There used to be a time when video game adaptations were known as bad cinema material. It has only been as of the last 6-7 years that we’ve seen an improvement. With video games being treated as a medium with as much respect as film and TV. Last year was an outstanding year when it came to films and shows based off video games, as we got the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Netflix themselves released Arcane Season 2 and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. Castlevania is near the top of the list when it comes to talking about prestige video game adaptations and now we’ve finally got the next season of Castlevania: Nocturne, the sister show to Castlevania.
Castlevania dates back all the way to 2017, with it being Netflix’s first video game adaptation that was successful. Warren Ellis teamed up with Powerhouse Animation alongside Adi Shankar, who was the showrunner for Castlevania (2017) and the current executive producer for Castlevania: Nocturne, and, Samuel Deats, the director of the Castlevania franchise. The series has always been known for its astounding animation and story but has fairly been criticised for its script and overall pacing. Castlevania: Nocturne was a great continuation from Castlevania (2017) but was the weakest out of the franchise simply due to the characters not feeling developed enough and the pacing, which added to that issue.
Castlevania: Nocturne begins right after the end of its first season, where Alucard (James Callis) makes an appearance after violently slaughtering Drolta (Elarica Johnson). Now with Alucard on their side, Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), Annette (Thuso Mbedu), Maria (Pixie Davis), Juste Belmont (Iain Glen), and Mizrak (Aaron Neil) are in a desperate race against time. Erzsebet Báthory (Franka Potente), the Vampire Messiah, who already seemed invincible and a force to be reckoned with, seeks the full power of the goddess Sekhmet so she can plunge the world into endless darkness and terror.
Samuel Deats is a massive advocate for Castlevania: Nocturne, and it’s expected when he’s talking about the show he works on. The Castlevania animated franchise has been a passion project for him, and he shows this through the way he communicates with the community. The first season did lack character development, although it was still capable of telling a strong story that set up what was to be an action-packed, intense second season. This is what was promised, and this is exactly what we have received. From the character arcs, script, animation, score, and the overall action sequences, this season takes it above and beyond and treats it like it’s the last time we’ll ever get to see all of these characters together on screen again.
Maria and Annette steal the spotlight from the remainder of the cast as so much attention and detail are put into their backstories. Annette was a character who received a lot of love in the previous season, from her backstory to overpowering her master and connecting with her ancestors. It’s clear that she’s a fan favourite amongst the writers as we further explore her relationship with her ancestors, dealing with beautiful scenery that’s similar to that of the ancestral plane from Black Panther. Her character reaches new heights that take the series in an unexpected direction with the last few episodes, and it’s one that sets the stakes high for all the characters involved.
Castlevania is known for never playing around as these characters casually find themselves in life/death scenarios. There are a lot of moments where you can feel hopeless while watching the show, and those moments still seep in for this second season. Maria is one of the few characters who didn’t have much going for her in the first season, despite setting in stone her relationship with her mother, which plays a huge part in this second season, as she’s now a vampire after being turned by Erzsebet. The Maria we know from the first season and the Maria that viewers will come to know in this season feel like two completely different characters. Her morals are put to the test alongside her powerset, which sees a whole new upgrade this season and is mind-blowing in not only how powerful she has become in a short span of time but also how far she’s come as a character.
During the last season, it had felt like Richter didn’t get much attention until the latter half when he met Juste and reawakened his magical powers. The pacing felt all over the place with what felt like their main character, leaving Richter in an odd place at the end of that season. In this season, while there’s still more focus on the characters surrounding him and the antagonists, we do get development on his relationship with Annette. In the midst of war, there’s not a lot of time to shine a light on these two, but when we do, we get small moments that warm the heart and have you rooting for these two lovebirds.
After helping Trevor and Sypha, Alucard returns 300 years later to help another Belmont down the line defeat evil. Castlevania: Nocturne’s art style is an improvement upon what the original show dealt with, providing more detail to characters with the animation and allowing for their emotions to be fully expressed on screen. Alucard’s new design takes from his look in the Symphony of Night video game, and it’s fitting of the Alucard we’re met with, who’s nuanced, suave, and straight to the point. His chemistry with Richter is a joy to watch as he reminisces on his time with previous Belmonts and specifically Trevor, from whom Richter gets his sarcasm.
Richter and Alucard both shine best in this season when they’re faced against enemies. The fight sequences and animation in Castlevania have always been known to be top tier, but with the stakes higher than they’ve ever been before, Powerhouse Animation cranks up the gear and delivers fans animation that’s almost akin to the Fate anime series. The clashing colours of the two characters, with their contrasting blue and red against the grey background of the French city, blend to create a beautiful piece of art that’s unlike anything seen in the series before. The editing has also improved, becoming an integral part of fights and used creatively to send a message. The final two episodes of Castlevania: Nocturne are this series’ best when it comes down to the quality of animation, the score, fights, and emotional journey it takes us on.
What makes up for Richter and Alucard not getting too much focus on them until the end of the season is the supporting cast that help this story move along. We get the return of Olrox (Zahn McClarnon), a character who has always been interesting to watch as they’re split between two sides and find themselves dealing with an identity crisis because of this. Watching his relationship develop with Mizrak and how these two affect the overall story and the relationships with Richter, it shows that there has been a lot of growth with Richter since that first episode of season 1, although we rarely get to see that growth on screen with him.
Juste Belmont is another side character who has a huge effect on the main cast as he sticks around with Maria for a huge chunk of the season, helping her on the right path instead of this dark path that she begins to go down. It’s the first time we get to see this in the Castlevania animated franchise, and hopefully it won’t be the last, but seeing two generations of Belmonts fighting alongside each other and Juste finally discovering himself with his magic similarly to how his grandson did the previous season was a beautiful moment, even if it was small and not focused on greatly in comparison.
Castlevania has always found itself criticised for its dialogue, which could be seen as “cringy” or just over the top. It’s normally with the antagonists where this dialogue lies within, but as the season heads towards its end with its story arc, it focuses more on the backstory between Erzsebet and Drolta, leaning more into why they want Sekhmet’s power and providing more depth for their characters.
This allows for them to not be the one-dimensional characters that they were finding themselves to be in the first season with basic motives such as being evil for the sake of being evil. There’s not much change with Erzsebet, but Drolta gets a lot of screentime as she’s brought back as a Night Creature, and we dive into what she really wants for herself and her reasonings behind all of this chaos.
Thankfully, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is a massive improvement upon the first season as it sets its stakes higher and dials everything up. There’s a significant rise in quality for every aspect that was criticised in the first season, and although there are singular moments from the original Castlevania series that will always be looked upon highly, overall, this season of Castlevania: Nocturne proves to be Powerhouse Animation’s best work amongst their whole library. The action sequences are for sure a highlight throughout this season, with them shining throughout in episodes 4, 7, and 8, allowing the animators and creators to showcase the passion they hold for this series. Fans of Richter, Alucard, Annette, Maria, and Drolta will have something exciting to look forward to with this season, and fans of Castlevania will be satisfied with how the season comes to a close.
A Season 3 is dependent on how well this second season does on Netflix during its first few weeks, but if this has to be the unfortunate end of Castlevania: Nocturne, then it’s a beautiful, enriching ending that fans will be content with. If there is a continuation, it’s likely we’ll get to see more Alucard and possibly Dracula and finally get that closure we deserve between the two.
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
