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Year: 2001-2002
Genre: Action, Horror, Supernatural
Episodes: 13
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Dracula, or shall I say Count Dracula is one of the most iconic horror villains of all time. I would venture a guess and say that Count Dracula is the most well-known vampire in history. Dracula came on the scene as the title character of Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula. Dracula has appeared in many movies and TV shows throughout the years.
Dracula was modeled after Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was a freaking crazy dude who was known to be ruthless in his time. Homeboy rose through the ranks and was inducted into the Order of the Dragon to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Where did he get his nickname, the Impaler? To spread fear and to hold on to his rule, Vlad would stake his enemies and hang them around the country.
Overview
The world of darkness used to be ruled by one man: the lord of darkness, Dracula. Dracula seemed to have disappeared, but vampires and ghouls still roam the nights. The organization Hellsing is named after the Royal Order of Protestant Knights, originally led by Abraham Van Hellsing. The mission of Hellsing is to cleanse, aka destroy, the undead and other supernatural forces of evil that threaten the queen and the country. The organization is currently led by one of the descendants of Abraham Van Hellsing, the no-nonsense Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. Sir Integra inherited the organization when she was only a kid after her father died. The death of her father hardened her and changed her forever. Integra is protected by the loyal and faithful family butler Walter C. Dornez. Walter might seem like a kind butler, but homeboy is a straight-up killer back in his heyday. Also serving Integra is Alucard, the original and most powerful vampire who swore undying loyalty to the Hellsing family after being defeated by Van Hellsing one hundred years before. Coming along for the ride is former police officer Seras Victoria, whom Alucard turned into a vampire.
Hellsing begins as the scale and frequency of supernatural incidents seem to rise around England and soon the world. Sir Integra sends her most powerful servant, Alucard, to figure out what is happening. As Alucard and Seras investigate, they soon learn that someone wants to control England and become a powerful demon in the process.
Review:
I really am dreading writing this review. I have watched Hellsing: Ultimate many times and think it is one of the best anime series ever. I know I am going to compare this anime to the newer version. I don’t want to do that, but it will be extremely hard because, in the end, I will simply tell you to go watch Hellsing: Ultimate and skip the original version.
The story of this anime closely follows the manga. The story is interesting, with vampires, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. It follows Seras as she tries to get used to being a vampire and fighting for the Hellsing organization. During this time, Seras struggles because she wants to help but doesn’t know how and always tries to please her master. Also, Sir Integra has to work from the shadows to keep England safe from the evils.
Each episode is dedicated to stopping some type of creature, aka a vampire who wanted to rule or enslave humans. Some episodes are blah, but the one with the Valentine Brothers is where it really started getting good. After that, the anime goes into full drive as vampires become known, sending the country into a panic. The problem is that some of the action is good, but nothing like Hellsing Ultimate. Sorry, I can’t help but compare it to the new anime.
The one thing this anime does right is have plenty of blood and violence. You can’t have a badass anime character without him being ruthless. This is Darcula, for god’s sake. You have to have blood and violence. The man was Vlad the Impaler. I love how the anime showed Alucard fighting and shooting his gun at everyone and anyone. The final fight scene is actually fun to watch.
The animation of this anime was a disappointment. It was probably good back in the day, but it was a huge disappointment now. Nothing looked right and looked somewhat funky and out of place. When I watched Alucard do his dog thing, it wasn’t as scary as it should be. I did like how Alucard’s eyes were red and how he was drawn. Also, Seras was greatly drawn as she was drawn with a smile, but her eyes and skin tone changed.
Out of all the characters, the one that needs to be talked about is Alucard. The dude is a straight-up badass and knows he is a badass. He makes your skin crawl because he is evil and loves blood and violence. He is always looking for a challenge and is disappointed when he doesn’t have one. Let’s talk about that outfit. He pulls off that red so nicely, but what about that hat. Homeboy was blocking all the rays of the sun from him. Those shades truly make him a fearsome character.
I’m sorry I didn’t go into too much detail in this review. It is a quick 12 or 13 episodes. Overall, it’s a great introduction to Alucard but if you want something that will blow your mind and take it from a 3 to an 11, then watch Hellsing Ultimate. That anime will have your mouth on the floor because it is that good.
