Vampire Hunter D

“Bloodlust”

We have heard and seen many tales about vampires growing up. The very concept of these stunningly beautiful but dangerous beings has been alluring, spawning countless media centered around them. They may be portrayed as good, evil, or something in between, and their interactions with humanity have always been intriguing or eventful because can these predators and prey truly coexist? There’s no easy answer to this question because most of the time, humans can continue life without vampires, but the latter cannot. So what’s your take?

“Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust," also known as “Vampire Hunter D (2000)," is a single movie that aired on the 25th of August, 2000. It was produced by Movic, Filmlink International, animate, licensed by Discotek Media, and brought to life by Studio Madhouse. The central staff behind it included Maruyama Masao and Yamamoto Mataichirou as producers, Kawajiri Yoshiaki as director, on storyboard and screenplay, and Kawamura Kenichi as episode director. It featured the genres of action, drama, fantasy, horror, romance, and sci-fi alongside the theme of vampires. It has a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes and received a rating of R-17+ for its violence and profanity.

The movie is based on the light novel series “Vampire Hunter D," which began publication in 1983 and is still ongoing. It features the same theme alongside drama, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi genres and is the work of author Kikuchi Hideyuki and artist Amano Yoshitaka. It was published in English via Dark Horse Books, which collaborated with Digital Manga Publishing, on the 24th of May 2005. The very first novel is what inspired the original movie, while the third novel became the inspiration for the “Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust” movie. Two alternative versions of the LN exist in the form of manga.

The “Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D” manga ran eight volumes from 2007 to 2014, targeting the Seinen demographic, where Takaki Saiko handled the artwork. Meanwhile, the “Vampire Hunter D: The Rose Princess” manga began publication on the 31st of July 2024 and is still ongoing. It is serialized in Sonorama+, focusing on the ninth book of the original novel, and the artwork is handled by Takaki Saiko. The prequel movie to the 2000 movie “Vampire Hunter D” aired on the 21st of December 1985 by Studios Ashi Productions and Studio Live, which has a runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes, earning a rating of R+ for its mild nudity.

The bright light and warmth of the sun are often taken for granted, but once it fades into the night each day, many dangers lurk in the darkness, waiting for their chance to strike. The undisputed masters of the night in this world are vampires of seraphic beauty who instill fear and despair in the hearts of all living creatures. Before these blood-sucking monsters, even water turns into ice, and this uncanny chill is merely the harbinger of the inevitable demise of their pitiful victims under the moon. Luckily for humanity, the number of vampires plaguing their world has steadily declined thanks to dauntless bounty hunters who work tirelessly to track down and slay the near-immortal predators.

One fateful night, a great tragedy befalls the Elbourne family in the form of their daughter Charlotte getting kidnapped by a vampire Lord named Meier Link, one who is protected by an entire army of monsters, no less. With desperate hopes of saving their beloved daughter, the family enlists the help of the Marcus Brothers, a group of Vampire Hunters known throughout the land for their sheer ruthlessness, and D, a Dhampir proficient in the sword. What’s unique about D is that he is half vampire and half human, possessing the strengths of both species but the weaknesses of neither. Racing against the clock, the Hunters rush to save Charlotte because they are to eliminate her if the abductor chooses to turn her into a vampire. Moreover, they must complete their task before Meier reaches the impregnable Vampire castle of Carmilla, where Charlotte would ultimately be out of humanity's reach forever.

Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust is one of those fantastic stories told near-perfectly through a single movie. It hooks you right from the opening sequence and sets the consistent tone for the remainder of the film, which is full of suspense and action. The synopsis seems very simple, but within this simple tale are many beautifully crafted layers of character development that drive the plot profoundly. D and the Bounty Hunters all possess unique prowess alongside inner demons, and they are set on a grizzly path littered with many monsters and vampires. The pacing is right; we know what we need to know, and the events unfold naturally. On that note, the Markus Brothers and Leila play a massive part in keeping the ball rolling. It is Gothic, gory, beautiful, and touching simultaneously, with a ton of replay value because you will notice new things each time.

The central theme for the plot is “Doomed Love," and it is played ever so beautifully here; there are moments that would even move you to tears. There aren’t any notable plot holes either, and the tale ends semi-ambiguous, but thankfully, there is a very comforting scene in the finale. It is worth noting that there are some changes in the story from the LN, alongside matching deviations to the key characters, which pushes the tale in an entirely new direction, but I found these to be largely positive.

In the character department, all of them are unique, and their stories hit the mark. The only exception here is the case of the minor antagonists, whose motivations weren’t made very clear. I loved D a lot, like most fans of this franchise, who is consistently shown to be every straight woman’s dream but also the kind of guy straight men would enjoy being around and going on killing sprees with. It’s no overstatement to say this man carries the show, supported by an excellent cast, who is so cool, aloof, and capable in combat. None of the supporting characters bothered me; they did what they needed to do, and even the annoying ones didn’t overstay their welcome. Every essential character has an intriguing backstory; even if you dislike a particular character from the onset, the slow revelation of their past changes your perception, giving solid reasoning as to why they did what they did. As such, the character development is on point, and I honestly felt that way for so many of them.

One of the main selling points is the art and animation. The art style is VERY distinctive, with gorgeous subtle details thrown into the mix. The team's sheer time and effort in the backgrounds and scenery are apparent throughout the watch; they are beautiful and help immerse you in the moment. Regarding the character designs, all the side characters/NPC-like Villagers have the same frame and move identically, but this is fine because they aren’t important. The main cast possesses memorable and eye-catching designs, and we can see the stunning facial outlines during closeups, with special props to the eye-candy D and Markus Brothers.

D is drop-dead gorgeous; the man looks better than the women here, and he sounds cool as hell in this epic horror-like setting. The animation has its own artistic charm and does not waver even once. The way the camera pans on Iron Crosses being bent out of shape is among my favorites, alongside the shadowy capes fluttering in the wind. The battles are peak with groundbreaking choreography; I would rewatch this movie just for them! It’s stylish, unique, and super detailed; most are pretty one-sided battles, but even the monsters received equal artistic care, and their fluid motions and special effects are so on point. It’s astounding how they pulled off such a visual masterpiece in 2000.

Onto the Sounds and Music department; I have no gripes here either. The JPN sub and ENG dub are done well; both chose the perfect voice actors. The ending theme is "Tooku Made" by Do As Infinity, which is pretty memorable but is nothing outstanding. The OSTs have a gothic vibe and have been rightly composed for the movie itself; it greatly suits the vibe and all events that unfold and even heightens the emotional feels. This unorthodox mix of hope and hopelessness here, backed by the darkness of the time, really hits hard.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is genuinely a fantastic anime movie. It is not your typical anime, but immersing yourself in it will raise your standards for what a movie can achieve. We are shown the vampires from multiple angles, and they develop significantly alongside the human main cast. This is the peak of the Vampire Hunter D franchise and is a must-watch for fans. Even if you’re new here, I highly recommend watching this old-but-gold work of artistic care! The only exception would be if you’re not a big fan of the 90s anime style and dated look, but this hurdle can be easily overcome in a few minutes, in my opinion.