The atmosphere hits you like a physical thing: every frame is shadow work and cross-hatching, a world where technology exists only to remind you how much of it has been swallowed by darkness. Count Magnus Lee's rule isn't explained, it's felt, through Doris's helplessness and D's deliberate, exhausted movement across a dead landscape. The animation does things here that wouldn't be replicated for another decade, which is why it still feels like a threat rather than a story.

Ten thousand years from now, monsters wander the earth freely. People carry advanced weapons and ride cybernetic horses, yet they live simple lives that look like something from centuries past. One small village suffers constant monster attacks and lives under Count Magnus Lee, a mighty vampire lord who has ruled the region for thousands of years. When the Count bites a young girl and claims her as his newest plaything, she turns for help to D, a silent stranger who wanders the land. D happens to be among the finest vampire hunters alive, and he sets out to carve through the Count's many servants and end his reign. The film blends action and horror with science fiction and supernatural fantasy.