Review of Vampire Hunter D (1985) by Corporate J — 18 May 2010

While most Japanese anime makes me sick, some are done very nicely. They create interesting stories filled with rich characters. I am an artist, so when I saw anime for the first time (this was it) I was blown away. Up until that point I figured Disney was as good as it gets. I was so wrong.

Set in the distant future, the year 12,099 to be exact, vampires rule the night and humanity. The human population, having been decimated in some sort of war only referenced to a few times is now reduced to living under a feudal system, with vampires ruling over them. Humans do their best to avoid them and protect themselves. Towns are surrounded by crosses, filled with churches and everyone wears some sort of crucifix around their neck.

Doris, a young village girl one night wanders onto the land of Count Magnus Lee one night and is bitten. Shunned by the villagers, her and her brother turn to a mysterious Vampire Hunter who goes only by D to kill the Count and save Doris before she is turned.

While the dubbed voices are somewhat annoying, overall the story keeps moving. The violence and gore is unbelievable at times, but fits the fantasy aspect of it nicely. The love story is done well and the ending is perfect, a far cry from something Hollywood would spit out. The images and artwork are great. If you are a fan of Amano then you will love his work here.

Even if you dont like anime or have never seen one, give this a shot and I'm confident it will change your mind and maybe even open up something new for you.