Introduction
To say I like Vampire Hunter D is like saying I like Futa in other words it’s
O B V I O U S
If you have a brain that is and let me tell you something I’ve been eating the ass of Vampire Hunter D for nearly a goddam year
It’s been approximately (I DID THE BIG BRAIN MATH)
8 Months since I completed Vampire Hunter D (1985)
7 Months since I completed BLOODLUST (2000)
And 7 months since I first started indulging in the Light Novels
This review marks the beginning of something that I’ve been waiting to do for a long time ever since starting my journey with Vampire Hunter D and I’m not stopping here I plan to do a total review of the original adaptation film in 1985 and complete it off by doing a comprehensive review on the Light Novels both one for a blanket review on the series as a whole and individual novels which I make posts on
#I’m not doing the FRICKIN MANGA OKAY are you OUT OF YOUR MIND
/manga/33988/vampire-hunter-d
##you know how long it takes me to write these reviews with my perfectionist behavior and utter idiocy and temptations to just wack off in the corner of my cave
Everything I cover here is in relation to the 2001 movie Bloodlust and any mention of any other previous VHD material will be done strictly as a means of drawing comparisons between differen
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Minor Synopsis
VHD takes place In the year of 12,090 AD the earth exists as a post-nuclear holocaust world that used to be governed by Vampires that ruled over humans using occult science and technology humanity had forgotten about after they had destroyed themselves in mutually assured annihilation
Though after an era of being ruled over an unknown shift within the Nobility saw to it that their race began to diminish with the humans gaining enough power to seize the capital from the once monolithic and timeless rulers of the night
Among this period rose the job of the Hunters which propelled forward imbued with predatory skills ranging from the biologically enhanced bio warriors to mystical and extramundane sorcerers though one thing was certain which was the cold and cutthroat nature that attracted the fringed minded to a particular class of hunter
The Vampire Hunter and among them, one stood head and shoulders adept beyond the ephemeral and fallible humans
a half human half vampire.
####a Dhampir simply known as
#D
At war with himself, feared by all, tortured and alone, he is VAMPIRE HUNTER D
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Production and Precedent
Previous Discography and How an aptly fit they were for DBefore I gorge myself in rambling about this film I think it’s worthy to note Kawajiri and his timeline of credits preceding Bloodlust which each felt like pulsing increments that had paid headway into the culmination of this flourishing kinetic, gothically lavished, viscerally violent action epic chase
#Yoshiaki Kawajiri's style
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To start this isn’t Kawajiri’s first tackling of adapting author Hideyuki Kikuchi’s writing- to the 2D plane with in fact multiple of Novels being turned in films like Wicked and Sin City
But I believe it's Kawajiri’s resonance with more “Darker Animation” that lead to a melding and resonance with VHD whose pulpy action and horror adventure attributes made it popular in the west
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pursuing even a second through the man's storyboarding style shows off how potent Kawajiri is when framing different shots with a grandiloquent fashion whether it's the appearance of his main hero or a character cocking and readying his aim with grim resolute
#####Storyboards from Wicked City 1987 ‧ Fantasy/Sci-fi
/anime/1107/wicked-city
or displaying creative environmental ordeals and fights that burn themselves into our retinas with the ingenuity of the aforementioned elements to test the mettle and adaptability of our characters
▶ Video
#####*Key Animation by Yoshiaki Kawajiri - Ninja Scrolls *
/anime/617/ninja-scroll
Kawajiri brings the visual flair to match Kikuchi's literary prose that dabbles in highly detailed verbose metaphors that illuminate flashes of spectacles and savage skirmishes
>“The crescent blade flew from the hand of the man in black. While it wasn’t clear what it was constructed of, it wove through the trees, speeding to the spot at which the giant glowered. It was an assault devoid of ceremony but steeped in murderous intent.
There was a beautiful sound. A silver flash of light coursed back out between the trees.
Behind the two men who yelped and jumped out of the way there was the sound of steel cleaving darkness.”
>Excerpt From
Demon Deathchase
Hideyuki Kikuchi
it's due to this that gives the impression that Kawajiri is at home with Vampire Hunter D not simply trying to execute Kikuchi's vision (though from an interview the man holds no deep fervor for animation) but understands Vampire Hunter D as a series and in some ways its the model mold for his talents
and most importantly transferring the awe and glamour of D to the visual animated fronts
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#Takeshi Koike and Movement
Kawajiri wasn’t the only one to be noted as such members like Takeshi Koike’s contributions to such strong action and gorgeous movement can be well illustrated as every scene seems to be charged with even the most minor of momentum on the character's profiles lending to blistering visual exchanges and all of this seems to fall well in line with Koike as a man seemingly obsessed with the idea of motion that ripples the fabric or distorts the visages of the characters, especially with one of his most prominent animated feature films Redline seemed to be quite hinged and predicated on such a founding philosophy
▶ Video
####Key Animation by Takeshi Koike
Actually there can be several recognizable aspects between Redline and Bloodlust in terms of fluid action and the visual designs of the characters sporting distinct and lavish shadows that would be quite a challenge for any animator to try to track in movement but both films do quite an expert job
Though in terms of aesthetic styles Redline leans far more into being a dapper, comical, raunch, and pulpy greaser which matches step for step with its insane volatile dare-devil race to the extreme plot line seemingly enhancing the extremes
▶ Video
/anime/6675/redline
####Key Animation by Takeshi Koike
Whilst Bloodlust is more predisposed towards a gothic horror and pulpy action epic flick whilst still maintaining an uninhibited grimness that stems from the dark post-holocaust setting it finds itself in combining elements of romanticized horror and westerns with a ruthless polarity that befits Vampire Hunter D as a series
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Bloodlust and Beyond
Story Elements of Bloodlust#Vampire Hunter D 1985 and Bloodlust
####dialogue, art design, and tone
in contrast to 1985 Bloodlust has a more active plot with 1985 being more in line with a Castlevania game I mean there's an entire segment of D making his way through various traps and enemies that range from mutants to even demons roaming the castle and even spectral non-tangible enemies also helps that Vampire Hunter D helped sow the seeds for Konami with heavy omages to D and Alucard and D sharing a somewhat similar character setup up ethereal half-vampire beauties that are swordsman on a quest for Dracula (or in D's case The Sacred Ancestor) and are descended from them or in D's case HEAVILY IMPLIED
not to mention the castle shot in the beginning of Castlevania and the Whip being signature references taken from the 1987 Vampire Hunter D movie
the story having more exposition into the world of D wether its on the precedent history the people of the frontier have with the Vampire Nobility, various details on the Nobility, or even little bits of info that gleam into a long-since forgotten part of history when it comes to the lore of Vampire Hunter D's dense world and history
Bloodlust on the other hand takes a stance more focused on brevity at times that leans towards Kawajiri's strengths of strong action sequences and dynamic shots that ooze cool
in 1985 the dialogue had more patronizing dialogue that focused on explaining things to the audience and it was rapid fire at times and you can argue the importance of some bites of exposition in terms of narrative importance over others. Bloodlust on the other hand is more succinct and terse which can somewhat fit a more action centric and grim narrative where a lack of dialogue on what the characters are feeling over palpabley experiencing the waves of shock or mixed and unsure resolution make the experience more poignant
this can really show in the contrast of action moments to moments accompanying a sense of silence or peace in a lulling manner that doesn't bear the hearts of the characters straight out but lets you gleam into them in a very human manner that some anime with more "say what you feel" dialogue doesn't.
#The Design of D
#### D character design from Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust 1985
#### D character design from Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust 2000
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when it comes to D's design I have a bit of a gripe with 1985’s design work for D which has a weird sci-fi 80’s western cowboy design aesthetic with spandex and a flamboyant cape with a pointed outward collar at the base of the neck creates a bizarre and mismatched design
besides all the clothing there's the primary issue I have which is that skin tone of D feels very displaced from what any sense of a hybrid half-vampire/dhampir though the first instance of the term originated from Balkans folklore though I digress
even going from the official artwork and illustrations made by Yoshitaka Amano a big feature is his pale skin that evokes the color of moonlight
with Bloodlust I feel like they tried to balance the aesthetic precedent key features of Amano's artwork and meshed it with Yoshiaki Kawajiri and Yutaka Minowa who has worked on Ninja Scrolls which I previously referenced
D in this version wears a skin tight black body suit that outlines the countors of his muscular frame which personally fits more in line with making D a more intimidating figure and I'm personally more for this Kawajiri's design take as it mixes a bit of a steely and grim tone
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Closing Statement
for brevity's sake and not to get too derivative with the review I'm not sure what next I'd want to review here's some of the things I'm thinking about writing about and things I already have a framework for and are already writing
I've created a poll to decide on my next review here