Hashtags reasons to live while living in a hellish dystopian! This Friday, the Japanese cult classic film VAMPIRE HUNTER D will premiere simultaneously on AMC Networks’ HIDIVE and Shudder streaming platforms. The dual debut on May 30th, 2025 follows on the heels of the movie’s highly successful 40th anniversary re-release co-presented by both streamers in more than 600 theaters across the U.S. and Canada on April 9, 10 & 13. I sadly missed seeing this anime classic back in April but feel elated to know I’d get a chance to watch in again this weekend–which CANNOT come fast enough! WHEW!
Directed by Toyoo Ashida and originally released in 1985, VAMPIRE HUNTER D is an OVA (“original video animation”) adaptation based on the best-selling novel series of the same name by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The movie offered audiences a mix of samurai action and gothic horror and garnered accolades from fans and critics alike. Today, Vampire Hunter D is considered both a seminal work of anime film-making and a genre-defining work of horror.
HIDIVE and Shudder will stream the digitally remastered version of the original Vampire Hunter D OVA that was produced by Sentai Filmworks in 2015. It will be available on demand in both Japanese with English subtitles and English dub starting on Friday, May 30 at 7:00 GMT in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
If I reminisce back far enough, Vampire Hunter D was one of my first tastes of anime that revolved around vampires in a darker tone and narrative style. My younger self mostly remembers being blown away by not just how dark the story was but how it also told an endearing story about hope and of fighting against evil. I remained so very enamored with D, his unique lineage, and his partnership with the unfortunate but daring Doris that remains a classic.
Vampire Hunter D is certainly an example of anime of the past: not just its aged look via its animation but this being our first introduction to D and classic anime of that era. As an anime fan, I’m always excited to see accessibility for anime, especially older titles and series in this streaming age, present and accounted for.
Official Synopsis
In the year 12,090 A.D. technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate, she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage.
About HIDIVE
HIDIVE is a fast-growing, fan-centric anime service and part of AMC Networks’ targeted streaming portfolio. From English subs and dubs to episodic series, movies and more, HIDIVE delivers a full-tilt, genre-spanning anime experience with blockbusters, classics, and underrated masterpieces by Japan’s leading and emerging producers. Each season, subscribers have exclusive access to first-run simulcasts of the best new anime at or near the same time as their Japanese broadcast. HIDIVE can be viewed on a wide array of platforms, including desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and connected TV, and it is currently available by subscription in the U.S. and Canada as well as key overseas markets including the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. For more information on HIDIVE or to sign up for a free trial, visit www.hidive.com.
About Shudder
AMC Networks’ Shudder stands as the leading curatorial voice and cultural destination for genre entertainment, delivering an unparalleled selection of horror, thrillers, and the supernatural. With an ever-expanding library of films, TV series, and exclusive originals, Shudder is accessible across most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Shudder has redefined genre streaming with a slate of groundbreaking and critically acclaimed titles, including Rob Savage’s Host, Jayro Bustamante’s Golden Globe-nominated La Llorona, Phil Tippett’s Mad God, Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink, Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil, Chloe Okuno’s Watcher, Demián Rugna’s When Evil Lurks, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s The Devil’s Bath, Chris Nash’s In A Violent Nature, Sébastien Vaniček’s Infested, Colin and Cameron Cairnes’ Late Night with the Devil, Damian McCarthy’s Oddity, Robert Morgan’s Stopmotion and the latest installment in the V/H/S franchise. Shudder also boasts fan-favorite series such as the Emmy Award-nominated The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow, The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, and Mark Duplass’s The Creep Tapes, among others.
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