Jason D. answered • 12/18/19
Well-Educated Digital Artist
In my humble opinion one of the greatest animated films (vampire themed or no) is Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Kawajiri broke into the US film market at a time when few anime films could with Ninja Scroll and Running Man. By the time he made Bloodlust he had refined his cinematic look with larger than life characters who are revealed expertly. Much like Spirited Away, there are shots in Bloodlust that rival fine art paintings in composition. Many scenes demonstrate Kawajiri's directing talents such as the bridge scene as it allows the viewer to feel conflicted: should we care about the team or the hurting vampire? He doesn't force us to decide as many lesser films do. Impending doom and danger are a common theme and our director handles those with expert timing and tension. Kawajiri's hallmark is hard hitting scenes that shake the senses (think raining blood in Ninja Scroll), and Bloodlust is no different. His trick is to make the most out of each shot and never make a dull or ineffective shot.
