I’m fairly new to the world of anime, having read a few books over the past year and watched a couple of select DVD titles. I was interested in taking a look at the Blood+ series because I’ve always liked a good vampire story, so I figured it would be a great way to take a look at some more anime. Blood+ was shown in the United States on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim; Sony has already released two volumes of the series on DVD. On October 21, 2008 Sony will release a third volume on DVD, featuring five episodes from the series.
Blood+ follows the life of Saya, an anemic and amnesiac, but otherwise ordinary schoolgirl. Saya’s happy life is shattered when she is attacked by a chiropteran and learns that she is the only one who can defeat them. Armed with her katana (a Japanese sword) she sets out on a journey with her family, allies, and her chevalier, Hagi, to rid the world of chiropteran and rediscover her identity. The course of the journey reveals the background history of the chiropterans and Saya’s very deep past, which extends into the mid-19th century. It’s quickly revealed that she is a vampire who has been in a battle with monsters known as chiroptera. A lot of different things happen, but what it comes down to is this: there’s more to Saya’s past than it first appears, and certain revelations will force her to face her own demons.
Much of the third installment features Saya and her companions making their way through Vietnam. They do their best to try and blend in, as Saya attends a Vietnamese school to get closer to her target. During a school dance, the Phantom attacks, and Saya has to fight them off. However, it becomes clear to the Phantom that Saya hasn’t truly awakened yet, so he disappears and Saya’s days as a schoolgirl end abruptly. She leaves with Red Shield in pursuit of her twin sister, Diva and finds herself in the middle of a nightmare.
They find themselves at a secret research farm in the Vietnamese jungle, where it appears children have been transformed into Chiropteran. A huge battle ensues, which involves Saya, her companions and Red Shield being attacked by demonic vampire children. During all of this, Saya loses it and seems to realize her true potential. Saya is finally able to fight Karl and after the events in Vietnam, the group returns to Okinawa to regroup and plan their next steps. It is during this time, that Saya is able to begin to come to terms with her life, both past and present.
This is another fantastic collection from the Blood+ series and fans are bound to be pleased. The story is well thought out, the animation is top-notch. Y was engrossed immediately. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out. You simply can’t go wrong with Blood+.
Here’s a list of the episodes on Blood +: Volume Three
(Numbered as they are on the DVD set)
11. After the Dance – David and Julia are making use of the opportunity provided by the annual Ball held in the boarding school to search for the mysterious container somehow connected to the events in Vietnam 30 years ago, while Saya dances with a charming stranger. Karl, who is the Phantom, attacks them later. David figures out the container holds Diva and they go after it.
12. Lured by the White Mist – The Red Shield has tracked the container to a secret research farm in the Vietnamese jungle. Once they get there they are attacked by Chiropteran.
13. Jungle Paradise – Under the influence of Diva, Saya starts to attack friends and foes alike just like 30 years ago. Kai stops Saya by yelling her name causing her to come back to herself. Solomon and Van get away with Diva while Saya fights Karl.
14. The Last Sunday – The Miyagusuku family returns to Okinawa to say goodbye to their friends.
15. I Want to Pursue! – Journalist Akihiro Okamura is getting more and more obsessed about the events happening around Saya and his father’s encounter with chiroptera near the Laos border 30 years ago. He is unable to continue his research until he gets unexpected help.
The video is presented in 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. It would have been nice to see this in anamorphic widescreen, but don’t let that oversight keep you from adding this set to your collection. As it is, the picture is clean and free of any noticeable defects throughout the running time.
The audio is offered in a 2.0 stereo presentation for both English and Japanese languages. The quality is excellent and the dubbing is nearly flawless. Subtitles are included for English, French, and Korean.
There are no special features included here.
