Category: Movie Reviews

Grave of the Fireflies Review

Grave of the Fireflies Review

Grave of the Fireflies anime movie cover art
Grave of the Fireflies

A Look at War’s Effect on Civilians

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka / 火垂るの墓) is a Studio Ghibli movie about World War II from 1988. It actually released as a double feature with My Neighbor Totoro, which is wild. These two movies couldn’t be more different from each other.

Considering Grave of the Fireflies is a World War II movie, it should be pretty obvious that it’s not exactly “fun.” But, it’s made by Studio Ghibli, so it can’t be that depressing, right? Wrong. Unlike the majority of Ghibli movies, Grave of the Fireflies isn’t a kids’ movie.

Sure, kids can watch it and may enjoy it. But, if they do, I don’t think they’ll understand what it’s about. And, I have a hard time believing most kids would like this movie over the majority of other Ghibli movies. Even other, more serious Ghibli movies like Princess Mononoke are more kid-friendly.

Seita and Setsuko from the anime movie Grave of the Fireflies
Seita and Setsuko

Alright, so what’s the movie actually about beyond World War II in general? It’s about two kids who become war orphans. Their mother dies in a firebomb attack on the city of Kobe. And, their father is a member of the Japanese Navy.

At first, their aunt takes them in. But, over time, it becomes harder for her to care for the children. This is in part due to ever-shrinking food rations. And, it’s also in part due to Seita’s personality. Seita is the older child (14) and doesn’t seem to fully grasp the situation.

By the end of the movie, both Seita and his sister, Setsuko, have died of starvation and disease. That’s not a spoiler, though. The movie opens with Seita dying and us seeing Setsuko’s spirit pop out from her cremated remains. So, right from the start, the movie makes it clear what you’re getting yourself into.

Seita and Setsuko

The two main characters of the movie are Seita and Setsuko. Seita is a 14-year-old boy and Setsuko is a 4-year-old girl. Let’s start by going over Setsuko since her character is a lot simpler. It’s sort of difficult to have a complex 4-year-old.

Setsuko obviously doesn’t have a firm grasp on the situation. Her biggest concern is that their house burned down. She doesn’t understand things like the fact that they don’t know where their next meal will come from. And, for the majority of the movie, Seita also hides the fact that their mother died from her.

But, as long as Setsuko can be with her brother, she’s happy. The one thing she doesn’t want is for the two of them to be separated. And, that affects how Seita acts, to an extent. Everything Seita does is for Setsuko.

Seita giving Setsuko a fruit drop from the anime movie Grave of the Fireflies
Seita giving Setsuko a fruit drop

Alright, so Seita may do everything for Setsuko. But, he’s a 14-year-old kid who often makes the wrong decisions. Sure, he’s responsible in that he’s somewhat able to care for his sister. However, he’s incapable of thinking things through long-term. And, that has fatal consequences for both of them.

For example, after their aunt takes them in, Seita refuses to find work to help support the family. At 14, and especially during the war, he could easily find a job. But, Seita doesn’t get a job for a few reasons — which leads to him and Setsuko leaving their aunt’s house.

One reason for Seita’s refusal to work is that it would mean he’s away from Setsuko during the day. He doesn’t want to leave her alone. And, another reason is that he has the naive belief that his father will come back from the war and take care of them.

Comparison to In This Corner of the World

The obvious comparison to make when talking about Grave of the Fireflies is to In This Corner of the World. It’s another movie about how World War II affected civilians. But, it’s still a very different movie.

Grave of the Fireflies focuses on the impact the war had on children. Specifically, on how many adults turned their gaze away from children in need. And, this resulted in the deaths of many children. In This Corner of the World is more about civilians in general rather than children.

While I think both movies are very good. In This Corner of the World is better. It goes into many more aspects of life before and during the war. This lets us get a better understanding of the impact the war had on the average person.

Setsuko on a swing from the anime movie Grave of the Fireflies
Setsuko on a swing

Something else to think about is that Seita isn’t a very likable protagonist. Suzu is your average woman who’s trying to do her best throughout the war. She’s likable and someone you want to root for. Meanwhile, Seita is an entitled kid who never recognizes how his poor decisions led to his sister’s death.

I don’t want you to think that you should watch one of these two movies over the other, though. They both have their merits. In This Corner of the World is better if you want an overall look at the war. But, Grave of the Fireflies shines a light on the forgotten victims.

Yes, many of those who die in war are killed by bombs and other weapons. However, even more people tend to die from “mundane” things like disease and famine. That’s what Grave of the Fireflies is really about. And, it does a great job of illustrating how prevalent that is — especially with the opening scene.

Final Thoughts

Grave of the Fireflies is an 8/10. I highly recommend everyone watch it — especially anyone who’s a fan of In This Corner of the World. And, fans of Grave of the Fireflies should likewise watch that movie, too. These kinds of movies are important.

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Saekano the Movie: Finale Review

Saekano the Movie: Finale Review

Saekano the Movie: Finale anime cover art
Saekano the Movie: Finale

Thrown Into the Deep End

Saekano the Movie: Finale (Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Fine / 冴えない彼女の育てかた Fine) concludes the Saekano series. The movie came out back in 2019, and I put off watching it until now. Why? Because I don’t like watching movies.

But, putting this movie off for so long may not have been the best idea. Obviously, it means I was missing out on this great content for four years. But, it also means that I didn’t remember much from the main series. I watched the second season of Saekano back in 2018, after all.

If I had watched this movie when it came out, maybe I would have been less confused. But, as things stand, I had no idea what was going on at the start of this movie. I didn’t remember Eriri and Utaha had left the circle and I didn’t remember Akane Kousaka at all.

Megumi on a video call with Tomoya from the anime Saekano the Movie: Finale
Megumi on a video call with Tomoya

But, the movie assumes you remember that stuff and more. It doesn’t try to recap anything with brief flashbacks or dialogue. You’re thrown straight into the deep end. Even after finishing the movie, I’m still not sure where Akane Kousaka came from.

Anyway, as I said, Eriri and Utaha left Tomoya’s circle to work at a larger circle (I don’t think it’s a company). This movie is about those left working to complete their game before Winter Comiket. That means Tomoya, Megumi, Izumi, Michiru, and Iori (whom I had no recollection of).

Tomoya becomes the lead scriptwriter after Utaha leaves the circle. And, Izumi becomes the lead artist and character designer after Eriri’s departure. Michiru is still doing the music, Iori is doing the marketing, and Megumi is being herself. Though, throughout the movie, Megumi takes on more of a project manager role.

It Should Have Been Me, Not Him!

Considering the Saekano anime ended back in 2019, I don’t really write about it much. So, something you may not be aware of is that Megumi Katou is my “waifu.” She’s perfect in every way and it should have been me she ended up with, not Tomoya.

Now, for a lot of people, the concept of a “waifu” is pretty cringe. And, for the most part, I agree. But, I have to acknowledge that it’s a real thing. I like a lot of anime girls; there are many cute ones out there. However, a waifu goes beyond liking the character.

I didn’t get it until I watched Saekano. But, once I was introduced to Megumi, everything made sense. I still can’t explain it well other than to say you’ll know your waifu when you see her. The neurons in my brain activate when I see Megumi.

Megumi and Tomoya from the anime Saekano the Movie: Finale
Megumi and Tomoya

Well, that’s not entirely accurate. It’s not like just seeing a picture of her is enough. It’s seeing her interact with the other characters in the series. Everything about the way she acts draws me to her, whether she’s happy, sad, or emotionless.

So, why am I bringing this up? Because I want to highlight what Saekano does best. From the outside, it looks like a generic comedy harem anime. But, the characters, especially Megumi, are so well-written that they suck you in. There’s a lot more depth to them than you’d expect.

Even after I watched the first season, I thought it was good, but not great. However, the second season changed my mind. And this movie is somehow even better. We got to see more sides of the main characters, which made them feel more real. It’s kind of the perfect ending to the series.

The Perfect Ending

Okay, so the movie is a perfect ending to the series. But, the movie itself also had a perfect ending. It was satisfying, yet not satisfying. It wrapped everything up, yet left it open. And, much like the start of the movie, it was meta.

As a Megumi super-fan, the ending was satisfying because I got to see my favorite girl happy. And, the fact that there was a definitive “winner” is in itself satisfying. But, at the same time, I felt bad for those who lost out, especially Eriri.

Eriri having to give up on her dream of being with Tomoya was heartbreaking. And, that’s how I know it was written well. It hurt me to see that Eriri couldn’t also be happy in the end. Even though I’m solidly team Megumi, I still want to root for all the girls.

Megumi and Eriri taking a bath together from the anime Saekano the Movie: Finale
Megumi and Eriri taking a bath together

The other thing that Megumi winning did was begin the process of wrapping everything up. Once she and Tomoya were official, it meant the other characters could come to terms with that. They could move on with their lives. And, this is what we see. Eriri and Utaha move on and continue honing their crafts.

However, the whole original team comes back together at the very end of the movie. Now, instead of being a circle, they’re an official company. They got their experience working elsewhere. And now, they’re back to making games they love together.

But, before we get to that true ending, there’s a false ending. And, I’ll admit, it tricked me. In the false ending, Megumi breaks up with Tomoya and he reconnects with Utaha. Luckily, it’s revealed that this was actually Utaha’s new script. I almost had to rate this movie a 0/10 for breaking Megumi’s heart.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Saekano the Movie: Finale is a 9/10. It was a bit long. Though, despite being 4 minutes longer than K-ON! the Movie, it didn’t feel nearly as long as that one. And, I would have liked a little bit of recap via dialogue. But, other than those two complaints, it was perfect.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

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K-ON! The Movie Review

K-ON! The Movie Review

K-ON! The Movie anime cover art
K-ON! The Movie

This Is Not a Sequel

K-ON! The Movie (K-On! Movie / 映画 けいおん!) wasn’t the movie I expected it to be. Going in, I assumed that this was a sequel to K-ON!!, the second season of the series. But, that’s not actually the case.

If you’ve seen the series, you’ll know that it ends with the four main members of the Light Music Club graduating. And, not only that, but they all got into the same university. So, I was expecting this movie to follow them post-graduation. That seems like a logical assumption to make.

Of course, I already knew that this movie was about the girls going overseas to London. But, that and the four main girls being in university aren’t mutually exclusive. The trip could happen before they leave for university. Or, it could happen during one of their breaks.

Ho-kago Tea Time traveling to London from the K-ON! The Movie anime
Ho-kago Tea Time traveling to London

Well, as I said, this isn’t a sequel. The movie actually takes place toward the end of Season 2, but not after it. It takes place before graduation. The girls go on this trip to London as a way to celebrate their upcoming graduation. And, naturally, they invite Azusa along, too, even though she’s not graduating.

Now, with that all out of the way, this movie was better than I thought it would be. Though, I guess the average rating for it could have told me that. It has a higher average rating than either season of the TV series. And, I have to agree with that.

The main series is good — especially the second season. I’m not going to pretend that it’s not. But, I can’t remember it making me laugh out loud or anything like that. This movie did. It’s genuinely funny and improves on the series in pretty much every way.

Ho-kago Tea Time Hits London

What’s the best thing about K-ON! The Movie? It’s seeing the girls of the Light Music Club in unfamiliar places and situations. It was fun watching them as they explore a new city in a new country where they don’t speak the language.

Even things as simple as them trying to figure out how London taxis work were enjoyable to watch. To me, it’s those little things that highlight how they’re tourists. And, that’s cool to see. It wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining if the girls didn’t seem out of place in a country they’ve never been to before.

Watching them stumble around London makes me feel like that’s how I’d be if I went to many cities in Asia. Sure, I’ve been to other countries before. But, the people in those countries still generally spoke English. And, the culture wasn’t that different.

Ho-kago Tea Time in a London sushi bar from the K-ON! The Movie anime
Ho-kago Tea Time in a London sushi bar

Why London, though? Obviously, Mio wanted to go there. And, there are a lot of famous bands and musicians who are from there. So, it makes sense as a destination for a music-focused anime. And, that’s probably the main reason for choosing London. But, it didn’t have to be London.

Sure, Mio lists off some places in London that have to do with music that she wants to visit. However, we never actually see the girls go to any of those places. It’s not like we got to see the girls recreate the iconic Abbey Road album cover or anything like that.

If they had gone to New York instead of London, nothing would have changed. The destination didn’t actually matter. What mattered was that they went to a major western city and were out of their comfort zone. And, again, the movie did a great job illustrating that.

The End of the Light Music Club

Let’s move on to the things I didn’t like about this movie. I have two major complaints, and they’re somewhat related to each other. The first is that the movie is too long. And the second is that it retreads content from the series.

So, how long is K-ON! The Movie? It’s 1 hour and 50 minutes. That’s not the longest anime movie I’ve watched. But, at close to 2 hours, it’s on the longer side. And, one of the reasons I don’t watch movies very often is their length.

1 hour and 50 minutes is equivalent to about five episodes. Back in the day, watching five episodes of a single series in a row was easy for me to do. But, today, I rarely ever do that. Though, part of that is because I watch so many anime weekly.

Yui and Azusa playing in their final concert together from the K-ON! The Movie anime
Yui and Azusa playing in their final concert together

The thing is, K-ON! The Movie didn’t need to be this long. They could have cut maybe 20 minutes off the movie without losing anything. Why? The movie also basically includes the final episode of the series in it.

At least, I believe it was the final episode of the series. It’s whatever episode in which the four main girls write a song for Azusa before graduating. Throughout the movie, the girls are thinking about what to give Azusa as a gift. And once they decide on a song, they’re writing lyrics, music, etc. for it.

That’s all fine and it’s a nice sub-plot for the movie that ties into the main series. But, then, at the end of the movie, we see them perform the song and everything surrounding that. Why? We already saw that content in the series. There’s not much of a point in adding it here, too.

Final Thoughts

I ended up giving K-ON! The Movie a 7/10. If it wasn’t as long as it was, it could have been an 8. By the final 20 or 30 minutes of the movie, I was ready for it to end. Once the girls were back in Japan, there wasn’t much I was interested in.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out DoubleSama.com/support.

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Sword of the Stranger Review

Sword of the Stranger Review

Sword of the Stranger anime movie cover art
Sword of the Stranger

The Boy, the Dog, and the Samurai

Sword of the Stranger (Stranger: Mukou Hadan / ストレンヂア -無皇刃譚-) is an action-adventure anime movie from 2007. We watched it for September’s anime movie night in the DoubleSama Discord server. So, I’m a bit late to this review.

I’m also late to watching this movie in general. Not because it came out in 2007. But, because I really like samurai anime. Samurai are awesome. And yet, I hadn’t watched Sword of the Stranger until now despite knowing about it for years. I had seen the final fight of the movie before, though.

Anyway, the movie follows Kotarou and his dog, Tobimaru, as they try to make their way to a certain temple. One of the priests there used to be Kotarou’s guardian back in their homeland before they had to flee due to war.

Nanashi the samurai from the anime movie Sword of the Stranger
Nanashi the samurai

But, of course, Kotarou’s trip to the temple isn’t going to be simple. Soldiers from his homeland, Ming China, are tracking him down. Why? You’ll have to watch the movie (or read the next section) to find out. Regardless of the reason, Kotarou needs a bodyguard, and that’s where the samurai comes in.

When they first meet, Nanashi saves Kotarou and Tobimaru from the first group of soldiers. And, after that, he plans to continue traveling alone, leaving the boy behind. But, Kotarou offers to pay Nanashi for his services if they can reach the temple safely. So, as a broke ronin samurai, Nanashi agrees.

Along the way, Nanashi fights off some soldiers trying to capture Kotarou. But, more importantly, he becomes a sort of father figure for the boy. Nanashi teaches Kotarou to protect himself, ride a horse, and more. I wanted to point this out because I’ve seen people claim there was no character development. That’s false.

Child Sacrifice and Immortality

There was only one thing I didn’t like about Sword of the Stranger, the reason behind the conflict. Why does the Ming Dynasty of China want to capture Kotarou? He’s some kind of special child whose blood is needed to perform an immortality ritual.

Specifically, this ritual will turn Kotarou’s blood into the elixir of life. The Emperor can then drink this elixir and become immortal. Or, at least, that’s according to the astrologers employed by the Emperor. I don’t remember if this turned out to be real or not. But, everyone’s operating under the assumption that it is.

Also, the ritual killing of Kotarou has to be performed in a specific way at a specific time. The Ming soldiers construct a giant thing to use in the sacrifice. It’s a large, wooden structure that drains Kotarou’s blood in the proper way, somehow.

Kotarou and Tobimaru from the anime movie Sword of the Stranger
Kotarou and Tobimaru

The way the sacrifice needs to happen isn’t as important as the time of the sacrifice, though. There’s one night of the year on which the sacrifice can be made. And, if they miss this night, they’ll have to keep Kotarou captive until the following year. Again, according to the astrologers.

Now, I understand that people believed in stuff like immortality and the elixir of life in the past. But, that doesn’t make it any less of a dumb plot driver. There are so many other reasons for which the Ming could have been after Kotarou.

One reason could have to do with the gem Kotarou promised to give Nanashi in return for his services. This gem could have belonged to the Emperor. And, maybe the Emperor told his men to bring the thief (or whoever had the gem) back alive. You know, because simply killing them would be too lenient of a punishment.

Nanashi vs. Luo Lang

In case there was any doubt, the best thing about Sword of the Stranger is the action. There are plenty of fights and they all have great choreography. And, on top of that, we get more character development for Nanashi through these fights.

For the majority of the movie, Nanashi doesn’t unsheath his sword. In fact, he can’t. He has a rope tied around the sheath and hand guard of his sword preventing it from being drawn. But, why is this? Does his sword have some dark power that he doesn’t want to unleash? No.

Nanashi doesn’t draw his sword by choice. At one point, he was a samurai working under the shogun or someone else important. And, in the line of duty, he had to do things he wasn’t proud of, including executing women and children. So, when Nanashi left his employer, he vowed not to draw his sword again.

Luo Lang from the anime movie Sword of the Stranger
Luo Lang

Luo Lang is the strongest soldier of the Ming Dynasty. But, something you may notice is that he doesn’t look Chinese. He looks European. And, from what I remember, that’s because he is. But, he’s working as a soldier for the Ming because he wants to be able to fight other strong swordsmen.

Fairly early on in the movie, Luo Lang identifies Nanashi as a strong swordsman due to how he has his blade tied. He recognizes that someone who does that is probably pretty skilled. A less-skilled swordsman would be too eager to draw their sword.

I had to explain all that just so I could get to the final fight of the movie. Luo Lang and Nanashi finally get to have their fight, with Nanashi unsheathing his sword. And, the resulting fight is one of the best swordfights in anime. Everyone should watch it.

Final Thoughts

Sword of the Stranger is a 9/10. As I mentioned, the only thing holding it back is the whole elixir of life thing. If the plot had less to do with that supernatural stuff, I would have enjoyed it more. Why force me to suspend my disbelief in an otherwise realistic movie?

If you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out DoubleSama.com/support.

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Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Review

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Review

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime movie cover art
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Sequel to Vampire Hunter D

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (バンパイアハンターD) is the sequel to Vampire Hunter D. But, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, is also simply called Vampire Hunter D. Why is that the case? I don’t know. The “Bloodlust” subtitle is only for the English version of the movie.

Anyway, the first thing you should ask yourself when considering this movie is, “Do I need to watch the first one?” The good news is that the answer is no. You don’t need to watch the original Vampire Hunter D to understand Bloodlust.

Will watching the original help you understand Bloodlust? Maybe. I didn’t watch it. But, here’s the thing, most people who watched Bloodlust didn’t watch the original. In fact, over twice as many people have recorded watching Bloodlust than the original.

And, since Bloodlust also has a higher rating than the original, the answer seems pretty clear. The original isn’t necessary.

Vampire Hunter D from the anime series Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Vampire Hunter D

In case you’re curious, the original came out in 1985. And Bloodlust came out in 2000. That’s another good sign that the original isn’t necessary. It usually doesn’t make sense to expect viewers to watch a prequel from 15 years earlier.

However, I still need to point out that MyAnimeList classifies Bloodlust as a sequel. So, if you do want to watch both movies, there shouldn’t be any overlap. They have different plots. Though, I read a synopsis of the original and it seems pretty similar. It has the same basic plot, even if it’s technically different.

Now, here’s my opinion on the matter. Vampire Hunter D (original) looks like a bad 80’s movie. So, unless that’s your thing, why put yourself through watching it? Watch the better Vampire Hunter D movie instead and pretend the other doesn’t exist. That’s what I did.

Horror, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi

Alright, it’s time to go over what Vampire Hunter D is actually about. In case you couldn’t guess, it’s about a vampire hunter named D. But, what’s special about D isn’t that he’s a vampire. It’s that he’s a dhampir, which is a human-vampire hybrid.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was when D commented on what this means for him. Leila, the female lead, asks him why he’s a vampire hunter. And he responds that he can’t live as a human. He’s not a human and he’s not a vampire. So, he can’t live among either of them.

Moving on, some old rich guy hires D to rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by a vampire. After extorting the man for more money, D accepts. And if he can’t save the girl, he’s to kill her so she doesn’t keep on “living” as a vampire herself.

Leila holding her gun from the anime movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Leila holding her gun

There are also other vampire hunters on the case, as well. So, not only does D have to worry about the vampire and his minions. But, he also has to worry about the other hunters coming after him. He may be a dhampir, but that’s good enough for vampire hunters.

The plot is pretty simple. But, what’s more interesting is the setting. Since this movie involves vampires, it naturally counts as both a horror and fantasy anime. However, what I didn’t realize until watching it is that it’s also sci-fi.

I don’t know where the movie takes place. But, it’s not on Earth. There are also high-tech gadgets, like Leila’s anti-matter handgun. And the vampire being hunted by D and the others is attempting to flee into deep space.

The sci-fi stuff is kind of interesting. But, I’m also not sure it adds anything to the movie.

Meier Link: The Hero

It’s spoiler time. It turns out that Meier Link, the vampire villain of the story, was actually the hero all along. Well, technically, D is the hero, I guess. He was trying to save Charlotte and kill Meier for being an “evil” vampire.

But, Meier was misunderstood. He didn’t kidnap Charlotte at all. He and Charlotte are in love and the two of them eloped. Sure, he turned a whole village into zombies. But, that’s only because they tried to kill him first. There’s no evidence that he wanted to hurt anyone.

In fact, there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. Charlotte herself said Meier only killed those people in self-defense. And at one point, D mentions rumors that Meier has never actually “turned” a human by sucking their blood. So, it seems to be known that Meier isn’t a bad vampire.

Meier Link holding Charlotte Elbourne's hand from the anime movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Meier Link holding Charlotte Elbourne’s hand

Most important of all, though, Meier doesn’t want Charlotte to become a vampire. He doesn’t want her to suffer an immortal life like his. And because of that, he refuses to turn her into one. He loves her as she is and doesn’t want to change her.

Unfortunately, Meier doesn’t get the happy ending I was hoping he would. He was tricked by Carmilla, who wanted to use Charlotte’s blood to revive herself. And that resulted in Charlotte’s death.

But, at least Meier himself didn’t die. Though, that could be either a blessing or a curse. After Charlotte died, I assumed Meier would ask D to kill him so that he could be with her in the afterlife. But, he didn’t do that.

Instead, D lets Meier take Charlotte’s body and blast off into space to live out the rest of eternity in peace. Probably not the ideal outcome for Meier.

Final Thoughts

In case you’re wondering, yes, reviewing Vampire Hunter D on Halloween was intentional. We watched it for October’s anime movie night in the DoubleSama Discord server. So, if you’re into that sort of thing, come and join us. We do movie night events every month.

As for my rating of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, it’s a 7/10. It has a cool aesthetic and I liked the main characters (D, Leila, and Meier). But, it also felt a bit too “shounen battle tropey” to me. There was a whole thing about defeating Meier’s three bodyguards before reaching him. It felt out of place and dated (which, to be fair, it is).

Anyway, if you enjoyed this review, remember to share it with everyone you know. Also, follow me on your social media of choice so you don’t miss out on any future articles — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. I’d also like to thank Key Mochi for supporting at the Senpai tier. And, I’d like to thank Rob and Pepe for supporting at the Kouhai tier. To learn more about supporting this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

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