I’m not a big fan of the game,
but I’m familiar with its mythology and I found its protagonist, Simon Belmont,
a unique vampire hunter. So I got
curious about this new Castlevania
animated series from Netflix and checked it out. And, by Hellsing, it’s fantastic!
The featured main character of
the series, however, is not Simon, but his ancestor, Trevor Belmont. It’s because the series opted for Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse as
source material. The four-episode debut
season tells the story of how humanity earned the wrath of Dracula, prompting
him to unleash Hell’s forces into the world, and how the apathetic Trevor’s
visit to the city of Gresit, which is besieged by demons, stirred him to take
upon himself to stand up for the people and save them from Dracula, while also meeting
an unlikely ally secretly hidden below the catacombs of the city.
The first thing I noticed in its
opening credits is that it’s written by Warren Ellis, one of the most prolific
and talented comic book writers working today.
I was immediately optimistic and excited since, after all, this is the
guy who created The Authority and Red (which has had two film adaptations)
and who did really well with his runs in titles like Hellblazer, Iron Man, and
Nextwave. And, indeed, the writing of this show is
topnotch.
Castlevania is an adult-oriented cartoon. It doesn’t shy away with the violence and
dark themes. It wouldn’t work any other
way. Hence, by understanding the demands
of adapting such source material, it succeeds in being a very enjoyable animated
show.
From the opening scene of the
first episode, it’s immediately engrossing, and the complex characters, great
pacing, and immersive storytelling then keep it that way until the final scene
of the last episode. The gothic
atmosphere, the ever-present charm of a fantasy adventure, and cool action
sequences also help in sustaining thrill and interest. It even has a bit of Game of Thrones vibes going for it.
Meanwhile, the anime-inspired
animation is excellent. Its aesthetics
and feel remind me of the gem Vampire
Hunter D: Bloodlust. It’s a perfect
visual medium for its premise and plot.
In addition, the sound design is effectively complementary to it.
My only problem with Castlevania is its too short. Again, it’s only four episodes long. With each episode only around 20 minutes, the
entire season is watchable in one sitting.
I would have preferred if all episodes of the series have been finished
first before being released instead of doing a four-episode debut season. This only leaves a feeling of “wanting for
more and being disappointed that there won’t be more for a long time”, which is
quite annoying.
In other words, Castlevania gratifies with quality, but
dissatisfies with quantity.
Between this and Voltron: Legendary Defender, Netflix has been nailing it with original animated series and I believe
they should do more.
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