Hellsing - Blood Brothers (Vol. 2)

Seras Victoria, made a vampire in the first series when Arucard mortally wounds her while killing a vampire priest, still struggles with her change. But, in the three episodes on this DVD, she has begun to come to terms with what she has become. As the chaos and struggle mounts, she begins to show the sparks of a much stronger personality than she has in previous episodes. Certainly, her tale is the story arc that makes 'Hellsing' more than a series of episodes.

In the first episode, 'Innocent as a Human,' Arucard and Victoria confront a new kind of pornographer, the purveyors of 'snuff cams' that make use of vampires and ghouls, and who market their product via the internet. Following this, 'Brotherhood' and 'Dead Zone', introduce us to Jan and Luke Valentine, two vampires nearly as powerful as Arucard himself. Together with their troops, they mount an attack on the Hellsing headquarters that puts Sir Integra Hellsing's band of vampire killing knights in danger of extinction.

As the previous DVD has already demonstrated, 'Hellsing' has exceptional production values for what it is. The characters are strong and stylish, the artwork and music well above standard, and the underlying story is dark and thoughtful. With only one more DVD in this series, there is still much to resolve, especially the story behind Arucard and his childe Seras Victoria. Be warned that you should turn on the English subtitles. These often vary considerably from the fairly simpleminded overdubbing. But my real regret is that little in the way of collateral material is provided on the DVD's. I would very much like to have an interview with Kouta Hirano, who developed the manga comic from which the story is drawn.


Hellsing-Blood Brothers   November 5, 2002
Isha Hicks (Houston, TX USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

I loved the pace that the series is going. I have a hard time picking anime because a lot of them come off as childish-chessie (if you can't tell I detest Pok`emon and all its little wanabes). But I was truely pleased with the direction the film makers are going.
Arucard comes off as a snob (with a hint of maddness) in the first DVD, but in this installment they give you a peek of the insanity that lurks beneath that snobishness. Seras Victoria is slowly coming into her own, and, as with Arucard's maddness, they show hints of the bond that he and she share. (Mind you not enough to become redundant, but enough to keep you intregieged.) I like how they have kept science at a minimum and intermingled both it and magic. I was also pleased that although humanity is trying to ape vampires we still can't get it right, and that the vampires are still on top of the food chain.
This is not your normal vampire movie. There are no damsels indestrest about to be ravaged by the sinister vampire (you are more likely to see them being the exploiters then the victims), and there are no stake-toking vampire hunter spouting out religious crud at the drop of a hat. What I am truely happy with is that Seras is not spending the entire movie moaning and whining about her lost humanity, but instead gets the job done.
If you want a departure from the run-of-the-mill vampire movie, and sick to death of Pok`emon and SailorMoon, then this is a must see.


Looking for Bloody-Good Vampire Anime? Check out Hellsing.   April 25, 2003
John Nolley II (Fairfax, VA United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

The Japanese seem to find the western version of the Vampire myth quite appealing, and the expression of that fascination reaching a peak with the anime series Hellsing.

The second DVD in the series picks up right where the first volume left off. The Hellsing Organization, a powerful private enterprise headquartered in Great Britain and dedicated to defending "God, Queen, and Country" from the ravages of vampires, has come under increasing fire, first from the media as a reckless investigative journalist delves into their existence and operations and then from a couple of crazy vampire brothers who attack Hellsing's very headquarters!

The vampire Alucard only grows more impressive as he combats the elder of the two Valentine brothers, employing powers that devour Luke's legs as he taunts the vampire and demands a good, challenging fight that the freak cannot provide. His companion and creation Seras Victoria must deal with the issues of being a new member of the creatures of the night, and Integra Hellsing must defend her organization at a meeting of the Knights of the Round Table, a secret society apparently involved in running Britain.

The animation itself is done really well in terms of visual quality, with a blend of CG and hand-drawn cel work; however, it is somewhat more static in nature than much contemporary anime, comparable to that done for the Record of Lodoss War series.

The audio, though presented only in stereo sound, features a soundtrack you'll want to hunt down like a freak after fresh blood. Surprisingly, the english dubbing is quite good, featuring British-accented voice actors far superior to the average anime dub.

Hellsing is an excellent addition to any anime fan's library and a must-watch for vampire lovers everywhere.