First Impressions: Castlevania

By: Mithrandiel

Coming out of the Castlevania panel I could only think one thing: dreams do come true.

Since Netflix quietly announced the Castlevania series a few months ago, the entire fandom has been abuzz with a cautious optimism. After all, we’ve been burned many times before by poor video game adaptations.

That being said, when the teaser trailer landed a couple months ago, the optimism went WAY up, and the caution went WAY down. If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, enjoy:

I was one of the many gamers and anime enthusiasts who was absolutely thrilled to see the direction it was going, and so when I heard that a sneak peek of Castlevania was going to be aired at Anime Expo I was eager to see more and confirm my initial thoughts.

I went into the Castlevania panel with high expectations. The animation and action looked smooth and the brief snippets of the voice acting were promising, so I was already excited to see this adaptation. The panel was headed by executive producers Adi Shankar, Larry Tanz and Netflix producer Kevin Kolde. By the end of the first clip about 15 minutes into the panel I realized that I was witnessing something spectacular.

For starters, the voice acting is fantastic. The full cast was only recently announced, including the extremely talented Graham McTavish as Dracula. During the sneak peek, Dracula’s performance elicited gasps, cheers and inspired an overall sense of fear and impending doom – a perfect characterization of the chief antagonist for the long-running series.

Richard Armitage, who played Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy, faithfully brings the character of Trevor Belmont to life as well. At one point, after sinking a blade into the chest of a cyclops, Trevor says “Come on – you’re dead!” in frustration before hiding behind a nearby pillar. Something I’m sure many gamers have murmured while playing any action game.

Castlevania, directed by brothers Samuel and Adam Deats, boasts beautiful hand-drawn animation: a craft that Mr. Shankar defended with a zealous fervor at the panel today. The result of this is a visually stunning and familiar world. Furthermore, this hand-drawn animation elevates the action-sequences to the next level. We posted a short video of Trevor’s encounter with a cyclops, which you can find here. This will give you an idea of what to expect when it comes to the action sequences.

The panel ended with a Q&A section that reflected the dedication and enthusiasm of the Castlevania fanbase. At one point Mr. Shankar asked the larger audience a simple question: “What is a man?” to which the audience responded with the now legendary dialogue from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

After answering a smattering of questions from fans, Kevin Kolde announced that the series has already been approved for a 2nd season, which will run 8 episodes long. The universe of Castlevania is a robust and long-running series whose dedicated fandom has helped to bring the series to life in a beautiful way. If what I saw today is any indication of the quality that we are to expect from the final product, due to be released in a few short days, I think you can expect to see a lot more video game series being brought to life by Netflix.

In closing – never forget that sometimes, dreams do come true. That was certainly the case for Adam and Samuel Deats, and animation director Spencer Wan. Being able to see a room full of fans cheer watching Trevor Belmont take out a cyclops represented a dream of their own, and we were glad to bring it to life for them.

‘Castlevania’ Is Less of a Show and More of a Gory, Snarky, and Dracula-Filled Movie
By Kayla Cobb @kaylcobb
Jul 7, 2017 at 9:30am


Let’s get this out of the way: Castlevania is very much an adult show. The animated series features multiple f-bombs, drunken antics, ripped apart bodies, and literal rivers of blood. If you wanted to introduce your kids to your favorite video game through this adaptation, that’s probably not a good idea. It’s also incredibly short. The series’ first season only has four episodes that run for less that 30 minutes each, and the entire first season takes place before its vampire-killing protagonist ever steps foot in Castlevania.

That being said, Castlevania is by far one of the best and most fun video game adaptations that has been released in years.

Written by Warren Ellis, a comic book writer who’s likely best known for writing the “Extremis” Iron Man story, Castlevania expands the mythology of one of the most influential video game franchises of all time. Season 1 is based off of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, a prequel to the first game in the series, and the series uses this narrative direction to show Dracula’s rise from disinterested outsider to evil overlord of one unfortunate town. Fans of the original games will likely be pleased with Netflix’s adaptation. Key characters from Castlevania III make an appearance, the aesthetics capture the original game’s mastery of gothic horror, and there are knowing winks to the original gameplay littered throughout the series’ fight scenes. However, fans who are new to Dracula’s reign won’t feel lost.

Castlevania’s primary strength is its animation. Even some of the series’ bloodiest, dirtiest moments have an element of beauty to them, much like a death metal album cover. When the series decides it wants to be genuinely beautiful as it captures crumbling churches and newly erected towers, it’s a visual treat.

The series also excels at something that’s difficult for many video game adaptations and animes — it’s very good at creating instantly likeable characters. The ambitious, altruistic, and headstrong Lisa (Emily Swallow) is the first character that fits this description, but the show’s protagonist Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) has his merits as well. The hero who is supposed to save humanity is often drunk, sarcastic, and lazy but bound by a need to right the evils around him. In this way, Belmont takes on a lot of the charms of Iron Man, which is impressive considering the original Belmont was completely devoid of personality.

All that being said, Castlevania has a severe timing problem. The show doesn’t find its groove until its third or fourth episodes, which is also right when Season 1 ends. It’s such a fast watch with such an abrupt ending, Castlevania doesn’t really feel like a series. It’s more like a 92 minute movie divided into four parts. As a viewer it’s frustrating, but it probably makes sense on Netflix’s part. Animation is expensive, especially when you’re essentially building a story from scratch. This four-episode release is likely a test for the new more, cancellation-ready Netflix. Is there an audience for this niche genre, and if so, is it large enough to justify the cost? Only time will tell, but if internet rumblings are any indication, this is a highly anticipated series for some fans. Castlevania has also already been given a second season, so at least fans know there’s officially more to come.

Of course, Castlevania isn’t perfect. The American animated drama borrows a lot from anime, so if that’s a subgenre you hate, you’re not going to like this. Also, as is the case with most video games, character motivations are a bit questionable, and it is really a graphic show. However, if you want to reconnect with one of your gaming loves through a series that would make Metalocalypse proud, Castlevania is absolutely worth checking out.

Netflix's Castlevania Review
Is this a terrible night for a binge-watch or the series that finally whips Castlevania back into shape? Here is our review.
Review Matthew Byrd
Jul 7, 2017


When Netflix officially teased their upcoming animated adaptation of the Castlevania series via a trailer starring a well-worn NES and pixelated takes on some of their most popular shows, Castlevania fans across the world reached deep into their too often tread upon hearts and found reason to hope that this series might just be the proper modern day interpretation of this series that they have long hoped for.

It is with a somewhat heavy heart that I report Netflix’s Castlevania is not a show for the fans. Instead, it is a show for absolutely everyone.

Technically, Netflix’s Castlevania is based on the NES game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. That installment of the long-running series serves as a prequel to the majority of the Castlevania franchise - only Castlevania: Lament of Innocence takes place before it - and is widely credited with helping the series shed its horror film tribute roots and establishing a true mythology to call its own.

Whether you’ve ever played Castlevania III or even care about the Castlevania series at all is largely irrelevant in terms of your ability to understand - or enjoy - this particular interpretation of the series. That said, yes, it follows the game’s basic premise, which sees Trevor Belmont called into action once more as Dracula unleashes his army upon humanity; and yes, there are many references to Castlevania III which only fans will pick up on.

When you get right down to it, though, Netflix’s Castlevania is a tale of good and evil involving the world’s most famous vampire and the men, women, and creatures that wish to defeat him. There is something universally appealing (no Universal Pictures pun intended) about the show’s classic gothic setting and adventure archetype characters.

Of course, Netflix’s Castlevania only looks like a traditional tale of good vs. evil on the surface. Minutes into the first episode, you’ll quickly realize that the black and white morality of the original games - and many of the fictional works that inspired them - is largely abandoned in favor of a far more complicated tale wherein nothing is quite as you may expect it to be. Without diving into spoilers, let’s just say the majority of viewers may find themselves rooting for Dracula and against the church within 15 minutes of the show’s opening.

In the same vein, it must be noted that Netflix’s Castlevania is an incredibly brutal series that is not intended for children or those with a weak stomach for animated violence and generous amounts of vulgarity. Many episodes include a good dismemberment or two, and the entire series is cloaked in macabre and dread.

Actually, the show reminds me a lot of the classic animated film Ninja Scroll in terms of violence and animation style. No, Castlevania isn’t quite as brutal as Ninja Scroll (it’s thankfully devoid of animated rape scenes) but this is by far the most mature take on the Castlevania series that we’ve ever seen.

Thankfully, the show’s animation and visual design go a long way to ensure that Castlevania’s brutal design elements never feel gimmicky. The phrase “every frame a painting” jumps to mind when trying to best convey the animation team's work on this gothic world. It feels close enough to reality to be relatable yet far enough away from our world to instill a sense of existential dread heightened by the guilty pleasure that only a well-done horror atmosphere can provide.

As for the show’s action sequences, they are nearly flawless on a technical level but a bit familiar to those with a fondness for anime combat. With the exception of a few neat moments and a particularly memorable encounter that will never make you again question whether or not a whip is actually a viable weapon, the show’s combat sequences pale slightly in comparison to the story sections and general visual splendor.

Castlevania’s writing steals the show. While the dramatic story progression sequences are all well-handled and serve their purpose, it is the show’s humor that will catch you off-guard time and time again. Trevor Belmont almost always has a sarcastic observation to make, which is always genuinely funny but never detracts from the feeling of impending dread. There is one joke that feels like something out of a Pixar film, but it is so incredibly funny - as in “rewind and rewatch” funny - that you can easily forgive its intrusion.

So far as the overall narrative goes...well, that’s a little tricky to rate. See, Netflix’s Castlevania is only four episodes long, with each episode coming in at just under thirty minutes. For those keeping track at home, that means that you can binge watch the entire series in under two hours.

It seems that the reason for this abrupt first season is two-fold. First off, Castlevania was originally produced as an animated film before Netflix jumped in and decided to add it to their library. Second, animated shows are fairly expensive to produce and there had to be some worry regarding whether or not this show would find an audience beyond Castlevania fans.

While Netflix has confirmed that they intend to produce a second season of the series, the fact remains that this initial run of episodes feels like an extended prologue for what is to come. The episodes we do get tell an effective mini-story that doesn’t necessarily feel rushed in and of itself, but there are certain key moments you’d expect from a Castlevania tale which these four episodes do not include.

It’s been said before that when the biggest complaint you have regarding a particular piece of entertainment is that there’s not enough of it, that’s a pretty good sign that it’s something special. While that’s mostly the case here, it is undoubtedly disappointing that Netflix’s Castlevania ends just when you’re starting to appreciate how special it truly is.

Still, if the choice is between a truncated take on this classic gaming franchise or Konami’s approach to the Castlevania series - i.e. absolutely nothing in recent memory - I’ll gladly take one of the best American adult animated series since HBO’s Spawn.

Netflix’s Castlevania isn’t a perfect video game adaptation, but it’s on the right track
Sympathy for the devil
by Michael Moore Jul 7, 2017, 4:15pm EDT

As far as video game adaptations go, Castlevania is certainly one of the best. In fact, the television show, which just premiered its first four episodes on Netflix, could serve as a starting point for future creatives tasked with adapting interactive entertainment into a passive, scripted program.

The series is a partial retelling of the 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System game, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. The game itself features the rather minimal narrative of a vampire hunter, Trevor Belmont, traveling to defeat Dracula and prevent his demonic armies from destroying 15th century Europe. Along the way, he meets three allies: a sorceress Sypha, the pirate Grant, and Dracula’s son Alucard.

It’s a thin, yet sturdy skeleton, one that the show’s creators fill with new ideas, and also story elements from later Castlevania games. There is a care taken that clearly shows those involved have an understanding not just of the franchise’s Wikipedia synopsis, but of the more abstract ideas and feelings that have made it so appealing.

Where the show falters isn’t in the ideas themselves, but how they are executed.

Spoiler warning

For instance the show spends the first episode making Dracula into sympathetic character as opposed to cartoonish villain with no real motivation beyond an unjustified drive to be evil. And yet, the cartoonish villain role still materializes, when it becomes apparent that the season’s true antagonist is the Church.

The clergy not only invoke Dracula’s wrath by burning his wife to death as a witch, but then spend the next three episodes actively impeding anyone who might stop Dracula — for no other reason a vague notion of controlling the masses. The show excels when it adds complexity and depth to its characters; hopefully these villains will get that level of attention in future episodes.

This fluctuation between bland tropes and creative risks is present throughout the show. It sometimes presents a potentially interesting idea or situation, only to struggle to justify the internal logic holding the scene together. Characters’ goals can turn with little more incentive than a twist of dialogue. Trevor is a selfish man and reluctant hero weighed down by his family’s legacy, at least until an old man tells him enough times that he needs to protect people from Dracula’s demons.

The show is also full of people getting brutally dismembered, bleeding and vomiting. It never justifies these graphic depictions the way a show like Game of Thrones might use a viscerally violent scene to create a sense of danger. Instead, the violence feels intentionally flashy and sleek.

Castlevania is ripe with potential, but also burdened with cliches. And so, it feels after four episodes like a show at a crossroads. Will it become just another tortured video game adaptation? Or will it rise to be something more?

‘Castlevania’ Review: Netflix’s Bleak, Violent Animated Series Wrestles With Evil on a Giant Scale
This adaptation of the Konami video game series has a sense of spectacle, but takes its time finding the human story underneath.

Steve Greene


Staying alive in the year 1455 was not an easy task.

As if the lack of medical advances and the whims of deadly diseases weren’t enough, “Castlevania,” the latest Netflix animated series from writer Warren Ellis, adds on the persistent spectre of bloodthirsty hellbeasts bent on destroying all of humankind.

It’s the ideal example of the series attempting to tap into universal themes to amp up the frights originally mined in the Konami video game series. This onscreen world might hold a special place for those who’ve been immersed since its premiere in 1986, but as a work of episodic storytelling, it takes much of its four episodes to firmly establish the kind of series it will be moving forward. (“Castlevania” was renewed for Season 2 the morning Season 1 debuted.)

The pilot episode, as an entry point into this medieval world, thrusts audiences inside the castle of legendary mythical figure Dracula Vlad Tepes. Following the inquisitive curiosities of Lisa, a human interested in scientific discovery, the show teases an origin story of an intellectual partnership between immortal being and human that could sustain entire franchise.

Smash cut to Lisa, 20 years later, burning at the stake amidst cries of witchcraft and heresy from Church elders.

Lisa’s death incurs Dracula’s wrath and sets a cycle of sorrow, blame and manipulation into motion. We only see Dracula and Lisa share one conversation, but as we’re reminded many times over the course of the first season, theirs was a love worth inciting a supernatural holocaust over. Dracula taking revenge on the city for the burning of his beloved is a sweeping sequence of destruction, marked by columns of hellfire and hoards of beastly.

After his reign of terror (and rain of blood and viscera), Dracula largely disappears, but his dramatic effect over this town set adrift is considerable. If it seems like there’s nowhere to go after the true forces of evil thoroughly annihilate the wreckage of a city, Episode 2 would agree. Downshifting from full-scale horrors to a profane bar fight, Dracula’s preoccupation with wiping out humanity gives way to the antihero’s journey of Trevor Belmont.

Belmont (voiced by Richard Armitage) is a wandering mercenary, looking to redeem his family’s honor after it’s tarnished in the wake of the attacks on Gresit. In true medieval-adjacent fiction form, much of his lineage’s strife is downloaded in his grand pronouncements to strangers. Where the opening episode of “Castlevania” tells a story with the scope of its unleashed evil, a large chunk of the other three entries are literally told in the words of men.

That struggle to reconcile the sweeping and the personal is the show’s biggest growing pain. The bleak atmosphere that smothers most of the city’s human inhabitants is only offset by the tiny thrills of expanding out this universe’s relationship to magic and mythology. Through all manners of involuntary bodily functions, “Castlevania” indulges a very specific kind of grotesque norm that ensures that no character is safe from the ugliness of a world where a loving God is nowhere to be found.

But when it breaks from the generic anxieties of living in the dark ages, “Castlevania” finds life in the design of its otherworldly creatures. Winged, bat-like terrors with prehensile talons and a penchant for spilling blood, these nameless minions are as efficient as they are ruthless. One particular of the species, with glowing teeth and a wicked sense of logic, even delivers a philosophical treatise on the nature of truth before consuming his prey.

But in the human realm, these individuals’ great power lies in the myths they choose to keep alive. Though The Church is presented as a willful participant in the terrors that visit this town, “Castlevania” still affords its downtrodden populace the right to a redeemer, regardless of what plane of existence he/she/it may come from. When the show zeroes in on the power of that belief, it elevates Trevor and the people he’s fighting for from the realm of characters as two-dimensional as the animation style through which they’re delivered.

After spending half of its runtime in a grand preamble to the twin stories of Trevor and Dracula, as one-eyed figures of lore and an actual female character emerge to fill out both sides of the divide, “Castelvania” starts to show what may take those advancements further in the newly announced second season. Already marked by periodic sequences of balletic violence (a finger-chop here, a pitchfork garroting there), when Trevor and his targets become more than allegorical pawns in a battle between righteousness and evil, “Castlevania” will become more than a show that shares a video game’s name.

Among the voice performances, Richard Armitage brings a slight level of dry humor and fallen nobility to Trevor’s quest, a helpful shortcut to the redemption story he’s hurtling toward. But the real Season 1 standout is Matt Frewer, who savors the villainy of the wicked Bishop in every syllable. It’s an appropriately theatrical performance for a character defined by his ability to prey upon people’s fears and insecurities.

Gruesome, bloody, and (for most of its runtime) mostly devoid of hope, “Castlevania” doesn’t skimp on darkness. It never quite reaches the demented highs of its pillar-of-hellfire pilot, but by season’s end, there’s a clear mission statement for arriving at a slightly more optimistic future. Evil hasn’t completely enveloped these lands, but for four episodes, it definitely comes close.

Grade: B-

Netflix’s new Castlevania series is the most bingeable show at just under 100 minutes

Set a couple of hours aside and dig into it
by Julia Alexander Jul 7, 2017, 11:00am EDT

With less than 100 minutes worth of content making up the entire first season, Netflix’s new Castlevania series may officially be the easiest show to binge watch on the platform.

The series, which is based on Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, only has four episodes, each spanning anywhere from 23 to 30 minutes in length. While that may seem very short, even in comparison to other Netflix series like Voltron: Legendary Defender, it does make sense considering that Castlevania was supposed to be a trilogy of films instead of a television show.

Back in March 2007, writer Warren Ellis sent an email to Bleeding Cool describing the Castlevania project that he was working on. In the email, Ellis specifically spoke about working on a feature-length adaptation of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, which at the time was supposed to be released direct to DVD.

We’ve worked with Koji Igarashi to get the film solidly inside the Castlevania timeline, and he’s approved everything I came up with, including some new embroidering to the timeline. To make it work as a film, I had to introduce new backstory, and I went through five drafts of the premise and three of the full outline to get the material where IGA wanted it. He remains absolutely passionate about Castlevania. After eight rewrites of pre-production material, I remain absolutely passionate about beating the crap out of IGA in a dark alleyway one day.

In August of 2008, an update from the production team confirmed that while Ellis had turned in a draft, there was interest from other studios about releasing it theatrically instead of as a direct-to-DVD title. After that, however, nothing else was heard about the project until February when producer Adi Shankar and Netflix announced it would be released as a series.

Although there are only four episodes right now, both Shankar and the streaming network confirmed at the time that Castlevania would get a second season with more episodes.

According to some people who have already seen the show, Castlevania feels like an animated movie that was broken down into four parts. Taking into the length of the first season, it does beg the question about whether Ellis’ script was altered slightly to work for a four-part season instead of a 100-minute feature length film.

“I think they secretly made a Castlevania movie and then decided to make it a TV season for some reason,” one person wrote on Reddit. “Added up it's the right length for an animated movie.”

Others have praised the series for its mature and adult approach to storytelling and the faithfulness of the adaptation, which does not hold back on the level of violence. Some, however, have criticized the depiction of Dracula, calling the lack of humanization troublesome.

Castlevania is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Five best shows on Netflix to watch this week: Riverdale, Castlevania, and more
by Bryce Olin6 hours agoFollow @bryceolin

The five best shows on Netflix to watch this week including Castlevania, Riverdale, and more!

We have picked five of the best shows on Netflix to watch this week (July 8-15). For the short list, we have included something for everyone in the family including new hit shows Castlevania and Riverdale.

As we mentioned in our top picks to watch on Netflix this weekend, there have not been many great shows released in the first part of July. There are many great shows on the way throughout the rest of the month, so make sure you get all these other shows finished before more big-name shows hits Netflix in July.

Here are the best shows on Netflix to watch this week:

[...]

Castlevania

Castlevania was just released on Netflix on Friday, July 7. The Netflix original animated series is based on the video games of the same name. Warren Ellis adapted the games into the series for Netflix.

At the moment, there are only four episodes on Netflix. Castlevania has also been renewed for another season on Netflix, which will consist of eight episodes.

I had not played the Castlevania games much, but I still thought the series was really good. So, please, don’t feel turned away if you are not familiar with the storylines. It’s a tad difficult to understand at the very beginning. The series does a great job at bringing new viewers into the story world, though.

[...]

Opposable Thumbs —
Castlevania on Netflix falls one whip short of a good crack
A few quality bits, but bizarre game conversion is somehow too short and too long.

Sam Machkovech - 7/8/2017, 4:00 PM

33

The only great thing about the first-ever animated Castlevania TV series is how it ends: with a taste of a promising follow-up. The new Netflix "series," which is technically an 80-minute movie broken up into four chunks, concludes with everything you would want from such a video game-inspired show. Vampires. Demons. Whips. Magic. Action.

But the series' journey to that point is so tiring and burdensome that this tiny four-episode series still feels too long.

Dracula takes a different type of bite

Castlevania's trouble begins with an entire first episode dedicated to Dracula. We stumble upon the world's most famous vampire at the moment he decides to fall in love—and with a lowly human, at that. This setup flounders thanks to an unconvincing plea from a woman named Lisa who mistakes Drac for a scientific expert. She wants to heal her town's ailing populace, and Drac decides, "Sure, I'll bite." (Or, in this case, not bite.)

One screen-wipe later, we see the fruits of Lisa's labor: she's been branded a witch by her town's clergy and burnt at the stake. This is sold to viewers by long, sweeping shots of men of the cloth. We see all bathed in flickering red tones, while they loudly and lengthily proclaim the good they're doing by burning this woman to death. The scene drags and drags and drags—just in case you missed that somebody in the production crew has a serious beef with organized religion. Dracula eventually appears, threatens the populace for killing his only beloved, and gives them a year's warning to flee or face punishment.

We immediately see a "one year later" proclamation of bravado from a church leader, mocking Dracula's empty threat, which Drac responds to by sending an army of demons to the town. This is a pretty non-action episode, and although the demon swarm is incredibly brief, Castlevania's producers decide that this is a good time to draw some exploded bodies and detailed entrails. It's an unearned moment of hand-drawn gore, and it's followed up by the introduction of series hero and whip-snapper Trevor Belmont. We seem him as a sad drunk at a bar where the patrons talk at length, with great detail and vulgarity, about a man who was caught having sex with a goat.

To review: the first episode begins with an overlong, slow Dracula love story meant to sell us on the idea that, hey, the vampire's gore-filled rampage is kind of justified, then ends with the Castlevania series' trademark dollop of bestiality. (For the uninitiated: That's sarcasm.)

The episode does show off the serious set-design chops of the Castlevania crew, but these are stymied by low-grade animation that suffers from awful lip-sync work (with mouths moving even when people aren't talking).

Wait, how do you want them to bleed?

The rest of the series takes far too long to set Belmont up as a legendary vampire hunter. Clearly, this cartoon version of Castlevania wants to build a story of a lost and dark anti-hero who earns his way back into the good guy fold, but veteran comics writer Warren Ellis fumbles this archetypal story in a spectacular fashion. Belmont spends most of the series shrugging at the cries of innocent people, beating up moronic drunks, and relishing his few brief pot-shots at corrupt bishops. For a full two episodes, he reads like a less likable, more dour Han Solo.

Some dialogue or exposition about his family's vampire-hunting legacy, or about the specific trials or losses he faced en route to this depressive spell might have helped the slow series move a little faster. Instead, all we get is Belmont grunting and dropping F-bombs until Ellis notices that time is running out, so—surprise—a single accusation of cowardice turns Belmont into an altruistic badass just in time for a major demon battle.

Game-to-cinema conversions don't have much of a bar to clear (thanks, Uwe Boll), and Castlevania jumps that gap with solid voice acting from Richard Armitage as Trevor and James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) in his very, very brief turn as Dracula's son Alucard. The 3-4 minutes of whip-wielding monster combat we see in the entire series is exactly what any kid from the '80s would have imagined a cartoon Castlevania battle might look like.

But Castlevania spends too much time developing a paper-thin plot that only needs a few paragraphs to sum up. For all the time we spend with Belmont, we learn nary a thing about him, nor about the mysterious "Speakers" organization who he eventually allies with. And the dialogue is—well, let me quote a rant from the overlong bar-fight scene at the start of the second episode: "You came from shit. I came from shit. We all came from shit!"

That about sums it up. (This fight ends, by the way, with Trevor shouting at the drunkards that he hopes they die in a very Don Hertzfeldtian fashion.)

Castlevania feels like neither an incredible video game sequence nor like a fully earned, backstory-heavy companion to the classic vampire-hunting adventures. There is certainly enough enjoyable stuff here—cheesy, laughable dialogue, whip-wielding action, and gorgeous artwork—to be edited down to a single episode. I wish Netflix recognized that, because the season ends with three mysterious heroes (maybe) about whom I want to know more: Belmont, whose family legacy is still unclear; Sypha Belnades, the magic-casting female badass who lights up the few scenes she's in this season; and Alucard, whose brief hint of "bad guy with a hint of goodness" appeal is well-captured by his voice actor.

Instead, we get an overlong excommunication of some producer's Catholic school hangups and an unnecessary dive into bad language and out-of-nowhere gore. If you're really eager for an animated series in which terrified people deal with an implacable scourge of monstrous evil, you're almost certainly better off with Attack On Titan. Meanwhile, I hope Castlevania's already-greenlit second season will learn from these few episodes' mistakes, which foul up what could have been a much better game translation.

Netflix’s Castlevania (2017) REVIEW
What a horrible night to have slow buffering speeds...
Telly
Cassie ParkesBy Cassie Parkes On Jul 8, 2017


I have never really grown out of my fourteen-year-old-Goth phase. I still dye my hair darker than its natural mousy blonde, I read (and unironically adore) Anne Rice novels, and–most importantly–I have never stopped loving the long-haired, blood-soaked Gothfest that is the Castlevania game series.

I’ve been excited for Netflix’s animated Castlevania series–released today–for quite some time now. I’ve been eagerly following cast updates, and I’ve even been hunting down some of my favourite Castlevania cosplays in anticipation for today’s release. But has it all been worth it? I sat down with a glass of red wine and a pair of plastic vampire teeth to find out.

The series is presented to viewers in the form of four short episodes (averaging 20-30 minutes each), with a total length of 110 minutes. This might seem disappointingly short to some who were expecting a Game of Thrones-esque long binge session, but there’s a reason for the short length of the series: it began its life as an animated movie, which was then picked up by Netflix for sole distribution on their own streaming service.

I was a little nervous going into the series, worried about the many, many things that could go wrong with an adaptation of something that meant so much to me, but my fears were put to rest by the end of the first episode. Episode one, Witchbottle, manages to give us twenty five minutes of suspense, drama and overall vampire badassery. The anime-style (I know, I know, it’s not real anime, it wasn’t made in Japan, don’t yell at me) animation lends itself well to Warren Ellis’ clean writing style, and the art has almost a vintage feel to it, as if I’m watching a VHS of a favourite adolescent series for the fiftieth time.

As well as the great art and writing, the voice cast are all sublime in their roles. Richard Armitage (Trevor), Graham McTavish (Dracula), Alejandra Reynoso (Sypha) and Emily Swallow (Lisa) are particular stand-outs for me, though the whole cast helps to add a beautiful sense of dread and drama to the series’ four episodes. The characters are the heart of this horrific tale, and they are more than just mere game-pieces in Warren Ellis’ vampiric playground: they have depth and feeling, and the choices they make are not as black and white as the choices we make in the Castlevania games.

It’s a series for Castlevania fans, certainly–they’ll know some of the plot’s basic narrative beats from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse–but it’s also something far more complex and meaty that will appeal to anyone interested in fantasy or horror narratives. It’s broad enough to be an enjoyable series for people who have never heard of Dracula beyond the work of Bram Stoker or Christopher Lee, and the series presents the world of Castlevania as something horrific and tense that you really want to explore more of. Just like the games, you want to press on and on, even though you know there will be grave dangers ahead.

My main complaint? I wanted more. This short series feels like a beautiful prologue to something greater, and I hope that all of the people who hold the power (and the money) to fund more episodes will consider doing so. It’s a gift to Castlevania fans, but it’s also a great starting point for people unfamiliar with the games, or the larger world of Castlevania. I’m certain that the series will inspire a new generation of people to start researching and playing the games that have held a special place in my heart for so long. It made me want to grow my hair out long and buy a big overcoat with long coat-tails to wear whilst I sit on the edge of a cliff-face, contemplating my existence. And that’s all you really want from a series, at the end of the day.

What did you think of the series? Does it live up to your favourite Castlevania game(s)? Let us know in the comments below!

9/10

Netflix’s ‘Castlevania’ series breathes some life into the franchise
Audra Schroeder—
July 8 at 10:49:04 | Last updated July 8 at 14:02:20


At just four episodes, the series leaves you wanting more.

The first season of Netflix’s Castlevania unfolds over just four short episodes, but the series has been waiting to awaken for more than a decade.

Castlevania is a massive video game franchise, and the original game was released in the U.S. for Nintendo in 1987. It tells the story of the Belmont clan—who hunt vampires in an attempt to protect humanity, armed with a vampire-annihilating whip. But the Netflix series is based more on Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, the third game for Nintendo which focuses on protagonist Trevor Belmont and is a prequel of sorts to the first two games.

At just four 30-minute episodes, Castlevania does feel more like a movie than a series. In episode 1, Dracula (voiced by Graham McTavish) is mourning the loss of wife Lisa (Emily Swallow), who is burned at the stake for witchcraft (i.e. embracing science). He vows to end humanity over this grave offense, but it’s 1476 and the church is the ruling class; the morally vacant Bishop (Matt Frewer) becomes the villain, massive vampire bats descend over the doomed, and many people are stabbed. We eventually meet Trevor (Richard Armitage), who vows to defend his family’s name against encroaching evil. When he and mystic Sypha (Alejandra Reynoso) encounter Alucard (James Callis), the son of Dracula and Lisa, in episode 4, the next act is set up.

Speaking to the Daily Dot at RTX, Rooster Teeth’s annual gaming convention, Fred Seibert, head of Frederator Studios and executive producer of Castlevania, said the series was more than a decade in the making and had been proposed as a live feature and direct-to-DVD movie. But they held out for the right home.

“The idea of an adult-oriented animation that isn’t jokes is not really a common U.S. phenomenon,” Seibert says. “And until Netflix came along to be the perfect partner, we were just having a tough time finding the right home so we can make the movie or make the series the way we wanted to make it.”

The Game of Thrones feel is heavy, something showrunner Adi Shankar (Power/Rangers) said in February isn’t accidental. However, Seibert says comics writer Warren Ellis penned a script a decade ago. Ellis certainly gives the story a bit more complexity, character, and brutality than the game—much like Netflix’s BoJack Horseman, this is not a cartoon for kids. Frederator worked with Austin’s Powerhouse Animation Studios to get the animation style right, and what Castlevania lacks in a more dedicated story, it makes up for with stunning visuals and combat scenes.

The series has already been renewed for season 2, which shows how much faith Netflix has. It will feature eight more episodes that will air sometime in 2018, according to Seibert. Video game adaptations can be iffy, but Castlevania is a more nuanced take. It feels like it’s just waking up.

Netflix UK TV review: Castlevania
Netflix UK TV review: Castlevania

Ned Newberry | On 08, Jul 2017

Netflix’s Castlevania is a dark and violent animated adventure that certainly isn’t for kids. This is old-school vampire fiction that shows reverence to Koji Igarashi’s videogame series, on which the show is based, throughout its four episode run.

Speaking to Richter Belmont at the beginning of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of the most beloved entries in the series, Dracula says: “What is a man? A miserable pile of secrets!” It would seem this damming appraisal of humanity was at the forefront of writer Warren Ellis’ mind, as his series seeks to examine why the main vamp hates humanity so much and how it is the secrets that men keep that ultimately undoes them.

Dracula only really features in the first episode, but he’s given good exposition that shows him to be more than a blood-thirsty monster. He’s bemused by a human who seeks him out in his castle, beautifully drawn to evoke designs from the games and covered in candles, which anyone who’s played Castlevania will pick up on.

However, sooner or later, it’s time for Dracula to become the villain of the piece, as he unleashes an army of darkness upon the land of Wallachia, swearing vengeance upon all of humanity, after members of the Church do something pretty stupid. From here, we’re introduced to main monster hunter Trevor Belmont, a Han Solo/Indiana Jones-type vagrant, who fans of the source material will know has a pretty interesting family history. The action follows Trevor’s journey to the city of Gresit and the chaos that is erupting within the city walls, which are now besieged by demons.

It’s a good job Trevor is voiced by Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield from the Hobbit films and Lucas in Spooks), because the character has some of the best lines. “Would you please leave my testicles alone?” he says, after receiving several kicks to the under-carriage in a drunken bar brawl. “I’m Trevor fucking Belmont and I’ve never lost a fight to man or beast.”

You can almost here the quote ringing out in the student union or the thousands of clicks, as it becomes the meme of the month. Armitage’s northern lilt gives Trevor a Game of Thrones vibe and his constant cursing serves to underpin this. The fact that most of the cast are British actors helps make the characters credible in this gothic world. Particular praise should be heaped upon Matt Frewer, who voices the villainous Bishop, and whose serpentine delivery betrays the dark heart of his holy man.

The art direction and animation are hugely impressive. They’re most akin to Japanese animation, but there are some stunning landscape stills that evoke western cell animation of the late 80s, which reflects the pop-culture genesis when the Castlevania games were made. Much of the action takes place when the sun is setting, where scenes are drenched in scarlet light, giving a wonderful sense of atmosphere – not only is it the colour of the blood that monsters crave, but it also infers a world on the precipice of plunging into darkness and conflict.

Conflict certainly defines this series, right down to the way in which the garb of the violent priests is all reds and blacks, juxtaposed with the blues and purples of the mystical Speaker tribe. The animosity between these groups in the city of Gresit serves to frame some wonderfully bombastic action. One scene sees a character use a whip to wrench a recently plunged sword from the shoulder of a cyclops, only to have it bicycle-kicked into its eye. This is just one way the action is expertly choreographed; as a nod to fans, even the various monsters are introduced in a way that’s recognisable from the games. This is to be expected from director Adi Shankar, who was responsible for the gritty short Power Rangers film – this guy knows his audience.

It might not seem like an obvious project from Frederator Studios, best known for Adventure Time, due to the animation being such a radical departure from their minimalist, post-modern style. However, Castlevania is so clearly influenced by their understanding of videogame and internet culture, and the show is all the richer as a result.

But it is really Warren Ellis who is responsible for making Castlevania such a success. It is clear that through years of writing for comics, film, TV and videogames, Ellis is able to tap into both the world and characters of Castlevania without making it seem derivative or too far departed from the source material. This is something too often overlooked in adaptions of videogame properties and Ellis’ writing captures the dark yet enticing world of Castlevania perfectly.

Where the series falls down, however, is in its music. The games are full of evocative melodies that are ripe for inclusion, but too often Trevor Morris’ score takes a back seat. Occasionally, it slips into synthesised overtures that go too far in beating the audience over the head with the fact that this is based on a game.

On the subject of wasted opportunities, making this a four-episode run cuts proceedings a little short; overall, the pacing is pretty even, balancing exposition with action, but some scenes feel a little rushed and some could have been cut to make others longer. When the final showdown wraps up – and holy water, if it isn’t a fantastic spectacle – it’s clear that this story can continue, but for a narrative that seems to be so consistent in its tone as an adult fantasy drama, this does feel a little bit Saturday Morning Fun Hour and that’s a shame. The news that the show will return for an expanded Part 2, therefore, is extremely welcome.

Ultimately, Castlevania is a good romp that has been intelligently and lovingly produced by a cast and crew that seem to understand exactly what made fans so passionate about the series in the first place. We can’t wait for it to rise from the grave once again.

Castlevania: Season 1 is available on Netflix UK, as part of £7.49 monthly subscription.

Review: Netflix’s Castlevania Season One
by Eric Chrisman

Netflix’s Castlevania has a promising beginning, but a beginning is really all the brief first season is.

Video games being adapted into other mediums has been happening for decades. And for the most part, the results have been pretty messy. Some books have been kind of ok, but comics, TV shows, and movies have mostly been abysmal train wrecks that make people wary of any future attempts. This is why it was sort of surprising when it was announced that Castlevania was getting its own series on Netflix.

Still, Netflix is known for mostly quality original programming. Many of the series made exclusively for the streaming service are extremely popular, critically acclaimed and award-winning. So if anyone can make a good series based on a video game, it’s probably Netflix, right?

Well, while I can say that without a doubt, Castlevania is the best series based on a video game to date, that’s not exactly a high bar. The potential is certainly there for something great, but the series only really gets going right as it’s over.

I’m not hugely into Castlevania as a series, but most people should know the basics. Dracula is a bad guy super vampire who drinks people’s blood and commands an army of ghouls and demons. The Belmont family are the ones who stop him. In this version, it kind of already starts in the middle.

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See, Dracula has become sort of a hermit who hates humanity but doesn’t actively want to seek out and kill every last one. One night, a charming and inquisitive human woman wanders into his castle, wanting to unlock the deeper secrets of the universe, in order to become a great doctor and help people. This woman greatly intrigues Dracula, and rather than simply kill her as he would any regular human wandering into his territory, he does, in fact, decide to show her the great secrets he knows.

This, of course, does not bode well for the young woman sadly, as the townspeople literally burn her at the stake for being a witch for basically consorting with Dracula. Dracula is unable to save her but swears vengeance upon mankind as a whole in one year’s time.

Where are the Belmont’s during all this? Well, the church basically decided they don’t like sharing power with others, so despite all their good deeds and centuries of hunting demons, The Belmont clan has essentially been extinguished. Only Trevor Belmont, the last son, seems to remain, and he’s not too keen on helping people these days…

Sounds like a pretty solid beginning, right? And with only four episodes of the first season of Castlevania, that’s all we get: a beginning. I don’t want to spoil anything more, but after a couple more key character introductions, that’s pretty much the show. It’s a two-hour pilot and it seems like there should be a lot more. Netflix barely dipped its toes in the water. Granted, it’s already renewed Castlevania for a second, longer season but this seems like such a huge tease. I’m not saying they had to confront and kill Dracula already, but so little happens in these episodes it’s almost like you’ll have to wait until season two to see if all that setup was worth it in the first place.

That being said, what’s here is pretty good. The voice casting is solid, with Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont doing most of the heavy lifting. Matt Frewer is also great as a very self-important bishop. The animation is top-notch, but also incredibly and arguably unnecessarily gory. I can enjoy gore, but when it’s every other scene it loses a lot the impact. It’s hard to tell what Castlevania will become, but it’s a good enough start that you should probably check it out and just hope season two can move faster now that most of the setup has been taken care of.

https://apptrigger.com/2017/07/08/review-netflixs-castlevania-season-one/

Castlevania (2017) Review
Entertainment, Reviews | July 8, 2017 | 0 | by JaySandlin Writer

Netflix
Episodes 1-4

I drained Castlevania to the last drop in a single sitting. The only thing I hated was the four-episode count of the season. I immediately wanted more episodes of the adult animation based on the classic video game series.

The story felt like Game of Thrones set in a world of Vampires, corrupt clergy, and a mysterious sect known as the Speakers. Some of the dialogue was less pronounced in parts and I wound up turning on the closed captions by the second episode.

This wasn’t an annoyance. I just didn’t want to miss a single syllable of the cerebral brilliance in a show based on a video game. A game series, I might add, where I spent many hours controlling a pixelated Trevor Belmont against a blurry horde of demons and creatures of the night.

When gaming in the past I had to use my imagination to create the gothic grandness of Dracula’s castle. The animation of the Netflix series left nothing to the imagination and more than exceeded my expectations.

The voice cast is stellar. Richard Armitage (Thorin, of The Hobbit Trilogy) brought to life one of the all-time video game heroes in the form of Trevor Belmont. His design was flawless and I felt like the character was just starting the game with default weapons when he presented his short sword and whip during his first appearance in a tavern fight.

His family, the Belmonts, were a disgraced family of monster fighters. Trevor is from a long line that was once the bulwark of protection for humanity against the supernatural world.

Trevor repeatedly reminded viewers that he was the last son of this once-proud house. I found myself wanting to know more about the details of their excommunication by the Catholic Church.

Speaking of the Church, they’ve really pissed off Vlad Tepes a.k. Dracula (Graham McTavish). The reclusive Vampire had found love for the first time in centuries. The Church, however, found his wife guilty of the heinous crime of book learning and practicing science. She was burned as a witch while Vlad was inconveniently away traveling as a man and not using his powers by her request. As a result of her fiery death at the stake, the Vampire Lord declared his intent to kill all mankind left in the city in one year. Because if there’s one thing that total genocide always requires, it’s ample warning and scheduling.

Far more evil than the grieving Dracula, however, was the town Bishop (Matt Frewer). I found myself cheering and simultaneously regretting his painful death at the incisors of demons. He was too good at being evil to kill off so soon.

The episodes progressed like a role playing game set to animation with incredible art design and great lines. Belmont began alone as the hero, player, character and slowly grew his party with allies of complimentary abilities. He obtained a magician and a final, surprise, ally to complete his companions just as the season ended on a high, yet disappointingly abrupt, note.

Now the fight is on: Belmont and company are coming for Dracula and it’s time to move to the next level (season)

I would grant Castlevania a perfect score if the episode count hadn’t been so short. I hope the new season comes before the next sundown!


7.9
Blood Suckingly Good

I would grant Castlevania a perfect score if the episode count hadn't been so short. I hope the new season comes before the next sundown!

Castlevania Hit Us With The Drive-By Dopeness Over The Weekend
castlevania by William Evans | on July 9, 2017


Look here fam, there are few titles that when mentioned instantly show your video gaming credibility from the jump. Castlevania is one of those titles. Symphony of the Night still putting numbers on the board if you got the right hardware. So when it was announced that Netflix was cracking the bullwhip on a Castlevania animated series written by gawd scribe Warren Ellis, you know the nerd streets was talking bout this shit.

Since Ellis has written so many things that have translated well to the screen (Red, Iron Man: Extremis, Trees in development), then him writing a show felt like going straight to the source. It also meant, if you know Ellis’ work, this shit was going to be dark. But yo, we talkin’ bout fuckin’ Dracula my monster hunter, so you knew what this was.

Speaking of which, the show begins showing Dracula, having withdrawn from the human world and lined his driveway with the most morbid of holiday cheer (read: lots of fuckin’ skulls). When Lisa Teppes dares to enter Dracula’s home in search of knowledge, never showing any fear for the vampire, Dracula finally indulges her, then presumptably falls in love with her. When the church accuses Lisa of witchcraft (with the predictable sentence), its fair to say that Dracula is fed the fuck up. He wasn’t even fuckin’ with you humans anyway, man. He promises to take his wrath out on the world in a year’s time for their crimes and ain’t nobody ever call Dracula a liar, b.

The biggest crime of Castlevania is that it’s only four episodes long. I KNOW RIGHT?!?! But I get it, budgets, risks and all that. It was green-lit for a second season before most people watched the first one, so it’s safe to say we got a lot more coming. The first episode is admittedly slow with some weird pacing.

There are two different time jumps in the first episode and is intentionally ambiguous in introducing a lot of characters, so it feels a bit disjointed. But the story becomes streamlined in episode two and centers on the shows’s protagonist, Trevor Belmont, member of the exiled Belmont lineage who were the monster slayers that kept the creatures at bay.

And fam, Belmont is a badass. Belmont out here putting up A-Rod Mike Trout numbers fam. Your boy out here crackin’ the whip like Vampire Hunter Indiana Jones. Like, non-Halle Berry Catwoman. Like, that dude The Rock went up against in The Rundown. Look fam, there still ain’t a whole lot of whip references that aren’t racist af, so you gonna have to let me work through this.

Also mixed up in the story is the less than noble members of the Church and the Speakers, an organization that kind of does what the Church should be doing to support the commoners, but are instead more prepped to be the scapegoat for the horrors released upon the world by Dracula. The true tragedy of the very short first season is that these characters were just starting to get fleshed out when you reach the season’s end. Dracula who is prevalent in the first episode is mostly a boogeyman in the subsequent ones, but a foe that will definitely be present in season two.

Have I said yet how adult this shit is? Cuz this shit mature like the backroom of your favorite video store fam. When Dracula’s Army shows up, them cats ain’t just “terrorizing the town folks.” They out here severing limbs and disemboweling people, man. And when Belmont start putting the whips, short swords, and paws on people? They be leaving with less appendages than they came with. Not to mention the language is R rated fare. This ain’t no Voltron nostalgia built for your partner’s sister’s step kids. Shit is all the way real out here. Just brutal in all the right places.

End result? If it weren’t for the fact that Spider-Man Homecoming just dropped one of the hottest verses of the year, I’d say this is the best way to spend a little under two hours right now. And then, cuz this shit so short, watch it one mo gin. Or however many times necessary until that season two drops.

Castlevania on Netflix really needs more episodes, but we’ll wait
by Cheryl Wassenaar

Netflix’s adaptation of Castlevania only has four 20 to 25 minute episodes, which isn’t enough for a proper binge watch, but it still has its good points.

Before I get into the real discussion of the actual Netflix series, Castlevania, I would like to make my mea culpa about guessing that Simon Belmont would be the main character, since he’s the best-known by virtue of being in the first game. It’s Trevor Belmont instead, because this is all taking place in the late 1400s.

In case you’ve never come across Castlevania in your pop culture experiences, the games are generally, at the end of everything, about beating up and/or killing Dracula, at least until the next time he brings himself back to life. And the Netflix adaptation is no different.

But, oddly enough, yours truly ended up liking Dracula about as much as I liked Trevor, albeit for different reasons. Dracula actually has some empathetic cache in these four episodes, mostly because his bringing his castle up from the ground and sending a demonic army through Wallachia is in revenge for killing his wife.

I say some because the entire release consists of four episodes, each clocking in at under half an hour. This means that you could, if you liked, watch the entire series so far in about the time it’d take you to watch a movie like Okja.

And Castlevania suffers because of that. There’s not a lot of time to let the plot really unfold or even breathe. The first episode has three separate time jumps, from 1455, to 1475, to 1476. It feels like the showrunners decided they needed to compress what could be a decent-sized narrative into less than two hours and also make sure that it looks good. It also means that the season ends on the kind of note that might mark more of a mid-season finale if this were a slightly longer show.

Make no mistake: the atmospheric design of Castlevania is good. It’s pretty, although pretty seems like the wrong word when describing the castle of a vampire erupting from underground. Frankly, it almost looks like the budget mostly went to that and the opening credits.

That means that occasionally, characters will look a bit off-model. Trevor gets the most of this, but Sypha Belnades also has her moments where she looks … not quite herself. This seems to mostly improve by episode 4.

Speaking of Trevor, he has an entire arc about accepting his responsibility as a Belmont compressed into two episodes. I’m not sure if that’s better than dragging it out for more screentime, but it is noticeable. Other than that, he’s actually a pretty funny hero.

He just happens to often be funny at inappropriate times. Sometimes, Castlevania really can’t decide what kind of tone it wants to have. There’s all kinds of swearing (thank you, TV-MA rating), there are animated entrails (disturbingly well-animated), and then there’s Trevor making noises about his breakfast before his character development. This could play extremely straight and seriously if it wanted to, but the humor instead leaves things a touch too uneven.

Yet, here I am, annoyed that I can’t watch more Castlevania. It’s gory, it has vampires, it has a powerful female character, and when it’s on, it’s gorgeous. This one’s for fans of the games, but if you’re still mourning something like Penny Dreadful or want something a little more brutal than Supernatural tends to be, Castlevania will hit that sweet spot.

REVIEWED ON PS2, NES, G.COM, GBA, X68000, 3DS, FDS, CELL, WII AND WII U / 9 JUL 2017
CASTLEVANIA: SEASON 1 REVIEW
Share. This video game adaptation has bite.
BY JESSE SCHEDEEN Note: this is a spoiler-free review of Castlevania, which is available to stream now on Netflix.

Whether animated or live-action, Hollywood has a stunningly poor track record when it comes to adapting popular video game franchises to film and television. Even last year's Assassin's Creed, which seemed like the perfect storm of director, actors and source material, became just another in a long line of duds. Yet every once in a while, you have something like Castlevania come along to remind us that this genre isn't inherently doomed.

Based on the long-running series of supernatural action games, Castlevania features all the tropes one would expect. Vlad Dracula Tepes (voiced by Preacher and Outlander's Graham McTavish) has returned and unleashed a horde of demonic monsters against the peasants and clergymen of 15th Century Wallachia, and only a ragtag band of monster hunters that includes disgraced nobleman Trevor Belmont (The Hobbit's Richard Armitage), magician/scholar Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso) and Dracula's half-breed son Alucard (Battlestar Galactica's James Callis) have the power to restore peace to the land. While the series offers its own take on the Castlevania mythos, it draws most heavily from 1990's Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

The Castlevania games are more about atmosphere and exploration than plot, and as such this isn't really the first franchise I'd think of when it comes to breaking the video game adaptation losing streak. So why does Castlevania succeed? A lot of it has to do with simply putting the right people in charge. Executive producer/showrunner Adi Shankar has sort of built a second career out of crafting unauthorized, adult-oriented reboots of popular franchises, including 2012's Punisher: Dirty Laundry and 2015's Power/Rangers. If you want to craft an R-rated overhaul of a popular video game franchise while still retaining the core appeal of that franchise, Shankar is pretty much the guy to call.

Then there's writer Warren Ellis, a man known for blending high-concept science fiction and black, nihilistic humor in his stories. Ellis is primarily known for his comic book work (The Authority, Planetary, Transmetropolitan) but he also wrote 2009's G.I. Joe: Resolute for Adult Swim. That series isn't so different from Castlevania in many ways, and both prove that it's possible to take goofy '80s fare and give it a dark, thoughtful makeover without losing the fun in the process.

Castlevania immediately starts off on the right foot by focusing not on the Belmont family, but Dracula himself. The series opens with a fateful encounter between the reclusive vampire king and an aspiring scientist named Lisa (The Mentalist's Emily Swallow). That opening scene nicely sets the tone for the series, establishing Dracula's tenuous connection to the human world and giving him real motivations for menacing the land of Wallachia. While Dracula has little overt presence in the series after the first episode, it's satisfying to see Ellis treat his main villain with depth and nuance. Dracula has at least a shred of tragedy about him in any incarnation, but that angle is really played up here.


In addition to casting Dracula as a sympathetic villain, the early scenes help establish the general themes that dominate all four episodes. This is as much a story about the clash between fear and reason as it is man and monster. Both Dracula and those charged with hunting him are forced to choose whether they believe humanity can rise above Dark Age superstitions. Trevor is the last-surviving son of a disgraced family, one who's sorely tempted to simply sit back and let those who wronged his family suffer their just fate. And Alucard, naturally, is torn between his family heritage and his human side. There's a welcome depth to both sides, with none of the main characters but the squeaky-clean Sypha really falling into the good or evil camps.

I only wish the same were true for the various clergy characters. The Church is is pretty uniformly sinister force in this series. With Dracula serving mostly as a background figure at this stage in the series, a character known only as "The Bishop" (Max Headroom's Matt Frewer) emerges as the main antagonist in these four episodes. The Bishop is pretty much your typical medieval priest villain, one prone to burning his enemies at the stake and generally abusing his lofty position for personal gain. Other than a vague desire to use Dracula's attack to consolidate his own religious power, The Bishop's motivations never really coalesce. Comapred to the rest of the main cast, he's annoyingly one-dimensional.

Clearly, Netflix spared no expense when it came to the voice cast, forgoing the familiar names in the voice acting world in favor of some surprisingly big-name actors. For the most part, the actors do justice to their characters. McTavish and Callis in particular stand out as they channel the pathos and suffering of their undead characters. There are times when the actors (Armitage especially) speak too softly and become almost drowned out by the music and sound effects, but at least there's a passion to these performances that you don't always find in projects like this.

Amid all the character drama and clashing between science and superstition, Castlevania never loses sight of the moire visceral appeal of the series. There's plenty of action to go around, even if these four episodes barely dip their toes into the giant menagerie of monsters from the games. A joint effort between Frederator Studios and Powerhouse Animation Studios, Castlevania has a slick look and feel that really stands out when the action heats up. The series does an admirable job of translating the lush character designs of artist Ayami Kojima, particularly in terms of the graceful, almost feminine qualities of Dracula and his son. This series may draw mainly from Castlevania III in terms of plot, but it's far more influenced by games like Symphony of the Night when it comes to art style.


Ellis' sardonic wit is also apparent in many spots. That's especially true whenever the wisecracking, alcoholic Trevor comes into conflict with the ordinary villagers of Wallachia. The second episode, "Necropolis," feels the most Ellis-y as Trevor gets into drunken brawls and the humor leans towards bestiality and the convoluted genealogies of country peasants. It is a little jarring to hear the occasional F-bomb being tossed about, only because the series is so sporadic and inconsistent about its use of adult language. Still, it's nice to see an animated series embrace its adults-only trappings.

Castlevania isn't a flawless adaptation by any means, but it's far better than any fan had a right to expect given the way these things usually play out. Honestly, the series' biggest flaw is that there's so little of it. Four 25-minute episodes is a pretty measly way to kick off a new series. Shankar and Ellis have room to do little more than arrange the basic pieces on the board before the season ends. It plays less like a complete, cohesive season than simply Act 1 of an ongoing adventure.

Given Netflix's increasingly conservative stance on renewing original series, it may be that the company simply didn't want to commit to more than four episodes of an expensive animated project in one sitting. The good news is that the series has already been renewed for a second season of eight episodes. But was it really so much to ask to get all 12 episodes in one big meal?

Castlevania is a welcome reminder that video games actually can make for compelling TV when the right people are put in charge. Adi Shankar and Warren Ellis were clearly the right men for this assignment, as they blend the action and atmosphere of the games with a compelling conflict built around the clash between superstition and reason. When a show's worst problem is that there's simply not enough of it, you know it's doing something right.

The New 'Castlevania' Animated Series On Netflix Is Actually Pretty Decent
Ollie Barder, CONTRIBUTOR
Jul 8, 2017 12:00 PM 2.437

Credit: Netflix
This new ‘Castlevania’ animated series is quite good.

Released yesterday on Netflix, the new Castlevania animated series is surprisingly decent and has some inspired casting along with it.



The setting of this new series sits squarely within the timeframe and events of the NES game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. So that means our story starts in the middle of the 15th century in the European country of Wallachia.

It’s here we meet Lisa, a headstrong doctor that wants to talk with a mysterious man that has an uncommonly good grasp of science. It turns out this “man” is, in fact, Dracula but instead of devouring Lisa straight away, he is perplexed and intrigued by her unique fascination for science and her refreshing honesty.

For anyone that knows their Castlevania, then Lisa is a very important background character in the series but here she is literally fleshed out in a lot more detail and by extension humanizes Dracula as well.

This is because Lisa opens Dracula’s cautious heart to humanity, encouraging him to travel the world as a man and marry her. This relationship acts as the foundation for the events that transpire, as Lisa’s honesty and love of science result in her being burnt at the stake as a witch by a power-hungry Church almost twenty years later.



This event understandably sends Dracula into a grief-fuelled rage and as such, he promises to eradicate humanity from the country of Wallachia within a year. His son, Alucard, does his best to calm his grief-stricken father but to no avail and this sets the story in motion.

It’s around here we meet the very lovable Trevor Belmont, the last of his line with a penchant for booze. A nicely written bar fight later he ends up in one of the many cursed cities of Wallachia looking for breakfast.

Beneath this city lies a forgotten soldier and much of the resultant narrative revolves around this. Naturally, upon finding the “soldier” things aren’t all that they initially appear to be. With the story ending on a cliffhanger as the main quest to vanquish a vengeful Dracula begins.

The series is overall a good one, with solid writing and an excellent cast, though more of this later. That said, its pacing and production quality is quite erratic.

On the former, it really feels like the series has been rewritten quite extensively, so the natural flow of dialogue can be quite forced at times. This is not a criticism of the writing, as it is very well done, but the series does feel interfered with in some way.


Credit: Netflix
Richard Armitage makes for an excellent Trevor Belmont.

As for the latter, the animation quality really varies across the series. From some genuinely impressive segments to others that feel like they were rushed through as some kind of Flash-based mockup. I had hoped the series would take a leaf out of Madhouse’s approach from movies such as Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust but for whatever reason, the production quality is not all that consistent.

After a bit of digging, it seems that Warren Ellis did indeed have to do some substantial rewrites and that the series was initially planned as a movie. This helps to explain the somewhat chopped up pacing and the fact the dialogue, whilst good, can be a bit forced at times.

In a fascinating piece from Bleeding Cool, Ellis had some interesting points to make on the writing process for the series.



We’ve worked with Koji Igarashi to get the film solidly inside the Castlevania timeline, and he’s approved everything I came up with, including some new embroidering to the timeline. To make it work as a film, I had to introduce new backstory, and I went through five drafts of the premise and three of the full outline to get the material where IGA wanted it. He remains absolutely passionate about Castlevania. After eight rewrites of pre-production material, I remain absolutely passionate about beating the crap out of IGA in a dark alleyway one day.

Ellis also explains why he dropped the inclusion of Grant Danasty from the series and to be honest, I can entirely see where he’s coming from. However, the main three heroes from the original game have remained that of Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades and Alucard.

On the voice casting for these characters, this series has done an incredible job. Richard Armitage nails Trevor Belmont’s wit and lovable curmudgeonly demeanor and James Callis makes for an excellent Alucard. Not to mention that Graham McTavish’s depiction of Dracula makes him a very sympathetic and warm character, which is something that I think is probably the most interesting thing in the series as a whole.

However, this series is more meant to lay the foundation for the next season, which will be double in length at 8 episodes.



Overall, this new animated series is a solid one and does the Castlevania saga justice. The smart move here was to focus on the events from one game, rather than the series as a whole. The results are as such more focused and coherent than they likely would have been in a more Hollywood-type production.

My only hopes are that Ellis is left to do his job as a writer without too much undue interference and that the production standards of the animation become more consistent. After all, the casting for this series is very special and Netflix could have a genuine classic on its hands if it gave it a bit more creative breathing room.

gamecontrast.de
Castlevania (Netflix) REZENSION | GAMECONTRAST

Seit dem 7. Juli ist die mit Spannung erwartete, eigenproduzierte Adaption des Videospiel-Klassikers Castlevania auf Netflix verfügbar. Im Vorfeld versprachen die Macher einen Anime, der sich durch eine ähnliche Gangart wie Game of Thrones hervorheben würde und sowohl Fans, wie auch mit dem Franchise unerfahrene Zuschauer abholen solle. Ein ambitioniertes Vorhaben. Zu ambitioniert?

Der Fluch von Dracula
Die Handlung der Serie orientiert sich lose an dem 1989 erschienenen Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse und ist im späten 15. Jahrhundert verortet. Im Zentrum steht Trevor Belmont, letzter noch lebender Abkömmling des einst so einflussreichen Belmont Clans. Ohne Bleibe und ohne wirkliches Ziel reist Trevor durch Walachei, bis er eines Tages in einer von Dämonen belagerten Stadt ankommt. Jede Nacht auf´s Neue jagen die Wesen der Hölle die Bewohner der Stadt, ermorden wahllos Kinder, Frauen und Männer. Gleichzeitig wütet ein brutaler Bischof und verfolgt all jene, die in Verdacht stehen schwarze Magie zu nutzen oder auf der Seite der Dämonen zu stehen.

Besagter Bischof ist an der Misere der Stadt alles andere als unschuldig, war er es doch, der Lisa, die geliebte Frau von Dracula, der Hexerei angeklagt und sie auf einem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt hat. Unfähig seine geliebte Frau vor den Flammen zu retten, schwor Dracula daraufhin brutale Rache. Belmont geht dies eigentlich nichts an, dennoch wird er an die Ehre und das Erbe seiner Familie erinnert, die sich schon in der Vergangenheit den Mächten der Unterwelt entgegen gestellt hat…

Nah an der Vorlage
Die Adaption hält sich nah an der Vorlage und trumpft mit einer schaurigen Grundstimmung auf. Die erste Staffel der lediglich als Castlevania betitelten Umsetzung umfasst gerade einmal vier Episoden mit einer Lauflänge von knapp 23. Minuten pro Folge. Der geringe Umfang ist bedauerlich, noch bedauerlicher ist allerdings, das wir uns bis zum nächsten Jahr gedulden müssen, ehe die bereits angekündigte zweite Staffel an den Start gehen wird. Bedauerlich, da die Adaption des Videospiel-Klassikers in beinahe allen Belangen überzeugen kann.

Wenig überraschend hegten viele Fans im Vorfeld teilweise große Skepsis gegenüber dem Projekt. Denn anders, als bei anderen eigenproduzierten Anime-Serien hat Netflix für Castlevania kein japanisches Studio engagiert. Stattdessen wurde mit den Frederator Studios (Adventure Time) eine westliche Produktionsfirma ins Boot geholt. Diese orientieren sich zwar optisch am japanischen Animationsstil, haben aber gleichzeitig einen eigenen Ansatz gefunden und etwas Eigenständiges geschaffen. Erfreulicherweise konnten die Frederator Studios offenbar einen Großteil des Budgets für die Animationen verwenden.

Gerade die erste Episode überzeugt in visueller Hinsicht von vorne bis hinten. In den verbleibenden Folgen sinkt die Qualität zwar leicht ab, bleibt aber dennoch auf einem guten Niveau. Insbesondere bei den reichlich vorhandenen und überraschend blutig inszenierten Actionszenen wurde merklich Sorgfalt und Detailarbeit investiert. Die verschiedenen Handlungsorte sind ebenfalls stimmig inszeniert und erzeugen eine schaurige Grundstimmung – ganz wie man es von der Vorlage gewohnt ist.

Lediglich die stellenweise etwas hakeligen Animationen und das Charakter-Design waren für mich zunächst gewöhnungsbedürftig. Wie viele andere Fans, so verbinde ich das Design der Figuren mit dem gotisch angehauchten Stil von Ayami Kojima, die das Spiele-Franchise seit Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) begleitet und viele Jahre in optischer Hinsicht stark geprägt hat. Ihr unverwechselbarer Stil stand sichtbar Pate, wird aber nicht erreicht. Das soll weniger eine negative Kritik, als vielmehr eine Beobachtung sein die sicherlich auch den ein oder anderen Fan zunächst abschrecken könnte.

Kurzes, aber großes Vergnügen
Leider ist schon nach vier Episoden Schluss. Die zweite Staffel wurde aber bereits für 2018 bestätigt. Dennoch ist Castlevania ein großes Vergnügen, der sowohl bei Fans, wie auch unbelasteten Zuschauern ankommen wird. Den selbstbewussten Vergleich mit Game of Thrones kann ich zwar erkennen, vielmehr atmet die Adaption in meinen Augen aber den Spirit von Berserk, gemischt mit einer Spur Van Hellsing. Überrascht hat mich vor allem der hohe Gewalt-Grad. Zwar ist auch die Vorlage durchaus blutig und geizt nicht mit schaurigen Szenen, der Anime geht in dieser Hinsicht aber noch einmal einen Schritt weiter und wirkt wesentlich rauer.

Der vornehmlich als Comicautor arbeitende und hier für die Adaption der Handlung engagierte Warren Ellis beweist außerdem ein gutes Händchen für eine stimmige Ausarbeitung der Figuren und gekonnte Etablierung von Handlung und Welt. Zwar wirkt die Progression der Story immer mal wieder etwas gehetzt, doch dies ist eher der leider zu kurzen Spielzeit geschuldet, weshalb ich hoffe, das die zweite Staffel sich mit einer eventuell erhöhten Episoden-Anzahl mehr Zeit lassen darf.

Sehr lobenswert hervorheben muss ich außerdem die Sprecher. Gerade der englischsprachige Cast ist mit Richard Armitage (Der Hobbit) als Trevor Bermont, Graham McTavish (Der Hobbit) als Dracula und Matt Frewer (Eureka) als Bischof stark besetzt. Aber auch die deutschen Sprecher machen ihren Job sehr gut und verleihen ihren Figuren Profil.

Fazit
Die anfängliche Skepsis ist schnell der angenehmen Überraschung gewichen. Castlevania
ist eine richtig gute Adaption der berühmten Videospiel-Reihe geworden und geht bewusst und selbstbewusst mit der zugrunde liegenden Vorlage um. Zwar wirkt das Erzähltempo mitunter etwas gehetzt und schon nach vier Folgen ist leider auch schon Schluss. Dennoch haben die Beteiligten hier einen wirklich guten Anime vorgelegt, der in Sachen Story und Umsetzung überzeugt und sowohl Fans, wie auch Neueinsteiger mit Interesse an einem stimmigen Horror-Anime abholen dürfte.

Netflix's Castlevania Review: 4 Ups And 1 Down

Beware the wrath of Dracula!


More experienced gamers still get a thrill when hearing the name Castlevania. The Konami franchise was one of the most revolutionary games in history, to the point that it even got its own subgenre. Younger gamers might remember the beautiful Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, which starred Patrick Stewart as Zobek/the narrator and Robert Carlyle as the main character, Gabriel Belmont.

As proven by the Netflix series, other big names are also big fans of the series, as they are attached to this project. It's written by Warren Ellis, a well-respected comic script writer known for his work on Transmetropolitan, DV8 or the X-Men. Voice actors include the Hobbit's Richard Armitage and Graham McTavish.

The combination of the promising source material, Ellis' writing and the talents of the voice acting cast already make Castlevania a must-watch, but there are more reasons to stream and enjoy. The fact that it's an adaptation of a video game might actually be off-putting to some viewers, but this is very much an adaptation that gets it right.

With the aid of Netflix, we get a legitimate show that's really easy to binge-watch. It's even more easier appreciate the work put into transferring the simple story contained in the video game to an interesting narrative.

Castlevania (2017) Season 1 Review


Tv Overview
Genre: Animated
Director: Various
Actor: Richard Armitage


Positives:
Captures the feel of the video games nicely but also establishes itself as it's own entity. Richard Armitage is hilarious as Trevor Belmont. Plenty of R rated action.


Negatives:
The music wasn't as epic as I was hoping for and it is a little talky at times.


Bottom Line:
4 / 5 - Explosive!


Reviewed by: Eoin Friel



Review


Plot: The last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepe himself.

Review: I just want to put on the record that Castlevania IV for the SNES is my favourite video game of all time. I loved the mythology, the monsters, the whip cracking Belmont hero and most importantly the music. It was always key in creating the gothic atmosphere and was my favourite element. There have been many games in the series since, all of which have had their merits but Castlevania IV was just the best for me; incidentally this series is actually based on Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse with nods to a few of the other games.

A few years back James Wan was attached to a live action adaptation of Castlevania and I waited with bated breath but sadly it never came to fruition. Imagine my excitement when I heard Netflix were going to do an animated series in the vein of Game of Thrones; I sat down and watched all 4 episodes in one sitting last night which wasn’t tough as they were only 20 minutes each.

I’m going to have to say that I’ve never been a fan of Anime but it really worked in creating the visual style for the Castlevania series. The reds used to create the bloodlike skies and generally apocalyptic world really had the feel of the Castlevania videogame universe. There is a scene in episode 4 where Trevor is jumping over cogs as they are collapsing which is straight out the game and frankly executed to perfection.

Richard Armitage is fabulously sarcastic as Trevor Belmont, the reluctant hero who just wants to eat and drink after his family was excommunicated from the church and exiled from their homeland of Wallachia. When he comes across a small town besieged by demons sent by Dracula (who is rightfully pissed after his wife is turned into a hotdog) Trevor has to ask himself if he can just walk away or will he stand and fight the creatures of the night…


What surprised me most about this series was the amount of humour, mostly from Belmont’s sardonic one liners. The tone manages to mix horror and comedy well without ever slipping into parody which is tough to do. This is also very much adult oriented with plenty of swearing and violence too so if you have young children be sure to sit them down to watch it and teach them a thing or two about life. Although a little talky at times, when the action does kick in it’s definitely filled with R rated goodness with eyeballs and other body parts being cut off at regular intervals.

So what about the all-important music? Well, it’s okaaay but I was expecting something a bit more interesting and epic. There’s no memorable theme tune and despite the odd cool choral moment it’s actually quite disappointing and arguably the weakest element of the show.

Overall, Castlevania is only 4 episodes long but it paints a much larger picture and I really hope we get more episodes sooner rather than later. Richard Armitage is hilarious as Trevor Belmont and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

The Weekly Nerd: Castlevania Review
AlbeL_88
07/12/2017

After about a decade of rumors and speculation, Castlevania has finally made it to television in the form of a Netflix original program. While the first season is only four 25 minute episodes, it still manages to tell an interesting story and set up the plot for the next season very well.

The first episode sets up the plot for the season quite well. The scene opens with a woman named Lisa approaching Dracula in his castle, asking him to teach her in the ways of science and medicine. Dracula takes an immediate interest in her bravery and curiosity, agreeing to teach her. Fast forward to the Church burning Lisa for the crime of witchcraft. We quickly learn that Dracula and Lisa had wed, so the Church has unwittingly killed the wife of the Vlad the Impaler. In light of this, Dracula is quite upset about and gives the people of this country a year to make their peace as he will rain down the armies of Hell to salt the Earth of their existence.

The show’s story is well presented and gives the viewer adequate context to get invested in the world. We are given a surprisingly sympathetic view on Dracula’s hatred towards humanity. At the beginning of the story, he admits to Lisa that he has stopped impaling people and has taken a much more passive way of interacting with the world. Lisa implores him to travel and see how the world has changed instead of staying in his castle and judging humanity from a distance. While we know little about Lisa as a person, her execution hits hard as it is the reason that Dracula decides to commit genocide. The story starts off slowly but begins to kick into gear during episode two. The story itself is quite contained. The main focus of the plot is about Trevor and a magician named Sypha trying to save a small town from getting wiped out.

While later games in the franchise have more story focus than the early titles, the show manages to take a few aspects from some of the early game’s plots and make them work for this short series. It focuses on a drunk and jaded Trevor Belmont; a man who is the sole heir of the Belmont clan. His family name, once renowned for their ability to slay demons, has since been dragged through the mud by the Church. With the demon apocalypse at hand, Trevor and a few other warriors may be all that stands in the way of the world being consumed by fire and blood. The story is fairly straightforward but surprisingly effective. It puts the various characters together in a way that sets up their mutual goal of stopping Dracula. None of these reasons are overly complex but each of them still feels distinct and brings something different to the table. While the hell beasts are a clear threat, the Church serves as an antagonist as well. Their self-interest in controlling the masses puts the heroes in as much danger as the demons do. The whole “man is the true monster” plot is nothing new, but it is used to fairly good effect. The characters themselves are all interesting but unfortunately, do not have very much time to develop. Trevor himself has a bit of an arc as he confronts his own reason to fight, most of the other main characters have little time to flesh out their personalities.

The pacing of the story works fairly well, but there is more than one instance of the characters essentially stumble into major plot points. It is an odd way to quickly move the story along and odder still that it happens multiple times. It is understandable given the limited time for the show to tell its story but it still feels strange the second and third time it happens.

The voice acting is quite interesting in this show. It is oddly understated in many cases. Rather than screaming or suffering from bouts of maniacal laughter, Graham McTavish (Preacher) takes a bit more of a subdued approach to portraying Dracula. He goes for more of a rage that boils under the surface. This gives him a sense of menace that is quite chilling. Richard Armitage’s (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) does a great job of bringing Trevor to life. He is a foul-mouthed drunkard who is clearly trying to forget the struggles of his past. Armitage is able to inject a satisfying swagger into Trevor while still maintaining a level of gravitas to his words when he gets serious. Alejandra Reynoso (Winx Club), brings a fierce energy to Sypha. As a member of the group known as The Speakers, she feels it is her duty to help those in need. She risks her life to fulfill her duty without hesitation and bolsters others around her to do the same.

The animation in the show ranged from fairly average to incredibly impressive. The colors are fairly muted during many scenes, but when carnage and flames are enveloping the land, the bright oranges of the fire, as well as the crimson tones of blood and viscera, stick out well. The scenes of violence contrast with the more dull browns, grays, and blues seen in most of the show. These visuals themselves are incredibly grisly. Castlevania does not shy away from intense violence. There are quite a few scenes of townsfolk being slaughtered by demons as well as Trevor himself taking on opponents. The intense violence works well for the series as it adds to the feeling of doom that hangs over the characters. The various action scenes throughout the show are beautifully animated. The fluidity of Trevor’s movements while fighting show that he is a seasoned warrior who is skilled at improvising. He often has limited tools when he is in combat but he manages to use them in interesting ways. As expected of a Belmont, Trevor’s skills with his trusty whip are incredibly fun to watch. Thankfully, the animators understood the importance of this weapon to the Belmonts and made sure that these scenes display his finesse. The beautifully drawn fire and magic stand out incredibly well against the muted colors I mentioned earlier as well.

As a long running Castlevania fan, it would be remiss of me not to discuss some comparisons to the game. The biggest disappointment in the show is the music. While the score is fairly moody and dark but it is a missed opportunity. I was hoping the show would manage to work in some remixes of iconic Castlevania songs from games. The eclectic mix of music featured in the game would have actually fit many of the situations in the show quite well. Another missed opportunity is the use of Monsters. Over the years, Castlevania has built up an incredible bestiary of creatures, but the show went with fairly generic demons. To be fair, they looked quite creepy and seeing them kill civilians is quite grotesque but it would have been cool to see some monsters based on the beasts from the games.


Castlevania is a great show. Its four episodes do a great job of telling a short story about the renowned vampire hunter. It sets up the next season very well and left me wanting more. As a fan of the games, there are a few omissions, but as a short series, this show is very successful. The action looks fantastic and the characters while lacking depth, are fun to watch as they are all so distinct and have great designs. This show is an easy recommendation for anyone who is a fan of animation, Castlevania and dark fantasy stories.

Why the Castlevania TV show on Netflix tells the Belmonts' story better than any game could

By Aaron Potter a day agoNews

Exploring how Konami’s dark fantasy series bites back in a TV adaptation that forgoes video game tropes to make for a stronger story

It’s nice to be surprised sometimes. If, like me, you’re someone who frequently shudders at the first sign of having one of your long-time favourite game franchises translated into another medium, you can understand why I was fraught with worry upon learning Netflix’s intention to adapt Castlevania into a TV series. How refreshing it is to know then, that Castlevania isn’t just passable, but genuinely fantastic. It perfectly balances being a faithful adaptation of 1989’s Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse while also introducing enough new elements to raise the stakes much higher than Konami’s original video games ever could. Quite a feat.

The most noticeable way it accomplishes this is in just how cinematic this rather straightforward tale of good versus evil actually is, even by anime standards. Right from the beginning of episode 1 we’re shown the early days of an unrequited love between Dracula and the innocent-minded Lisa, only to have such promise immediately stolen from us as the cruelty of humanity results in her burning at the stake. Suddenly we find ourselves empathising with one of literature’s most infamously malevolent villains, giving Dracula a level of personal depth not often seen in other portrayals - especially Castlevania games.

As good as Konami’s original 8-bit Castlevania games for the NES were, the grand stories they attempted to weave were understandably restricted by the hardware they were forced to run on. Any narrative context was often relayed via walls of text and any gorgeously-detailed castle degradation contrasted by the necessary blacks of 1980s limitations, making it extremely tough to go back to and enjoy today. Here it’s replaced with a simple yet incredibly well-realised art style - reminiscent of its Japanese origins - that makes a good case as the best way to experience Trevor Belmont’s tale of challenging Dracula.

The Castlevania series has always been known for portraying a sickly gothic take on fantasy, albeit with a few nonsensical lore elements you’d only find in a video game. Dracula’s son’s name (Alucard) is literally his own backwards for heaven’s sake. Yet in the show any campiness makes way for an ultimately tragic tale which ups the ante and brings on the gore, largely as a result of Castlevania’s iconic weapon of choice: the whip. Villagers are ripped in half, axes are sent flying, and a particular sequence in episode 2 gives a whole new meaning to the expression ‘an eye for an eye’. For me, Castlevania is all the better for it.

Speaking to IGN earlier in the year show runner Adi Shankar shared his intention to create the series in the vein of Game of Thrones, adding that: [the show would be] “America’s first animated series for adults”. For the most part, he succeeds. The R rating is indicative of not only the tide of blood-drenched villains that come any time Trevor reaches down for his whip, but also the darker themes of unrelenting guilt and tragedy which are always at play and consistently building.

You know Castlevania isn’t going to be your typical video game adaptation fare when we’re not introduced to our main protagonist until the end of the opening episode. A far cry from the legend Dracula’s Curse would have you believe, here Trevor Belmont is very much a gun (or short sword) for hire to begin with, painting him more as the everyman rather than the hero. It’s yet another example of how Netflix’s Castlevania takes inspiration from the games, yet isn’t afraid to iterate upon it, successfully filling in another facet to a fan favourite character that never feels intrusive or disrespectful.

“Killing you was the point, living through it was just a luxury” proclaims Trevor during the height of what could arguably be deemed Castlevania’s most climactic battle, shortly before the series close, where he’s primed into the more well-rounded hero we see in the games. Such smartly-written dialogue is a testament to the tact of comic book writing veteran Warren Ellis and his ability to dabble with themes of existence, belief, and humanity. “Lies in your house of god?” rumbles one of Dracula’s winged agents of evil. “No wonder he has abandoned you”. Just a reminder, we’re still talking about a Castlevania TV show here.

It helps that the Netlix show’s voice cast seems to be made up of a who’s who of actors that have appeared in some of Hollywood’s most recognisable fantasy franchises. The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage brings a subtle charm to the otherwise roguishness of the last surviving member of the Belmont clan, while Battlestar Galactica's James Callis suits the unsettling composure of Alucard well. Even when compared to Robert Carlyle’s take on Gabriel Belmont in 2010’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the show’s cast simply does a better job at selling you on the plight of these characters, even those being suffered by the wider populous of Wallachia.

The Castlevania games have always been primarily a solo venture, making a point of placing you amidst the isolation of an unknown and unsettlingly ever-changing landscape. In a game this works tremendously well when wanting to balance challenge and build up a sense of dread. Here, for the first time the franchise’s characters have been given a chance to breathe (even if it is for a brief, four episode stint), and create meaningful relationships with each other. By the end we’re rooting for an ensemble bunch of underdogs that are by no means perfect.

Castlevania’s final episode sees the show crescendo into a symphony of terror as the absent Dracula’s army clenches its grip ever tighter, very much setting up the chessboard for relationships, plot points, and ideas that will almost certainly come to a head in the already-announced second season. It’s by no means perfect or even fully-formed, but Netflix’s latest original venture has created a respectful video game adaptation that nobody saw coming. It has enhanced the Castlevania franchise in ways a video game could never do, and that will forever be its greatest achievement.

Castlevania Netflix Review – Bloody, Stylish and Short

July 12, 2017
skarekrow13


The gaming world and that of other media has a bit of a bad relationship. Aside from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, film and TV adaptations of popular video games have been near universally…shitty. RIP Captain Lou. On July 7th, season one of the Castlevania Netflix series dropped, an animated take on one of the most iconic series of all time. With shoes such as these to fill, is it worth caring about the already promised second season?

Castlevania Netflix Review

Plot

The Castlevania video game series took a dash of historical accuracy, a sprinkle of Bram Stoker inspiration and combined that with at least a gallon of “this sounded cool at the time.” Set in the land of Wallachia, Dracula and his army of the damned lay siege to the ordinary folk. The Belmont family seeks to stop his evil. Starting with this basic premise, the game series expanded to include Dracula’s family, a long chain of Belmonts and an odd assortment of other characters.
Castlevania Netflix

Assortment!

I was pleased to see that the animated Castlevania Netflix series stays pretty darn true to the overarching story of the games. Dracula’s Castle is found by a woman named Lisa and they marry, showing a softer and kinder Dracula. Then she’s burned as a witch and Dracula basically says, “man, **** ya’ll” and unleashes Hell. In a very real and flesh ripping sort of way. Dracula’s son, Alucard makes an appearance and of course we need our Belmont. I don’t mind sharing any of this, because it’s directly from the games and gets carried over into the series.

Our Belmont, Trevor, is the last of the family line. A line whose name is now tarnished. We meet Trevor in a less than noble location and situation, but of course fate pushes him toward his monster hunting roots. And that’s where I’ll bid farewell to this section before I spoil anything major. It’s not the exact plot of the games, but it’s a good spin on it.


Art and Aesthetics

Artistically, it’s what most people would consider anime, or at least inspired by it. Labels aside, it’s a style choice that, for Western audiences at least, is generally considered closely associated with cartoons made for adults. Character designs appear heavily influenced by Symphony of the Night, which is a great choice as it’s the best Castlevania.

If you’re in the mood for action, you’ll find no shortage here. Even a short scene with Dracula and a nice old woman manages to go awry. Stylistically, Castlevania is blood and guts eye candy, with over the top scenes that make 80s action flicks seem tame and realistic in comparison. It’s guilty pleasure at its finest for the action fan. Toss a short sword in the air and watch it spin faster than a propeller? Sure, why not! Have Trevor Belmont then manage to kick this sword (mid-spin mind you) and make it fly perfectly like a dart? Why stop there? It’s preposterous, but in a fun way.

I mentioned the gore, but it needs a more thorough shout out. Even though it’s a cartoon, Castlevania is not for the squeamish. Blood and guts are used to showcase what Dracula’s army is capable of and it’s not pretty. And to be fair, Trevor does his fair share of mutilations along the way.
Overall

Purists might find something to hate. Maybe Dracula’s beard is 19% less saturated with midnight blue than the games or something like that. But I felt it did justice to the source material and was a pretty good ‘toon even without being purely Castlevania.

A couple notable problems did stand out. The first I would call a matter of scope. The second is a problem brought about by the brevity of season one.

In the matter of scope, Castlevania titles started exploring the concept of Dracula as more than “could be The Devil.” In fact, his marriage to Lisa in game is used to create a sense of humanity and draw some sympathy to what could ultimately be a tragic figure. Sure he’s a diabolical maniac hellbent on genocide. But he’s also sad on occasion. The series isn’t shy about this angle, and in fact they might lean a little too heavily on it. In a four episode season, I found myself actively rooting for Dracula through at least the first two episodes, which muddles the tension.

The fact that the Castlevania Netflix season is only four episodes of about 20 minutes each leads to the second major issue for me. I feel like there’s a solid story behind major characters, but there’s simply not enough time for complex character development. I’ll do my best not to spoil it any more, but there’s one character in particular whose motivation changes nearly like a light switch. It’s a perfectly logical plot device, but felt rushed. Similarly, sub plots that could be used over time to make the story richer are wrapped up before they can do more than simply tell you the facts.

What a Terrible Night to Have a Curse: Playing Castlevania 3 after watching the series
Jul 12, 2017 | Posted by Nate Perkins | Game & Dad

After watching the excellent Castlevania Netflix series I started playing Castlevania 3. The Netflix series is a prequel for Castlevania 3 and while the series is adult only, feel free to enjoy the game with the kids as the game does not have the level of violence.

This is a game of patience

Castlevania 3 is breaks a few conventions of the franchise: you can switch between the protagonist Trevor Belmont and three other companions. Castlevania 3 offers different paths which means that at the end of certain levels the player picks which level to play next. These elements mix with the classic play scheme that the original is known for: fight through a level, kill a boss, etc.

Castlevania 3 is one of the most unforgiving games that I have ever played. Trevor Belmont controls like a stone and most of the companions have some pretty big drawbacks. There is no good way to attack oncoming enemies while climbing stairs. The game compounds this frustration by throwing enemies and projectiles while the character is traversing stairs. Another key frustration is the jumping is incredibly unforgiving. The game might be kid friendly, but the words that come out of your mouth after the 20th cheap death won’t be.

Its hard to play…literary

Another difficult thing about Castlevania 3 is finding a way to play it. The only way to play this on a modern console is to download it on the Wii U and 3ds for 5 bucks. An original cartridge can be tricky because it has technology in it that makes it hard to play on modern clone consoles. Original carts go for about 40 bucks which pretty expensive. I would not go to great lengths to try this game unless you have some nostalgia for the game.

So what’s good about it?

The game has an impenetrable difficulty. If you do fight through you will find a game full of amazing pixel art and soundtrack. It might sound crazy but these elements almost make the difficulty worth it. Despite my seemingly negative review, I do find parts of this game to be enjoyable. I do not think that most people will enjoy the game unless they are really into difficult NES games.

The Netflix Series is amazing, the game is hard to recommend

The Netflix series takes the story from Castlevania 3 and modernizes it in a really cool way. Unfortunately, the source material does not hold up as well. I think that Castlevania 3 has some neat ideas but it gets bogged down with unforgiving controls, frustrating enemy placement, and bad platforming. If you want to play some retro Castlevania I recommend the first and fourth entries into the series.

Julie Muncy
culture
07.13.17
11:00 am

Netflix's Castlevania Is the Future of Videogame Adaptations


Dracula's wrath is no small thing, as the city of Targoviste can attest. Blood pours from the sky; people scream; the archbishop–the camera lingering on his long, claw-like nails–is consumed by flames. Those were simply heralds, though. When the dark lord himself appears, he overtakes the screen, a living effigy of fire proclaiming Wallachia's doom. This land has wronged him, and every mortal will pay.

The Castlevania videogame franchise has been around for 31 years. Thirty-one. In that time, Konami has released 30 different titles that span more than a millenium, for all manner of game platforms—yet, while similar franchises have jumped to screens both big and small, we've never seen the beloved sidescrolling adventure game do so. Until now. Last weekend, Netflix released the first season of an anime-styled adaptation; the new Castlevania is Van Helsing meets Heavy Metal, loudly and wildly stylized and juvenile, excellent in its sharply crafted absurdity. And, knowing Netflix, it might be the future of videogame adaptations.

One Belmont Too Many

The Netflix series, which may have started its life as an abandoned film script—itself drawn from the 1990 game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse—tells a tale of vengeance in the Romanian region of Wallachia. After priests murder his human wife for supposed witchcraft, Dracula seeks retribution. It's historical fantasy turned dark and bloody as hell, rife with butchering monsters and indifferent, evil clergymen imposing a pseudo-fascistic order on their parishes.
Netflix

Like the games it's based on, the real stars of the show are the Belmont clan, an ancient family of monster hunters locked in a blood-feud with Dracula and his supernatural ilk—a feud that has gotten them excommunicated and shunned even as they've saved Wallachia countless times. The Belmonts persist throughout the franchise, but the Netflix series takes place in 1476, and finds Trevor Belmont, the clan's last surviving son, drunk and despondent as Dracula's hordes bear down on the countryside.

What follows in this first season's brief four episodes is stylish and stupid. That's not an insult: I absolutely love it. It embraces the pulpiness of the game series' visuals, alongside some of the basic mechanical ideas that pull those games together: exploring of arcane spaces; challenging combat; a thin veneer of medieval aesthetic fascination. In doing so, showrunner Adi Shankar, writer Warren Ellis (who boasts a lifetime of over-the-top clever comics, TV scrips, and novels) Ellis, and their collaborators have created something that is both entirely unlike a Castlevania game and completely true to the spirit of one. And it does so with the glee of smart people creating what might otherwise be thought of as lowbrow culture—simply because it's a blast to do so.

It wouldn't be hyperbole to say that this is one of the best videogame adaptations of all time. That's because it's a very, very, very low bar. But Castlevania is in the process of raising it.

The Netflix Method

Castlevania seems to be a success for Netflix as well. As always, the company is cagey about its viewership numbers, but the order for Season 2 has already been raised from four to eight episodes, and it's been largely well received by critics and fans in the precise demographics it's meant to cater

As a media business, for a long time Netflix has embraced a very simple strategy. If it works, keep doing it. When prestige dramas like House of Cards took off, Netflix rebranded itself into a relentless creator and promoter of an entire line of peak TV originals. When reviving Arrested Development worked, Netflix became a reanimating messiah for cancelled TV shows and neglected sequel ideas looking for closure. Instead of just making worked, Netflix became a reanimating messiah for cancelled TV shows and neglected sequel ideas looking for closure. Instead of just making Daredevil, it made four other Marvel shows.

So the success of Castlevania means we might be in for a whole line of high-wit, mid-budget videogame adaptations. Shankar, in fact, is already attached to develop an original anime series based on Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise. While that project has no official home yet, Netflix already seems to be staking its claim as a preferred destination, optioning the immensely popular Witcher series. So if you see a whole bevy of videogame adaptations take Netflix by storm in the next couple of years, don't be alarmed. It just means the model is working.

Castlevania on Netflix Is Nothing Like the Video Game You Remember

Rishi Alwani, 13 July 2017


Last week, Netflix released Castlevania, an animated series based on the 1989 NES video game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse by developer Konami. Considering how poorly video games translate into TV shows and movies, producer Adi Shankar’s claims of it being “the best f****** video game adaptation ever made to date” isn’t a particularly high bar to pass.

Even then, Castlevania on Netflix doesn’t come close. The debut season consists of just four episodes. That works out to around 80 minutes worth of content, but the end result is a dark-hued gory mess that doesn’t really go anywhere.

Set in 1476 in the fictional land of Wallachia, first episode begins with Dracula enchanted by Lisa, a woman of science who wants to help those around her. While the initial five minutes set up the chemistry between them brilliantly thanks to their witty banter, the rest of it focusses on the heavy-handed nature of the Church that has Lisa burning at the stake, accused of witchcraft. This results in Dracula promising to unleash the armies of Hell on Earth.

Following instalments introduce us to beer-loving vampire hunter and series protagonist Trevor Belmont; Sypha, a mage; and Alucard, the son of Dracula. They band together to take on the Prince of Darkness. And to be honest, that’s all there is to the first season of Castlevania. No major plot twists, and nothing of actual interest. You get some insight into the world of monsters, thugs masquerading as priests, testicle kicking jokes that span episodes, and defiling goats (and the subsequent discussion of such happens at a local bar), but that’s it.

There are a bunch of action sequences that are cool, particularly when Alucard and Trevor square off at the end of the season finale and Trevor’s encounter with a cyclops early on, though for all practical purposes, it serves as a roughly hour and half long trailer for the actual proceedings, which could begin in earnest when the second season of Castlevania on Netflix rolls around next year.

At this juncture, Castlevania on Netflix is the TV show equivalent of sequel bait that some AAA video games suffer from. Except it doesn’t do that great of a job of teasing what is to come either. There’s no cliffhanger of any kind and no mystery left unanswered at the end of the first season, other than how this merry trio will stop Dracula (which they will, much like the video game). There's no sign of Grant, the thief from Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse who joins the trio on their quest. He's not the only absentee.

The video games focussed on intricate, goth-inspired maze-like levels, hard as nails enemies, and spectacular music, but none of these elements are in the show. Outside of the first episode, Dracula disappears almost entirely. The games focussed on the Belmont family's fight with Dracula, so it's weird to see the main villain missing for three of the four episodes. Also perplexingly is the lack of variety in environments. Most of the action takes place within the walls of the city of Gresit, unlike the games that had you exploring Dracula's castle, forests, and catacombs, amongst other things.

All these missing elements, combined with its vague and generic low fantasy setting makes one wonder if it was even necessary to use the Castlevania license when it could pass off as something entirely different. References to Trevor Belmont’s legacy (that of being from a family of vampire hunters) and his use of the series staple weapon (a consecrated whip) do little to drive home the fact that this is an official Castlevania video game adaptation.

Hopefully, Shankar’s treatment of the Assassin’s Creed anime isn’t as shoddily paced. Given what passes for a good video game adaptation though, there’s no accounting for bad taste.