Ranked #369

Blood+

A show about a girl who fights monsters... sounds kind of unoriginal, no? Well, whatever it sounds like to you, this is one helluva awesome show :D

The story is dark, sad and action-packed. I like how they present everything with a sad setting; it's not like it's just one big brawl after another; it is emotions and resolve-strengthening, it's battles which have a reason other than just being yet another battle. The story keeps complex but simple enough to follow without too much thinking "what's happening?"

The animation style in Blood+ is really cool. It's got good shading details, and the characters looks good too; they've got a nice variation of character designs, some detailed and some maybe not so detailed. The animation is flawless; at least no noticeable errors. The background art in this series is amazing; the sceneries and cityscapes are wonderful to look at.

The music rocks too. The OP/ED songs are great (aside the fourth OP, which was all but good), and the background music is just as it should be; moody. It sets the right mood to all the scenes, and it fits very good with the series' sad tone.

Blood+ has the best character development of any anime I've watched. I'm completely enthralled by its characters, and how they change during the course of the series. They're deep, three-dimensional characters, and their relationships with each other are fascinating. I also like how a simple death during the beginning of the series had a large effect on the characters.

What I like about Blood+ is that despite being about vampires, it focuses on almost anything but the vampire aspects of the characters, with the latter being used mainly as a MacGuffin. Therefore, you'll enjoy this series even if you do not like vampire anime, and you'll love it if you like vampire anime.

All in all, Blood+ is among the better series in the vast world that is anime, and a series you'll enjoy watching.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =) read more

Note: If you found this review helpful (or not), leave me a PM or comment, and give me some constructive criticism!

Post-note: All scores are compared to titles I have watched personally and represent the verbal "score" of that number, with a 7 meaning " Good". It is unrelated to the 1-10 grading that a lot of people seem to solely apply, without thinking of what it means.

So. Blood+

Originally an offshoot of an earlier movie, Blood+ combines both existing elements present in anime and new ones, to create a somewhat unique shonen (yes, shonen, because that's what this is, don't be fooled by the R+ rating) title. The original premise, that of cute girl with big sword fighting large monsters has been done many times before, but it is the encompassing plot and character designs that make this title stand out.

The fact that that the writers obviously wanted this series to stand out compared to a lot of other drab that comes out nowadays is evident. Sharp character designs (lack of moe characters) are the norm, and the plot line aims to be as realistic as possible, including many existing locations throughout the modern world. from Japan to Russia to France, it becomes evident that the animators have at least glanced at existing sceneries before sketching the locations where the story takes place.

We can understand the actions of certain characters (if the motifs have been revealed), and often the distinction between good and evil becomes blurred, something which lacks in a lot of series nowadays, where differences are usually black and white, with not much repose in between.

Then, you may ask " Why give it a 7?".
First note that a 7 to me means " Good", it holds no numerical value. Blood+ is a good show, but it doesn't have any factors that make it stand out to the point where, maybe a year later, you think "wow, that was quite a memorable show".

It is the same factor that makes it unique, that drags it down. The score is pulled down because of the lack of realism in a show that aims to include many elements pulled straight out of the 21st century world for the sake of appearing realistic and well thought through.

There is a scene where a protagonist is being pursued. He flees into a park, filled with happy picnickers. He rests momentarily on a bench, when suddenly his pursuer appears again. He runs through the park, but to our surprise, all those picnickers have disappeared. Is the director implying that in the few seconds that the camera pans away, all those men and women decided to pack up and leave? This incident is not standalone, and quite often outsiders (to the plot) seem to act illogically, or simply disappear solely for the sake of furthering a plot line and making the actions of characters seem logical.

Another small, annoying factor is that all characters seem to be able to speak to anyone on the globe. Now honestly, I don't believe that the entire world has started speaking Japanese overnight. This can be overlooked to a certain extent however, since such reasoning seems to be prevalent in many shonen titles.

Another factor pulling down an otherwise very good show, is the seemingly low budget of Blood+. It affects many of the most dominant factors determining the success of a show, plot, animation and sound. Firstly, the plot seems to suffer because directors and producers felt it necessary to include a lot of tangents, which lead nowhere. The entire series could have been done in 3/4ths of the 50 episodes that it runs for or less. Secondly, the lack of CG animation and lanky movements at times takes away from a series that includes a lot of fight scenes. Although it does give it some sort of visual appeal, it would have been much better executed with a larger animation budget.

Sound is another factor pulling it down. Although there are some good tracks in the OST, which are nice to the ear, the repetition and overuse of them is simply irritating, especially for a longer anime like Blood+. The OP and ED are of the common staple, including well known (at least, for us anime fans) J-Rock bands such as UVERworld and Hyde. Certainly not bad, but not very original either. Voice acting isn't terribly great either, although the actors can convey different emotions, it is not entirely convincing either.

Lastly, personally I found the lack of a deeper " meaningful" plot line distasteful. Although certainly not needed, it would have brought the enjoyment factor up quite a bit. Simply following the story of the main protagonist, Saya, can be a bore at times, especially when it becomes overly melodramatic.

Pushing my criticism aside, Blood+ certainly isn't a bad series. Even with these somewhat irritating flaws, it is still much better than a lot of Shonen titles nowadays, and for anyone simply wanting some enjoyment without a too much engrossing plot, i'd certainly recommend this. However, for anyone looking for something deeper, something with, say, moralistic or idealistic principles, i'd tell you to look further, because this wouldn't be for you.

Recommended for: (more serious) Shonen fans, those looking for something different than average.

Not recommended for: Fans of moe character designs, serious Seinen fans.



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This anime is one of the best ones that I have ever seen before in my life. The plot somehow manages to stay incredibly strong throughout all of the 50 episodes, showcasing many different types of characters, from the most comical to the most radically serious. The animation has a very unique style, which somewhat surprised me early on, but then I realized that it simply made the show more unique.

What every viewer must realize first off is that this is NOT just an anime about vampires. The fact that the characters often require blood to survive is used as an effective plot device, but it is not the entire focus of the show. What this means is that it appeals to both those who love vampire animes and those who do not, creating, as a whole, an extremely balanced, well crafted anime.

The anime will be a joy for anyone who watches it. The storyline ranges from romance, to comedy, to intrigue, to detailed pseudo-history, innocence and experience, violence and peace, and then circles around again to the vague but omnipresent romance that insinuates itself, not as the main focus, but as a continuing theme throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the anime, and I invite all who read this to do the same.

Rating: 10/10
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I used to watch a fair amount of anime, but over the past few years, my interest in it had been gradually waning, partly because of the decreasing number of good shows being produced, and partly because of lack of time due to my heavy workload.

However, this trend was reversed when I had the good fortune of coming across Blood+. I had never heard of it before, but the premise seemed interesting enough, though not particularly original or unique. I decided to give it a shot, expecting at least a decent and entertaining show but not much more than that.

But what I got was much, much more I had dared to hoped for. What starts out as a fairly conventional storyline gradually unravels, revealing a vastly more complex and intricate narrative tapestry. Its deliberate pacing may be misconstrued by some as being "slow", but as the story progresses, all the puzzle pieces that are uncovered early on start to fall into place, and things that once seemed insignificant or nonsensical begin to make sense.

As for the technical merits of this show, other people have already discussed its superb animation and hauntingly evocative soundtrack, so I won't go into too much detail on them. Suffice it to say that they complement the mood of the series exceptionally well.

However, what really won me over was the exceptional character development displayed here. Without giving too much away, I can say that these characters actually felt like real, living, breathing people and not just 2-D images on the TV screen. They change and evolve as time goes by, and after a particular event occurs, don't be surprised if you find yourself regarding certain characters in a totally different light.

To make a long story short, Blood+ is one of only a handful of shows that transcends the boundaries of its genre, and one of the best animes I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. In fact, it practically single-handedly revived my passion for anime and spurred me on to seek many other great shows, which I probably would not have bothered to watch otherwise. And that is probably the greatest compliment one can pay to any medium of entertainment. read more

Blood+

STORY - 8
It is exactly as the name suggests: a violent and serious series with lots of blood splashing. You might find the first 10 minutes of the first episode crazy, but don't worry, it's not all red. When you watch the first few episodes you may dismiss Blood+ as another average alien series where a hero emerges and saves people from them. But Blood+, infact, has much more depth in the story. The plot is simple and revolves around the two main characters: Saya and Diva. Despite a few comical and breathtaking moments, it's still an extremely serious anime and continues to be throughout its progression with loads of action. Some episodes might seem filler-ish but it's guaranteed to make you want more and more of it.

ART - 7
Not so great in my opinon. The character outlines were a little rough and sometimes the visuals become too dark. Background and character details are not taken much into focus. It's still alright though. You'll be too engrossed in the plot events to notice much of the art.

SOUND - 9
Sound effects are used well and accurately. The OP and ED themes were perfect and very catchy.

CHARACTER - 8
One of the best part of the series is its cast of characters. You'll love them. You'll find many different types in Blood+. Character development is also done extremely well except for in the main character Saya. From a happy, bubbly and friendly girl, her character is later messed up. It seems too unnatural. Feelings are sometimes exaggerated. Relationship of characters with each other is also something to notice as the character chemistry is very intense. Though the killing of some characters, as well as the method used, might disappoint you.

ENJOYMENT - 9
I guarantee that you'll definitely enjoy this series. It's sure to keep you hanging on the edge of your chair, well it did to me. Those twists and turns in the plot as well as the suspense is enough to keep you glued to the screen. At a few points, Blood+ may become a little dragging and boring and not everything will happen according to the liking of the viewers but the unexpected events is a major point of the series.

OVERALL - 8
Leaving out one or two disturbing events and unexpected occurences, Blood+ is one series you won't be forgetting so soon. The series was very much satisfying but the end is something which feels a little left out and incomplete (not the plot but it leaves you wondering about some important stuff).
You might be tempted to cuss it at few points but I say it's a must watch for all anime lovers. Mind you, the series is quite a serious one and may not be for all eyes but it's still awesome. Go watch it if you haven't already.
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Blood+ was recommended to me by a friend about five months ago. After being briefed on the basic plotline by her I was less than impressed to say the least, after all, one girl fighting the forces of evil (Or in this case Chiroptera) with her band of merry men, it was an idea done many a time before (Just look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer!) Yet I decided to give it a go regardless. I was delighted to find myself proved wrong however after finishing the anime just a few weeks later. I’ve since re-watched it twice and would definitely recommend it to anyone with brilliant taste in anime!

The story of Blood+ is one filled with compelling fight scenes, tension and mystery right until the very final episode. One of the greatest things about this anime is that the storyline constantly has the viewer guessing what will happen next without the plotline becoming predictable. Every small detail links in perfectly with the story, resulting in a perfectly rounded off anime that will delight even those who don’t usually enjoy anime of the vampire genre.

Yet another great thing about Blood+ is the amazing cast of characters. Unlike some anime (Not mentioning any names here!) the characters actually have development, and a lot of it at that! As you progress through the show the characters will undergo some kind of hardship or test and blossom before your very eyes as a result of it, making them real easy to get attached to! The interactions between the different characters are ingenious and not always lacking in humour despite the dark tone of the anime! Not only do the characters develop themselves but develop their relationships with the other characters as well! Saya, the main character herself is interesting, adorably naive and fairly easy to relate to, which can rarely be said for the main hero/heroine of a genre such as this so I feel as though this is a real achievement!

Out of the many anime I’ve seen in my time Blood+ has one of the most unique animation styles out there! The characters are interesting to look at and well in proportion throughout the entire series. Not once did I glance at a character and think, hang on a minute! I swear he had a larger nose in that last shot! The backgrounds are beautifully laid out and detailed and the shading is done at the level of a pro! Perfection!

Even the music is perfect! The underlining score fits in well with the sad and dark tone of the anime, sometimes all it took for me to start balling like a baby at a sad scene was for this particular theme to start playing softly in the background. So yeah, the music just adds to the brilliance of this amazing anime! The OP/Ed themes were pretty much flawless as well! Okay, admittedly I preferred some more than other but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right?

So Perhaps one of my favourite things about the show Blood+ is that despite it being an anime chock-a-bloc with deep, meaningful life lessons it never becomes too cheesy. I myself don’t seem to recall any big emotional speeches on the power of friendship, or believing in oneself which to be honest is a welcome relief! Despite the story-line having a fair amount of plot-twists and unexpected happenings the anime never becomes too complicated either, as I was soon to learn, everything happens for a reason!

So that’s that then! Now you know of the wonder that is Blood+ At least, I hope you do, this is my first review you see so I hope I’ve done the show some ruddy justice! It’s the least it deserves for keeping me entertained and on the edge of my seat for three damn weeks! So go watch it already, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
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Story: Any vampire fans would appreciate the story; the ever-reusable (and reused) vampire legend gets a new spin here. From the very first episode, the main character Saya is unwittingly thrown into a fight for humanity that only she can put an end to. Accompanied by her (sexy) cellist guardian who has some link to her, she sets out to rid the world of the vampire-like chiropterans plaguing the earth. Fortunately for us, the story is quite a bit more complex than that. Very soon into the series, the story becomes deeper, with many twists revealed about Saya and her dark past.

Art: From what I have seen, this has a very unique art style, especially in that all the characters actually look unique. I'm referring to many other series where the characters all look ridiculously similar since they were designed by the same person. Also, the show has a decidedly dark atmosphere which is wonderfully presented in the animation. If you are a fan of much blood, also take comfort in knowing you'll find a lot here. It is in the title, after all.

Sound: Personally I'm not a fan of any of the opening or closing themes, but the soundtrack is one of my favorites from any anime. Mark Mancina composed the score for Blood+ (turning him into an anime fan in the process) and was helped by Hans Zimmer, so it's the first anime I've seen where the music was written by someone not actually Japanese. Mancina's rich score is perfect for the show. The voice actors did wonderfully as well. Noteworthy is Kari Wahlgren as Saya (though I didn't approve of using her for Diva, too, whom she rather botched) and Crispin Freeman as Haji (for some reason, the mysterious and seemingly emotionless characters suit him).

Character: Character development is great here, thanks mostly to Saya, who must grow from the timid amnesiac she begins the show as to a strong female warrior, and it is interesting to watch how this transformation really takes a toll on her personality. The other supporting characters also help contribute to the character development, to a certain extent. After my own heart, the show's creators let the audience in on the villain's side many times, allowing us to see their plans before the other characters do. Hooray for dramatic irony and moving forward of plotlines!

Enjoyment: As I mentioned earlier, vampire fans who are sick of the "same ol’, same ol’" vampire stories will love this one. Really, the only similarity between "traditional" vampires and the ones in Blood+ are that they drink blood. Speaking of blood, if you are squeamish at the sight of cartoon blood, keep away from this for obvious reasons, as it would inhibit your enjoyment of the series tremendously. Anyone else would like Blood+ since it has a good amount of action, but doesn't deviate from the main plotline, which is surprisingly complex.

Overall: Unless you don't like really violent anime, I would recommend this to anyone who likes vampires, action, drama, romance, and a good plot. And sexy cellists.
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Got some time? didnt care much for blood the last vampire? well come on in~

like most of you guys, i first saw this on adult swim while waiting for my weekly dose of shounen; i landed on an unpolished gem. story starts slow ill admit.. real slow. however if you can get past that, you will be rewarded with an adventure. story revolves around a girl named saya and her adventures to kill off the vampire kind;generic enough for you yet? well saya is one of the two "pure bred" vampire queens in the story, other being her twin sister diva. In the end, with the misunderstanding of one, saya makes it her duty to hunt down diva and her chevaliers (knights). i wont give out too much information, but if you are into semi historical, betrayal, and a large scale adventure.. this might be for you, however if you are into 44 mins of mindless gore like blood the last vampire, look elsewhere.

Thing that i really liked about this show is the art, not much to say except that everything is drawn exceptionally, the outfits, background, and the battle scenes are top tier. the drawings of the "vampire"s are also very well done to the point that it can be somtimes disgusting ( they do however tone down the gore compared to blood the last vampire). ***THE OP ART IS TOP OF THE LINE***

OP//ED//VA are all supurb 10/10. the only thing truly stopped me from dropping this show during ep 1-13 was the op but mostly ED Kataritsugu koto which i look foward to every time. i really liked the fact that they used different voice actors for saya and diva, giving them a distinguishable voice ( you american dubbers learn from this) yet still show some similarity.

ok.. lets talk about some of the downsides and upsides of the characters. The good part of the charactes is that the main characters feel.. somewhat balenced if not underpowered which is alot considering most of todays shows have a lvl 9001 protagonist killing billions of enemies. as someone previous from this review said: they feel alive, as if you can meet them if u headed to okinawa. Now the bad part.. i personally feel as if they added too many "unnecessary" characters which in the end didnt help with the flow of the story at all. i was so annoyed with the camera guy and his mafia princess because of the amount of screentime they had.

Enjoyment... this is hard to say. im not going to defend its early episodes, because id be fighting a losing battle.. however, if you can survive through the early parts, the story later on will suck you in and keep u there till the very end. unlike most other shows, i can say that the ending to blood+ was satisfactory and very open to people whom want to decide whom and who is still alive etc.

9-10-10-8-8
should average to 9! why was the overall score an 8?
simple, rewatch value is very low (non existant in the early episodes) because of the fact that it isnt rocket science. the story made sense the 1st time and therefore no reason to watch it again. its a good show, and if you have the time to kill 50 episodes, id reccomend it to anyone who likes a good story, but if you were misguided here due to this being a "sequel" to blood the last vampire, the X button is to the top right read more

I'm very happy to have found this anime because after I watched it, it was clear to me that it was the best anime I had ever watched. And to this day, I'm still very obessessed and excited about it. I don't think I'll ever find a better anime.
The plot is incredible! I always find myself a little disappointed at those synopsis because they only tell what happens in the first episode and Blood+ is so much more than that. Very amazing story they've created in this anime, it keeps you hooked!
The animation is also very nice, unique, but still lovable. The character designs are so good as well! You can't watch this series and not find a character to love, and as for me, there are many!
The music is amazing as well, and I didn't expect anything less than the best from Hans Zimmer and Mark Mancina. The music for this show is beautiful, the slower one's can make you feel very sad and the faster one's make you feel like you're fighting Chiropterans right along Saya! I love when music can have such effects on me. And I didn't forget about the awesome opening and endings songs, I love all of them, they're very fitting to the show.
So overall, this anime is AMAZING, the best thing I have and ever will watch. I highly reccomend watching it, it has something for everyone! This anime will not let you down, that I promise you. read more

An excellent anime that holds a captivating and suspenseful story plot. Blood+ is definitely a must watch anime and one that should be re-watched over and over. It is one anime that has supernatural features, slight parts of romance, and even some historical event correlation intertwined in this fictional world that has the inhabitants called chiropterans; bat-like creatures that feast on human blood. I, myself am not one who favors all gore and blood soaked scenes, but the story in Blood+ really captivates me. The bloody fight scenes all connect to the main plot and is not one excessive blood fest. Plus, this anime is one of those shows that gets you "hooked" and makes you think strategically and use problem-solving to sort of determine what is what and how things work.

Now getting to the characters, they are wonderfully drawn and thought out, each with their own obvious personality. Even with the side-characters, they all equally stand out and none are really overshadowed. It isn't one of those animes that add filler characters to let the story drag on and what not. Once characters are drawn in Blood+, they are kept and have their own scene time throughout the whole thing (meaning Saya is not the center of all the attention).

One downfall to the characters are their character development. Most of the time, they hold rare emotional view points and don't develop quite as fast. When watching, one usually feels a part of the anime (if it's a really good one), but the characters perceived by myself are somewhat 2-D and impersonal. Other than that, this anime is of course a great one that should be on everyone's watched/will watch list and even though I am not even finished with it yet, I am most definitely impressed with high standards and cannot believe how I missed watching such an excellent anime.
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