Blood+

So far, only 5 episodes of the new show "Blood+" have been released, I've seen up to episode 4 and I must say that this is one incredible show! With a design that merges CGI and Hand drawn animation so seamlessly and a storyline that is more exciting than Buffy and more addictive than anything else I've ever seen (Except maybe Naruto) this is one immense show that is a definite tribute to the film.

Originally, back in 2001, the creators of Ghost In The Shell decided to create a 6-episode OVA series about a vampiress who kills vampires. The first episode was made, being one of the first to blend CGI and hand animation so brilliant, and also becoming an instant success over here in the western world. However, the cost of the first episode was too much, and there wasn't enough money to support the 45 minute episodes, so the show was cancelled after the first ep. The first episode was then re-released onto DVD, simply entitled as "Blood: The Last Vampire" and took itself as a 45 minute film.

But, with the success of DVD sales for the film, the company started up on the project again, this time creating a 52 episode series entitled "Blood+" which was created to give a bit more background to the series and also to add more characters and more story, allowing the original story to be developed even further than the original 6 episode plan could have done. The show is still just beginning, but it is already incredible, within the first 2 minutes of the first episode I was hooked. This show also does that evil technique of ending each episode with a cliff-hanger (Much like Naruto) and as each cliff-hanger is sooo exciting, you watch the next episode the following week to find out what happens.

This show is still finding its ground, but thanks to the roaring success of the Film, the gorgeous action, interesting and believable characters (ignoring the fact 1 of them is a vampire...) and an attractive story, this TV show should become one of the great anime-classics such as Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin. I have a whole year until this show is completed, and I will watch as a devoted fan. I hope you all do too as this show is just INCREDIBLE!

Saya is a mysterious girl that doesn't know her past . As she regains her memory, Saya discovers most of her "life", not true. Can't wait to see episode 3! New to anime? I recommend the 2001 release, "Blood: The Last Vampire". Its shows what the best of anime is all about, and you meet Saya (vampire anti heroine) for the first time. She's a warrior like Kill Bill , ala "Bladette". It's still not clear what the relationship is between Saya, and the U.S. Miltarys' Black Ops Squad. I want to see the origins of this character , that seems to be where they're going. So far so good. The biggest surprise of all was the music production. Academy Award Winner, Hans Zimmer (Gladiator)! There are brilliant performances by a cellist that provides amazing musical depth to one of the main characters in this series. This one is a winner!

This is a series based on an anime movie called "Blood: the Last Vampire". The animation is good, without being great, the music is above average up until the middle of the series when some meaningless teen pop music is added as the final track. The story is interesting, but it makes no sense in the long run, but what's really annoying is the personalities of the characters.

Basically you have a good vampire queen with a vampire servant and a whole bunch of human friends fighting the evil vampire queen with a whole bunch of vampire servants and a whole bunch of human employees. The good always seem to win because the bad are either bored or completely distracted by other things, while the few situations that could be exploited in the advantage of the main character end in emotional outbursts and impotent tears.

What makes it even more ridiculous is that these vampires can only be killed by the blood of the other kind of vampire. Still there are always humans ready to shoot their little guns and (sometimes) shotguns or SMGs. Can anyone guess what happens to them?

I watched all the 50 episodes in order to get to the bottom of the story. It was a complete mess, but now it's over, I can move on. Bottom line: there are a lot of worse animes out there, but there are a lot of them that are better, as well.

NOTE: I have seen the whole 50-episode series already, but not to worry, this is a NO-SPOILER review.

I used to watch a fair amount of anime, but over the past few years, my interest in it had been gradually waning, partly because of the decreasing number of good shows being produced, and partly because of lack of time due to my heavy workload.

However, this trend was reversed when I had the good fortune of coming across Blood+. I had never heard of it before, but the premise seemed interesting enough, though not particularly original or unique. I decided to give it a shot, expecting at least a decent and entertaining show but not much more than that.

But what I got was much, much more I had dared to hoped for. What starts out as a fairly conventional storyline gradually unravels, revealing a vastly more complex and intricate narrative tapestry. Its deliberate pacing may be misconstrued by some as being "slow", but as the story progresses, all the puzzle pieces that are uncovered early on start to fall into place, and things that once seemed insignificant or nonsensical begin to make sense.

As for the technical merits of this show, other people have already discussed its superb animation and hauntingly evocative soundtrack, so I won't go into too much detail on them. Suffice it to say that they complement the mood of the series exceptionally well.

However, what really won me over was the exceptional character development displayed here. Without giving too much away, I can say that these characters actually felt like real, living, breathing people and not just 2-D images on the TV screen. They change and evolve as time goes by, and after a particular event occurs, don't be surprised if you find yourself regarding certain characters in a totally different light.

To make a long story short, Blood+ is one of only a handful of shows that transcends the boundaries of its genre, and one of the best amines I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. In fact, it practically single-handedly revived my passion for anime and spurred me on to seek many other great shows, which I probably would not have bothered to watch otherwise. And that is probably the greatest compliment one can pay to any medium of entertainment.

I've seen the entire series (subbed) of Blood +.

I discovered that a series existed, and after loving 'Blood - The Last Vampire', I had to find 'Blood +'.

I di find it! First off, it's best not to compare the series directly to the feature, at least not right away.

I admit, it takes a while to start, to the point where you think nothing is ever going to happen! You actually feel like shouting at Saya "C'Mon! Get a move on!". However, it does eventually start, and from there on it's a story of twists and turns, though never really any that shock or surprise. There are a few interesting sub-plots to follow, that fill in the background for the series and give it a more three dimensional feel rather than it being all about Saya, but at the same time is linked to her.

Sometimes I felt like I couldn't connect with the characters, where I should be emotional, I found that I wasn't bothered about them, not really. Saying that, perhaps some of the emotion was lost in translation through reading the subtitles...I do look forward to a good dub. Yes, true anime fans can still like dubs!! The soundtrack is very nice too, unique music that gives each series it's own feel, music that fits well with the mood.

It's well worth watching, you just have to get past the first 8-9 eps without giving up on it!