My Cultural Diet

Although a definite improvement over Toyoo Ashida’s 1985 film, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust still leaves me yearning for a truly great adaptation of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s popular novels. Bloodlust is filled with a fascinating menagerie of monsters — vampire, mutant, or otherwise — and its far-future setting offers up a promising blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. This is a world where sword-wielding bounty hunters like the titular D ride cybernetic horses across post-apocalyptic wastelands populated with bizarre creatures and filled with the remnants of ancient-yet-advanced technology. And given that Bloodlust was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Wicked City), then you better believe it’s all stylized to the hilt, and then some. Unfortunately, the script is incredibly awkward and melodramatic. The voice actors do their best, but Bloodlust is filled with awkward and unwieldy dialog that undermines the fantastical setting, tragic romance, and gothic horror. Which is a shame, because D is such a cool character and he deserves better.

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