"Blood+" (2005) TV series 2005-2006

Director:

Junichi Fujisaku

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Drama | Horror

Plot:

A young girl named Saya combats vicious, shape-shifting demons in Okinawa, 2005.

Plot Keywords:

Creature | Vampire | Secret Organization | Katana Sword | Blood Drinking

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 29

4:00 AM

TOON

Jungle Paradise

#1.13

Cast

Kari Wahlgren	...	Saya Otonashi (50 episodes, 2005-2006)
Ben Diskin	...	Kai (50 episodes, 2005-2006)
Crispin Freeman	...	Haji (50 episodes, 2005-2006)
Olivia Hack	...	Mao, Irene (50 episodes, 2005-2006)
Dave Wittenberg	...	Solomon / ... (25 episodes, 2005-2006)
Steve Blum	...	Collins / ... (22 episodes, 2006)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

South Korea:18 | USA:TV-MA | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | USA:TV-14 (some episodes)

Company:

Aniplex

Trivia:

"Chevalier" is the French word for "knight".

Quotes:

Julia: Kai's a nice boy, isn't he?
David: In the battlefield, the nice guys always die first. I don't want to see it happen.
Julia: You sure have changed.
David: Changed?
Julia: Until recently, you were like an iron robot.
David: And now?
Julia: Now you're like an android or a cyborg.
David: I'm growing weaker by the day.
Julia: Really? I like you better this way.
David: In this business, weakness is a shortcoming.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Anime: Drawing a Revolution (2007) (TV)

Not just another vampire anime

NOTE: I have seen the whole 50-episode series already, but not to worry, this is a NO-SPOILER review.

I used to watch a fair amount of anime, but over the past few years, my interest in it had been gradually waning, partly because of the decreasing number of good shows being produced, and partly because of lack of time due to my heavy workload.

However, this trend was reversed when I had the good fortune of coming across Blood+. I had never heard of it before, but the premise seemed interesting enough, though not particularly original or unique. I decided to give it a shot, expecting at least a decent and entertaining show but not much more than that.

But what I got was much, much more I had dared to hoped for. What starts out as a fairly conventional storyline gradually unravels, revealing a vastly more complex and intricate narrative tapestry. Its deliberate pacing may be misconstrued by some as being "slow", but as the story progresses, all the puzzle pieces that are uncovered early on start to fall into place, and things that once seemed insignificant or nonsensical begin to make sense.

As for the technical merits of this show, other people have already discussed its superb animation and hauntingly evocative soundtrack, so I won't go into too much detail on them. Suffice it to say that they complement the mood of the series exceptionally well.

However, what really won me over was the exceptional character development displayed here. Without giving too much away, I can say that these characters actually felt like real, living, breathing people and not just 2-D images on the TV screen. They change and evolve as time goes by, and after a particular event occurs, don't be surprised if you find yourself regarding certain characters in a totally different light.

To make a long story short, Blood+ is one of only a handful of shows that transcends the boundaries of its genre, and one of the best amines I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. In fact, it practically single-handedly revived my passion for anime and spurred me on to seek many other great shows, which I probably would not have bothered to watch otherwise. And that is probably the greatest compliment one can pay to any medium of entertainment.