Hellsing OVA #3

[lissa_quon]

So I just watched part three of the OVA. I'm also avoiding looking my drawing homework in the eye once again, so here's a review.



First of all many thanks to demonrin for putting the raw video and the subtitles online. If it wasn't for her/him I wouldn't be typing this.


OK so the review-

STORY- The third episode is finally the point where the animators and crew are breaking new ground. The previous anime series never got around to showing Millenium or the Wild Geese (instead they made Incognito-but I digress) so this is the first time we are seeing these things animated. So we finally get to see Alucard walk through walls, Ceras being usefull and Hellsing thin the population of Rio. HUZZAH.

There had been much cringing when it was discoverd the extent of material (a piece of volume 2,volume 3 of the manga and a bit of 4) they were going to contain in one 45 minute episode. Many figured they would rush through the entire thing and wreck the mood or lose details. But the story goes through introducing Pip and the Wild Geese, Enrico Maxwell and Integra's initial meeting and glaring contest and the trip to Rio and all the horrors that ensue without missing a beat.

However what we end up losing is a bit of exposition explaining why Ceras has to travel in a coffin while Alucard lounges about an airplane. This isn't entirely need to know stuff ( I could easily just see Alucard stuffing her in there for no reason) but still, would have been nice.

There is an added sequence of the Wild Geese giving us a better idea of what sort of men they are, which I felt was a nice addition.

But all in all an enjoyable watch and one that would make sense to even one who hasn't read the manga. This is a vast step up from some OVAs where you have to read the manga to understand who is what and why they doing whatever teh hell they are doing (*cough*Angel Sanctuary, RG Veda*cough*).

Art- once again two sections cause I am a dork.

ANIMATION - Gold Stars all around here. Much improvment. The first one had some situations where it looked like they just slid things across the screen, this didn't show up in the second one and nothing like that in this episode either. Their way of depicting the more like gag panels is a bit heavy handed but works for the most part (Ceras's dream is the best example).

Another thing to note in this episode, the lighting is very well done, the scene in Integras office is the best example. The moonlight and shadows, the glare of light on Integras glasses teh glow of her lit cigar. This is how lighting and coling should be done people, this is the stuff artist dreams are made of (at least mine).

Nothing to argue with on the animation tech persay. Just minor quibble with the choice of actions of characters (not really a story issue so it's going here). In the manga Alucard does this beautiful gesture of raising his hands to his face as he leaves the hotel. I always interpretted it as an invitation for the cameras to zoom in on him and show Millenium who they were dealing with. The OVA however has him doing this stage magician thing with bat-shadows instead...LAME.

CHARACTER DESIGN - With teh introduction of Millenium and the Wild Geese comes a whole heap of new characters to depict. The production team did well making everyone even the members the Wild Geese look different from each other. This will probably be handy in later episodes keeping track of the death toll (e.g. ok so the pudgey guy with the square jaw just blew it, heres the tall guy...) PLUS this episode we have Pip, whose adorable (yay Pip) and looks just enough balance of pretty and rough to work really well.

Millenium has yet to show most of their characters but what I've seen is decent straight from the books. So thumbs up on that field.

Slight qualms with Alucards long arms (true to the book but still damn long) and the crazy lengths the hands are going too, but these are more style quibbles that I'm not going to hold against the design and animation team.

Voice Acting- Gold stars for everyone. Even the bit players sounded quite in character and decent. Maxwell sounds haughty enough, the Major crazy enough, especially at the end when he sings (hopefully we'll hear him get even more so). Pip also was voiced awesomely, his VA sounds familiar but I can't quite place him. But he sounds just like I'd imagine Pip to sound and he does well with the feel of the character. So once again folks, gold stars.

Also I noticed they had Anderson dump his Engrish bibile verses. While I loved the fact they wanted to add taht detail it really was distracting and not very coherant. Now if only I could understand why they had Integra take up the habit of random english. Ah well.

SOUND - the sound guys here are still rocking the place. The extended creak of an ominous door, the variation of footsteps, the sounds of cigars lighting and burning, there are all here and just as good as the first episode. Gold stars for them too.

MUSIC- Sadly here is where I pack up my gold stars. The music has slightly improved from the first episode. The strong point of the music is when they are scoring this with a symphony. When they are doing the more dramatic traditional music is sounds rather good.

However they keep trying to do quirky badass music during fights that just sounds awful. It's trying too hard to be badass and instead fails and becomes sort of ironic elevator music. I fear they are they trying to be last anime's soundtrack but they don't quite grasp it. Kind of like Madonna trying to rap, tries too hard and misses entirely. MORE ELECTRIC GUITAR LESS SYNTHESIZER GUYS.

Overall, another awesome ep. Minor details I missed but all and all solid entertainment and quality production all around.

Now to see if I'll get around to review episode 2.