Though I'd heard of Blood: The Last Vampire, I must admit to having evinced a certain 'meh'-ness about it until we were offered these pics. Now I can feel my fingers involuntarily crossing in hope that the film can live up to its premise and the sense of drama in the images.

BTLV is set at an air-base in post-war Japan (though in the original Manga strip, the story took place in the period directly before the outbreak of the Vietnam conflict), where our heroine Saya, an operative for the monster-busting Red Shield organisation, infiltrates a school in the search for a covert vampire.

Okay, so it's Buffy, Japanese-style. And if that's a note of caution, it's also got to be a note of recommendation!

The story has already been an anime, and has evolved into several novels and spin-offs, but this version is its chance at the big-time, and I can't wait to see more of it. Lead actress Gianna Jun looks intense (and - what am I, a rock? - absolutely stunning) and the set-up is arguably more original than the core premise, so let's hope for the best...

Official site: www.bloodthelastvampire.co.uk

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Blood: The Last Vampire opens in the UK on the 12th of  June