Hey doods and peeps, welcome to another episode of The G-Views. Here’s a show that came out of left field and was…interesting to say the least. This is Another.
Tag Archives: horror
97th G-View; CinAnime 6: Vampire Hunter D (1985)
Hello and welcome to G-Views, where SoL reigns supreme, moe is respected and Dokuro-chan sucks poopie. As promised, this time we’ll discuss the original cult classic which gave rise to Bloodlust, the 1985 Vampire Hunter D prequel. Since I’m reviewing a prequel of the same franchise, expect many comparisons to be made with the sequel.
Genres: adventure, drama, fantasy, horror, science fiction, supernatural
Themes: demons, fanservice, post-apocalyptic, vampire, Dark Expect some nudity and plenty of blood and gore.
Running Time: 75-80 minutes.
G-Rating: 8/10
Plot Summary: In the year 12,090 A.D technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world. But thanks to the overzealous ambitions of man, the world remains desolate and despotic. What’s left of the human race is divided into various towns and cities living in fear of vampires who compose and exist as the Nobility, fending off the monsters and mutants as a result of their existence. On a night five days after the Count Magnus Lee had harmlessly tasted the blood of Doris Lang and chosen her to be his next wife, she hires a vampire hunter by the name of ‘D’ to rid her of such an ill-gotten fate. As a dhampir (half human, half vampire), there exists a distinct resentment between the hunter and his prey. But as the Count finds out, there is also a peculiar secret behind the past of the Vampire Hunter D.
So yeah, this is the movie that started it all for Western anime fans who haven’t read the novel series. This movie is pretty much Castlevania in animated form, which is a good thing. It’s straightforward in the sense that unlike its successor, it’s not difficult telling the good guys from the bad ones. In my opinion there isn’t as much depth and intrigue as in Bloodlust but that doesn’t stop it from being a very entertaining vampire slayer movie. This one also feels more similar to the live action Van Helsing movie than its sequel does, except not as corny or cheesy as the LA movie. Still, there are a few surprises on both the good and evil side.
Animation: Since it’s old school, don’t expect the same high quality as its successor, but that doesn’t change the fact that the same eerie and spooky atmosphere that was apparent in Bloodlust is present, except it’s much bloodier. The difference is that this movie has a more post-apocalyptic feel to it than its successor. There is a wider variety of mutations and demons in this one than merely vampires. to put it in short, it has an old school action anime feel to it.
The music: Like the animation, the bone chilling and haunting tunes are present in this movie as well, perfectly blending with the dark world the viewer is about to enter once again, although there is a more heroic touch added to the tunes since it includes a Castlevania-ish feel.
The characters: D is pretty much still the same badass, honorable and straight to the point anti-hero he will remain in Bloodlust. the events of this movie do shed a light in the reason as to why he becomes more serious in the sequel. You see, even though he’s the same here, he’s kinda softer which under the circumstances makes sense. His “handdyman” partner does look freakier here although he seems to have a smaller role here. Still, he still has his trademark “sharp tongue” and “handy” ability. Still, there is one question that wasn’t answered in either movie and veterans can pretty much guess which one it is. As for the rest of the cast, not much to say since they’re all straightforward and develop nicely over the course of the movie.
In conclusion: Another good vampire movie for fans to check out when they’re able. It’s not as good as the sequel but still 10000 times better than the Twilight saga, like a majority of non-teen heartthrob related live action movies or literature are. Heck, I recommend watching both VHD movies since they rule!
P.S.: I don’t understand why they changed the name of the half-human, half-vampire breed from dhampir to dunpeal. Oh well, it doesn’t matter that
96th G-View: CinAnime 5; Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Hello and welcome to G-Views, where SoL reigns supreme, moe is respected and Dokuro-chan sucks poopie. Welcome once again to another episode of CinAnime. This time we take a look at one of the all time greatest animated vampire movies to date. Let’s get our weapons ready and venture into the heart of darkness in the blackest night along with Vampire Hunter D, Bloodlust.
Genres: adventure, drama, horror, romance, science fiction, supernatural
Themes: demon, post-apocalyptic, vampire, Dark
Running time: 97 minutes.
G-Rating: 9/10
Plot synopsis: The Distant Future…Vampires rule the night but their numbers are dwindling. With huge bounties on their heads, a class of hunters has emerged, Bounty Hunters. One hunter is unlike all the others. He is a Dunpeal= Half human, half vampire. At war with himself, feared by all and all alone, he is…Vampire Hunter D!
The main plot involves a nobleman’s daughter kidnapped by vampires. D is hired to recover her. However, One night when he catches up to the vampires’ coach and attempts to rescue her, she strangely refuses to be rescued. What happens next is up to the viewers to find out as D and a group of competing Bounty Hunters chase after and battle against a host of vampires with varying abilities and traits. Although the basic rules of vampirism are intact, you can always count on anime to add special “additions” to the vampires’ combat arsenal.
In most forms of vampire media, vampires are depicted as either good or evil, but this movie in particular has a strong sense of moral ambiguity, meaning that in this movie, things aren’t as simple as counting to ten.
[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]Keep in mind that Bloodlust is the sequel to the 1985 movie: one of the 1st anime movies released in the US. Stay tuned for a review of that movie very soon. For now, let’s continue.[/COLOR]
Animation: The setting is a wasteland type with some Wild West elements added. The visuals are arresting. you can’t help but look at the luscious scenery in both daytime and especially nighttime. It is that gorgeous to look at. the action scenes are abundant, but not an excessive amount to make it seem like an animated version of the Van Helsing or Blade movies.
Music: Haunting, bone chilling and epic at the same time, perfectly fitting for a feature presentation such as this one.
Characters: I won’t go into much detail without spoiling the good stuff so let’s put it like this. First of all, the character development is rich and stunning. Each of them…those who survive till the end of course serve their role well.
For the time being I’ll merely discuss D himself. Pretty much a man of few words who gets straight to the point and kicks plenty of vampire ass, but behind that cold exterior, their lies the heart of an honorable warrior who only battles against those who stand against him and the bounty at hand. Alongside D is his “partner”…let’s just say he’s…quite the “handyman”.
As for the rest of the cast, like I said this movie is rich in development so expect many motives to drive each of them toward their goals. It’s another one of those movies where each role, no matter how small is an interesting one. This is a most thrilling film indeed.
In conclusion: This is a must watch for all vampire fans. no nonsense or lowly humor, it’s all well paced, has an excellent presentation and may surprise you at some points.
73rd G-View: Red Garden
Hello and welcome to G-Views, where SoL reigns supreme, moe is respected and Dokuro-chan sucks poopie. I just finished watching this latest anime and I must say that shows like these have become one in a million these days. It’s shows like these that make me happy that my taste for good media hasn’t died yet. Just because I like moe, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate serious/Dark anime. Has this kind of anime plot been done before? Yes. Does that affect the show in any way? No. To express this anime’s greatness in words alone isn’t enough. This will be a 3 parter, where I focus on two anime that excel in awesomeness without having to rely on explosions, gadgets, boobies and all that kind of stuff there. Allow me to begin with the 1st of two shows that blew me away recently, Red Garden.
The EDs are missing their audio for obvious reasons so check this preview instead.
Genres: drama, horror, mystery, thriller
Themes: life after death, survival, troublesome teens, Dark.
Objectionable content: Significant (bloody violence and/or swearing and/or nudity)
Number of episodes: 22 + 1 40 minute bonus OVA: Dead Girls.
G-Rating: 9/10 TV series. 5/10 OVA.
Plot Summary: Strange suicides have been taking place in New York. One day, four girls from the same high school wake up in the morning feeling tired and dizzy and not being able to remember anything about the previous night. In school, they find out that one of their classmates has committed suicide. School is canceled for the rest of the day, but instead of going home, the girls are drawn to a park by butterflies only they can see. Suddenly a man and a woman approach the girls, telling them that they all died the previous night.
From what I’ve heard, this show was made by Gonzo and it has a similar feel to Gantz. Now I haven’t seen Gantz yet, but from what I’ve heard, Red Garden is superior in terms of character development and continuity. Oh and this show also has a definitive conclusion, unlike Gantz.
This show is part high school drama, nail biting suspense thriller, and musical, Shakespearean in the style of its romances and plot.
Let me explain. this show is in my mind, yet another work of art. a masterpiece in terms of presentation.
-High School Drama: Here I mean that it’s a teen angst type, but don’t worry. It doesn’t get annoying. No, far from it, it’s very well delivered in how our 4 leading ladies deal with their lives after discovering the that they’ve been killed and are technically “tangible ghosts” as I like to call them. This show excels in both family and teenage drama.
-Thriller. Oh yes, it’s a thriller all right. When the show isn’t dealing with the girls trying to get used to the big change that’s come to their lives and how they choose to deal with their friends and family, they have to fight for their lives against enemies that I like to call “Man-hounds”.
-Action: Surprisingly enough, there isn’t much of that here. Sure, you get some cool fights here and there against the “Man-Hounds” and two bone chilling encounters against the antagonist team (especially in the final episode, whew.). Sure there isn’t much combat, but the two major fights are just EPIC! You could say that if the show had just a few more fights like the two I mentioned, then this show would get an 10/10.
-Shakespeare/Musical: In the 1st quarter of the show, there will be parts where the characters sing a song that perfectly fits their current mood. No annoying Disney rip-off stuff or High School Musical crap here, no it’s pretty good stuff. I haven’t heard the dubbed version of the songs, but since the English voice acting is pretty good in my opinion, I think they could be pretty good singers as well.
Now for the Shakespearean part, well if you’re familiar with Shakespeare’s style of presentation, then you’ll get a little clue of what to expect. Don’t worry, they don’t use poetic English and ye olde English style of speech, no they just talk normally.
-Symbolism: A common form of symbolism appears in the shape of crimson butterflies and red flowers (I don’t exactly know what kind they are though). I’m not sure what they mean exactly, but I think that if the butterflies have a similar meaning to those in Fatal Frame 2, then I’m guessing that they’re a signal of death, in the sense that they’re signals that call people out to follow them to someplace dangerous or filled with doom. I dunno, but that’s the message I got from playing Fatal Frame 2 and watching Red Garden. As for the title, I have no idea why it’s called Red Garden…that is until the final episode of the TV series.
Animation: Red Garden employs a technique often used by animated productions outside Japan, but rarely used in Japanese animation. The characters’ dialogue is animated after the work of the voice cast, synchronizing the animation with the voice actors’ voices. The synchronization is particularly evident in scenes where characters are singing (occurring in some of the earlier episodes). What this means is that the seiyuu’s voices were recorded 1st, THEN the animation was made so that it wouldn’t miss a single word, breath or expression made by the characters. So yeah, don’t expect any bubbly eyes or jiggling breasts here. Ecchi fans already know what this means: No moe, no stupid male leads, no dumb girls who will fall for some random guy for no good reason, no cutesy wootsy stuff, none of that. Basically for an anime in the year 2006, it’s pretty unique and beautiful to watch in terms of a good anime that doesn’t rely on fanservice at all.
Music: Perfect for this kind of anime. Not a single incorrect note used. Also, the OP and EDs ROCK!
Characters: Once again, what I tend to focus on primarily if the plot isn’t good enough. Thankfully the show’s plot is superb. Now back to the characters. The cool thing about them is that there’s almost NO ONE to hate here. Even the side characters play a VERY important role. There’s not a single character here who doesn’t serve a purpose. Aside from the main villains, excluding Herve, who’s a sympathetic guy despite all the damage he’s caused, every other character here is highly developed and have enough interaction with each other that I have absolutely no complaints in terms of development. Like I said, every character here has a purpose and they they fulfill it very well. Appearance wise, Gonzo has captured the appearance and feel of a fictional New York setting quite well. Even the noses are well drawn. I can tell that they were going all out with trying to draw the characters with as much life as possible. It somewhat reminds me of NANA…somewhat.
Oh, I forgot to talk about the bonus OVA…it’s nothing special. Really, it isn’t. enjoy the TV series. If you want to watch the OVA for completeness, go ahead if you want. Just don’t expect anything memorable from it.
In conclusion: I tell you, if you’re looking for something different and amazing, then look no further than Red Garden. It’s a neat break from all the cute, fuzzy, jiggly and humorous stuff we’re being showered with these days. A highly recommended masterpiece. However, it all depends on your age and patience whether you can appreciate this show’s greatness or not. This is definitely not for the impatient or hyperactive.
72nd G-View: Pro Boyfriend Prisoners Edition 2: Shiki
Hello and welcome to G-Views, where SoL reigns supreme, moe is respected and Dokuro-chan sucks poopie. Vampires rock! Twilight SUCKS! But you all know that, right? Anyway that’s not the point. my point is that the following show that I’m about to review does vampirism justice and it does it in a very good way. Boils and ghouls, this…is Shiki!
Think of this as my late post-Halloween review.
I can’t find a good poster for this show, so check out the 2 OPs to get a general idea of what the show looks like.
Genres: horror, mystery, supernatural
Themes: Tragedy, vampire, Dark
Number of episodes: 22
G-Rating: 9/10
Plot Summary: Sotobamura is a small village with around 1300 residents; so small the village isn’t even connected to a single highway. An isolated village in which old customs, such as the burial of the dead, are still practiced. One day, the bodies of three people are found dead. Although Ozaki Toshio, the village’s lone doctor, feels uncertain, he treats the deaths as a normal occurrence. However, in the days following, the villagers start to die one after the other.
Shiki, in my mind is basically an anime that for the most part does justice to the greatness that is vampirism. Suspenseful, follows each of the classic rules right down the middle and it’s awesome as well in its pacing. It doesn’t rush things and puts you in the right mood of watching something interesting and creepy at the same time. Dance in the Vampire Bund did the whole supernatural romance thing right, Shiki does classic vampire suspense stories right!
The show kinda has a slow pacing sometimes, but I think it’s good because of to me, it’s a steady pace that allows the viewer to enter the world the animators are trying to portray. a world that isn’t family friendly at all. A world where an “epidemic” is taking life after life away. A world where something fishy is going on. It’s that feeling of mystery that keeps me coming back for more each episode.
Vampirism: this is one of the main reasons I love this show. It follows the rules of vampirism right down the middle, for the most part. There are some exceptions, but those apply to the higher ops vampires, so it’s forgivable. As for everything else: If you’re a fan of vampires and are looking for an anime that follows the rules exactly, then this is it. Strengths, weaknesses, origins, rules on trespassing, behavior, etc. I can pretty much label this show as a documentary on vampires and their habits, including how humans who are “reborn” behave once they begin their “new life”.
Also, another thing worth noticing is the show’s obsession with date and time. It’s not exactly important, mostly because it’s hard to follow what’s going on and when. Just try to follow the images during the episode recaps in the intros and try to follow the story from there.
The animation: Here’s one of the very few times that my readers will notice me trying to write something more deep on animation. As those who have watched the OPs have noticed, the drawing style on this show isn’t the usual anime style. It has an odd style in terms of facials and hair styles. The irises of each character, even the vampires themselves look kinda hypnotic. Like its part of the writers’ scheme to get you to watch their show. They didn’t need it, since the show is already awesome enough. Maybe it’s all part of fitting the drawing style with the mood of the anime. As for the hair….well, one picture will tell you all about what to expect from some of the female characters: In short, a picture speaks louder than words.
Now those who are wondering might be asking me “OG-Man, is this show scary?” To that question I respond in the following way: “It all depends on the viewer and whether you’re watching this show in the dark or not.” i think this show isn’t scary, but it is DEFINITELY CREEPY, INTENSE AND SUSPENSEFUL! Believe me, there were moments that sent shivers down my spine because of how disturbing they were. Freaky stuff right here doods.
The music: The 1st OP and ED rock. The 2nd pair are cool, but kinda inferior.
As for the rest of the music on the show, let’s just say this show is best watched in the dark, while wearing headphones.
The characters: Whew, there are so many here that most of them are just the victims. So yeah. You can pretty much divide the main characters from the humans who eventually discover the truth behind the multiple deaths, disappearances and how they act, from the villains and their actions.
The other thing about this show is that it makes you wonder on whether the villains are actually evil, despite their actions. I can’t say for sure if they’re actually bad guys, but at least we can determine from the “newborn” as I call them, whether they’re good or evil.
Oh yeah and as for those wondering what the title of the show means, watch the anime and pay attention, because it is explained in full detail.
In conclusion: this show is a must watch for all who’re looking for either an exciting or freaky, or a show that takes their vampires VERY SERIOUSLY and doesn’t treat them like nonsensical teenage fangirl wallet stealing marketing ploys of pure rickety evilness. So yeah, I could also consider this another Pro boyfriend prisoners edition.
