Hellsing Ultimate is good, but I personally prefer the 2001 version because the flaws in 2001 are smaller compared to Ultimate.Firstly, the main thing that bothered me in Ultimate was the absurdity they did with Seras Victoria, the ultra-sexualization and misogyny for Japanese and Western fan service. She is portrayed as if she were just the attractive woman; her personality is portrayed as naive and attractive, and that's it. Did her breasts really need to be that big just to have shots of them swaying as she moves? Moreover, in both the manga, 2001, and Ultimate, she wears the exact same outfit throughout the entire story from the first episode, which, guess what, is a very short police uniform. Of course, it had to be, right? In the story, she undergoes a complete life change by becoming a vampire, joins another security organization, but doesn't change her uniform because she needs to be in a short outfit all the time. It would make much more sense if she received a top-notch Hellsing uniform, black and red, I don't know, to fight vampires since she's one now. One could argue that she still wears the police uniform to remember that she was once human and reluctant to adopt the new vampire life, but we know that would be too deep for the character.There's also the forced, nonsensical humor that breaks the mood and isn't funny at all. Out of nowhere, the anime is in a serious and heavy scene, and they insert a forced, completely silly, and inappropriate funny scene that doesn't fit the anime's theme.There's also the exaggerated gore, which can be contradictory since it's a vampire anime with extreme violence for adults, etc. However, sometimes the climax is lost, and the violence scenes become almost cartoonish due to the excessive gore and blood flying on the screen.Regarding the dragging of the story, Ultimate has 10 episodes, but each one is over 40 minutes, and there's even an episode that is over 1 hour! It's understandable because the 2001 version has 13 episodes of 20 minutes, and in 2001, the simplification of scenes also leaves much to be desired. I understand that Ultimate is more faithful to the manga and has to cover more things compared to 2001, but the episodes didn't need to be so long; they become tedious at times, and you can tell they drag on in some episodes.There's also the issue of Nazism, the exaggerated exposure of the Nazis that almost makes it seem like they are the protagonists in the anime. I know the creator is not a Nazi, but did we really need so many scenes showing them in an "empowered" and even humorous way? Because, you know, they're Nazis, and the last thing I want is to chuckle at a funny scene with Nazi characters.The aura and vibe of terror from 2001 were also lost; Ultimate has a lot of action, which isn't bad, but it seems more like a superhero anime than a vampire anime. The soundtrack also left much to be desired; it lacks the charm and quality of the 2001 version in the sense that it doesn't have memorable music, and Ultimate doesn't even have a proper opening.In conclusion, these were the main negative points of Hellsing Ultimate for me. And for people who say Ultimate is better because it's more faithful to the manga, that's not an argument. It just shows that the manga is also flawed in various aspects since Ultimate is a faithfully adapted reflection of the manga. In the end, I wish the 2001 version had more episodes with more story and the technical quality of Ultimate; that would indeed be excellent.
Review by sp1tiVIP OG 13BlockedParent2014-04-10T15:34:18Z
When the Hellsing TV version was initially released I was really into the show's edginess. At that time we didn't even have a broadband connection and so for most episodes I was left with checking sequences from the already downloaded packets and waiting for it to complete (funny how times have changed). Despite all this I never actually watched the whole thing. So to check this off I decided to watch the OVAs instead since they have been released for some time now.
Most people with the intention of watching "Hellsing" already know this but I'm saying it again; there is little reason to check out the TV version with the existence of the Ultimate OVAs. They are not only superior in production values but also true to the manga source material. So instead of fighting ghouls and vampires created by computer chips this builds to a showdown between religious factions and an army of vampire Nazis in the middle of London.
The thing is obviously not perfect. The comedy feels a bit misplaced and the pacing towards the end a bit uneven (with a lot of focus on shots of impaled people, blood streams, crosses or ruins) and the chief Nazi was quite anti-climatic.
Still, if you're up for a ride with one of the most overpowered protagonists ever and are not put off by a rain of blood and body parts this will suffice and is probably the only show of it's kind to receive this deluxe treatment.