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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
DVD/APPROX. 105MINS/2001/JAPAN M
DVD/APPROX. 105MINS/2001/JAPAN M
10
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There is an almost uncontrovertible probability that whenever you sit down to watch a film based on Japanese Manga, that you are going to be
treated to more than you bargained for.
In a lot of Japanese work, there seems to be an underlying moral, or belief present throughout the piece. ‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’, is of no
exception to this rule.
Underlining the story itself are themes of love, trust, determination, duty, isolation, and choice.
The main protagonist of the story (or more aptly ‘anti-hero’) D, is a vampire hunter. Although a role that most humans would likely appreciate, D
himself has the misfortunate of being half human, and half vampire, and given no great love from either race.
Plot line itself? Basically, a woman is kidnapped by the Vampire Meier Link, one of the more majestic and powerful vampires of the times. The father
of this woman, hires D, to find and bring back his daughter, but has also previously sent another group of hunters known as the Marcus brothers
to find her.
And thus we have our starting point. After this the movie itself draws on at a rather well pace. Not being so ferociously filled with action that the
characters are nothing more than pawns in a fighting game with more dialogue, but not too heavily focussed on character that a person hiring a
movie about a ‘vampire hunter’, and expecting action will be sorely disappointed and put off.
The setting is (as is common with a lot of Anime films), a post apocalyptic world, except in this version, it wasn’t humans that over populated and
over used this earth, it was the vampires who over fed on the humans, and left the human architecture to naught. The sets, vehicles, tanks, and
buildings of sorts, are of a rather grim nature. In the opening scene we are given a shot of a vast city, but in and of itself, appears dark and dismal
in appearance. Where as later in the film, more appealing places, occur mainly in unpopulated area’s or area’s with a very small population,
basically, the more that is ‘going on’ in a certain area, the worse it looks.
Characters in this story, although development is allowed for them, more of the sidelining characters aren’t given the great amount of detail of
their relationships with others. Although saying that, the characters are still given such a distinctive personality.
D himself, is the calm collective lead character, complete with a symbiote left hand, whose relationship with D is left ambiguous through out the
Anime, I also have heard that even in the Manga comic books that the connection between the two is left open to the imagination. The Marcus
brothers are a collaboration that would make any micro-managing RPG player proud, they have it all, the brute, the archer, the swift fighters, the
gunner, and the person who is so powerful that the more they use their power the more their body fades away.
Leila (one of the hunters in the Marcus Brothers gang), is D’s counterpoint through most of the story and share an uneasy alliance, although both
share a similar personality she seems neither willing nor eagre to have D around hunting the same mark that they are.
The story in and of itself is a good yarn, you can both watch it for a deeper meaning, or just watch it for the fun of it, something not too many
movies succeed in. The musical score and sound effects are well suited and done well, although sometimes overpowering of the vocal tracks, trust
me on this, if you own anything less than the 5.1 system, you will find yourself constantly altering the volume, and some stages to turn the too
loud action moments down, and others to turn it up so you can actually hear what people are saying. There is a scene between D, and Meier
fought on top of a carriage that makes this problem painfully clear.
Overall, the movie tends to blend together well, even when moving between vastly different environments at times, everything fits in, and you will
find it hard to be in a situation where you have to think ‘What . . . What does that mean?’, ‘Neon Genesis’ this is not, you aren’t going to have to
analyse it to get the juice from it. The characters are a blast, and character designs are lovely (if you watch this movie, have a look on its take on a
werewolf). This movie is both visually pleasing and well played. Although most people have a problem with acquired animation dubs, the English
dub on here is pretty nifty. You have no trouble getting a feel for the characters, or their emotions. A must watch, if you don’t already own this
movie, its one that I would highly recommend. Especially to those who are wanting to start off an Anime DVD collection, because this is one of
those essential buys a collector must have. Much like Akira, Ninja Scroll, or any one movie from Studio Ghibli.
treated to more than you bargained for.
In a lot of Japanese work, there seems to be an underlying moral, or belief present throughout the piece. ‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’, is of no
exception to this rule.
Underlining the story itself are themes of love, trust, determination, duty, isolation, and choice.
The main protagonist of the story (or more aptly ‘anti-hero’) D, is a vampire hunter. Although a role that most humans would likely appreciate, D
himself has the misfortunate of being half human, and half vampire, and given no great love from either race.
Plot line itself? Basically, a woman is kidnapped by the Vampire Meier Link, one of the more majestic and powerful vampires of the times. The father
of this woman, hires D, to find and bring back his daughter, but has also previously sent another group of hunters known as the Marcus brothers
to find her.
And thus we have our starting point. After this the movie itself draws on at a rather well pace. Not being so ferociously filled with action that the
characters are nothing more than pawns in a fighting game with more dialogue, but not too heavily focussed on character that a person hiring a
movie about a ‘vampire hunter’, and expecting action will be sorely disappointed and put off.
The setting is (as is common with a lot of Anime films), a post apocalyptic world, except in this version, it wasn’t humans that over populated and
over used this earth, it was the vampires who over fed on the humans, and left the human architecture to naught. The sets, vehicles, tanks, and
buildings of sorts, are of a rather grim nature. In the opening scene we are given a shot of a vast city, but in and of itself, appears dark and dismal
in appearance. Where as later in the film, more appealing places, occur mainly in unpopulated area’s or area’s with a very small population,
basically, the more that is ‘going on’ in a certain area, the worse it looks.
Characters in this story, although development is allowed for them, more of the sidelining characters aren’t given the great amount of detail of
their relationships with others. Although saying that, the characters are still given such a distinctive personality.
D himself, is the calm collective lead character, complete with a symbiote left hand, whose relationship with D is left ambiguous through out the
Anime, I also have heard that even in the Manga comic books that the connection between the two is left open to the imagination. The Marcus
brothers are a collaboration that would make any micro-managing RPG player proud, they have it all, the brute, the archer, the swift fighters, the
gunner, and the person who is so powerful that the more they use their power the more their body fades away.
Leila (one of the hunters in the Marcus Brothers gang), is D’s counterpoint through most of the story and share an uneasy alliance, although both
share a similar personality she seems neither willing nor eagre to have D around hunting the same mark that they are.
The story in and of itself is a good yarn, you can both watch it for a deeper meaning, or just watch it for the fun of it, something not too many
movies succeed in. The musical score and sound effects are well suited and done well, although sometimes overpowering of the vocal tracks, trust
me on this, if you own anything less than the 5.1 system, you will find yourself constantly altering the volume, and some stages to turn the too
loud action moments down, and others to turn it up so you can actually hear what people are saying. There is a scene between D, and Meier
fought on top of a carriage that makes this problem painfully clear.
Overall, the movie tends to blend together well, even when moving between vastly different environments at times, everything fits in, and you will
find it hard to be in a situation where you have to think ‘What . . . What does that mean?’, ‘Neon Genesis’ this is not, you aren’t going to have to
analyse it to get the juice from it. The characters are a blast, and character designs are lovely (if you watch this movie, have a look on its take on a
werewolf). This movie is both visually pleasing and well played. Although most people have a problem with acquired animation dubs, the English
dub on here is pretty nifty. You have no trouble getting a feel for the characters, or their emotions. A must watch, if you don’t already own this
movie, its one that I would highly recommend. Especially to those who are wanting to start off an Anime DVD collection, because this is one of
those essential buys a collector must have. Much like Akira, Ninja Scroll, or any one movie from Studio Ghibli.
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