Hellsing

Title: Hellsing
Creators: Kouta Hirano
Published: 1998 =>
Genre: Humour/Horror/Vampires, yay!/War
Pages: So far, in English, 9 albums of ~210 pages (already finished in Japan)


One of my Top 5 favourite manga's, maybe in the Top 3. It's absolutely insane. You've got Protestant vampire killers, Catholic vampire killers, vampires killing vampires, Nazi vampires, Schrödinger's cat, French mercenaries, big boobs and a lot of people wearing glasses...

It bugs me that I can't remember which came first for me: the first Hellsing anime, or the manga. I do remember that when I bought the first two comics, and read the first one for the first time, I didn't crack one smile. I was seriously wondering whether it was supposed to be scary or funny, because I didn't think it was either. But since I'd bought the second manga as well, I gave it another chance. And like I said, Top 3. For the last four years or so.

The art in the first few volumes is a bit sketchy, but it's wonderful to follow how Hirano develops during the years and with the story. In the end he has one of the most original styles in not only manga's but other comics as well. I wish I could draw like that.

The story is both serious and crack. Very bloody, violent and cruel, but with a lot of humour. And I love the characters. I was actually quite obsessed with one of them for a looooong time, and that cute little face can still make my knees all... ahem, yes. The characters are original and have their individual styles, with simplistic and expressive faces as is common in Japanese comics, but man do they stretch and bend to show just how completely crazy they can get.

A word or two about the animes. The first one, simply named Hellsing, was made when the manga was still fairly fresh, and therefore follows only the first few volumes, and then goes in a direction completely its own. Quite an inferior one, in my opinion, when compared to the manga. I mean, Incognito? Seriously? What were the makers smoking? LOOK at him! (GIS Incognito Hellsing if you've not seen him.)

But the music is excellent. The music is enough reason to watch the 13 episodes (I think it was 13; I could be wrong, though, it has been years since I watched it). The animation is quite basic, with none of Hirano's wacky distortions.

The second one, Hellsing OVA (or OAV) is still in production: episode VI should come out sometime next month in Japan, unless it's pushed back. This one follows the comic more religiously, including Hirano's art style. It's well done, approximately one episode per manga, with 45-50 minute episodes. Once I'm rich, I'm collecting the whole series, but right now it's still a bit too expensive for my limited budget as they're sold one episode at a time. Makes sense, since there's a long wait between the episodes. Kinda like with the manga's. Heh.

But. Yes. If you like vampires, comics, BIG guns and a lot of blood, this is the manga for you.


"What a great night. Makes me want to suck some blood. Such a nice, quiet night."

Yeah, for the next five minutes. After that...