Blood: The Last Vampire Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "Blood: The Last Vampire" delivers an engaging visual experience through its strong 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. While the movie’s color palette remains somewhat muted and drab for most of its duration, this intentional stylistic choice contributes to its overall dark and bloody tone. The colors do come alive in the film's final moments, creating a striking contrast. Fine details are meticulously rendered, such as the grime on subway station walls and the wear on various city surfaces, adding to the movie's immersive atmosphere. Black levels are particularly impressive, enhancing the visual depth without overpowering other elements. Despite moderate banding, akin to that found in "Ghost in the Shell," the presentation holds up well, looking very good in context.

The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode (1.78:1) encapsulates the movie's intentionally misty and somewhat dreamy appearance, although it doesn't achieve razor-sharp clarity. The animation remains visually appealing, maintaining good resolution from start to finish. Contrast is deliberately subdued, with whites staying clean and crisp while blacks are deeply rendered and offer an inky quality, though the image mostly retains a flat profile. The color palette, though restrained, renders accurately, contributing to the picture's antiquated aesthetic. Fine lines are clearly defined throughout. However, visible posterization, especially noticeable during the runway sequence, slightly detracts from the overall quality. Still, the high-definition video presentation does justice to this short anime flick.

The Blu-ray audio presentation of "Blood: The Last Vampire" is delivered with a robust DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Right from the outset, the track is loud, aggressive, and thoroughly enjoyable, showcasing its prowess within its 48-minute duration. The film's opening subway sequence immediately immerses listeners, as the car rushes down the track with convincing rumbles and rattles, enhanced by an ominous musical score with substantial low-end support. The aggressive use of the rear channels significantly contributes to an engaging auditory experience, not only in action-packed scenes but also in crucial ambient moments such as the noise of bustling school hallways. Gunshots are rendered with remarkable precision, and explosions deliver a satisfyingly boomy low end. Dialogue is consistently clear and free from distortion, ensuring intelligibility throughout. For non-Japanese speakers, forced English subtitles accompany scenes with Japanese dialogue.

While the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is generally well-received, it can occasionally be ear-piercing and overly loud during certain action sequences. This sometimes necessitates reaching for the remote to adjust the volume. Despite this minor inconvenience, the lossless track remains highly active, with effective channel movement and decent envelopment. Discrete effects are employed to enhance the soundfield; however, they can feel somewhat localized and forced. While highs are occasionally sharp and dynamic range is balanced, nuanced changes in volume are handled well, maintaining an agreeable auditory experience. Despite some imperfections in ADR, which may be a personal gripe, "Blood: The Last Vampire" delivers an overall satisfying audio performance in high-resolution format.

The Extras on the Blu-ray release of "Blood: The Last Vampire" are modest in scope but provide some valuable insights for dedicated fans and animation enthusiasts. The primary feature, "Making of Blood: The Last Vampire," offers a somewhat fragmented yet informative look into the production process, highlighting interviews with the crew and discussing the integration of material concepts with computer-generated imagery. Though the documentary doesn't delve deeply into unique content, it provides a serviceable overview. Additionally, the inclusion of an Alternate Digital Data Version allows for comparison between different renditions of the film, though its necessity is debatable. Lastly, the package includes a standard-definition trailer for the movie.

Extras included in this disc:

• Making of 'Blood: The Last Vampire': A behind-the-scenes look at the production process with crew interviews.
• Alternate Digital Data Version: Allows viewers to compare different versions of the film.
• Trailer: Preview of "Blood: The Last Vampire."

“Blood: The Last Vampire” delivers a brisk, action-packed anime experience that is deceptively straightforward. Set against the backdrop of a U.S. military base in post-WWII Japan, the story follows Saya, a vampire-like entity, entrusted with eliminating demonic creatures hiding within a high school. The narrative swiftly dives into its primary plotline, dispensing with intricate backstories and opting instead for visceral confrontations and tightly animated sequences. Admirably lean at 48 minutes, this film shuns superfluous exposition and secondary characters to remain laser-focused on its central conflict. The runtime affords little room for filler, ensuring a consistent pace and concise storytelling.

Visually, the film stands out with its unique blend of traditional hand-drawn elements and digital animation. Directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, the movie features detailed backgrounds and a muted color palette that contrasts sharply with the vivid splashes of blood during action scenes. The animation captures both beauty and brutality, resulting in aesthetically compelling yet gruesome violence. Despite its stylistic similarities to “Ghost in the Shell,” “Blood: The Last Vampire” carves out its visual identity through its digital enhancements and moody ambiance.

However, the film suffers from underdeveloped characters and an overall sense of incompleteness. While the minimal exposition adds to the enigmatic aura surrounding Saya, it also leaves viewers craving deeper insight into her origins and motivations. The voice acting ranges from serviceable to wooden, but aligns well with the characters’ personalities, particularly Saya’s stoic demeanor. Supporting characters like the school nurse serve dual purposes of comic relief and narrative perspective, enhancing viewer engagement through their reactions to the chaos unfolding around them. Despite its shortcomings, “Blood: The Last Vampire” remains an engrossing entry into the anime genre, promising a visually stunning experience that leaves its audience eager for more of Saya’s deadly adventures.

'Blood: The Last Vampire' is an anime film that stands out for its visually engaging style and concise storytelling. The film successfully balances a dark, atmospheric aesthetic with high-octane action, making it an attractive entry point for newcomers to the anime genre. The Blu-ray release by Starz subsidiary Manga Entertainment expertly preserves these elements with superior video and audio quality. The sharpness of the animations and the clarity of the sound truly enhance the viewer’s experience, underscoring the filmmakers’ meticulous efforts. However, some viewers might notice minor artifacting, which slightly detracts from the overall visual experience.

Despite its visual and auditory strengths, 'Blood: The Last Vampire' falters a bit in storytelling. The narrative feels episodic, almost as if it's laying groundwork for a larger series rather than standing alone as a complete film. This results in a plot that could use some fleshing out, leaving viewers yearning for more depth and context. Additionally, while the Blu-ray efficiently captures the film’s technical merits, it falls short in offering substantial special features. For dedicated fans of the genre, this may be disappointing and put a damper on the overall package.

In conclusion, 'Blood: The Last Vampire' might not be anime at its absolute best, but as an introductory piece to the genre, it's hard to find better. Simple, short, visually captivating, exciting, and lacking any needless side stories to muddle the plot, the film is the sort that's easy to digest and good for anytime viewing. This Blu-ray release delivers superior video and audio presentations but is regrettably sparse on supplementary content. Regardless, longtime fans and newcomers alike will be hard-pressed to find the film looking or sounding any better—and on the strength of the film and its technical presentation, 'Blood: The Last Vampire' earns a recommendation.