Vampire Hunter D | The Japanese Horror Novels Behind a Global Phenom
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- #vampirehunterd #vhd #vampires
Exploring the world of Vampire Hunter D, the books behind the incredible movie, and the real world history and culture that inspires it.
00:00 Opening
06:42 The First VHD Novel
16:53 Westerns & Samurai
26:20 Beauty & Power
40:55 The Sacred Ancestor
48:08 Closing
Music Used, in order:
Silent Partner - Get Back Up
The Whole Other - Familiar Things
SefChol - Orient
Silent Partner - Belief
Twin Musicom - Precipise
Sources used in the background material of this video:
A History of Modern Japan, Richard Storry
Everyday Life in Imperial Japan, Charles J Dunn
Japanese Culture A Short History, H Paul Varley
Japan Past and Present, Edwin O Resichauer
The Chyrsanthemum and the Sword, Ruth Benedict
Warrior Rule in Japan, Marius B Jansen
TGM is a horror game analysis channel with a heavy focus on Silent Hill, & other Japanese horror games.
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I just love how Yoshitaka Amano was involved with Vampire Hunter D, before doing the Final Fantasy franchise's logo illustrations and character design to FFI-VI. And I thank the west for bringing this beloved horror novel series over two decades later from their original release, causing many people and weebs to be hooked, becoming a worldwide phenomenon afterwards. Hellsing was also great too, amongst Japanese horror IPs, churned out as anime after their manga/light novel state.
Look up " _The Heroic Legend of Arslan_ " from the 80's, also predates FF. The main character Arslan is basically the Warrior of Light Alpha design!
Yoshitaka Amano also drawing "Angel´s Egg"
I like the distinction between people and weebs. 😆
My opinion (head cannon?) as to why D was a successful dhampir was because Dracula and Mina were in genuine love and all other efforts to replicate it didn't come from the same deep well of that love but a colder scientific experimentation.
I would very much love to listen to more of your Vampire Hunter D thoughts!
Except that the lamirca is also a dhampir. He is just blessed with Royal vampire powers
@@B..B. That and he was genetically engineered by the sacred ancestor to be a perfect hybrid. It's been stated that D is the only successful hybrid. Larmica is only a dhampir in the animated movie. In the novel she's a vampire.
@@B..B.
Larmica is a vampire in the book.
@@brucewayne2558 my mistake bro. I Just get confused, she is a vampire, but his mother was a turned vampire not a pure blood.
That's funny, I read Dracula and Mina has absolutely no interest in him other than taking him down for killing Lucy, Mina is in love with Jonathan the whole time.
Vampire Hunter D 1985 was the first anime I ever watched back when the Sci-Fi channel had a programing block called Saturday Anime in the early 90s. I had to have been at least 7 or 8 and I was just hooked. I'm not much of an anime fan anymore but VHD is always one of my go to movies to watch. Bloodlust was also beautiful.
same here!
I caught the first movie when Cartoon Network had a three-feature showcase of anime movies for the first time ever. It wasn't till I watched it on other media that I discovered how much they'd censored (mostly the boobs.)
Same here, sci fy was my gateway to the world of anime way before it boomed.
Same here bro
Sci-fi channel vampire hunter d blew me away!
Nothing was like this except late 70s animation like ice & fire, & wizards.
Cartoons didn't have adult theme & violence on that level before.
So this really stood out & was quite the culture shock.
Well, you convinced me. As a lifelong Castlevania and Hellsing fan, I finally need to get on these novels. I've seen the two anime adaptations, but now I need to go to the bottom of this! Thank you Muse for finally giving me a detailed overlook into VHD!
I will warn you that the 2001 adaptation Bloodlust is one of the few instances where the movie is better than the book it's based on (Demon Deathchase). The book is far more depressing and almost all the Marcus brothers are assholes to Leila.
Don't forget the manga. Some of the prettiest art I've ever seen.
My older bro and I first saw VHD (1984) on the TBS channel and immediately recognized that alucard owes his existence to the character of D.
I remember watching Vampire Hunter D in the early 90's along side Ninja Scroll. I didn't know there was a second movie.
Bloodlust is actually better than the novel (Demon Deathchase) it was based on. And I love the VHD novels. But it fleshed everything out better, added needed characterization.
I always cry at the end of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
The juxtaposition between the insightful and well researched narration and the whacky and hilarious edited images on screen always cracks me up.
Thanks for such a great deep dive into the novels. I've always loved the movies, but never touched the books or heard anyone ever talk about them. I gotta pick myself up a few copies soon! And fingers cross that new animated series that's been in development hell comes out someday!
Making me feel old talking about VHD I still have my VHS copy of the original anime from 1987 which I first saw on Sci-fi channel in the 90s
Discovered it in high school when I found the first movie in the "Japanimation" section at Blockbuster. Blew me away. Of course the one time my mom had to walk in was when Doris was in the shower.
.,.aaaaand you were wanking it, weren't you?
Yes blockbuster
Always fantastic to see any video about VHD. I currently read about 26 out of the 29 volumes and had a great time with them. Wish they were more popular and accessible. Thanks for making this!
I'm so glad people still talk about it. As a hardcore VHD fan, it makes me glad people are still keeping it active. I hope it grows and becomes popular; getting merchandise is hard.
Insanely well made video! I immediately ordered the omnibus version of VHD vol.1 :) Greetings from germany
the crown of my personal electronic library are my first 12 VHD books in audio format with audio cast from graphic audio. freaking awesome!!!! I believe I have 19 of the novels all total.. for now.
As a long-time VHD fan, this was so good to watch! Thanks for pointing out the actual sources and nuances that most people tend to overlook and end up not "getting it".
Great video!
My favorite “I’m not apologizing” meme spawned from Vampire Hunter D
Wasn't that Hellsing?
@@TXDogg83I’m thinking the multi part hellsing youtube parody
Good to know
Bitches love cannons
That was hellsing abridged bro hope you know by now
This was an incredible video. I have only seen VHD 1985 movie and have never experienced the book series. I still vividly remember watching the movie for the first time like 15 years ago. It has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of horror media. I clicked on this not expecting anything and here i am an hour later looking up how to buy VHD books. Thank you for sharing something u are passionate about in an such way that gets me excited about it too. Along with humor in text from throughout the video. Subbed, i am waiting for more :)
As a fellow VHD fan and collector myself, Its nice that someone actually put a light into this series on YT. I myself discovered VHD by accident on VHS with the first movie and fell in love with the sequel Bloodlust. I was also lucky enough to play the Ps1 game based on Bloodlust and I am still in the process of collecting the novels. Kudos to you for completing all of the novels since I personally think that itself is an accomplishment.
Happy to see some VHD love, great video and thorough coverage.
I loved the love you showed for VHD in this video, you've made me want to check out the first book!
Such a good video!! Thank you so much for making a video of Vampire Hunter D
This video made me want to read the manga version. As for Japanese vampires, my favorites will always be the ones featured in Tsukihime. Arcueid is the best.
😭😭😭😭 my heart beats in such JOY TO SEE MORE LOVE COME TO THE BEST VAMPIRE SERIES EVER !! God remembering how I saw it and fell for it is just a sweet moment I wish to have more of 🙏🏻🙏🏻 thank you for being a fan and putting more light over VHD AND ITS AMAZING LORE !!
This was an amazing video, thank you!
This is such an amazing video. I can tell you put a lot of work into it. I would love to see more vampire hunter d content from you.
This series might as well be the prelude for the entire Castlevania franchise. We desperately need new adaptations of these stories. Really!
If you're talking about the game series...eh, not really. That series is action-adventure. The horror elements are just enemies to kill, and the protagonists are generally anime heroes from the get go.
If you're talking about that Netflix abomination they had the gall to label "Castlevania", then that's a harder NO. The Sacred Ancestor has more in kin with the Hammer films Dracula than the weeping mess of a vampire in that show, and the original Alucard wasn't based on D, but on Lon Chaney's depiction of Count Alucard in the movie "Son of Dracula." It wasn't until they redesigned Alucard for "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" that they took inspiration from Vampire Hunter D.
Actually… the progenitor of the Castlevania series was includes a whip weilding person against Dracula. VHD book one and movie one starts off a whip fighting an imitation Dracula (Lee).
Both series involve the same hero, coming along to save the day: Alucard/D.
Both the first VHD movie and first Castlevania game came out within a year of each each other.
I think the inspiration is just their source material, which appears to largely be horror movies and specifically Jack the giant killer (1962); which had a vampire, like mastermind, leading a castle of misfit monsters to kidnap a woman where in the hero has to raid the castle to save her
That would be difficult since the characters are completely different. In VHD universe, the sacred ancestor is on the level of an elder god. In fact he killed one in one of the novels. And VHD storyline gives the history from 1999 when humanity destroyed themselves in a nuclear haulocost, all the way to 10,000 years into the future.
@@brucewayne2558There is a war of 1999 in castlevania.
@@tetravenixyetiblazer4005
VHD has 10,000 years of story building, where the nobility/vampires ruled the world for 10,000 years .They have went to war with aliens for 2,000 years and traveled across the galaxy to their home world and destroyed it. The vampires/nobility created a civilization of super science on the level of Star Trek and sorcerer on the level of Lord of the rings. They created and populated the world with mythical creatures of legend like were wolves, fairies, mermaids, dragons. And Dracula is an all powerful god in VHD universe. Not just a vampire.
It's beautiful to find these videos: someone who loves something talking about it. Thank you!
I loved this setting! Thanks for uploading!
Awesome presentation of VHD. Thank you. 🙂
I used to love saiyuki too. I only stopped following it around the time that sanzo fought ukoku because minekura-sensei's unfortunate medical issues meant irregular updates and hiatuses. Thanks for the comprehensive vid on VHD and reminder to check back in on saiyuki
You made an adorable Lestat! I was an exotic dancer in the late 80s and 90s and I used to project the OG Vampire Hunter D scene with the green haired sirens behind me on the screen, making sure to hit my mark between Magnus Lee's bared fangs...
Wonderful video. You convinced me that i have to read every book of VHD. 😳👌
Thank you for this amazingly in-depth video.
Thanks so much for this video! I have rewatched the 2 movies morethan 10x in the past years thats how much im into the Lore and world of vampire hunter D have collected 21 volumes of the novels already..i hope they make an anime adaptation or continue the manga that was put on halt before🙏
I'm almost 50, so the Vampire Hunter D anime that I remember from my teen years was the 1985 OVA I bought at a comic convention(I was also a big Clive Barker fan at the time as well!). Great film that still holds up today. I believe it was also one of the first Madhouse produced animes way before Ninja Scroll and Midnight Eye Goku
This was AMAZING, thank you so much!
The PS1 Vampire Hunter D game was amazing back in the day
Love this thanks so much for the content ❤
Never read the book /novels I've been looking for vampire hunter d lore videos but never found one until now great video
A great watch as usual, and the first instance of me hearing someone outside of the UK say "taking the piss." :P
GREAT VIDEO. I learned a lot. Thank you!
My my, what a devouerer of content we have here, it was very satisfying to listen to your vid, congrats.
I'm so happy I came across this video. Thank you very much. I can tell you put so much work into this.
I had no idea the novels were so numerous! This feels like stumbling upon a gold vein, thank you very much!
Fantastic work, been waiting to hear from someone who actually read these books (I read the first one in 2005) to explain them for decades.
I'm a huge Vampire Hunter D fan of both the movies, novels, and mangas. D is much like Conan the Barbarian where you can pick up any book and read on D's adventure. Vampire Hunter D was also one of the Vampire fiction that I enjoyed consuming. Most Vampire fiction is garbage, and that's because most of them just copy Blade and Anne Rice all the time. What I like about the Vampires in the VHD universe is yes most of the Vampires are beautiful, but that's only a ruse to hide their true nature where they show their inhuman, ghostly, and beastly qualities where they have more in common with Stoker's Dracula than with Lestat. The mangas, books, and movies were one of those fictions that I liked growing up in the 90s, The books and the movies have helped inspire me to write a Vampire novel of my own that I am working on. Like VHD, I'm setting it in far off post-apocalyptic future as well where it has Vampires, Supernaturals, mad-inspired crazed lunatics, and Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror entities, and I have fiction like Vampire Hunter D to thank.
Fantastic work. I loved the movies when younger but this has inspired me to finally getting around to reading the source material.
awesome video
Loved it. Regret I didn't pick them up on humble bundle when they were sold there.
Also, I want Yoshitaka Amano to draw my character ~
I love his art so much.
Great video
Great look into the VHD series, I've been slowly reading through the books and have become some of my favourite series. Would love to see an new anime adaptation based on the books, I think we're overdue another new wave of popularity for the series.
I'm so happy for this video. Still can't believe VHD Bloodlust was my intriduction to the anime (genre I particulary never fell in love with)...
Thanks to you I finally know why. It is just very different think entirely and I love it ❤
Especialy the artstyle 👁
Now if you excuse me, I have some novel hunting to do 😂
Gj bringing this gem to light. Sadly, time lines are skewed, for this first anime. I know I watched it subbed in early 90's in fact when I played UO in 1997 I had a Character named Vampire Hunter D. Main thing( during the late 90's early 2k), many translator groups . Gathered VHS and DVD's and then translated and subbed these. Most only allowed others to view it in a group setting or like a library book. ( to not have a copy right strike put on them). Later when the Web became a huge thing. People started translating and putting them for download. One of the groups I was with at the time. Merged with others and became Funimation. ( sorry went down a long rabbit hole here)
Vampire Hunter D was the very first anime I ever saw, and I was hooked immediately. I just started purchasing the omnibus format books and now have both VHD movies on bluray instead of vhs.
That was a hell of a Introduction
Your videos are beautiful and your voice is so perfect for it. Thank you.
Really enjoyed this thank you
Please more vampire Hunter D stuff, I only saw the anime adaption but it will be forever in my heart
The set up of a powerful sell-sword who is a secret prince and themes about aristocracy and tradition reminds me a lot of the Elric of Melnibone series by Michael Moorcock
I won a set of the first 12 novels at a screening of the 1985 movie several years ago. You have convinced me to finally read them!
I love this I found out there are more books than I knew of thanks
I was obsessed with Blood+ series, which was based from the film, Blood: The Last Vampire around mid-2000s. Trying to satiate my thirst for it, I stumbled on Trinity Blood, which at that time, was incomplete, because the author passed away. Luckily, I also found Vampire Hunter D, and though the novels translated into English were about a dozen, I was quite happy that the author continued to write. This work is underrated tbh, as well as a lot of Japanese thriller/mystery authors that have yet to be translated. My favourite from his series so far is the Rose Princess and Iriya the Berserker.
you had me at 'I dressed like Lestat for Halloween'
Great video.
Ever since i can remember Vampire Hunter D and Fist of the North Star have been in my life and ive been a fan since they hit the states. Wicked fun post apocalyptic themes and of course next level art.
It’s hitting a little too close to home when you mentioned only the ring finger knows. I couldn’t even finish it when the line “he loves me for my cruelty” was delivered to intimidate a rival from the protagonist AND it worked! I’m still sick just thinking about it. That said: I’m not good with horror in a blood, gore and body horror way. I prefer suspense, thrill and psychological tom-foolery BUT as a maturing lady looking for NOT shojo or abusive boys love. Vampire Hunter D was a miracle. Shojo is torture in a will they won’t they and usually they don’t. Also abusive boys love was always painted like this is how love is kind of way. Thank you for the video. I hope more VHD comes your way.
More Vampire Hunter D content sounds amazing.
Dear Lord thank you for an absolutely wonderful analysis video 😍
My mom actually watched the ova when she was a teen and she never knew about the movie that released on the year i was born until i stumbled on it around the same age she was and told her about it i dont remember if we watched it together though
I'm on my way home. Just recently left Japan. Maybe the next time, I'll look for Vampire Hunter D stuff. I rented the VHS from Blockbuster back in the days. It was probably one of the best out of all the Anime tapes I rented back then.
Great video! I remember coming across VHD a while back around when I first played Tsukihime and I've been curious ever since how both stories use the word ancestor to refer to the top of the vampire hierarchy (Sacred Ancestor in VHD, True Ancestor in Tsukihime). I wonder what the word is in Japanese and what sort of connotations it has.
Wish they'd make a new movie or series. Matter of fact a video game these days would awesome.
Fascinating video
Excellent video, thank you for your perception 😊 you could use gpt to translate the untranslated books, It would be interesting to see a video of the female variant 😊
Get this: my intro to the series was the ps1 game because my dad liked vampire media and bought it for me. I was so confused about the story and background for years as the anime wasn’t readily available where I was growing up. When I discovered the books, my life literally changed.
I love that you love these books!
very interesting!
When I was getting into anime as a teenager in the late 90's, Vampire Hunter D was one I heard about. It was on someone's fansite on Geocities (Yes. I am that old.) Much to my surprise, my local Blockbuster had a copy of it. This was the film adaptation that came out in 1985 in Japan, got an English dub in 1992, and was re-released several times on VHS throughout the decade. It's still one of my favorite cult films from that era. The one you mentioned from 2000/2001 was Bloodlust, which is a different film. Both are great, though! Imagine my surprise when I found out there was a an entire run of 50+ books!
This was the most interesting and informative VHD! I learned a lot! I have only seen the newest movie and love the art...and yeah it is this forbiden love story that drives the action.
Can you please do overview of arcs that exist in all 29 volumes of Vampire Hunter D? No summery just one sentence plot and if I can read one arc as standalone of some kind ...just to scrach the surface. Thank you.
Oh I definitely plan to do more in depth vids on the books! I adore them and I must talk about them. :D
Highly recommend the dramatised audiobooks for those interested. The voice acting is wonderful and the added sound effects and ambient noise do a lot of good work as well.
I can't remember what novel but kikuchi says Phil Collins don't lose my number music video also inspired VHD and I'd say the rose princess is also probably the closest D feels to love because he is disappointed in the main female becoming a vampire at the end
I love this channel
ikr
Saturday Anime in the 90s baby
I’m hooked I want to buy them all… I loved the anime when I was a kid… I never knew there was so much lord
Thank you
Thanks for letting me know there is a spin off novel. Somehow I missed that by searching for all VHD novels. So exicted to read this one.
The first vampire lord... is count magnus... LEEEE OH MAN THATS WILD!
The first movie adaptation of Vampire Hunter D was in 1985. The one in the early 2000s was a sequel. I'm 45, and I watched the original. Just wanted to correct that.
Vampire hunter d is a classic it’s an awesome film I use to watch back in high school
This video came across my timeline randomly. I put vampire hunter D omnibus 1 on my wishlist after watching it
I don't know how much inspiration Vampire the Masquerade took from VHD, but the vampires here fit or could fit so well in the World of Darkness. They're like ye very epitome of what World of Darkness vampires are suppose to be. 😁
This is funny how this came out last christmas I had gotten a couple of Clive Barker’s books and a few more of the vampire hunter D omnibus books. I had been reading Clive Barker for almost 2 decades and I had been always looking for vampire hunter D material since I saw the films and read some of the manga adaptations. For the last few years I would buy myself a few of the omnibus books every christmas and it quickly became some of my favorite stuff despite the rough prose due to translation.
Cool stuff. VHD is to be revered.
I freaking knew that was Amano's style! What a legend!
I've only seen the 2 movies but now I need to get into the vonels
Please keep making these videos
As a child growing up in Chicago we had a local station that would play the first movie often and Dracula sovereign of the damned. I remember well when the ps1 game came out and going into the city to watch blood lust.
Late high school I saw the first movie on TH-cam. Heard for years "Watch if you like Castlevania" and it didn't dissapoint. To this day it's a stylish, fun and atmospheric movie. Doesn't have the best animation but the world, presentation, simple story and characters keep it an easy watch. The second film is still some of the best looking animation of all time, taking my breath away no matter how much I see it.
I've got the first novel, need to sit down and finish it up. The artworks a huge draw, always like when novels give some imagery alongside your interpretations. Got a big art book, hard to fit on the shelf it's so huge. Also got the PS1 game, based loosely on Demon Deathchase (specifically the film). Nails the atmosphere, recreates the art style perfectly, but hard to get to grips w/the controls. Shocks me they haven't made more games when the series lends itself so well to them.
I love the Hunter D novels. I'm just getting around to reading them now. It's nice to see someone as passionate about the novels as i am becoming. He's wonderful.
Im only missing 26 to 29 of vampire hunter D and ghost storys of the sword. I also have a English copy of demon City hunter vol 3 and i haven't been able to find anything after vol 2 existing so i have something that technically doesn't exist.
wow! yeah i hadnt heard there was a vol3, that's awesome
@@thegamingmuse yeah I popped up on eBay and I was like ....that's impossible... but yeah the after market D prices are insane
I have volume 26 thankfully since I got it cheap but the only listings for 27 and 29 are $300 or more and 28 is $80 or more. I always keep my eyes peeled though.
Volume 8 of the Manga was finally printed last year after damn near a decade. Hell i even contributed to the Kickstarter year before last for the comic that finally also shipped last year.
My first experience with D was actually in the early 90s. TBS use to do this late night run of adult animation. The block consisted of Heavy Metal followed by Vampire Hunter D and then ending with Robot Carnival Ive been a fan since then.
While i recognize the animation for the 1985 Vampire Hunter D is quite low budget it was my first real experience with anime as a whole. Ive always had a special place in my heart for VHD.
The merch for the series as a whole is quite rare and expensive.