Vampire Hunter D

So a old anime movie. Nothing like hearing the elitists saying how this is the pinnacle of anime, and the new fans saying its boring haha. After having this movie in my stash of stuff that my friend lent me. I finally found some time to watch this. So what is this movie really? In my opinion. It is somewhere in the middle. Is is the pinnacle. No not really. If it were we haven't made any progress in the last 30 plus years in animation. So the story is a rather simple one. Definitely reflecting of the times in my opinion. It is very reminiscent of the stories of video games at the time. I could imagine watching this movie as a kid, and being awestruck by it. Now another thing that I noticed was that this animation, at the time, is stunning. The style is very nice, and it is interesting to see how anime used to be compared to what it is now. However a few characters did look a little off admittedly. Also they did repeat a couple of animations. Probably to cut back on the cost. Then one of the women characters had a head like a character from Akira, and super small lips. Another thing that wasn't too good, but kind of gets a pass due to when it was made was the sound. The sound is good overall, but there were parts that the sound was kind of quiet. Then there was the standard action sounds of the sword cutting through something. However it is still nice to see how far we have come in the sound department. Now another thing that was bad, but I still loved it. was the dub. The dub is so hilarious. It is good at some parts. However it is still a cartoon in the 80's. So know that going into it haha. Just the long pauses and responses, as well as the actual voice acting is great. Very reminiscent of old martial arts films. Which I am a sucker on. Now the characters I think is honestly the most negative part of this movie. Some of the characters are kind of have way to obvious motives. Which given how basic the story is. That is bound to happen. However like 2 of the characters, in my opinion, are a little unbearable. Also if you are looking for a super deep thought provoking movie. You won't find it here. It is a standard fantasy action film. Is it different, and it tries to do things differently? Yes. Absolutely. I loved it haha. It was a very good film. Simple story. Hilarious dialogue. Definitely a good movie to watch with a group of friends. You won't really get lost either, and it isn't a long movie. Definitely a good movie to admire the work that was put into earlier animation, and respect how far we have come. Overall I would recommend it. Especially if you love animation, or the have a love for the production side of things like I do.

There's something to said for watching the classic anime films. The ones that remind you why you kept watching anime in the first place. That movie budget animation is on full display here. It's fantastic to look at. The color play used here is phenomenal. It's marvel to think that no CGI was used in this film. The story is gripping, and engaging, even after all these years and viewings. The characters are unique and layered. The action scenes are entertaining and well thought out. The suspense is there offering several moments that raise doubt that our heroes will triumph (unlike a certain orange clad ninja's movies). There are only two flaws to mention about this one. First is the dated character designs. Larmica eye to mouth ratio makes her look weird, even in the 80's. I understand the large eyes are suppose to convey how emotional the character is but she's a blood sucking murderess. I forgiven Dan's design because he's a little kid. But that's part of it's charm; that retro look. The second thing is the montage at the end. In the English version I saw first the credits played over these scenes and that seemed an efficient use of the time. Oh, I should also mention, this one's rated R (not for the kids). It features some pretty graphic violence and has moments that might trigger some. With so much mediocre anime out there it was refreshing to watch something that makes wading through mediocrity worth while to find gem such as ths. Seriously, what more could one want in an anime?

The infamous cult classic and one of the first animated films from Japan brought over to the West. As much as this film is a classic, it really does show its age. Set in a post-apocalyptic world with light sci-fi elements, and when demons and monsters roam freely. The story itself is simplistic and easy to understand. A woman gets bitten by a vampire noble, and the hero Vampire hunter ‘D’ just happens to be wandering by, agrees to save the day. Some of the actions sequences are pretty good, as well as the fantastic voice acting (both Japanese and in English). However, this film’s art, animation, and sound look like something out of the early 1970’s, which is either from a low budget or a poor job. Either way, it is inexcusable. It does give off a dark and gloomy feel throughout the film, but the backgrounds never seem to change and are pretty bland most of the time. If characters make the anime, this is another shortcoming. Being a film, the character development and interactions lack way too much, and always seem rushed without explanation. For example, what made the main girl fall in love with ‘D’ in the first place? There is all of a sudden a scene where she falls for him without any explanation, and the viewer just has to accept it as fact. There are many other examples of this so-called “development.” It is a short vampire anime with some cool sequences here and there, but just can’t help but think what more could have been done to engross the viewer in the world in which Vampire Hunter D just kicks so much vampire teeth in.

well about this film. it's sort of a mixed bag. but i really love this one. the action is good the story is awsome. the characters were pretty cool too. but i digress this film is under rated. probably because of the animation not being so top notch. but if you watch the story you'll find this film is pretty damn good. i give it a 8 out of 10 lol

Ehh, it's a classic gothic film similar to Castlevania. The story is pretty basic and the animation doesn't hold up that well. Think "Land Before Time" but with vampires, SPG action, and fan service. I think this film is mostly catered to audiences who grew up with it, or movie buffs who enjoy classic vampire films with gothic themes. The only reason why I stumbled upon this is because my Dad recommended it to me. All the audio, sounds, and visual effects are so 80s it feels like I'm watching Neverending Story or The Labyrinth. The action scenes and battles aren't that elaborate. It's mostly just a couple of frames with flashy effects. The story follows D, a vampire hunter and mercenary for hire. D stumbles upon a town that's governed by a very old and powerful vampire called Count Magnus Lee, who intends to find a young and beautiful girl to be his next bride. In an attempt to protect herself from getting kidnapped, Doris Lane hires D to be her personal body guard. It's really just your typical damsel in distress plotline where the hero tries to protect said damsel from the villain and his goons. I would appreciate a good classic movie with outdated animation if the plot is really interesting. However, the story was just way too generic for my taste. It's an okay story but it's appeal mostly comes from the "nostalgia" of watching it.

VAMPIRE HUNTER D has always been a cult favorite of many Anime fans dating all the way back to what historians would call the "dark days of Anime". Back then, Anime had limited exposure to Indian audiences, aside from the occasional showing of children's cartoons often mangled and edited. But with the release of Katsuhiro Otomo's controversially violent but nonetheless brilliant AKIRA, an interest in edgy, darkly animated, gritty features from the Land of the Rising Sun was ignited, and so it followed with several titles imported. VAMPIRE HUNTER D aimed to be an edgy thriller, a horror movie, and even a love story all rolled in one. That said, critics were not unanimously ecstatic. Reviews were mixed, with most criticisms centered on the somewhat stilted animation or sometimes inconsistent characters. To this day, VAMPIRE HUNTER D has its share of detractors. But it also has its share of devoted fans, many of who had grown up in the West with a dubbed version produced by the late Carl Macek and his company, Streamline Pictures. Set in a post-apocalyptic future where vampires and mutants have overrun a human world, VAMPIRE HUNTER D begins on a dark night with a deftly choreographed action scene. In last i only say give it a shot ...Don't drop such a masterpiece among masterpieces .

I don't think I can ever emphasize enough how much I love old-school anime. The style, especially character design, animation, storytelling, everything, and although newer and more recent anime can have all of these great qualities too, when old anime has them, it just hits different for me. Of coarse, it's good to realize not all old anime are immediately going to be peak just because it's from the 80s or 90s or older, and I think Vampire Hunter D is a good example of that. * This review may contain spoilers, but only minor ones * The movie's first scene is one that I actually like, where Doris, one of the main characters, is shooting monsters at night when she is bitten by a vampire. Doris then asks D to track down the one who bit her, Count Magnus Lee, before she is forced to become the Count's bride. I also really like D, he's a cool character. The plot of the movie overall is good. The story is interesting and not totally confusing or hard to follow. The story itself isn't really the reason I dislike this movie, it's almost every other element of the movie that makes it not as enjoyable for me. Something that I really couldn't get behind when watching this movie was the style. The character designs are just alright, but the color palette for this anime is so weird to me. All of the backgrounds in the film are dark colors and dull shades of colors, mostly browns, and are watercolor or painted. But the character's outfits have bright colors that clash so much with the backgrounds that I think it makes the movie unappealing. It's been quite a while since I watched this movie, but I don't remember the voice acting being amazing, but I won't pit it against the movie once I watched the english dub instead of the original audio with subtitles. The movie's animation is really only good when it comes to the violence and bloody scenes. One moment that I do remember from this movie is when someone grabs onto Doris's necklace but ends up pulling part of her shirt down instead, and the only reason I really remember it is because it's such an unnessesary and out-of-pocket scene that caught me off guard. I guess that's another beef I have with the movie. Doris IS a strong character, but she was often used for fanservice instead of cool fight scenes or action scenes, other than the beginning of the movie. The movie is about D saving her, so it makes sense that she wouldn't do much of the fighting, but they still didn't need to rip her shirt off or show her naked for no reason. I guess I just feel this way because I really don't care for fanservice anyway. The movie ends with D riding his horse away form the town, leaving Doris and her brother once finished his job and saved Doris. I also sorta like the ending of the movie because of how out-of-place the credits music is and because D smiles when Doris and her brother wave goodbye to him. I am yet to watch Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, but I've heard it's actually pretty good. This movie was just okay overall, at least for me. There's no doubt that there are much worse anime and movies that have some of the same issues this film has, but I personally would never rewatch this. Thanks for reading! :)

I watched this film twice, first in Japanese, then again a few days later in English. I knew nothing of this film or the lore, but I had seen some gifs of the two VHD films on a message board that I thought they were fantastic. I have witnessed much animation and media in my life so I am not easily impressed, but in the first 10 minutes of this film, I was utterly convinced to be in awe of a genuinely terrifying world under beautiful artistic execution. This film pulls few punches in it's animation and design- there is only one scene I thought to be an unnecessary re-use of frame(s), which is partly why I couldn't give this film a perfect score. If I were to give something a perfect score, I would be stating that nothing could surpass it, given that this film instantly became my personal favorite, I was very close to giving it that perfect score, but I will give it the score of, "the most well done film, in spirit and intent, regardless of being animation or not." This film (Japanese voice language) absolutely nails the atmosphere, symbolism, and nuances it intends to insinuate. The world is presented as terrifying, yet survivable- To be alive in this era as a human requires competence. The "damsel" presented in this film is not a dainty flower comparatively, she challenges the main protagonist immediately and only reveals her true or more "vulnerable" self when convinced of his competence. The english dub tarnishes this character, as well as every single character, and demotes them into stereotypical archetypes. Doris, the "damsel", is immediately a ditzy damsel, rather than a prideful wounded warrior of a terrifying world. Half of the human characters are granted "southern" accents in english. The southern accents are incredibly jarring and forced. I was amazed that they thought this to be a good decision when designing the english dub. There is absolutely no indication of "southerness" in the story, atmosphere, or presentation of the film in japanese. The only thing I can think of is that the younger brother of the damsel character, her name Doris, his name Dan- maintains a farm. So the people who dubbed this film were under the impression that participating in animal husbandry would equate to having a southern accent. If you're not convinced of this being a sign of one-dimensional creativity, the damsel type character- Doris, does not share a southern accent and neither does the two character's "father figure". I could rant endlessly about how butchered it is to view this masterpiece in english, but I will continue only about the original film instead. In my eyes, this film is overflowing in symbolism. Symbolism is subjective, so take what you will from it, but the author of the original source material is said to be heavily invested in "occult" themes for the stories by which this anime has been based upon, so it is not outlandish to attempt to read the metaphysical information presented through out. My take on this story, symbolic perspective, without spoiling, is that of the power of freedom of will, the forces that suppress freedom, the vulnerabilities those forces "prey" upon to suppress freedom, and the true power human beings have to overcome these preying force and become truly free in mind, body, and soul. The main character is a being who knows two things- what he is and what he may become. A man who gives compulsory conscious thought to not only his actions, but his intentions behind the actions as well. The main character is representative of a man that has superseded his superego and no longer views himself as a "victim of circumstances" (Determinism archetype), but as free and true being only confined momentarily to this mortal coil. My perception of this was reinforced in the protagonist's self defining claim, "we are transient guests of this world"- an ellegant and simple allusion towards a self realized concept of eternal existence, which again is played out in both physical and metaphysical symbolism. The "nobility" (vampires) are physical entities that exist for eternity and the main character shares this quality. The main character does not submit to his "genetic predisposition" (determinism) and instead becomes the "ideal self" externalized. Characters that share this archetype include: Socrates of Athens, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Siddhārtha Gautam (The buddha), and Krishna (Hinduism). The protagonist faces temptations, challenges, illusions, manipulations, and a very fearless oppressor (hint: that vampire looks like the George Soros, Koch family, big nosed international banker, oppressive aristocratic type). The main protagonist might sound like a very complex character as I describe him, but he is not and that is the beauty of authenticity. The main protagonist is a simple being only but following the path of truth and beauty while denying the temptations of momentary pleasure in favor of the greater gift, inner peace, aka happiness. The main protagonist might seem to be "stoic" and "emotionless", but it is quite the opposite. The archetype he is based upon is influence greatly from the stoic philosophies of the classical greek and roman philosophies clearly, but stoicism is misunderstood completely as stereotypical trope, rather than a school of thought on the perspective of what life and death is. You will realize that the main character feels all emotions across the pantheon and that his joy is abundant, yet never external. The main character's deeds are all of his destiny and freedom of will to reshape the worlds both physical and nonphysical. This is all about one character in a film filled with great characters. The antagonists are fantastic representations across the same themes that deal with an contribute towards the identity of the main character. The in-fighting and conflicting interests among "nobility" are profoundly similar to that human "nobility" in real life. It's not hard to imagine the "people" who maintain economic, military, and media influential power living absurdly vampire-like; I mean, what do you think they do when they're born into economic, fame, or regal royalty? These nobility type people, and their lackeys, have interesting perspectives, especially when juxtaposed against the main character's perspective (he has the power to change a mind, it's called empathy). Animation is beautiful and well executed, I don't need to say anything beyond that. The sound atmosphere is fantastic. Of course it is completely altered in english. This is the most profound anime film I have seen. Animation is special to me in comparison to live action film. I believe animation, in the 2d realm, to be the greater medium of expression of ideas comparatively, so I would go as far as to say that this is the most profound film I have ever seen, only slighting edging out it's equally great successor in the 2000's film Vampire Hunter D. Bloodlust

Fair warning if you're epileptic. I'm not personally but even this was a little too much for me. There is a lot of flashing so maybe don't watch it fullscreen if you aren't all that great with flashing colors. There is a LOT of times where the screen will flash black and white. It happened so much that I ended up feeling dizzy and got a headache through out watching it. Afterwards I had to go have a rest, even though I had woken up a few hours before starting the movie. I would have enjoyed 1985's Vampire Hunter D a lot more if there was less flashing. I can handle a bit but this was too much. Other than the flashing, it was a pretty good movie and I have no other complaints.

This story takes place in the distant future, when mutants and demons slither through a world of darkness. Mankind has not yet disappeared from this world, but surviving in it has become a struggle, with some ancient war, lost to time save for it’s place in myths and legends, having rendered the world as we know it into a vast, unforgiving wasteland. The few communities that we’ve managed to form have been cobbled together from different points in human cultural history, with stone buildings, clothing from both Victorian and wild West sensibilities, and technology that wasn’t technically available until far later. Conditions are livable, at the very least, but the worst of all is the fact that despite the measures we’ve concocted to battle the various demons and mutants that stalk our crops, livestock and children, we’ve fallen under the mercy of the Nobility, a class of ancient vampires who live out their eternal lives in their castles, allowing us to live our pathetically fragile and ephemeral lives more out of amusement than anything else. One such vampire, the cruel Count Magnus Lee, has become bored with his immortality, and after what is rumored to be somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years of life, he’s taken to finding ‘distractions’ to help him pass the meaningless years. By distractions, of course, I mean human women, untainted, unturned, cast into unbreakable trances so that he can marry them, break them and ravish their mortal bodies on a nightly basis. His newest obsession, orphaned farm owner Doris Lang, won’t go down without a fight. Even after he’s marked his territory with a quick nibble at her nubile neck, this tough ginger has recruited a mysterious drifter, the silent Vampire Hunter known only as D, to protect her from harm and bring about an end to the nobility, whom he insists on referring to as transient guests. Thus the fight is on between an accomplished supernatural slayer and one of the most powerful opponents he’s ever faced as D, half vampire in his own right, once again finds himself in a battle to protect one half of his geneology from the other. If Vampire Hunter D’s visual aspects look dated in any way, it’s because this particular anime film... OVA? Film? I see different sites claiming both. Anyway, it was released in 1985, which was a far different time than the current anime landscape. I won’t go into too much detail about the way anime styles have evolved over the years, as that would be another full length discussion entirely, but suffice to say I don’t really think it’s fair to judge an anime based on the restrictions of it’s age, especially since the spectrum of quality was just as diverse then as it is now. By the standards of 1985, this... I’m gonna call it a movie... isn’t quite the most beautiful material available at the time, but it’s still firmly on the high end of the spectrum, with a clearly generous budget and a sense of restraint about how and when to use said budget... For the most part. Yeah, they could have saved a significant amount if they’d skipped the oh so important shot of parting blades of grass that the film opens up on. Well, that’s a minor nitpick... There’s some filler from a visual standpoint, but it still looks gorgeous anyway. Production Reed, formerly known as Ashi Productions, is an animation studio that did the majority of it’s work in the eighties and nineties before taking a handful of long hiatuses in the new millennium. Aside from Vampire Hunter D, very little of what they’ve worked on has managed to stay out of obscurity, with a few examples being Blue Seed and... Well, Vampire Hunter D... Seriously, who remembers Minky Momo? And if I’m being honest, what little I have seen of their production history points to D as being a rare standout. The movements aren’t always fluid, but they rarely ever feel cheap or stilted either, and out of them any action scenes that this movie has been packed with, I can’t remember a single one of them looking bad. There are some corners cut, but none that you’ll really notice, save for one particular moment where certain characters are getting captured, and some of the most obvious speedlines are employed. It’s jarring but brief, thankfully. Despite being dated, the animation did actually hold up nicely in it’s original DVD release, but it was also very recently released on bluray, and the difference in quality is more noticeable in some scenes than others, including a walk through an ancient battlefield that I always found way too dark, and now we can see the details in the bones and debris a lot more clearly. I’m also pleased to note that the cleaned up presentation hasn’t altered the dirtier elements of the design, namely the desperate old west setting full of makeshift clothes, arid desert and a town full of people who’ve spent their entire lives performing physical labor to get by. It has, however, provided the opportunity for the designs more gothic elements to shine through in all their beauty. Part of what makes this series so iconic is the blend of gothic, sci-fi and western elements, all of which play an equal role in the design of D as a badass hero, Doris as a tough beauty, and Lee as a villain who doesn’t even have to move or speak to feel intimidating. The random mutants and monsters are also really cool and diverse, with the possible exception of a bland dinosaur looking creature in the beginning. The soundtrack, composed by Noriyoshi Matsuura and Tetsuya Komuro, is a bit underwhelming, but there are a few memorable tracks here and there. D’s theme in particular, which plays at the end just before the credits roll, starts off with an intense action anthem before quickly settling into a more lonely, melodious tone, as if to tell the tale of a warrior whose exploits you may witness one day, but who endures years of uninterrupted travel that you don’t see once he rides off into the sunset, painting a more complete picture of the kind of life he leads and the kind of character he is than the movie ever properly establishes. Actually, D has three themes, and one of the other ones, that plays when he enters the film for the first time, is also pretty cool, with it’s lighthearted tune undercut by a beat that warns of danger and tragedy i the future. I called the soundtrack underwhelming, but I didn’t really mean to say it was bad... With the exception of D’s Themes, none of the tracks are really memorable, as they blend so flawlessly into the movie that they sound strange when dettached from it. They do their job well, and that’s not a bad thing by any means. As for the dub... well, there are two dubs, one from Streamline pictures, and the other from just last year, done by Sentai Filmworks. I’m not gonna lie, when I was first getting into anime, and this was maybe the second anime movie I ever bought(right behind Cardcaptors movie 1), I almost never watched it in English, vastly preferring the Japanese track, and I’ve heard a lot of people say the same. Descriptions of the original dub range from ‘It’s tolerable’ to ‘Burn my freaking ears off,’ and while the acting was decent for the time... Well, for the most part, Doris’s brother was an earsore... The writing, in parts, was just terrible. For a quick example... Trust me, this is not as bad as it gets... There’s a scene about halfway through the movie where a certain character who’s just been turned into a vampire is looking at an old friend in a new light. In the Japanese, he says that he’s always thought of her as like a granddaughter to him, and he’s now wondering why he never raped her. Honest, but creepy and abrasive, so a rewrite was in order. In the first dub, he replaces the second part with “I can tell now that she’s a beautiful young woman.” Nicer, but it feels neutered, almost too safe. In the Sentai dub, however, the line is changed to “But now that I see how beautiful she is, it’s a wonder I never violated that beauty,” which is a line that retains the honesty of …

In short - it is Great! Imaginative graphics. Simple yet intriguing story. Memorable and super well designed characters. Surprising amount of restrain in gore (yes, there could've been more and far worse) and weird sex stuff departments in comparison to the novel. I mean, seriously, last one is the worst part of the novel. Many details about the world are here to see, so since I really dislike novel having all this stuff, I can watch anime and explore this world a bit more. What else can I say... Well, the ending was satisfying and true enough to the novel to still be not a happy ending.

Watching Vampire Hunter D the first time again definitely was a walk down memory lane for me. I rented it in the 90s and thought it was the coolest, darkest thing I'd ever had the pleasure of viewing, but watching it now, I have to say it's a heck of a lot less good than I remembered. It's a very straightforward story, naturally, with Doris having D protect her from Count Magnus Lee after he bites her. As a gothic action title, it gets the job done, but it never actually explores its world or its characters. The pace moves at a rapid clip, maybe too rapid, keeping the viewer, but also not giving anyone a chance to really develop. D is a fine protagonist, though. He possesses that brooding, stoic presence that can make him appear to be the stereotypical antihero, and he single-handedly carries this film. Doris is an interesting concept as a rough-around-the-edges farm girl, but the film basically reduces her to someone who needs to be saved all the time. Count Magnus didn't quite click with me either. He's the cliche vampire villain aristocrat, and really, he seems kinda generic rather than scary. Rei and Ramica are characters that would have been more fun with a bit more attention, and while Rei at least has pizzazz and determination, Ramica's character kinda just fades out without much effect. Dan, Doris's younger brother, was actually one of the highlights for me since he adds some heart to it and makes D's presence worth it. Where the movie still succeeds is in the mood. Even if the animation does seem dated compared to the current time, it has this gothic, moody style with spooky castles, mutant monsters, and an overall mixture of horror and sci-fi that makes it have its own unique style back then. The designs are simply brilliant, especially some of the monsters, which seem to have been plucked directly from a horror sketch. The problem is that the sound simply fails to match. The music is unmemorable and fails to perform anything to build tension or excitement, and the sound effects during the battles are one-dimensional, meaning that battles that should be intense come across as thin. I believe that if the audio aspect had been improved, the whole film would have been more impactful. As far as the voice acting goes, personally, I thought the Japanese cast was much better. D's Japanese VA struck the cool, laid-back tone that gets the character over, and the rest of the supporting cast are well-matched to their parts. The English dub, though, is rather a relic of times past. Much of the voice acting is clunky and wooden, except for D's English voice, which actually fits quite well. I know a lot of people in the West first experienced the movie through that dub, so it has some nostalgic value, but going back now, it just doesn’t hold up. Overall, I’d give Vampire Hunter D a 6 out of 10. It has its moments and D is a cool protagonist, but the thin story, lack of development, and weak audio hold it back. Still, since it was one of the earliest anime films to go overseas, I can understand its cult classic label and recognize why it made such an impression all those years ago, even if it does not quite appeal to the same level now.

I just finished the movie, and that's my opinion Synopsis: The story of a girl who asked a vampire to protect her from a vampire without knowing the identity of the person she asked for help. A repetitive and boring story in many vampire works. Elements of a cliché fantasy world, monsters that kill humans as they want. I did not see anything special in this work. Characters: Since it is a rather short film, there is no time to develop the characters and highlight their goals and intentions, such as D and why vampires twist. There was a weakness in the writing of the characters, I liked the change in her thinking like Ramika's character and her acquisition of some humanity during the events of the film away from her personal motives. Art: The drawing and animation were very good, but the dark colors that were used I did not like, and the atmosphere of the film was dark throughout the film Music and sound: The background music did not obscure me much, and there was stinginess in its use. The sound effects were quite impressive, especially when the swords meet or the sound of walking. The voices of the characters in English were rather luxurious. A vampire story of a class that you might enjoy if you have nothing to follow.

NARRATIVE: 5/10 This anime would likely have been better off as a short series rather than a movie. (I do realize this comes from a Light Novel though). There simply wasn't enough room to develop the characters and plot enough, leading to plot holes, underdeveloped side stories, and poor viewer engagement. The story itself was pretty good though, and the pacing was about as good as it could be for such an ambitious story in a measly 1 hr. 20 min time frame. The action scenes were enjoyable albeit a little short; They could've been utilized in a better way to deliver the plot, but they are largely inconsequential. CHARACTERS: 3/10 As stated in the narrative section, character development was quite poor due to there simply not being enough time to develop them. After finishing the film I still have no idea who "D" really is or why he's killing vampires, and the "relationship" between D and Doris was nascent at best; I would've liked to see it pushed a little more. The character that got the worst treatment however was Ds talking sentient face-hand. What was this thing? Zero information is given on what he is, what he does, or why he even exists. His only significance to the plot is delivering snarky dialogue and eating spiders and dirt (?) to save D when he's in a pickle; although I admit it's a pretty cool character concept. At least the evil two vampire siblings were well written. Ramika started gaining some humanity throughout the film, and realized she is more than just vampire, and Rei-Ginsei vainly tried to increase his family standing which ultimately lead to his demise. PRESENTATION: 7.5/10 The animation is pretty alright, I wan't blown away by it, but it definitely did it's job. The art however is where this anime really shines. everything was well drawn with plenty detail, and the character designs are done by the king himself Amano Yoshitaka. It was able to pull off the extremely dark Gothic Castlevania-like setting with great justice. All-in-all the setting combined with the visual themes and gory violence really makes for an immersive and memorable atmosphere. Of particular note is the scene when D walks through the hallway with all the wonderfully portrayed grotesque rows of macabre monsters, which really solidified the mood for me. SOUND: 5/10 I watched the dubbed version on VHS, which I suppose had decent voice acting for the time. It wasn't that great honestly but I didn't let it affect my enjoyment too much. I don't typically care or put much thought into music or SFX in anime, but of particular note in this anime is lack of music in a lot of parts, which I think helped contribute to the desolate feeling of the world. OVERALL: 5.0/10 Vampire Hunter D was a real treat for the eyes and left quite the impression on me, it has good character design, pretty cool fight scenes and plenty of violence and gore, but is plagued with severely underdeveloped characters, plot holes, and is far too short.

This anime may be old but that's one of the things that makes it even better! For its time to me this anime is one of the greatest for me and I will never get tired of it. The artwork itself may be dark but if you look closely you'll see the details they've put into everything and sometimes the sound is off but for a 1980's anime it still stands high above the rest. Because of this anime along with Akira I dove into the anime world and couldn't be happier. This movie has paved the way for many other animes and I highly recommend this movie for those true vampire fanatics or just something to enjoy :P

The first thing that hooked me was the animation. It’s gorgeous! I’m a big fan of that classic anime style. But like a lot of older anime, the story has plenty of plot holes. It feels incomplete, with unresolved threads and things that either never get explained or simply don’t make sense. In the end, everything basically gets resolved just because…? I think they should’ve spent more time explaining D’s backstory. Overall though, it’s a decent watch if you’re just looking to pass the time. I only watched it so I could better understand the 2000 version but honestly, I don’t think it was necessary.

As a huge fan of the old animes, I must say that this show didn't really disappoint me, but also wasn't something phenomenal. The overall story was very engaging, but I must say it was rather straightforward and it seemed to lack a bit of depth. There weren't many important characters other than the main one, and everything kept revolting around the same subject. I didn't expect an extremely complex story and millions of characters from a short movie, but still, there could've been more. The characters are written simple but well. The design of the protagonist is very good. There aren't many third-plan characters, and whether it's good or bad is a matter of personal liking. What's true, is that it made the show focus on one main arc without any useless side plots or long backstories. The arstyle is what's, in my opinion, the best about this show. The old visual style really enhances the feelings while watching and adds a special vibe to the whole show. What may be the biggest issue about this movie, is that it really focuses on one thing and skips everything else. There are very few important characters and it makes the show feel like it's pretty empty, because of the lack of them. I believe that any fan of vampire movies or series should watch Vampire Hunter D. Also, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching shows in the old arstyle, as it really makes a vibe in this movie.

Mistakes and early pioneering are almost always synonymous with each other. Being one of these early pioneers, Vampire Hunter D had the unique distinction of paving the way for a genre that was previously mostly unexplored. Along the way, in its own vintage fashion, Vampire Hunter D showed the series that proceeded it what to and what not to do. From the moment you lay eyes on the world, you can see that the world of Vampire Hunter D isn't like anything else you've ever seen before. The setting feels foreign with the creatures and structures that inhabit it, yet also equally familiar with the small towns and politics that reign within. This blend of creativity in the world-building extends to the designs of the creatures and characters that make up Vampire Hunter D. You'd be hard-pressed to find a half-human, half-vampire cowboy who rides a robot-hybrid horse on his quest to rid the world of the vampires that brought him into existence, after all. It's safe to say creativity isn't the issue with Vampire Hunter D, but rather the writing is. The characters (and world, for that matter) of Vampire Hunter D are extremely shallow, relying too heavily on audience interpretation to make them compelling. Barely anything in Vampire Hunter D is explained to the viewer, and for a film with an environment and characters this nuanced, explanations aren't a disservice—in fact, it's quite the opposite. When this poor, shallow writing is paired with poor pacing as well, Vampire Hunter D doesn't become a vampire story. It becomes a what-if story. Regardless of the positives or negatives, the fact remains that Vampire Hunter D walked so other series in its wake would run. Perhaps because of this fact, Vampire Hunter D is worth a watch. Perhaps it's also worth a watch for the action and ingenuitive perspective it provides to the vampire genre. Unfortunately, if not for these circumstances, I can't recommend watching Vampire Hunter D. Creatively a 10, Cinematically a 5. 5/10 -4Fro

Vampire Hunter D is one of the classics of its genre, and watching this will feel like a trip to the past, where things were much simpler than we imagined. Everything about this movie feels simple and well put together, creating a narrative that is easy to follow and understand. However, one thing the show lacks is proper explanation. For example, you never really get an explanation for why the world got to where it is in the movie. Instead you are engulfed in a sea of mysteries that you might or might not like. The story is linear and doesn't put much focus on the supporting characters, which is also the show's weakest point. It tries to present the characters through their actions and the way that they think, but it's not enough to make them seem like one-dimensional villains which really is disappointing given the level of action presented in the movie. The setting and the world are pretty much a mystery. We are told we are a thousand years in the future, but there is not any noticeable piece of technology that screams "futuristic". An explanation for why things got to the point where they are in the movie is also not given. The animation and score are absolutely astounding considering this movie was released in 1985. They add a lot to the overall enjoyment as it's pretty much an action-packed movie, seemingly trying to compensate for the movie's weaker points. I'd say that if you want to watch a retro anime, you should 100% start with Vampire Hunter D. It's clearly not perfect, it obviously lacks in many areas, but for an hour-and-a-half movie, it's an incredible experience.

Very simply put it's a decently beautiful anime with a cool atmosphere, but it has 'made for a target audience' painted all over it. It's as cardboard cutout as it gets, predictable characters with predictable motivations and some predictable 'out of nowhere' exposition bombs that 'make it all make sense'. Also SPOILER ALERT: The Big Bad obliterating people with his eye lasers was unintentionally hilarious. Watch this if you wanna enjoy beautiful older style animation, if that is your thing, I know some people actively dislike it, but to others, it carries a nostalgic feeling, in which case this should be right up your alley, but don't expect to be moved or impressed by the story or characters, because it does everything in its power to make as bad an impression as possible in this regard. Here's a fun drinking game: Drink every time nudity or candid shots are introduced without any need for them to be there.