Anime: Vampire Hunter D

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by edison23 on 2023-01-08 16:28

The first thing I didn't like about this movie was animation. It's all right that it's a low-budget movie but it's too obvious in the animation. Overall, it's worse than 15 years older Ashita no Joe's animation and that's comparing a movie (single-episode OVA, whatever) to a 79 episodes long series. Episodes in series usually receive lower budget than single-episode movies (and what's more, there's still the 15 years gap there). Compared to one year older Nausicaa (1984), the animation is horrible. But OK, I get it's for kids, it can be more simplistic. But it still shouldn't be disruptively and irritatingly simplistic (which Vampire D's animation is, for me).

The second thing I didn't like was that the creators didn't care much about explaining, for instance, how a group of characters suddenly got from point A to point B; it's just a scene cut and it doesn't make sense. Again, made for kids and low budget justifies simplicity but it still should make sense.

And considered the target audience are children, too much was spent on (oftentimes unnecessary) gore, but I'm not giving this to my children so I don't care that much. Just that certain parts of the movie might have gotten higher budget on the expense of gore animation and the result would be more enjoyable, that's all.

On the other hand, there are nice sceneries (e. g., the Noble's castle), the setting is good (albeit unexplained, but hey, it's not even an hour long piece, I can live with that), and character development throughout the story makes sense. The movie provides suspense and excitement in some fighting scenes so that's also good. The sound and music is good and realistic, although there's almost no lip sync when the characters speak. (But that's all right - low budget, I get that. And lip sync is probably pretty expensive.)

Overall, if you're not a big fan of vampire movies/series, you can skip this one without regret.

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by FullmetalCowboy on 2015-07-27 21:17

Critic’s Log - Earthdate: October 23, 2013. Review #62: Vampire Hunter D

Vampires are very popular in horror stories. Some stories are effective, some aren’t. Either it’s irresistable, or it’s a total shlockfest. Either way, it will drain your blood and energy and time depending on what you see. Here is Vampire Hunter D

In the year 12,090 A.D, technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world. But thanks to the overzealous ambitions of man, the world remains desolate and oppressive. What's left of the human race is divided into various towns and cities living in utter fear of vampires who compose and exist as the Nobility, fending off the monsters and mutants as a result of their existence. On a night five days after the Count Magnus Lee had harmlessly tasted the blood of Doris Lang and chosen her to be his next wife, she hires a vampire hunter by the name of 'D' to rid her of ever meeting a terrible fate.. As a dhampir (half human, half vampire), there exists a distinct resentment between the hunter and his prey. But as the Count finds out, there is also a peculiar secret behind the past of the Vampire Hunter D.

To be technical, this is an Ashi Productions… production and I want to point out that Ashi Productions is now called Production Reed as of current. With that said, I can point out that the animation is pretty old in this one and it’s pretty damn obvious. It also could have been a little better. It’s not all that good, but you know what. I almost don’t care because this was one of the first anime films that was brought into America. This might not be a big deal for those that live in a different country than the United States. Since I reside in the U.S. I will say that this was quite a big deal for my fellow American citizens. The animation can be considered old-school, so this may not be such a problem. I actually kind of like the animation in this movie. Oh wait, it’s an OVA, what?. I still consider it to be a movie. Anyway, It hasn’t aged well, but it may hold some appeal for those that want to see something that’s old-school.

The music by the late Noriyoshi Matsuura should have some recognition. It may not be too memorable but it’s does help with the dark atmospheric tone of the movie. It may not sound like it fits in a horror movie, but the fact that it takes place in 12,090 A.D. It actually may have a fitting sound when it comes to the soundtrack. As far as outside the movie, it’s a take it or leave it type of soundtrack. There really isn’t much I can say about the soundtrack except for it’s effect on the atmospheric tone in the movie. There is a specific tune in the ending where I swear it totally sounds like the ending theme to a Final Fantasy game. Which brings me to note something special about this movie. The character designs in this movie are done by Yoshitaka Amano. You are probably wondering why I am making this sound like it’s a big deal, that’s because it is. You see… Yoshitaka Amano has done some designs for some anime series. He also illustrated some light novels as well as the Vampire Hunter D light novels, but he is also very recognized for his character designs in the very popular RPG series Final Fantasy. I actually really like his artwork and style. He is simply a very interesting artist in the art medium. His art designs are worthy to look at.

When it comes to the voices, the following is going to sound pretty obvious. The Japanese cast is casted pretty good in this one. D is played by the late Kaneto Shiozawa and I am really liking his voice which is kind of sad considering he passed away back in 2000. But anyway, the voice is terrific for D. Michie Tomizawa is pretty good as Doris Lang, Ichiro Nagai is ok as D’s Left Hand, Satoko Kito is okay, and Seizo Katou is alright as Count Magnus Lee. There aren’t any noteworthy seiyus for the supporting characters so...Moving on. With the English Dub, there are some recognized voice actors in this one, but this was their early days so don’t expect a fantastic dub because of this. Michael McConnohie is great as D surprisingly, and Barbara Goodson is decent as Doris Lang, but that’s pretty much it. Edie Mirman is a little off as Lamica, and the late Jeff Winkless does fit the corny role as Count Magnus Lee, it really is a corny performance. I don’t know what else to say about that. Steve Kramer is pretty decent as Dr. Fehring, and even Kirk Thornton is in this movie...voicing D’s Left Hand, and the performance isn’t all that great though, I will say that the name’s I just mentioned have had better roles later on after Vampire Hunter D. However, there is one thing that bothered me about the dub. The first thing is that there is some music in the Dubbed version where the original did not have any music. This gives me the impression that what I was hearing was a simplified tune that added for American audiences, This serves no purpose whatsoever. Secondly, The ADR direction is a mixed bag and this has nothing to do with the voices, but the changes made to the original script. Ray is a fine example. In the original Japanese, he was a bad guy but honorable. In the Dub, he is immature, obviously evil, and very bloodthirsty, which was not staying faithful to the original script to this one character. But regardless of that, The Japanese cast is a solid listen, and I also recommend the dub as well for a completely different reason. Because the movie feels like a Horror B-movie.

The reason I just said that is because the characters don’t really develop too much in this movie. D is kind of one-dimensional and not fully fleshed out, Doris Lang has some development and not a bad character, Lamica is pretty decent, D’s Left Hand I hear is not that faithful to the book. , Greco is kind of a stock character with his intentions in the movie, but if there is a character that is such a cliche is Count Magnus Lee, if you have seen plenty of vampire movies or have seen enough to grasp the norm of Vampire stories, Count Magnus Lee is your typical vampire villian. Ray at least is interesting in the movie.

Here’s what does not bite. The story, I really don’t know how to explain it except that it leads up to the third act. This movie is surprisingly not directionless, and this is coming from the guy that directed the Fist of the North Star anime who happens to be the late Toyoo Ashida. However, the writing is disappointing. The story is not that interesting to begin with, but is it still worth looking into? That depends. I say No because there’s nothing new when it comes to Vampire fiction and it also feels like a commercial for the manga. I say Yes because it was one of the first anime films to be brought in the United States, I’ll say it again, if you live in a different country, this may not be a big deal for you. It has garnered a cult following because of it’s history in the U.S. Another reason I say yes if you are used to B Horror movies. If there is one thing I will admit is that the movie had some cool moments. If it’s simple entertainment you want, Go right ahead and bite into this one, If it’s Grade A material you are looking for, don’t get your hopes up.

Vampire Hunter D has been available by CBS Theatrical Films and Streamline Pictures, but it is available by Urban Vision Entertainment. The light novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano is available by Dark Horse Press.

With all that said, Vampire Hunter D is recognizable for it’s history in the United States, it has a fitting soundtrack albeit not memorable, but it manages to have ok animation and ok characters, but it does suffer with a story that doesn’t really offer much and it’s just an average movie that is both simple entertainment as well as a special one for Americans.

I give Vampire Hunter D a 5.5 out of 10. it is SO and SO!

Feel free to leave a comment.

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by jturner on 2008-07-13 16:20

[br]Based on a series of best-selling novels by Japanese Horror author Hideyuki Kikuchi, this 1985 direct-to-video animated feature has been a cult favorite among Anime fans. 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. Here we see Doris Lang, a courageous werewolf hunter's daughter stalking her gardens in pursuit of a T-Rex like monster with sharp teeth and scarlet eyes. Chasing it into the forest on horseback, Doris finds herself face to face with an even more imposing threat--a hulking, shadowy vampire, who introduces himself as Count Magnus Lee (in a rather corny monologue which exists only in the English version). Naturally, the bloodthirsty aristocrat takes a drink from our heroine's jugular vein.
[br]The following day, Doris encounters a lone figure on a cyborg horse--a vampire hunter known as D. Desperately, she hires him. The rest of the movie involves D doing everything in his power to slay the evil count to save Doris from an eternal life as a walking undead. Meanwhile, Doris must protect her impulsive little brother, Dan, and fend off the advances of an unwelcome suitor, the arrogant mayor's son Greco. Matters are further complicated when D also has to deal with Lamika, Count Lee's jealous daughter, and the ambitious Ray Ginsay, a deadly noble wanna-be who will do anything to earn his master's favor. During all this, Doris falls madly in love with D--but it turns out that her rescuer (surprise) is half-vampire himself. (This explains why his left hand has a creepy-looking face that can talk to its master or even suck up nasty creatures.) The concept is sound, but this movie's execution may turn off viewers expecting a multi-faceted story and flashy visuals. The plot, while otherwise apt, borders too much on predictable; even a chilling sequence where Ray Ginsay paralyzes and (temporarily) murders D by way of using an essence-draining candle loses its impact because we already know that our hero will eventually prevail. The character designs were by Yoshitaka Amano, best known from the ever-popular Final Fantasy videogames, but his stylistic illustrations are sadly compromised by the simplistic and flat animation. The backgrounds, although dark and appropriately imaginative, lack detail and the cel count is very choppy. It is important to note, however, that all the animation defects are simply attributed to the fact that this was made in 1985, a time when Japanese Anime productions were mostly made on the cheap. Even still, it does leave a B-grade stench on the product.
[br]This same B-movie quality also applies to the audio aspects of the picture. Although the sound effects are appropriately haunting and scary, at times they do sound cheesy, particularly the synthesizer sound effects when Count Lee sends rays from his eyes. The musical score from TM Network's Tetsuya Komuro is fittingly epic and sometimes spooky, although it is obviously driven by dated-sounding electronic instruments.
[br]As far as vocal acting is concerned, the English dub, produced in 1992 by Carl Macek's Streamline Pictures, does not feature anything in the way of memorable or convincing vocals. With the exception of Edie Mirman as Lamika, who brings a sultry arrogance to her role and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Barbara Goodson as Doris (who is decent, but sometimes she comes across as bland) the rest of the performances range from dull (D sounds too much like a radio announcer) to lackluster (Dan, in particular, sounds more like a woman than a boy). Other factors which bring down the dub are the cheesy Transylvanian accents and the even more lame writing (in addition to that aforementioned monologue delivered by Count Lee, there are other groan-worthy lines, most of them uttered by D's left hand). Regrettably, this does not mean that the Japanese version is any better. While D is decently voiced, Doris, Dan, and Lamika all have shrill, irritating voices in the native language track which actually sound worse in many scenes than in the dub. In other words, neither language track is remarkable, nor easy to recommend over.
[br]All these faults aside, Vampire Hunter D is a good story. In spite of its aforementioned predictability (some might argue this movie was tailor-made for Western audiences), Vampire Hunter D delves into some complex issues: D's inner struggle to resist his own instincts when Doris makes sexual advances on him and his inability to express his true compassion to others results from some very human emotions. It is also intriguing to discover that the villainous Count Lee's actions are motivated mostly by the desire for sport rather than malice. The action and fight sequences are also skillfully choreographed in the style of a samurai-slasher. Sadly, the routine execution does weigh down the movie's potential.
[br]It's also important to note that this movie has its share of graphic violence--there are quite a bit of gory swordfights, resulting with stabbing, amputating, or slicing in half; toward the end where one character's head explodes. While all this may sound pretty extreme for squeamish viewers, the cheap production values actually make the violence less gruesome and more campy, making it easier to sit through than most bloodfests. There are also a few very inoffensive nude scenes. Even so, this is a movie best appreciated by an adult audience; parents should think twice before considering showing this to children.
[br]Vampire Hunter D is a good film, but it's not what I would consider one of the all-time greats. For a more meaty and complex treatment of the story, Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Bloodlust should be a more viable route.

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by shogunrua on 2007-06-23 07:27

I originally didn't intend to review this film (even though it's one of my favorites), but after looking at the abysmally low ratings and review scores it received, I decided it needed an opposing point of view.

Here are two key things to keep in mind when watching this movie... it was made in 1985, three years earlier than Akira, and it was made FOR KIDS.

That's right; it's an anime film from the mid-80's, with a main target audience comprised of eight year olds.

Hence, it's absolutely ridiculous to compare its animation to the animation of films released 22 whole years later (when it came out in 1985, "Vampire Hunter D" was the best animated film ever made up until then), or chide it for being too simplistic (it's made for kids).

It would be just like panning "The Seven Samurai" for being in black and white and not featuring enough special effects.

However, in the capacity that the film was made, and when it was released, it's almost perfect; awesome action scenes, unique, interesting characters, and animation that was breath-taking for its time.

I originally watched this when I was seven, and at the time, it was one of the most spectacular things I had ever seen.

Watching it again at seventeen (I'm 20 now), it was still highly enjoyable, although obviously not the same mind-blowing movie I remembered from childhood.

If you want a similar movie targeted for an older audience, with more modern animation, check out the sequel, "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust".

With that being said, "Vampire Hunter D" is still a classic, a revolutionary film when it came out, and for anyone who doesn't care too much about pretty-looking, stylized characters, a great movie.

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by saya77 on 2007-01-30 15:53

I would first like to say that I have watched Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust before I watched this, and therefore was very dissapointed with this first version of Vampire Hunter D.

To start with, the animation is horrible, even for its time it was sloppy. To think this came out just a little while before Akira, with its excellent animation.

The sound was nothing to remember, and the English dub is atrocious. The Japanese voices arn't that much better either.

The story is full of holes, jumps around often, has no plot twists or surprises to keep you interested, and is generally predictable and stale the whole way through.

The characters, even D himself, struggle to be semi-interesting, and I didn't feel a thing for any character except maybe D's hand-demon who was at least a little interesting.

This anime has little value unless you are a Vampire Hunter D fan, and even then just to remind you how much better Bloodlust is than this piece of crap.

While I did enjoy some parts, like when D is cutting people up, it was a struggle to get through the movie and not just turn it off and stop watching.

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by gambit on 2003-06-20 16:13

Set in a dark world, people are scared of Vampires. But also in that world is 'D'. He doesn't have a name, nor does man knows who he is. The only thing they know (mostly afterwards) is that he is half human, half vampire.

A heroic story about a man and his dark side, fighting against the horrors of the world.

Right. Sounds like a regular non-interesting story with lots of violence and absolutely no story. And yes, it is.
Okay, it does have a story, but the anime itself is boring, the story doesn't have any actual twists and the main character is as flat as can be. He doesn't evolve, in fact he doesn't do anything except fighting - whenever he encounters a vampire.

And worst of all: It is dubbed, making it look like a regular cartoon - and that's definitely not a good thing.

Yes, it is clear that I really dislike this anime, and I'm not ashamed to say so. That's where I give a 1 to enjoyment, since I had to force myself to finish it. And since I had so much trouble watching it, I definitely won't watch it a 2nd time, that's why the value drops as well.
Of course there are people who will like this - but then again, there are people enjoying DBZ, Sailor Moon, Pokemon - or even more off-topic, Bold and the Beautiful, Steven Segal-movies and even worse stuff.