Vampire Hunter D
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Movie Reviews of Vampire Hunter D
Movie Review: ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATS - "DATED" ANIMATION OR NOT
Summary: 5 Stars
VAMPIRE HUNTER D
I have been watching anime since I can remember or at least since I was able to get my hands on it many moons ago. This one in particular is one of my favorites of all time and regardless of what any one tells me this will forever be in my one of the best ever. I know that some will say that I like this film just because it is older and is widely considered a classic while others will say that I should not rate it so high because of dated animation or what have you. All I can say to that is both of your points are true, this is the older film and is considered a classic by most and by today's standards it is dated. But that is were you are at fault for being overly judgmental and not understanding certain things.
Let's say that the dated argument is a legitimate flaw to the film but by that logic all those who say that about this film and praise "Bloodlust" so much for its looks will have to go back on that at some point. For those who love the second so much because of the animation just think of what the next film will look like especially if there is as much a time delay as there was between these first two. By the logic of the first is not so much a classic because of dated animation then that would mean eventually one would have to take back all the positives of the second in favor of the new and highly polished third film if there is to be one.
Don't get me wrong I love both films and enjoy both equally because I don't judge one against the other as far as animation. Story telling, voice acting, and even direction will always be up for debate because those are really constant from different time periods, there are those who do those well in every generation. The thing that is truly unfair is judging something based on things it can't help, animation gets better over the years because of the progression of technology and budgets. Therefore judging for the time period and such I would say this is excellent.
I love the animation in this first one mainly because it gives an other worldly and dark feel to the film, to be honest with out this animation the film may not have been the same. Be honest and really think about this, do you really think this would be better with the production value of the second film. The second film is a romance tell when it really comes down to it, therefore I think that the polished look and feel to the animation adds onto the over all storyline. Were as the fist film is about a girl taken against her will by creatures of the night that have a bloodlust as deep as their master, this film is more about the evil in that world not the beauty that could be. That means the grainy [dated] and dark feel of the animation is a perfect fit.
Now finally on to the actual film, "Vampire Hunter D". This first film is said to be based on the first in the series of books I believe, I have bought all of them so far but I have yet to find to time to read them. So to say this is the case would not be true n my part. What is true is it is based on the series and it's characters but I will have to read the first book to find the actual stories source material. As far as I know this is loosely based on the first book and did make some changes in the film version, but all is forgiven because I love this anime. "Vampire Hunter D" was brought to life on the screen by director Toyoo Ashida based on the works of D creator Hideuki Kikuchi, to me these two are legends because they helped create one of my favorite characters/stories/films of all time.
Our story is about a dhampir or dunpeal [which do you prefer] named D which means his of both vampire and human decent as his mother was human and you guessed it his father was a vampire. When we first happen upon D it is after a night spent with a girl named Doris [werewolf hunter like her father] who after hunting down some unfriendly creatures is bitten by a rather large fellow named Count Magnus Lee. Turns out that in the year 2,090 A.D. vampires and things like them are coming to an end even after many many years of ruling the lands. Well this Count is still holding on to all those old memories of ruling because he rules the land and all those in it just by taking what he wants, and what he wants is Doris.
Well this would not be what it is with out a skilled vampire hunter and he arrives in the form of D, who after easily dealing with Doris's attack on him agrees to help her in her fight with the Count. Of course Magnus is not a fan of this and sends his goons out to get her and each time D is there to either stop them or rescue the girl. The story really is that simple but the characters in this film are very interesting and the straightforward story telling of the first is excellent. The dark tone and feel of the movie is great and the fights, gore, and action are excellent. It doesn't hurt that the count has a pretty and interesting daughter who is opposed to his wanted arrangement with Doris. Add in some crazy looking creatures and vampires along with some more interesting characters like the majors cocky son and you have one great anime.
The acting is good especially for D { Michael McConnohie in the English version and Kaneto Shiozawa in the original} and Count Lee { Seiz' Kat' in the original and Jeff Winkless in the English}. Also it should be noted that Carl Macek is the man who produced and directed the English version of this film. Any way all involved on both sides should be commended.
As far as I can tell most people either love it or like it because I never have really meet any one who hated this film. And those who only like it seem to be the ones who judge it based on the animation thing, there are those who only like it but prefer the second film based on story, structure, acting or what ever. Those seem like more legitimate reasons to prefer the second film over this one not just disliking it more because of "dated" animation. Any way different people have different taste and for me this is a classic by far as is the second one in my opinion, I don't know maybe I am just a sucker for vampires. Also there is a huge thing about what his real name is like D could not be his real name at all, what if it is? Also he could just ride under the title Vampire Hunter D as in Vampire Hunter dhampir or dunpeal. But you could also say that D is the initial of his very famous vampiric fathers name, now who do you think that could be?
Movie Review: Buffy's Vampire Slaying Predecessor
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: An original stays an original
Summary: 5 Stars
better than blood lust not visually as blood lust wins that one, but if your talking Storytelling that is where this 80's version shines. It's dark, serious, creepy, and the lead character seems to be very determined,and that is what you like to see if you are looking for a good Hero-based them. whereas the sequel to this just fell flat in substance and delivery (but not too much) V.H.D. Bloodlust is an amazing anime no doubt but some of the 'sidekick' characters appear to ruin the core mission of D himself/And his appeal, so instead of D being the lead guy he almost becomes 'just another bounty hunter' among other bounty hunters looking for the same thing..... to whack the evil Lord Vamp.
Alternately this version the BETTER version is occasionally deemed 'dated' by many who probably were not even born when it came out so of course they would see the later as superior I saw this waaay back in 86' on HBO for the first time and had never seen anything like it, yes I saw F.O.T.N.S. which also came out the same year but this was something unusual for a 'cartoon'at that time, anyway the characters are highly interesting on their own, all with flaws but the the most appealing to me is not D but Magnus Lee the evil one, just his calm laid back attitude and penchant for bloodshed (a really nasty fellow)this makes him far more believable than some cheesy-love-affair scenario found in the sequel.
he's the guy you love to hate (that's when you know you have a good villain) I actually wished he lived through the movie so it would make a better squeal.
secondly we see D's humanity not just a bluish troll like he appears later on he actually seems more Human in this first version the later however 'cool it looks' falls on it face in the sheer misguided use of something that simply does not work in a Vampire film, that being the tired cliche rescuing an infatuated dame-who-falls-for the- misunderstood "good vampire" as if any vampire is ever moral, and kind, so the cheese factor is high in the second version, i still like it (Bloodlust) but the first always trumps the later vampire films are meant to be dark, unsettling, cold, ans yes, even a little 'sadistic' the very reason why this one is 10 times better then it's sequel.
Another review said the sound production was not on pair with proper sonic accuracy - and, they were right when the characters speak it sounds as they are whispering rarely can you make out what they say the rest is very loud explosions, gunfire, fighting, music, but the talking? No. I would like to see a sequel to the Vampire hunter saga, and a re-mastered version of the 1985 Original. Please someone make it happen. :) 5 stars.
Movie Review: WATCH IT WITH THE JAPANESE AUDIO. IT'S BETTER THAN U.S. TRANSLATION!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Vampire Hunter D is one of my all time favorites and I was accustomed to listening to the American translation of this film before I bought the dvd version with the Japanese translation. The original Japanese audio gives a few more interesting features to this story.
NUMBER 1) In the U.S. audio Count Lee sits on his throne talking to himself in a misty room seeming to telepathically know that Lameeka and Ray Ginsay failed to kill D. But in the Japanese audio the mist in the room turns out to be some sort of an entity that the Count speaks to and the mist actually told him about Lameeka's and Ray Ginsay's failure.
NUMBER 2) In the U.S. version Ray Ginsay seems to be a very selfish character wanting to kill the Count for the sole purpose of having the Count's power. But in the Japanese translation it is shown that his reasons for killing the Count isn't totally selfish but partly an act of revenge for the death of his colleages that lost their lives trying to kill D for the Count. He isn't as bad as the U.S. version makes him out to be but actually is a bit moral.( Notice also he saved Doris' brother from falling to his death. It makes more sense.)
NUMBER 3) In the U.S. audio , in the scene where Ray Ginsay accidentally killed Gimlet (the thin man with the blades on his feet) he doesn't seem to care what so ever that he killed Gimlet but instead is soley conscerned that D got away. In the Japanese audio you get a sense that there seemed to have been more regret toward his accidental killing of Gimlet. So when the Count kills Ray Ginsay you feel kind of saddened by his death because he is depicted as being a more moral character than in the U.S. translation.
NUMBER 4) In the U.S.translation , Doris tells the town officials that if D fails to kill the vampires she would leave town and never come back and her brother strongly stands beside her but then in the next scene we see her brother crying seemingly from fear of leaving town and being shunned by people. But in the Japanese audio Doris doesn't say that she would leave but she says she would KILL HERSELF if D failed and her brother responded in shock to what she said. So when we see him crying he is crying from the sadness of possibly losing his sister forever.
Why they took these aspects of the story out of the U.S. translation I don't know but they actually seem to give some of the characters a deeper dynamic making the viewer enjoy this film even more than we already do. So get the special edition dvd of VAMPIRE HUNTER D with english and japanese audio and see for yourself. It brings a new light to this already classic anime.
Movie Review: Bat Wing Broth
Summary: 5 Stars
As the movie opens, we find the young Doris running through the goth night, in between the sage. She raises her rifle and spurts hot rounds into the neck and head of a fierce night creature. The monster falls squirting streams of blood into the night air, as Doris' horse appears. With only half of its remaining head, the creature grabs the horse in the throat and begins tearing. Doris fires enraged shots, wildly destroying the remnants. Behind her, appearing from no where another night creature snatches the cross from around her neck, sending her tumbling to the ground. In the night beyond, lighting flashes illuminating a massive sillouette of the vampire Count Magnus Lee, of the house of Dracula. Doris has tresspassed, and he is there to claim the price...Vampire Hunter D is an anime in which you care for all of the character's, even at times, the villain's. D is a vampire hunter that crosses path's with a young girl that has been bitten by Count Magnus Lee. Unless Lee is killed, then she too will be brought into the vampire race.
D is a dark movie. Extremely dark. So dark in fact that at times the only thing seperating the objects on the screen are the different SHADES of black. One thing you may notice or agree with, is the close similarity in music themes between this and A Nightmare on Elm Street. I haven't read if there was any inspiration from Elm, but its not likely.
This movie has many villains. It has the main villain, the sub villain (Ramika), the helper villains (Rei Ginsei), and the nagging hotshot villain (Greco). And not to mention all of those nasty ghouls, goblins, giants, and the three snake women.
One of my favorite moment's is a funny scene in which Doris' younger brother Dan tries to immitate the stone features of D. Trying to look cool. Really funny stuff. Then there is D's hand...I'll leave that one for you to discover.
The only problem I had with the disc itself, was that the movie was in full screen. Some of you may prefer it, I just don't. Then again full screen may be its original aspect ratio, I'm not sure. And, some may consider this a problem: The vocals do not stay within the designated center channel. I actually found it kind of fun to have all of the voices bounce around my speakers. If that's not a problem to you, or if you don't have the surround set-up, then you'll enjoy it.
D is a fun experience, and a good anime to get started on. When Anime catches on seriously in America, and I don't mean pokemon, digimon, etc... it would be neat if you already had some knowledge of anime before your friends catch on to it. Go ahead and get prepared. The day will come. ~s.a.o.s.~