Vampire Hunter D (1985)

A much-derided manga, Vampire Hunter D is an adequate ampire picture. The story concerns a half-caste hunter who travels to a small hamlet to rid them of the thrall of a demonic Count. Such is the characterisation of D that this feels very much like a Samurai film, not to mention the stylistic action sequences. The plot is intruiging for a while, but more or less falls away in its account of a vampire bloodline. The animation has not dated brilliantly, especially considering that the likes of Akira still survive nearly twenty years hence. The real manga influence is regarding the time period; though the village and its inhabitants seem to evoke a medieval era, there still exists the more outlandish technology that befits the growth of cyberpunk via Manga studios. Imperfect, but a worthwhile anime.