Vampire Hunter D

"When our darkest dreams become real ...reality becomes a nightmare!"

1985 1h 20m JA

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 558

AnimationFantasyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a far-future time ruled by the supernatural, a young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.

“When our darkest dreams become real ...reality becomes a nightmare!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

AMC+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

ShudderSubscription

HiDiveSubscription

Shudder Amazon ChannelSubscription

Shudder Apple TV channelSubscription

Hidive Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Kaneto Shiozawa
D (voice)
Michie Tomizawa
Doris Lang (voice)
Seizo Kato
Count Magnus Lee (voice)
Ichiro Nagai
Left Hand / Narrator (voice)
Kazuyuki Sogabe
Rei Ginsei (voice)
Kan Tokumaru
Danton (voice)
Kazuko Yanaga
Older Snake Sister (voice)
Kazumi Tanaka
O'Reilly (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Toyoo Ashida
Writers: Yasushi Hirano
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Vampire Hunter D Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Toyoo Ashida, shot by Kazushi Torigoe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tetsuya Komuro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Naoyuki Masaki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kaneto Shiozawa and Michie Tomizawa and Seizo Kato carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When our darkest dreams become real ...reality becomes a nightmare!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Toyoo Ashida directs. Kazushi Torigoe behind the camera. Tetsuya Komuro scores. Naoyuki Masaki cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Vampire Hunter D Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Toyoo Ashida, shot by Kazushi Torigoe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Tetsuya Komuro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Naoyuki Masaki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kaneto Shiozawa and Michie Tomizawa and Seizo Kato carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When our darkest dreams become real ...reality becomes a nightmare!".
9IMDB entry: tt0090248 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "bounty hunter", "based on novel or book", "vampire", "post-apocalyptic future".

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazushi Torigoe
Original score: Tetsuya Komuro
Editing: Naoyuki Masaki
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Vampire Hunter D (1985)

Part of

Vampire Hunter D Collection

Animated films based on a series of Japanese novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano about a half vampire\half human called D who wanders through a far-future post-nuclear Earth as a Vampire Hunter.