hellsing (review)

VISUALS: The first impression you get when you see Hellsing is...this anime is incredibly stylish. Every episode, from start to finish, simply oozes with style. There is a good deal of detail too, especially in the fight scenes. However, the quality of the visuals throughout the series is extremely uneven. It peaks towards the start and the end of the series, meaning that some episodes in between are quite shoddily animated, not to the point of disgust, but enough to make those episodes stick out quite badly. CG effects are used, though not to the point of overuse, and the results are usually aesthetically pleasing. One thing to note, though, is that there is a LOT of gore in Hellsing. I personally think that X (the TV series) was less violent. One can frequently observe limbs and other body parts being lopped off with alarming frequency. Arkard himself gets shot so many times I've lost count. So, if you're faint of heart, don't watch. Overall, passable visuals, although there could be some improvement.	7/10
SOUNDTRACK: Hellsing uses mainly jazz and light rock tunes to serve as background music, as well as a few J-Pop songs here and there. The soundtrack adds to the mysterious feel of the anime, and gets the thumbs up from me as a result. The opening and ending themes are in Engrish (heh) and English respectively, and I think "Logos Naki World" is the best opening theme I've ever heard in an anime.	10/10
STORY: Hellsing is a mysterious tale surrounding the activities of the Royal Protestant Knights Hellsing Institution, tasked with defending the U.K. from the undead. It was founded centuries ago by the man who vanquished Dracula himself (I can't remember his first name). Hellsing employs a vampire called Arkard (who is in servitude to the Hellsing family) to go around kicking undead butts. The storyline begins when it emerges that artificial vampires are being created through the use of chip implants. Of course, it gets very complicated from there. Incredibly complicated. Mind you, in some episodes I had to resort to episode guides to understand what was happening onscreen. After watching the series, I still have numerous unanswered questions in my head. That could be due to Hellsing's short length - only 13 episodes. I strongly feel that this series cries out for more episodes. Cramming such a complicated series into such a short running time can only mean confusion. Unfortunately, it seems that the possibility of any continuation for Hellsing has been squashed by evil corporate demons. Hellsing has an intriguing story, but the short length doesn't really help demystify it any.	6/10
CHARACTERISATION: Character design is an area where Hellsing excels. Every single character has a reasonably original design, and a convincing backstory. Each character also has distinguishing characteristics, such as Integra Hellsing's stoicness, or Walter's loyalty, or Arkard's loathing of "lower-level" vampires, or even Seras Victoria's hesitance in drinking blood despite being undead. Hellsing fares a little less well in characterisation, though. The results come off being a bit shallow, since I found it a little hard to empathise with on-screen characters. Still, the series' characters do have their defining moments, such as Integra's unyielding resolve to defend her institution (towards the end). Hellsing's characters are very well-designed, but I think the characterisation could use a little work.	7/10
OVERALL: Hellsing is an incredibly stylish, yet somewhat flawed anime. I would say the sense of style and dramatic fights (as well as hope for some answers to the series' many questions) are what kept me watching towards the end, but if you're looking for a gripping storyline or intense characterisation, chances are you won't really find it here.	B+

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