Search - Hellsing Ultimate Vol. 1 (2006) on DVD

Must-own update of a vampire anime classic

trashcanman | Hanford, CA United States | 11/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, we in the United States get a taste of the Hellsing OVA, and believe me it was worth the wait. But I've got good news and bad news for fans of the television series. The good news is that this OVA freakin' rocks! It takes everything great about the old series and amps it to up to levels of cool previously thought unreachable. The art is unbelievable, the integrations of CG is fluid, and the number of amazing freeze-frame worthy shots is too high to count. The bad news is that the story is little more than a severely shortened retelling of the events of the older series. This means much less time spent on characters like Seres Victoria (a police-girl who becomes a vampire and joins the Hellsing organization) and uber-cool Hellsing director Integra; but it also means more hardcore action featuring that god of all vampire anti-heroes the "No Life King" himself, Alucard. In the end it's a more than even trade and both series should absolutely be viewed by fans of vampires, anime, or anyone who wants to see some seriously cool action. The story moves along at a dizzying pace, almost as though the director knew we'd already seen this all before and was in a rush to get to the awesome fight sequences, which are actually an improvement over the already classic confrontations that many of us have watched over and over. If anything, deranged priest Father Anderson has only gotten more insane and awesome; his battle with Alucard that kickstarts the protestant Hellsing's war with the rival catholic Iscariot Organization is, as expected, the highlight of this installment. One of my biggest complaints about the older series (which, in hindsight, I reviewed a bit too harshly) was that Miss Victoria, for the amount of screen time that was spent on her, never really developed any behavior that would identify her as a vampire rather than just another cute, innocent anime heroine. Well, my wish has been granted this time out as Alucard's little police girl goes full-on berserk in a scene that is as memorable as it is cool. This disc is an absolute must for anyone who loves Hellsing, wants to see Hellsing, or even has any interest in horror, action, or twisted-yet-heroic vampire awesomeness. The only reason this doesn't get a perfect rating is the fact that the story is almost entirely recycled and that the DVD is so painfully short. In conclusion: if you're new to Hellsing, check this out and if you like what you see and want more, I'd highly recommend checking out the original anime series as the wait for the rest of these OVA's will be excrutiating at best. If you're a Hellsing veteran, you've probably already bought this and you shouldn't be disappointed with what you see; that is, unless you were hoping for another series focusing on a loveable, timid Seres Victoria. Then you're just SOL.... and also lame. Any true fan knows it's all about Alucard anyway, right? Savor every gorgeous animated second; I know I did."

A good introduction.

GretS | 12/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I will not harbor any ill wil towards the Hellsing TV series. The tv series is what started me into Hellsing. However, as I started reading the manga I realized the tv series never came close to the original story.

I felt kinda cheated. The manga is original in art and story. It takes so many twists into so many areas. Love it. I mean where else can you have a nun taking out terrorists?

Now I welcome you to the Hellsing OVA vol.1. This a treat for any fan of Hellsing and a good starting point for newcomers. In art style and story telling it is very close to the manga.

For fans, this will feel like a rehash of past episodes in the TV series. Its done differently with better animation and action.

English dub (ED). Hellsing I have to say is one of the few animes that have a tight cast to fit to stay true to the characters. Most of the original ED cast from the TV Series is back. Plus better than ever. You can tell the actors are more comfortable with their parts.

Now for the bad stuff.
Its short. I won`t lie, it left me wanting more. Things just seemed to rushed, but I understand that this is an "introduction" rather than a real plot giver. This leaves more room for the rest of the story to follow. From what I understand the OVA is staying close to the manga. A good thing. This means the next volumes will venture more into the oringinal story. I can`t wait for those scenes to be animated.

My biggest peeve about the OVA is the music. Its..like nails on a chalk board. It dosen`t even fit with the mood of the series. The music for the TV series was better by far. So much better."

At last, Alucard and Seras have a real chance to shine!

Steven D. Sellnow | Hot Springs, AR United States | 01/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I liked the original series, don't get me wrong; but the Hellsing Ultimate Vol. 1 has truly done a great job of trying to catch the spirit of the Manga series! It's as close to perfection as you can get, considering the fact you're trying to make an animated version of a book (books of any sort allow greater information to be made available, while animation gives better visuals); the first real battle Seras gets involved in shows her rising bloodlust is having an effect on her, unlike the original series, which hinted at the mental changes without SHOWING the effects. Father Anderson is more than a tad terrifying in that delightful way seen only in true madmen.

I'm waiting with held breath for volume 2 to be announced!"

"Nothing I shoot ever gets back up again!"

Matthew A. Graham | Ohio, USA | 12/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lets be honest - this series was created to appease the hoards of Hellsing enthusiasts who loved the TV show but yearned to see more of Hirano's brilliant manga in animated form. As such I think it's important for any potential viewer to note that this OVA assumes that you've either seen the original TV show in it's entirety or read what's been released of the manga. The events are fast paced and the character introductions/developments are a bit rushed, but they have to be; even though the manga isn't complete there's a lot of catching up to do if this OVA is to replicate Hirano's storyline. For someone who is familiar with the Hellsing universe this comes as little consequence.

A friend let me borrow her Hellsing DVD's (TV show) a few years ago and I was captivated. Characters = brilliant. Conecept = exceptional. A year or so later I would start to read the manga series and, while it too stunned me, let there be no mistake that they are quite different. Aside from differing story lines the manga often focuses very intently on character development, such as Hirano's idea of Alucard's lack of humanity vs. his self identity as a monster. This OVA series takes these ideas very seriously and incorporates them into their animation as carefully as possible.

Aside from storyline and the subtle character aspects to the show the OVA's animation is superb; the animators payed particular attention to the endless power Alucard seems to posses, and do everything they can to bring that out visually. Battle scenes are amazing and closely resemble the comics. Character design is a bit different, again mimicking the manga series. Indeed, it sometimes seems as though the animators try to follow the comic frame for frame during certain sequences of shots.

In short, a fan of Hellsing will not be disappointed. Whether you are a hard core fan of the manga and want to see it in animated-action, or, like me, you're just happy to see Hellsing re-animated into an epic OVA this series will satisfy."