Ultraviolet: Code 044

Ultraviolet: Code 044 was released in 2008 as an anime spin-off of the 2006 live-action film Ultraviolet, produced by the acclaimed animation studio Madhouse. The series was conceptualized to expand upon the high-concept, futuristic world established in the film, exploring the conflict between the human race and the hemophages, a genetically enhanced subculture. It serves as a narrative companion piece that leans into the stylistic, action-oriented aesthetics for which Madhouse is well-regarded.

The production utilized a digital animation style intended to mimic the sleek, neon-drenched visual language of the original live-action source material. While it attempts to translate the frantic kinetic energy of the film into the medium of anime, the series remains an experimental outlier in the Madhouse catalog. It is generally noted by critics for its ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between Western blockbuster sensibilities and Japanese animation techniques, though it occupies a niche space in the studio's broader, more critically lauded body of work.