Vampire Hunter D (1985) User Reviews

Great adult anime of the old school

[KharBevNor · 7/10 · 5 July 2006]

Vampire Hunter D is the kind of stuff that Manga Entertainment built their business on: old school, action heavy anime with buckets of style. The animation, whilst heavily stylised and nowhere near as crisp as todays fare, works perfectly with the material. Compare the 2000 sequel, 'Bloodlust': the animation in the latter is incredibly slick and the action comes thick and fast, but it might as well be robots fighting in outer space or samurai battling on a mountaintop. What the original does, with its dirty, old fashioned animation is create a decidedly other-worldly and eerie feel, perfectly encapsulated in the strange, mutated beings that roam the hostile countryside, glowing and sidling in a sinister fashion. The overall colour scheme, as well, is very Dario Argento: dark blues and browns prevail over the modern, Akira and Ghost in the Shell inspired trend for green overkill. Character design is, as said, very stylised, but perfectly acceptable, and D himself looks as cool as all hell.

As for the plot, there are no problems there, although there are a few cliché moments. The counts boredom, as opposed to the angst that seems to be all the rage in vampire flicks nowadays, is a nice touch, and at no point do characters motives seem unbelievable. The setting is a nicely realised far future post-apocalyptic landscape full of the standard juxtapositions (horse riders with laser rifles) bought to life by the supernatural element, which seems to have taken monsters and critters from anywhere and everywhere, to no detriment. The voice acting is competent, much better than some eighties dubs I could mention (unfortunately I only have this film on VHS, so I can't compare to the original Japanese).

Overall, not the best of 80's anime. It lacks the sophistication of Akira or the sheer camp hyperviolence of Fist of the North Star, but it's still a very enjoyable film, and a solid part of the collection of any anime connoisseur.

"Vampire Hunter D"

[dee.reid · 8/10 · 15 October 2004]

In the 13 years before Wesley Snipes would pick up a sword and proceed to slice and dice the undead that frequented blood-soaked raves in 1998's ultra-cool "Blade," the eponymous character "D" of "Vampire Hunter D" was slicing up vampires and other horrors on the Japanese countryside.

"Vampire Hunter D" is certainly one of the better Anime' flicks to be released during the 1980s, when most Japanese animation films were either relentless bloodbaths, borderline pornography, or both. "D" fits in with the eldest category: it's not short of graphic violence and gore, and there's some explicit nudity to boot.

As a fan of Anime', I know that Japanese animation is not all that welcome in American mainstream cinema because of the stigmas that are attached to it. Because "Vampire Hunter D" was released amidst a blossoming season of bloody, sexy Anime' films, it has earned a small cult following in America.

It is sort of slow in the beginning, but gets going once D makes his appearance, riding into town on a cyborg horse and wrapped in a long black cape. His eyes are partially obscured by his over-sized brim hat. He's hired by a local girl to exterminate the vampire that bit her and because she's been bitten, people have grown fearful of her since they believe that she is contaminated. So D goes to work, taking on the Count's legion of ghastly demons and other hideous creatures.

"Vampire Hunter D" is not the greatest Anime' ever made, but it was one of the first that I ever saw growing up. It's one of my personal favorite Anime' flicks and it definitely ranks within my top ten Japanese animation films.

8/10

*Delightfuly *Distinct and *Darn good though *Dull at times.

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 22 August 2009]

Before the likes of Hellsing and Blood: The Last Vampire, there was "Vampire Hunter D". A haunting tale about a half vampire, half human hybrid named "D" who travels the post apocalyptic wastelands of future earth, hunting down powerful vampires. As this story opens, D is tasked with killing a member of "the nobility" who terrorizes the local populace and in a fit of "I have nothing else better to do" has forced a girl to become his bride.

Wow, what some people would do with too much free time on their hands eh?

The narrative may seem like a jumble of clichés at first, sharing many aspects in common with western vampire novels and movies. Though not the most original of stories, Vampire Hunter D was a great film for its time, combining elements from science fiction, horror, romance, and western genre to create something refreshingly new. The world as realized in this movie is a dark and dangerous place. Monstrous mutants lurk about in the dense jungles and unknown dangers lie along the treacherous mountain paths.

What stands out for me is the ability of the director to stick close to the horror aspects of the original novel and produce a movie with a hauntingly eerie atmosphere. The watercolor backgrounds, stylish character designs, heavy black shadings, creative lighting and block shadows all lend themselves to a very surreal and other-worldly feel. The opening scene with Count Magnus Lee shrouded in darkness, his silhouette lit only by flashes of lightning and his two glowing eyes, is only the first of many sinister and creepy scenes. An Omnious and unearthly synthesizer musical score permeates the entire movie and adds to the distinct atmosphere that truly makes Vampire Hunter D earn its "horror" status.

I had the pleasure of listening to both the English and Japanese vocal track and I personally recommend the English one. Both are just as well acted but seeing as how most of the characters have western names and Caucasian appearances, hearing them in English gave a more realistic viewing experience. Whats more, the English actors saw it fit to give the various characters different accents. British for some of the townsfolk and eastern European for the nobility.

As much as i like Vampire Hunter D as a classic anime, I would admit that it clearly shows its age. The animation style is severely dated and may come across as a little bit on the "cheap" side even for a 1985 OVA production. There are a number of animation short cuts like looping a conversation over a single still shot and long lingering close up shots to save on the number of cels that would have to be drawn. With its limitations in the animation department, the action scenes naturally suffer. Fights are generally quite stylish but the animation, or rather, LACK OF animation is painful to watch. Characters pause in weird stances as colorful streaks zip about behind them to give the illusion of motion. Normally I would criticize a movie that has too many long slow camera pans across a background, but this style just builds up the ominous atmosphere and thanks to the musical score, helps to increase the suspense.

Another flaw is its story pacing. The narrative tends to drag at times and the story seems to "jump" from setting to setting. There also seems to be a eschewing of character development in favor of advancing the plot. Each of the characters are more or less stuck in their pre-set mold of stereotypical archetypes. Only D comes across as mildly interesting due to his mysterious nature and the unknown limits of his powers. Though the voice actors do a great job at trying to flesh out the characters, a generally uninspired script hamper their best efforts. I actually found myself feeling bored during couple of dialog scenes.

Vampire Hunter D is a fine example of how an animated movie can enthrall its audience by its atmosphere and feel alone. There are few anime that manage to capture the actual "feel" of the horror genre and Vampire Hunter D is one exceptional exceptional example of an anime that can. If you have an open mind for a good story and a unique style in an anime movie, Vampire Hunter D is highly recommended.

I personally encourage newer fans who are more used to the glossy pastel colored modern day anime to give this "grand old horse" a chance. Immerse yourself in the grim, gritty world of Vampire Hunter D and find out what made this the cult classic that it is today.

A thoughtful and well-told story, Anime-style...

[keihan · 18 April 2000]

One of the things I have learned to appreciate in my ongoing exploration of Japanese Anime is it's willingness to tell a reasonably adult, well-thought-out and plotted story. Vampire Hunter D is the best example of such storytelling that I have seen in any recent fantasy piece (animated and non).

The one thing I appreciated about this film was that no one in it is a cardboard cutout. Evil is not portrayed as monolithic (if anything, it's shown as just amorality cubed) nor all humans automatically "good guys". Just like in the real world, everybody wants something. Doris wants revenge on a personal level and safety for her village on a community one. Count Lee wants to marry a bride to pass the time. His daughter wants this marriage to be stopped. The Count's time-twisting underling wants to go beyond his current station as loyal henchman. Doris' suitor wants her all to himself. D wants...well, what does D want?

Of all the characters in this story, D is the most enigmatic. If movies do indeed have a Tarot deck, as Stephen King suggests in "Danse Macabre", then D falls under the Eternal Loner (which also applies to such cinema protagonists as Eastwood's Man with No Name in the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns and Lee Marvin's Walker in "Point Blank"). A half-human, half-vampiric descendent of the legendary Count Dracula himself, he is a man of two worlds, yet not truly a part of either. In one, he is barely tolerated out of necessity. In the other, he is hated for his chosen profession. His terse dialogue makes Eastwood look as talkative as Groucho Marx. By personal choice, he has cut himself off from all emotional ties to the people around him who, I'm fairly sure, will die long before he will (consider the comment regarding Doris' confession of love: "I know.").

The big question regarding D is why? Why does he do what he does? I'm not sure that he actually killed his father, as his conversation with Count Lee's daughter would seem to disprove. Perhaps his father saw how the vampires were changing the world and not for the better. Perhaps he instilled in his son the need to always protect those who are weaker than he from the many predators that this world had to offer (as a nobleman who felt a genuine, if patriarchial, concern for his people, it is not impossible that this would be so). One thing is certain: he does not kill his chosen prey for the common reasons that other men do: money, power, prestige, or even love. Maybe he kills to make the world a better place. Who can truly say? Maybe the new movie on the way will provide some answers.

Quite Old, but A Definitive Classic

[CrassActionHero · 7/10 · 30 September 2007]

Vampire Hunter D(1985)

Review: I have seen this a number of times. This has aged well. I remember on the original VHS copy on the back saying, The First Animated Movie For Adults! Indeed.

Vampire Hunter D is a classic in it's own regard. The story is straightforward and effective. A village girl has been bitten be Count Magnus Lee and now hires The Dunpeal to take care of him. This movie has the old feel of the modern vampire lore like crosses work as well as garlic. This also takes place in the very distant future.

Here are the basics: The animation: Subpar. Not bad, but could be better, but this is 1985, so I can definitely give them a break. It's still not that bad.

The Voice acting: Pretty good with the exception of Doris' little brother sounding way to much like a girl. I always hated that. Otherwise fine.

The Characters: All not fully developed, but that was not meant to be, but there is some development and it works. Just enough character. Does not suffer from over crowdedness.

The Last Word: The good olé days. This is how the anime genre got it's grand start. Takes me back. This has aged well.

A Great Inclusion To The Vampire Library

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 6 March 2021]

This was the second anime film I ever watched (the first being the classic Ninja Scroll). Scroll was a hard act to follow but Vampire D did a pretty good job.

These days the animation looks a little bit tired compared to contemporary anime but where VHD wins out is with story and atmosphere and just utter coolness!

It blew me a way all those years ago and I still get a kick out of it :)

D gets a B+

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 19 June 2020]

Her village plagued by an ancient noble vampire called Lee, Doris enlists the help of D, a dhampir (half vampire/half human) who is dedicated to slaying vampires.

Despite my love for weird Japanese cinema, I've never really been a fan of anime. However, being a horror obssessive, Vampire Hunter D intrigued me enough to give it a try. As I expected, the drawings are fairly crude at times, and there's no escaping the Manga trappings -- wide-eyed characters with strange body proportions, action surrounded by hundreds of movements lines, crazy visual viewpoints -- but I still found this mid-'80s 'classic' to be a lot of fun.

The story -- based on the Vampire Hunter D novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi -- is consistently entertaining, director Toyoo Ashida creates an effective other-worldly environment inhabited by an assortment of very weird creatures, and the titular character has a cool 'wandering warrior' vibe not unlike The Man With No Name or Ogami Itto.

Plus there's a lot of enjoyably excessive violence, plenty of bonkers silliness (D has a talking hand!), and a very cute female character in Doris, who is designed to appeal to those who fantasise about buxom young Asian women constantly flashing their knickers (i.e., your average Manga fan). Knowing his audience all too well, Ashida even throws in a gratuitous shower scene featuring nudity from the girl!

7/10. It's not made an anime fan out of me, but I liked it more than I expected to.

"Vampire Hunter D"- An important piece of anime history. Solid, scary and frequently entertaining, but a bit uneven in terms of structuring and storytelling.

[TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness · 8/10 · 13 November 2016]

One of the earlier feature-film anime releases to find popularity outside of Japan, "Vampire Hunter D" is also amongst the earliest of its genre to be aimed primarily at adult audiences with its inclusion of Gothic horror, brutal violence and some sexuality. Based on the characters and novels created by Hideyuki Kikuchi, the film is often highly regarded in the world of anime fandom for its important contributions to the art-form, both aesthetic and in terms of broadening its worldwide appeal. Even to this day- more than thirty years after its initial release, it stands tall thanks to these contributions to the entertainment world. And while its quality might not quite measure up to its historical importance, it's very much a fun and engaging piece of Sci-Fi/Horror, and fans of not only anime but film in general should definitely give it a shot.

Thousands of years in the future, the Earth has crumbled into something of a post-apocalyptic dystopian world, with human culture having fallen apart and somewhat regressed while supernatural terrors roam the land. After headstrong teenager Doris Lang is attacked and bitten by the Vampire Lord Mangus Lee while patrolling her property, she seeks the help of a famed and mysterious bounty hunter known only as "D" to protect her and her younger brother Dan- knowing this dark lord of the shadows seeks to make her into his newest bride. And so, the three will have to band together to fight off Lee's mutant assassins, corrupt townsfolk who now fear Doris, and the dreaded count himself to survive!

While the plot line is a bit simple and is comprised of mainly the most basic of cliché and trope, I find it actually works quite well thanks to the wonderful use of atmosphere and the very likable characters. Despite showing its age, this is still very much a beautiful film and the immense talent of all involved (including director Toyo Ashida, original novel illustrator Yoshitaka Amano and composer Noriyoshi Matsuura) is on full display. It's got a great, grand and very captivating mixture of both Gothic and Sci-Fi design philosophy, in addition to keen character and setting design that sets up such a delightfully dreary mood from the opening frames to the end of the climactic battle. It sets just the right tone from which it builds its thrills and chills upon.

The characters are very archetypal and highly enjoyable. D makes for a wonderfully moody anti-hero. His classic design of long flowing black robes and pale skin evoking a wide spectrum of feelings in the viewer. His lack of dialog and crytptic backstory also help us view him as something of a blank slate, where we can put ourselves in his shoes and get sucked into the story. Doris and Dan make for a great sort-of foil to D's simplicity, and both are infectiously likable characters that you just can't help but root for. And Lee makes for a very fun villain. Obviously inspired by a famous actor with the same last name and was famous for playing a certain vampire in a series of films, Lee's just pure, old-fashioned Universal monster-movie cheese and contrasts wonderfully with the Japanese sensibilities of the storytelling and character design.

However, part of both the biggest strength and weakness of the film is its fun but very uneven sort-of episodic approach to storytelling. It both does and does not adhere to traditional three-act structuring, with some sequences (particular in the middle section of the film) that begin to feel more akin to volumes or chapters or even video-game like "levels" than thought-out scenes there to develop the plot line. It's all in the spirit of giving D and the others increasingly fierce opponents to fight, and it is a lot of fun in a sort-of schlocky way. But I find it distracts from the overall narrative. It leads to too much of a disconnect to the story, and eats up a bit too much screen time, making you lose focus of just what's at stake. Yes, it's fun seeing D battling various monsters... but not at the expense of the basic storytelling. I think this style of story structure was a fun experiment here that didn't quite work, but lead to future films perfecting the concept, including notably the second film in this franchise, "Bloodlust", which had more of a "road-trip" quality where the episodic approach worked significantly better.

Still, despite this quite severe blunder to the narrative structure of the film, I can't condemn it too badly. Because it's still great fun. It's still very moody and sometimes spooky. And it's still wild and thrilling entertainment that should leave most audiences satisfied. Not only is it an important film in the grand scheme of anime's history... it's just a really good, solid film in general. I know plenty of non-anime fans who have seen it and enjoyed it for what it is. And I'm still waiting for more feature-length adventures from this character. It may not be a perfect film. But it's perfect entertainment.

I give "Vampire Hunter D" a very good 8 out of 10.

Decent plot, good for a rental

[Mojo-24 · 7/10 · 22 August 2000]

Vampire Hunter D is good the first watch but doesn't hold up well under multiple viewings. Why? First- you really start to notice the animation shortcuts (i.e. static characters with moving backgrounds)- not that the animation is bad, just that they recycle the same shots over and over. And once you know the story, the suspense is gone. There's definitely some cool ideas and concepts making it worth a watch. The remake coming out soon should be great if they can improve the animation and at the same time remain true to the story of the original.

Bloody. Fantastic. Bloody Fantastic!

[Quicksand · 9/10 · 17 May 2002]

I find it hard to classify anything with this much blood, guts, entrails and brain matter as "camp," but others seem to think it is so. They are entitled to their opinions.

The story is what I can't get over; it's really incredible. We've got actual characters here, with inner lives of their own; dreams, hopes, fears, and prejudices. Nobody does anything because it's convenient for the plot, the characters act because that's who they ARE. It's really quite refreshing, actually.

This is the original classic film, though I have it on authority that the comic is better. Be that as it may, this is a wonderful story with some great characters (and cutie females) that doesn't waste a second of its 85-minutes running time.

Supremely good for 1985. Anyone know where I can see the sequel?

A pretty good halloween movie

[WeAreLive · 7/10 · 3 October 2020]

Doris Lang was bitten by a vampire so she hires a vampire hunter called D to hunt down this vampire. While keeping it a secret from her little brother.

I watched both the VHS and the re release blu-ray versions and while I do prefer the blu-ray release since it's in HD format which you probably wouldn't have got at the time. But the VHS was okay despite moments of poor quality.

On to the story it's a pretty good classic watch. The animation was good and it looked better in HD. I thought the first dub was pretty bad as everyone sounded like someone from a cheesy children's horror film. The second dub was a bit better but on a sub-par with it's original audio. If you want to watch it dubbed I recommend the new Sentai dub.

If you are getting in the spirit for halloween I recommend this.

Dark Fantasy goes anime

[dryamore · 10/10 · 27 January 2000]

Vampire Hunter D, holds true to the dark fantasy genre. The animation gives the appropriate feel of darkness and desparation. With concepts both original and historical. The legend of the Dhampyr exists in both eastern and western mythos. Not a cartoon for children, but if you like vampires and action this is the movie for you.

Good all around

[LoganWeasel · 6/10 · 16 July 2014]

This has very smooth animation,and i have to say that the English voice acting is great,i have to say some of the dialouge is on par with birdemic and some of the names are f***ing laughable and the artwork is beautiful as ever and the gore is to the max,well it is for mature audiences only says it right on the back of the DVD,this is one of the better anime's out there and I think you should give it a watch some times its not expensive i got it at a local movie store for about 2 dollars(U.S),if the castlevania games had a anime this would be it,great visuals,good voice acting,good characters,good but sometimes cheesy dialouge,but overall a great anime I think you should check out sometime.

A classic piece of Japanimation

[last_v8 · 18 November 2001]

By the same director of 'Fist Of The North Star', 'Vampire Hunter D' is in much the same mould as 'Fist' - post-apocalyptic setting, brooding heroes, exploding heads and plenty of gore to boot! I personally love this anime, the story, characters, music and even animation (albeit a bit rough and 80's) all combine together well to make this an anime to watch again and again. Another parallel with 'Fist' is the amazing amount of cheesy one-liners - they keep me and my friends 'occupied' for hours! (I was once told of mutant that could twist space around him, and now it seems I have met him! - a good example!)

Far from the best there is

[CrHunter · 6/10 · 17 December 2000]

I mean, the animation is ... withstandable... the story superficial... plot twists inexistant... and the characters 2 dimensional

BUT it certainly gets lots of points for style. The hero's got kick-ass looks and badass attitude, and he's got a real cool sword...

Well, it's not enough to make it a good anime

But it's enough to make it worth watching!

Superb anime.

[Teknofobe70 · 6/10 · 6 April 2005]

Whether or not you'll enjoy a movie like this mostly depends on whether or not you're an anime fan. Personally I enjoy most anime -- obviously "Akira" is a fantastic movie, and Hayao Miyazaki has recently enjoyed massive success with his anime masterpieces "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away". Some people are put off by the weird creatures and the sometimes bad quality of the animation. Also, dubbing is never a good idea and most people are unwilling to deal with subtitles.

But if you are an anime fan, I definitely recommend checking this movie out. It's pretty much your standard post-apocalyptic, supernatural battle-to-the-death, with great characters and an interesting storyline. Vampire Hunter D is a very tough, emotionally-scarred vampire hunter who is basically a good guy but in some ways a bit of anti-hero (which is always nice). Oh, and he has a talking hand.

Vampire Hunter D is hired by a young girl to track down a vampire who has bitten her and destroy him. He has to fight a seemingly impossible battle to kill this powerful vampire, and there are plenty of great visual ideas along the way. It's the kind of thing that could possibly become a very entertaining, CGI-heavy Hollywood re-make someday, and the odds of that happening become increasingly likely as time goes on. All in all, this is a perfectly decent anime -- not the best I've seen, but fans of that genre will definitely find something to enjoy here.

anime classic

[al_phillips2000 · 6/10 · 17 December 2001]

Stylish vampire-genre film succeeds in great fun. Anime fans can't miss this one ! Does anybody else notice all the Japanese characters named "D" in different films ? There is a "D" in "Project A-ko" and I remember a "Master-D" in the Nintendo game "Bionic Commando" who turned out to be Hitler !

Very slick and cool anime set in the future, but with monsters of the past.

[Aaron1375 · 9/10 · 3 February 2004]

This is one of those anime movies I first saw on regular television. It was very cool and unique and started my love affair with these types of cartoons. The only other anime movie I saw before this one was one called in English "Warriors of the Wind". I saw that one when I was a bit young though and I didn't know what was going on so I can not really review it. I remember it being rather good though. The reason I like this one though is that it is sort of the old plot of a man going against vampires and wolfman and all sorts of other supernatural creatures, but there is a bit of a futuristic twist that I rather like. The story has a girl bitten by a vampire and destined to become his bride. She is in luck though as a vampire hunter named D has come to town. This guy really is a good fighter and he uses every trick in the book to take down the evil in the castle. He has a rather unique sidekick as well. Twists and turns abound in the movie as do betrayals and vengeance. This one has it all and some great animation and action as well. When I saw this one later on cinemax I was kind of surprised to see it had some brief nudity in it as well, but nothing that lasts to long. Quite frankly, that was about the only difference I saw from the television cut to the movie cut...not really too much of a big deal. All in all a very satisfying anime classic.

Talk to the hand!!!

[mrbisco · 6/10 · 5 February 2003]

My roomie is way into Anime and I'd never seen this so we sat down and watched it the other night.

This is a mid-80s anime. It looks it, too. The animation isn't all that great and the art is pretty tame. It looks very typical mid-80s anime. In other words, like much of the other stuff from that time.

I really enjoyed how it captured the feel of some of the 60s and 70s vampire films. The only name I can really come up with right now is Fearless Vampire Killers. It has that bleak, desolate feel to it. Music is great, too.

Vampire Hunter D Gets An 'A'

[Irate_Tyrant · 10/10 · 4 January 2007]

BANPAIA HANTA D (Vampire Hunter D)

Director: Toyoo Ashida, Carl Macek Writer: Hideyuki Kikuchi, Yasushi Hirano, Tom Wyner

"You and your kind do not belong among the living. You are nothing but visitors from the past, shadows from the world of darkness."

Japanese animation comes in whirlwinds of both creativity hand-in-hand with quirks, and naive science fiction fares. The characters are often disjointed and one-dimensional, and supposedly comical, yet by American standards, very mundane. Yet the creative side of the art remains to be surpassed even by the 'great' CGI era. Sticking to the old techniques of hand-drawn as opposed to computer-generated, Anime reflects on the human spirit more than anything else, which is surprising in the midst of so many far-fetched scenarios brought forth in the genre. It is fiction, we suppose, as we sit down in our seats with a bucket of popcorn and maybe some Twizzlers or soda, but as we delve into the storyline it can also be aggravating to watch so many grandiose scenes of mayhem meshed in with as many blatantly stupid and over-the-top characters.

Do people really laugh every time a stupid cat is shaken out of a tree by quasi-martial art ninja on screen? Is it really funny to see some teenage girl get her skirt blown up by a sudden gust of wind? These types of moments plague the stories of many an Anime feature, as well as frustrate the h*** out of yours truly. This is why this may be one of the few features worthwhile for any moviegoer. Skip the bulls***, give me action, blades, and bloody slaughter, I say. Color it red and black, put a sticker on it, and I'll buy it and enjoy it as much as I can.

Be forewarned: "Vampire Hunter D" is NOT for the faint of heart. Nudity is prevalent, blood is spilled by the bucket-load, and the gore is beautifully choreographed so as to astonish yet captivate any viewer. Even the first scene is sure to mind-boggle.

The real strength of the Anime is the animation, as previously stated. "Vampire Hunter D" will not disappoint in this aspect. Surely, we won't see much in the dark, but when the finale begins, and the light finally shines along the hills that D has traveled throughout the film, it is no less than inspiring. Left with afterthoughts of how great this film would be if it were all drawn in such vibrant color, we are easily mislead at the end to fantastic wishes. This is a vampire flick, though, and it just doesn't seem right to have such ideas floating around. Beautiful, because of its double-edged art and yet gnawing loss of concentration towards the end, the film is certainly one of the finer moments in animation history. But how great can it be for a whole hour to watch blood get splashed around, even "hand-drawn", and then have the whole thing cascade when we see how really talented the artists were at the end?

Well, it's rewards are well worth the watch. The snake-women are guaranteed to send shivers down the spine of even the more avid horror-freaks who view the film for the first time. Also, the fact that this is an animation really alleviates the need for real scares, which to be perfectly honest, never quite worked for the vampire sub-genre. Instead, we are given the truest depiction of the vampire subculture, complete with the werewolves, monsters, demons, and terminology that should be in any great vampire cinema.

The main vampire, Count Magnus Lee, is one of the more colorful characters in the film. His subtle impatience mixed with superiorly crafted monologues are a point of reference through the chaos that warps the short-lengthened movie. He was actually named after Count Dracula's most played actor, Christopher Lee, and of course the similarities are in focus throughout the film. Dracula, doesn't got s*** on this guy though.

D, the hero/anti-hero of the film is truly one of the more great characters I've ever seen in cinema, ever. The less-is-more approach is conducive to the atmosphere, as well as mentally arousing to allow the punctures of every pair of teeth to seethe and cut through the viewer's own skin.

As over-glorified the Anime genre became in the late 90's, this classic of the mid 80's remains one of the finest pieces of cinema never viewed by the common public. Hats off to the creators and artists that worked on this piece, I wish they had done more.

"I've lived for almost ten thousand years. Believe me you have no idea what that means: boredom. Everlasting and hideous boredom. A never ending search for ways to pass the time..."

VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): 10/10

Actors: Kaneto Shiozawa, Michael McConnohie, Barbara Goodson

Art Direction: Toyoo Ashida Music: Tetsuyo Komuro Producer: Shigeo Maruyama, Yutaka Takahashi, Carl Macek, Hiroshi Kato, Mitsuhisa Koeda

stylish

[cherold · 7/10 · 10 December 2004]

Vampire Hunter D has that classic anime style to it, full of striking imagery, gratuitous nudity and buckets of blood. While I could have done with one or two less buckets, the dark tone and stylish delivery make this one very enjoyable.

The weakest part of this movie, and hopefully this is only true of the English dubbed version and not the original, is the acting. The acting is very poor, and the casting is unfortunate. The worst offender is the guy who voices D. D looks mysterious and haunted, but he sounds like someone who narrates those movies about health you see in elementary school. I had a lot of difficulty adjusting to that, and it made the movie less pleasurable than it would otherwise have been. Still, a definite must-see for anime fans.

Incredible

[GreyFox37 · 10/10 · 22 February 2001]

now we're talkin!!! this is a classic that everyone has got to see!!! vampire huntin has never been so much fun, especially with D. the story is great, the gore is great, the monsters are creepy, and the characters rule! the only problem is that the love side-story was a little rushed, but overall, vampire hunter d is the one to see!

One of the Better Violent Animes Out There

[DonaldDooD · 6/10 · 5 October 2014]

Demonic villains! Near-constant panty shots! Super powers! And bloody deaths! Vampire Hunter D is one of those animes of the era. Exploitative in sex and violence, and generally unambitious. These kinds of anime can either be atrocious or hilarious, if not both. Vampire Hunter D earns distinction because, in comparison with others, it isn't as focused on raunch. There's efforts to build character, and there's a cohesive plot. Granted, it isn't great by any means, but you have something to attach to beyond the action.

Elsewise, its what you'd expect. And if you're up for that kind of movie, Vampire Hunter D is pretty fun. Its mixture of Gothic fantasy and dark sci-fi give it a unique aesthetic compared to its peers. Its got the twists and thrills you'd want, too. I'd say it even has a good synth soundtrack! The animation isn't that good, though. It passes well enough, but sometimes its embarrassing.

It gets your blood pumped, and elicits a few good laughs. Its not good good, but its not bad good either. I enjoy it for what it is - popcorn that doesn't taste too familiar. If you want the ultimate Vampire Hunter D experience, watch its follow-up, Bloodlust, after this.

An influential, good-looking effort, but not a great standalone.

[eminkl · 4/10 · 17 April 2020]

Quintessential late-night anime from the medium's earliest days. We've got blood and violence, tits and ass, a tall, dark, mostly-silent hero, a hulking, unrepentant evil monster and a whole host of nameless underbosses to tear apart. Add an ample serving of unique weaponry, a ridiculously large blood moon, a sarcastic talking hand and darkness, darkness, darkness; you've got Vampire Hunter D. With character designs by Final Fantasy house artist Yoshitaka Amano, it's well-conceived, if cheaply produced. As an early gateway drug to the not-for-kids scene, I loved it in my teens. Now that I've been exposed to more material, and the format has grown, it's tough to overlook the uber-hammy dialog, excessively simple character development and vague, conveniently under-explained plot points. Its cup overfloweth with style, atmosphere and well-dressed, grimacing mystery men, but at heart it's just an excessively simple genre piece.

"DaRK aTMoSPHeRiC, bROODY 80's

[framer94 · 6 March 2002]

I knew of this movie several years before I decided to buy it on video. Firstly, this anime single handely is a landmark in Japanese animation. Not because it has a brilliant plot, infact the plot is quite basic, and is nothing that hasn't been brought onto the screen prior to this video's release...but what this film does hold is the honor of it being the first animated horror film ever, Never before has Japan produced a horror featuring scenes of bizzare fungi-like demon ozzing through tunnels, demons tearing through horses necks, etc.

Being one of the very first anime to have a western release, Vampire Hunter D was dubbed by Streamline pictures for American in 1988, and then appeared in Europe in early 1993 via agreed distribuition by Manga Entertainment. The story is quite basic and low bass, basically; a young girl finds herself fighting through a forrest of demons, and it isn't long beofre she realises that she is trespassing on the Count. Magnus Lee's land, and involuntarily teh Count takes her blood as compensation (i.e. passing on the Vampire infection). She seeks out the aid of a Vampire Hunter on the open road, who goes soley by the name of "D." The girl hires D to storm the castle and seek kill the Count so that she may be cured of her vampirism, what the girl doesn't know that D is half Vampire Himself. But the Count sends out his minions to intervine, alongside his Daughter and her Mutant hentchman, who are sercetly trying to kill the girl, rather than bring her to the Count, as they feel that she will disgrace the Lee Family.

Origionally, Vapire hUnter D started out as a novel by animator Yoshitaka Amano, then later progressed into art. The interest of his concepts grew so much that an agreement was made between him and SONY to animate the film, Amano being the chief animator and character designer. The film achieved audiable success in it's time, being many of the first wave of anime to be introduced to the highly expensive "VCRs" at the time, and remains a classic in the West, marked out for it's originality. The character's hero, D, is the main interest, ebing a dark almost emotionaless hunter, dedicated to the oblivion of the darkside, and those who dominate with supernatural powers, forever tormented by thebickering of his own left hand who lives to remind him of what he is. It's this that draws the viewer into focuss on the film.

I recomend this to any anime viewer who can appreciate "old skhool" efforts, yet many people who watch anime are beging to forget this film, due to the anticpated release of the modern superior "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust." I haven't seen this film as of yet with it been only so cinematicaly released in Asia, but considering it's directed by the renouned Kawajiri, I expet the plot and animation to be something else. Though that is no excuse to discard this film as trash, just because it is some 17 years old, and is "retro." It's obvious that modern times will progress further in animation, but people shouldn't regard any film as crap purely because it's pre-decessors have become superior to it.

Overall a worth a watch film if you like anime, particularly Yoshitaka Amano artwork, but if you hate anime, dont bother,and stick to George Clooney films***7/10***

This film went onto inspire the style of other animated horror films from this decade such as the aimated adaption of Go Nagai's Devilman, and Toshio Maeda's controversial Urotsukidoji: Legend Of The Overfiend.