[Mr_Paper]

Just finished watching the Digest version.

First, I LOVE zombies and ghouls and those rank as the single best example of cell shaded zombies/ghouls I have ever seen. They've made vast improvements in terms of animation when it comes to the ghouls, they're no longer those greyish people that wonder about. They have body parts missing, knawed off, skin peeled away to reveal bone and underlying tissue in places and generally just look like they're oozing. Their movements are more believable and the sounds they make are just spooky.

Now, the animation quality as a whole is very well done. There are places where it could be better with a number of slight inconsistencies in appearences and shapes but the special effects and CG employed take you mind away from that. The use of CG is actually pretty obvious but well done (Alucard misting and turning to bats) however the transitions between the CG scenes and normal animation is a bit lacking in my opinion, it just does mesh together well. Perhaps its because of the fact that they edited this release to condense it and the flow issues will be better handled in the full release.

Sound, I think the word for it is... orgasmic. Yeah, that sounds about right. ^^;
It works, almost too well in places. From the scuffing of feet to the sounds the ghouls make, it's all handled perfectly. In the forest scenes, it sounds like you're there, at the boarding house, you can hear the floor boards creaking. It is very comparable to playing Resident Evil in a dark room with a good sound system. The vocal talent for the primary characters has been left unaltered, Alucard still sounds as evil as ever, Seras and Integral still sound the same. Now, this might be a disappointment for some but all traces of the original (TV) soundtrack have vanished. It is now all orchestra music.

Now, the part most people are curious about, new animation and in particular, new scenes! There are scenes that were handled differently or approached from different perspectives but those aren't what I'm interested. I'm looking at original content only.

Spoiler for Because some people might not have seen/read the anime/manga:

1) The Chedder Incident:

There isn't actually much in the way of new or original content in this portions, some scenes are re-ordered (ie: we see Seras' unit being attacked before Integral explains to the beaucrat what ghouls are) but nothing new to add. The new scenes occur at the end, unlike in both the manga and the TV series with Alucard carrying Seras out, she passes out from blood loss before Alucard bites her. She wakes up in what is to become her crypt and quickly procedes to lift her shirt and check her chest for the gapping hole the bullet left. Finding nothing, she's relieved and seems to have thought it all a dream before realizing that she doesn't recognize her surroundings.

Suddenly Alucard appears in her room, sitting on the bed next to her with an expression that just screams 'was it good for you, baby?' (I laughed, really hard) Seras screams in fright before Integral and Walter enter. Intergal explains that she's now a Draculina and that she will be working for the Hellsing organization to hunt and kill monsters. While this is happening, Walter gives her her new uniform. ^^

2) The Badrick Incident:

Okay, here the new animation and original content really begins to shine.

First we're treated to the spectacle of Selas walking the halls of the boarding house just slaughtering the resident ghouls with Alucard following behind giving her instructions. The first bit of new content is Seras beginning to use her powers, beginning to use her superhuman speed and reaction time, she advances down the hall through a hail of bullets dodging everything that approaches in slow motion (very Matrixy). Followed by her and a ghoul having a lovely 'lick my boot' moment.

The battle between Alucard and Anderson is lengthened. The main new bit of animation, aside from Alucard's bat transformation, is a segment where Anderson throws a flurry of bayonets down the hall, blowing out all the windows. Amidst all this flying glass and blades, Alucard is shooting the blades out of the air before being pinned.

I can't wait to see the full edition. ^^