At this point, twists on the traditional legends of vampires have pretty much become the norm in just about any type of media. However, anime is particularly infamous for it. Generally, they put a twist on the legend using their own folklore and making them mutants or demons rather than the undead, with sucking blood being practically the only resemblance to the original legend they've got. "Blood+" is one such anime, and while it's not without many flaws, it's still a nice and welcome twist on an outdated tale.
Story (8/10):
It's very hard to delve into the story without presenting some spoilers but I'm going to try anyway. Basically, it follows Saya Otonashi, a seemingly normal girl who lives peacefully with her adoptive family and has no memory of who she is or where she came from. One night, she crosses paths with a mysterious man named Hagi, who appears to know her very well and obeys her every command. Furthermore, an agent named David who appears to be well acquainted with Saya's adoptive father appears and says that he needs Saya for something. One thing leads to another, and it's not long before Saya and her family are caught up in a battle against creatures called Chiropterans, and Saya slowly begins to remember her mysterious past and reason for her existence, assisted by the anti-Chiropteran military organization Red Shield.
The story is pretty slow to start, as it's only until episode 6 that something significant happens, and it's only until episode 8 or 9 that we finally get a good idea about exactly what Saya and Red Shield are up against. This certainly isn't helped by the fact that Hagi, David and the others refuse to tell Saya anything about her past, as they believe that it's best for her to remember on her own. Not to mention that when she regains her memories, they regret not telling her as it would have saved a lot of trouble.
In any case, I can thankfully say that the second half is vastly superior to the first, as it is far more fast-paced and is overall just much more interesting and exciting. The fight takes the group to all sorts of locations, from a hotel to a snowy landscape to a theatre, and Saya slowly grows from a scared girl who can barely fight to save her life to a highly competent warrior who can kick blood-sucking monster ass, albeit with a lot of help from Hagi. The story of Saya's past is also very interesting, as it ties brilliantly with the villains and is crucial for her character development. The origin of Chiropterans is great as well, and things aren't as black and white as they seem at first. The story ultimately proves to be very interesting and unique in spite of the slow start and manages to keep you interested throughout its 50 episodes, all the way up to a well-thought out conclusion.
Art & Animation (8.5/10):
The art is very impressive for the show's time, which is from 2005-2006. The characters and monsters are all very well-drawn and the animations are mostly quite smooth, though they can also be rather stiff at times. My favourite effect is when Saya kills a Chriopteran by stabbing it with her sword, which causes the beast to crack up and crumble into pieces. It's a very well-done effect that's used really well throughout the series.
Sound & Dialogue (7/10):
This is, unfortunately, the low point of the series. The soundtrack is generally made up of generic tunes that fail to stand out and are quickly forgettable. There are 4 openings and 4 ending themes but none of them are memorable and I skipped them every time. Thankfully, there are two exceptions to this- "Saya's Victory" and "Diva". The voice acting isn't the best either; Kari Wahlgren and Crispin Freeman both deliver strong performances as the lead pair but apart from them, the voice acting is mostly average and can actually be pretty poor in places, with some voices not sounding right at all. The sound never gets unbearable, especially since the dialogue is mostly good, but I have definitely heard much better.
Characters (7.5/10):
Let's start with Saya. As I mentioned before, she starts off as a scared girl who can barely fight to save her life but as she regains her memories she gets stronger and stronger. Well, I should say more skilled, since physically she isn't much stronger than a human, and so relies on martial arts and swordplay, which thankfully allows her to easily hold her own against more powerful opponents. Unfortunately, with her extra power comes serious consequences, since her past was definitely not sunshine and daisies. About three-quarters through the series, you really get the impression that the entire world is out to break her, as she suffers one tragedy after another, making you hope that the poor girl will finally catch a break when everything's over. She does have an annoying habit of pointing out the obvious, but overall she is a great protagonist and the best character the series has to offer.
Coming a close second is Saya's bodyguard, Hagi. He starts off as a typical, stoic quiet character, rarely talking and when he does he only says a few sentences. He also follows Saya's every command regardless of what it is, almost to the point of being a pushover. His character development revolves around him outgrowing this and considering what he wants, and it begins to show in later episodes as he starts to voice his opinion more and more. He's also just as (or at first more) capable a fighter as Saya, even when he's holding back, though he still ends up getting injured by almost every enemy he fights.
Next up is the other two main protagonists- Red Shield special agent David and Saya's adopted older brother Kai. As I mentioned before, their voice acting isn't anything special but they're at least well-written- David is the hardened war veteran with a heart of gold while Kai is the hot-headed teenager with a heart of gold. David doesn't have any powers like Saya and Hagi, but he makes up for that with his sheer force of will, as he doesn't let anything keep him down for long- he's even described in-series as being indestructible. Kai, on the other hand, starts off as rather annoying and immature, as well as pretty selfish, but thankfully he becomes more responsible and likable as the series progresses. But while the main cast is very good, the supporting cast is less so, and there are definitely quite a few I think the show could have done without and others that were just underused. I can say the villains are interesting, however.
Enjoyment (7.5/10):
As I mentioned before, the series takes several episodes to get going, so you definitely need some patience if you want to watch it to the end. This is also a very dark series, and while the show gets more exciting in later episodes, it also gets a lot more depressing. There's also a sense of danger and quite a few characters don't make it to the end. If you can't handle all that, then I would definitely advise staying away.
Overall:
"Blood+" certainly isn't the best anime I've ever seen, but it's still a unique and interesting twist on the old legend of vampires. In spite of the slow start, forgettable soundtrack and variable voice acting, "Blood+" is a very good series to watch, with an intriguing story, great action and good character development.
Score:
8+8.5+7+7.5+7.5=38.5/50=7.7/10
