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SUMMARY

After an attack led by the Valentine Brothers nearly destroys the entire Hellsing Organization, somehow they manage to stay alive. However, most of its forces are dead or severely injured and the headquarters itself is almost in ruins. Unwilling to back down Sir Integra Winsgate Hellsing is determined to pick up the pieces of her organization and extract her revenge tenfold. Yet the danger is far from over, and from now on each battle will have even more dire circumstances than before.

Sensing that the Hellsing Organization is near collapse, the Iscariot have sent in Paladin Alexander Anderson to finish what the Valentine Brothers started. Then, the stakes are raised even higher as Alucard must face one of the true undead - a monster who may be as strong or stronger than him. As if that wasn't enough, Integra fights for her very life against her own sister.

Will the Hellsing Organization survive these latest attacks? How will Anderson be stopped? Is Alucard strong enough to defeat such a powerful new enemy? Is there a traitor in the midst?

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: This transfer looks great. The digital animation plays out smoothly, and there appear to be no defects. Also, the character and backgrounds look crisp and clean.

AUDIO: There are both an English and Japanese 2.0 audio track on this DVD. Both versions can be heard great and clear, but the Japanese audio track is significantly louder than its English counterpart.

EDITS: None of the episodes appear to have been edited. They all appear to run in their original format.

EXTRAS: The extras include a look at the Japanese package art, a second version of the noncredit ending, and some concept art.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: This is such a great story to watch and enjoy. There is a marvelous blend of action, blood, violence, and even humor to behold. Just as the answers to important plot questions are answered, new and bolder ones take their place. The plot moves along at the right pace, keeping the watcher very interested in what will happen next. Scriptwriter Chiaki J. Konaka has done another wonderful job with Hellsing. You'll never have a boring moment watching these episodes.

ACTING: Both the English and Japanese voice actors play out their roles elegantly. Each actor almost seems tailor fit to their respective characters. George Nakata and Crispin Freeman both are excellent at voicing Alucard. The actors make Hellsing's own vampire seem to ooze with coolness. Then there's Motomu Kiyokawa and Ralph Lister each as the role of Walter. Both actors accurately perform the character as a quite charming individual with deadly sense of action. The only exception to these comparisons comes with Seras Victoria. Personally speaking, I feel K.T. Gray did a better job with her character than her Japanese counterpart.

FAN SERVICE: In the last episode on this DVD we see a mostly half-naked Integra. Although it's her top half and she is wearing a bra, there definitely isn't any doubt that Integra is a full-bodied woman.

CONCLUSION:

I've been a fan of the vampire genre in anime for years. I've watched many series and movies, including both Vampire Hunter D movies, Blood: The Last Vampire, and Lunar Legend Tsukihime. I admit there have been times where I started getting tired of watching anime like this over and over again. However, whenever I watch Hellsing, I fall in love with the genre all over again. I could pop in a Hellsing DVD a hundred times and I never get tired of it.

The reason why I like Hellsing so much is the high level of action and gore. The violence and explosions will keep any action fan happy. This series isn't afraid to let the blood flow profusely, and boy oh boy does it ever. Like in "Order 07: Duel", seeing all that blood oozing by itself out of a subway car will either make you go "Oh cool" or make your stomach upset. Then there's "Order 09: Red Rose Vertigo", where Integra makes a bloody sacrifice to save what's left her pure and untainted blood. When it comes to Hellsing you will see lots of blood, and this series puts a one hundred percent guarantee on it.

I personally love the fight between Alucard and Anderson in "Duel". Both men put everything they have on the line to try to kill the other, and then some. Big guns plus plenty of swords make for an awesome knock-down drag out brawl. I also love the insults Alucard and Anderson spit out towards each other. These two hate each other's guts and they are not afraid to show it. While watching the fight unfold, you almost feel like you should be eating a tub of popcorn as you cheer as each character delivers a fatal blow to the other while yelling out the clever insults. Anderson's "do or die" fighting attitude sets a new level of intensity, while Alucard offsets that with his cold as ice demeanor.

In "Order 08: Kill House", we learn new information about the freak chips running rampant in England. A new twist is thrown into the plot, one which you probably didn't think of could happen in an organization of vampire hunters. Additionally this episode proves how the metaphor "don't judge a book by its cover" includes even vampires, like Helena. Although at first glance one would think this woman is nothing more than a mere child, once you realize what she truly is, you can feel her old and prominent presence through your TV screen. She may be small in size but she demands respect from human and vampire alike.

Last in line is "Red Rose Vertigo", and it's in this episode you see that no one is ever completely safe in the Hellsing Organization, even from within its own walls. The battle lines are being drawn as the true undead make their move. A new demon appears, ready to attack Alucard and everyone inside. As with Helena you can feel a dark and ominous presence coming from him, but you can feel in your bones that he's more powerful. As the showdown begins you quietly wonder if Alcuard can survive to see the next night. The same could be said for Integra, who, in one single and determined move, shows how far she's willing to go to save herself.

I have to acknowledge how much Hellsing's original soundtrack rocks. Never before have I heard such a superb mix of rock 'n' roll, jazz, and other music genres brought together in song. From "When You Start The War, Fight With Arrows, Spears And Swords!" to "Origin Reflection Rhythm Nation" you can't help but to nod your head in tune with the melodious music. It's another aspect of Hellsing that I unquestionably enjoy time and time again. I would recommend purchasing both original soundtrack CDs. Each one of the albums should be played on a huge stereo system hard and loud. It's an enjoyable experience because I've done it myself with a rather large smile on my face.

Hellsing takes the vampire genre, deconstructs it, polishes each piece, then rebuilds it so it's better than before. You get lots of blood, violence, gore, large guns, and vampires like Alucard who don't take crap from anybody. This series loves to pull out all the stops with everything and it shows.  Hellsing is a wild ride you don't want to end, but when it does, you will find yourself starting all the way back to the beginning to gleefully watch the carnage all over again.

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