Hellsing

Publisher
ADV
Director
Yasunori Urata
Production
Gonzo Digimation
Format
Series
Running time
13 episodes
Year
2001

Hellsing

By Tyler Klang
28th May 04

Hellsing is one of the most stylish animes that I have ever seen. Just seeing the first few episodes will easily show that. The main character is Alucard (Dracula backwards) a vampire living and kicking undead ass in modern day England. His devilishly red coat and hat has been compared to Vash from Trigun, but if you ask me, Alucard is his slicker demonic cousin.

The story revolves around a secret society that hunts and destroys undead minions and their vampire masters in Britain. Alucard is a captured vampire working for this agency. His master is Sir Integra Wingate Hellsing. Though Alucard is bound to Integra and must work for her he obviously enjoys his job. He runs around releasing his control art restrictions on every punk vampire that dares to take on the great Alucard. In the first episode, we meet Police Girl, or Seris Veronica. Alucard is forced to turn her into a vampire and she becomes his new protege.

The story is well formed. We have vampire created by the implantation of a micro chip (sounds silly I know but it is well done in the show. We also have a cool little feud between the Protestants (Hellsing in England) and the Catholics (Section XIII, The Iscariot Agency of Ireland). This political war leads to wonderfully supernatural battles between Alucard and his counterpart in the Iscariot, Father Anderson.

Getting back to the style, Hellsing originally created by Kohta Hirano in the manga of the same name, was always drawn with great attention to style. First of all, Alucard carries a gun with a barrel so long it can only be called sexy. The gun carries a larger than normal round with silver melted from a blessed cross. This allows him to take out the vampires. Part way through the series, Alucard asks Walter (formerly 'The Angel of Death,' as he was called) the retainer for the Hellsing family to make him a bigger gun. This black gun, which Alucard carries along with his old silver one, makes for a formidable fucking vampire warrior.

Another great example of the style has to do with Alucard 'releasing his daemons.' The creators of the anime were given a great example of this act in the manga when Alucard is fighting a hopeful young vampire who hopes to make his name by killing the notorious Alucard. When Alucard decides to stop toying around with the weapons of man we see his true monster, and it kicks some twisted ass.

This anime is almost perfect. As for most things the manga surpasses the anime but only for more in-depth focus of the characters. The anime is unfortunately normal in length running 13 episodes of approximately 22 min each. This show is for people who love bloody style and impressive action.

10/10

-- Tyler Klang 28th May 04

Hellsing Images