Shido is a vampire who runs a detective agency which specializes in
supernatural cases, particularly when it involves breeds who prey on human
hosts.
Assisting him are Yayoi, a special agent who "sponsors" Shido by
letting him drink her blood; Riho, a teenage girl who lost her family to a
breed attack; and Guni, a tiny winged creature whom Shido met many years back.
Shido has sworn to protect humanity from the breeds, for he was once human
himself...
Review: Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective
Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective is a fairly short series along the lines of "Phantom Quest Corporation" and "Geobreeders". Here we have an agency specializing in
supernatural cases, the twist lies in the fact that the person in charge is
actually a vampire himself.
NightWalker is episodic in nature, and just about every installment can stand
alone. Shido and his team tackle all kinds of breed possessions -- from people
who've willingly sold their souls to demons to innocent victims whose bodies
are "snatched" from them.
The only reason you're supposed to view the series in proper sequence is Riho,
because somewhere in the series she asks Shido to turn her into a vampire so
they can be together forever.
Shido obliges, and Riho becomes his vampiric companion. This is actually one
of the high points of the series. Riho's transition from human to vampire is
portrayed with such mixed emotions that it makes you think.
At first Riho is excited and happy at having attained eternal life and youth,
but after a while she starts to realize that she can no longer exist in her
old world... since she can't really be out in the sun and blood is about the
only thing she can consume.
Riho drops out of school, says goodbye to her old friends, and falls into a
sort of semi-depression. While it's true she promised Shido she would not
regret her decision, it had never occured to her it would be so difficult.
Shido's character reminded me somewhat of Kenshin Himura
(from "Rurouni Kenshin") and Vash the Stampede
(from "Trigun") in the sense that Shido is extremely adept at what he
does, yet he does not abuse that power and as much as possible avoids hurting
others. He walks the night with the purpose of protecting those who cannot
protect themselves.
The Midnight Detective's art and animation are excellent. The character designs are very attractive and the action sequences are quite
exciting. Nightwalker anime also takes your basic idea of what a vampire is and
modifies it.
We see Riho venturing out on a rainy day because the sun is obstructed by
thick clouds; Shido can go out before the sun completely sets, wearing his
dark glasses; all the vampires use their own blood as deadly weapons -- with
it they can vanquish other dark forces.
I should mention that there is some upper body nudity
(exposed female breasts) as well as slightly yaoi (homosexual) themes
because Shido's old flame and fellow vampire Cain just won't let him be.
All in all, NightWalker is a pretty good pick. It does not glamorize the
vampiric life, nor does it extol it. It simply presents the two sides of a
coin, making you think long and hard of what's really worthwhile.
Miscellanies: Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective
Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective is made up of 12 episodes released in 2 DVDs.
Night Walker: Mayonaka no Tantei (Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective) | |
| Genre | Action, Horror, Mystery |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 12 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Jul 9, 1998 to Sep 23, 1998 |
| Producers | Bandai Visual, BeSTACK, Half H.P Studio, Memory-Tech |
| Studio | AIC |
| Rating | R+ |
| Themes | Vampire |
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