Audience reviews
15 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
_Bubassotto_
Well, I felt pretty indifferent about it.
It wasn't necessarily a bad experience, but it was far from something that truly excited me or left a lasting impression. It’s the kind of anime where you watch it, acknowledge its qualities, and even understand why some people like it, yet by the end, you feel like you could have spent your time on something else.
This anime comes from a game franchise I’ve never played. I recognize a few characters and have seen videos about the games here and there, but I don’t have a deep connection to the franchise or the knowledge needed to judge how well this adaptation represents the source material. Therefore, my opinion is based solely on the experience of watching the anime on its own merits, without the weight of nostalgia or a prior bond with the cha…
Read at the sourcerielpaodurodjabo
Vampire Hunter is an OVA released around the same time as Vampire Savior. It is based on Darkstalkers' Revenge, an older Capcom title (preceding the Darkstalkers Resurrection game) so I recommend familiarizing yourself with the game's lore before watching. The story focuses on the lives of Donovan and Anita (the protagonists of the 1995 game) and the sinister perspectives of Demitri and the seductive succubus Morrigan. It consists of just four episodes, fast-paced, well-explained, and faithfully executed.. Featuring clear references to the game's movesets and finishing moves. It is a must-watch for anyone wanting to understand the lore of the 1995 Darkstalkers' Revenge without having to play through the game and unlock every ending. The voice acting is wonderful, and the soundtrack is pure…
Read at the sourceCiaran_Zagami
The offical Darkstalkers OVA has a rather, thin plot. But lets be honest, none of us are here for it. Its extremely faithful to the lore and events of the game which is really all that matters. Fighting games aren't about their riveting plots, the characters are the main focus and we are here to see our favourite characters beat the tar out of each other.
Which they do. Often and always in quite excellent fashion. The animation, voice acting and music are all solid. Not exactly top tier, but nothing to complain about. Solid quality for the era it came out in. I adore the character designs, like the story they are exceedingly faithful to the games. Which does make everyone look a little oddly proportioned and the fights can look a little weird until you realise that its all based on the m…
Read at the sourceJadoogar1
The animation and art is 10/10 but there is no story... It's just good cutscenes put together. I wish they actually bothered to work on the plot. The aesthetic of this anime however is unmatched. It feels more like a collection of beautifully animated cutscenes than a fully realized narrative.
It's really hard to get invested in the characters or judge their depth, since they never seem to develop beyond the surface. Still, viewers who value style, atmosphere, and high-quality animation above all else will likely enjoy it, while those looking for a compelling plot or meaningful character arcs may find it disappointing.
Read at the sourceblessingsannuity
A very faithful albeit short adaptation of a classic video game. So much action and flair and it doesn't skimp out on anything besides some more slow burn scenes for the development of the plot which is okay, I wouldn't expect a fighting anime to have characters or topics in it be thoroughly explored. This really put me on to how cool Darkstalkers actually is as someone who isn't a big fan of fighting games but the concept of western horrors dressed up and stylized and made to have symbolic battles of "Light V Dark" makes me giddy. The entire series including this anime is just oozing coolness and makes me wish we could've gotten the entire story of the game animated.
Read at the sourceDISKOWN
Vampire Hunter, also known as Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, presents a mixed offering. The OVA features striking and innovative character designs clearly inspired by the game, complemented by strong visuals and animation. However, the overall narrative and character development fall short. The animation stands out as the highlight, capturing the essence of the game with characters executing their signature moves during combat. The setting and characters exhibit exceptionally creative design, skillfully blending various time periods and cultural aesthetics.
Yet, despite its visual appeal, the series disappoints with its weak narrative, serving primarily as a backdrop for character-driven action scenes. Viewers seeking impressive animation and visuals may find it worthwhile, but th…
Read at the sourcePiraHxCx
Fan Service defines it. Not the nudity kind of fan service, though.
The art and animation is quite good, so you may like the show, but the characters and the story is as plain as in the game... here is where the "fan service" comes in: If you are a fan of the game (like myself) you will find yourself quite enjoying it, because unlike other game adaptations, the characters are actually using their game moves, using their special and combos and even the basic attacks. The fights are pretty well animated and you can really see Darkstalker in them... but if you never played the games, it might not impress you...
The use of the roster is mid. They do show all characters, but few play some relevant part. It would have been more interesting having more of them participating in the ending. Still…
Read at the sourceKnuxxie
The era of 90s video game licensed anime is something special. Entirely a mixed bag. Vampire Hunter aka Night Warrior: Darkstalker's Revenge is very much a product of it's time, having a similar look and feel to Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Donovan is a pretty nice character that seems to be ripped from Vampire Hunter D. I was thoroughly surprised at how overwhelmingly decent this OVA was, having severely low expectations going in. Liking the 2D fighting games would add to the experience. But if you like cheesy 90s anime and seeing a bunch of monsters fight each other then give it a go, it's worth at least one watch, only 4, 40 minute episodes at that. Easily a way to kill a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Read at the sourceyasser_sama
If you are looking for a short classic colourful anime then this one could be your goal, so let us analyse this work…
The story
The story in this work is really easy and shallow, after all it was taken from arcade game, Anyway the plot isn’t straightforward because each character play a role in the story especially the three main characters ( Demitiri, Morrigan, Donovan) there are human and other organisms that they called as a “Dark Stalkers” such as vampires and werewolves and undeads etc, Demitri is a vampire who want to get back to the dark world and rule it but he have to fight the alien befor, Morrigan is a vampire too who crush on Demitri, Donovan is a monk who hated himself because he is a hybrid, he is the dark stalker’s hunter, so the only link between the main characters was th…
Read at the sourceImperishableDani
I was thoroughly impressed with this one. Id personally put it up with the ranks of the Castlevania animated series in terms of quality. The animation is beautiful. While there are some times where it could look a little jank, most of the fights in it look stellar. Madhouse wasnt sleeping through this one. All the character designs are great. It has really solid pacing and it never feels boring. Its obviously not perfect though. This story doesnt really adhere to the whole show dont tell thing. I think Donovan is a great character. But there are many scenes where Hsien Ko and her sister and literally just talking about his characterand the philosophy of why he does things. In that sense the writing tends to be really awkward. It presents really good themes and concepts to the viewer, but a…
Read at the sourcektulu007
There's this odd tendency to turn fighting game franchises into films, anime and even western cartoons. Usually with less than stellar results. What is it about fighting games specifically that results in all of these adaptations? Is it that most fighting games have little enough in terms of story and characterisation that studios figure they'll be easy to adapt without fan backlash? If that's the case you'd think they'd have learned their lesson long ago. Even before this was made. In any case, it's time to take a look at Madhouse's Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge and see where it falls on the adaptation spectrum.
Our story opens with Demitri planning an invasion of the demon realm. He's stopped by Morrigan who challenges him to a match because she's bored. Yes, really. Their figh…
Read at the sourceColonelfancy
In the three years I've been one this site, my early reviews were focused on video game-based anime or manga (of the fighting genre). I'm not sure why, it just happened, but I've praised the good (Fatal Fury 2), ranted about the bad (Battle Arena Toshinden), and speculated the disappointing (Street Fighter 2 V). Now I tackle the average.....The absolute average.
It's apalling as to how middle-of-the-road Night Warriors actually is without being flat out awful. Back when Manga Entertainment first announced this in 1998, I was stoked. I played Darkstalker's Revenge religulously on the Sega Saturn and was certain that this game could surpass Street Fighter on a gameglay level. So when I got my hands on volume 1 of the Night Warriors anime, I was blown away immediately by the visuals. As far a…
Read at the sourceMaur
Overall/Enjoyment:
Most games never survive the transition to another medium. They are usually universally terrible and this would be the first adaptation I've seen that I liked. I was surprised when within the first few minutes of watching I thought "hey, this doesn't completely suck..." By the end I had concluded "yeah, that wasn't bad". I'm not a huge Darkstalkers fan, but I played enough of it to think "ehhh, what the hell, why not?" I think even if I wasn't vaguely familiar with the characters I would've still enjoyed this. I watched all 4 eps in a row fairly painlessly and could've easily watched more (see Characters below).
Story:
Make no mistake about it, this is definitely a show for people who like shows about fighting. If you don't like fighting games or shows like DBZ or Yu Yu…
Read at the sourcesantetjan
Vampire Hunter is the animated version of the 2D fighting game by Capcom of the same name, perhaps better known as Night Warriors: Darkstalker's Revenge. It seems to be targeted, as most such anime are, to fans of the original game, and, as such, seems to take it for granted that the public has some knowledge about the characters, their backgrounds, and the overall back story.
As I'm not an aficionado of the games myself, having played them only every now and again, it's somewhat difficult for me to say whether or not the anime really ties into the games, so this review will mainly focus on the OVA as is.
As might be expected from an anime based on a fighting game, the story is the weakest point. By and large the main plot consists of a human world that has been ruled for some time now by…
Read at the sourcemagnus
The first time I discovered this anime I was excited. The main reason is because it had Morrigan Aensland on the picture, and I really like her on Marvel Vs. Capcom (the game). Also it have only 4 episodes, which is great for me (I really hate long animes. I'm in pain with Naruto, 17/220). Of course, having only 4 episodes makes it an OVA, and as some people say, OVAs have better drawings. In this case it's true, the drawings are really god. The story too is great. It really caught my attention.
I think in the end I could compare it to the Streeth Fighter series. It's not that kind of regular anime we have at bunchs. Even the animation looks different, like with some american influences (very similar to Street Fighter II). The characters are serious, you won't find any jokes or comedy like…
Read at the source