Set roughly 300 years after the events of Castlevania, we yet again follow the exploits of a descendant of the House of Belmont, Richter, on his quest to rid the world of vampires. Set amid the backdrop of the French Revolution and the rise of a Vampire Messiah, the series talks big on revolution, the eternal struggle between old and new, the difference between good and evil, and the toll revolutionary actions take on us all. But at its core, Castlevania: Nocturne is still pretty much an action-packed, monster bashing cartoon.
First off, Castlevania: Nocturne is a beautiful piece of animation. Powerhouse Animation has really stepped up their game since their first Netflix series. The character designs in Nocturne are a thing of beauty, akin to anime, with characters looking as if they’ve stepped straight out of top-shelf visual novels. The backgrounds are also scrumptious, with Powerhouse making them look like gorgeous paintings during poignant moments.
But where the series falls short is in its storytelling…
The Vampire Killer
The Castlevania series always have rocky starts for me; coming across as odd and contrived until the action really kicks off. They really don’t seem to do “still” moments very well. (See: Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, Trigun, Ruroni Kenshin, etc.) Which poses a problem when this first season of Nocturne is filled with pregnant moments – for their characters to brood and contemplate, and for us to marvel at the various spectacles on show. It makes the pacing feel a bit uneven, just stopping the forward momentum of the story in its tracks, with very little emotional payoff. The action sequences are great though, with dynamic vignettes that will make you go, “Hell yeah!”
The efforts of Castlevania: Nocturne’s team of writers has to be commended. The showrunners are very proud (and rightly so) of their hiring of writers of West African heritage, as well as a Haitian adviser, to lend gravitas to their historical stories. And thankfully, their efforts do come through.
That said, some of the dialogue also comes off as ever so slightly stilted and clipped in a particularly efficient and no nonsense kind of way. Sure everything makes sense, just not eloquently. That said, writing such a grand and sweeping story in short form (30 or less minutes and in only 8 episodes no less) is no small feat. Trying to set up epic battles in the struggle between good and evil is hard in the best of times, let alone with such ambitious stakes, all the while trying to weave a multilayered narrative between multiple historical events and pantheons.
My problem with the dialogue also comes down to some of the word choices. (Yes, I’m very much a grammar Nazi and nit picking at this point.) I just find calling a person “a dick” in revolutionary era France a wee bit jarring, but that could just be me. That or, Pixie Davies just doesn’t know how to swear well, the way she attacks the words “wanker” and “dick” leaves much to be desired. Go easy on the “k,” kid!
It could be an issue of voice acting and sound mix. A cursory perusal of the Japanese dub of Castlevania: Nocturne, yields a much more enjoyable viewing experience. That may be a personal choice, as I have always been more team sub than team dub. Which is then ironic given that this series is conceived for the English language. Your mileage may vary.
Blood Made Beautiful
But these really are nitpicks. Because once the story gets going you tend to forgive all these flaws and Nocturne becomes a pretty enjoyable show. Unlike the first Castlevania, Nocturne already brings out the big wacky guns from the get-go, so you know it’s just going to be a rollicking ride from there on out.
This one has all you could ask for in your Castlevania fare. Snarky protagonist, check. Big outlandish baddies, check, check, and triple check. Wonton violence and mayhem, check. Exciting action, check. Blood, blood, BLOOD! Check. Sex appeal! Check. Quest to save the world. Check.
Ultimately, if you’ve been onboard with the adventures of the Belmonts from the first series, this entry into what I can only assume is Netflix’s intentions of building a Castlevania-verse, will be right up your alley and thoroughly enjoyable.
One final note, as a MASSIVE fan of Alucard, I am sorely disappointed with the lack of Adrian Tepes in this series. And as of writing, Netflix has yet to announce Part 2, so hopefully watching this will not be in vain… because they do leave you pretty high and dry with that final set up.
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