Ranked #449

Hellsing

Story - 6

Hellsing could have done so much more with the material it was working with. Not to say that the story was bad, far from it, but it failed to elaborate and strengthen its plotline enough to really be immersed into it. There was even a setup for a huge conflict between the vatican and the Hellsing corp., that was reduced to almost nothing. I suppose with only 13 episodes you can only expect so much. The story score for Hellsing is a 6.

Art - 8

The art in hellsing is just dark enough just red enough to give it a very vampiric feel. Considering this is an anime about vampires I'd say thats a good thing. The characters have been drawn well enough to match their personalitlies as well. You could tell that the character would act the way they do almost on appearance. While this might come across as being cookie cutter to some, I think it is an important aspect. The artwork for Hellsing is an 8

Sound - 6

I did not like either the opening nor the ending themes for Hellsing. While the opening might fit the mood of the anime for some, the ending totally fails. It doesn't fit the anime either in lyrics or sound at all. Rest of the soundtrack was nothing to get excited over.

Character - 7

There are a few very cool characters in this anime. Alucard is pretty much the trump of the anime being by far the most interesting character. More interesting in fact then the main character who is nothing but dull. Actually almost all the side characters are more interesting then her... Maybe im being a bit too harsh but she never once in the anime does anything that is deserving of the role of main character.

Enjoyment - 7

Short but interesting, I was able to make it through the whole anime even without an adequate plotline. It had enough action and blood to keep my eyes fixed and even a certain amount of mystery to toy with my brain a little, but still far from the best level.

Overall - 7

I tried not to give this rating based on length, but it is pretty hard not to. Hellsing left too much uncovered, no room for a decent plot, characters that hardly developed, and frankly satisfied only the need to see a little blood and action. There's no better anime out there for people who want to spend a mere 5 hours finishing an anime, and just want to get right to the blood and sweat. read more

Heavy on style and very dark, the devilishly cool Hellsing is one of the hippest animes I've seen in the past half-decade. Oozing coolness, it's excellent musical score and characters hook you in, and the story keeps you interested enough to watch all the way through.

The characters look fantastic....some times. The animation ranges from flawless to sub-standard and is wildly incosistent, which is sad considering the character designs are amazing. The entire look of a character will change from frame to frame, which can be really jarring, but the big fight scenes all look great.

Music is always important to an anime (or at least it is in my eyes), and Hellsing is second only to Cowboy Bebop when it comes to the fantastic score, everything from 70s rock to dark piano instrumentals is present on the soundtrack and none of it ever feels out of place. The opening theme is an amazing song, not to mention very complimentary to the sequence's visuals.

The story is a breath of fresh air from the normal generic vampire story tripe that pollutes Hollywood and cheap horror novels, and the strong connections to religious symbolism and Bram Stoker's Dracula were a real treat for me. Sadly, the main plot sorta goes out the window after episode seven in favor of a quick explanation of Integra and Alucard's pasts and the origin of the synthetic vampires. Fortunately, the manga and currently running Ultimate OVAs tie up most loose ends.

Overall, the memorable cast, great music and cool story bit me (hahahaha, vampire humor) and left me with the serious desire for human blood (or a better ending, either or). If you're a fan of Dracula, you'll love the series. If you're a fan of stylish anime, you'll love the series. If you like action, but also like compelling characters, you''ll love the series. Flawed animation and story aside, it's defintely a must-see. read more