Hellsing is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano.It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's manga magazine Young King OURs from April 1997 to September 2008, with its chapters collected in ten volumes.The series chronicles the efforts of the mysterious and secret Hellsing Organization as it combats vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural foes who threaten England.The series was licensed for English language release in North America by Dark Horse Comics. From 2002 to 2006, Hirano released a six-chapter prequel series, Hellsing: The Dawn, in Young King OURs Zōkan (later Young King OURs+ before ceasing publication).
A thirteen-episode anime television series adaptation by Gonzo, directed by Umanosuke Iida and Yasunori Urata, with screenplay by Chiaki J. Konaka, was broadcast on Fuji TV from October 2001 to January 2002.A ten-episode original video animation (OVA), titled Hellsing Ultimate, was produced by Geneon. It followed the manga storyline more closely than the anime series. It was released between February 2006 and December 2012. In North America, both the TV series and the OVA were first licensed by Geneon Entertainment and later by Funimation.Following the announcement that Funimation would be unified under the Crunchyroll
brand, both Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate were moved to the platform in 2022.
Plot
Hellsing is named after and centered around the "Royal Order of Protestant Knights", originally led by Abraham Van Helsing. The mission of Hellsing is to search for and destroy the undead and other supernatural forces of evil that threaten the country. The organization is led by Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who inherited the leadership of Hellsing as a child after witnessing her father's murder, which turned her from a kind and innocent young girl into a ruthless and determined woman thoroughly devoted to her new role.
Sir Integra is protected by the faithful Hellsing family butler Walter C. Dornez, a deadly foe in his own right, and Alucard, the original and most powerful vampire, who swore loyalty to the Hellsing family after being defeated by Van Helsing one hundred years before the story takes place. These formidable guardians are joined early on in the storyline by former police officer Seras Victoria, turned into a vampire willingly by Alucard to save her from certain death.
As the scale and frequency of incidents involving the undead escalate in England and all around the world, Sir Integra discovers that the remnants of a Nazi group called Millennium still exist and are intent on reviving Nazi Germany by creating a battalion of vampires.Millennium, Hellsing, and the Vatican section XIII Iscariot clash in an apocalyptic three-sided war in London, and Millennium reveals its true objective: to destroy the vampire lord Alucard, ending a feud begun during World War II.
Production
In 1996, manga author Kouta Hirano published a one-shot titled Hellsing: The Legends of Vampire Hunter in Comic Kairakuten, a hentai magazine issued by Wanimagazine.[5][6] Hirano later stated that he did not originally intend to create a story in the hentai genre, but rather a "somewhat daring" action narrative.[7] He noted that the one-shot was created quickly, and his ongoing work in hentai facilitated its publication. Subsequently, Hirano developed the concept into a new series, retaining the setting but removing erotic elements to focus on action, which became Hellsing. Due to its unconventional premise, Hirano and publisher Shōnen Gahōsha initially tested reader reception, resulting in a narrative that Hirano described as initially "a little disjointed".After positive feedback, the series was greenlit for serialization.[7]
Hirano aimed to create a story centered on gunplay, but felt that a traditional vampire would be incompatible with firearms. To address this, he redesigned Alucard with a hat and long coat, making him "dark and ominous, but just more suited to his behavior".Hirano emphasized that character design precedes story development for him.[8] He noted that Alucard's design drew comparisons to Vash the Stampede from Trigun (which also ran in Young King OURs), leading him to regret adding sunglasses.To counterbalance the series' dark tone, Hirano introduced Seras Victoria as a female character who could bring warmth and stand out "from the darkness".[8] The numerous references to history, mythology, and pop culture in the series were not based on formal research; Hirano described himself as an who incorporated elements from media he consumed passionately.[7]
For the adaptation Hellsing Ultimate, anime producer Yasuyuki Ueda opted for an original video animation (OVA) format rather than a television series to avoid time constraints. As a fan of the manga, he wanted to thoroughly adapt the source material and believed an OVA offered greater creative freedom. Writer Yōsuke Kuroda agreed to collaborate on the project.Ueda noted that while combining CG with traditional animation was time-consuming, the OVA schedule allowed them to use CG for realistic depictions of weapons and gunfire.[8]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano, Hellsing was serialized for eleven years in Shōnen Gahōsha's manga magazine Young King OURs from April 30, 1997, to September 30, 2008.[11] Its 89 individual chapters were collected by Shōnen Gahōsha in ten volumes, released from September 24, 1998,[12] to March 27, 2009.[13]
In North America, the series was licensed for English release by Dark Horse Comics in 2003.[14] The ten volumes were released from December 1, 2003,[15] to May 19, 2010.[16] In January 2020, Dark Horse Comics announced that they would re-release the series in a three-volume deluxe edition, with over 600 pages each.[17] The volumes were released from July 15, 2020, to June 16, 2021.[18][19][20]
Chuang Yi licensed the series in English in Singapore.[21] Madman Entertainment released the series in Australia and New Zealand.[22]
Crossfire
Crossfire is a three-chapter one-shot story, which was published in the defunct Hobby Japan's magazine Comic Master.[23] It follows Heinkel Wolfe and Yumie Takagi, a Catholic nun and an assassin who work for the Iscariot organization. They call themselves "earthly agents of divine punishment". Crossfire also has cameos by Alexander Anderson and Enrico Maxwell, the head of Iscariot.Across the three chapters, Heinkel and Yumie face a variety of opposition, including Islamic terrorists, communist revolutionaries, and finally, an obscure pagancult. Crossfire as a side work was discontinued by Kouta Hirano, but it was republished in the first three volumes of Hellsing as an extra. Crossfire was adapted into a drama CD and included in Hellsing Ultimate OVA 6 and 7.
Hellsing: The Dawn
A prequel series, titled Hellsing: The Dawn, was published Young King OURs Zōkan (later Young King OURs+ before being discontinued),[24] with six chapters released from the March 2002 to the March 2006 issues;[25]
Crossfire
Crossfire is a three-chapter one-shot story, which was published in the defunct Hobby Japan's magazine Comic Master.[23] It follows Heinkel Wolfe and Yumie Takagi, a Catholic nun and an assassin who work for the Iscariot organization. They call themselves "earthly agents of divine punishment". Crossfire also has cameos by Alexander Anderson and Enrico Maxwell, the head of Iscariot.Across the three chapters, Heinkel and Yumie face a variety of opposition, including Islamic terrorists, communist revolutionaries, and finally, an obscure pagancult. Crossfire as a side work was discontinued by Kouta Hirano, but it was republished in the first three volumes of Hellsing as an extra. Crossfire was adapted into a drama CD and included in Hellsing Ultimate OVA 6 and 7.
Hellsing: The Dawn
A prequel series, titled Hellsing: The Dawn, was published Young King OURs Zōkan (later Young King OURs+ before being discontinued),[24] with six chapters released from the March 2002 to the March 2006 issues;[25] the series remains incomplete.[5] The Dawn features a fourteen-year-old Walter C. Dornez and Alucard, in the form of a young girl, attacking Millennium's base of operations in Nazi-controlled Poland in September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising.
Anime
The manga was adapted into a thirteen-episode anime television series by Gonzo.The series was directed by Yasunori Urata, under the chief direction of Umanosuke Iida, and written by Chiaki J. Konaka.The series uses the same characters and settings, but narrates a different story from its source manga.[26] It was broadcast on Fuji TV from October 11, 2001, to January 17, 2002.[27] The series opening theme is "Logos Naki World" (ロゴスなきワールド) by Yasushi Ishii and the ending theme is "Shine" by Mr. Big.[27]
In North America, the series was first licensed by Pioneer Entertainment (later Geneon USA).[28] Four DVD sets were released between July 23, 2002,[29]
Original video animation
In April 2005, it was announced that a new original video animation (OVA) adaptation, titled Hellsing Ultimate (still known simply as Hellsing in Japan), more faithful to the original manga than the TV series, would be released by Geneon Entertainment in Japan and North America.[39] The first four episodes of the OVA were animated by Satelight, directed by Tomokazu Tokoro, and written by Yōsuke Kuroda;[40] they were released from February 10, 2006,[41] to February 22, 2008.[42] The three following episodes (5–7) were animated by Madhouse, directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka and written by Kuroda; they were released from November 21, 2008,[43] to December 23, 2009.[44]
Soundtracks
The music of the Hellsing anime television series was composed by Yasushi Ishii.Two soundtrack CDs were released: Raid was released on November 22, 2001;[75] and Ruins was released on February 22, 2002.[76] In North America, both CDs were released on July 1 and September 2, 2003, respectively.[77][78]
The music of Hellsing Ultimate was composed by Hayato Matsuo.An extra CD, titled Warsaw Recording Selection, was released with the limited edition of the fourth episode on February 22, 2008.[79] The original, Black Dog, was released on March 21, 2008;[80]
Live-action film
In March 2021, it was announced that Amazon Studios is developing a live-action film adaptation of Hellsing with scripts by Derek Kolstad.It will be produced by Kolstad, Automatik's Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger, Ranger 7 Films's Mike Callaghan and Reuben Liber, and Soluble Fish Productions' Jason Lust.[83]
Reception
The ten volumes of the Hellsing manga have sold 4 million copies worldwide.[84] In 2005, the sixth and seventh volumes ranked among Diamond Comics Distributors' list of the top 48 manga volumes sold in the United States for the year.[85] In November 2007, the ninth volume was among the top 10 volumes sold according to Japan's monthly sales rankings.[86][87]
The Hellsing manga received widespread critical attention for its graphic violence, distinctive art style, and darkly comedic tone. Early reviews praised Kouta Hirano's dynamic artwork and over-the-top action, though some critics noted the violence could become repetitive.[88][89][90][91]Animerica commented that Hirano "does violence right",[88] while Publishers Weekly called it "mostly a fun, violent romp" with "goofy details" that added charm.[89] While Sequential Tart found the violence repetitive,[90] AnimeOnDVD enjoyed the consistent action and Alucard's blasé characterization.[92] Slightly Biased Manga praised its balance of violence and artistry, noting it would appeal to readers who enjoy graphic content.[93]
Later volumes garnered stronger praise for their storytelling and character designs.[94]Anime News Network (ANN) highlighted Hirano's "impeccable" narrative craftsmanship,[95] and IGN declared it "the best vampire manga around" for its "seething wit" and gothic flair.[96] However, some critics found the plot derivative or overly reliant on shock value.[97][98]
The finale polarized reviewers. While Active Anime and PopCultureShock celebrated its relentless energy,[99][100] ANN criticized its rushed ending, though still lauded its "demented ultraviolence."[101]Jason Thompson's Manga: The Complete Guide awarded the series 3.5/4 stars, calling it a "masterpiece of fetishistic violence",[102] while his ANN retrospective praised its nihilistic vision as "sincere and original."[4] In a review of the first volume of the deluxe edition, Otaku USA praised Hirano's intricate art.[103]
Following the announcement that Funimation would be unified under the
Crunchyroll
brand, the series was moved to the platform in 2022.
In the United Kingdom, the series was first licensed by ADV Films, who released four DVDs from July 21, 2003,[35] to January 19, 2004.[36] The series was later licensed by Manga Entertainment and released on a four-disc box set on August 12, 2013.[37] In Australia and New Zealand, the series was licensed by Madman Entertainment, who released four DVDs from November 13, 2002, and February 11, 2003.[38]
In North America, Geneon Entertainment released the first three episodes from December 5, 2006,[54] to October 16, 2007.[55] Geneon announced that they would stop self-distribution of its titles in 2007.[56] The first two episodes were broadcast on Starz Edge's Animidnight programming block on February 12, 2008;[57][58] episodes 3 and 4 were also announced to air,[59] however, the fourth episode was not ready with an English-language track at the time and they were not broadcast.[60] In 2008, Funimation announced that they would distribute "select" Geneon titles,[61] and re-released the first three episodes of Hellsing Ultimate on September 16 of the same year,[62] along with the fourth episode on September 23.[63] In 2010, Funimation announced that they had licensed episodes 5–7;[64] in 2011, they announced that they had licensed the 8th episode as well.[65] Funimation re-released the first four episodes on DVD/Blu-ray Disc sets on October 30, 2012,[66] while episodes 5–8 were released on the same formats on November 13 of the same year.[34] Episodes 9–10 were released on October 28, 2014.[67][68][69] The series was broadcast on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block from September 13 to December 13, 2014.[70][71] Funimation released all the episodes on a Blu-ray Disc set on June 4, 2019.[72][73] Following the announcement that Funimation would be unified under the Crunchyroll brand, Hellsing Ultimate was moved to the platform in 2022.[74]
An extra CD, titled Nazi CD, was released with the limited edition of the first Blu-ray
