Hellsing OAV on Animax

Start:	Nov 8, '09 11:00p
End:	Dec 6, '09
Location:	Asia

I've usually tried to stay away from the scary, gory, bloody anime shows, unless they were categorized as comedy-action.

But I've seen Hellsing anime (not the same as the OAV) back in 2004 and I ghoulishly enjoyed it - certainly there is merit in trying out things where one usually thrashes in protest like a vampire dunked in vats of holy water.

The first ep of the OAV (original animated video)..or also juggled as OVA was on November 1, 2009 - perfect date for the vampirically-inclined. I'm not sure if fans of Twilight may like it, or even of the Southern Vampire series as its not exactly fitting into that genre.

Shows every Sunday at 11 pm. For replays, please check the Animax site.

From the Animax-Asia site -

Premiering 1 November 2009 and airing Sundays 11pm (SEA/PH) / 10pm (WIB), Hellsing OVA brings the ultimate war between vampires and opposing factions of vampire hunters in a three-way free-for-all ‘battle royale’ for the fates of England, Europe and the world! Waged by the ‘Millenium’, a Nazi soldier-turned-vampire battalion, the war is upon England, protected by Protestant vampire-hunting Hellsing Organization, fronted by the greatest vampire of all, Alucard. The conflict escalates as, Vatican’s Roman Catholic hunters, the Iscariot Organization enters the fray…

Armed with twin large-calibre handguns, immortality, and shape-shifting abilities, Alucard is the most powerful vampire in the Hellsing world, and is Hellsing Organization’s trump card vampire hunter. In his blood red overcoat, hat and signature wire-frame shades, Alucard is the arrogant and cruel anti-hero who delights in humiliating before obliterating his vampire adversaries. Alucard has respect and loyalty only to Integra Hellsing, the sole surviving heir of her vampire-hunting family, and current leader of Hellsing Organization. They fight alongside policewoman-turned-vampire Seras Victoria and butler-cum-operative Walter C. Dornez.

Alucard and Hellsing Organization protects England against the ‘Millenium’, a 1,000-strong Nazi battalion thought to have perished, but had actually been transformed into mindless vampires by their psycopathic leader, known only as ‘The Major’. The undead ‘Millenium’ army seek only one thing – to plunge mankind into an unending war...

Finally, both forces contend with the Vatican’s secret Iscariot Organization, fronted by zealous warrior paladin Alexander Anderson who fights with lethal blessed bayonets, and has god-like regenerative abilities. Charged with the pursuit and destruction of demons and heretics, the Iscariot Organization shares the goal of fighting the ‘Millenium’. But being of the Roman Catholic faith, the Iscariot Organization is dead-set against the Protestant Hellsing Organization, and especially with vampires in Hellsing’s ranks…

The brand new Hellsing OVA anime series comes after the highly successful Hellsing anime TV series that aired October 2001 to January 2002.

The new series distinguishes itself from the first as it stays true to the story of Kouta Hirano’s ‘Hellsing’ manga series. Produced by Geneon Universal Entertainment (Appleseed) with Satelight (Macross Frontier) and Madhouse Studios (Death Note), Hellsing OVA is an ongoing series in Japan, with each episode of an hour’s length.

Directed by Tomokazu Tokoro (Haibane Renmei) and Hiroyuki Tanaka (Claymore), Hellsing OVA also features haunting original musical pieces composed by Hayato Matsuo (Final Fantasy XII) and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, to end each episode.