News

Hidive and Shudder have announced that they will bring a digitally remastered version of Vampire Hunter D to theaters across the U.S. and Canada in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary.

The screenings, scheduled for April 9, 10, and 13, will be presented as part of Ax Cinema Nights 2024/2025, in partnership with Iconic Events Releasing.

The re-release will feature a 2015 remaster of the original 1985 anime classic, produced by Sentai Filmworks.

The film will be screened in Japanese with English subtitles on April 9, followed by an English dub on April 10 and an English dub encore screening on April 13.

Following its limited theatrical run, Vampire Hunter D will make its streaming debut on both Hidive and Shudder later this year.

“When it was first released, Vampire Hunter D was a stunning landmark in Japanese anime, set in a world of post-apocalyptic horror and fantasy where vampires roam. Now, 40 years later, fans of all...

Decades back, Hideyuki Kikuchi gave us one of the most iconic vampire mangas of all time. From its gothic inspirations to its occult references, the series is a total banger.

From visuals to animation, Madhouse Studio left no stone unturned in exemplifying its brilliance. But like most mangaka, Kikuchi had his fair share of inspirations.

D in a still from the animated film | Credit: Madhouse

Regarding his story, he cited Lord of the Rings as one of his influences in an interview. The fantasy, occult, and dark aspects are blended well in the masterpiece.

But most of all, Kikuchi’s exploration of immortality and morality outlined the stigma and the societal norms. The vampires aren’t divorced from this hierarchy either, thus partaking in the discrepancies.

Hideyuki Kikuchi’s connection to The Lord of The Rings

Hideyuki Kikuchi is one of the most underappreciated names in the horror manga genre.

Almost every vampire and Dracula story in the anime and manga community has taken some sort of inspiration from Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D. It is a series of novels that started in 1983 and went on to become one of the greatest vampire stories in history. It has 55 different novels that have been published over the years and also has been adapted into anime, movies, video games, etc.

Vampire Hunter D | Credit: Studio Madhouse

Vampire Hunter D follows the story of D, a half-human, half-vampire who roams through a post-apocalyptic world that is threatened by the Nobles, a brutal race of vampires. The story involves fiction, drama, dark fantasy, and a lot of suspense. And it is one of the greatest works by Kikuchi and his illustrator, Yoshitaka Amano.

However, what many Vampire Hunter D fans don’t know is that Kikuchi took inspiration from Christopher Lee and his...

Since the first Vampire Hunter D novel was released in 1983, writer Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrator Kevin Leahy have crafted over 40 novels in the series. The story follows the titular Dhampir – half-human and half-vampire – as he hunts vampires across a far-future after a nuclear war. Despite the series’ popularity, 2000’s Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is only the second (and most recent) feature adaptation.

The film opens with the arrival of Baron Meier Link, a vampire nobleman whose ascending carriage brings a foreboding air that freezes running water and makes roses wither away. He departs into the night with Charlotte Elbourne, a young woman whose family believe that she was abducted. This leaves her family to hire D with the intention of rescuing Charlotte from the vampire’s clutches, even if it means killing her if she has been turned. Also on Baron Link’s trail are a family of bounty hunters,...

Studio Madhouse might be known for animating Death Note, Frieren, One Punch Man and several other popular franchises, but in 2000, the studio produced the most iconic gothic film, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. It has been more than two decades since the film was released, but the recognition it received never died down.

Bloodlust is the second anime adaptation of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s light novel series and it presents a powerful visual style to its audience. Taking place 10,000 years after a nuclear war, the anime shows vampire survivors called Nobles who begin to enslave humanity. As a countermeasure, humans take the help of Vampire Hunters, and our protagonist is a vampire-human hybrid who travels the world to kill vampires as well as other monsters.

Why is Madhouse’s Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) the Pinnacle of Gothic Anime? Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust | Credits: Studio Madhouse

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust belongs to the gothic horror genre.

Based on Hideyuki Kikuchi’s novel series of the same, “Vampire Hunter D” was released straight to video in 1985. Directed by Toyoo Ashida, who would later take the reins on “Fist of the North Star”, the film was produced on a limited budget by the studio Ashi Productions. Now considered an anime classic, the feature still has plenty to offer in terms of careful world-building and enticing visuals. It’s worth noting that this review is for the 1992 Streamline Pictures English dub.

In the post-apocalyptic future of 12,090 Ad, Doris Lang (Barbara Goodson) is out hunting one night when she stumbles into the territory of the imposing vampire Count Magnus Lee (Jeff Winkless). Left bitten by the count and now the object of his desire, she hires the formidable vampire hunter, D (Michael McConnohie); a half-human, half-vampire hybrid known as a dhampir. With the count’s minions on the prowl for Doris,...

Fans of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D series have been blessed with dozens of novelizations about the titular character, as well as two anime features, and a PlayStation video game. But one area where the Dhampir has not ventured is in a live-action adaptation…until today. Vampire Hunter D: Army of Me is a fanmade short […]

The post Vampire Hunter D Comes Alive in Fan Film Army Of Me appeared first on Dread Central.

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard news about “Vampire Hunter D: The Series”, the CG-animated series based on Hideyuki Kikuchi’s titular character. However, some new news broke today over at Ann as they’ve reported that Brandon Easton, who is writing the scripts for new Vampire Hunter D comics, has been tapped by Unified […]

The post Vampire Hunter D: The Series Gets Writer For Pilot Episode appeared first on Dread Central.

The tale of vampires and the unfortunate souls who dare cross their paths continues in Vampire Hunter D Volume 25: Undead Island. Fans of this series can also look forward to six new illustrations from Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy). Written by Hideyuki Kikuchi, Vampire Hunter D Volume 25: Undead Island hits shelves later this month from Dark Horse Comics.

From Dark Horse Comics: “On an isolated island, the vampiric Nobility run a mysterious laboratory, continuously pumping out a white mist which compels the inhabitants of a nearby fishing village to become the vampires’ slaves! When the village tries to retaliate, their fighters never return. The Vampire Hunter known only as D has been sighted on the island, but how did he come to be there, whose side is he on, and will any mortals survive the brewing conflict?

* Features six new illustrations by Final Fantasy designer Yoshitaka Amano.

Creators

Writer:...

Unified Pictures, the production company founded by Keith Kjarval that produced Rudderless, Trust Me and A Single Shot among others, is developing an animated Vampire Hunter D TV series. The popular series of Japanese novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi has spawned two movies in 1985 and 2000. We spoke with another Unified founder, Kurt Rauer, and […]

The post Interview: How the ‘Vampire Hunter D’ TV Series Will Avoid the ‘Game of Thrones’ Problem appeared first on /Film.

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "Time Enough at Last", "To Serve Man", and "The Invaders" are some of the most memorable episodes of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, and Fright Rags is commemorating their enduring entertainment values with a new collection of T-shirts. In our latest round-up, we also have details on the recently announced UK Blu-ray of Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 (aka Zombi 3) and the upcoming high-definition home media release of Vampire Hunter D (1985).

The Twilight Zone T-Shirts: Available to pre-order beginning Friday, April 24th at 10:00am Est, Fright Rags' The Twilight Zone T-shirt collection comprises five shirts and one custom-made Invader figure. The collection is priced at $160.00 and is expected to ship out in early June.

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BlZombie Flesh Eaters 2: Blu-ray.com reports that 88 Films will release Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 (starring Deran Sarafian, Beatrice Ring, and Ottaviano Dell'Acquaon) on Blu...

Odd List Ryan Lambie 28 Apr 2014 - 06:21

From Japanese anime to Disney via stop-motion, here are 18 animated films that are mystifyingly unavailable on Blu-ray...

Not all movies need to be seen in HD, but if there's one type of filmmaking that regularly benefits from the Blu-ray format, it's animation. Let us cite one example at random: My Neighbour Totoro. Until fairly recently, the only copy we had on the shelf was an early, imported version on DVD, which was grainy and a little washed-out.

When Studio Canal issued Totoro on Blu-ray in 2012, the difference in image quality was little short of a revelation: Hayao Miyazaki's colours and fluid lines positively shimmered. In short, it was like seeing this fresh, sun-drenched film again for the first time.

The same could be said for so many other animated films, no matter what country they come from: in high-definition, we can truly...

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

3 Finger Prints

Zombies Vs Cheerleaders Volume 2 #2 (Cover A Ryan Kincaid), $3.99

Zombies Vs Cheerleaders Volume 2 #2 (Cover B Jason Pedersen), $3.99

Zombies Vs Cheerleaders Volume 2 #2 (Cover C Matt Hebb), $3.99

Aam Markosia

Infernal Fyre-Dragon Gn, $17.99

Tales Of Discord Gn, $17.99

Abstract Studios

Rachel Rising #18, $3.99

AC Comics

Men Of Mystery #90, $29.95

Action Lab Entertainment

Princeless Tales Of The Family Ashe (One Shot), $3.99

Altus Press

Doc Savage The New Adventures Volume 5 Skull Island Sc, $24.95

Amigo Comics

Westwood Witches #2 (Of 4), $3.99

Antarctic Press

Boneyard The Biggening #1 (One Shot), $3.99

Victorian Secrets Summer Special #1, $3.95

Archaia Entertainment

Mouse Guard Volume 3 The Black Axe Hc, $24.95

Archie Comic Publications

Archie And Friends Double Digest #29, $3.99

Archie Meets Glee Tp, $12.99

Jugheads Double Digest #194, $3.99

Mega Man #27 (Patrick Spaziante Variant Cover), $2.99

Mega Man #27 (Patrick Spaziante Regular Cover...

Good news has arrived for fans of the Vampire Hunter D series: A new novel by famed horror/sci-fi author Hideyuki Kikuchi entitled Noble V: Greylancer is now available, which details the beginning of the 3,000-year war of Vampire Hunter D.

From the Press Release:

Viz Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint delivers a bloodthirsty new chapter of the legendary Vampire Hunter D saga with the North American release of Noble V: Greylancer, now available in stores. The new fantasy novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi, carries an Msrp of $14.99 U.S./$16.99 Can. The release also includes a bonus novelette titled "An Irreplaceable Existence.” An eBook edition is also available for the Amazon Kindle and from Apple’s iBooks Store and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store.

Internationally acclaimed writer Hideyuki Kikuchi, author and creator of the famed novel series Vampire Hunter D, delves into the past with his latest addition, Noble V: Greylancer.

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and special items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

1821 Comics

Romeo And The Juliet The War Gn, $19.99

Romeo And The Juliet The War Hc (Collector’s Edition), $29.99

3D Total Publishing

Beginner’s Guide To Digital Painting In Photoshop Volume 1 Sc, $49.99

Abrams

Frank Reade Adventures In The Age Of Invention Hc (not verified by Diamond), $24.95

Great American Cereal Book Hc, $19.95

Abstract Studios

Rachel Rising #5 (not verified by Diamond), $3.99

Across The Pond Studios

Extinction Gn, $16.99

Ape Entertainment

Dream Reavers #3 (Of 4), $3.99

Kung Fu Panda #4 (Of 6), $3.95

Little Green Men Small Package Big Fun Tp, $6.95

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Fun #4 (Of 4), $3.99

Arcana Studios

Anubis Gn, $9.95

Devil’s Island Gn, $19.95

My Best Friend’s A Booger Gn, $6.95

Shadowlaw Gn, $14.95

Archie Comics

Archie #629 (Archie Meets Kiss Part 3)(Dan Parent Regular Cover), $2.99

Archie #629 (Archie Meets Kiss...

According to the latest issue of Rue Morgue, Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi plans to resurrect the popular story as both an anime series and a live-action feature. Kikuchi began the story in 1983, and to date 21 novels have been published.

The story itself follows D, a knight-errant of sorts who traverses the post-apocalyptic Earth, warding off vampires and his own possessed hand with the help of a sword and a faithful horse.

The series has previously been adapted into an anime movie released in 1985, and a second anime motion picture in 2000. The rights for a live-action movie were at one point optioned by Spawn producer Mark Dippe, but the film itself was never produced.

Kikuchi is teaming up with the producers of the Resident Evil video games to produce the live-action film. We assume that the film will be produced in Japan, as the mishmash of genre stylings found in the story — western,...

The latest issue of Rue Morgue brings the potentially intriguing news that Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi is planning to bring back the post-nuclear earth horseback-riding, sword-swinging, vampire-hunting dhampir in the form of both a new anime series and a live-action motion picture. In regards to the live-action feature, Kikuchi is working on it with the producer of the Biohazard video game, what gaijins like you and I call Resident Evil.

Vampire Hunter D began life as a manga series in 1983, became an anime movie released in 1985, and returned in a new anime motion picture in 2000. The rights for a live-action movie had previously been optioned by Spawn producer Mark Dippe. Presumably they have reverted back. One must assume this live-action movie in the works would be a Japanese production.

Thank goodness a Hollywood-produced live-action Vampire Hunter D never came about. I have a hard time imagining Hollywood producers...

Earlier this month, we received updates on the status of two classic Japanese manga series — "Akira" and "Ghost In The Shell" — being adapted into live-action films. And now it appears that Hideyuki Kikuchi's "Vampire Hunter D" may be the next Japanese property to invade the silver screen.

According to a report in the Japanese horror magazine Rue Morgue (by way of Anime Vice), Kikuchi is working on a live action "Vampire Hunter D" film in addition to a new anime feature.

The story also states that a producer from the "Biohazard" (aka "Resident Evil") video game series — whom Anime Vice speculates is Hideyuki Kikuchi — is involved with the live-action film.

Originally published in 1983 as series of novels by Kikuchi and illustrator Yoshitaka Amano, "Vampire Hunter D" focuses on lonely warrior named "D" in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampires and other supernatural creatures. As a half-vampire/half-human, "D" is...

Why should American comics get all the fun of film adaptations? That’s not likely to be the case much longer, as several series based on manga — Japanese graphic literature — are getting in on the act, too.

On the heels of recent reports that the manga series "Akira", "Ghost in the Shell", and "Paprika" are being adapted into live-action films, comes news of another property getting the same treatment: Hideyuki Kikuchi’s "Vampire Hunter D". According to Anime Vice, which based its revelation on the Japanese horror mag Rue Morgue, Kikuchi is developing a live-action Vampire Hunter D as well as a new feature-length anime. The story also mentions a producer of the "Resident Evil" video game series (rumored to be Hiroyuki Kobayashi) will be involved in the live-action movie.

"Vampire Hunter D" takes place in post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampires and other monsters, but is seemingly influenced by cyberpunk...

Last month Rue Morgue gave rightful honor on their cover to Rituals which is finally getting a DVD release. This month looks at the release of Daybreakers and the vampire culture. Check out the classic cover art and be sure to nab this one in stores now....

To visit Rue Morgue and subscribe please click here.

The Future Has Fangs

They helped jolt the zombie film back to life with Undead. Now the Spierig Brothers inject fresh blood into the vampire movie with Daybreakers. The twin writer/director team talks about bringing their inventive sci-fi-action-horror hybrid to the screen. Plus: Interviews with Daybreakers star Sam Neill and soundtrack composer Christopher Gordon, Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi on his long-running sci-fi bloodsucker saga, author/editor Nancy Kilpatrick on the Evolve anthology and more!

by Sean Plummer, Last Chance Lance, Mark R. Hasan and Monica S. Kuebler

The Curse Of Moonlight

The long-awaited,...