Vampire Hunter D Is The Best Anime Horror Vampire Movie
12,000 years from now, humanity’s last defense from all the demons, mutants, and vampire overlords is a samurai sword wielding vampire hunter named D, who may or may not be the half-vampire, half-man son of Dracula and Mina Harker…
Once upon a time there was this thing called Cable TV. Late at night Cable TV played B movies, imported cartoons, and marathons of old sitcoms. Staying up later than a kid probably should and being left alone, a lot I got to watch some incredible stuff like Fright Night, Sharky’s Machine, Scrooge, The Planet of The Apes, The Nightmare On Elm Street, Darkman, Duckman, gems like 976-EVIL, Predator, Night of the Demons, Rambo, Porky’s Revenge, Teen Wolf, Teenage Catgirls In Heat, The Toxic Avenger, The Karate Kid, all the Friday the 13th movies and more movies than I count in a single blog…
This is also the way I was introduced to anime like Ninja Scroll, Akira, Amon Saga, and Fist of the North Star.
One night, I was flipping through channels and stopped suddenly when I saw a giant troll roar in pain as a sword wielding cowboy type in a long jacket used the monster as a bridge to escape from a castle. The dark hero or anti-hero, was rescuing a young lady from a den of demons.
I wasn’t sure what the hell was happening and why but I sat still in shock for the rest of the ride. The world was wrecked and most people in this movie were mutants and if not mutants, then they were vampires living out the end of their magical reign over mankind in a nuclear wasteland. The kicking ‘80s soundtrack plus the gorgeous breakneck hand-drawn 2D Japanese artistry of the animation cells was mesmerizing and this one of the most original ideas I saw on screen then and now as far as anime horror is concerned.
D had a talking hand, a big sword, a cybernetic horse, and was doomed to wander the wastes unwelcome among humans and vampires. He was a hybrid and an outcast. Supposedly, as his legend tells us in hints, rumors, and fragments is that he is the half-vampire or dhampir son of Count Dracula and Mina Harker.
In Balkans folklore, dhampirs (sometimes spelled dhampyres, dhamphirs, or dhampyrs) are creatures that are the result of a union between a vampire and a human. This union was usually between male vampires and female humans, with stories of female vampires mating with male humans being rare.
He survived the destruction of Dracula’s dynasty, survived the nuclear war that destroyed our society, and makes a living as a lonely bounty hunter much like Clint Eastwood in a Clint Eastwood Western.
D takes pity on the young woman named Doris and her young brother whose father has already died and left them to defend themselves on a vulnerable farm. Doris attracts the attention of the local vampire baron, Count Magnus, who reminds me of Jack Palance’s portrayal of Dracula, and the character design even resembles Jack Palance.
Once D decides to intervene on their behalf he is accosted by a legion of mutant mercenaries employed by the count and it becomes a long series of boss fights.
To break up the somber tone, Hand steps in with one-liners and zingers, that again is D’s talking hand, which is infected with a sentient parasite.
However, there is something captivating about sticking a Spaghetti Western hero into the end of the known world with a dash of magic and fantastic horror elements… The results being the classic and gold standard of all vampire horror anime movies.
Of course, the Vampire Hunter D movie was adapted from a series of novels. It has a sequel that spins the story on its head called Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and is pretty good as a standalone adventure, and now there are a few comics out there as well.
Both movies are probably still loaded to YouTube, if you are lucky.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the Snake Women. There are Snake Women. So, if you are a fan of Greek monsters, or have a Gorgon fetish, this movie has got you covered.