The war between three armies of vampires, humans, and those in between is in full swing. The Hellsing organization is embattled as London is falling to Nazi vampire forces, turning the city's citizens into rivers of blood and a population of ghouls. It looks like it might be the end of Sir Integral Wingates Hellsing and her henchman, Walter. But what's this? The Vatican? But that means the Vatican is unprotected. If you haven't figured it out yet, Earth is in chaos of a World War like no other. New forces will rise up, surprises of undead power will surge forth, guns will blaze, and blades will sing. There's no telling how this will end, as Hellsing clamors forward with a seething wit and a frantic pace, and style that passes beyond gothic grace.
Kohta Hirano (平野 耕太 Hirano Kōta) is a Japanese mangaka most famous for his manga Hellsing. Starting his career first as a mangaka's assistant (self-described as "horrible" and "lazy" in said assistant position), and later an H manga artist, he went on to enjoy somewhat limited success with other relatively unknown manga titles such as Angel Dust, Coyote, Gun Mania and Hi-Tension. His first major success came with his manga series Hellsing, which got its start and was subsequently serialized in a monthly manga magazine, Young King OURs, towards the latter half of 1997.
Things carry on picking up. There are a few good character moments here, the battle and bloodshed are better - and for once Alucard is out of commission, so there's some actual tension involved. Walter stays behind to cover for Integra. Pip and his Geese take on a bunch of vampires with grit and cunning and real dirty fighting. It's getting good.
Overall Rating: Manga - A+ Original anime series - B New anime series - A+ Summary: Hellsing is a manga series by Kouta Hirano. Hellsing chronicles the efforts of the mysterious and secret Royal Order of Protestant Knights, Hellsing, as it combats vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural foes who threaten the kingdom of England. The main character, Alucard (Dracula cleverly spelled backwards), is used to kill other supernatural creatures, and makes Seras Victoria (a cop he shoots to kill another vampire) into a vampire early on in the series and we get to watch her deal with her new life as a blood drinker with some hilarious (and sometimes creepy results).
I love vampires, so it's not much of a surprise that I like Hellsing, a series based around vampires and supernatural organizations. So, why does the series get three separate ratings? It boils down to the fact that the first anime series is a lot different than the manga and the second series.
I was first introduced to Hellsing with the original anime series, which was based (loosely!) on the manga. At the time, roughly 2002 or 2003, I thought it was amazing. Unfortunately, the end of that series is extremely weak on plot, and feels rushed. It's like the people involved had a brain-storming session over a pile of coke, had a bunch of cool ideas, but couldn't figure out how to bring them together into a cool ending. Not to mention the fact that the concept for the final villain, Incognito, is kind of racist (from the "Dark Continent", ends up wearing little more than jewelry), and is pretty fucking lame when compared to some of the other villains introduced earlier in the series.
Later, I found out that only the first 6 episodes or so were based on the Manga, and the rest of the series was made up for the anime. That explains why it felt so rushed, because it was! So, I decided it was time to check out the manga, to see if the plot held up longer in it.
The manga blew away the anime, and now I have some trouble watching the old series. In the manga, you get more detail and more character development, and more characters. For example, Alexander Anderson is introduced in the the old anime series, but we don't meet the other members of Iscariot. Nor is there any hint of the Nazi organization, Millennium. I could go on, but the point is that the manga kicks the anime's ass. If you've seen the anime, do yourself a favor and check out the manga. If you haven't checked out either, then get your vampire loving ass out to your local comic book shop (or wherever you buy manga) and pick it up. If you don't love vampires, then I hate you. Ok, maybe not hate, but seriously what's up with that shit?
The new anime series on the other hand is completely faithful to the manga, and definitely worth watching. The production value is a lot higher, the creator is behind the series, and overall it's simply kick-ass. My suggestion is to read the manga (volumes 1-7 are out now, and volume 8 is scheduled to come out in early July), then watch the new OVA series, Hellsing Ultimate, and then watch the old anime. It's all good, but the manga and the Ultimate series are a lot better. It's like watching the season of Angel where he gets fat and then going back and watching season 2 or 3 of Buffy. No one likes a fat vampire.
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And now the war REALLY starts. The papacy 'joins in' with... whatever they have (honestly I just like seeing Anderson come back, love that dude and the energy he brings). And Seras Victoria gets her own big subarc/fight! Hell yeah, love to see her getting some development and taking a central role. Honestly at this point it's cool to see London burning, everything looking like it's going on, and having no clue how the 'good guys' are supposed to actually get through everything. It's dark as hell and there's some new weird shit up every corner.
The Nazi vampire invasion of England continues and London is the battleground. Sir Integral Hellsing and her side Walter “The Angel of Death” are trying to get to headquarters. Meanwhile, Police Girl and the mercenaries are holding out as the Nazi airship attack’s.
Aculard is still aboard the Nazi flagship and with whom will the Vatican side. The action doesn’t let up in this volume.
Almost to volume 7... This one had some vampire eating a baby and guns that would be impossible to hold aloft according to the laws of physics. Also a new French character - not sure where he came from, but there he was, swearing in French - and an army of what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan members or the Knights Templar, and a smaller army that had helmets shaped like bird beaks.
I think, based on the entirety of this series, that I will be moving it to the adult section - sure, there are many YA books with swearing and sexuality, but usually there is something constructive about it. This is more like a revelling in how much blood can there be, how many languages can there be swearing in, and how large can the gun be drawn. There doesn't seem to be much of a point to it. Plus I could use the space on the shelves in my tiny YA area!
This is the best volume yet, largely because the characters act in heroic fashion, facilitating an emotional bond that gives the action greater impact.
Walter makes a heroic stand to allow Integra to escape from one of the Nazis, the guy in the hat.
Then her car is overrun by zombies and Anderson comes to her rescue. This is a nice touch as it’s a change of heart for the sworn enemy of Hellsing. He has come to respect Integra (and also wants to defeat Hellsing himself) and won’t allow her to be devoured by filthy ghouls.
Meanwhile Maxwell launches an army of crusading knights from Normandy. He’s almost as crazy as the major.
Aboard the carrier, Alucard is also on his way.
And lastly, the big battle at Hellsing HQ — Zorin Blitz and her brigade vs Seras and the Wild Geese. This part is great. We finally get some personality for the Geese leader. He says he hates Londoners but of course that’s because men never admit their true feelings. (They use subtext and sarcasm) Pip vows revenge on behalf of the innocent civilians turned ghouls, even should it cost him his life. He’s down-to-earth as well as brave, repeatedly referring to himself and the other mercs as dogs. (This is both an acknowledgement of their outcast status and an example of the vulgar bonding common among soldiers.) Throw in a short flashback to his childhood and Pip rapidly becomes very likable.
The Wild Geese make an Alamo-like last stand against the vampires. Their goal is to avoid hand-to-hand combat and the vampires’ vastly superior physical abilities. A minefield trap is effective as are areas of concentrated fire. It’s a high-tension underdog setup.
Hirano gives an update on the number of vampires remaining — only 42 of 100 survived the zeppelin crash, and a lot more were killed by mines. Having a countdown like this is a good way to show progress in a battle scene.
Seras gets her first chance at the spotlight here, gunning down the zeppelin and piercing Zorin’s illusions. So she is playing a heroic role as well.
At volume’s end the fortress is breached and all hell is set to break loose.
Synopsis: There's a secret organization somewhere in England created to defend the Queen and country from monsters of all sorts. Their secret weapon? The most powerful monster in the world. What better way to deal with monsters than to send an even bigger threat their way?
Review: Vampires vs. Nazis vs. Catholic Extremists vs. Secret Agents of the Queen of England.
Hellsing is pure carnage, following a twisted cast of characters that know how to take pleasure in the unfettered chaos that war brings. Alucard is a high-class vampire that hunts down supernatural beasts, Alexander is a priest fueled by bloodlust and an unhealthy love for God, Major is the second coming of Hitler, Integra is the granddaughter of Van Helsing himself, and that's only a few of the main players. The premise of the plot and the characters playing the game of war make for an absolutely ridiculous and bloody fun time.
Again, the word that comes to mind here is carnage, and carnage is what is delivered in a very cunning and charming fashion. The plot may indeed be insane and a bit silly, but Hellsing takes pride in its crazy premise and has a badass sense of self-awareness that makes it a cut above the average pulp fiction escapade.
The plot thickens. As I've mentioned in previous reviews of this series, I'm reading these at the behest of a friend and I feel a little like cheating reading these Manga, but they have a way of drawing you in. The story is complex and brings in religion in a way that is thoughtful and unexpected ways. Alucard takes the back seat here as other characters dominate the story. The backstory grows as the main plot develops. The conceit of Catholics versus Protestants for the soul (and body) of England brings vampires and theology together in a way that many scholars would do well to consider.
A quick read that is worth pondering after closing the cover.
London is falling and overrun with vampires. Alucard is stuck out at sea on a, more than likely, sinking ship. Walter and Integra are left to try and get back to headquarters, but the city is filled with war. While the last volume focused on Alucard, this one switched to our tertiary characters and their goings on during the chaos.
Once again, Kohta Hirano keeps it faced paced, blood filled, and sometimes downright funny in the midst of Nazi chaos.
Much better volume. When I saw the anime, I hated Father Anderson. I still do, but I think I appreciate him a little more. I love that we had vampires, then zombies, then nazis, and now we have a crusade and the reconquista 2.0. Just keep adding more honestly. This series is so goofy.
One of my favorite things about this series is the weapons that defy all laws of physics. I already love Seras and then they just keep giving her bigger guns. She's the best, truly!
La verdad…ya no recuerdo que fue lo que leí aquí, probablemente todo eran peleas. Igual confirmo que las bromas del autor al final de los tomo no me gusta (no tiene que ver con este en específico pero como no recuerdo que leí aquí mejor dejo el comentario como desahogo). En fin…se que si le puse 4 entonces volvió Alucard y hubo pelea, solo se eso
London has been overrun with vampires and Alucard is out of commission. Should make for some tense action. The terrible accents lose all sense of drama for me. They're all real bad caricatures. Then you have Catholic priests show up in Klan hoods. WTF? I wish Dark Horse had given this series new translations while releasing these.
Di volume ini kita bisa melihat kekurangan Alucard. Adegan perangnya membuat saya cukup terhibur dalam hal apapun hhe. Salu utk Hirano sensei (terutama juga para tim asisten yg begitu cermat mengisi panel2 dengan latar yg penuh dan artistik)
First it was all the Vs now it's all those Zs 🤦♀️ It's a book! Leave the accent out or just put it in parentheses (like when they supposedly speak english though it's all in english) but stop with all that. It hurts my head 😭
This is the fastest-moving installment so far, opening with the intense slaughter of London and speeding like a bullet to the Zorin Blitz's...er...blitz...on the Hellsing mansion. This installment has some of the best moments, including Sir Penwood's tear-jerker exit, and Pip's moving "I hate London" speech. This is also the book where Pip gets his obligatory backstory flashback. For fans of Pip, Seras, and especially Pip-and-Seras, this will be a highlight.
After watching the anime adaptation, which re-arranges many scenes and arcs into more solid episodes, this book feels a bit awkward and choppy in that way; but it's still a speedy and intense read, start to finish.