Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)

yep, it's the best one that exists as of yet. what's exceptionally great about it, besides the animation, besides the orchestra, besides the sinister-looking good guy, is the storyline in which there is no real 'bad guy'...yep, it's the good-guy vs good-guy plot. unlike the hackneyed good vs bad, in which the good always wins, this storyline will offer you a breather, and, hopefully, there will be more to come.

and for all you guys that can't live without happy endings which plague about 99 percent of the movies out there, this ain't for you.

Fmovies: Writer-director Yoshiaki Kawajiri gave us an absolutely fantastic animation film. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2001 U.S.) has excellent illustrations, detailed and beautifully rendered. Story is intriguingly presented, mystery and sentiments well-maintained. Original music by Marco D'Ambrosio is impressive and aptly enhanced the atmosphere.

I kept saying WOW! Feeling WOW to its amazing, dazzling sight and sound and music. The illustrative quality is awesome: the colors, the character details, the backgroundsÂ…such all round attention, including character development and storyline. There are action sequences to match Hollywood productions, and a love story, too. The age old theme of romantic love, here between human and vampire, began with an 'outcast' vampire hunter (named 'D', himself half human half vampire - hence seemingly ever young) hired by a human family to rescue/retrieve their kidnapped daughter, who actually has fallen in love with her kidnapper vampire countÂ…the fairytale adventure continues, and to a grand visual showdown of forces in brilliant colorful effects. Yes, there is heart, and we are rewarded with a heart-warming ending, or never-ending for that matter.

If you like vampire tales and fantasies, this is a must-see. If you appreciate well-crafted, illustrative animations, don't miss this one.

Yet to catch Richard Linklater's "Waking Life" - a modern approach to animated film - substance includes deeper exploration than usual animation flicks. Actually sounds quite philosophical - his "Before Sunrise" 1994, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy on a train ride and brief stops in Europe, was a philosophical romantic exchange.

In the distant future, supernatural forces have emerged to become everyday occurrences in mankind's world, and all too frequently they collide with it. Enter, D - A soft-spoken freelance tracker, half-vampire half-human, who makes a living as one of the most feared monster-hunters and Vampire slayers in the world. Though greatly feared by both monster and human alike, his reputation earns him the attention of a rich nobleman, who decides to hire D's services to bring back his beloved and beautiful daughter, Charlotte. In a fantastic display of his unholy power and influence, the powerful and charismatic Vampire Count known as Meier Link has taken Charlotte from her very bedroom, back to his castle to be his bride. However, the plot thickens intensely as the Marcus Brothers (a highly and diversely skilled band of monster slayers), the powerful supernatural creatures of Barbaroi, and an ancient evil force all try to impede D's progress, suggesting that far more is at stake than a young girl's mortality. Before long, D realizes that the abduction is not what it seems, nor is little else. A sinister and world-shaking plot begins to loom over D's seemingly-direct task.

As D goes about his hunt, his journey takes him through fantastic landscapes, crossing fascinating creatures, meeting interesting friends and foes, and ultimately reveals a sliver of his own mysterious past. From beautiful ancient ruins to the most incredible Baroque castles, from savage lands ruled by monsters to pleasant villages at the edge of humanity's reach, Bloodlust is an adventure that will leave most Fantasy/Sci-Fi fans hungry for more. The action is nothing short of dynamic and sharp, separated with moments of genuine pathos and depth, this story is well-told with fine voice acting (great English dubbing) and some of the most fluid animation ever seen. This is not so much a movie as it is "moving art" (a concept that few studios 'remember'). Granted this is in a heavy Fantasy setting, it is so well done that even those who detest such fiction, should be able to appreciate this on at least one level - wonderful animation with an interesting story.

If this movie has a failing, it is that it had to end, and that there is no official word of another in the franchise.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust fmovies. 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.

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.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust may be called an animated version of Blade by some, but it is so much more. In this animated horror / adventure the Vampire Hunter (as Blade) is half human and half vampire, but that's about where the similarities end, for the film plays in the distant future and D is a hunter that prefers a good old fashioned sword to battle the evil of his time. The things that make this film great were the incredible music and cinematography along with a pretty good story. But that isn't all. The thing that struck me most, was that despite being a vampire / demon film, the creatures and weapons in it were rather original. Some things had just been given a bit of a work-over while other things were completely new to me. In all that one can see a lot of care was invested in the making of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and I for one thought that the result was as good as the effort. I'd even be inclined to say that Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is in my top 3 of vampire films, right next to From Dusk 'till Dawn and Dracula (by Francis Ford Coppola).

8 out of 10