HELLSING OVA
STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
10
RELEASE
December 26, 2012
LENGTH
50 min
DESCRIPTION
Hellsing, a secret organization of the British government, has long been battling supernatural threats to keep the people safe from creatures of the night. The current leader, Integra Wingates Hellsing controls her own personal army to eliminate the undead beings, but even her highly trained soldiers pale in comparison to her most trusted vampire exterminator, a man by the name of Alucard, who is actually a powerful vampire himself. Along with Integra's mysterious butler and Alucard's new vampire minion, Seras Victoria, The Hellsing Organization must face not only regular ghouls and vampires, but a rivaling secret organization from the Vatican, and Millennium, an enigmatic group of madmen spawned by a certain war over 50 years ago...
A bloody battle between monsters is about to begin, the dead are dancing, and all hell is singing...
CAST
Alucard
Jouji Nakata
Seras Victoria
Fumiko Orikasa
Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing
Kaori Mizuhashi
Alexander Anderson
Norio Wakamoto
Pip Bernadotte
Hiroaki Hirata
Walter C. Dornez
Romi Park
The Major
Nobuo Tobita
Schrödinger
Ryouko Shiraishi
Rip Van Winkle
Maaya Sakamoto
Taii
Heinkel Wolfe
Mitsuki Saiga
Jan Valentine
Wataru Takagi
Yumie Takagi
Yuuko Kaida
Enrico Maxwell
Shou Hayami
Luke Valentine
Takehito Koyasu
Zorin Blitz
Youko Soumi
Doc
Hiroshi Naka
Shelby M. Penwood
Masashi Hirose
Tubalcain Alhambra
Houchuu Ootsuka
Arthur Hellsing
Daisuke Namikawa
Abraham Van Helsing
Chikao Ootsuka
Leif aka Huger
Nobuyuki Hiyama
Cheddar Priest
Kazuhiro Nakata
Jessica
Chiaki Takahashi
Shinpu
Osamu Saka
EPISODES
Dubbed
Not available on crunchyroll
RELATED TO HELLSING OVA
REVIEWS
Yorshka
90/100Action has never been that epic.Continue on AniList"We ruin the countries we govern and the people in our care. We slaughter our enemies and sacrifice all our allies. We will keep killing till there is nothing left but to destroy ourselves. It will never be enough." ― Alucard, a.k.a., Владъ Дрьколъ (Vlad Dracula).
Place: The United Kingdom.
Time: The Present Day.Alucard is a vampire that works for Hellsing, an organization responsible for hunting down vampires in England. For some reason, England is not a safe place anymore, as well as some other countries. More and more vampire attacks are being reported in England. On top of that, one day, Alucard receives an order to destroy a group of vampires in a church. During his mission, he saves a police officer, Seras Victoria, making her his companion and turns her into a vampire. Now, Seras is a part of the Hellsing organization under the command of Integra Wingates Hellsing and the Hellsing organization is to find the culprit that is responsible for vampire attacks in the whole world. What organization is trying to turn England into dust and will the Hellsing organization be able to stop them? Find out the answer now.
Truth be told, the story line of Hellsing Ultimate does not sound intriguing: watching how the most powerful vampire is killing other vampires and humans for 500 minutes cannot be interesting. However, Hellsing also has its philosophy and I must say that it is simply splendid: it is dark and very dramatic. I also would like to mention the fact that Hellsing Ultimate is not like some battle-shounen with overpowered main protagonists; Hellsing Ultimate is different and you will find out why. All I can say is that Hellsing Ultimate is a story about a man, who challenges the most powerful being in the whole world. Whether you will respect him, or hate him is up to you, but their duel is simply epic. Of course, it is not the only focus of this series: Hellsing Ultimate has many things to offer to you that I will, of course, will not mention in my review, so if you want to see an epic action with a grain of philosophy, I guarantee you that you will like the story of Hellsing Ultimate.
Hellsign Ultimate mostly takes place in Europe, portraying different castles and famous places of interest. Most of the time, the series will show you old castles and spooky villages, and this series will do it so that you will surely remember it. Hellsing Ultimate is truly dark, gruesome, and cruel. But it is not the only good thing about the animation, Hellsing Ultimate has also quite beautiful characters.
From the first to the fifth episodes the ending of each episode uses various pieces of instrumental music composed by Hayato Matsuo and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Episodes VI and VII feature vocal closing themes by Japanese rock group Suilen, titled "Magnolia" and "Shinto-Shite." Episode VIII has "When You Start the War, Fight With Arrows, Spears and Swords!", which was also in the original series. Finally, episode IX features Japanese singer Maon Kurosaki and her song "Scars." The music fits the series and I am sure that you will even find some pieces for your collection. By the way, both English and Japanese versions are good, so you are free to watch it in whatever language you want.
The best part about Hellsing Ultimate is, of course, its characters. There are many characters and I am sure that you will find someone that will be truly interesting for you. Alucard is the main protagonist of the series. He is the most powerful worker of the Hellsing Organization and its the most powerful weapon. Alucard is no mere vampire; it has been implied that he is the most powerful vampire, he sometimes acts like a soulless creature that kills humans without a single thought; however, as the story line progresses, you will find out how humane this monster is. Seras Victoria is a human that due to some circumstances becomes a vampire. While she does not show enough development at first, she shines in the later episodes: in Hellsing Ultimate her role is mostly to restrain her master’s, Alucard’s, humanity. Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing is another protagonist of the series and the leader of the Hellsing Organization. She is the only protagonist that will annoy you. Not only the anime shows almost nothing about her past, but also her character is annoying as hell. Finally, Alucard’s enemies and the series’ antagonists: they either consist of people who want to kill Alucard in the name of God, or of people who are jealous of him, and, in my opinion, the series antagonists is the strongest part of Hellsing.
As for enjoyment, I like this series and I rewatch it from time to time. The story of this series is dark and well-written, the animation, for the year it was made in, is breathtaking, the OST and the voice acting make you enjoy thins anime even more. However, there are also flaws. Alucard’s personality is so strong that it makes other characters shrink. Of course, there is Max Montana and he is, perhaps, the only character that is on the level with Alucard, but, in my opinion, there should have been more strong characters. I would not call it a serious flaw, but the fact that this series has weak supporting characters is the only reason why I cannot call this anime a masterpiece.
All in all, Hellsing Ultimate is the series that has both action and philosophy. So, if you like to analyze characters and if you are a fan of spectacular battles, I am sure that Hellsing Ultimate will not disappoint you. To be honest, I cannot think of even one reason for you to not watch this series. Yes, it is long, but it should not be the reason for you to not watch it: take your time and try to understand this series. Without a doubt, it is not a masterpiece, but, in my opinion, this anime deserves its 9/10.
I hope that you will enjoy Hellsing Ultimate as much as I did.
PlatinuMan
50/100Hellsing Ultimate is an anime that provides an over-the-top plot but not much elseContinue on AniListSince their inception, vampires have been one of the most popular supernatural creatures in horror. Their imposing status is backed by their array of powers, from their ability to fly to turning others into vampiric servants of their own. I remember back in the mid-to-late 2000’s when series like Twilight and True Blood were around. They wanted to seek out drama and romance in the world of the undead. Hey, if you got the right actors, even vampires could be sexy! I never bothered with either, but I remember seeing a lot of backlash against this move, criticizing the stories for poor writing or overdramatization. Maybe it was a call from the purists or enthusiasts against the newfound trappings associated with their beloved undead. However, another series was also introduced in the mid-2000’s (or earlier for the manga readers) that would give the extreme qualities back to the bloodsuckers – Hellsing Ultimate. Granted, a 13-episode series by Gonzo was produced in the early 2000’s, but it branched off from the original story due to lack of material. Hellsing Ultimate, a 10-episode OVA by beloved studio Madhouse, stays truer to the manga. Each episode is roughly 50 minutes in length, giving a volume’s length worth of material per episode. Though it may be the “ultimate” adaptation, is it a worthwhile watch?
The story is fairly straightforward. Alucard, our vampiric protagonist, is the underworld mercenary to the Hellsing organization. He deals with all things related to the undead, mostly vampiric. An abnormal number of vampires in the town of Cheddar have started to spring up, alerting the Hellsing organization of someone planning something behind the scenes. This story unfolds to a battle of epic proportions, involving old foes from Hellsing’s past in a brutal bloodbath. This is a series that wants to be known for its action and violence, so naturally the story aims for whatever can provide the most extreme outcome. Almost every twist and turn in the story is meant to drum up emotion or shock. This can be a good and bad thing, as will be explained later. The first few episodes are a good way to introduce the story and some of the key characters of the tale. It’s a necessity, as the primary focus of the series is an all-night battle royale in London. Blood is shed to an absurd degree and, with each episode acting like 2 or 3 episodes of a normal viewing, it may become a bit tiring to watch. That said, the show is not nearly as gory or extreme in its display as one would think. It smartly “self-censors” some of the more brutal aspects of the show to keep its more curious viewers hooked while not letting down the blood enthusiasts. This isn’t an 80’s style OVA, but it sure will provide more barbarous moments than your average action show.
Of course, what separates good action from the bad is found in its characters and Hellsing has quite a few. The protagonist Alucard is what you’d want out of a lead. Cool, cocky and charismatic, this vampire has a knack for getting in his opponent’s head as much as he gets his bullets in their body. You read that right – in addition to being a vampire, he also brands 2 guns that soften up the enemy before he has his way with them. Contrasting him is the stoic Integra Hellsing, the daughter of the late Arthur Hellsing. As the head of the organization, she orders Alucard and others to learn about and destroy all the vampiric foes attacking the local areas. She is fearless in all manners, not breaking away from her sternness in even the direst situations. Their butler, Walter Dornez, is an older gentleman who once bore the nickname “Angel of Death”. Though he does not possess any vampiric powers, his use of razor-sharp, near-invisible strings catch enemies by surprise and lead them to their demise. The last of the main troop is Seras Victoria, a former policewoman saved by Alucard. She has a friendly personality and provides more of the humorous or sweet moments on the show. Don’t be fooled, though: when she gets going in battle, her more vampiric personality traits start to show and she becomes far more aggressive. She provides a decent reference point for viewers as the newly formed vampire on the team to introduce us to the world of Hellsing.
What’s probably the best part of the show is found in the character interactions and personality traits of each character. A hierarchy is found in the Hellsing crew, with Integra on top, followed by Alucard and Walter, and then Seras. It’s rather strange to let the member with the least battle-ready skills be on top, yet this paves way to some deeper meaning the show aims to scratch at. Alucard won’t attack unless given permission by Integra and these conversations reveal the true power dynamic at play. Alucard gets a strange sort of pleasure poking at Integra’s cold demeanor, aiming to make her as much a monster as he is. With such a deadly force at her disposal, one has to wonder if an enemy could be saved or if someone innocent could get caught in the crossfire. This is more lightly touched upon and, if given more time, would be an interesting look behind necessary sacrifice or war crimes. Other themes of humanity are explored, such as what qualifies as human in a show filled with supernatural creatures and body modifications. Even topics such as religion and their duties are explored in a strangely mature way. Yes, there is endless amounts of violence and irrational hatred driving some points, but some characters question their methodologies and what is right even if it’s what they’ve been told to believe. Father Anderson, the rival to Alucard, is a great example of this. Though an impassioned man hellbent on sending vampires to Hell (as well as an extreme dislike of Protestants), he grows more mature as he realizes the extremes his cohorts will go to. Coupled with his holy blades, he provides a great clash against Alucard and is always a joy to see on screen.
Though the show is over-the-top and as bold as one could want, the show suffers from a few big problems. The pacing of the show is one of the first I could think of. The first few episodes are good to introduce what the show is about and its characters, but the meat and potatoes of the show is an all-night battle in London. So many opponents come into the mix, with millions of lives lost, that it becomes quite ridiculous to take in. The point is made clear by the villains that their efforts have been leading to this one-night blitz, but it often feels like more characters and fights are introduced for the sole sake of continuing the series. If this was a war anime with strategies and larger time spans between fights, it’d be more understandable but here it often comes off as mindless. As if it wasn’t enough, between these moments of action are rather long monologues, often repeating what’s already been said or known. It’s a sort of paradox – when you want action, they’re monologuing, but when you want a break, they’re adding more bodies into the mix. It comes down to a sense of timing more than anything else and other viewers may not see this as a problem.
The biggest problem of the show I can see is in its development. The show has so many cool ideas, themes to explore, characters to introduce and yet does little with them. This is a show that’s begging for a prequel to explain character origins more clearly (which it technically did but was cut short for reasons that escape me). As a result, a lot of depth is lacking from the show and adds to that mindless feeling I described earlier. Some villains are a footnote in the show’s story despite being labeled as big threats – one villain treated as a major threat doesn’t even speak! This is honestly one of the few cases where a manga/anime is justified into needing more episodes. Maybe creator Kouta Hirano wanted to focus more on the action or felt he’d add on to certain details later but didn’t get around to it. Whatever the case, it really hurts what is otherwise a cool show brimming with ideas.
Almost as a fallback to expanding out on these ideas is the final problem with the series: Alucard’s overpowered status. Now, it’s to be expected that the members of Hellsing need to be naturally tough to combat their enemies – after all, there’s only 4 main members of the group compared to the squadrons of the enemy. That said, it often makes me question how he was taken down in the first place. He has so many abilities and attributes that you often need a nation’s men to even think about tackling him. Even just having a regeneration ability can be busted as it makes any battle against him (or any opponent with a similar ability) the equivalent of fighting a wall. While that may be the point to this endeavor, it often makes each situation he’s in predictable and loses out on potential edge the show could have. It’s almost humorous trying to see what other busted powers the opponents have. What is usually a dominant force in any other show is treated as the bare minimum to keep up with the protagonist. This is the case for many unmoderated supernatural works. To give credit where it’s due, it often is displayed as “rule of cool” and those who enjoy the imagery or quips of Alucard will probably not mind this point as much.
Hirano’s art style is accurately portrayed here, with its sharp outlines and big ringed eyes. Everyone seems to carry a cocky grin to boot, giving each character some form of assurance of their victory no matter the odds. Things can get bloody, but they never get too graphic as to turn your eyes away from the screen. Often, it’s a whole man in one frame followed by their limbs everywhere in the next. Despite being backed from Madhouse and given the OVA treatment, the animation isn’t always of the best quality. It can sometimes appear a bit choppy or make characters look a bit off in mid-shots (though this latter part can also be found in the manga as well). Most controversial will be the show’s use of CG for weaponry and large crowds. It’s not the worst but, like most CG, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The music department will be a real gem for most. Hellsing Ultimate has a varied soundtrack, ranging from rock to choral pieces and everything in between. Some songs will get you pumped, while others reminisce of stereotypical war songs. Sometimes the songs can be mashed-up, such as in ED 8. It starts off with a choir before plunging straight into a distorted boogie blues piece. I was recommended the English dub for this anime, a move that’s a bit out of my element as I usually watch subs. Crispin Freeman is the star of the show, with a deep menacing voice that shines as Alucard. It was a bit strange to hear at first and some lines felt a bit too “straightly spoken”, but by the end I could imagine no other voice. Other voice actors tried to match the setting by having varied English accents. Though there is some danger as to being “phoned in”, they all felt believable. Katharine Gray is as bubbly as you’d want for Seras while Victoria Harwood gives the voice to Integra’s commands. Sometimes the anger or tenderness is a bit misplaced, but they did a great job overall. It could be a bit of bias: after all, it’s easier to recognize atonal voice acting when it’s your native language.
Overall, I give Hellsing Ultimate a 5.0/10. With enough time, this could’ve been the definitive vampire, horror and possibly action series. As it stands, it’s a treat for the fans of the manga and perhaps adolescent audiences, but not for me. Despite my rating, I still would recommend it to those who are looking for an action series that delves into the supernatural. My only condition would be that the viewer is looking for over-the-top action/powers but not anything more than that.
Do you like or dislike this anime? If you haven't watched it, are you encouraged to watch it or not? Leave a comment on my profile telling me what you think of the anime and/or my review.
Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!
deli000
55/100Hellsing Ultimate prefers blood over substance, leaving behind a trail of lost potential.Continue on AniListThis review may contain slight spoilers The Hellsing Organization is an organization devoted to killing vampires. Integra Hellsing, Alucard, and Seras Victoria are members of this organization, with Integra being its leader. This anime depicts their journey through hell.
Hellsing Ultimate is a dark and gritty show about the nature of vampires and humans, featuring an interesting ensemble of a cast alongside a straightforward and simple story. It is bloody and gruesome, painting the screen red with blood. It never strays away from the depiction of slaughter. It is a mature show through and through, not just because of its gruesome violence but also in its atmospheric layer of darkness and chaos that stems from a story filled with corruption and tragedy.
Hellsing Ultimate is an action show, first and foremost, and it creates some of the most brutal and vicious sequences of violence ever. It does not shy away from showing men being brutalized and eaten by vampires, mobs of people getting pierced by the blazing storm of bullets, and vampires being reduced to shreds by both their own race and by humans alike. It is fun to watch the protagonists collide with various interesting characters along the way, and the sea of red that the show produces from these exchanges is a sight to behold.
Unfortunately, the show is a good example of preferring style over substance, or rather, blood over substance. While there are fun scenes and moments, it is left as a superficial concept.
"Y-Yeah!"
Much like Seras' hesitant "yes, sir!", the show tries to incorporate deep themes surrounding morality and what it means to be a monster or a human, but it never fully commits to these ideas. There are a lot of interesting points of reflection and contemplation being thrown to the viewer, but they are reduced to a surface-level state as they are never fully given the attention they deserve. It is a shame considering that the show could have been more than just its simple vampire-action premise. It also does not help that the story itself is bare and does just about the adequate amount to showcase the vicious nature of violence without ever doing much with the themes it lays out.
The characters of Hellsing Ultimate suffer from lost potential. They are never expanded on and are unfortunately left lost in the huge puddle of blood. The protagonists had a lot of potential at being complex and thought-provoking characters. While Alucard and Integra are both the center of most of the moral conflict in the show's story, their thought-processes and musings are never fleshed out fully. Seras Victoria fares much better at character development, though the show could have also done much more with her as her inner conflicts concerning retaining her humanity are short bursts of flavor that do not leave a lasting taste. I still loved her though. The villains are the typical kind without much beyond being evil. For example, the Major's henchman are reduced to plot devices while the Major himself is a moving model of evil with not much else beyond that. The rest of the characters are reduced to the caricature of individuals that are surface-level at best, pointless at worst.
Hellsing Ultimate is ultimately an entertaining action anime that features extreme amounts of beautiful blood and violence. With that being said, the show never reaches towards a higher place thematically, leaving behind a trail of what could have been.
P.S. Seras is best girl. Amen.
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SCORE
- (4.05/5)
MORE INFO
Ended inDecember 26, 2012
Main Studio MADHOUSE
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