Review: Hellsing
January 11, 2009
Hellsing is a mixture of both action and horror with a little bit of drama to fill the gaps in between. The result is an entertaining show with the proper balance of genre that doesn’t become boring. The series follows the lives of various members of the Hellsing Organization, a secret British government agency tasked with killing vampires and their undead minions. Stylistically, the show is dark and gothic. Combined with a diverse, but not amazing, musical score, the mood of each episode is set well. There are several important characters, but the show revolves mainly around three.
First is Alucard. He is the role model badass, a loyal and powerful vampire who is in the service of the organization. He delights in slaughtering his enemies in more twisted and horrifying ways than even they can imagine. His only outward desire is to do battle with another vampire as strong as himself. When not fighting, his outlook is arrogant and irresponsible. No matter the intensity of any situation, he can only seem to find in everything some kind of dark amusement. As the series progresses, however, he is revealed not to be completely one-sided. Even Alucard has some human emotions remaining to be discovered.
Seras Victoria is also introduced at the start of the show. She is an unwitting police officer who is forced to contend with a supernatural threat from beyond her league. Lost in a town overrun by dark magic, she flees to a local chapel only to discover the source: a vampire posing as a priest. While facing her death, Alucard arrives to save the day (or night, rather). It becomes obvious that the situation will cost her life, but Alucard gives Seras the choice to come with him, to become a vampire. She agrees and joins the Hellsing Organization with newfound vampiric strength, but her life isn’t as frosty as perhaps she’d imagined. Her story deals with the struggle to prove her worth and earn trust within the organization, while at the same time wrestling with the ways of her new undead life. She is left alone to deal with the controversies of drinking blood to survive, or suppressing the newfound demonic urges she feels from within. She is offered little sympathy, because after all, the choice was always hers to begin with.
Integra Hellsing is the leader of this secret organization. She faces numerous administrative challenges as the Hellsing Organization is constantly attacked by enemies and criticized by allies. Rival organizations from other countries, such as the Vatican, repeatedly interfere with her business. Her decision to use the vampires Alucard and Seras to help hunt other vampires is extremely controversial, yet she pushes onward with a stoic and unbreakable sense of duty. Throughout the series a chain of events occurs that shakes the Hellsing Organization to its very core, and apathy from her strongest allies leaves her to cope with the most difficult problems alone.
All of the protagonists of this series are likable and deep. Each of the characters continually develops throughout the progression of the show, a characteristic that many series seem to lack. This isn’t to suggest the show is perfect, unfortunately. While entertaining and concise, the series really stagnates by the end. Many loose ends involving the story are left untied, and the last few episodes are filled with rather bizarre references that fail to have any explanation. For example, during one climactic moment, through some kind of prophetic vision, Alucard is pictured with a mustache. What the hell is that supposed to mean? There are also a few side characters that appear extremely unrealistic, but it is a small enough issue to be forgiven. In the end the dramatic situations involving the characters degrades to mere pandering that doesn’t advance their relationships or problems past a certain point. Meanwhile the art style is great, but the action sequences are just passable.
These issues don’t make the show bad, but they do bring it down from what could have been great to just being good. The series is still worth watching, however. It is thoroughly enjoyable, and it’s one of the few that could have been longer. Hellsing is an anime that succeeds in being a little deeper than the average action oriented one.
