Blood-The Last Vampire (A Mini Review)

The 2000 anime film, still has a grip on me to this very day.

For some inexplicable reason, I had this OVA in my head throughout the day. I guess with all of the disruptive U.S political news and how these times echoes the days of Richard Nixon and his Watergate scandal, I remember how this movie sparked my interest in learning more about the war in Vietnam. Back when I first saw this movie, it was around 2010. I was a college kid. I believe the U.S was still in the war with Iraq and Afghanistan. I always run into films with some historical component to it that makes me want to learn more about a specific time period, whether it’s American, English or European history. But anyway, let me talk about this film real quick. Director Hiroyuki Kitakubo’s film is set in 1966, during the Vietnam War. We follow a young hunter named Saya. She’s on assignment to kill these vicious, demon bat -looking creatures, the Chiropterans, that have infiltrated the American Yokota Air Force Base. These creatures are monsters underneath their human facade and thrive off copious amounts of human blood. She must kill them before they strike and go into hibernation. To get to them, Saya disguises herself as a student of the school located next to the base. However, her strange behavior doesn’t go unnoticed. Makiho Amano, the school nurse, catches on to Saya’s real activities and she is gets caught in the action. Saya not only has to protect her but also complete the mission before it’s too late. This film is one of my favorite horror animes. I love the story and the animation style is wonderful. It’s gritty but it’s stylish. It’s pretty to look at. Saya’s character made an impact on me. Though the film heavily implies she’s a vampire, you don’t know much about her. By the end of the film, I wanted to learn more about her character and her backstory since the film doesn’t cover it.  The only thing I have a problem with this film is that its only 45 minutes long, so there wasn’t enough time for a lot of character development. There is still a well-written story here. It was meant to be a three parter but the Saya’s story continues in the manga, a light novel trilogy, and a video game. That being said, the film ends where a sequel can take place. It also feels ominous with the archival footage of the Vietnam War displaying during the end credits. The link I posted is the ending theme and my favorite piece of music in the film. It sparks in me a feeling of uncertainty and fear of the unknown. After all these years, this track still stays with me. Personally, if a film like this invokes any emotional response in me, as well as entertain me with good humor and intense action, I can get over its brevity. My hope is that Netflix or even a suitable streaming service like Shudder can make this available for streaming some day. I think this film is worth seeing by anyone who is into anime and vampires.