A mixture of sci-fi and supernatural elements, the 2005 broadcast series Trinity Blood takes place in the far future, when humans and vampires vie for control of the Earth. Abel Nightroad is an itinerant priest and agent for AX, the covert branch of the Holy Office. But when a real threat appears, he transforms into an über-beast who feeds on the blood of vampires. As he fulfills his duties, Abel is joined by Sister Noélle (sic) and assorted other agents. The storyline wanders aimlessly: The tale of a series of murders and assaults on cathedrals peters out, and a new narrative about a sinister archbishop's plot to destroy Rome with a "silent noise" device develops. Before that story is resolved, Abel is off to Carthage and Constantinople, where he prevents Department of the Inquisition agents from interfering in delicate negotiations between the Vatican and the Empire. This overwrought fantasy eventually reaches a baroque finale that includes murder victims returning from the dead; aerial battles; CG mecha; creatures who are angelic, demonic, or possibly both dueling in the skies; and a veritable blizzard of symbolic feathers. The combination of gothic fantasy and potentially offensive pseudo-Catholic mumbo-jumbo recalls Hellsing (2001), on which the series was obviously modeled. Although it's relentlessly silly and over the top, Trinity Blood remains popular with fans of vampire anime who prefer flashy visuals to coherent narratives. (Rated TV MA, suitable for ages 16 and older: graphic violence, violence against women, gore, grotesque imagery, tobacco and alcohol use, offensive religious imagery.) --Charles Solomon (1. Flight Night, 2. Witch Hunt, 3. The Star of Sorrow #1, City of Blood, 4. The Star of Sorrow #2, Hunter's Banquet, 5. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 6. Sword Dance, 7. Never Land, 8. Silent Noise, 9. Overcount I: The Belfry of Downfall, 10. Overcount II: Lucifer's Choice, 11. From the Empire, 12. The Ibelis I: Evening Visitors, 13. The Ibelis II: Betrayal Blaze, 14. The Ibelis III: A Mark of Sinner, 15. The Night Lords I: Return of the Envoy, 16. The Night Lords II: Twilight of the Capital, 17. The Night Lords III: The Island of Her Darling Children, 18. The Night Lords IV: The Palace of Jade, 19. The Night Lords V: A Start of Pilgrimage, 20. The Throne of Roses I: Kingdom of the North, 21. The Throne of Roses II: The Refuge, 22. The Throne of Roses III: Lord of Abyss, 23. The Crown of Thorns I: City in the Mist, 24. The Crown of Thorns II: The Lord of Oath)
Login
Add tags