Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

In this day and age there is no such thing as a "classic" movie anymore, cinema has lost it's respect for many people. The only new Classics are that of the anime genre, these are the movies that inspire so many huge american action movies, as well as TV shows...(James Cameron's Battle..er... I mean Dark Angel....A**hole) You have the Matrix taking famous scenes from every popular anime series out there and calling it original! Let's hope and pray that this doesn't happen to Vampire Hunter D.

Vampire Hunter D is one of the most remarkable love stories to date, it takes calssic cinema and pushes it, it's funny that this movie was made over 10 years ago but it still holds strong in my memory, especially in the DVD incarnation as well as the new movie coming out. If there is anything close to Nosfarateu this is it.

Can there be a sequel better then the original? Yes there can, and this one proves it. Well worth the purchase even if you have to pay a bundle for shipment like I did.

I'm proud to add this fantastic piece of manga to my expanding collection. I'll put it right next to Mononoke Hime, Akira and Ghost in the Shell. This is a classic already and every manga/anime fan should watch it. All the characters are amazing and original, they could all get their own movie and I hope at least some of them do.

The style of drawing is rough and dark, yet elequent and beautifully detailed. No expense has been spared. D has been buffed up a bit and has more powers than ever.

This movie is exciting to the extreme. 1½ hours flies by. 10/10

In the distant future it's the year 12,090 where vampires and the undead who caused terror through the night are falling at a rapid rate, because of a Dunpeal; half-human, half-vampire bounty hunter called D. On this quest he's hired for 20 millions dollars by a father of a young girl who was kidnapped by a powerful vampire who plans to take her with him to the stars. But D learns that his not the only one on their trail, as the man informs him that he also hired a group of vampire hunters know as the Mark Brothers. So now the two are in competition to who can get their hands the on the girl (dead or alive) before they get to their destination. But D also suspects that maybe the girl went by her own accord, which throws a spanner into the mix.

I used to always watch anime when I was a kid, but it kinda died off me when I got into my late teens. Well, that was until it picked up momentum again when I caught the brilliant 'Neo Genesis Evangelion' anime series a couple years ago. So, now I'm a on and off viewer, but I was glad that I was switched on for this particular one. Being a horror fan and reading the synopsis for the film I thought it sounded great and it was most definitely. But I also learned it was a sequel, which I was worried that I wouldn't have a clue what was going, but that's the not the case here with certain things about our protagonist being explained because they crop up into where the story is heading. It does feels kinda different, especially in the terms of violence by keeping it within the story's limits then going out fall ball with a pointless mess. The stimulating violence is done rather graciously with the easy-going pace suddenly moving like a speeding train when the action occurs. The animation is breath-taking, it's simply eye-candy with distinguishable details and sharp imagination that's pure film-craft at its best. The heavy blanket of Gothic atmosphere that's created breaths down on you with it's dark, grimy apocalyptic feel where there's a wonderful mix of ghoulish terror and sweet innocence. While, this anime has terrifically, garnished up visuals. The story was not to be forgotten, as it's a lyrically, thoughtful tale that's richly developed with an emotional pull that's truly enticing. You could call it a hybrid with a galore of ingredients worked into the story's structure; Horror, Medieval, Western, Fantasy and Sci-fi. These adventurous aspects truly made sure that there were plenty of nifty surprises and a range of highly spirited standoffs between foes with a kicking soundtrack to boot. The moralistic tale builds up an allegory you could say about racism and that of never trusting that of perception, but to look on the inside to find the person's true meaning. The smooth dialogue is quite meaningful and there's patches of dry humour sprinkled across it. The fruitful characters are well-rounded and they add their own little parts to the story. But the star here is the quietly spoken, but extremely deadly D; who's dressed up in his black overcoat and wide-brimmed hat that hides his face. He's not alone as his accompanied by his black horse and that of a talking parasite embedded in his hand.

A really compelling and exciting anime piece that delivers all the goods in a marvellous blend.

Excellent manga which would be all the more enhanced with a good widescreen TV and speaker system. I don't imagine I've got much to add over and above what the other anime buffs have most probably already stated but this is definitely one of the better anime I've seen. It also has a cohesive plot that doesn't ramble on endlessly like many mangas seem to do (Akira, Spirited Away, Ghost in the Shell 2) There are nicely drawn characters. Good action. Lots of beast monster type things and supernatural stuff. Would probably give it an 8.5 out of 10 if the option was there.

I would hope that with the development of computer effects for anime there will be more entertaining mangas to come in the future. It's a genre that I always feel has a lot of potential but for some reason it doesn't quite get fulfilled. Perhaps, Hollywood might wake up to the potential for animated features that aren't necessarily focused towards kids only. Anyway, time will tell.

When VHD: Bloodlust came out, I wasn't too very interested. Having recently got the chance to watch the film though, I know now I should have been. VHD:B is top notch so far as dark anime goes. From the opening scene, watching the crosses twist and crumble as the dark carriage passes by, you know you're in for something good. VHD:B doesn't disappoint.

First off, D has been given a major upgrade. He looks more vampire like, he looks stronger and badder than ever before. The new art helps much, of course. D is hired to find a girl named Charlotte, dead or alive, who has been taken by a vampire from her home. Adding to the mix is a bounty team already has a head start on D, and each member of this team could well have his/her own anime. These are no second rate fill-ins, these folks are every bit as interesting as D. The vampire in question doesn't disappoint either, showing the full force of his powers from the very first scenes.

All in all, if you're looking for something darker and blood filled, watch this show. It looks dang good, the english voices are much better than you'd expect, and things just simply click. It's well worthy of the VHD name, and surpasses the original in nearly every way.

• Rirath_com