Grady R. Patterson 2008-11-20

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This classic anime tells the story of "D" - a half vampire/ half human who has rejected his vampire heritage and now hunts and kills the vampires (and other monsters) who loosely rule the post-apocalyptic Earth.
The animation is good for it's time (originally released in 1985), the story is full of tension, with numerous surprises.
As others have noted, there is a follow-up video ("Bloodlust"), which has excellent animation qualities and a good story, but "D" loses a bit of the depth and complexity shown in this film. I do recommend seeing this first - it is both the earlier film and chronologically earlier in the story of "D", and it seems to me to make "Bloodlust"s improvements in animation quality even better.
Be aware, this is not for kids - there is quite a bit of blood and complex story line, along with a bit of nudity.
If you like vampire stories, or just stories with very complex characters - this is a very enjoyable video.

Sadee Whip 2008-11-16

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I've loved anime since the 80's but D sealed the deal for me. I'd put this against any anime old or new. Great story, beautiful anime - romantic, twisted, and as gorily graphic as a vampire story needs to be.

John R. Scott 2008-11-13

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

I have found this movie to be the one I was looking for I appreciate the seller sending it to me thank you thank you very much John Robert Scott

Thomas Trujillo 2008-11-04

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

I've been an anime fan for many years. That's why I was thrilled to find Vampire Hunter D: Special Edition on DVD! The premise of the story is in the distant future Earth's been ravaged by Mutants and Demons. Currently the world is ruled over by powerful Vampire Lords. One such lord, the ancient vampire Count Magnus Lee, has chosen a brave, young woman named Doris Lang to be his new bride. Doris' only hope for salvation lies with a mysterious, enigmatic vampire hunter she hires named, D. But D has secrets of his own foremost of which being he is a dhampir, the child of a vampire and a human. As with all anime I enjoyed the complex characters and plotine. This Japanese animated movie has intense images which are vividly beautiful and terrifying! The subject matter of this movie is graphic (So no one under the age of 17 or 18 should watch this DVD in my opinion). Also there are features on the DVD that will allow you to see how the movie was put together (Although if you aren't fluent in Japanese I strongly recommnd you activate the english subtitles they have). Overall if you're an anime fan who likes action-packed bloody horror this little gem from the old school of Japanese animation is just the thing for you!

trashcanman 2008-10-09

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1XV261Z7USHSB "Vampire Hunter D" is an anime film based on the first of a long-running series pf novels and in my top 5 favorite films of all time. It's my favorite animated film, it's the reason I got into anime in the first place, it's got one of my favorite scores of all time, it's the first DVD I ever bought, and it's one movie I will never ever get sick of. So consider it recommended. There is absolutely nothing quite like it out there that I am aware of. The sequel, Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust, is another easy five star film with beautiful modern animation and first-rate voice talent, but there is just something about the original; an ambiance that no other film has that makes it unique and utterly mesmerizing as well as creepy and just downright enjoyable. Some would say the 80's animation is dated, but I say forget all that. Modern animators couldn't recreate this work if they tried. "Vampire Hunter D" was a perfect storm of animated horror and it has lost absolutely nothing in my opinion.

The story is deceptively simple, though there are a few twists and turns along the way. it begins with that amazing scene of our heroine, Doris, chasing and killing a beast devouring her crops. She finds herself defenseless before the local Aristocrat, a vampire named Magnus Lee (after a vampire from a short story and horror legend Christoper Lee). After being bitten by the vampire, her fellow villagers shun her leaving her alone except for her young brother. But rather than despair, Doris seeks out and hires a vampire hunter. A hunter known only as "D". What does the D stand for? You'll see. The three stand together against the horrors of of The Count's numerous followers including his prideful daughter Larmica (an almost-anagram for Carmilla) and the result is one hell of a ride.

As I stated in the video, this movie has possibly the best menagerie of creatures of any horror film. First and foremost is the mysterious, intelligent (snarky even), and powerful parasite that lives in D's hand. It's an outstanding device that deepens the questions about the hero's past and gives us somebody to explicate (D rarely speaks) while we journey through this bizarre world. There are giant golems, phantom beasts, werewolves, giant snake-women, and many more imaginative and unforgettable creatures to be slain on the path to the final showdown with the millenia-old vampire. The carnage is wonderful.

The disc comes with some bonus features such as a making-of segment and an interesting preview for the Playstation game, plus the trailer for the sequel which is among the best sequels of all time and had me as excited as I've ever been for a film prior to it's release. "Vampire Hunter D" is a rare case of the movie being superior to the book, though one could probably blame the stiff translation from Japanese to English for most of the novel's faults. I think I've said enough: if you love horror and/or animation, then it doesn't get any better.