Movie:
Twilight of the Dark Master, originally released in 1997, is an OVA based on the graphic novel by Saki Okuse. Character designs and a terrific "sketch" DVD cover were done by Hisashi Abe, of Bio Hunters, Vampire Hunter D, Wicked City, and Golgo 13.

Long ago, Demon Masters were created by the Mother, the creator of all life, to teach mankind to fight. However, they did their job too well, and soon overpowered the humans. Guardians were thus created to aid mankind against the demon threat. Many thousands of years later, only one guardian remains, Tsunami Shijyo. He's alerted to the presence of his long time nemesis Takamiya, the supreme demon, when Shizuka, a woman whose fiancé recently became a demon, contacts him for help. Shijyo has a history with Takamiya; thirty years ago, the demon killed his lover and the resulting battle between them wiped out a city and left the demon critically wounded and presumed dead. Now, Shijyo must finish what he started or mankind will perish.

I enjoyed Twilight of the Dark Master, though I thought the film was too short and too shallow. It has a very quick pace at only 50 minutes, and because of this, I never felt connected to any of the characters. More time spent establishing Shijyo, his powers, his history, etc, I feel, would have really added to the film. Several parts of the film were also a bit confusing and the ending was abrupt as well. The film is also for a more mature audience as it has some graphic scenes and nudity.

Picture:
Twilight of the Dark Master is presented in 1.33:1 full frame. The transfer's main fault is edge enhancement, which varies in degree throughout the film. There is also some noticeable artifacting early on in the film. However, I didn't see any scratches, marks, specks, or grain. Blacks are quite good throughout with a fair amount of detail.

Sound:
Twilight of the Dark Master is presented in the original Japanese 2.0 Stereo and a newly remixed English 5.1 Surround track. The Japanese track is your average stereo mix; I preferred the remixed English version. The English track has better music separation, which results in a richer audio experience. Dialogue also has some directionality, and benefits from the 5.1 track in that it sounds much more full and distinct than in the Japanese track. I found the English dub to be more than adequate, and in some cases, it adds much more story than do the subtitles, which are rather sparse in some scenes. English subtitles are also included.

Extras:
Extras include twelve trailers for other Urban Vision releases, including Golgo 13, Wicked City, and Bio Hunters, along with character art, weblinks, and a thirteen-minute video of Hisashi Abe drawing the cover, sped-up. I really enjoyed watching Abe draw the cover, as the artwork is fantastic.

Summary:
Twilight of the Dark Master will make a great rental for fans of horror themed anime, though I don't recommend a purchase first unless you're familiar with the graphic novel or the character. Rent it!