“Hellsing: impure souls” and “Hellsing: Blood Brothers”

I’m a sucker for anime and vampire fiction, combine them and I’m likely to be a fan - though a picky one.

Van Helsing was the Dutch brains-trust of the anti-vampire posse in “Dracula” - now in a near-future Britain his family are local aristocrats heading a military organisation aiming to eliminate paranormal activity in England. The Hellsing Organisation (I think the extra “L” is deliberate) has on retainer an arch-vampire called “Arucard” or “Alucard” (“Dracula” spelt backwards and adapted for Japanese.)

The first episode, introducing a novice Hellsing vampire, policewoman Seras Victoria (yes, really) was a shambles. The dialogue and plot was wooden, the animation average, and the discordant electric guitar and piano sound-track jarred my nerves. At this stage Hellsing was looking as charismatic as Reilly and the Initiative from “Buffy”.

It improved markedly, or I got used to it. The ideas get better. After six episodes I was intrigued. Hellsing has jurisdiction over vampire-eradication in Protestant England. The Catholic mainland has the Vatican-sponsored Iscariot Organisation: and one of its sword-wielding Palladins has it in for Alucard. There is a weird conspiracy creating artificial vampires though technological implants, giving them great power with fewer limitations. And when Alucard’s gloves come off he’s a nightmarish, and typically anime-bizarre, demonic force. At least part of his motivation is sheer arrogance: immortality, in his view, is wasted on unworthy lesser vampires. The dialogue improves briefly with the introduction of the Valentine Brothers, the first enemy vampires possessed of personality, intelligence and a plan.

Corny bits? Sure. The Japanese concept of Englishness and Christian iconography is stilted. The modern Miss Hellsing (sorry, “Sir” Integra Hellsing) is wooden. And am I the last person who remembers that silver bullets are for werewolves, not vampires? I don’t care if the silver is melted down from a church cross. I tell you, when the real vampires come, all you silver bullet/silver-plated sword guys are gonna feel a mite stupid and mighty dead. Alright, if you have it blessed first, you’d be in with a chance. But you could do that with regular bullets. (End geeky rant.) Oh, and Alucard’s red opera cape, cravat and big hat are too silly for words. He still manages some moments of creepy, though.

The trailer for “Vampire Hunter D” looked pretty impressive too, based on a video-game or not.