Customer Reviews

Vampire Hunter D, Vol. 2: Raiser of Gales

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read both Japanese (original)book and the translated one. I was impressed how good the translation is! If you like the original, this is a piece you would also like to check out for whatever your purposes are. I bet it!

As for the content, you can see the beauty of insight the Japanese original author has developed under the influence of his culture. It is not a simple horror story (which would be assumed from the title of it), it is highly imaginative fantasy in which a background world is well-established.

I recommend you check the movie which must be available in amazon first to get to know the world of "D".

D is called to a town where there are vampires capable of walking in the daylight. He has to figure out where the source of this is and how to stop the murders going on in the town. We learn that 10 years ago, 4 people were abducted and returned with no recollection of what happened while they were abducted. A young girl names Lina is one of these 4. She's very intelligent for her age and has always been interested in knowing the history of the Nobility. Unfortunately, her town has other ideas in store for her. She trails along with D aiding him in getting to the bottom of this mystery in order for him to complete his mission and for her own sanity.

I really enjoyed this book as well as the first! I felt a whole new atmosphere in this one than the first book which is a good thing. I liked the book cover for the volume one better. However, the illustrations throughout this text I felt were better than the ones we see in the first book. D's quite a gorgeous specimen indeed. I liked how it was much more mystery-like allowing me to unravel some clues on my own. It didn't cause me to lose the sense of action and adventure either. I liked Lina's character. She had to deal with a lot of turmoil, but still acted like a typical love-struck 17 year old. I LOVED D being the romantic one. I loved him trying to figure out Lina and why she had the effect on him that she did. The erotic situations were kind of gross, but it got the point across to make my skin crawl and hate characters. I noticed some stuff out of this book is what we see in the Bloodlust film:

The first account was when how Lina talked about the rain making one sentimental. In bloodlust Leila and D have a moment in the rain where she states this.

The second was when D was caught in the dimension. He had to deal with the situation somewhat differently in Bloodlust though.

Then we see the hallucinations. D sees the woman in a white dress with long black hair in front of her face as to not reveal her identity. I think it was implied that it was his mother like in Bloodlust.

I cannot WAIT until volume 3 is released. It is what the second movie is based off of and I totally loved the second movie.

Although the book can be a bit awkward due to the rough translation from the originial Japanese, it nonetheless provides us with an excellent story of D not found in anime. This time D finds himself against a potentially dangerous foe, a vampire who walks in the day light.

Fans of the animes (Vampire Hunter D and Bloodlust) will not be disappointed here, D is still the bad-a## that he is and the imagry is as vibrant as ever. But unlike the animes, this novel slows down the action just a notch and increases the amount mystery/crime-solving and eroticism (which is the norm of any vampire story). A decent read for any vampire enthusist, a must for any fan of "D".

While this book does have some ups and downs still definately a five star purchase.

-'s: the actual story line is slightly less amazing than the first Vampire Hunter D novel, there are some editorial problems that are in this book unlike in the first, for example I noticed on the first read at least 2 blatant mispellings and a small handful of words that were obviously supposed to be something else, also the illustrations and test dont always line up as well as they did in VHD1.

+'s: amazing translation work and another glimpse into one of the most darkly beautiful post-apocolyptic worlds ever created. Kikuchi is a literary GOD and Vampire Hunter D is a worthy divine progeny

I have to disagree that this is a rehash of the first book. The reason cited below is a girl being the main secondary character in both novels... and well, beyond that, there's nothing. They're very different in attitude aside from their understandable fawning over D.

The story this time around deals with vampire genetics, the disappearance of a group of kids who mysteriously return years later and the emergence of a new type of vampire that is able to act during the day. The concept of a vampire simply wanting a bride is not present.

The first book was decent, yet still amateur in skill, writing. This coupled along with some comments here led me to believe that I would be seeing more of the same in this case. However, the author has obviously made strides since his last novel. While it still has some weirdness to it, the book makes far better use of adequate metaphors, relies a bit less on repeating itself and doesn't act quite as conversationally informal as the last book. It's not Shakespeare, but it's a big jump over the first novel, in my opinion.

Raiser of Gales is an interesting, and I think introspective and thoughtful adventure. It more firmly establishes the what and why of D's world. Also, the wording in this novel is well written, far less "All your base-" than ended up getting through in the first translation.

My favorite is that an enemy uses a type of trap that was later incorporated into the second D movie, but I've risked spoiling it enough here.

I love this book it has all the gothic goodness that I have been looking for. I was into Vampire hunter D ever since The Anime movie.

I just saw Bloodlust, the animated movie, and I really liked it. The story and action in the movie were easier to follow and understand just because the book is so poorly translated I almost feel like I'm wasting my time reading it but I will continue to the end.

Here's an example from the book:
"The shape of that silhouette alone blackly eclipsed parts of the woman's body. It looked like finger-shaped holds opened on her breasts, and the shadow's thick legs seemed to lop off her slick, writhing thighs."

WHAT?! This book seems like it was translated into English by someone who isn't familiar with the English language. I like the Vampire Hunter D series. I just wish these books weren't so poorly translated.

Maybe it's because I'm a big fan of the anime movies and the first novel but I was totally sucked into this book! I mean it, I could not stop reading it until I was done.
Lina really interested me and I was very sad about all the bad things that had to happen to her and I really wanted to kill some of the male characters in this book but this one was really interesting. The ending was bitter sweet. We discover who Lina's real admirer was and I for one was very sad that her and D didn't get together. I'm serious, all these chicks fall for D yet he never gets some! I hope Vol. 3 will put a finish to that.
^.^
Anyway, excellent book to say the least, anyone who liked the first one should get this one and if you don't like it well too bad cos in my opinion this book was great!

YEs!!! This book was in great shape when i got it and it got here pretty fast to. Very nice!! Would buy from this person again!!