Product Description

Studio: Urban Vision Release Date: 02/12/2002

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12440 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-02-12
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.com
Based on a series of fantasy novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a bloody anime adventure. Set in the distant future, the story focuses on D (voice by Andrew Philpot), the son of a vampire and a mortal who has dedicated his life to exterminating vampires. D is pursuing Charlotte (Wendee Lee), who has been carried off by vampire Meier Link (John Rafter Lee). The bounty-hunting Markus brothers and tough-talking Leila (Pamela Segall) are also on the trail. A long, violent chase brings them to the Castle of Carmila the Bloody Countess (Julia Fletcher), where the narrative founders in a series of confusing illusions that lead to an inconclusive ending. Bloodlust looks better in still images that evoke Yoshitaka Amano's intricate illustrations than it does in motion. The very limited drawn animation clashes visually with the more fluid computer-generated imagery--D's cape billows dramatically, but his expression rarely changes. Fans of such violent anime features as Sword for Truth and Ninja Resurrection will enjoy the no-holds-barred action sequences, but more squeamish viewers will be put off by the beheadings, impalements, disembowelments, etc. Vampire Hunter D, an earlier, more modest feature based on the same material, is a better adaptation. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Dare I Say It - Better Than the First?
Vampire Hunter D (from the Kikuchi Manga) is one of anime�s most venerable titles. The original movie helped define what was to be expected of Japanese animation, and its influence was felt through titles like Akira and Princess Mononoke. So, when the sequel was announced, fans began to drool all over themselves in anticipation, and for good reason � everything is improved in this movie (actually the THIRD installment of the Manga), from the animation to the handling of the story, and it�s a true pleasure to watch on anyone�s home theater.

The main character, D, is a half-human, half-vampire whose dark legacy affords him near-supernatural qualities. He uses his abilities to fight evil, and is considered the best vampire hunter in the land. His next prey is Meier Link, a gentleman vampire who has kidnapped a rich businessman�s daughter. His competition is the Markus brothers, a group of mortal vampire hunters who, together, equal D in power, cunning, and skill. With the help of his symbiotic Hand (a wisecracking mouth that gives D advice and offers comic relief), D sets off to find Link, only to discover that things are not what they seem.

The animation is top-notch, fluid and vibrant, and the painstaking detail on the backgrounds puts the viewer smack into D�s world. Crosses are everywhere, and each gothic spire serves as a reminder of the constant threat of vampires � and of the heroism of D and his kind. The DVD transfer leaves nothing out, coming off clean and sharp all through. The DD 5.1 soundtrack is amazingly aggressive � easily one of the best digital tracks available � and Bloodlust could serve as a decent demo disc to show off a new home theater system. The creators should be applauded for their efforts, as sound is just as important as backgrounds in animation, and no detail was spared.

Much has been made about the fact that there wasn�t any Japanese track on this DVD. Guess what folks? The movie was originally recorded, and lip-synced, IN ENGLISH. That�s right, ENGLISH. So do your homework, fanboys! Really!

Even if you aren�t an anime fan, at least give Bloodlust a try; with such a great video and sound transfer, and a great movie to boot, it�s hard not to rave about it.

A Must See!!!!
It all started when I bought the original Vampire Hunter D on DVD. I clicked on the special features, and low and behold, I have seen the light. It was the trailer for the "new" Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust movie. I fell in love with the trailer right away and watched it 24/7. Then I wanted to know more about Bloodlust so I went to the site.

I visited the site, and I was excited to see that they were gonna have a special advance screening of VHD: Bloodlust at UCLA. This was Halloween of 2000. The theatre was packed. It was filled with goths and anime fans. The atmosphere was energetic. The lights dims and the curtains open. After it ended, I couldn't wait to watch it again. I had to wait one more year to watch it again.

The date is August 24th of 2001. This would be my second viewing of Bloodlust. Again, I was blown away. Afterwards I got to meet director Yoshiaka. For those of you who doesn't know, he also directed "Ninja Scroll." Ok, enough babbling, let's talk about the movie.

It's not technically a sequal to the original Vampire Hunter D. It takes place in the really distant future, where vampires are dominant, but their population is dwindling. In this dark future, mutants and demons roam the lands, while the humans are fighting to just live. It stars D, our protagonist, half human and half vampire(aka a dunpeal),on a mission to rescue Charlotte from our antagonist, Meier Link, a vampire.

The story is interesting as you wonder who this mysterious D is as he races time to rescue the damsel before The Markus Brothers rescues her first for the bounty. Grove, a member of The Markus Brother, would have to be one of my favorite characters. His powers is really cool. By flatlining, he is able to control his spirit to do things his physical body can't. Meier Link is another interesting fellow, as you think what's his real motive. If he really loves Charlotte or is he planning something sinister.

The action in the movie is good. Not as violent or as gory as Ninja Scroll, but the cool factor is still high. And the animation is really high quality stuff. The only thing that annoyed me is one of the character's eyes. A little too big. Other than that, the animation and the dark atmosphere meshes in perfectly to give you a gloomy feeling.

I think this is the only Anime I know of that has english as the original language. So for those of you who are "purists", the english dub will be the only way to view this movie. The dub is good. It's not bad to the point where you get annoyed, but good enough.

In conclusion, story is good, action is good, animation is good, dub is good, overall a really good movie. I like this more than the original Vampire Hunter D movie. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Unless you are a person who wants nudity in their anime, you will be disappointed.

And all is not as it seems...
My fascination with anime grew out of an old hobby of mine, painting miniature figures. One day I discovered a Japanese magazine, called 'Replicant,' and literally, a completely new world opened up to me. One of the first figures I saw in those pages was a sculpted rendering of Yoshitaka Amano's Vampire Hunter D images. The demonic beauty of that figure haunted me, even though I could only guess at what story was behind it. At that time, American access to anime was still largely undeveloped.

Now, of course, the opposite is true. There is no excuse for not seeing Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri's production of the novel written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and strikingly realized by Amano. For the film, For the film, Yutaka Minowa based his character designs on Amano's work, and, if anything, has gone one level better than the originals. Simply put, this film is visually stunning. The illustration is finely detailed and graceful, whether in repose or furious action. This is true for characters, artifacts and scenery. Often, while watching, the sense of dimensionality is so strong that you will find yourself looking twice to make sure that all this is still animation.

The plot is as complex as the artwork. Set in 12090 AD, the story is about D, who is a Dun Peal - a rare vampire human hybrid shunned by both races. In this future world, vampires, once the cruel lords of the Earth, are finally on the run. Few are left, and they are frequently hunted down for bounty. D is hired by a family to recover their daughter Charlotte, who has been kidnapped by Meier Link, one of the most deadly of the surviving vampires. Charlotte's family does not completely trust D, and have also hired the Markus Brothers for the same task. The story's main theme is the parallel chase after Meier Link, and the resulting competition between bounty hunters.

... In addition, he unexpectedly develops a strange bond with Leila, the beautiful and deadly distaff member of the Markus team. While love is not an emotion D allows himself, he and Leila learn to respect each other. They are the romantic balance to the relationship between Link and Charlotte. One couple loves impossibly, and the other finds love impossible.

Providing comic relief is Left Hand, D's companion. Yes, his left hand has somehow become part demon, and keeps up a steady stream of sarcasm, unwelcome advice, and complaint. As peculiar as this sounds, Kawajiri makes it work perfectly on film. I also have to compliment the invisible human cast, who provide the animations with voices and noises in a completely natural and compelling fashion. Nor should I fail to mention the musical score, which is the equal of 'Ghost in the Machine,' which only recently was my favorite animated film.

The DVD provides the obligatory trailers, an interesting comparison of the original storyboards to the final renderings, and a long, interesting behind the scenes segment. The latter is quite eye opening, giving me a much greater awareness of the complexities of animated film production. The film has an R rating, almost entirely due to violence, but is otherwise inoffensive. To some degree, I think the film deserves a more lenient rating. In any case, this is clearly a 'must see' if you are at all interested in the state of Japanese anime.