Hellsing | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

Hellsing: Impure Souls

After my recent foray into Isekai, I had to find something to cleanse myself of its wonderful reincarnated and whimsical goodness. It’s not that Isekai is a lousy genre; I just picked the wrong one to watch. Shame on me for not reading a review or two before diving.

Hearing my mom’s voice in my head, “a hard head makes a soft ass,” I chose a different genre this time around. Vampires, because vampires are the undead, and I’d rather be undead than dead and reincarnated. I’m just saying! Enter Hellsing.

Hesllsing: Impure Souls Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

Hellsing is an action, dark fantasy, horror anime based on the manga written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. The manga was licensed and distributed in North America by Dark Horse Comics. Studio Gonzo handled its anime adaption of thirteen episodes. Originally airing in Japan on Fuji TV from October 2001 to January 2002, it has been licensed for rebroadcasting in North America, the UK, and other parts of the world. As of writing, it is currently airing on the Funimation Network.

Deviating somewhat from its source material, Hellsing follows the Hellsing Organization, a secret organization within the British government tasked with handling supernatural threats under the banner of God, Queen, and country. The Hellsing Organization was named and led by Abraham Van Hellsing and is affiliated with the Royal Order of Protestant Knights.

Sir Integra Hellsing currently heads the organization. She inherited the organization upon the death of her father. Under her watch is her butler Walter and Alucard, her vampire in allegiance. The organization also has its own paramilitary force.

The story of Hellsing takes place in England. The Hellsing Organization is called upon to deal with a situation in Chedder, a fictional town opposite its real version located in the English county of Somerset. D-11, a division of the Metropolitan Police Force, has been dispatched to deal with reports of missing persons. Integra dispatches Alucard. When Alucard arrives, he discovers that many of the D-11 officers have been turned to Ghouls. He also comes to the aid of Seras Victoria, a D-11 officer defending herself from her now Ghoul colleagues. Seras is mortally wounded, but before she expires, Alucard grants her new life and new blood.

Hellsing, also known as Hellsing: Impure Souls, was a Fall anime airing in Japan from October 2001 to January 2002. It aired in the United States in the Fall of 2003 on the Starz Encore! Channel. Hellsing appears initially as an episodic anime, meaning that the episodes seem unrelated, for the most part. But that quickly changes as the story unfolds and a dark plot to destroy the Hellsing Organization is uncovered.

Hellsing is a grimy dark anime aimed primarily at the seinen demographic. It is ultraviolence infused with seventies London punk. That aesthetic is so prevalent that I had to stop and listen to "London Calling" by the Clash at one point in the anime. Hellsing is very orthodox and unorthodox in its approach to vampirism.

The usual tropes of being bitten and turned, but two different aesthetics appeared that added a bit of variety to the typical vampire dish. The being that a vampire could “drink your blood to death.” This means your blood is consumed, but you do not turn. The second is that humans could be turned through scientific means using the “Freak” computer chip. A chip is implanted into the participant. Lastly, It has the usual hat and trench coat donned by prior vampires, which I imagine has more to do with the weather in Europe than a fashion statement.

Though it is a very violent anime, it doesn’t lose its human side. It is not moody like Witch Hunter Robin or emotionally heavy like Elfen Lied, but it does explore its characters’ reasons for being. Seras is our Ken Kaneki of Hellsing. She agrees to be turned to save her life, but she struggles with losing her humanity.

She is not juxtaposed with Alucard as Alucard while being the strongest vampire and possibly Dracula, a nod to Vampire Hunter D still possesses compassion, a sense of duty, and honor. If Alucard is to be balanced with anyone, it would be Integra. It is Integra’s force of will alone that ultimately keeps Alucard bound to her.

Hellsing wears its themes of good and evil well, and it shows in the animation. While its animation looks somewhat dated, the animation somehow seems to add to the fact that most episodes take place in England. It gives off the vibe of a manga that has been colorized.

Be careful when watching as marketing suggest that seeing red and yellow causes hunger. I can not attest to this as I had planned to order a pizza long before I set down to watch it. As a fun fact, there is also a nod to Yu Yu Hakusho as I swore I saw the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, a technique few could master.

The soundtrack for Hellsing is a crown jewel of anime, and it matches nearly perfectly with the art and themes. It features a blend of jazz, blues, and punk nicely bundled together. The opening theme is “Logos Naki World” by Yasushi Ishi, and the ending theme is Shine by Mr. Big.

Though violent Hellsing is a fun anime to watch, and while the sub is good, I chose the enjoyment of the English dub because of the British accents used throughout the anime. The animation, as stated, is dated, and there are some terrible scenes it wasn’t a deal-breaker. Gonzo Studio struggled for years to become profitable, and the animation may be a victim of income restriction. Nevertheless, hand-drawn animation should not be a deal-breaker as most learn to draw by hand, even with electronics at our disposal.

While fans may love Hellsing Ultimate because it stuck closer to the manga, depth exists in Hellsing. It’s not an emotional rollercoaster, but it makes nods to Africa, feelings of isolation, morality, religion, spirituality, and homosexuality. In summary, Hellsing is definitely Rolling Stones’s “Sympathy for the Devil.”