Vampire Hunter D (1985)

Vampire Hunter D (Japanese: 吸血鬼ハンターD, Hepburn: Kyūketsuki Hantā Dī) is a 1985 Japanese fantasy horror OVA film produced by Ashi Productions, in association with Epic/Sony Records, CBS/Sony Group Inc. and Movic. The screenplay is based on the first in the long-running series of light novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi.

Billed by the Japanese producers as a "dark future science-fiction romance", the film, like the novel before it, is set in the year 12,090 AD, in a post-nuclear holocaust world where a young woman hires a mysterious half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter to protect her from a powerful vampire lord. It was one of several anime films featured in the music video for Michael and Janet Jackson's song "Scream".

Plot

While walking her guard rounds in the country, Doris Lang, the orphaned daughter of a deceased werewolf hunter, is attacked and bitten by Count Magnus Lee, a 10,000-year-old vampire lord (also known as a Noble) for trespassing in his domain.

Doris later encounters a mysterious vampire hunter, known only as D. Infected from Count Lee's bite, she hires D to kill the vampire and save her from becoming one. While in town with D and her younger brother Dan, Doris is confronted by Greco Rohman, the mayor's son, who offers to help if he has Doris for himself, but she refuses. D requests that the authorities, including Greco's father, the town sheriff, and Dr. Ferringo, should hold off Doris' incarceration at the local asylum until he kills Count Lee.

That night, Doris's farm is attacked by Rei Ginsei, Count Lee's servant, and L'Armica, Count Lee's daughter, who is highly prejudiced against humans. During the battle, Rei reveals he has the ability to twist space around him. Because of these powers, D's attacks are redirected onto himself, but he quickly recovers from his wounds, revealing him to be a dhampir. After fending off L'Armica, he orders the pair to leave with a warning to Count Lee. The next day, D travels to Count Lee's castle and attempts to confront him. Aided by the symbiote in his Left Hand, D holds his own against the Count's monstrous minions. Doris is then kidnapped by Rei and brought to the Count. Using his vampiric powers, D rescues Doris and escapes the castle.

Later, Greco overhears a meeting between Count Lee's messenger and Rei, during which the former gives the latter a candle with Time-Bewitching Incense, a substance powerful enough to weaken anyone with vampire blood. Rei takes Dan hostage to lure D out into the open, and D comes to his rescue, cutting off Rei's hand in the process and discovering that the candle is a fake. Meanwhile, Dr. Ferringo turns out to be a vampire in league with Count Lee. He leads Doris into a trap but is killed by L'Armica after requesting to share Doris with the Count. Greco, who stole the candle from Rei, then appears and uses it to weaken L'Armica. He is then shot at by Dan and falls down a cliff. Afterwards, Doris, who has by now fallen for D, tries to convince him to live with her and embraces him. This triggers D's vampire side, and he forces her away from him, unwilling to bite her.

The next morning, Rei kills Greco and uses the real candle to weaken D. Rei then mortally wounds the vampire hunter with a wooden stake. Doris is captured and taken back to the castle. Rei requests that the Count give him eternal life as a member of the Nobility, but is coldly rebuffed for his past failures. As a mutant attempts to devour D's comatose body, his Left Hand revives him just in time for him to kill the monster. As the processional for the Count and Doris' wedding takes place, Dan attempts to attack Lee. Unfortunately, he fails and falls into a chasm before being saved by Rei. Rei attempts to weaken the Count with the candle. However, Lee is too powerful and destroys it with his telekinetic abilities before killing Rei. Before Doris can be bitten by the Count, D appears and fights Lee. D's attacks are futile due to Lee's psychic abilities. About to be killed, D unleashes his own telekinetic power and succeeds in stabbing Lee in the heart. With Lee dying, his castle begins crumbling. D tries to persuade L'Armica into living as a human, but she chooses to die with her father and stays in the castle as it falls.

D, Doris, and Dan escape the collapsing castle. D then sets off under a now clear blue sky. Doris, now recovered from her bite, and Dan bid D goodbye as he looks back briefly at them and smiles.