Reviews

As one of possibly many who saw the original Hellsing before this OVA, let me begin by saying that the original Hellsing made me angry. Very angry. Not because it was simply bad, but because the author sold the rights to the animation to Gonzo (don't even get me started about Gonzo) before the manga was at a state where it was capable to keep up. Therefore we end up with an incomplete anime adaption of Hellsing that only spans around 10 chapters out of the over 90 chapters, the ending (if I can call it one) of which is scraped together by god-knows-who. Don't watch it. Unless you like pain. But that's your problem and not mine, so let's start:

Alucard (that's Dracula backwards) is an age-old handgun-toting vampire that works for the secret Hellsing organization. Due to certain circumstances, a police woman by the name of Seras Victoria is saved, or rather killed, by Alucard and becomes his underling vampire. It is here that Seras becomes a member of Hellsing, who's mission is to keep the supernatural under control (and kick some serious ass). And yes, to back up the stereotype, they do fight priests (the Catholic church must have an impeccable training program) as well as the evil organization Millenium. And Neo-Nazis. I'm not joking.

The art is absolutely gorgeously eye-popping, and more so for being an OVA. The colors are vibrant and the textures used match each character and background very well (that's Madhouse for you). Following up to this, the animation is almost flawless, especially during the fighting scenes. Every drop of blood is visible if you pause to gaze at them. Character movements, despite how rapid, are fluid and natural and give a much more life-like appearance. The animators must really have a deep pocket.

Characters, although they may not be the main point of the series, are actually quite well developed. We manage to learn a lot about the characters, specifically about Alucard and his past (how he came to become a vampire, what he did, how he entered Hellsing, etc.), but also the other major supporting characters. Not only do the characters change throughout the course of the series, but their results will leave you satisfied, be it with a straight face or a stupid grin. All that aside, what you really need to know (characterization-wise) is: Guns. Get. Bigger.

I have to say that Hellsing Ultimate is the most straight-up fun series I have ever had the pleasure of watching. If you want to see a budding romance between a vampire (or perhaps an albino, a happy comedy, or a kid bawl his eyes out about being afraid to enter a robot to save the world for 26 episodes, you are in the wrong place. Turn back! But if you want to watch pure bloody awesomeness in anime form, don't hesitate to pick this series up. Thank you and I will see you in my next review.