Rating: Summary: animation eye fest Review: this is one of the best shorts on manga video in years. an absolute animation eye fest - check the flames, the parralax, and the general excessive "that is NOT a cartoon" factor. plot-wise? a bit thin. but then what do you expect from 50 minutes. it is about mood and attitude really. not plot. final word? cybergothtastic!
Rating: Summary: Waste of time AND money Review: The only thing this film has going for it is its CGI. Too bad it's too obvious - you can tell when it's CGI and when it's not. As for the plot, character development and the other, more important aspects, they simply do not exist. Nothing is explained, the only thing we are left with are too many questions. Buy Rurouni Kenshin instead of this tripe.
Rating: Summary: An Excellent Short Film Review: "Blood" is a moody, atmospheric vignette that leaves you eager for more. We're introduced to the characters with very little background. Context is easily inferred, since the filmakers worked so hard on making all the characters unique and expressive (the axiom "show, don't tell" works quite well here). The artwork is wonderful, with several eye-catching, memorable scenes: vampire/demon thing on the roof of the carpool building; lead character attacking the demon in the nurse's office; etcetera. The pacing of the plot is much like a very good, intense short story. Almost all the unecessary bits have been stripped away, leaving pure, concentrated action.Although I think the filmakers were wise in limiting the length of the story for "Blood", I would certainly love to see a longer treatment of the characters and history in another film (or at least in a manga). The "making of" documentary that comes with the DVD gives a sorta choppy view of what it takes to make a modern anime movie. It left me appreciating the filmakers all the more, since the amount of work put into just a short film seems monumental. I would definitely list "Blood" in the anime lexicon, alongside "Akira", "Ghost in the Shell", and "Princess Mononoke" as examples of the art. Check it out.
Rating: Summary: Is there any hope for more? Review: Saya is an "original", she works for some agency, she kills demons... okay, did I miss something? Oh, the title refers to the manner in which the demons must be killed... they must be given a mortal wound, one that draws lifeblood. I'll agree that there is no character developement, and I grant that this is a very brief feature... which is the reason WHY there is no developement. The characterization IS consistant for the period we are allowed to see them, but we are left with more questions than answers. It feels like there were more issues that could have been dealt with... Saya's feelings about who/what she kills, is she REALLY under control of the shadow agency, what exactly IS an "original"? Instead the plot moves by these issues, briefly touching on them, bringing them to the surface, then moving on. The DVD leaves one feeling like one has just viewed a chapter in a much larger story, kind of disappointing. Visually the movie is stunning, and it is here that it deserves comparison to the likes of "Ghost in the Shell" and "AKIRA". The marriage of 2D and CG imaging is what we would hope to see from future anime projects. As a fan of anime, and animation in general, I had a blast with this film. The camera angles were fantastic, and I envy anybody who had the chance to see this in the theatre. My only regret is that the movie was too short, and left me wanting some kind of sequel. I do recommend viewing it, and I do not regret buying it. If you have the money, and would love to see a chapter in a much larger story, this flick is for you.
Rating: Summary: HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE LAST VAMPIRE Review: Sorry, to burst your bubble but this movie [stinks]. The animation is top-notch, the story had potential but when you think the movie's about to begin - it ends. After some brief animation, I saw the title screen, and said to myself, that was a decent intro sequence but then I saw the credits rollin!??!! Don't waste your time.
Rating: Summary: Good, but too short Review: ...I was looking for something that's not like everything else, and for me, this was certinaly it. Blood takes place right before the Vietnam War, and is about, well you really don't know what it's about. There's a girl, Saya, who is the last remaning original (aka: she's a Vampire), and she kills demons. That's about it. No charector development, no plot. Some people would be discusted with this, but it made me want more. I've already orderd the novels to find out more. The animation is superb. It is one of the best animation mixes of 2D and 3D that I've seen. The sound is good on surround. From the opening scene, when the train passes from the back of the scene to right in from of you, you can hear it approaching. The score is very good as well. For those that want to increase their anime collection, this is a good buy. I would never regret buying this. And if you don't like it, you can always sell it...
Rating: Summary: Totally cool but too short! Review: OK, first of all, this movie is definitely great! I saw it being previewed on MTV n i told mumy to straight away buy it at the nearest store so we wen n buy it n like wen we wen home i opened da VCD cover(it's an original)...only 1VCD! so i taught it wud be at least for an hour but alas! Only around 45mins! The movie was really great n Saya was really ruthless n da vampires r really blood thirsty vampires! But why ois it so short? They could make it longer! That is not what I call a movie! Everything was perfect except for the time rate! That was the only movie that I truly enjoyed watching n i neva moved! So when it was the end I was like "That's it?! 45 mins! That's it?!" But still, the movie is termendously great!
Rating: Summary: Give us more! Review: Visually stunning with realistic animation (most of the time) and a very engrossing story. Pulse-pounding action and a few good scares led to a somewhat abrupt ending. I wanted more background on the characters, especially Saya, and the school nurse. Some of the movements of the "normal" people a little jerky. It looked a bit like the zombies walking around in the first "Resident Evil" game. Overall, the mood was set early on, it was consistent, and the story was great. It left me wanting much more and I was disappointed when it was over. Buy this one just for the art, if nothing else!
Rating: Summary: I disagree Review: With those that didn't like this at least. For a feature that is only 43 minutes long, this is a great showpiece of action and fast paced direction. Saya, the main protagonist in this movie is a dubbed "the last original" aka - a vampire (hence the title, Last Vampire). The animation is superb, as is the blend of 2d and 3d, also, spme scene involve entire CG (like the Halloween dance) which is nice to see in the regular and CG styles blended. The dub is good, as is the sound recording. The presence of both Japanese and English dialogue simultaniously is also a great feature. Though short for the price, it is a great buy, to me at least. I found this a refreshing watch after so many let downs with Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Outlaw Star, Big O and half the other hits since EVA. Also, it is better than VHD Bloodlust, if I dare to say it.
Rating: Summary: Did they cut the beginning and the end? Review: I felt like I was watching the middle of a movie! Zero character development, VERY little background...it was, in and of itself, virtually pointless. What is the story behind those demons? Who are they and what do they want? What about the unlikeable and irritating Saya? What is her story, how does she view her position and how did she get there? About the only glimpse you get of her character is an ambigious action she takes towards a dying demon in the end. The animation was stunning, I admit, but I wasted 45 minutes by watching this pointless film.
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