Nightwalker: Midnight Detective (TV Mini Series 1998) Poster

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6/10
decent low budget anime
chrichtonsworld14 February 2007
Maybe I am a bit to critical! But for an anime from the year 2000 I expected better animation! I must admit that I enjoyed some of the episodes with the last episode "eternal darkness" being best! Overall this anime lacks an original and exciting story! The action was great and entertaining! But I did have problems with "Shido"'s inconsistency using his powers! One episode he is able to run up a building! And another episode he can't even get out of a dried up well! I did like his ability to use his own blood as a weapon! I can't recall this ever being done in a series about vampires! (Maybe now people will jump up and mention "Blood+". In "blood+" blood was used to finish off demons but not made into a sword or flying projectiles like in "Nightwalker") It is too bad you don't get to know "Shido" well! He is a Vampire with a past and a life before he became a Vampire! But for some reason he can't remember his past! This anime could have been much better if they deepened his character by telling some of his past adventures! Comparing this to other anime and about vampires this a nice and decent addition!
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Loved It! <3
DunpealFox0724 October 2005
I loved Night Walker, It had everything an anime should have. Shidou's character was very well defined, along with Yayoi and Kaine. I recommend this anime for everyone, even those who have never seen an anime in their lives would probably enjoy this. This show had me on the edge of my seat all the way till the end, definitely a thrill ride worth staying up till 2 am on a school night to see. Not that I recommend doing that...<<; (Yea..it's worth it.) So if your interested, rent it, if you like it buy it. If your just a stupid water head who likes to hate on good anime..Be smart..Don't even pick it up and go back to your teenage dramas.

-The Dunpeal Fox
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9/10
Does it really have to end like this?
evildigiempress123 June 2006
Very good. Some of it was a bit cliché, but really very original for the subject of vampires. Someone else who commented on here said the first few episodes were out of print, but I haven't found this to be the case. If you go to centralparkmedia.com, you can supposedly buy it there. I also found them on Amazon. Where did I find my episodes? Ironically, in a Save-A-Lot grocery store's dollar bin (they were VHS). Yes, my episodes were only a dollar. The only problem is that I couldn't get 5-8 and will have to buy them later. Hard to believe there's only 12 episodes. I hope that more are made because I would actually buy this series. The soundtrack is actually beautiful, in my opinion. Cain's theme is awesome, as is the opening theme. All of the music is lovely though.

A must-see series for lovers of anime and vampires!
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10/10
This one needs a sequel!!!
petekrug1712 February 2003
If you're 17 or older, you like gothic anime, and you happen to be lucky enough to see this in a video rental outlet, WATCH IT. If none of the rental places near where you live have it, JUST BUY THE DAMN THING! I promise you won't regret it. The main characters are Shido, a vampire who works as a detective and battles to keep humans safe from the "Nightbreed" (Different types of demons that possess people, basically), his partner Yayoi, a female member of the Japanese goverment group N.O.S., that is also dedicated to keeping the world safe from the supernatural, Guni, a creature who calls herself a fairy but looks more like a tiny gargoyle, (but is good, anyway,) and Riho, a high school girl whose parents were killed by the nightbreed and who works as Shido's secretary. Riho has a crush on Shido and she knows he's a detective but dosen't know he's a vampire. Shido's unique powers include the ability to summon a blood sword which he uses to fight evil. The main bad guy here is Cain, the one who turned Shido into a vampire centuries ago and who holds the secrets to Shido's past life. (Shido has forgotten what his life was like as a human.) I don't want to reveal too much, but I'll just say that the ending dosen't quite tie up all the loose ends, and leaves you wanting to find out what will happen to the characters next.
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10/10
My Most Favorite Show Ever!
KatherinePetersdorf30 June 2013
I found Night Walker when I was fourteen by mistake. It was in the anime section of the block buster and I wanted to upset my mother by getting something that looked dark and disturbing.

After watching it I was head over heels in love with the series, so much so that I purchased the series right away. Not an episode passed that wasn't action packed, and that 90% of them were so emotional and filled with beautiful sorrow that I cry. The episode with Yayoi and her sister is my favorite, I cry for most of it and the moment it ends I have no writer's block and write the most amazing scenes on my novels.

It is something I can watch all the time and it isn't a typical vampire story at all.
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3/10
Yawn....
Irishchatter22 September 2019
Just really about a pretty boy who is both a vampire and detective. He has 3 chicks by his side whom are all so irritating. Also opening song isn't that great.

Yeah that's all I'm gonna say about it, very dissapointed...
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10/10
cool
alzeid0921 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
1. Can you help me find the set so i can buy it for my friend she really loves this series but i cant find it to buy if for her 2. This series was really great i enjoyed it a lot 3. There should be a sequel but whatever it leaves you hanging to make your own so its okay 4.I really need help finding this it would be a perfect birthday present and her b-day is on Januray 16th she will be 16 so it would be a big help if someone could help me 5. This was a totally awesome show 6. it is really hard to make ten lines just to say help me gosh 7. new tip don't make it be so long i don't have that much to write okay 8. this was a awesome show and deserves a lot of credit for it.9. well if you would be so kind to help me that would be great. 10. peace out
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4/10
Didn't like the ending Warning: Spoilers
First five eps were okay, I have low standards. I watch this because of the opening. Most cases were intriguing but I hate the ending. Romance is a cliche in this genre. But I was going to let it slide. The dynamic is very similar to other animes I have watched. Predictable. They didn't even best Cain in some way they just discarded him. I wanted to see a fight! Damn it.

Since there needs to be more words I'd say that op was good. Best thing of this anime. The music was also great. I just wanted to see a battle with high stakes. Cain seemed to be a interesting character I wanted to know more about him. How did he emerge? But no he just fills a somewhat villain role.
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Think Angel
kolin_roberts3 July 2005
Nightwalker originally started as a 3 episode OVA (original video animation) or basically a direct to video film. However it started such a following they decided to expand the originally 3 episodes into a normal 12 episode ova. I'm glad they did.

The story is about a vampire under the name Shido Tatsuhiko who runs a detective agency for the strange and paranormal. This serves more as a guise because Shido spends most of his time hunting and destroying demonic creatures known as Nightbreeds. Shido has three assistants which cover most Japanese stereotypes. Yayoi, the tough and more action driven lady of the group. The ditsy love interest Riho, and the loudmouth imp Guni.

The animation itself is wonderful, created back in the time where everything was still handrawn and backgrounds were beautifully made by watercolours. It has a mid 90's feel to it that I can never get enough of, for comparing you could say it looks like the artwork of sailor moon; except, much, much more violent.

The stories are well done and as weak as the US Manga corps group is, they really hit it with the voice acting. Vincent Hatcher is on the scene as Shido (he has done many works, most notably Himura Kenshin in the famed series Ruruoni Kenshin) The one place were the ball is dropped is marketing. I had never heard of the series before. It was buy chance that I saw the dvds in a store. At first I thought they were some form of hentai and was quite weary. However for only 14 dollars a DVD and 3 hours on each DVD. I couldn't resist. I fell fully in love with the series and I still consider it my favorite.

The dvds themselves are nice 6 episodes on each disk, and two disks. They have always been 14 dollars a DVD (thats half price normally, and at least 2 episodes more than an average DVD too) Just for value alone your getting a good anime deal.

Considering this is my favorite anime, I have to give this the best marking I can. 9.8/10 its truly a gold find.
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10/10
night walker info not spoiler
pandagirl666200312 May 2007
i loved this series. i found it by accident and thought it really good. i found out that it is based off a video game and not a magna as most anime's are. this series the voice acting was excellent. the whole series has an air of mystery and drama. I cos-played as Shido at a recent con in Boston. i got my friend into the series and she loves it as well. i wish they had expended more on it and had a few more episodes. one thing with this series though is you have to be accepting of certain things. Nightwalker seems like a perfect blend of Anita Blake and Dracula. Shido is very mysterious in his past and his personality. Shido has also shown some signs of having a somewhat perverted mind at times. Cain is just so creepy yet so cool as well. Riho strikes bad vibes with me cause she acts like such a brat when she doesn't get what she wants. Yayoi is like the perfect warrior yet feminine enough to want beauty
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9/10
Unpolished Gem
jontemaroa21 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I must say this anime really caught me by surprise. I thought I had exhausted all vampire anime and somehow I found it! Although there are amany things left unexplained, the anime is great. I feel like the ending is brought in way too fast. Riho spending a night with Shido totally caught me off guard.
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No Sequel needed, but definitely a great series.
Well it's good to see that a year after I wrote my review somebody else saw that the series was great (after my review of course). I just checked the DVD of "Midnight Detective" not knowing what to expect. I've never seen the series or heard the Anime, but I was completely surprised and impressed by this Anime.

The series combines "Interview With The Vampire", "Blade" and "Vampire Hunter" all in one.

The series is about a detective named Shido who is part vampire and part human. He solves cases involving what's none as the "Night Breed". The Night breed are vampires with major exceptions. The Night Breed can occupy the bodies of their victims and use and abuse them till they die. When their victims die, the Night Breed, inhibit another unsuspecting victim, by eating biting them or sucking their blood like a vampire.

Yayoi is part of the Nos, which is the Japanese equivalent of the FBI.

Shido and Yayoi work together to try to stop the breed but meet tough foes like Cain.

Cain is the head vampire, who like Lestat in Interview With The Vampire is the one that gives Shido , "Eternal Life" by being a vampire.

Now I actually was fortunate enough to see the 2nd DVD for "Midnight Detective" episodes 7-12 which is actually the end of the series. (The rest of the series) and I am glad too because it's out of print. Ironically I found it at Blockbuster which is virtually sucky in these areas.

The 2nd DVD and rest of the series does answer more questions about Shido. You will definitely want to check out the rest of the series if for whatever reason you can find the first six episodes.
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Great rare seen Anime!!! Can't believe no one has seen it.
I just checked the DVD of "Midnight Detective" not knowing what to expect. I've never seen the series or heard the Anime, but I was completely surprised and impressed by this Anime.

In fact, I can't believe none of the so called "experts" of Anime have commented on this series.

The series combines "Interview With The Vampire", "Blade" and "Vampire Hunter" all in one.

The series is about a detective named Shido who is part vampire and part human. He solves cases involving what's none as the "Night Breed". The Night breed are vampires with major exceptions. The Night Breed can occupy the bodies of their victims and use and abuse them till they die. When their victims die, the Night Breed, inhibit another unsuspecting victim, by eating biting them or sucking their blood like a vampire.

The series is filled with fantastic visuals, action, violence and nudity.

In the first episode, we meet Shido, his young beautiful assisant Riho and Shido's girlfried Yayoi Matsunaga.

Yayoi is part of the Nos, which is the Japanese equivalent of the FBI.

Shido and Yayoi work together to try to stop the breed but meet tough foes like Cain.

Cain is the head vampire, who like Lestat in Interview With The Vampire is the one that gives Shido , "Eternal Life" by being a vampire.

Cain wants Shido back to do his bidding, but Shido must fight the temptations of the darkside and stop Cain and the Night Breed.

The DVD is spectacular and it's great. It comes with 6 episodes, special trailers of other Manga movies, a special meeting of the characters and much more.

The visuals are impressive in fact, since this is an anime, the creators are able to pull off feats that couldn't be done in "Interview With Vampire". For example , Shido is like Spiderman, and walk up buildings, fly, and kill his enemies at the same time.

Shido like Goku in Dragonballz, has a magic staff which he uses to take care of his enemies. Also like "Vampire Hunter" comes with a vampire demon, who watches over his shoulder, and becomes Shido's part conscious.

If you're looking for great Anime , "Midnight Vampire" is it. Another great anime in the same breath as "Macross", "Escaflowne", "Dragnballz" and many others.
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Fun series.
geeked-out-4-movies24 June 2020
Nightwalker is a wonderful anime series with lots of action and fun music. I recommend it.

8/10 stars.
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