"Not so bad for a dated schlockfest." by V. Krätke (Netherlands) on Jan 13, 2008

I rented this title about a week ago, expecting little more than about an hour's worth of goopy, gory diversion. By and large, that's exactly what I got. The fact that Toshihiko Seki, my all-time favourite voice actor, plays the lead role with his usual understated intensity was a pleasant bonus.

Bio Hunter really feels like a throwback to the sort of titles Manga Video was incessantly releasing on VHS tapes in the mid-nineties. It's a short standalone OAV, pockmarked with sex and violence, but boasting surprisingly solid art and animation, as well as a few interesting ideas thrown in with all the dripping blood and slimy monsters. I'm not sure if there still is much of an audience for this sort of title in the mid-2000's. But for those who enjoy this sort of thing, Bio Hunter is one of the better entries in the schlocky exploitation anime genre, as well as one of the few that doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence.

I must warn potential viewers of some false advertising involved in this Dutch DVD release, however. The box lists the film's runtime at 80 minutes, but the picture really lasts just under an hour. And while they've provided a Dutch subtitle track, it's obvious that these are dubtitles, as the text frequently does not match what goes on on-screen. If you keep these caveats in mind and manage to lower your expectations (it is a 1995 B-grade horror cartoon, after all), Bio Hunter is not bas as a rental. Not for the squeamish, though, and not quite worth a purchase either, unless you're an absolute fan of the genre.