Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers.

Based on the 1998 manga by Kouta Hirano, the Hellsing anime series is unique in that it takes much of itself from late 19th century and early 20th century Western fiction. It includes themes primarily from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu works and Bram Stoker's Dracula, rolled together with some creativity and fast-paced anime action sequences. It is an intensely stylish series, with beautiful, smooth animation with well-detailed characters. Cthulhu Mythos fans will definitely get a kick out of the parallels.

The main characters are part of the Hellsing organization, which seems to have been inspired by the Lovecraftian Miskatonic University's Wilmarth Foundation, which is an organization formed for fighting demons and the undead. The Hellsing organization would apparently be, then, a bastardized version of the Wilmarth Foundation.

The name Hellsing comes from the character of a similar name in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing. The leader of Hellsing organization, Integra, is the great granddaughter of the grizzled professor. The main character is named Alucard, and this is another relation to Dracula (Alucard is Dracula). Alucard is simply Dracula spelled backwards.

Hellsing was released in North America by Pioneer.