Reinventing a classic is risky business. It is one thing to create a sequel series or even a spin-off but it's something entirely different to go back to an anime and retell the story from the ground up. In the case of the moody vampire classic Hellsing the original series has been cast aside in favor of the much better regarded and finely tuned manga storyline.

If you are not familiar with the printed form of Hellsing then you should just be aware that it is arguably better in every way. Not that the anime was bad by any stretch of the imagination. On the contrary it has been one of my favorite shows since it first came out. It's just that the manga felt better somehow or maybe a little more fluid, I can't quite put my finger on it. Whatever the case, fans have longed for the experience that Hellsing Ultimate delivers; a faithful interpretation of the manga.

At its core the story is the same and the only real differences in Ultimate have to do with updating the show for today's otaku. That means the pacing has been quickened and some humor has been added. The slower moments and much of the dialogue of the first series have been changed or omitted all together. It's important to keep that in mind while watching. This retooling of sorts feels the same and yet it is also a brand new beast.

If you happen to be new to Hellsing though then these altered bits won't really mean anything to you. You'll just enjoy Ultimate for what it is; a fantastic horror anime with intriguing characters and a rocking plot.

The first volume introduced all of the important characters. Arucard the eternal beast of night, Seras his newly initiated underling, Hellsing the powerful anti-vampire organization, and Father Anderson the Regenerator all came out to play the last time around. We saw Seras take her first steps with her new vampiric powers and Arucard faced Anderson in a battle that was less than favorable in Sir Integra's eyes. Still, the fact that some artificial vampires are now running around is disconcerting enough despite Arucard's performance in battle.

In the second volume of Hellsing Ultimate we get to the point where a ghoul army infiltrates Hellsing's compound. In the original version of the show this was one of the most defining moments for the series and fortunately the same holds true for this new incarnation.

At Hellsing's main building Sir Integra is having a rather lengthy discussion with some of her affiliates and partners. If you think about them as a board of trustees you'd be kind of on the right track. At some point during the meeting a pair of guys walk up to the front gate and order the brutal assassination of some guards. With a whole pack of ghouls taking up the rear the two begin their assault on Hellsing.

The pack of monsters easily tears through the fortress and leaves nothing but rotting meat and freshly made ghouls in their wake. At first their goal is apparently the annihilation of Hellsing but there really is more to it than that. These vampires aren't you're average run of the mill artificial ones. This attack is kind of a test run to see how they perform. One of the vampires leads the charge with the ghouls while the other heads down to the basement to pay Arucard a visit. The episode splits between both perspectives and covers this particular arc through the entire volume.

The vampire dressed in white that went downstairs puts up a decent fight at first when he confronts Arucard but considering he's facing the vampire of all vampires it's not surprising that he gets his ass kicked. Arucard turns on the powers and becomes darkness. He surrenders his body to the demons and shows his true colors prior to finishing off his prey. Meanwhile the other vampire has his hands full against Seras and Integra's butler whose ability astounds and defies explanation at this point. If you have seen the original version then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Overall I was very pleased with Hellsing Ultimate's second volume. Redoing the series to be more faithful to the manga has achieved something that few anime ever could. Granted there are many areas where this version feels like the original but if you look hard enough you'll notice slight differences and new scenes altogether. My only complaint here is really the same as the one I had with the first volume. The fact that this volume contains one 50 minute episode left me wholly unsatisfied in the quantity department. It's a minor gripe in the end because the quality of this release all around is phenomenal. If you haven't seen Hellsing before then you're in for a real treat with Ultimate.

Hellsing Ultimate is presented with an anamorphic presentation and is truly a fine example of what modern anime can achieve. The quality is fantastic with virtually no flaws to complain about. Despite the dark nature of the series I didn't notice any grain which is quite a feat plus I didn't catch any aliasing either. Unlike most anime the CGI employed here works quite well and I didn't see anything wrong with it like I did on the first volume.

The audio for Hellsing Ultimate is presented with English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 mixes. Given the recent production date I was hoping that the Japanese language would have gotten the 5.1 treatment as well but sadly that's not the case here. Even so the quality of both dubs was great with decent voiceovers and the perfect blend of music to accompany the atmosphere. The English track offered the most speaker activity with the rear channels picking up most of the sound effects and music. In that regard Ultimate really came to life (or is it un-life?) while the Japanese stereo track only offered an acceptable range of audio. Optional English subtitles are included as well.

Like the first release the second volume of Hellsing Ultimate continues the Regular and Limited Edition trend. This review is for the Limited Edition so here's a little taste at what you get when you shell out the extra cash.

For starters the Limited Edition comes in a sleek steel case with two discs. The first disc includes the feature with an Audio Commentary available through the Set Up menu. The commentary includes Taliesin Jaffe (English Voice Director), Patrick Seitz (Luke Valentine), and Josh Phillips (Jan Valentine). This commentary is much like others that you'll find with anime. The cast sits around and talks about the show as they watch it and crack jokes. In this case there are many references to Seras' body, Integra's penchant for cigar smoking, and some of the over the top violence that this episode features. It's entertaining but entirely silly from start to finish.

The second disc includes most of the stuff that you're paying a few extra dollars for. The first feature available here is a roundtable interview with Jaffe, Seitz, and Phillips. The three of them sit around a table and talk about various aspects of the show and their involvement. It's not entirely interesting or engaging for an interview segment but things are kept upbeat and there are plenty of laughs. Before clicking to the next part of the extras menu there are a pair of promotional trailers for the second volume. One is the original Japanese and the other is an English internet trailer.

Rounding out the second disc are some meager offerings. A non-credit ending is available for this episode as well as a pair of Japanese TV commercials and some production art galleries. I suppose the real meat and potatoes of the Limited Edition would be the printed production art booklet. 212 pages are featured in the book with quite the collection of line art and screenshots depicting those particular images.

If you're coming to Hellsing Ultimate you immediately fall into one of two categories; either you've seen Hellsing or you haven't. If you happen to be the latter then you're in for a real treat because this is one hell of a show. On the flip side if you're coming to this rendition looking to see what's different you'll once again find yourself wrapped up in the violent and twisted tale about vampires.

Ultimate has been fantastically handled to this point and the second volume is highly entertaining. I suppose at this point the only question left unanswered is whether or not the Limited Edition is worth the extra cash. Well, the booklet is nice, the steel DVD case looks great on the shelf, and though the extra features are light they are amusing. If you're really into Hellsing the Limited Edition deserves consideration but regardless of what version you want to pick up this show is highly recommended.

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