If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Before the likes of Hellsing and Blood: The Last Vampire, there was "Vampire Hunter D". A haunting tale about a half vampire, half human hybrid named "D" who travels the post apocalyptic wastelands of future earth, hunting down powerful vampires. As this story opens, D is tasked with killing a member of "the nobility" who terrorizes the local populace and in a fit of "I have nothing else better to do" has forced a girl to become his bride. Wow, what some people would do with too much free time on their hands eh?The narrative may seem like a jumble of clichés at first, sharing many aspects in common with western vampire novels and movies. Though not the most original of stories, Vampire Hunter D was a great film for its time, combining elements from science fiction, horror, romance, and western genre to create something refreshingly new. The world as realized in this movie is a dark and dangerous place. Monstrous mutants lurk about in the dense jungles and unknown dangers lie along the treacherous mountain paths. What stands out for me is the ability of the director to stick close to the horror aspects of the original novel and produce a movie with a hauntingly eerie atmosphere. The watercolor backgrounds, stylish character designs, heavy black shadings, creative lighting and block shadows all lend themselves to a very surreal and other-worldly feel. The opening scene with Count Magnus Lee shrouded in darkness, his silhouette lit only by flashes of lightning and his two glowing eyes, is only the first of many sinister and creepy scenes. An Omnious and unearthly synthesizer musical score permeates the entire movie and adds to the distinct atmosphere that truly makes Vampire Hunter D earn its "horror" status.I had the pleasure of listening to both the English and Japanese vocal track and I personally recommend the English one. Both are just as well acted but seeing as how most of the characters have western names and Caucasian appearances, hearing them in English gave a more realistic viewing experience. Whats more, the English actors saw it fit to give the various characters different accents. British for some of the townsfolk and eastern European for the nobility.As much as i like Vampire Hunter D as a classic anime, I would admit that it clearly shows its age. The animation style is severely dated and may come across as a little bit on the "cheap" side even for a 1985 OVA production. There are a number of animation short cuts like looping a conversation over a single still shot and long lingering close up shots to save on the number of cels that would have to be drawn. With its limitations in the animation department, the action scenes naturally suffer. Fights are generally quite stylish but the animation, or rather, LACK OF animation is painful to watch. Characters pause in weird stances as colorful streaks zip about behind them to give the illusion of motion. Normally I would criticize a movie that has too many long slow camera pans across a background, but this style just builds up the ominous atmosphere and thanks to the musical score, helps to increase the suspense.Another flaw is its story pacing. The narrative tends to drag at times and the story seems to "jump" from setting to setting. There also seems to be a eschewing of character development in favor of advancing the plot. Each of the characters are more or less stuck in their pre-set mold of stereotypical archetypes. Only D comes across as mildly interesting due to his mysterious nature and the unknown limits of his powers. Though the voice actors do a great job at trying to flesh out the characters, a generally uninspired script hamper their best efforts. I actually found myself feeling bored during couple of dialog scenes. Vampire Hunter D is a fine example of how an animated movie can enthrall its audience by its atmosphere and feel alone. There are few anime that manage to capture the actual "feel" of the horror genre and Vampire Hunter D is one exceptional exceptional example of an anime that can. If you have an open mind for a good story and a unique style in an anime movie, Vampire Hunter D is highly recommended.I personally encourage newer fans who are more used to the glossy pastel colored modern day anime to give this "grand old horse" a chance. Immerse yourself in the grim, gritty world of Vampire Hunter D and find out what made this the cult classic that it is today.

Vampire Hunter D(1985) Review: I have seen this a number of times. This has aged well. I remember on the original VHS copy on the back saying, The First Animated Movie For Adults! Indeed.Vampire Hunter D is a classic in it's own regard. The story is straightforward and effective. A village girl has been bitten be Count Magnus Lee and now hires The Dunpeal to take care of him. This movie has the old feel of the modern vampire lore like crosses work as well as garlic. This also takes place in the very distant future.Here are the basics: The animation: Subpar. Not bad, but could be better, but this is 1985, so I can definitely give them a break. It's still not that bad.The Voice acting: Pretty good with the exception of Doris' little brother sounding way to much like a girl. I always hated that. Otherwise fine.The Characters: All not fully developed, but that was not meant to be, but there is some development and it works. Just enough character. Does not suffer from over crowdedness.The Last Word: The good olé days. This is how the anime genre got it's grand start. Takes me back. This has aged well.

Hi, I am big fan Anime. I have watched them many years. The VHS is the original Color, and Version of this Film. you must watch out for Bootleg, Yes. When sealed - And it says Authentic, its usually 100% real. Sorry could not reply to other personals message, Due to me not having Verified Account. -- DVD is Remastered Version, Colors a little different, Darker, less shimmers. etc. Still very awesome, some like remaster versions more, I prefer Original, example * Akira * the dub in original 80's version, very awesome. New version, very plain. Kudos to the actors tho. Watch out for Bootlegs, I deal with them often because I deal with imports.

Whether or not you'll enjoy a movie like this mostly depends on whether or not you're an anime fan. Personally I enjoy most anime -- obviously "Akira" is a fantastic movie, and Hayao Miyazaki has recently enjoyed massive success with his anime masterpieces "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away". Some people are put off by the weird creatures and the sometimes bad quality of the animation. Also, dubbing is never a good idea and most people are unwilling to deal with subtitles.But if you are an anime fan, I definitely recommend checking this movie out. It's pretty much your standard post-apocalyptic, supernatural battle-to-the-death, with great characters and an interesting storyline. Vampire Hunter D is a very tough, emotionally-scarred vampire hunter who is basically a good guy but in some ways a bit of anti-hero (which is always nice). Oh, and he has a talking hand.Vampire Hunter D is hired by a young girl to track down a vampire who has bitten her and destroy him. He has to fight a seemingly impossible battle to kill this powerful vampire, and there are plenty of great visual ideas along the way. It's the kind of thing that could possibly become a very entertaining, CGI-heavy Hollywood re-make someday, and the odds of that happening become increasingly likely as time goes on. All in all, this is a perfectly decent anime -- not the best I've seen, but fans of that genre will definitely find something to enjoy here.