6.5 really leaning into 7. Overall, this is a pretty decent manga series. While it may be shallow and pretty repetitive, there's enough well drawn art and over the top violence to keep the reader or an average manga fan such as myself occupied. The story moves at a pretty breakneck pace and there's not a lot of exposition or backstory given throughout, but small breadcrumbs about the characters are found here and there. I would have to say about 90 percent of the series focuses on some really fun supernatural and over the top, big gun, bloody spewing dismemberment type action and not so much on the story. But the characters themselves are good and at times I was shocked as to how powerful the author actually pushed to make Alucard an almighty vampire who wields the lives of millions. Some of the other characters had some good personality but were pretty stoic and serious, except for Seras, who is a gleeful, needy, and naive character who balanced out the dark tones and bloodshed of the manga. It was really to see her grow into a true vampire throughout the series as well. So Hellsing is a fairly original pretty fun thrill ride that grabs you by the hair and pulls you through a battlefield of giant guns, bullets, flying limbs and squirting blood, while you try to hang on and catch a glimpse of the plot here and there. A good series for manga, anime, and gaming fans who enjoy a bit of the old ultraviolence over plot every now and again. And as a side note, if you want to desensitize yourself to violence; read Hellsing.