takes away heavily from the dark nature of the Vampire Hunter D mythos. What is characteristic of American horror is that even in the darkest tales, there is usually someone or something there for comic relief (go figure, evidentially "Bloodlust" was originally recorded in the English language). D's left hand is reduced from a dark entity sardonically reminding D of his true self to a sort of wise cracking sidekick.

The whole point of this was not only to review a great film I am a huge fan of, but to point out why I view this film as wholly superior to a 2001 film that gets more praise. In regards to "Bloodlust", I think it's a great film with a lot of potential that simply went to waste. Many people hide behind the fact that it's so stunningly animated, but "What's a good looking plate with nothing on it?"

Vampire Hunter D. . . this is a film in which I tend to judge other anime films against. Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, and Vampire Hunter D are the Fab Four of the Anime Universe. You simply cannot go wrong by buying this film. Lots of futuristic action with a major Goth theme to it. You would swear that this was taking place in the dark ages during some parts of this film, but then you see the technology that they have in the future. . . WOW. That's all I can say. WOW. Do yourself a huge favor: See this movie! And with it coming out on DVD, how could it possibly get any better? By the way, even if you don't fully apreciate Japanese animation, this is still one of the greatest vampire action movies of all time. If you want to see an example of what great japanese anime is all about, then there are just a few films that you truly must see: AKIRA, Princess Mononoke, Ghost in the Shell, and Vampire Hunter D. This is truly a classic film. Enjoy.

fin

I first saw <i>Vampire Hunter D</i> one random Saturday evening on TV in 1995 and loved it. I couldn't believe that I was actually getting to see an anime flick on `mainstream' television; it was the coolest feeling, and the best feature-length anime film that I had ever been exposed to at the time. In addition to the action, adventure, mystery and suspense in the film, I especially enjoyed the themes of mixed-race heritage that this film explored. I had never witnessed a work of animation that so intriguingly dealt with the societal complexities of being biracial.

D (the main character) was `vampeel', meaning he was half-human, and half-vampire. D's dual racial heritage allowed him to function in daylight, while retaining the supernatural powers that full-blooded vampires enjoy; in other words, 'vampeels' like D enjoy the best of both worlds. However, it is D's constant inner-battle between his vampire and human sides that force him to stay away from humans (to avoid temptation) and to battle evil by slaying vampires. D is a lonely figure.

The vampires in the film are cast as an evil, yet noble race in a twisted sense. Count Magnus Lee (the supreme villain) is a gray-haired, `Blake-Carrington-from-Dynasty-type' vampire who is supremely powerful. His daughter Ramika is a spoiled, pretty being who thinks she's a full-blooded vampire, and is proud of it. Lee's deadly foot soldier Reiginsei (and I mean deadly) longs to become a vampire in order to attain a status of nobility in his own right.

Doris is a human who has become Count Magnus Lee's object of affection to the endless disgust of Ramika who feels humans as mere mortals are beneath vampire nobility. Doris hires D to help her defeat Magnus. The battle that ensues between D, Magnus, Reiginsei, and others is utterly engaging. Vampire Hunter D makes for a great story indeed.

Now it is 2001, and a sequel to the original <i>Vampire Hunter D</i> entitled <i>Bloodlust</i> has been finally scheduled for release this fall. I highly suggest you see this film for the first time, or reacquaint yourself with it now. As far as `Bloodlust' is concerned, well...see you at the theatres!

Thanks for reading!

C.H.R.

Vampire hunter 'D' is the tale of a hunter called Doris who enlists the help of a possibly superhuman warrior. She wishes to protect the town from the onslaught of Count Magnus Lee and his army of demons and vampires. What makes vampire hunter'D' so notable is its use of characterisation which makes the whole anime that much more enjoyable. For example the Count is not just another mindless enemy but one who is reflective and intelligent. The animation has suffered in recent years as the title is now over ten years old. This does not matter, because the plot is well scripted and the pace and music fit the film perfectly. The dubbing is fair and the overall quality of the film is very high. This is thoroughly recommended if you enjoy horror, science fiction or action anime. Even so it should be enjoyed by all fans of anime. A word of warning though. The bloodshed reaches new hights of gore and extremity which is rarely matched even in today's anime world. If you enjoy this type of anime then check out Darkside Blues.

First off, this is a CLASSIC MOVIE, its animation is not THE BEST, i.e. if you compare it to the cream of the crop in the animation world, and I wouldn't expect it to be, infact I would dearly hope so, since this movie is like more than a DECADE OLD, i.e. this is a classic, in the sense that it is one of the animes that started it all. Vampire hunter D was the movie that started me on anime and for good reason. It showed me the possibilities that anime presented, that american movies couldn't supply.

First off, if you check your local vampire section for decent movies, you'll come up with one, and that one is Interview with a Vampire. You may also find something called "Kindred" which is a television series and expands on vampires, but it doesn't do it on their myths, like Vampire Hunter D does. Vampire Hunter D, since it is an anime, is able to paint a picture of a world in Torment, making it theasable that this could truly be a world, where goblins, vampires, and werewolves could thrive and do.

NOW THE STORY The story basicaly starts off with a girl Getting bit by the head vampire that lives in a castle just outside of the village. Next, we see a shot of D(formaly known as Vampire Hunter D, and by the end of the movie, you'll know what D stands for even if you only know just a little bit about vampires, but if you don't...oh boy) on his robotic horse. For this story is not based in the past, but in the distant future. Some how, the girl peeks D's interest about vampires, being that she was bitten and he has a vengance to kill them, though not all of them...

It also seems that D has a certain curse/gift, that we know not where, how, or why he has it. But this movie does keep you interested. Plot, yes, but being this is a monster movie, it has done splendidly well. A notch done from Interview with a Vampire, but a definite notch or two up from anything else out there.

THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER I have probably seen this movie 3-5 times. D is such a cool character, since he is so gothic(we ain't talkin about spikes), a gentleman, and... he's the kinda person you wish your son would grow up like, swaping the vampire hunting with a good job. That reminds me, his whole suit of clothes fit him perfectly, actually everyone is made perfectly, I love it.

FINALLY You will be starving for more and curious about unanswered questions, well here's something to know, unless somethings been changed without my knowledge, they are making a second vampire hunter d!

This was one of the first anime movies which hit America. It can be called an 80's slasher pic. But it is so much more than that. After Akira took American anime audiences by storm, they wanted more. That's where Vampire Hunter D entered the picture, with the right amount of sexiness, violence and humour, this movie held it's own, and was really popular.

Watching it for the first time, 14 years after it's release, I was not dissapointed. My favourite character is the hero's talking hand. I want one of them for christmas..

Anyone who enjoys gorey slasher type flicks, and is a fan of Anime will enjoy this one. I recommend Blood to you, if you just like gorey stuff with an electirc atmosphere, but if you would like a good story line, this movie is for you.

A girl's life is in jeopardy, after being bitten by a vampire. A vampire who's taken a liking to her. The only solution involves the death of the vampire. Enter Mr.D, the vampire hunter. Dissapointingly enough, he doesn't talk a lot at the beginning of the movie, which is a shame, because he has a rather cool voice. However it does add to the mystery surrounding him.

The plot isn't really amazing, and it's all been done, but the sheer coolness of D and this movie earnes it a 4/5. Watch it, it's a part of anime history.

Vampire Hunter D was the first authentic anime movie I had ever seen - episodes of the Thundercats despite their guilty charm and obvious anime foundation don't really count - and I was pretty impressed. I caught a showing of it one morning on The Sci-Fi Channel's Anime Sunday and could finally appreciate all the fuss about anime. Visually striking in its stylized approach and frenetic execution, Anime's power lies in tales of high-octane genre action. While anime enthusiasts might somehow welcome a rendition of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, I suspect that while the Wicked Witch would probably come out all the more wicked, the dwarves would resemble something out of Pokemon. And nobody really needs more of that, right?

After watching a few minutes of this disc, you clearly see that either a technician fell asleep while balancing brightness levels, or the studio wanted a darker release. When comparing the trailer and other clips from the supplements, it's obvious that this print is noticeably darker. At no time does it really become distracting, but for those who have seen other versions, keep in mind that this one is a much darker transfer. Considering that the movie is 14 years old, it's not in bad shape. Also, since it's animation generally colors in animated films are usually bold primary ones and deeply saturated, so there's a bit of a washed out look to the color scheme here. But by and large the transfer is free of defects, pixelation and the compression is good with no apparent artifacts. There are two soundtracks - one in Japanese the other in English. Both mixes are powerful when needed, yet retain the subtleties of the quieter moments.

The disc has an extensive trailer selection showcasing other anime titles such as Wicked City and it also includes the trailer for Vampire Hunter D 2000 - the sequel. Also as another trailer of sorts is the preview for the Vampire Hunter D - Playstation Video Game. Running nearly three minutes in length, it combines a video introduction with generous samplings of the video game.

A video clip comprised of graphic concepts and work samples of Yoshitaka Amano, the artist whose illustrations for the Vampire Hunter D novels formed the basis for the look and film design, makes up the Image Gallery. Set to a haunting musical score, this gives the audience a peek at the beginning of the Vampire Hunter D characters and also a look into future Amano projects - including an upcoming collaboration with Neil Gaiman of Sandman fame.

Finally, there's The Making of Vampire Hunter D - at just under 10 minutes, this is a nice behind the scenes look at the film - complete with interviews of cast and crew. Narrated in Japanese with English subtitles, we see the surprisingly modest animation studio which produced the film along with excited voice over artists thrilled at being given the opportunity to bring these popular Asian characters to life.

Vampire Hunter D succeeds as a crossover anime film. Combining futuristic hard-edged action that's the hallmark of anime with dark, gothic elements of the horror and fantasy genres, it works remarkably well. Today we're accustomed to the action/horror blend of such popular franchises as Wesley Snipe's Blade and of course Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, however, Vampire Hunter D having debuted in 1983 is the forefather to those vampire hunters. Perhaps only The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires released in 1974 by Hammer Films was an earlier mixture of martial arts and vampires. But where that and most other forays into action/horror never stray far from traditional trappings, Vampire Hunter D employs a decidedly unique element by setting the environment far into the future- a world still recognizable, though far removed from our own.

"Vampire Hunter D" is my favorite vampire movie because of it's eerie feel and totaly original and fluid story. My second and third favorite vampire movies are probably "The Lost Boys" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula" just because Bram Stoker is pretty much resposible for bringing Vampires into pop culture. "Vampire Hunter D" is a Japanese Animated movie with a unique style blending futuristic weapons and devices within a medievel time setting. The main character "D" is a half human/vampire vampire hunter. He uses a sword and he is accompanied by a talking face on the palm of his hand. This anime is very dark and moody with excellent characters that don't really develope, but are very interesting in themselves. You just want to know a little more about them, their motivations, ideals and their backgrounds. This is a great movie to see which is finaly re-available for purchase. Rumour has it that the DVD will be out later this year.

It has been a long time since I saw Vampire Hunter D. The last time I saw it was in the 80's. This is anime at its best. The art is wonderful and the whole entire movie takes place is a world that is between ancient Trannsylvania and the future. Vampire Hunter D is an amazing character as well. He is dark, enigmatic and mysterious. Doris, the woman whom D loves, is also a wonderful character. Any woman who can handle a flail like that deserves some respect! The movie involves D fighting to save Doris from a horrible fate which is to be wed to the Count Vampire of the area. D destroys demons, werewolves, mutants, and vampires in a desperate quest to save Doris. I highly recomend this movie for anyone who loves vampires or anime. The story, characters and animation is simply fantastic and is a tribute to japanamation of the 80's era.

"Vampire Hunter D" is a pretty deserving anime classic -- moody hero, gothic atmosphere, and buckets of blood.

While the animation is a bit dated, the solid direction and creepy story are more than enough to compensate. This dark, gloomy adaptation of Hideyuki Kikuchi's novels is a postapocalyptic cowboy/vampire story... with a twist. And boy, is it a twist.

Farm girl Doris is bitten by the ancient Count Lee (named after Christopher Lee), and is in danger of turning into a vampire herself. But fortunately she encounters D, a silent vampire hunter who agrees to protect her and her little brother from the Count and his underlings.

But Doris gets kidnapped despite D's efforts, and D sneaks into the castle and battles past mutants and snake-women to rescue Doris. But that isn't the end of the conflict -- Lee is determined to have Doris for his new wife, and D is just as determined to destroy the malign old vampire.

"Vampire Hunter D" looks a little dated to modern anime fans -- kind of smudgy and stiff (look at D's weird stabbing scene). Fortunately, the story more than makes up for this -- basically it's an old western, but with monsters, vampires, and cyborg horses.

The whole thing is very dark and shadowy, even in prim little towns, up until the final scenes when we finally see some sun. The storyline moves pretty slowly for awhile, but speeds up rapidly when Doris is abducted the second time, right up to the earthshattering finale.

It's also peppered with some solid fight scenes, as well as the gore: severed limbs, electric whips, exploding heads, flying organs and literal gushers of blood. While the tone is quite grim, some of the dialogue is pretty funny ("For the first time in one hundred years I haven't been bored once!"). Including everything said by Left Hand, the hilarious parasite in D's... left hand.

D himself is an enigma for most of the movie -- repressed, quiet, kind to kids, but with a hidden vampiric side that only turns up occasionally. It takes careful attention to figure out who this "dampeel" is. And while Doris could have been a bit tougher, she comes across very realistically as a young girl in a terrifying situation.

"Vampire Hunter D" is a postapocalyptic goth movie, with a likably taciturn hero,a timeless storyline, and a lot of graphic anime violence.