Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
_Bubassotto_
Vampire D Hunter has an incredible stretch, but to me it seems like something is missing...
Well, when I say something is missing I can't explain it clearly, but I believe the main thing is the lack of a better elaborated plot, from the beginning you can know the final plot and the power level of the characters is also strange because one moment the fight is very difficult and the next it is very easy, it seems like a lot of script convenience to me. Anyway, if they can ignore this the film becomes very good, the problem is that I can't ignore it. My rating of 6 is 100% due to the plot and story, because in terms of animation and sound effects I have nothing to complain about. It is clear that the work is dated from the time it was made, but for me that is not a bad thing since I like the…
Read at the sourcedaniqm
The first thing that hooked me was the animation. It’s gorgeous! I’m a big fan of that classic anime style. But like a lot of older anime, the story has plenty of plot holes. It feels incomplete, with unresolved threads and things that either never get explained or simply don’t make sense.
In the end, everything basically gets resolved just because…? I think they should’ve spent more time explaining D’s backstory. Overall though, it’s a decent watch if you’re just looking to pass the time. I only watched it so I could better understand the 2000 version but honestly, I don’t think it was necessary.
Read at the sourceyana_vvv
(I honestly only watched this because i thought i needed it to understand the 2000 sequel.)
There are points like the action scenes, the (kinda?) romantic scenes, or even the climax of the movie where I'm kinda in awe with how much they were able to do with so little. Unfortunately this movie suffers in every other way..
This movie constantly assumes you'll feel a certain way for the characters or the story’s direction when in reality I'm just confused. I wasn't expecting this to make me cry or anything but for the only character that REALLY had a character to be D and one of the main villains, the count's daughter, is a little strange. Especially when there's another character of higher importance. Both female characters do fall victim to the corny trend of ‘women are objects’ that was…
Read at the sourceFoxowincjusz
As a huge fan of the old animes, I must say that this show didn't really disappoint me, but also wasn't something phenomenal.
The overall story was very engaging, but I must say it was rather straightforward and it seemed to lack a bit of depth. There weren't many important characters other than the main one, and everything kept revolting around the same subject. I didn't expect an extremely complex story and millions of characters from a short movie, but still, there could've been more.
The characters are written simple but well. The design of the protagonist is very good. There aren't many third-plan characters, and whether it's good or bad is a matter of personal liking. What's true, is that it made the show focus on one main arc without any useless side plots or long backstories.
Th…
Read at the source4Fro
Mistakes and early pioneering are almost always synonymous with each other. Being one of these early pioneers, Vampire Hunter D had the unique distinction of paving the way for a genre that was previously mostly unexplored. Along the way, in its own vintage fashion, Vampire Hunter D showed the series that proceeded it what to and what not to do.
From the moment you lay eyes on the world, you can see that the world of Vampire Hunter D isn't like anything else you've ever seen before. The setting feels foreign with the creatures and structures that inhabit it, yet also equally familiar with the small towns and politics that reign within. This blend of creativity in the world-building extends to the designs of the creatures and characters that make up Vampire Hunter D. You'd be hard-pressed…
Read at the sourceDanteDemonZ
For one of the classic anime movies, Vampire Hunter D looks more significant than it is. Visually, it impresses. The gothic art direction, bleak landscapes, and Yoshitaka Amano’s designs give it a striking, enduring identity. The atmosphere is strong throughout, capturing a lonely, decaying realm of blended science fiction and horror at its best.
Unfortunately, the aesthetic outshines everything else. The writing is blunt, the dialogue often cringeworthy, and the mood inconsistent. The gothic horror story undermines itself with awkward pacing, abrupt tonal shifts, and moments of unintended comedy. Scenes intended for tension or tragedy land as absurd, with sudden deaths, exaggerated villainy, or poorly timed interruptions breaking immersion.
The characters suffer the most from this. Dori…
Read at the sourceNathan_HiberDive
Vampire Hunted D thrilled audiences in 1985 with incredible style and confronting themes. Many consider it an era defining masterpiece in a time anime was experiencing burgeoning growth.
It gets off to really strong start, taking an immersive exploration into Doris’ encounter with Count Lee’s reappearance. The narrative evolves cohesively yet mysterious and isn’t afraid to slow down, allowing time to lament. It is punctuated stylishly with brilliant animation that can seem somewhat primitive now but achieves great things with limited resources of the time.
The sharp world building continues as it explores the human toll in dealing with a world ravaged by mutants and vampires. One in which we see humanity’s nobility, temptation and fragility all clashing between different characters of d…
Read at the sourceSiaksx
Vampire Hunter D is aesthetically beautiful, and some of its quotes really stayed with me after I finished it. The whole film has a strong atmosphere, and visually it is the kind of story you can just sink into.
At the same time, the plot and storytelling felt fragmented to me. A lot of it seemed gappy, as if some parts were missing or not fully developed, so I never felt fully invested in the story itself.
I also noticed that some viewers dismiss the nudity altogether. In other films, that kind of thing can bother me more, but here it felt more natural within the world and tone of the movie. Although there were still moments when it seemed a bit forced.
Overall, I would recommend it for the visuals, the mood, and the overall aesthetic experience, but not really for the story (or. bette…
Read at the sourcecagrisarap
The 1985 version is hard to describe. I can’t really call it bad, but it’s definitely not good either. There is a story being told, but it feels very fragmented and disconnected. There are also far too many unnecessary explicit scenes. In one scene, the female character’s chest is suddenly exposed for no real reason. In fact, it almost feels like she spends the entire film walking around without anything underneath her clothes.
For someone who hasn’t seen the film, this might sound overly prudish or conservative, but that’s really not the case. I also get the impression that the artists (I haven’t read the manga, maybe it’s the same there) had some kind of issue with drawing women. The male characters look well-designed and carefully illustrated, while the few women who appear (including…
Read at the sourcejay_quelin
Ehh, it's a classic gothic film similar to Castlevania. The story is pretty basic and the animation doesn't hold up that well. Think "Land Before Time" but with vampires, SPG action, and fan service. I think this film is mostly catered to audiences who grew up with it, or movie buffs who enjoy classic vampire films with gothic themes. The only reason why I stumbled upon this is because my Dad recommended it to me. All the audio, sounds, and visual effects are so 80s it feels like I'm watching Neverending Story or The Labyrinth. The action scenes and battles aren't that elaborate. It's mostly just a couple of frames with flashy effects. The story follows D, a vampire hunter and mercenary for hire. D stumbles upon a town that's governed by a very old and powerful vampire called Count Magnus…
Read at the sourcemarkphp
Vampire Hunter D is one of the classics of its genre, and watching this will feel like a trip to the past, where things were much simpler than we imagined. Everything about this movie feels simple and well put together, creating a narrative that is easy to follow and understand. However, one thing the show lacks is proper explanation. For example, you never really get an explanation for why the world got to where it is in the movie. Instead you are engulfed in a sea of mysteries that you might or might not like.
The story is linear and doesn't put much focus on the supporting characters, which is also the show's weakest point. It tries to present the characters through their actions and the way that they think, but it's not enough to make them seem like one-dimensional villains which real…
Read at the sourceSFlame
In short - it is Great!
Imaginative graphics. Simple yet intriguing story. Memorable and super well designed characters. Surprising amount of restrain in gore (yes, there could've been more and far worse) and weird sex stuff departments in comparison to the novel. I mean, seriously, last one is the worst part of the novel. Many details about the world are here to see, so since I really dislike novel having all this stuff, I can watch anime and explore this world a bit more.
What else can I say... Well, the ending was satisfying and true enough to the novel to still be not a happy ending.
Read at the sourcetheo1763
Watching Vampire Hunter D the first time again definitely was a walk down memory lane for me. I rented it in the 90s and thought it was the coolest, darkest thing I'd ever had the pleasure of viewing, but watching it now, I have to say it's a heck of a lot less good than I remembered. It's a very straightforward story, naturally, with Doris having D protect her from Count Magnus Lee after he bites her. As a gothic action title, it gets the job done, but it never actually explores its world or its characters. The pace moves at a rapid clip, maybe too rapid, keeping the viewer, but also not giving anyone a chance to really develop. D is a fine protagonist, though. He possesses that brooding, stoic presence that can make him appear to be the stereotypical antihero, and he single-handedly carr…
Read at the sourceHERMIT_PAIMON
VAMPIRE HUNTER D has always been a cult favorite of many Anime fans dating all the way back to what historians would call the "dark days of Anime". Back then, Anime had limited exposure to Indian audiences, aside from the occasional showing of children's cartoons often mangled and edited. But with the release of Katsuhiro Otomo's controversially violent but nonetheless brilliant AKIRA, an interest in edgy, darkly animated, gritty features from the Land of the Rising Sun was ignited, and so it followed with several titles imported.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D aimed to be an edgy thriller, a horror movie, and even a love story all rolled in one. That said, critics were not unanimously ecstatic. Reviews were mixed, with most criticisms centered on the somewhat stilted animation or sometimes inconsisten…
Read at the sourceMojoJ0j0_
I don't think I can ever emphasize enough how much I love old-school anime. The style, especially character design, animation, storytelling, everything, and although newer and more recent anime can have all of these great qualities too, when old anime has them, it just hits different for me. Of coarse, it's good to realize not all old anime are immediately going to be peak just because it's from the 80s or 90s or older, and I think Vampire Hunter D is a good example of that.
* This review may contain spoilers, but only minor ones *
The movie's first scene is one that I actually like, where Doris, one of the main characters, is shooting monsters at night when she is bitten by a vampire. Doris then asks D to track down the one who bit her, Count Magnus Lee, before she is forced to become t…
Read at the sourceFalonefal
Very simply put it's a decently beautiful anime with a cool atmosphere, but it has 'made for a target audience' painted all over it.
It's as cardboard cutout as it gets, predictable characters with predictable motivations and some predictable 'out of nowhere' exposition bombs that 'make it all make sense'.
Also SPOILER ALERT: The Big Bad obliterating people with his eye lasers was unintentionally hilarious.
Watch this if you wanna enjoy beautiful older style animation, if that is your thing, I know some people actively dislike it, but to others, it carries a nostalgic feeling, in which case this should be right up your alley, but don't expect to be moved or impressed by the story or characters, because it does everything in its power to make as bad an impression as possible in this rega…
Read at the source2EZ4TQ
A classic old anime. Vampire Hunter D is one of those animes that you can watch and watch again, and never get tired of it. The old classic draw style from japan is the most llamative of this anime. Voice actor are perfect when they do their job.
The story is simple and consistent, wich make it to focus on the action.
Music helps to create an mysterious and dark atmosphear helping to get involved in the story.
The main character, D, is the focus of all movie. To be honest, he is the only one with a deep history, but not that deep enought to understand small details. The other characters have a superficial history so it can be a little unsatisfactory if you are looking for something else deep about what happend before all.
Recommended *****
Read at the sourceDeus-Arcanum
Vampire Hunter D is a total cult classic for English-speaking fans. It is a film released in 1985, directed by Toyoo Ashida and based on the novel series of the same name by Hideyuki Kikuchi.
Story:
The setting is thousands upon thousands of years from now, in a future where nuclear war leveled humanity, which has since managed to regrow itself up to roughly the point of 18th or 19th Century Europe, in the barely-lingering ruins of the old world. The story follows the mysterious and stoic protagonist, D, a dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) vampire hunter. D is hired by Doris Lang, a young woman who has been bitten by the powerful vampire lord, Count Magnus Lee. She seeks D's help to protect her from being turned into a vampire and taken away by Count Lee.
Significant gaps in the storyl…
Read at the sourcePezguy97
The story and world building is not exactly anything we have not seen before, nor is the writing anything to die for, but what this story lacks in uniqueness it more than makes up for in retro anime vibes. I watched this because someone posted stills from "Vampire Hunter D" on twitter a few days ago and I knew I needed to watch it. The art style definitely fit the story. It kind of looked like a much older version of "Hellsing" or "Hellsing Ultimate". This may not compare particularly well to anime produced today, but the art style was just fun to look at. People who need something else aside from comfy retro anime vibes should look elsewhere.
Read at the sourceYami_Aruno
Vampire Hunter D stands as a classic anime set in a post-apocalyptic world full of vampires. Although the animation is showing its age, the atmospheric visuals and iconic character designs enhance the viewing experience. The narrative, driven by the mysterious protagonist D, adds an interesting layer that appeals to fans of classic anime and vampire stories. The combination of horror, fantasy and science fiction is well executed, complemented by a classy art style that enhances the dark atmosphere. The characters, including the enigmatic D, contribute to an interesting storyline. While it may not cater to those looking for modern animation or intricate character development, fans of classic anime and the vampire genre may find it an interesting watch.
Read at the source
