Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
The best vampire movie might actually be an anime.
Presentation:
Beautifully hand drawn, this film is quite unknown but has a timeless aesthetic that should be appreciated even by those that don’t like dark imagery. It’s both gothic and lush, victorian yet dystopian, steam/cyber punk yet also cowboy and classic. And then you have some jaw dropping scenes which look as good as Lawrence of Arabia. This is truly an epic in every sense of the cinematic sense even by live action standards. This might all sound too convoluted to mesh together, but it does work. I think it’s one of the most timeless looking animations and is up there for one of the best visuals. The story is pretty straightforward, but this film makes you realize that sometimes it’s not about the plot, it’s about the characters. And even if you know what they are going to do, it’s still a compelling experience because you want to see how they do it. However there are some expendable characters, some of which you wish they expanded upon more, but D is slick enough that he doesn’t have to do much and can allow the entire cast to shine. He has somewhat of a Claymore style presence, a certain charisma that can be felt even when he’s not speaking. A wonderfully imaginative and vibrant universe.
Conclusion:
This is an animation that should not only take you off guard, it should knock your socks off, making you question how it’s not more popular. Sure, the story is predictable at times, but the world and character building is impressive even for its short run time. Although it does borrow from certain cyberpunk aesthetics in the past, I think it improves upon them with better technology while also delivering the nostalgic hand drawn animation we love.
Recommendations
Analog horror for those that love ghost stories.