Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Chances are that if you are familiar to anime by any degree that you've heard of Vampire Hunter D. Originally released in the mid 80s, the film has since carved out a pretty large following. On the other hand there's also a big group who hate it. When I first sat down to watch it I didn't know exactly what to expect, but it was definitely better than I thought it might be.

Vampire Hunter D

On a rather dark and gloomy night a young girl named Doris is doing what she does best; slaying demons with her trusty steed. Unknowingly she steps foot onto the domain of an ultra-powerful (and quite horny, I might add) vampire named Count Magnus Lee. Luckily for her he leaves only a bite on her neck, but this bite will make her his bride. With little hope in being able to defeat Lee herself she turns to a lone vampire hunter to defeat the Count.

This particular hunter is named D, and as luck would have it, he is half vampire - half human. D doesn't speak much, but this hunter is obviously a force to contend with. When night comes it will be time for D to face off against hordes of vampires, demons, and some very crazy looking monsters - all leading up to the final showdown against Lee himself. Will D be successful in his mission, or will Doris become another throwaway bride for Magnus Lee?

One reason Vampire Hunter D works so well is because of D himself. The character may not have a lot of depth, in fact, it's a bit difficult to understand any sort of motivation for the most part, but he's interesting nonetheless. For the most part D is emotionless, but then there are times when he offers friendly advice or when he acts completely out of character. It is these moments that make him surprisingly likeable as a protagonist.

Vampire Hunter D is also plenty creative. Small little touches such as the talking face on D's hand, or the backstory of Count Magnus give Vampire Hunter D a unique feel. It really can't be billed as a horror movie, but there are some genuinely creepy moments in the film, and the backstory I just mentioned is pretty awesome.

Because it was released in the mid 80s, Vampire Hunter D doesn't exactly have the best animation. Where it really excels though is in style, and this brings about some truly intense atmosphere. Yoshitaka Amano (of Final Fantasy fame) designed the characters and his style seeps through in every scene. Another wonderful aspect of the style is that this is a very colorful movie. Bright reds, greens, blues, and make a surprisingly interesting mix that makes the visuals fairly memorable.

Vampire Hunter D certainly isn't for everyone though. This is one gory film, and it doesn't hold any punches when it comes to being graphic. There's a lot of blood and violence. There's also a lot of exploding entrails and even some nudity. By now it should be pretty obvious that this isn't a film for children. The gore is never particularly gross, but those who are turned off by that sort of thing probably wouldn't like this one.

As I mentioned earlier, the animation certainly isn't up to today's standards. Style aside, the drawings are a bit crude, and the action isn't very fluid. The design of Doris in particular is a bit on the weird side, and almost looks like a design Akira Toriyama would cough up. The action sequences are the highlight here, and rightfully so - you'll be seeing quite a few of them. While the animation itself isn't all that spectacular, the film itself is intensely atmospheric, and for me that's what counts.

To be frank, the English dub sucks. Okay maybe that's taking it a bit far, but this language track really isn't all that great. The actor who played D is probably the best of the bunch and pulls off the character decently enough. The performance doesn't really standout, but it's probably the best. Doris' English actor is just plain annoying. Her voice grates on my nerves quite a bit. The family of vampires are all given fake accents (you really can tell), and it makes the film as a whole feel cheesy. Stick with the Japanese track if you know what's good for you.

Final Recommendation
Vampire Hunter D is a pretty darn good anime action (with elements of horror) film. It's become one of my favorite animated films, though it's certainly not for those who can't stand over-the-top anime fight scenes and gore. Just keep in mind that this film's sequel, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, isn't nearly as good.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD