Rating: Summary: Saya the vampire slayer Review: I don't watch that many anime movies. Of course I've seen Akira and both Vampire Hunter D movies, but it doesn't go much beyond that. It takes more than scantily clad women killing grotesque monsters to get me to turn on the DVD player and that's exactly why I wanted to see Blood. It seemed to be another one of those classics that had everything a good movie needs. Lets cover some of the basics. Story: You typically find yourself watching another predictable anime with good guys, bad guys, and some Earth shattering problem that needs to be solved. Not so with Blood. They spent some good money on the storyline. It starts a bit confusing on a subway train. We get right into the action here. Then a quick jaunt to the military base and let the slaying begin. There are many holes that I don't understand, but so much more is given that I eventually stop asking, "WTF does that mean?" Animation: There are so many anime movies (such as Bastard) that look like they were drawn by a child. Blood takes animation in the style of Akira and kicks it up a notch. Of course you can tell it's animation, but it's hard to find better animation these days. There is fine detail put into this project from Saya's sword to the chiropteran's teeth. I watched with a fine eye for detail and was very impressed by what I saw. This is a great example of eye candy. Sound: I really want to know what they used for sound effects. When a gun is fired, it's a gun; when you hear Saya's sword dance against metal, it sounds like a real sword (I practice a martial science and I know this sound very well); when you hear muscle and flesh ripping, well...I hope it's not real! The background music adds to the horrific flavor of the movie. They had a beautiful orchestra work hard at this music. No two-bit synthesizer for Blood! Suspense: It has been so long since I've seen a movie that has really pumped my adrenaline. Blood came almost as close as the first Nightmare on Elm Street. At times I found myself grinding my teeth waiting to see what was about to happen. Character Development: I found myself wanting to know more about Saya. Who is she? Where does she come from? Why is she hunting these chiropterans? I think that the director intended to do this to his audience. Give them a taste of Saya and have them hooked. I am hooked and hope more is revealed about her in the next installment (if there is one). Final Thoughts: One thing I loved about this movie, which puts it above many other anime I have seen, is it's use of bi-lingual actors. So often you either have a (...) dub, or sub-titles, but here we have a blend of both languages giving Blood a more realistic feel. I don't like the short 45 minute run of Blood, especially since the DVD says 83 minutes. WTF? Overall, this will be one of the classics in anime right along with Akira and VHD. Go ahead and buy it - you won't be disappointed!
Rating: Summary: Short and Spectacular Review: Blood is best compared to a chance romantic encounter. It was short, mysterious, spectacular, and left me wanting more. The animation was simply stunning. It certainly raises the bar for "pulp" anime quality (such as Perfect Blue). While some argue that there is no plot and character development I see it as a small gem; beautiful in its own right, but not as complex a cut as others. True to my earlier illustration, you'll replay it over and over to grasp what little there was.
Rating: Summary: Amazing. Wow. Review: I've seen a lot of complaints about the shortness and "lack of plot" in this anime. It is my opinion that its' mystery is much of what makes it so exquisite. I felt deeply intrigued by this mysterious character, wondering who she is and where she comes from.. It was so visually stunning, such a feast for the eyes and soul. I think it's one of the most stunning animes I've seen along with maybe Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, etc. It's style is very unique, however. I feel it is a masterpiece in animation. It touched me very deeply on a primal level... kind of unexplainable, maybe. It just has this mood, this atmosphere about it. The score was amazing as well. I liked how English voices were mixed with Japanese voices and English subtitles. I must have watched this movie over and over again so many times. I can never get bored with it. It did leave me with an aching to learn more. It's not exactly a bad thing, but I do hope they continue this saga.
Rating: Summary: Great visuals.. poor character and story development Review: I expected much more..
Rating: Summary: where's the rest of the story? Review: To tell the truth i accidentally ended up buying this. i don't know how this got mixed up in my head, but i really wanted vampire hunter d, which they didn't have anyway. but enough of that, now on to the review. this dvd is definatly eye candy as some other of the reviewers have said. the mix of traditional animation with cgi looks great. kind of like cowboy bebop's space scenes in a sense. the character development is definatly lacking, but overall the story is good, although not really ever finished. when it's over you wonder if this is only part 1 or something. but in the end, if you have only 20 bucks or so, you can do much better. if your looking for a place to start your anime collection, look elsewhere. try princess mononoke, akira (who hasn't seen this yet?), and any of the cowboy bebop dvds.
Rating: Summary: Don't listen to the naysayers! Review: I've seen the movie and read other reviewers' disparaging comments and I have to say that I disagree! They complain that it was too short. It says right on the box how long it is. They complain that it is an insult and that it has a lack of character development. My rubuke is that they don't pay attention. The movie is mysterious and curious. They don't give you a backstory or have a narrative that introduces each character. Perhaps that is what is throwing people off. People tend to knock things they don't understand and since this movie's character development is non-traditional, I guess it falls victim as well. By the end of the movie, you should have figured out what Saya is, who she is working for and why they are doing what they are doing. I will admit that it took me a 2nd viewing to figure out all of this, but that's only becasue I was riveted by the movie's visuals the first time I saw it. More of an introduction to what is sure to be one of the most memorable anime series in recent memory, Blood delivers - great visuals, a great story that makes you think (that is, if you are capable of it) and interesting and mysterious charcters. The movie keeps you in suspense as good horror should and in the end it leaves you wanting more. I for one can't wait to see the next movie. If you're still apprehensive, go rent it before you buy - you'll definitely want to keep it!
Rating: Summary: Blood the Last Vampire Review Review: As far as features go, Blood is one of the better releases. Digital/anamorphic picture and dolby 5.1 sound. Ok behind the scenes and things like that. But I guess that's all there is. The movie is all action, and while the package says 80 min, the movie's really only 40. I have no idea how Manga got their 80 min number, but they've had a wavy DVD record at best (worst being Wings of Honneamise). Basically, it's a really short experiment by Production IG. Go get Jin-Roh in March 2002. It's infinately better.
Rating: Summary: A New Classic! - Short and amazing. Review: This DVD has no equal, is amazing! The animation quality is excelent, an the dark-enviroment is excelent too. The story is very good, without long explanations, and the suspense is intensive. Excelent action scenes, and very good music too. A short jewel (less than 50' of duration), for any movie fans (not only anime fans)
Rating: Summary: An anime lover MUST BUY THIS!!!!! Review: When I first heard of this anime, i was a little sceptical about the computer animation mixed in with regular anime. But when my art instructor told me to sit down and watch the first minute of it- it was like anime heaven. Unlike Blue Sub 6, the computer animation blended in EXACTLY with the anime- making it almost life like and extremely stunning. The plot is a little confusing at some points but all together this is on my top ten list of best animes. The only thing you really want more of in this movie afterwards, is exactly that- MORE. YOU MUST HAVE MORE. Even the director for Titanic commented on how breathtaking and incredible this anime was. I ordered it off amazon almost immediatly after i returned Blood back to my instructor. The fight scenes start at one point and DONT STOP. There is no sex or anything, just extreme violence, gore, blood, vampires, corpses, stuff like that. But not so much that you are throwing up or anything. Just enough for it to be realistic. There's even a little humor and vampire slapstick!! Now I watch this at least biweekly just to remember what to expect from new animes that people REALLY work hard on. The main reason i like it is because of this: it is a vampire/samurai/horror/mystery/military ops/eat-your-heart-out-wes-craven/ALL AROUND AWESOME anime. BUT IT and you will ENJOY!
Rating: Summary: Pittifully incomplete Review: This has got to be one of the biggest insult to anime since Pokemon. This 'movie' (it could hardly be considered a movie - it's only 45 minutes long - MUCH too short) has a shoestring of a plot, NO character development and is so DULL that it seems like 45 HOURS! It SAYS 85 minutes or however long it is on the box, but half of it is in the "Making of" feature. The 'real' movie is FAR too short! The creators tried too much to win the audience with good animation. Too bad it will look outdated within a few months at the rate technology is improving... Not to mention that the DVD is seriously overpriced for its content. I wish I could give this ZERO stars!
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