Set in the 1930's, this vampire-hunting TV original follows a group of "Jaegers" who travel under the guise of the "V Shipping Company". They are tasked with hunting down a group of dangerous vampires who have fled China to Japan. Amongst these Jaegers is a young man named Yuliy, who is descended from a race of people called "Sirius". Charged with protecting an ancient and powerful relic, the Sirius people were hunted down by evil creatures intent on possessing it. As the lone survivor of his village, Yuliy is driven to exterminate these forces of evil, and although it isn't mentioned in the opening episode, he's also a Werewolf, which will likely come in handy down the line.
The first episode introduces us to the main group of hunters, and the chief antagonist of this episode, Agatha. As a 140 year-old vampire, she's both deadly and lovely, and I can't help but enjoy a beautiful Chinese villain (the name remains a mystery though, it's not very Chinese is it?). Calm and calculating, she's equipped with deadly extendable fingernails and a killer fiery gaze. The fight scenes between Yuliy and Agatha are fantastic, with some dynamic direction - fast cuts lead to beautifully framed stand-offs between the pair, and I'm sure their final encounter will be incredible if this opening gambit is anything to go by.
As an introduction to the cast, this initial show is manages an impressive amount of balance. We get banter between the good-guys, who establish their personalities with some nice interplay, and we get to meet the main villains in a memorable party scene where the guests become a buffet for their hosts.
The designs are very sharp and the animation is also quite impressive. A lot of the dynamism is achieved in the editing, so while budget seems standard for TV fare, it's used well on-screen. Some of the night scenes are a tad gloomy, but that makes the explosions and sparks that much more vibrant, so I'll assume the palette is intentional.
If there's one nitpick it's only that the show feels perhaps a few years too late to arrive. With Underworld and Twilight, the West has seen it's own share of vampires, but beyond that we've had Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D, Trinity Blood and many, many more. In terms of concept you could go as far as to say this series feels a little "old hat", but I'm prepared to give it some time to develop its own identity.
Ending on a cliffhanger, the show certainly has appeal beyond this episode and I'll be tuning in for more.
Enjoy the trailer for a taste of the show:
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