Hellsing Ultimate Series: 1 Limited Edition DVD

Reviewed by Chris Hori
January 24, 2007

Director: Tomokazu Tokoro Screenplay: Hideyuki Kurata and Yousuke Kuroda Original Manga: Kouta Hirano Distributor: Geneon Entertainment (USA) Genre: Drama, Horror, Shounen Age Rating: Mature (contains drug, sexual situtations, and graphic violence) Website: Click Here Review Rating: 8.5 out of 10

New from Geneon Entertainment, Hellsing Ultimate Series: 1 Limited Edition DVD is in stores now. Based on the Manga by Kouta Hirano, the Limited Edition version comes with a metal case, as well as a second disk containing a collection of special features including:

• Interview featuring: Taliesin Jaffe (English voice director) and Crispen Freeman (English voice of Arucard)
• 4 promo videos for Hellsing Ultimate including the Japanese Ep1 Trailer
• Credit-less Ending
• 4 Japan TV Commercials
• 2 Production Art Galleries : Characters, Props and Backgrounds

The main DVD contains the 50 minute feature, which is the first episode in the series. Shown in 16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen the audio is both 5.1 DTS audio (English) and 5.1 Dolby Digital (English and Japanese), as well as English subtitles. You also have the option to watch it with an audio commentary.

Hellsing special edition relief sculpture.

Set in modern day England the Hellsing Organization, led by Sir Integra Hellsing, protects the country from the armies of the undead vampires and ghouls. The organization's ultimate weapon is a rogue vampire named Arucard who possesses powers and abilities beyond that of a normal vampire. Also introduced are Seras Victoria, a police woman who is thrown into the battle when Arucard is forced to shoot her then transform her into a vampire to save her life, and the paladin Father Anderson, a holy monster hunter whose only allegiance is to the church.

The animation is fairly dark, with a heavy use of white highlights giving a strong contrast for dramatic effect. At times this is a bit overdone, with glow effects added to anything metal and glass, though for the most part it enhances the mood rather than detract from it. The animation itself is far more graphic and violent than the original Hellsing anime, closely following the original manga.

The audio is very impressive as both the English and Japanese support 5.1 Dolby Digital. Also the English Dub work is top notch, with British and Irish characters having the appropriate accent in their speech. Because of this I feel the English dub is slightly better than the original Japanese audio.

The first DVD is a good introduction to the key characters, introducing the mystery of Arucard's origins, Seras Victoria 's transformation and introduction into the life of a vampire, and the fanatical zeal of Father Anderson. The first Hellsing Ultimate DVD gets a high rating from me, however I would only recommend getting the Limited Edition version if you are interested in the special features, are a collector, or you want the special edition relief sculpture that is special packaged with some of the Limited Edition Cases.

While each each episode is only 1 hour long, the series clearly has potential to become something great. This series has many things going for it, including a solid screenplay by known writers, Hideyuki Kurata (Read Or Die, and Cloth Road) and Yousuke Kuroda (Honey and Clover, and Excel Saga), as well as clean animation, excellent audio and a basis on the popular manga by Kouta Hirano. I expect each episode to have the same high quality as the first, and that is something to look forward to.