BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE Anime on UK Blu-ray

: 30 October 2009

Source: The Associates press release Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

"The world will come to consider this work as the standard of top quality in digital animation." – James Cameron, Director of ALIENS and AVATAR The first fully digitally animated anime feature to come out of Japan, BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (2000) is considered a landmark in the history of digital animation. Now this seminal anime feature comes to Blu-ray, presented in a brand new high definition version that brings fresh life to this must-see work. Produced by Production I.G. (GHOST IN THE SHELL, KILL BILL VOl. 1, THE SKY CRAWLERS), written by Kenji Kamiyama (GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX) and directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo (who oversaw the movie sequences in the GHOST IN THE SHELL video game) BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE is a mature, supernatural action-thriller, and one that has recently served as the inspiration for a live-action adaptation directed by Chris Nahon (KISS OF THE DRAGON). It is the autumn of 1966 and Halloween is approaching. The Vietnam War is underway and the U.S. military machine is being supplied out of the Yokota Air Force Base, a plot of U.S. land on Japanese soil. Within the compound, the atmosphere is charged with violent intensity as F4 combat planes take off hastily one after the other. Meanwhile, a series of suspicious suicides are reported in the nearby town and a team of top-secret undercover agents is dispatched to investigate.

On the Ginza subway line the last train is heading toward Asakusa. A girl sits quietly in a dreary subway car. Her name is Saya. With a piercing gaze that would force even an adult into submission and lips tightly drawn with determination, she is the saviour sent by the `organization` to vanquish the blood-sucking demons known as chiropterans that have concealed themselves inside their human hosts. Clad in a Japanese school uniform, and wielding an ancient Samurai sword, Saya must infiltrate the American school within the Yokota military compound, uncover the source of the pestilence and eliminate it. BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (cert. 15) will be released on Blu-ray (£24.99) by Manga Entertainment UK on 2nd November 2009. Special Features include: the original standard definition version of the feature; The Making of Blood: The Last Vampire featurette; trailer; DTS HD and 2.0 stereo audio options. Running time is 48 minutes.

For more information, videos, and images from BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan: