Vampire Hunter D

Exciting, thrilling, mysterious.
This rather old movie, is definitely a masterpiece for it's era. Taking into consideration it's age, you simply can't attempt to compare it to mordern animes, by those standards it falls rather short. But, if you judge it according to the standards of the time it was made, you find a fast-paced filled with action and horror that can easily outmatch many horror movies, be it animated or acted.

You also find in it many aspects of horror, that are fairly common in movies and series following the same genere.
Although to tell the truth, the story had such a fast pace that all ... the critical scenes didn't have much impact; but at this point one can't do much about so it's best to enjoy it.

Visually, it obviously had a very old style of animation, but neverless it was quite appealing according to it's horror genere. Scenes were constanly repeated, but as a necessity rather as of laziness. So mamy chatacters, scenarios, and places were shown in this movie that is one can infer that they would have had a very hard time keeping up with it.

The music score, was just as old as the movie itself, but it sucessfully gave it the ambience needed for a a horror movie. Maybe not memorable, but rather enjoyable.

And as personal comment, I'm surprised that fanservice and panty shots were already present since then XD

Vampire Hunter D is part of my collection and is also one of my favorites. (I’d go with VHD1: 9.1 VHD2 9.0 for those wondering). The main character, Vampire Hunter D, highlights and stars in this 1985 classic that is set thousands of years in the future where Vampires once ruled man, but now are being slowly erased.

The animation is done with very dark brooding colors. Backgrounds in many scenes are just black. The characters even sometimes don dark apparel in the blackness making where you watch it so important if you want to see the 80s anime artwork and ... character design. This makes it tough to see if you aren’t watching at night with the lights off (my personal recommendation). It really does a great job of setting the mood, however, with creatures coming out of the darkness that have nothing but the cruelest intentions.

The sound creates just as much atmosphere as the picture and this one won’t let you down. Some of my all time favorite character voices are Count Magnus Lee and the booming echo of the giant fireball throwing henchman. On occasion there will seem like a missing sound effect or the dialogue will be a little muddled, but overall it does its job supremelely. If you have surround sound or headphones the Three Sisters scene is awesome and really freaky. The music stays steady throughout the movie, and amount to not much at all. It fits right in with the pace of the movie, though, and lets the sound effects create the ambiance.

The plot moves along briskly for the most part and never fails to introduce new characters or monsters at every opportunity. The overall lack of diialogue makes the plot second hand to the art and action but a good story is in the movie. There are a couple holes in the plot that are puzzling but nothing at all that will distract from the movie for first time viewers. Without giving up too much info for those that haven’t seen it , D must rescue a beautiful girl in distress. I know, you’ve seen it right? But he’s got to go through a horde of grotesque monsters! Seen that too, huh? Well, this is one of the original animes to do it, so take a look at where some of that got its beginning. It’s well worth it.

~Grifty.

One of the Movies from the 80´s considered as cult and its definetly not your everyday anime to watch, and its SCARY as hell at some points if you are quite familliar with vampire stories.Personaly i choose this over the bloodlust version because i like the oldskool art, unscensored violence and the animation in sketched and books is just brilliant, and for this im looking for the older audience. and D itself was one of anime's all time fav heroe's. The music is sometimes repetitive but it has good opera music with violent scene´s and the best of all: IT WAS FULLY HANDDRAWN!

*If you are thinking about watching Bloodlust consider watching this first!*

I don't say that because there is any continuity to the movies, there technically isn't as far as i know. But watching this before Bloodlust allows you to get a better sense of the main character D. This is important because fast forward 15 years (real world) to when Bloodlust is made and D is still the same age just doing another job. It's kinda crazy but if you accept the internal logic of the movies, watching both movies (starting with this one) is a better experience than just Bloodlust. In doing so, you can ... really look at the D movies as episodic adventures in the same story.

So, this movie serves to give the viewer some background information on D, that the viewer can then take into Bloodlust. And because of that you can then not only look at Bloodlust as chronologically coming after this movie in universe but also in the real world, as you see how times have changed from 1985 to 2000, yet D is still the same. I don't know why but I find that really cool.

In short, by watching this first i found an increased appreciate of Bloodlust and you might as well, but Bloodlust is also a great movie by itself.

From start to finish this movie is a true miracle. Vampire Hunter D is a movie that if you consider your self a fan of anime you must see to be credible. The monsters, the gore, the story, the atmosphere, the themes, the setting...all done so wonderfully.

The art is amazing, though dates, nobody can deny this hand drawn gem. The way shadow is illustrated is so uniwue and japanese you will think your mind is playing tricks on you and hallucinating. The cross hatch work is something that is so hard to replicate.

D is a great character too. ... Watching him interact with this bleak, evil, daunting, and demonic world of the future is so good for some reason. I don't know, maybe it is just a nice shot of the 80s for me when I watch this but it is truly my favorite vampire flick ever. I have seen them all and it is like the ultimate adventure/hammer,george a romero, amano, artistic, syphony of true grit cult horror. Science fiction, post apocolypyic future, horror, adventure, western (in some of the direction surrounding D), and pure classic japenese master swordsman are just a few of the genres this movie reps with authority.

I would really challenge anyone to give me a negative point of this movie. The last scene run through the castle is one of the best climaxes in film period. Watch this!

VAMPIRE HUNTER D has always been a cult favorite of many Anime fans dating all the way back to what historians would call the "dark days of Anime". Back then, Anime had limited exposure to American audiences, aside from the occasional showing of children's cartoons often mangled and edited. But with the release of Katsuhiro Otomo's controversially violent but nonetheless brilliant AKIRA, an interest in edgy, darkly animated, gritty features from the Land of the Rising Sun was ignited, and so it followed with several titles imported. This low-budget animated direct-to-video feature from 1985 was one of them. Based on a book by renowned Japanese ... Horror author Hideyuki Kikuchi sporting smoky-hazed illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano (who would later gain cult status for his work on the classic FINAL FANTASY series and later, Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman"),VAMPIRE HUNTER D aimed to be an edgy thriller, a horror movie, and even a love story all rolled in one. That said, critics were not unanimously ecstatic. Reviews were mixed, with most criticisms centered on the somewhat stilted animation or sometimes inconsistent characters. To this day, VAMPIRE HUNTER D has its share of detractors. But it also has its share of devoted fans, many of who had grown up in the West with a dubbed version produced by the late Carl Macek and his company, Streamline Pictures.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future where vampires and mutants have overrun a human world, VAMPIRE HUNTER D begins on a dark night with a deftly choreographed action scene. Here we see Doris Lang, a courageous werewolf hunter's daughter stalking her gardens in pursuit of a T-Rex like monster with sharp teeth and scarlet eyes. Chasing it into the forest on horseback, Doris finds herself face to face with an even more imposing threat -- a hulking, shadowy vampire known as Count Magnus Lee. Naturally, the bloodthirsty aristocrat takes a drink from our heroine's jugular vein. The following day, Doris encounters a lone figure on a cyborg horse -- a mysterious cloaked stranger called "D." Desperately, she hires him. The rest of the movie involves D doing everything in his power to slay the evil count to save Doris from an eternal life as a walking undead. Meanwhile, Doris must protect her impulsive little brother, Dan, and fend off the advances of an unwelcome suitor, the arrogant mayor's son Greco. Matters are further complicated when D also has to deal with L'armica, Count Lee's jealous daughter, and the ambitious Rei Ginsei, a deadly noble wanna-be who will do anything to earn his master's favor. During all this, Doris falls madly in love with D -- but it turns out that her rescuer (surprise) is half-vampire himself. (This explains why his left hand has a creepy-looking face that can talk to its master or even suck up nasty creatures.)

Despite its promise of multi-threads, VAMPIRE HUNTER D turns out to be a much more simplistic story in execution, even bordering on predictable. Somehow the viewer knows that the lead character is going to triumph in the end in spite of the obstacles he faces in his quest. More problematic to viewers expecting flashy visuals might be the animation. As mentioned, this is a low-budget animated feature, resulting with a cel count that borders on choppiness in places. As such, the dramatic style of Amano's character illustrations loses a lot in the transition to screen. Furthermore, the backgrounds, although dark and appropriately imaginative, lack detail at times. As such, the film can seem visually dated to many viewers. Likewise, the soundtrack shares similar qualities. Although the sound effects are appropriately haunting and scary, at times they do sound cheesy, particularly the synthesizer sound effects when Count Lee sends rays from his eyes. The musical score from TM Network's Tetsuya Komuro is fittingly epic and sometimes spooky, although it is obviously driven by synth instruments from the '80s.

Faults aside, VAMPIRE HUNTER D still delivers some entertainment value for viewers willing to overlook such technical shortcomings. In spite of its aforementioned predictability (some might argue this movie was tailor-made for Western audiences), VAMPIRE HUNTER D delves into some complex issues: D's inner struggle to resist his own instincts when Doris makes sexual advances on him and his inability to express his true compassion to others results from some very understandable emotions. It is also intriguing to discover that the villainous Count Lee's actions are motivated mostly by the desire for sport rather than malice, although he still does exude evil in every scene. The action and fight sequences are also skillfully choreographed in the style of a samurai-slasher.

It's also important to note that this movie has its share of graphic violence--there are quite a bit of gory sword fights, resulting with stabbing, amputating, or slicing in half. There is also one particularly disgusting moment toward the end where a character's head explodes, exposing his insides. (A character's face is also briefly stabbed in the eye in the subsequent scene.) While all this may sound pretty extreme for squeamish viewers, the cheap production values actually make the violence less gruesome and more campy, making it easier to sit through than most blood fests. There are also a few very inoffensive nude scenes. This is a movie best appreciated by an adult audience; parents should think twice before considering showing this to children.

Perhaps it's partially because of this graphic nature that VAMPIRE HUNTER D succeeded in crossover success from its native country of Japan to the West. Dubbed in 1992, Streamline Pictures' release has been a nostalgic favorite for old school Anime fans to this day. Having said that, critics and many fans of the time still staked it with scathing reviews. I at one time appreciated this older dub, but over the years I have grown less and less fond of it. I'm not sure what it was that turned me off from it over the years, but then I figured it out: it sounds dreadfully stiff and stilted. In all fairness, Michael McConnohie, Barbara Goodson, Jeff Winkless, Lara Cody, and Kirk Thornton are all fine voice actors. The problem is that they were saddled into a production that veered on pure cheese and a lot of choppy-sounding dialogue ranging from mundane to laughable. There were also instances when Macek did a bit of tampering with the music, extending Komuro's score longer than usual sometimes sounding out of place with the visuals. Most infamously, the opening scene in which Doris is confronted by the Count has a rather corny "permit me to introduce" myself monologue which not only diluted the mood, it gave a very laughable quality that sadly would be exacerbated by phony Transylvanian accents and even a groan worthy love confession ripped off from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Doris: I love you. D: I know.) The sound quality was quite bad, too, although that may be on the fault of the equipment used at the time, so I wouldn't dock the dub against it.

Sentai Filmworks, who rescued this title and gave it an eye-popping remaster, also provided a new dub, while jettisoning the Streamline version for their release. This will likely be a point of contention, as a lot of Streamline titles which received new dubs (AKIRA, CASTLE IN THE SKY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER, THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, 3x3 EYES) have often been harshly maligned by old school fans, even though some might argue in the cases of some of those films, these newer versions were sorely needed, as a lot of these older dubs hadn't aged well at all.

I do have a couple of minor issues regarding Sentai's newer dub, but unlike the Streamline version, this revamp, headed by Matt Greenfield of ADV fame, does a very commendable job of bringing the movie closer to its more serious intent, stripping it of much of the unintentional humor. The script is a fresh new translation of the original Japanese and sounds much better written and more natural, giving a more "adult" vibe. As far as the voices are concerned, the weakest voice of the dub is the same character that I had similar issues with in the Streamline version: that of Dan, Doris' little brother. In all fairness, Shannon Emerick does bring a bit more spunk to the role, but her voice, like her older dub counterpart, still strikes me as unconvincing for a little boy (at least she's not as distractingly feminine, though, thank goodness!). Otherwise, the rest of the cast is appropriate and well-fitting for the most part. I will always prefer Andrew Philpot and Mike McShane as D and his chatty left hand from Yoshiaki Kawajiri's later semi-sequel VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST; however, John Gremillion's performance as the title character is still a big improvement over that of McConnohie from the original, sounding far less cheesy and more natural throughout. As D's left hand, Andy McAvin, who also plays Rei Ginsei, is also thankfully less nasally than his Streamline counterpart, and even gets the best line: "This guy is such a HAND-ful." Luci Christian also sounds much more convincing and puts a lot more emotion into her role as Doris, making her a sympathetic character and her dialogue is thankfully free of any Kate Capshaw-isms. However, it's David Wald who really steals the show; as Count Magnus Lee, Wald has a smooth, regal-sounding baritone who sounds somewhat similar to Keith David. He's also very charismatic and dripping with pure evil; a HUGE improvement over Jeff Winkless' laughably stilted turn in the Streamline dub (the fake sound vocal effects not even helping). Surprisingly, both he and his daughter, L'armica (Brittany Karbowski) are both given upper-class accents as opposed to the Transylvanian ones in the older one; frankly, though, I think it's all the better for it. It's a bit of a surprise that the people of Doris' village, including Greco, are given Southern accents until one remembers that this is supposed to be a "Western" vampire. It takes some getting used to, particularly in the case of Jay Hickman's drawling Greco, but having said that the actor does provide a bit of a slightly humorous touch to the role, giving him more character than Steve Bulen's too wispy-sounding and not forceful enough turn. The sound mix also sounds really good; not only are the voices better recorded, the music and sound effects also much more crisper than the Streamline version. As mentioned, Streamline's dub was not well received by the Anime community; time will tell if Sentai's newer dub gets better recognition (although Streamline loyalists will find it jarring either way), but as far as I'm concerned, this is a huge improvement over the original.

While I still maintain that Kawajiri's VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST is the superior version of this tale -- much more complex and ambiguous -- thanks to Sentai's new treatment, this vintage fan favorite once again prowls the night.

So I was unexpectedly a big fan of the 2000 Vampire Hunter D movie, which surprised me with its unique and highly atmospheric setting backed up by beautiful art and a heavy Gothic tone. It might've etched its way into my top five anime movies, and it became a given I'd have to see this one as I was desperate for anything more. My hopes weren't high thanks to the awful poster currently on MyAnimeList, but fortunately the movie has more things in common with what I liked about the 2000 movie than things that separate it.

This 1985 adaptation of the novel series is distantly ... connected to the 2000 one due to the fact that Vampire Hunter D is basically an anthology series. I was initially worried about which to watch first, and now that I've seen both I can safely say it doesn't matter and that people are better off just jumping into the better movie (2000, no surprise there). 1985 Vampire Hunter D (hereby referred to as "1985 VHD") doesn't have more exposition or anything of the sort, and is maybe even slightly less descriptive of the setting. Vampire Hunter D takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting 10,000 years into the future and combines elements of Gothic horror, dark fantasy, and occult science. It's a warped, chaotic mix but takes itself dramatically and outside of its action scenes plays everything off with a cool sense of calm. Like said earlier, atmosphere is the key of both movies. 1985 VHD features the same captivating designs as 2000: various monsters, creatures, twisted castles, blood red moons, and advanced technology mixed into a regressive society akin to that of the Dark Ages in Europe. While the imagination of the world still runs through you with its various mysteries and surprises, it's less evocative in 1985 VHD due to its inferior stylistic rendering. 1985 VHD features brighter colors, less detailed stills, stiffer and more inconsistent animation quality, and lower production values all around. It is by no means a lazy work, just on a lower scale perhaps more necessary for its era and not as willing to indulge in the bleakness of the setting, as an 80s audience probably would've been as well.

1985 VHD is lacking a sense of beauty that 2000 VHD had. It's not as well directed and the images it conjures aren't as memorable. For dramatic effect a lot of simple techniques are used like mono color scenes, and the animation in general features a lot of solid, broad color strokes that lack the finer details of 2000 VHD that gave the world a sense of enveloping realism. It's a good example of how two things can share the same strengths and ideals but be so far apart in their goals because of how they're displayed. 1985 VHD is still worth watching for those same sensibilities, as those won over by 2000 VHD's world will enjoy seeing the additional context 1985 naturally gives. You see more of how average humans survive and learn more about D, and there's a bit more sci-fi used in the building designs. The story and writing themselves are a somewhat weaker this time around as well. This may just be an issue with the story chosen to adapt, but the side cast isn't nearly as memorable as the other hunters from 2000 VHD. There's a lack of mystery regarding the plot because it's so basic. A local vampire claims a human girl as his next bride, and she hires D to protect her, but the core story is as basic as that. The villain is generic and doesn't feature much, unlike 2000 VHD's which offers some sympathy and curiosity as to his relationship with his human victim. The action scenes suffer for the earlier simple reason of weaker art and animation, but the powers on display are less interesting as well. No real surprises like Grove, and the climactic battle is settled quickly and easily. The story's structure is rather odd too. While 2000 VHD was more of an adventure story that allowed the movie to show off more exotic locations and designs, 1985 VHD sticks to a smaller setting and alternates between a ranch, town, and castle. 2000 VHD also escalates better as D travels closer to his target, but 1985 VHD enters an awkward lull as D enters the castle for the first time early in the movie on a rescue and then returns 50 minutes later for a final confrontation.

For an extended tour of a marvelously broad dark fantasy universe, going back to 1985 VHD is well worth the trip for big fans of the later movie, but it suffers in the ways you'd probably expect. At the same time, I'd like to restate that it wasn't as big a step back as I thought it would be. The things I loved about 2000 VHD were all still here albeit in a smaller dose. Given the fact that these are the only two existing anime of Vampire Hunter D, even watching this feels like a blessing and I was once again completely affectionate towards its aesthetic and tone. It's also worth mentioning that the dub was handled in 2015, and although it features different cast members than the great 2000 VHD dub, it's still professionally done with experienced actors.

A thoroughly enjoyable movie from start to finish.A beatiful girl called Doris is biten by the count,a vampire over 10,000 years old who wants her as his wife,when all seems hopless a mysterious stranger riding on a horse appears.He is D,a half vampire ,half human{dunpeel}who is a vampire slayer.Now i know what your saying sounds cliche!! well the story although quite simple{which isnt a bad thing } entails some fantastic elements,such as awesome fight scenes with lots of blood and gore.The characters are also very well done with demons of varied abilities.The animation was nice,dated which some or most might not like but it didnt ... bother me.The character line-up for this movie is also quite good and realistic in their attitude.All-in-all a very entertaining show

My friend introduced me to Vampire Hunter D. Apparently this is some kind of classic, so I decided to check it out. He is a huge fan of this but I didn't even know that this movie existed in the first place.

The art for this movie is pretty great especially for a 1985 film. Someone into today's anime may not enjoy this one though, but I'm used to the art style as I watched the old animes from the 80's before, like Ranma 1/2. The animation is very fluid, colors are nice to look at. Probably not the best art if you compared it ... to today's standards for anime. It also contains some nudity. ( Cover your eyes, children! )

I think what drew me in the most would be the story. It was very interesting to watch, and I could feel the horror and suspense as I watched it. Plot may be difficult to understand for some viewers or confusing, but I enjoyed how this movie focused a lot on the plot. I was able to understand it pretty well. I've never seen an anime with a story like this before, so I have to admit that I was pretty entertained. It contains sexual themes that may make viewers feel uncomfortable ( it did for me, I guess that adds onto the horror aspect ). The only part that's cliche about it is D and Dorris, other than that I think it's pretty original. They definitely should do better with the story telling though because it was a bit all over the place.

This is probably the most flawed part in the movie. Many of the characters are one-dimensional. D has pretty unique abilities, and let's all admit that Dorris is your typical damsel in distress. All the characters are so damn flat and cliche. It just screams of FLAT. One thing that made me uncomfortable was how women were very sexualized in this movie. Everyone wants Dorris, eh? Most characters here are barely likable or relatable for the viewer.

The music in this story is barely memorable. It's basically mediocre but not something I would sing to or think about when I see this anime. Voice acting is interesting, much different from today's anime. I think it's pretty good and refreshing to see how different voice acting was back then.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie but I wouldn't rewatch it again. If you like horror with sexual themes and sci-fi, give it a try because you'll like it. I tell you this as a horror and sci-fi fan ( though I technically love every genre as long as the story is told well ). Hope my review actually helped people get an idea of the movie.

So a old anime movie. Nothing like hearing the elitists saying how this is the pinnacle of anime, and the new fans saying its boring haha. After having this movie in my stash of stuff that my friend lent me. I finally found some time to watch this. So what is this movie really? In my opinion. It is somewhere in the middle. Is is the pinnacle. No not really. If it were we haven't made any progress in the last 30 plus years in animation. So the story is a rather simple one. Definitely reflecting of the times in my opinion. It is very ... reminiscent of the stories of video games at the time. I could imagine watching this movie as a kid, and being awestruck by it. Now another thing that I noticed was that this animation, at the time, is stunning. The style is very nice, and it is interesting to see how anime used to be compared to what it is now. However a few characters did look a little off admittedly. Also they did repeat a couple of animations. Probably to cut back on the cost. Then one of the women characters had a head like a character from Akira, and super small lips. Another thing that wasn't too good, but kind of gets a pass due to when it was made was the sound. The sound is good overall, but there were parts that the sound was kind of quiet. Then there was the standard action sounds of the sword cutting through something. However it is still nice to see how far we have come in the sound department. Now another thing that was bad, but I still loved it. was the dub. The dub is so hilarious. It is good at some parts. However it is still a cartoon in the 80's. So know that going into it haha. Just the long pauses and responses, as well as the actual voice acting is great. Very reminiscent of old martial arts films. Which I am a sucker on. Now the characters I think is honestly the most negative part of this movie. Some of the characters are kind of have way to obvious motives. Which given how basic the story is. That is bound to happen. However like 2 of the characters, in my opinion, are a little unbearable. Also if you are looking for a super deep thought provoking movie. You won't find it here. It is a standard fantasy action film. Is it different, and it tries to do things differently? Yes. Absolutely. I loved it haha. It was a very good film. Simple story. Hilarious dialogue. Definitely a good movie to watch with a group of friends. You won't really get lost either, and it isn't a long movie. Definitely a good movie to admire the work that was put into earlier animation, and respect how far we have come. Overall I would recommend it. Especially if you love animation, or the have a love for the production side of things like I do.

well about this film. it's sort of a mixed bag. but i really love this one. the action is good the story is awsome. the characters were pretty cool too. but i digress this film is under rated. probably because of the animation not being so top notch. but if you watch the story you'll find this film is pretty damn good. i give it a 8 out of 10 lol

There's something to said for watching the classic anime films. The ones that remind you why you kept watching anime in the first place. That movie budget animation is on full display here. It's fantastic to look at. The color play used here is phenomenal. It's marvel to think that no CGI was used in this film. The story is gripping, and engaging, even after all these years and viewings. The characters are unique and layered. The action scenes are entertaining and well thought out. The suspense is there offering several moments that raise doubt that our heroes will triumph (unlike a certain orange ... clad ninja's movies). There are only two flaws to mention about this one. First is the dated character designs. Larmica eye to mouth ratio makes her look weird, even in the 80's. I understand the large eyes are suppose to convey how emotional the character is but she's a blood sucking murderess. I forgiven Dan's design because he's a little kid. But that's part of it's charm; that retro look. The second thing is the montage at the end. In the English version I saw first the credits played over these scenes and that seemed an efficient use of the time. Oh, I should also mention, this one's rated R (not for the kids). It features some pretty graphic violence and has moments that might trigger some. With so much mediocre anime out there it was refreshing to watch something that makes wading through mediocrity worth while to find gem such as ths. Seriously, what more could one want in an anime?

I watched this film twice, first in Japanese, then again a few days later in English.

I knew nothing of this film or the lore, but I had seen some gifs of the two VHD films on a message board that I thought they were fantastic.

I have witnessed much animation and media in my life so I am not easily impressed, but in the first 10 minutes of this film, I was utterly convinced to be in awe of a genuinely terrifying world under beautiful artistic execution. This film pulls few punches in it's animation and design- there is only one scene I thought to be ... an unnecessary re-use of frame(s), which is partly why I couldn't give this film a perfect score. If I were to give something a perfect score, I would be stating that nothing could surpass it, given that this film instantly became my personal favorite, I was very close to giving it that perfect score, but I will give it the score of, "the most well done film, in spirit and intent, regardless of being animation or not."

This film (Japanese voice language) absolutely nails the atmosphere, symbolism, and nuances it intends to insinuate. The world is presented as terrifying, yet survivable- To be alive in this era as a human requires competence. The "damsel" presented in this film is not a dainty flower comparatively, she challenges the main protagonist immediately and only reveals her true or more "vulnerable" self when convinced of his competence.

The english dub tarnishes this character, as well as every single character, and demotes them into stereotypical archetypes. Doris, the "damsel", is immediately a ditzy damsel, rather than a prideful wounded warrior of a terrifying world. Half of the human characters are granted "southern" accents in english. The southern accents are incredibly jarring and forced. I was amazed that they thought this to be a good decision when designing the english dub. There is absolutely no indication of "southerness" in the story, atmosphere, or presentation of the film in japanese. The only thing I can think of is that the younger brother of the damsel character, her name Doris, his name Dan- maintains a farm. So the people who dubbed this film were under the impression that participating in animal husbandry would equate to having a southern accent. If you're not convinced of this being a sign of one-dimensional creativity, the damsel type character- Doris, does not share a southern accent and neither does the two character's "father figure". I could rant endlessly about how butchered it is to view this masterpiece in english, but I will continue only about the original film instead.

In my eyes, this film is overflowing in symbolism. Symbolism is subjective, so take what you will from it, but the author of the original source material is said to be heavily invested in "occult" themes for the stories by which this anime has been based upon, so it is not outlandish to attempt to read the metaphysical information presented through out.

My take on this story, symbolic perspective, without spoiling, is that of the power of freedom of will, the forces that suppress freedom, the vulnerabilities those forces "prey" upon to suppress freedom, and the true power human beings have to overcome these preying force and become truly free in mind, body, and soul.

The main character is a being who knows two things- what he is and what he may become. A man who gives compulsory conscious thought to not only his actions, but his intentions behind the actions as well. The main character is representative of a man that has superseded his superego and no longer views himself as a "victim of circumstances" (Determinism archetype), but as free and true being only confined momentarily to this mortal coil. My perception of this was reinforced in the protagonist's self defining claim, "we are transient guests of this world"- an ellegant and simple allusion towards a self realized concept of eternal existence, which again is played out in both physical and metaphysical symbolism. The "nobility" (vampires) are physical entities that exist for eternity and the main character shares this quality. The main character does not submit to his "genetic predisposition" (determinism) and instead becomes the "ideal self" externalized. Characters that share this archetype include: Socrates of Athens, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Siddhārtha Gautam (The buddha), and Krishna (Hinduism). The protagonist faces temptations, challenges, illusions, manipulations, and a very fearless oppressor (hint: that vampire looks like the George Soros, Koch family, big nosed international banker, oppressive aristocratic type).

The main protagonist might sound like a very complex character as I describe him, but he is not and that is the beauty of authenticity. The main protagonist is a simple being only but following the path of truth and beauty while denying the temptations of momentary pleasure in favor of the greater gift, inner peace, aka happiness. The main protagonist might seem to be "stoic" and "emotionless", but it is quite the opposite. The archetype he is based upon is influence greatly from the stoic philosophies of the classical greek and roman philosophies clearly, but stoicism is misunderstood completely as stereotypical trope, rather than a school of thought on the perspective of what life and death is.

You will realize that the main character feels all emotions across the pantheon and that his joy is abundant, yet never external. The main character's deeds are all of his destiny and freedom of will to reshape the worlds both physical and nonphysical. This is all about one character in a film filled with great characters. The antagonists are fantastic representations across the same themes that deal with an contribute towards the identity of the main character. The in-fighting and conflicting interests among "nobility" are profoundly similar to that human "nobility" in real life. It's not hard to imagine the "people" who maintain economic, military, and media influential power living absurdly vampire-like; I mean, what do you think they do when they're born into economic, fame, or regal royalty? These nobility type people, and their lackeys, have interesting perspectives, especially when juxtaposed against the main character's perspective (he has the power to change a mind, it's called empathy).

Animation is beautiful and well executed, I don't need to say anything beyond that.

The sound atmosphere is fantastic. Of course it is completely altered in english.

This is the most profound anime film I have seen. Animation is special to me in comparison to live action film. I believe animation, in the 2d realm, to be the greater medium of expression of ideas comparatively, so I would go as far as to say that this is the most profound film I have ever seen, only slighting edging out it's equally great successor in the 2000's film Vampire Hunter D. Bloodlust

This anime may be old but that's one of the things that makes it even better! For its time to me this anime is one of the greatest for me and I will never get tired of it. The artwork itself may be dark but if you look closely you'll see the details they've put into everything and sometimes the sound is off but for a 1980's anime it still stands high above the rest. Because of this anime along with Akira I dove into the anime world and couldn't be happier. This movie has paved the way for many other animes and I highly ... recommend this movie for those true vampire fanatics or just something to enjoy :P

This movie needs a serious seizure warning.
I don't have epilepsy but a few scenes made me come close.

Overall, its a pretty good movie.

The animation hasn't aged well, characters move very stiffly and a lot of scenes are just stills with speed lines crudely slapped on top. Some scenes manage to work through this but only just barely, there's a real weight to old school hand drawn animation that you just don't get with modern CG.

But what has aged well is the visual design of everyone and everything, I can't really think of a more unique feeling post apocalypse than this one. And I definitely got ... intrigued by a lot of what we did see here.
Also the colour palate is absolutely wonderful, lots of dark and drab colours with heavy line work and THICC shadows that really add to the moody depressing atmosphere.

The voice work is actually pretty solid, though the actual lines are pretty meh. The voice actors definitely put their best feet forward to portray the characters.

A lot of scenes lack much music which I found strangely refreshing. The sound design wasn't anything special but it lent scenes a very somber energy that I really appreciated.

Though what steals the show for me is the gore, every death (and there are many) is BRUTAL. Brains and organs spill out and pile on the ground, blood flies in every direction. It's a real treat. Definitely something for your inner vampire.

Honestly I can give this movie a solid recommendation, if you like cheesy stuff from the 80s and can appreciate old hand drawn animation its good.
However I can't say how well/poorly it adapts the original manga.

Vampire Hunter D stands as a classic anime set in a post-apocalyptic world full of vampires. Although the animation is showing its age, the atmospheric visuals and iconic character designs enhance the viewing experience. The narrative, driven by the mysterious protagonist D, adds an interesting layer that appeals to fans of classic anime and vampire stories. The combination of horror, fantasy and science fiction is well executed, complemented by a classy art style that enhances the dark atmosphere. The characters, including the enigmatic D, contribute to an interesting storyline. While it may not cater to those looking for modern animation or intricate character development, fans ... of classic anime and the vampire genre may find it an interesting watch.

No other animated film has had a more lifelong effect on me than Vampire Hunter D. I saw it for the first time as an impressionable 12 year old in the summer of 1993, and while I had obviously seen Japanese animation growing up (Voltron, Robotech, Fantastic Adventures of Unico), this was the first time I watched an anime knowing what it was. Before this film, I thought this style was just coming from a singular studio, like a Disney for example, not from an entirely different country with different sensibilities. It was one of those moments in life where I felt like a third ... eye was opening, like a spotlight was shone on me with a chorus singing Hallelujah to accompany it; a genuinely revelatory moment that changed my life, and I'm not blowing that out of proportion. This was my first hit from the crack pipe and I've been addicted ever since.

I'm still astounded to this day how beautiful the film looks and how deftly animated it is. It may be even more impressive now in 2020, because it's 35 years old and still looks amazing. The storyline is incredibly simple, but it's the world and bizarre creatures that inhabit it that makes it stand out. You never know what the next monster is gonna look like, and wondering what gory fate may await them is what will keep you hooked. There's so much imagination at play in such a short amount of time, resulting in no downtime and nary a second of filler or boredom. The musical score is fantastic as well, perfectly establishing the gothic atmosphere. This also stands as a landmark film that showed me that animation could be just about anything, not just something aimed at kids.

After all of that gushing, you're probably wondering why this isn't rated perfectly. In my heart, it is; this film is nostalgia squared for me. But I can't and won't argue the fact that the sequel, Bloodlust, is a better film. A legitimate masterpiece in animation, action and horror, so on a critical level, the two can't be rated equally. But throwing all critical thinking out the window? This is about as much fun as you can have indulging in a monster tale, regardless of medium.

A Castlevania-esque action anime with some sci-fi elements. Although it's a vampire anime, there isn't much biting. The vampires (nobles) employ a large number of varied monstrous underlings and the vampire hunters spend most of their time slaying those monsters instead.

Weak points: the world/main character remains mostly unexplained.
Strong points: fights feel realistic as it's just a guy with a long sword fighting monsters.
Content warning: contains flashing lights at some points. A bit gorey. There's a perverted monstress.

A cool thing in this anime is that some monsters appear twice. The protagonist fights the exact same creature two times. It's not two creatures that look identical because ... they're the same "species" like two slimes. It's the same creature so you can tell it just lives there, in that world, in the vampire's castle, doing who knows what there. Making friends with other creatures, possibly. It makes the whole thing feel more real.