{"id":57906,"date":"2014-03-18T15:08:47","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T15:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/?p=57906"},"modified":"2014-03-18T15:08:47","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T15:08:47","slug":"blood-c-the-last-dark-blu-ray-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scifinow.co.uk\/reviews\/blood-c-the-last-dark-blu-ray-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Blood-C: The Last Dark Blu-ray review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blood-C: The Last Dark<\/strong><\/em> is a direct continuation of the TV series that shares the same prefix, but does little to take the franchise in a new direction.<\/p>\n

While the series had the time to lounge around and obsess over character development, the film does not. There are some serious issues with pacing in The Last Dark<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 the film gets off to an explosive start and then seems to stammer, its words sticking in its throat until the climax of the third act.<\/p>\n

The premise of it all is paper-thin, too: returning character Saya \u2013 a brooding, vengeance-seeking vampire schoolgirl \u2013 travels to Tokyo to hunt down veteran antagonist Fumito, who has enacted stringent anti-teenager laws within the city.<\/p>\n

Considering the film carries an 15 rating, the angsty narrative framework feels a little misguided \u2013 the plot is anime-by-numbers and is completely serviceable, but never picks up enough to be anything more than adequate.<\/p>\n

Saya is supported by a cast of largely forgettable characters, who only serve two core functions for the whole film: providing light (typically ineffective) comic relief, or contrasting against the cold inhumanity of Saya.<\/p>\n

For those familiar with Blood-C<\/strong><\/em>, the film implicitly ties up some \u2013 but not all \u2013 of the loose ends the series fizzled out on, and provides some much needed characterisation of Saya herself. A katana-wielding schoolgirl vampire is all well and good, but the gimmick quickly deflates if there\u2019s no one behind those blood red eyes.<\/p>\n

When The Last Dark<\/strong><\/em> moves away from the languid conversational scenes, it does find its feet. The action-orientated parts of the film are a fantastic example of what high-budget adult anime can do: they\u2019re dark, beautifully animated and touch (briefly) on elements of Lovecraftian-styled body horror that appeal to the morose, gothic tendencies you\u2019ll find in the mature anime viewer.<\/p>\n

The Last Dark<\/strong><\/em> is fairly inaccessible to anyone that hasn\u2019t seen the series: this film is all about fan service, and is really only aimed at those that want to drink a little more from the brimming Blood-C<\/strong><\/em> cup.
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