Copyright © BeSTACK/Bandai Visual/AIC

The horror genre has a new addition to its anime line-up, but with a bit of a twist. Appearing somewhat similar to the live-action television show FOREVER KNIGHT, NIGHT WALKER is the story of a vampire named Shido Tatsuhiko and his crusade to rid the world of evil in a modern setting.
Shido is a vampire who was brought over to the dark by the vampire Cain. After watching Cain's crimes over the years, Shido decided it was his time to leave him. On his travels, he encounters the Night Breed, a race of demonic creatures who, unseen by humans, are wreaking havoc and chaos on the modern world. Shido has vowed to use his supernatural power to defeat the Night Breed, so that they may not do anymore harm.
It is a clear evening in Japan, all is well, and a young couple listens to a soft jazzy sax playing as they race down the Bay Bridge. Unfortunately, their romantic scene is cut short as a mysterious shadow of a creature darts right towards them. The police are no help—the Night Breed immediately silence the first two officers to the scene. Later that evening, Shido and Matsui Yayoi, his beautiful assistant, go to investigate the Bay Bridge, but before they arrive, they encounter the Night Breed. Much to Shido's dismay, the Night Breed escapes with the help of the morning sun. Yayoi goes to investigate the crime scene up close, while Shido observes from afar, wearing protective sun-blocking clothing. He runs into Yamaki Riho, his other young assistant. Riho is the only one in the office who is unaware of Shido's secret.
Riho's hopes are dashed time and time again as Shido does not drink or eat any food that she makes for him. She is very jealous of Yayoi who is much older than she, a mere high school student. Shido's third helper, is Guni, a little bat-winged, imp-like girl creature who hides in his long purple hair and gives him advice on the Night Breed. Riho arrives to work and sees that Shido did not touch the coffee she made for him. She decides to go on her own to investigate the Bay Bridge to see what is going on.
Later, at Riho's school, a girl commits suicide. By her hand is a strange bottle of capsules. Shido, Yayoi, and Guni have a sneaking suspicious this could be the work of the Night Breed. They are also concerned about Riho, who has been going through some changes. Riho's friends find her on a bridge near the funeral home; they think she's going to jump. She assures them that's not so, and suddenly floats up in the air to stand on the bridge's railing. She then runs off, leaving her puzzled friends behind.
After chasing another Night Breed, Shido and Yayoi find another mysterious bottle of capsules on the girl's person and they begin to see a trend, a very dangerous one.
Riho's friend Mikako isn't coping well and starts taking the same capsules that that other girl took. She says they are apparently supposed to calm one's nerves down. Shunichi doesn't think it is a good idea to use drugs to help cope, but watches Mikako down several of them at once. Could these capsules be the cause of all the Night Breed problems?
NIGHT WALKER has a mixture of music usually associated with anime, and also a definite jazz theme. The use of a saxophone playing on those dangerous evening jaunts gives the series a "cool" feel to it and is something to snap your fingers to. The animation and art quality is about average for TV, but it is very appealing and well done. The colors of red, purple and black dominate this vampiric drama series, adding to its Gothic appeal.
The cast of NIGHT WALKER is filled with many veteran voice actors such as Otani Ikue (Merle from ESCAFLOWNE and Pikachu from POKEMON) playing the brash little demon imp Guni, and Sakamoto Maaya (Hitomi from ESCAFLOWNE) voicing the innocent, enthusiastic assistant Yamaki Riho. Shinohara Emi (B-ko in PROJECT A-KO) plays the snide and sexy Yayoi.
NIGHT WALKER is set to run for six volumes, but one of the unorthodox methods of this release is the way the company decided to package the episodes. The first volume contains Episodes 1 and 5, then the second volume, Episodes 2 and 6, and so on, until the fifth volume where it actually starts to proceed in a chronological order. The release boasts a "No Cut Version," which basically means there are no previews of the next episode in between the episodes; they come at the end of the two episodes. The first volume comes with an omake of the opening and ending animation minus the credits.
The series definitely has a very somber tone as the viewer follows Shido throughout the show. It is apparent that Shido really doesn't want to be a vampire, but he never had a choice, so he uses what was given to him to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Vampire fans will definitely enjoy this series as it is a non-stop thriller with the viewer always wondering what Night Breed Shido will run into next.

Original Japanese dialogue
Laserdisc, CLV, 55 min
BELL-1292
¥6,000
Available Now
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