Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

Ok, I'm pretty new to the anime scene, but, for a beginner's choice, this one rocks! Shido is a half-vampire who compensates for his need for human blood by hunting nightbreeds, the local evil demon baddies. He's assisted by the supernatural specialist policewoman Yayoi,his spunky secretary Riho, and this bizarre little fairie thing(I'm not clear on her history) Guni. This series really turned me on to japanime stuff and now I'm pretty obsessed. While I've heard the plot may not be all that original, it's very easy to follow(sort of). All the episodes have individual plots and the ongoing one has to do with Shido's sire/former lover Cain, who wants Shido back with him. I really liked the action scenes, even though they got predictable after a while. Shido uses his own blood to make weapons such as whips, swords, and little darty things. It's all great if you like vampires and demons, though, the vampire theme isn't focused on very much, the nightbreeds kinda dominate. I'm confused about Shido's relationships with his aquaintences. With Yayoi, it's either professional or sexual, with Riho, he's either an older brother, a father figure, a boyfriend/crush, or employer. Anyway, I was facinated, but, like I said, this is pretty much the extent of my knowledge as far as vampire anime goes. I recommend it for beginners and anyone who wants to laugh(Guni's got a mouth on her)or see Shido whip the hell outta these nightbreeds. The animation is great and the casting was very well done. Watch this if you ever get a chance, it's incredibly, absolutely fabulous!

The vampire is certainly a popular figure in anime, spawing films from Vampire Hunter D to series like Vampire Princess Miyu. Though the ideas and stories of NightWalker are not exactly original, the anime OAV (direct to video) series is rather cute and entertaining.

Private eye Shiro's secret is that he's actually a vampire, but one who has taken on the task of defeating the creatures of darkness in a futile quest to redeem the fall that transformed him to a vampire--viewers may find this similar to television's Forever Knight. Created by a powerful vampire bearing the biblically-suggestive name Kain, Shiro also bears a sprinkling of Anne Rice.

Shiro's partner, paranormal cop Yayoi, offers her own blood to sustain him as the two must defeat the "night breeds" in a series of six related yet distinct episodes. His "kawai" schoolgirl secretary Riho--though not immediately in on the secret--also finds herself caught up in the struggles between good and evil.

The series as a whole bears out a plotline of darkness verses light, with humans subverted by demonic forces to fall from grace and both Shiro and breeds wishing only for a life again in the light. The characters are what really drive the story, though; their interactions through a couple of episodes should draw in most viewers as they come to care about Shiro, Riho, Yayoi, and Shiro's impish, voice of his conscience sidekick Guni.

The English voiceovers are passable, but most anime purists will prefer the Japanese with subtitles option. The special features aren't incredibly detailed but do include scripts, an art gallery, character info, and production data.

I found that the cliches presented did not detract from the overall stories and came to rather enjoy the series as a whole. If you're looking for something different in vampire anime, give NightWalker a try.