Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust

Amazon.com

Based on a series of fantasy novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a bloody anime adventure. Set in the distant future, the story focuses on D (voice by Andrew Philpot), the son of a vampire and a mortal who has dedicated his life to exterminating vampires. D is pursuing Charlotte (Wendee Lee), who has been carried off by vampire Meier Link (John Rafter Lee). The bounty-hunting Markus brothers and tough-talking Leila (Pamela Segall) are also on the trail. A long, violent chase brings them to the Castle of Carmila the Bloody Countess (Julia Fletcher), where the narrative founders in a series of confusing illusions that lead to an inconclusive ending. Bloodlust looks better in still images that evoke Yoshitaka Amano's intricate illustrations than it does in motion. The very limited drawn animation clashes visually with the more fluid computer-generated imagery--D's cape billows dramatically, but his expression rarely changes. Fans of such violent anime features as Sword for Truth and Ninja Resurrection will enjoy the no-holds-barred action sequences, but more squeamish viewers will be put off by the beheadings, impalements, disembowelments, etc. Vampire Hunter D, an earlier, more modest feature based on the same material, is a better adaptation. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

A different perspective, well put.......2007-08-04

This anime is definitely NOT childish as stated in some reviews. The character of the movie is hidden in the tiny little things all through it. It does a great job in representing a myth combined with all the flaws and desires in human psyche. Strong, artistic and unique, it remains one of my most favorites.

A Good Addition to D Products.......2007-07-22

Fifteen years after the first movie, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust shows that the craft of anime has made technical improvements. This film looks good, but still doesn't reach such heights visually as greats such as Akira or Spirited Away.

The world of Vampire Hunter D is unique and Bloodlust takes you there, from vast deserts and the Wild West, to verdant forests, to massive gothic structures. Bloodlust also serves up its share of freaky creatures, and D is, as ever, cooler than cool. All in all, Bloodlust should satisfy fans of the old movie, and win over some new ones.

Sure this movie was primarily intended to be an English-language film, but since it was a joint production with Japanese staff, and D is, essentially, a product of Japanese creators, I would have liked Japanese language options. And while there may be a good reason for it having been left off, I was also hoping the credits would feature the theme song by Do As Infinity that fans in Japan would be familiar with.

Still, those are minor complaints of the "it-would've-been-nice-if" sort. It's a good film and the DVD brings it to you. The rest is peripheral.

About As Good As Anime Gets.......2007-07-17

This movie is a good example of the best of anime, complete with some of the flaws common to anime. The animation reflects a facet of the peak of cell-drawn animation. It may not be the most fluid animation, but--for anime--it is relatively dynamic. The art of the background scenes the character designs and even the character animation is quite beautiful. The soundtrack is excellent and could easily stand toe-to-toe with the soundtrack of any lavishly produced Hollywood blockbuster. Of course, there are a few minor problems with the plot, some of the storyline developments seem a bit unlikely, and some of the dialogue is unintentionally hilarious. These problems are not quite as obvious in this movie as in many other anime movies, however. I found this movie extremely enjoyable. I would suggest watching the original Vampire Hunter D as well. It's not as good as Bloodlust, but is still a rather enjoyable movie and a good example of earlier anime.

A perfect mixture of action and horror..........2007-07-15

Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust - is what an anime horror, action, adventure, vampire story should be. A twisted future, with swords and guns, ruins and rockets, vampires and things that go bump in the night. The setting is an Earth in the far future. The very far future, an Earth that is just starting to recover from the past, where vampires are starting to die out. The focus of the story is a vampire who has fallen in love with a human. Now they wish to escape from everything that hounds them - the changing Earth, the girl's family, hunters. Great artwork, good character design, good flow to the story - everything you could want in a movie. Even a cool twist at the end. The English caste voices are supplied by such greats as Wendee Lee, Debi Derryberry, Dwight Schultz, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Michael McShane. There seems to be no Japanese sound track. In fact, it seems there may never have been one.
The disc has a few extras, such as a Behind-The-Scenes featurette, trailers and storyboard to feature comparison. But the treasure of the disc is the anime, so get it new or used. Great for anime lovers or vampire lovers.

Classic characters in a new style.......2007-07-12

Shares much in common story-wise with the original Vampire Hunter D while not being "just another copy". More modern graphics style and voice/SFX and a more involved plotline make this a movie worth seeing for "D" fans and non-fans alike. Good ending.

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