The story starts out with a lot of potential. The premise is great, and for the first 4 or 5 episodes there’s a perfect mix of character intros, action-packed fights, and plot revelations to keep you glued to the screen. Alucard quickly reveals himself to be an unstoppable maniac constrained only by his loyalty to Hellsing, Seras struggles with the loss of her humanity and acquisition of her new power, and Hellsing tries to uncover the mystery behind the rise in vampire attacks, Iscariot’s aggression, and the Millennium organization.
Unfortunately once these mysteries are unraveled, the plot becomes little more than a series of battles and an endless supply of blood and gore. Although there’s a last ditch effort to infuse it with some substance — a minor twist without much subtext, the revelation of Alucard’s past, and some half-hearted philosophy about monsters and humans — I couldn’t help but look back and think, “That was fun, but what was the point?” Like the Millennium organization, the essence of Hellsing Ultimate is war for the sake of war, and not much else.
Despite lacking much of a plot, there’s no denying the show is a lot of fun. Much of this is due to the fantastic cast, which features some big personalities. The stylish Alucard breaches the divide between human and monster and revels in destroying his enemies. The cool and collected Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing is every bit as elegant as her name suggests and makes the call to unleash Alucard on Britain’s enemies. And the mad scientist Major is the embodiment of evil, a man whose purpose is the total absence of purpose. This only scratches the surface, with other standouts including Father Anderson, Walter, Seras, and the Major’s various minions. If nothing else, Kota Hirano deserves credit for bringing such a diverse and extraordinary cast to life. The series also boasts some great lines that will leave you grinning from ear to ear, such as “I highly recommend pissing yourself, followed by a course of praying to your impotent God.” The Major in particular has some of the best dialogue from a villain in any series.
Hellsing Ultimate also has some of the best animation around — gorgeous and freely experimental, with a wonderful manipulation of lighting, color, 3D effects, and bold outlines of characters to make it feel like a rich comic book brought to life. The series does everything right on this front, but especially excels in its facial designs and copious but creative use of blood. My sole complaint has to be that, amidst all of this breathtaking art and maturity, we occasionally get tacky, humor-themed scenes that feel like they’re out of Fullmetal Alchemist. This style is usually only 20 or 30 seconds long, but in the last episode it goes on for some 5 minutes and really detracts from the atmosphere.
On audio, the soundtrack is pretty good and fits the show perfectly, a mix of tracks that feel like they’re straight out of a 70′s horror flick and some ornate religious themes. Compared to the original Hellsing soundtrack, this one is definitely more toned down and sounds more like the score of a movie than an anime OST. Some might say it lacks the same soul, others will love it, and in any event, it does a fine job. The voice cast is top notch, featuring most of the actors from the original series, with notable roles from Crispin Freeman as Alucard and Steven Brand as Anderson.
I enjoyed Hellsing Ultimate and consider it a keeper, but I also think it receives far more praise than it deserves. It certainly accomplishes what it sets out to do, but it helps that it doesn’t set out to do much. While the series should be commended for satiating the appetites of action lovers and demonstrating the full potential of animation, those who prefer a story with much depth or complexity will probably have trouble seeing what the big deal is.
