Blood The Last Vampire, seen it???

[Kawaii Shinji]

I just bout this DVD yesterday, watched it, and overall liked it. The animation didn't disapoint me at all, but I was left with the feeling at the end like 'that's it?'
I guess thats a good thing meaning I liked it enough to want to see more. I absolutely loved how the main character spoke Japanese and English so you don't have to pick one language to watch it in because it is in both anyways, never seen a Anme like that before.
Well, has anyone else seen it and whats your opinion on it?

[KaOTiK]

I have the DVD. Overall im happy with it. Its a good disc to put in and show off to people that arent really into anime as it fits in line with Ninja Scroll crowd type ppl real well.
I actually like it being kind of short, cause of that ive actually watched it a few times more because of its length.

Kao

[redalert03]

Yeah, that's the way pretty much everyone feels about Blood, I think. Hopefully the new Blood movie they're making will get rid of the 'that's it?' feeling. There's a thread somewhere around here about that...

[Hiigaran]

Who cares aboot a plot?! That movie was so beautiful I wanted to cry.

[CrashXero]

I borrowed the DVD from a friend not too long ago. The animation was done well. The one thing that did bug me about the animation part was how Saia (sp) had really big lips. That's just something I just don't care for. The storyline is strange too. It starts in the middle of something that is already happening and it's really short. She kills a couple daemons and the movie is done. Very short, those were the only two complaints I had a bout it though. Overall, fairly decent.

[Shateiel]

The one thing that was irritating was that there seemed to be a bigger storyline behind it and yet the movie just didn't even touch on it.

[Drizzten]

http://animeboards.com/t24691/s.html

Blood plot discussion. There's more than you first think.

[Psyche]

I bought the Blood: The last vampire DVD like three weeks ago... But I still have not seen it caus my DVD thing will not play it. Grrrr!:mad:

[Darkside]

I need to get this off my chest so if I offend anyone I am sorry but.....

I cannot freaking understand for the life of me why anyone would EVER like this anime.. I bought it without seeing it because I had heard RAVE reviews of it. And now I am stuck with a freaking coffee coster cause thats all the freaking thing is good for.

First.....the story?....all I have to say is.....WHAT? I dont feel like watching an anime that I have to be on an acid trip to get any depth out of. I am sorry for all of you people who saw the "hidden picture" in this anime...you guys need to stick to Magic Eye puzzles.

Secondly....I MAYBE wouldnt have minded no story if there had at LEAST been some mindless cool action....but alas...AGAIN...there was NOTHING......this chick...didnt even have any cool powers....and the vampires.....I have seen better stuff being made fun of on Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I could have made better looking vampires out of paper mache.


Thirdly...on the subject of CGI being used in anime...uh...all I have to say is no...NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO........listen....anime is just that ANIMATION...LIKE ON PAPER....NOT ON COMPUTERS....I dont know about you guys.....but the two have never been mixed right...and in my humble opinion never will be.


Finally....I could have POSSIBLY lived with the crappyness of this movie IF everyone else could cumlatively agree that it was indeed crappy....BUT I cant believe that there are people out there who actually LIKED THIS MOVIE????? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE????


Anyway...thanks for listening...I love all you guys!!!!!!

[Drizzten]

Well, taste is subjective. I thought it was OK. And the CG job was leaps and bounds better than anything I've ever seen, even better in some places than Blue Sub No.6...and no matter what you say, if it isn't filmed in real life, it's animation. ;)

[BigFire]

Technicalities (ie sound and animation) aside, the story wasn't very good. I mean, that extra info that people have posted surely adds depth, but a film should be able to stand on its own! X: The Movie was similar to Blood in this respect, and that's what made it suck.

[KEEL]

After 40 minutes of this depthless 2d animiation, I could not understand what the story was intended to be about.

After some discussion with my cousin who was watching it with me, we finally got to the bottom of it.

The real dark mystery behind everything was how they actually managed to sell this!

[Drizzten]

Bump.

[Commander Fuyutsuki]

I was actually very happy with my Blood DVD. I felt the animation rocked; the special features were ok(they could have done a bit more); even though there was a weak plot that left you hanging for when they make a new one, it only makes the next one better because when they finally answer all your questions your left in a state of awe.

[Kawanua the Samurai]

seen it

watched while i was sick in bed its alright

but nothing will ever beat NGE

[Yakul]

Originally posted by Darkside
Secondly....I MAYBE wouldnt have minded no story if there had at LEAST been some mindless cool action....but alas...AGAIN...there was NOTHING......this chick...didnt even have any cool powers....and the vampires.....I have seen better stuff being made fun of on Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I could have made better looking vampires out of paper mache.

MMmmm...No special powers? if you want special power go watch the quality *cough!* anime that is Dragon Ball Z - And as for the vampires..they where not proper vampires as far as i can tell...If you ever read any noteworth vampire novels like The ones by anne rice, or played Vampire the masqurade (the tabletop RPG not the computer one) you might understand better what they where protraying. See the woman is apparently the last remaining original, which should follow these thigns she has to kill have a weaker strain of the blood, and are inferior. They seem to in this be overcoem by some sort of primal urg, or perhaps the story of how the vampires became vampires in this has somethign to do with drinking the blood of some monster. Anyway, however it works, they are mutated by the blood for whatever reasons. They arent even reffered to as vampires in the film anyway..only on the back of the box, she says they are like them to the nurse, but not them.

[ACE2001]

I ve just purchased the movie yesterday and I must say that I am kind of disappointed with the movie. I mean, I was really looking forward to some vampire action, but instead I see some weird, deformed monsters that don't even resemble vampires. I must admit one thing: The animation was gorgeous!! I mean the blood, gore, everything. To me, it was one of the best manga animations done in a while. But then there is the actual story. I couldn't figure it out or follow it. To me the story was too short and fast paced. It was not until the end until I actually understood what was going on. :( Don't get me wrong, the action sequences were banging, but I felt that they could have elaborated a litttle more on the story. Oh and I felt the music was cool too. Other than those few minor complaints, Blood is an average movie at best. I hope they are working on a sequel because this story seems to be missing a whole lot of background. :confused:

[Foxxe]

I've yet to see this anime but I read some stuff about it in Animerica. Seems interesting.

[^FallenAngel^]

I've heard things about this anime, but haven't got a chance to see it yet... :(

So what's this about??? I heard some people liked it very much.

[Project Akira]

To me this movie emphasized "Style over Substance". I thought that it was visually amazing (the Chiropterans were some my favorite vampire designs ever) but there was no plot. Anyone that even thinks there was a plot is grasping at straws literally. There was barely even a skeleton of a plot. And if I hear anyone ever compare this to Akira I again I will kill something!!!

[mrgazpacho]

Dan, you must hang out with some pretty weird people for them to compare Blood and AKIRA :confused:

The animation styles are different, the themes are different - it's like comparing The Matrix and Apocalypse Now.

[Project Akira]

Like the analogy Chris.

Well in Spin magazine they did that and went so far as to get Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo to give his seal of approval. To me Blood will always seem inferior to Akira in terms of story, characters, and so many other things.

[heart havok]

with a name like "Project Akira," i don't believe it would be irrational to presume he's speaking from a rather biast point of view.

for those who haven't yet seen it, or been spoiled by Akira's rotten mood... i'm here to give you an opposing opinion.

i bought Blood: the Last Vampire without previously viewing it, and i must say, i am more than happy that i had done so. i think it is a wonderful addition to any Anime collection... and if i had watched it beforehand, i don't believe i would ever hve baught it.. not because it's bad {because i REALLY like it} but rather for the same reasons i've yet to buy Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, or AKIRA... because i've seen them, and they aren't something that i plan to watch over and over again.

with Blood, however... sinse i'd already bought it, i now have it in my collection, and have watched it 7 times already. and i must say, i enjoy it just as much with every viewing.

visually, it is indeed beautiful.

the story isn't all that large, but it depends on the angle you're looking at it with. i find the theme of the film could have been no better with a longer film and story. there's so much more they could do with it, but with the relation-twist at the end, i believe it to be best kept as is: short and sweet.

overall, i'm glad i bought it, and thought it to be WELL OVER worth the price i payed for it {roughly us$20}

i highly recommend it.

[Project Akira]

Originally posted by heart havok
[b]
with a name like "Project Akira," i don't believe it would be irrational to presume he's speaking from a rather biast point of view.
No believe it or not I am not speaking from a biased point of view. The best anime ever in my opinion isn't Akira that honor goes to Grave of the Fireflies. I went into watching Blood thinking I was going to see a cool movie and came out seeing a film that could have done so much more. When I watch my movies I perfer to have substance with my style thank you.

[heart havok]

i never assumed that Akira was "the best anime ever in [your] opinion"... you are comparing Akira to Blood: the Last Vampire...

eitherway, this is what makes you biast: "a film that could have done so much more."

you're too busy looking at what it isn't to see it for what it is.

[Renard Baines]

Whoah....now that was deep :lol:

[yue]

I just bought the VHS of Blood today at Aka Kon. I thought it was really good, my dad even watched it and thought it was good and he dosent normally like anime.

[Project Akira]

Originally posted by heart havok
you're too busy looking at what it isn't to see it for what it is.
OK, *looks at the movie again* I see that this movie has no plot and all visual flash!

[Rulakir]

I just saw this film the other day. Not that bad, but the impression I got at the end was, "WTF, that's it???"

[Master Ranma]

I'd seen it! I love the plot and such...but it's very short! I wish it was longer...true the 3D effect is great!

[Painted]

BLOOD is one of the worst animated movies to come out of Japan.

[JediRei]

I liked it, but then again i haven't watched alot of anime thou

[heart havok]

Originally posted by Painted
BLOOD is one of the worst animated movies to come out of Japan.

and you're saying this after previously viewing how many animated Japanese films?

[Project Akira]

Originally posted by Painted
BLOOD is one of the worst animated movies to come out of Japan. I won't say that it's one of the worst but I will say that I don't feel that it deserves as much of the hype as it gets.

[Id0]

Originally posted by Shateiel
The one thing that was irritating was that there seemed to be a bigger storyline behind it and yet the movie just didn't even touch on it.

My thoughts exactly... :(
It's a read between the lines movie to the max... but hey that's cool... i think... :o

[Lanime]

Yeah I saw it bout 2 months ago thought it was cool!

[Zefram Mann]

Man, no wonder company execs think that the plot of every anime and movie needs to be dumbed down.

I don't know about the rest of the people here, but I saw a movie that didn't see the need to beat you over the head with exposition. They didn't need to tell you that sunlight doesn't kill them. It simply doesn't (at least when they are in their human forms). They don't tell you anything that you can't simply figure out by looking carefully. I saw story, I saw characterization, and I saw hints to something much, much bigger. If you want to yell at somebody, yell at Manga Ent. for not getting the rights to the manga (ironic that is), books, or game. All of these are supposed to be taken together with the movie. Manga, as usual, does it again. The movie simply wasn't meant to stand alone any more than a single ep of Evangelion.

Even without all that, I got quite a bit out of the movie. Saya is the last of her kind, and hunting down a basterdized race of creatures preying on humans. Even while they are her enemy, she feels a kinship to them because she has no one else. She is the last of her kind.

The animation is stunning, not just because of the computer stuff, but the simple little details. Little things. People hear stunning animation and they open their eyes good and wide looking for the big things. This movie isn't about the big things. The true beauty comes in the little things. The look in Saya's eyes says more about her than any amount of exposition ever could. They go from simply cold to insanely murderous in a heartbeat, and make her in some ways even more frightening than the creatures she hunts. In the end, when she stands over the last Chiroptera, there's something of a sadness, as she's probably closer to the creature than the humans she's working with. She looks like a schoolgirl, but her eyes betrey many, many years of living. She has the body of a child, but the eyes of someone who has seen things no human could imagine. The closest I've ever seen in a real actor is Christopher Lambert in Highlander. The character designer of Blood should get an award for just that alone. Just from the look in her eyes, I could see just how much this character has been through in who knows how many years (centuries?). It left me hungry. I want more. I instantly wanted to know more about this girl.

I enjoyed this movie for the aformentioned "little things". Having the victims look like suicides shows that the creatures here, despite being fugly as hell (even in their human forms), are about twenty times as intelligent as any movie vampire that leaves the tell tale puncture marks in their victims' necks, tipping themselves off to ever Tom, Dick, and Van Helsing in the world. These guys are way more careful.

This is, by no means, the definative "vampire movie". It's no Dracula (Lugosi or Oldman), it's no Lost Boys, and it's no Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. It, however, is a welcome addition to the family. Saya is as beautiful as Buffy, as fearsome as Blade, and as mysterious as D. It may seem like a chaotic mix, but the sum makes her a hero/anti-hero unlike those cut from the usual cloth.

Is the movie incomplete? Yes. The secret to watching a movie like this is knowing what you're in for. Knowing that Blood is going to be a taste of something more, something I hope to see later, let's me enjoy the little things. I don't need everything spelled out for me. Let that all come later. It's a single chapter of a story told in a frightening and stylish way. Knowing this, I can enjoy the chapter for all it's worth and not worry about seeing the bigger picture. I'll focus instead on the little things and know I'm seeing as much as any mere mortal dropped in the middle of such a situation (the school nurse anyone?) and I know I'll be back to see more of it.

I await the next chapter.

[Drizzten]

Zefram Mann, welcome to Animeboards. :wavey:

I like you already.

[Zefram Mann]

Originally posted by Drizzten
Zefram Mann, welcome to Animeboards. :wavey:

I like you already.

I aim to please. I get a little perturbed when I see a movie ragged on because it doesn't fit the standard mold of storytelling. It doesn't surprise me that Oshi was involved (however peripherally) in the production, as the sense of pacing I saw in Ghost in the Shell is present here as well.

BTW, while I'm on the subject of Mamoru Oshi, was anybody else as completely disturbed by the interview with him on the DVD? I was watching this yesterday and all of a sudden the beagle on his shirt blinked. After double checking that my underwear was clean, I looked again. THE FRIGGIN DOG BLINKED! It was so quick, and so casual, and no attention was paid to it at all. I was so distracted by that bit of creepiness I couldn't even concentrate on the rest of the segment. How great is that to see?

This is a great lesson to those who make horror movies that small and subtle can be scarier than big and gory. That interview is the best extra on the whole disc!

[EagleEye]

When I watch anime, I look for its strengths and feed on them, NOT look for everything bad and complain about it. I rarely have really high expectations for movies/series' before I watch them, because it's easy to be disappointed like that too. With Blood, I didn't really know what to expect, but the quality of animation blew me away! This movie definitely has some of the best and realistic animation I've ever seen! The mood that was set with this(especially in the opening scene) was very dark and mysterious, and done VERY well. Yes, this movie doesn't have the best plot and cast of characters, etc., BUT the animation was so incredible, I didn't care.

I watch some animes for storyline, I watch others for the action, and others for character depth/development, but I watched this one simply for the mood it gives and the animation quality. Don't some of you understand that a movie doesn't need to have EVERYTHING to be good? I think the animation quality really madeup for any of the shortcomings of the presentation.

[Uglyme]

I really hated it. It was short, however the pace was really slow. Even though they used CGI, I thought it was ugly, grotesque and intrusive - like they wanted to show off what they could do. The voice acting was really lame, Saya's voice was a monotone - very boring. And to top it all off they said it was 85 minutes long. Yeah right. Even if you add the 'making of' feature it only comes to about 70 minutes in total.

[Zefram Mann]

Originally posted by Uglyme
And to top it all off they said it was 85 minutes long. Yeah right. Even if you add the 'making of' feature it only comes to about 70 minutes in total.

Manga's marketing stratagy at its finest. When in doubt, lie to the consumers.

[Uglyme]

Originally posted by Zefram Mann


Manga's marketing stratagy at its finest. When in doubt, lie to the consumers.

Yeah. Too bad they never apologise. I wonder how many copies of Blood were returned...

[Linna32]

i bet not as many as for the death & rebirth though

[Zefram Mann]

Originally posted by Linna32
i bet not as many as for the death & rebirth though

What was wrong with Death & Rebirth (the closest thing to an issue I had was it being dual sided as opposed to dual layered)? :confused:

[Linna32]

well obviously you still havent seen it.... its really disappointing peice of work, as for blood it wasnt that bad and the animation was bloody great!!!!!

[Zefram Mann]

Originally posted by Linna32
well obviously you still havent seen it.... its really disappointing peice of work...

*has seen it three times... and still counting* :p

[Linna32]

blood was worth every cent my friends paid for it (heh i give my friends lists of anime that i want for my birthdays)

[Lanime]

I liked it lots of blood hahahaha. Not. Nah I liked I thought it was a really good anime and was one of the first anime movies I watched.

[Sigurd Fatima]

Yeah I saw it some time ago. I liked the part where all of the sudden the band starts playing, she bursts in, and then slashes down the monster! That was cool. I played that scene 3 times over. :p But overall I didn't think it was anything special.

Peace. V