Around 1995, Japanese animation (anime) began pouring into North America, Europe and across the globe in video form. Most of these titles were unknown outside of Japan and never covered by animation journals. Whether a title is highly popular or very obscure, a high-quality theatrical feature or a cheap and unimaginative direct-to-video release, they all look the same on a store shelf. Therefore, Animation World Magazine will regularly review several new releases (including re-releases not previously covered) that have merit and about which our readers should know.

© 2001 Filmlink International/Hideyuki Kikuchi/Asahi Sonorama/Vampire Hunter D Production Committee. © Urban Vision Entertainment. All rights reserved.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.
Theatrical feature, 2001. Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri. 105 minutes. Price & format: English, video $19.95/DVD $29.95 (extras include a 20-minute "Making of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust"). Distributor: Urban Vision Entertainment.

This second Vampire Hunter D movie is actually a Japanese-American co-production. The first was released in Japan in 1985 and in America in 1992. In 1997 Urban Vision Entertainment, a Los Angeles company founded by Mataichiro Yamamoto, was negotiating for the American video license to it. Yamamoto learned that the Madhouse animation studio wanted to make a sequel. He put together a deal whereby Urban Vision helped finance the animation production in Japan, and supervised the audio production in Northern California. The sound was recorded at Skywalker Sound in Emeryville and the music was composed and conducted by Marco D'Ambrosio at his Marcoco Studios in Novato, which also handled the audio post-production. The Japanese script was recorded only in English; the movie's release in Japan (April 17, 2001) was in English with Japanese subtitles. The release in America (Urban Vision's first theatrical distribution) was on September 21, 2001, although it had already been seen at international film festivals and anime conventions since August 2000.

By the mid-1990s Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D novels were very popular, and there was demand for a new movie in better animation. The Madhouse studio made sure it met this demand. D: Bloodlust features gorgeously elaborate settings and bright CGI effects. Scenes of slow-paced suspense and tension alternate with dynamic fast-moving battle action. The setting is 12,090 A.D., long after nuclear and biochemical war destroyed the old civilization and a new agricultural society has developed. The vampires are explained as mutant-spawned monsters that have deliberately modeled themselves upon the supernatural beasts of legends. The action moves swiftly across a landscape that changes from lush forests to deserts littered with the ruins of the old civilization. However, not much action takes place in ruins. There is lots of blood but these vampires prefer clean and brightly-lit palaces.

The scenario is loosely adapted by Kawajiri from Kikuchi's third novel in the series, Demon Deathchase (a more apt title). The handsome vampire, Meier Link, kidnaps beautiful Charlotte Elbourne and flees with her in his lavishly rococo coach. Elbourne's father offers $20,000,000 for her return to D, the lone vampire hunter who is half-vampire himself, and to the Markus Brothers, a team of ruthless mercenaries. They do not want to split the reward, so they try to kill D during the chase. The movie starts at a gallop and seldom slows down. D soon realizes that Charlotte was not kidnapped; she loves Meier and is eloping with him. But is his love for her genuine or is he using her for his own plans? Even if he does love her, can he protect her from the other vampires and monsters of his world? Drama -- romance -- taut direction by Kawajiri -- beautiful art design by Yutaka Minowa, based upon the novels' character illustrations by renowned fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano. The fans who waited fifteen years for this second movie were not disappointed.