"BLOOD+" Review: A masterpiece anime with a vampire world and a deep story

BLOOD+ - The ultimate hyper action battle road movie

The TV anime series "BLOOD+" aired from 2005 to 2006. It was created by Production IG and Aniplex and directed by Junichi Fujisaku. The 50-episode series aired every Saturday on the MBS and TBS networks and became a hot topic due to its captivating storyline and epic scale.

■ Story

A hyper-action battle road movie that travels from Okinawa to the world!

This battle has continued ceaselessly in the shadows of history, across time and place. Chiropter - creatures with grotesque forms that can mimic humans and consume their blood without ever being noticed by humans.

A mysterious organization, "Red Shield", continues to pursue and annihilate the Chikute. Over the years, the battle has grown even bigger, involving the darkness of the people. ─And then, in 2005, Okinawa. A high school student, Otonashi Sayo, who lives in this area, lives a peaceful life with her warm family. The only thing she lacks is her memories from more than a year ago. However, her ordinary life begins to crumble due to an incident. The enemy she must defeat and the mission she must fulfill draw her back into the vortex of battle. Haji, a young man dressed in jet black and playing the cello. When the girl gets the sword given to her by Haji, who shares her destiny, history finally begins to move. Will Sayo be able to recover her lost memories and her existence?

■Explanation

Five years have passed since the movie version that shocked the world... That "BLOOD" is being revived as a TV series with a new setting!!

"BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE" was released in theaters in 2000 as a pioneer of full digital animation. The visuals of the mysterious sailor-suited girl wielding a Japanese sword and the high-quality digital images opened up new horizons in animation. It was praised not only in Japan but also by Hollywood creators such as James Cameron (director of "Titanic"). It is said that director Quentin Tarantino was inspired by Saya, the main character of "BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE", when creating the image of "Kill Bill".

But this was just the beginning. In 2005, "BLOOD" was re-released as a TV animation called "BLOOD+" with a new setting, which will begin airing on October 8th. For this TV series, under the direction of Director Junichi Fujisaku and the rest of the TV staff, the characters and story have been completely renewed while keeping the concept of "a girl using a sword to cut down a winged hand" intact. While the movie version was a drama set in a limited location, Yokota Air Base, in 1966, the TV series has a theme of "war" and is set on a scale that surpasses that of the movie version, with the protagonist Otonashi Sayo, who is burdened with a harsh fate, and the characters surrounding her chasing the strange creatures "winged hands" that lurk in the darkness of history, as a hyper-action battle road movie that begins in Okinawa and travels around the world.

This fall, the ultimate entertainment series that will rewrite the history of TV anime will finally be unveiled!

■Cast

・Otonashi Sayo/Kitamura Eri・Haji/Konishi Katsuyuki・Miyagi Kai/Yoshino Hiroyuki・Miyagi Riku/Yajima Akiko・Miyagi George/Otsuka Yoshitada・David/Kosugi Jurota・Joel/Ishida Akira・Okamura Akihiro/Ito Kentaro・Jahana Mao/Koshimizu Ami・Anshel/Nakata Joji・Solomon/Tsujitani Koji・Carl (Phantom)/Sasaki Nozomu・James/Okawa Toru・Nathan/Fujiwara Keiji・Moses/Yanagi Naoki・Diva/Yajima Akiko

■ Main staff

・Planning/Aoyuki Takeda ・Original story/Production IG, Aniplex
・Director, series composition / Junichi Fujisaki ・Character design / Chizu Hashii ・Animation character, chief animation director / Meiji Ishii ・Art director / Junichi Azuma, Koji Eto ・Color setting / Yumiko Katayama ・Mecha design / Kenji Teraoka ・Director of photography / Hiroshi Tanaka ・Planning cooperation / Mamoru Oshii ・3D director / Makoto Endo ・Editor / Taeko Hamauzu ・Design cooperation / Katsuya Terada ・Planning cooperation / Mamoru Oshii ・Music / Mark Mancina
・Music Producer: Hans Zimmer
・Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami ・Sound Producer: Minoru Yamada ・Producers: Hirofumi Morotomi, Hiroo Maruyama, Tomonori Ochikoshi, Katsuji Morishita, Narue Minami ・Executive Producer: Hideo Katsumata, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa ・Production: Production IG
Produced by Mainichi Broadcasting System, Aniplex, Production IG

■ Main Characters

・Otonashi Sayo A high school girl living in Okinawa City. Although she has no memory of more than a year ago, she lives a happy life surrounded by a warm family, even though they are not related by blood. However, one night, when she goes to school to retrieve something she forgot, she is attacked by a strange creature called "Winged Hand". When a mysterious young man called Haji appears, kisses her in blood, and hands her a sword, she begins to realize the fate that has been placed upon her...

A beautiful cellist who always appears wherever Haji Saya is. Her true identity is an immortal being called "Chevalier" who has been protecting Saya for over 100 years.

・Kai Miyagi
17 years old. Until a year ago, he was a member of the baseball team and was an ace, but he gave up due to an injury. He has a short temper and now spends his days fighting and riding his motorcycle. However, he is kind at heart and thinks about his family more than anyone else.

In contrast to his older brother Kai, Riku Miyagi has a gentle personality. He loves reading books and is good at cooking and laundry. He was seriously injured at the hands of Diva and was near death, but he received a share of Sayo's blood and became a Chevalier. However, he was attacked again by Diva during an attack on the Red Shield headquarters and was shattered.

Miyagi George: Sayo, Kai, Riku's father. He ran a pub called "OMORO" in Okinawa. He was abducted by the US military and given Delta 67, a drug that turns humans into Chiropterans, which turned parts of his body into Chiropterans. He chose to die as "Father" before he was completely transformed, and was buried in Sayo's blood.

A member of the "Red Shield", an organization whose goal is to eliminate David Winged. When Sayo went berserk during the Vietnam War, he became the team leader of the members who supported Sayo, taking over from the previous David who was sacrificed.

Lewis is a member of the Red Shield. He is primarily involved in intelligence activities.

Julia is a medical staff member of the Red Shield. While pursuing her research into the Chiropractors, she is invited by her university research lab supervisor and Red Shield Vice Director Collins to betray the Red Shield.

- Clara: A member of the Red Shield special forces.

Spencer: A member of the Red Shield special forces.

-McCoy is a member of the Red Shield special forces.

- Member of Rogers' Red Shield special forces.

Elizabeta: An agent of the "Red Shield" who supports Sayo and her friends in Russia. Nicknamed "Liza." Together they board the Trans-Siberian Railway, heading for Yekaterinburg...

Joel: The young head of the Red Shield. The Red Shield was founded in 1883 to clean up the mess left by the tragedy at the Zoo, and since then, anyone who inherited the Goldschmidt family title has taken on Joel's name and role as head of the Red Shield. The Red Shield suffered a devastating blow when Diva and Carl raided its headquarters, forcing Joel to use a wheelchair, but he continues to support David and the others from behind the scenes.

Akihiro Okamura is a reporter for the local newspaper, "Ryukyu Mainichi." After encountering the Tsuchite incident, he became intrigued by its unfathomable nature and began investigating on his own.

Mao Jahana A 17-year-old who attends the same high school as Sayo and the others. She is strong-willed. She is so single-mindedly pursuing Kai that she takes 50 million yen of the secret funds of her father's real estate company, "Jahanagumi," and chases after Sayo and the others with Okamura.

・Kanjo Kaori Sayo's classmate and best friend. She is a member of the track and field club.

Minh: A student at the boarding school "Lycee de Cinq Freche" in Vietnam where Sayo attends, and a girl who is Sayo's roommate. She has a bright personality and becomes Sayo's important friend here.

Anna Marie Sayo - Min's classmate. She seems to be Ms. Lee's favorite. She always has a group of friends.

- Miss Lily de Cinqfrais' teacher. Just as she appears to be, she is a very strict person.

A girl from the Mui shelter. She lost one leg in a landmine accident. She's good at playing the piano.

Van Argiano is the development manager of Delta 67 at the pharmaceutical company Cinqfresh Pharmacy. He worked with the US military in Okinawa and administered a drug containing Delta 67 to children in Vietnam. He was originally a subordinate of Solomon, but he gained the favor of Anshel and became his direct subordinate.

・The oldest Chevalier of Ansheldiva. As the eldest brother, he controls the will of the Chevaliers. After killing Elisabeth, a member of the Red Shield, he disguised himself as her and approached Sayo. On the surface, he is the head of Goldsmith Holdings, who uses his capital to become a shareholder in well-known companies around the world.

Solomon: On the surface, he is the CEO of Cinqfresh Pharmacy. He comes into contact with Sayo at a dance party in the lycee. His instincts as a Chevalier go beyond, and he is drawn to Sayo... A gentle-mannered man.

Karl is ostensibly in charge of the Vietnam branch of Cinq Fraîche Pharmacy and the chairman of the Lycée de Cinq Fraîche. He has had an abnormal obsession with Saya ever since she cut off his right arm when she went berserk during the Vietnam War. He ignores Anshel's wishes and challenges Saya to a fight, but his hand is cut off by Solomon and pierced by Saya's sword, killing him.

Phantom: A legendary figure in the Lise who kidnaps female students who fall in love with him. His true identity is Karl.

James is the first officer on the surface of a nuclear aircraft carrier in the US Navy. He manages the containers of the Diva that were brought from Vietnam on board the carrier. He is a straight-laced man. He becomes a Chevalier at the end of World War II.

・Nathan Chevalier's seventh son and youngest brother. Officially, he is the producer of the New York Metropolitan Opera House. He is known for his theatrical mannerisms and expressions.

・He is the leader of Moses Sif. He has a calm and cautious personality and leads his comrades. *An artificial winged hand created by Anshel from Diva's blood at Kilbed's research facility. He escapes from the facility and seeks out Saya's blood to prevent his body from self-destructing, but when he learns that even Saya's blood will not prevent him from dying, he decides to defeat Diva as proof that he is alive.

One of the Karmanshifs. In contrast to Moses, he has a passionate personality.

・Irene She has a keen sense and can hear sounds from a distance. She was one of the Shifu with a sad expression, but when the Thorn appeared, Kai begged her to give him some of his blood, but she couldn't prevent his death.

A member of Lulusif. Her weapon is a large axe that is out of proportion to her small stature. Despite her childish behavior, she also cares for her friends.

Grey: David's instructor in the US military. Now retired, he lives in the suburbs of London with orphans who lost their parents on battlefields around the world.

-One of the war orphans living at Monique Gray's house.

・One of the war orphans living at Nahabi Gray's house.

-One of the war orphans living at Havia Gray's house.

・Diva Saya's blood twin sister. 130 years ago, she was born together with Saya from a cocoon taken from the body of a Chiropter's mummy brought to the "Zoo," a facility established by the first Joel to study animals and plants from around the world. However, in contrast to Saya, who was given a name and lived a normal human life, Diva was imprisoned in a tower. On the first Joel's 72nd birthday, Diva escaped from the tower using the key given to her by Saya and massacred the people in the zoo. Since then, a secret battle has begun between Diva, Saya, and the "Red Shield," an organization that aims to eliminate Chiropter's.

・Winged hand
A strange creature with sharp claws and fangs. It mimics human form and blends into human society while feeding on blood. Its ecology and population are unknown, and it is a sealed entity in general society. A mysterious organization called "Red Shield" is pursuing it in order to eliminate it.

■ Main robot items

・Project Delta A project aimed at the scientific analysis of Diva blood. They pursued themes such as how much Diva blood would take to turn a human into a Chiropractor, and what would happen if it was processed, and in the process they refined a drug called "D67 (Delta Rokunana)". This D67 was the content of the wine delivered to the Yanbaru Nature Conservation Center in Okinawa, and was also given to Mui and the others in Vietnam (however, the ingredients and effects change depending on when it was made). Currently, it is thought to be mixed into many Cinqfresh products, such as the nutritional supplement "Sankfresh Gold", the candy bars distributed at Diva visits to US military camps, and food provided to the military and starving areas.

・SZS (Sudden Zoantoropy Syndrome)
The name of the disease invented by the US government to describe people who had become chiropractors due to D67. It is a rare disease of unknown cause, and has been announced as not being contagious.

During the research process of the Corpse Corps Delta Project, the "D-Factor" was discovered in the genes of Diva. An attempt was made to artificially create a Chevalier by transferring this unidentified base into a human egg. As a result, the "prototypes" that were born were Shifu and the others, and the "finished product" was the Corpse Corps (the Corpse Corps). The Corpse Corps reach adulthood in a short period of time, have strong athletic abilities and recovery powers, and also have a limited lifespan, making them the ideal weapons to be produced.

・Metropolitan Opera House This is the venue for Diva's debut performance and the stage for the final showdown between Sayo and Diva. Located in the center of Lincoln Center in New York, it is one of the three largest opera houses in the world and hosts some of the world's top musicians. It has a capacity of 4,000. It was founded in 1883, the same year that "Sunday in Bordeaux" took place.

■Subtitle

●Okinawa Edition Episode-01/First Kiss (2005/10/08)
・Episode-02／Magic Words (2005/10/15)
・Episode-03／The Beginning (2005/10/22)
・Episode-04／Dangerous Boy (2005/10/29)
・Episode-05／Beyond the Dark Forest (2005/11/05)
・Episode-06／Dad's Hands(2005/11/12)
・Episode-07／I have to do it (2005/11/19)
● Vietnam Edition Episode-08 / Phantom of the School (2005/11/26)
・Episode-09／Each Rainbow (2005/12/03)
・Episode-10／I want to see you (2005/12/10)
・Episode-11/After the Dance (2005/12/17)
・Episode-12／Invited by the White Mist (2005/12/24)
・Episode-13／Jungle Paradise (2006/01/07)
●Okinawa Edition, Episode-14/The Last Sunday (2006/01/14)
・Episode-15／I want to chase you!(2006/01/21)
● Russia Episode-16 / Siberian Express (2006/01/28)
・Episode-17／Do you remember the promise?(2006/02/04)
Episode 18: The Moon of Ekaterinburg (2006/02/11)
・Episode-19／Broken Heart (2006/02/18)
●France: Episode 20/Chevalier (2006/02/25)
・Episode-21／Sour Grapes(2006/03/04)
・Episode-22/Zoo(2006/03/11)
・Episode-23／Two Chevaliers (2006/03/18)
・Episode-24／Light Singing Voice (2006/03/25)
・Episode-25／Red Shield (2006/04/01)
・Episode-26／The one who follows Saya (2006/04/08)
・Episode-27／Paris Je t'aime (2006/04/15)
・Episode-28／Limited Things(2006/04/22)
・Episode-29／Cursed Blood (2006/04/29)
・Episode-30/Joel's Diary (2006/05/06)
・Episode-31／The Breaking Shield (2006/05/13)
・Episode-32／Boy Meets Girl(2006/05/20)
●British Edition Episode-33: The Power of Belief (2006/05/27)
・Episode-34／The World We Live In (2006/06/03)
・Episode-35／No Hope Tomorrow (2006/06/10)
・Episode-36／Misunderstandings (2006/06/17)
Episode 37: Crazy (2006/06/24)
・Episode-38／The Island of Decisive Battle (2006/07/01)
・Episode-39／The Magic Words Again (2006/07/08)
・Episode-40／Chevalier's Dream(2006/07/15)
●America: Episode 41/My Place (2006/07/22)
・Episode-42／Resonating Singing Voice (2006/07/29)
・Episode-43／Disturbed (2006/08/05)
・Episode-44／In the Light (2006/08/12)
・Episode-45／Palm to the Sun(2006/08/19)
・Episode-46／Let's hope it's sunny tomorrow (2006/08/26)
・Episode-47／Beyond All Blood (2006/09/02)
・Episode-48／Matenrou Opera (2006/09/09)
・Episode-49／Two Queens(2006/09/16)
・Episode-50／Nankurunaisa(2006/09/23)

■ Related works

・BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Tears of the Blue Sky・Lyrics: Hitomi Takahashi, Natsumi Watanabe・Music: Hidenori Tanaka・Arrangement: Hyoe Yasuhara・Singer: Hitomi Takahashi

・OP2
・SEASON'S CALL
Lyrics: HYDE
・Composer: KAZ
Arrangement: KAZ, HYDE
・Singer: HYDE

・OP3
・Colors of the Heart
Lyrics: TAKUYA∞, Alice ice
・Composer: TAKUYA∞
・Arrangement/UVERworld, Satoru Hiraide・Song/UVERworld

・OP4
・Raion・Lyrics/Jin・Composition/Jin・Arrangement/Jin・Singer/Jin

・ED1
・Passing on the story ・Lyrics by HUSSY_R
・Composition: Yuichi Takagi ・Arrangement: Shintaro Tokita (Sukima Switch)
・Song: Moto Chitose

・ED2
・CRY NO MORE
Lyrics by Yasushi Chika; Music by Lensei
Arrangement: Shin Kono Vocals: Mika Nakashima

・ED3
・This Love
Lyrics: Angela Aki Composition: Angela Aki Arrangement: Motoki Matsuoka & Angela Aki Singer: Angela Aki

・ED4
・Brand New Map
Lyrics: Jun Tatsutano; Composition: Masaya Wada; Arrangement: Jin Nakamura, Masaya Wada; Singer: K

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"BLOOD+" draws viewers in with its epic storyline and deep character portrayals. In particular, the growth of Otonashi Sayo and the changes in the relationships surrounding her leave a strong impression on viewers. In addition, each episode is set in a different country or region, adding to the visual appeal.

The animation quality is also high, and Production IG's technical capabilities are fully demonstrated. The power of the battle scenes and the beauty of the backgrounds provide visual enjoyment. In addition, the music, a collaboration between Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer, is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

This work is recommended not only for viewers who like vampires and action, but also for those who want to enjoy a deep story and character development. In particular, those who have seen the movie version "BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE" will be surprised by the new developments in the TV series.

"BLOOD+" is a work that provides viewers with a lot of emotion and excitement, and is a masterpiece that everyone should watch at least once. You will be drawn into the development of the story and the fates of the characters, and you will definitely find yourself watching it all the way to the final episode.