Story/Setup
Taken from the Anime Internet Database:
“10,000 years in the future, the world has become a very different place; monsters roam the land freely, and people, although equipped with high-tech weapons and cybernetic horses, live a humble life reminiscent of millennia past.
A small hamlet is plagued by monster attacks, living under the shadow of rule by Count Magnus Lee, a powerful vampire lord who has ruled the land for thousands of years. When a young girl is bitten by the Count and chosen as his current plaything, she seeks out the help of a quiet wandering stranger, D. It so happens that D is a renowned vampire hunter, and he takes it upon himself to cut through the Count's many minions, and put an end to the his rule.”
There’s two sides to this story. On the one hand, it establishes an interesting setting. A post apocalyptic world, filled with the monsters of old, and humanity living in the shadows of fear is something refreshing. The omnipresent darkness that permeates everything (Even when it’s daylight) can be felt in every scene, whether you want too or not. Sadly, Vampire Hunter D doesn’t delve deep into it’s own story. It all seems like it only scratches the surface of things most of the time, and often things are dropped for certain characters. Still, there is meat on the bones, but don’t go into this movie expect Prime Rib.
Animation
Vampire Hunter D’s animation......isn’t exactly the best. In 1985 it certainly was an impressive sight, to be sure, but compared to today’s animation quality, it’s a joke. The animation looks very old, very dated, and actually looks a little silly. In defense of it, however, there are certain visuals throughout the movie that are at least imaginative. When D encounters the siren-serpents, their appearances are striking. They look pale like ghosts, and their green hair flows down their naked bodies like a waterfall. When they turn into their snake forms, they have the appearance of deadly vipers, with fangs that could break bones with just a single bite! Yes the animation isn’t good looking, but there are sights to behold.
Voice Acting
The voice acting.......is definitely better than the animation. It’s not exactly great, since this was a dub from Streamline Pictures (Streamline was notorious for voice acting that is considered to be hokey at best), but it’s managed to age far better. I shouldn’t actually insult the voice acting, as it was actually well done for 1993. The cast of voice actors was small for it’s time, as it measured in at 11 (Michael McConnohie voiced 2 characters: D’s Left Hand, and D himself), but this small pool didn’t create a mess of voices. They effort that all of the actors put in (At the time) was basic, but at the same time you could tell that there was a personality behind the voices. The acting is old, but it’s serviceable.
Characters
For an interesting setting, the characters aren’t all that exciting. If anything, everyone is kinda boring. Despite being powerful, the main villain (Along with his henchmen) is just a standard “Badguy Of The Day” kind of villain. Doris Lang, the girl that becomes the count’s plaything, isn’t quite as strong as one would expect. Everybody else gets all jumbled into one whole plain mess, where you can't quite tell anything different from each other. The only interesting character is D himself: dark & mysterious, things are revealed overtime & always at the right moment. When you get towards the end of the movie, it is revealed that D is more than he appears. To spoil it here would actually be something of a crime, and ruin a good part of the movie.
Availability & Pricing
Yet again, I’ve reviewed a title that’s out of print & expensive. Unlike the previous review, the cost is at least somewhat bearable (Emphasis on the word somewhat), and the DVD can be found, if you’re looking in the right place. Best Buy is a no-go for sure, and FYE will have a 50/50 chance of finding a used copy. Amazon is the best bet in this case: although few copies along both new & used, they are available for purchase. New copies (There are 6 as I’m typing this) start at 68 dollars, and the used ones (There are 14 as I’m typing this) begin at the more reasonable 26 dollars. If you’re looking to get this title, I suggest you stick with Amazon!
Overall Impression & Rating
The sad tragedy of Vampire Hunter D is staying power. Compared to other horror anime (Both old & new), the scare factor seems rather hokey by today’s standard. Coupled with a confusing story & mostly weak characters, and you have a movie that almost seems a small blip on the radar. However, Vampire Hunter D is a colorful movie with an interesting premise. Some of the atmosphere is still effective under the right circumstances, and the voice acting isn’t too bad despite a hiccup or two. If you’re a fan of dark horror anime, then it wouldn’t hurt to seek this title out. Otherwise, watch it only if you’re curious.
Vampire Hunter D gets a 6 out of 10
Ooh, I’m starting to feel a bit of the Halloween spirit kicking! I’m carrying on this trick or treat attitude next week, when October will start to rust on us all. See you soon!
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For anyone interesting in the movie, click the link below
Vampire Hunter D (Full Movie)
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