As soon as I read the plot for this film, I had a feeling I'd like it - but that feeling was quickly quashed when I found out that the film is animated. It's not that I have anything against animated films; I just don't tend to like them very much. Still, there's a couple that I like and, considering plot, I figured it must be worth a go anyway, and it was. The problem with animation these days, especially when it's coming from Asia is that it is extremely likely to receive high praise regardless of how good it actually is, and this makes it very difficult to decide whether or not certain films are worth seeing. While Vampire Hunter D definitely is worth seeing, I get the feeling that a lot of it's high praise is coming from the fact that Asian cinema is in vogue right now. The plot is classic vampire fodder, which is why it instantly appealed to me, and it follows the story of a young rich girl who is apparently kidnapped by a vampire. The vampire population is dwindling, thanks to the bounty hunters, and our story picks up when the girl's father hires a hunter - Vampire Hunter D - to find his daughter. He hires another crew as well, but they soon find out that the girl may have gone with the vampire of her own free will...
One of the reasons why anime continually gets high ratings is because, unlike other types of animation, the adult orientation allows for more developed characters; and some of the characters and exchanges in this movie are truly spectacular considering that it's animated. Vampire Hunter D manages to enthral the viewer by way of action and emotion, both of which are extremely well done. The characters are much more complex than in most live action vampire films with the central half-human, half-vampire figure providing most of the intrigue. I didn't like the design of the vampire hunter much, but like the lone figures across cinema; D's presence is enough to ensure that all of his scenes are a highlight. The film's adult orientation allows it to be more gratuitous in it's action sequences than most animated films, and the vast majority of them are really well done. The real star of the show for me was the horror atmosphere, which serves the film really well. The animation helps Vampire Hunter D massively in that respect as the filmmaker's only limit is their imagination, which means that the atmosphere is allowed to be laid on more thickly than a lot of horror movies have means to do. On the whole, this is a very good film, and while I would have preferred live action; Vampire Hunter D shows that animation is an adequate base for a horror movie.
One of the reasons why anime continually gets high ratings is because, unlike other types of animation, the adult orientation allows for more developed characters; and some of the characters and exchanges in this movie are truly spectacular considering that it's animated. Vampire Hunter D manages to enthral the viewer by way of action and emotion, both of which are extremely well done. The characters are much more complex than in most live action vampire films with the central half-human, half-vampire figure providing most of the intrigue. I didn't like the design of the vampire hunter much, but like the lone figures across cinema; D's presence is enough to ensure that all of his scenes are a highlight. The film's adult orientation allows it to be more gratuitous in it's action sequences than most animated films, and the vast majority of them are really well done. The real star of the show for me was the horror atmosphere, which serves the film really well. The animation helps Vampire Hunter D massively in that respect as the filmmaker's only limit is their imagination, which means that the atmosphere is allowed to be laid on more thickly than a lot of horror movies have means to do. On the whole, this is a very good film, and while I would have preferred live action; Vampire Hunter D shows that animation is an adequate base for a horror movie.