This it simply the first volume of the animated series based upon the bad-ass video game series Night Warriors. If you've never played a Night Warriors game, and you want a little background before you see this series, here goes: Night Warriors is a fighting game VERY similar to Street Fighter, going with the more superhuman animated look of Anime, than the realistic looking stuff like Mortal Kombat. Secondly, the characters are all based on classic horror movie monster staples, including a werewolf, a couple of vampires, a Frankenstein monster, a mummy, a zombie, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. These beastly combatants are known as "Darkstalkers", because they can only come out at night.
As for the story itself, it seems like we've walked into the middle of an opening arc, as the Count Dracula clone on steroids, Demitri Maximoff, has found a way to bring constant night over the Earth. The humans of Earth are understandably pissed, so they attempt to dethrone the good count, permanent like. It seems that, some of the big guy’s fellow Darkstalkers aren't too keen on Demitri's rule either, so the humans have a few monstrous allies. Most notable of these hero monsters is Morrigan, a scantily clad vampiric slab of ass, who decides she wants a piece of the Count too… a big, bloody piece at that. The two fight it out demonic domestic dispute style, but their battle is interrupted when the humans send in a gang o' mesomorphic robot sentinels in an attempt to kill both bloodsuckers, failing miserably when the couple proves too strong for man’s flawed technology. Here's a tip for all you scared humans: Don't attack the only remotely powerful potential allies you have with mesomorphic robot sentinels! Eeeeeeeeeediots!
We’re then introduced to more of our Darkstalkers cast, namely the gorgeous young pussy cat girl Felicia and the British heavy metal white zombie (get it? not only is he a zombie that's white, but there's also the heavy metal band White Zombie!) Lord Raptor. We also witness another story arc arise elsewhere, as we say hello to a young psychic girl named Anita who also happens to be the sole survivor of a mass genocide in her home town, saved only by her own supernatural powers. A traveling circus stops at the town, sees that the girl is the only person left of her massacred village, and labels the little lady as another Darkstalker. The performers then prepare to kill her themselves out of paranoia and mob mentality… despite the fact that she’s a little girl… then again, the kids in Village of the Damned were very young too, so I guess age really is just a number.
At this most opportune of times, a half-human/half-Darkstalker Vampire Hunter named Donovan, carrying a HUGE (we're talking "Cloud in Final Fantasy VII" huge) sword, arrives on the scene and saves little Anita with the help of his bulletproof hat. The two form an alliance to wipe the other Darkstalkers from the face of the Earth. Boy, he must've really hated his mom or dad to wanna wipe out the entire race! Anyway, as they walk off into the sunset, one of those morphing robots watches ominously in the distance…
This was a really good Anime, but I'm sick of how cheap-o the fucking American release companies are anymore! I mean, they have plenty of room, yet they insist on only sticking 45 minutes of footage on a single VHS volume! That's bullshit! Todd McFarlane releases the "Spawn" animated series on one full length tape per season, yet these assholes want to put 'em out 45 minutes at a time and charge the same price?! Hell, even just your average NINETY minutes would have sufficed compared to a paltry 45! Fuck you guys. I suggest you rent a copy of this video and not purchase it. I mean, it was great, but you can only fit so much into 45 minutes! Just do what I did, rent it, then copy it over onto another tape before you return it. You won't have the video box or the "official" cassette, but do you really wanna pay $20 just for this?! Besides, with your own tape, you can fit the whole series on, or just throw on some other anime, like the "Street Fighter V" episodes, this sticking a hearty little nut shot of your own between the legs of corporate Amerika!
The Moral of the Story: Just because they're all monsters doesn't mean they get along.
Sequel: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge 2
H.O.P.E.L.E.S.S. Rating: 
- Animated monster hijinx are always fun and the short length makes this one a good candidate for a late-in-the-party filler title.
If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: Street Fighter: the Animated Movie or
Ninja Scroll
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