i love japanese anime on the big screen . the gorgeous colors , the daunting cel animation detailing the smallest blades of grass , the complex storylines and character designs , and the thundering soundtrack . and the impending release of vampire hunter d : bloodlust has made me wet with anticipation . the original vampire hunter d was produced for video only in 1985 . its twisted violence , a plot thick with deception and honor , perverted sex scenes , and beautiful acts of heads and limbs being lopped off are a d&d geek's wet dream . based upon volume three of hideyuki kikuchi's vampire hunter d novel series , bloodlust follows the continuing story of d and his travels as a vampire hunter for hire . in the distant future , vampires rule with an iron first over fiefdoms of human-occupied lands with their minions of mutants and werewolves . as the years have passed , though , the vampire rulers have gradually lost their power and are now being hunted by bounty hunters . one of the most famous hunters is a mysterious outcast named d , a " dunpeal " ( born of a vampire father and a human mother ) , who's equipped with a super-quick sword , a black cape blowing in the wind , and a penchant for ass kicking . d's latest job involves a simple rescue operation to reclaim an affluent family's lovely daughter charlotte from the clutches of meier link , an ultra-smooth vampire with a silly eurotrash accent . but competition waits in the form of the markus brothers -- a randy bunch of mercenaries who use knives , strength , crossbows , and even a guy's ghost to capture their vampire booty . along the way , the undead rise from their graves , werewolves howl at the moon , and creeping evil in the shadows crosses their paths at every turn . vampire hunter d : bloodlust is a qualified success in the animation department , combining fantasy with reality through the solid efforts of asian production house madhouse studios ( also responsible for co-creating the awesome hbo spawn animated series ) . but there's a strong western influence in both set design and landscapes throughout the picture . as well , director yoshiaki kawajiri ( wicked city ) handles the action well and delivers a number of memorable moments that even rival anime classics like battle angel . on the flip side , the main problems with the film are that its plot is weak and the characters fail to evolve . bloodlust never sells the conviction of evil within any of the main characters , instead relying on the age-old romanticism of the vampire . eventually it degenerates into a standard love story/rescue mission . worse still , d's character is so utterly invincible there's never a sense that the story could go any other way than that he will save the girl and beat the evil bad guys . the film's humor , mainly projected by d's talking left hand , feels forced and unsure . vampire hunter d : bloodlust earns enough points in the animation department to carry the innocuous plot . it's almost enough to make you forgive the lousy title . 
