Review: Ballmastrz: 9009 “Children of the Night Serenade Wet Nurse of Reprisal; Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!”

 

Overview(Spoilers Below):

Gaz Digzy is someone who doesn’t know when to quit. This can be helpful on the field of “The Game,” but it’s an attitude that gets her into trouble during one particularly messy night out. A sloppy bender at a bar is business as usual for Gaz, but when she feels a little more needy than normal she turns her attention to Bergdorf Sanguine, a tall, dark, and dangerous outsider. Gaz is no stranger to poor bedfellows, but her newest catch is a considerably different story. Before Gaz even has a chance to regain her bearings, she finds herself transformed into a creature of the night, committed to doing the bidding of her dark master, Bergdorf Sanguine. Gaz’s new vampiric status launches the Leptons into action, but it’s Duleena of all people that takes the lead on this rescue mission. The threat of vampires and creatures of the night causes Dee Dee to let the Leptons into a secret chapter from her past: that she used to be a prolific vampire hunter pest control exterminator.

 

Our Take:

Haven’t you ever finished watching Salem’s Lot or Fright Night and thought, “Well, that was great, but I really wish it was also a weird sports anime”? Well get ready for some peace of mind because, “Children of the Night Serenade Wet Nurse of Reprisal; Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” is absolutely the episode that’s set to make those dreams come true.

There’s something deeply comforting and satisfying about a good ol’ fashioned vampire story. There’s a reason that Bram Stoker’s Dracula and variations on his tale have been told for over a hundred years now. There’s an appeal to these stories that’s almost as eternal as the blood-sucking creatures themselves. This backdrop makes for a wonderful opportunity for Ballmastrz to dip its toe more into horror and the dark side of the supernatural, as opposed to purely science fiction stories or more fantastical themes.

The horror genre tends to be handled especially well in anime (and now adult animation too, with series like Castlevania helping establish a new paradigm). Not only is this the case, but vampires are also well trodden subject matter that have been explored in different, unique ways across dozens of different anime series, OVAs, and films. Works like Vampire Hunter D, Hellsing Ultimate, and Devilman have helped demonstrate just how rich the subject of vampires can be in a medium that’s as freeing as animation. Fortunately, this new installment of Ballmastrz: 9009 can also be proudly added to that list.

“Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” begins in a very familiar place. Gaz is resigned to take some disgusting bar dreg home with her, but then her reckless night of lechery spirals out of control when she runs afoul of Bergdorf Sanguine, shadowy gentleman. Bergdorf Sanguine is an entertaining addition and he’s that perfect mix of high cheekbones and creepiness that all anime vampires should strive towards. He looks like a mix between anyone from Vampire Knight and Ail/Alan from Sailor Moon R. This basically makes him sex incarnate for Gaz and even though there’s a foreboding aura that surrounds him, Gaz is too sloshed and enamored to care. Gaz finds it nearly impossible to resist this mysterious stranger’s wiles, but once the two hook up Gaz learns that Bergdorf Sanguine is interested in much more than romance. For one, he wants to completely drain Gaz of her life force and free will.

Gaz’s vampiric tendencies first set their sights on Ace (or rather, more specifically, his blood) and after a rather disturbing display, the Leptons don’t just learn about Gaz’s new condition, but also a fascinating detail from out of Dee Dee’s past. Gaz and Duleena are a pairing that aren’t put together very often even though they’re basically the only two female members of the Leptons. Gaz has already received a lot of focus this season, albeit often as a foil to other characters. Such is the case here and even though Gaz is turned into the mysterious Bergdorf Sanguine’s puppet, “Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” is much more Duleena Duneeda’s time to shine.

Duleena is a Ballmastrz character who can often be neglected or reduced to her “Two Face-like” personality, so the character development that she receives here is especially helpful. Before Dee Dee played for the Leptons, she went through an extensive “goth phase” and to help pay off her student loans she put her time in as a vampire hunter. All of Duleena’s “pest control” history is so much fun and it’s crazy how much this chapter from her past greatly expands and improves upon her character. I suddenly want to get a lot more Dee Dee in these adventures and that’s coming from someone who was never a major fan of the character.

This season of Ballmastrz: 9009 has gotten even more unapologetic with its passionate anime references, but the most blatant one yet turns up during the glimpse of Dee Dee’s past. It’s not just that Duleena’s outfit is identical to D’s from Vampire Hunter D, but “Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” makes the association as obvious as possible when Leto refers to Duleena as “Vampire Hunter Dee Dee,” only for the logical suggestion to get hilariously shot down.

Ballmastrz: 9009’s elastic animation truly takes advantage of the supernatural elements that occupy this episode. Gaz’s infected status is gloriously amplified as she floats through Ace’s room and hovers above him like she’s reenacting a scene from out of Salem’s Lot. At other times her tongue and limbs flail with demonic excitement. The actions and animation are always over the top and crazy in Ballmastrz: 9009, but the episode effectively makes Gaz’ possession have weightier stakes and feel different.

At the same time, this episode doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to the wild aesthetics that accompany Duleena during this journey. The Castlevania-like cutaway that explains the history of vampires and Dee Dee’s expertise at mowing them down is gorgeous to watch. It’s all presented through this powerful red, black, and blue color palette. Additionally, the score in this episode is really exceptionally and amplifies the episode’s gothic horror elements. There’s also a very cool electric guitar riff when Gaz breaks free of Sanguine’s hold, which is a lot of fun and helps represent the character’s independence growing stronger.

“Scream, Bloodsucker Scream!” is an expertly paced installment of Ballmastrz. The first half of the installment effectively sets up the threat of Bergdorf as well as Duleena’s insane past, but it’s the later portion of the episode that truly comes alive. In what’s easily one of the most exciting and action-packed sequences from the season, “Vampire Hunter Dee Dee” storms Bergdorf’s vampiric castle with the help of Ace and Babyball in Ballmastr mode. The carnage that follows is absolute animated bliss and it’s still kind of unbelievable just how much Ballmastrz ups its game with every new episode.

This is another installment where Ballmastrz: 9009 trades sports for fisticuffs and it’s a satisfying swap. The Leptons face a castle full of deadly monsters as frenetic swordplay action keeps a steady stream of limbs and body fluids flying through the air. These winged beasts force Dee Dee and Ballmastr to occasionally take their battle off the ground. The high-flying and grappling action that follows even feels reminiscent of the omni-directional mobility gear battles that play out on Attack on Titan. Last year, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal set a new standard for blood-soaked action sequences, but the heights of “Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” might actually surpass it. The final showdown is such a triumph that it’s actually a little painful that Christy Karacas and his team over at Titmouse aren’t the ones in control of a Castlevania animated series (which is brilliant, by the way, but just look at this episode…).

There’s a lot of hacking and slashing in the final act of “Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!”, but the installment wisely frames its conclusion around emotional maturity and personal breakthroughs. In the end, it’s not just Dee Dee’s skills or strength that can defeat Bergdorf, but also the use of Gaz’s extreme will. Bergdorf’s possession of Gaz basically subjugates her to a brainless slave. Her ability to pull herself from his grasp and reclaim her independence isn’t just a surprising way to resolve this crisis, but it also gives some clever resolution to her unsuccessful quest to get laid. Through all of this Gaz remembers that she doesn’t need a man in her life—just alcohol—and that she’s awesome enough on her own. It’s an empowering message that hits even harder since an actualized, confident version of Duleena is the one who helps Gaz obtain this clarity. The beheading that follows also feels like it’s right out of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which is very high praise.

It’s not surprising that Gaz’s status is returned to normal by the end of this episode and that matters are effectively reset, as per usual. But honestly, Gaz’s brief tenure as a creature of the night is just so much fun that I kind of wish that she simply remained a vampire for the remainder of Ballmastrz, albeit one that still has free will. The idea that Gaz just has slightly exaggerated powers and needs to occasionally drink blood would be some fun elements to the character and they wouldn’t necessarily have to become her defining quality.

“Children of the Night Serenade Wet Nurse of Reprisal; Scream, Bloodsucker, Scream!” continues the trend of Ballmastrz: 9009’s near flawless second season that continues to push boundaries in every conceivable category and turn out some of the most satisfying animation that you’ll currently find on American television, let alone Adult Swim. This episode, perhaps more than others from this season, reinforces how it’s just so freaking fun. This episode takes the characters and the show’s tone to some very worthwhile places and Bergdorf Sanguine is one of the better one-off side characters to appear. It’s also an episode that does some great work for Duleena’s character, who can often get lost in the shuffle of the show’s large cast. There are really no weak links here and this also better not be the last time that we get a dose of “Vampire Hunter Dee Dee” because she’s just pure fire.