Starting off, the story aims to show us events that are only mentioned in the anime and specifically the origins of the artificial nazi vampires. Set in 1944, we see Alucard as young as ever and Walter in his early years. It was obvious that the reason of Dawn's existence is to cover some holes in Hellsing's plot. Therefore, the story is really short with few battles and somewhat rapid event rotation. However, it achieves its goal.
The visuals and battles are outstanding as ever, same style with Hellsing Ultimate. Excellent character models, dynamic shadows and realistic blood.
Same goes for the sound. The same cast of voice actors and themes.
What I didn't like that much is that Alucard lost a lot of screen time. With Walter as main character, it was logical Alucard would fall behind. However, Walter's screen time is not that good as well since there are many pointless and unnecessary comical sequences that can tire you and make you bored.
I definitely enjoyed it, but The Dawn is nothing compared to Ultimate. I understand it was created to fill gaps in the plot, but it gives a quickie work feeling. It was wonderful to watch young Walter slaughtering nazis in an elegant way, but I disliked the reduced screen time on Alucard and the strict plot. It could have been better.
Overall, The Dawn is a nice extra to the OVAs of Hellsing. But don't expect to see Alucard slaughtering helpless victims all the time. Watch it after Hellsing Ultimate.
Story: 7
Art: 9
Sound: 9
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 7
Overall: 8
