Blood +

It's been a while since I really sat down and watched a new anime. I usually pop in a Hayao Miyazaki film now and then for background noise as I clean or surf the net. It's been well over a year since I really gave an Anime Series a chance. I can be such an Anime snob sometimes. I hear all this hype about "Naruto" and "Bleach", but I can't seem to bring myself to watch them. What's an Old School anime fan to do?? I haven't seen a good show since Neon Genesis: Evangelion, that's how long I've been denying the chance for new series to capture my heart.

This past weekend I finally convinced myself to watch one of the newer series. I surfed the titles and stumbled accross "Blood +". "Blood the Last Vampire" was an excellent movie that I saw YEARS ago and thought since the series is a loosely based spinoff, I'd give it a try. When I got off of work last Thursday (the start of my three-day weekend), I went to http://www.veoh.com/ on my laptop and downloaded all 50 episodes to my Veoh TV. I changed into some comfy sweats, made myself some yummy popcorn and settled into watching what i thought would be an "ok" series. I couldn't of been more wrong! I watched EVERY episode, and by Sunday night I had a mixture of emotions come over me. I wanted to jump around in victory that I finally found a series that rekindled my passion for anime. I also felt a sense of sadness because I knew this show set new standards for my type of anime that will be worth while to watch.

I noticed right away this is going to be a unique anime! Animation quality in shows like Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Inuyahsha pale in comparison to Blood +; It was sharp and rich in color! The one initial negative thought I had was, "Oh, this is most definitely a guy type series". Towards the end of the first episode, I changed my mind! The plot is so complex, which is something I love to see when watching an anime. It has this mystery that slowly unravels as the show progresses. Saya and Kai grow and mature right before your eyes! I felt myself blushing when Haji did certain things. I got attached to each and every character, good and bad! Never has an anime made me cry like I did during this series! I was left flabbergasted and breathless in certain episodes and cheering and laughing in others! Not one episode felt like a "filler". Each episode contributed to the unveiling of the climax. I've read certain reviewers saying that the show was a little too long. I hardly noticed! I was biting my nails through each one! Blood + is truly a unique and wonderful story! It has Action, Drama, Suspense, Horror and even Romance!