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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Synopsis (Courtesy of MAL):
Spoiler (Click to View)The story revolves around D, the infamous "dunpeal" (born of a vampire father and a human mother) outcast and renowned vampire hunter. His prowess at hunting the creatures of the night allowing his acceptance among humans, he is called upon to locate Charlotte Elbourne, the lovely daughter of an affluent family who has been mysteriously kidnapped. When the sun sets, the hunt goes on! Charlotte`s father offers a rich bounty, be she dead or alive, a task D willingly accepts, even with notorious Markus brothers and their gang of bounty hunters seeking the prize as well. Amidst the chase and unknown to all lurks a sinister evil which has been secretly manipulating their every move and has set a chilling trap that none will expect and few will survive. With the tables turned and the secrets revealed, the hunters could quickly become the hunted!

Studio: Madhouse
Genre(s): Vampire, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi
Aired: Aug 25, 2000
Source: https://myanimelist.net/anime/543/Vampire_Hunter_D_2000
Sub/dub: both exist and I will say both were very well done, watched in dub, however I checked out the subbed version & the seiyuu performed well.

Prequel Discussion Thread: https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=5398510

Movie Trailer (couldn't find a version with the Japanese voice actors):
Spoiler (Click to View)

Rarely do I find that a follow-up to what is considered a classic film to be better than the original. This film far surpasses its prequel in nearly every aspect and kept me interested from the opening scene of the film.

Unlike its predecessor, we're given a (mostly) clean, coherent story with smooth pacing that does not feel the need to jump from place to place. We are once again enticed by what appears at first to be another cliche damsel-in-distress plot, but this turns out not to be the case. Furthermore, there is more depth to the story and background, especially in the fact that this is supposedly thousands of years into the future which it clearly shows, unlike the original. However, the action does feel that it was toned down; while the violence was notably more significant, it seemed that the duration was shortened or the techniques of using "flashes" or "fighting behind an obstruction" were implemented more often, leading to a film that more or less concentrated on the dialogue. Also as a warning to anyone with epilepsy, do not watch this film (few scenes of flashing black/white background) ;)

The artwork is superb, a true gem from Madhouse's artists, and does justice to deliver the film. It truly brings out the dark, Gothic vibe that the film wishes to convey to the viewer. The sound was my biggest qualm however (it may have been from the version I watched), but I found the dialogue to be hard to listen to despite the background noises being well balanced. The music was decently done as well.

The characters were well done. While D continues to be a badass, this film develops a few side characters, in particular Leila, allowing a more interesting plot and turn of events. Overall this was an incredible film, I would encourage that you watch the original one first to appreciate how well done this version was. ;)