Name(s): Twilight of the Dark Master / Shihaisha no Tasogare / 支配者の黄昏
Format: Original video animation [OVA] (1 episode)
Studio(s): Madhouse

I watched this because it seemed to have the most believable (and superficial) similarity to Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. So there’s two things to address here. Did it fulfill that desire or comparison? No. Was it good on its own? No. Twilight of the Dark Master appears to be a respectable adaptation at a glance, telling the story of a single volume graphic novel in an appropriate 45 minutes. So the results may be a result of an non-noteworthy story to begin with. In a far-future Japan, a woman is attacked by a demon and now seeks to kill it. She hires a demon hunter from an underground organization to investigate the demon.

Along the way, he’s attacked by various cronies that are never any match for him. The plot and characters are light and unoriginal, and though there’s a possibility the ambiance provided by that choice could provide an atmosphere worth experiencing, those elements don’t go far enough. The futuristic setting has its moments of personality, but also the unique technology is rarely ever on screen. The direction is occasionally good, with some strong stills, but they’re infrequent and marred by completely average animation quality. This action/horror OVA is a generic story without much nuance or style, and there’s little else to it. The best part is the credits song.