Castlevania: NocturneIs a Slick, Smart Successor

TheCastlevania video plot serieshas always been about the legacy of its Hero and vampiric villains — a struggle between good and evil that play out across generation of slayers as they battle the returning evil of Dracula and his allies . After a few class away from Netflix , Powerhouse ’s revivify adjustment is taking that idea to nitty-gritty for a fresh revival .

Castlevania : Nocturne , which begin pour today , is a fresh start for the serial after a four - season campaign thatconcluded in 2021 . There ’s a new setting and time period — revolutionary France , rather than 15th one C Romania ; a new cast of heroes — led by Rondo of Blood ’s Richter Belmont ( Edward Bluemel ) , a remote descendent of the original show ’s Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades ; and new foes to face — like the occult ascendant “ Vampire Messiah , ” Erzsebet Báthory ( Franke Potente ) and her agents . But for all the aerofoil - level newness this premise brings , Nocturne still has all the things that made the original Castlevania adaption a hit across its eight episodes : brutal , bloody natural process ; compelling , sorcerous character ; and a keen love of the beginning stuff that knows just when to geek out and when to twist expectations and do its own thing with the X of worldbuilding Konami ’s iconic action series is built on .

What Nocturne work to the table to perfect all these points to a sharp , effective whip - chap is a welcome focus in its fresh position . Unburdened by the write up and fiber arcs that had been establish up across the original show ’s four seasons — occasionally , to the point of frustration , laboriously so — Nocturne is an effective reset of what Castlevania as an adaptation is , pulling back from the high cosmic horror and theological threats it regularly tussled with in its back half to a much simpler premise . It ’s the height of the French Revolution and vampires have ganged up with a do-or-die social elite to metaphorically and literally drain the common folk dry , two do-or-die groups lessen in the cheek of democratic uprising . The bad bozo are literal leech , the motif and backdrop of the revolution reenforce that , and Richter and his new impulsive Quaker are here to kick supernatural ass and fight the system along the agency .

Image: Netflix

That ’s not to say that Nocturne is necessarily a more simplistic series than its predecessor , it ’s more that it ’s leaner . The purple prose and indulgent pontification that define the authorship of the prior series — which was penned by now - controversial Augustin Eugene Scribe Warren Ellis , supersede here with new leash writer and showrunner Clive Bradley — gives direction to clean , snappier , but still emotionally deep character work , that hold the moments the series does dive into more nuanced subjects , leveraging its mount in radical France as well as the extensive time period to plunk into broader issues of psychic trauma and injustice , all the more resonant and personable . Things find more run aground in the excited arcs of Nocturne ’s focal fictitious character on both sides of the difference — even if these characters are a mix of behemoth , vampires , and their as if by magic enhanced hunter . The series embraces its place in a specific , historical setting compared to the shadowy late - mediaeval backcloth of its predecessor , to root its heightened supernatural struggles in something tangible .

This kind of measured glide path is also effectively leveraged when Nocturne begins to embrace its generational tale , connecting itself to the wider Castlevania report in smart ways . The perspective of its heroes offers a all-important , compelling frame in gadget for this geographic expedition . Richter , his almost adopted - sister trope Maria Renard ( Pixie Davies ) , and their eventual hunter allies Annette ( Thuso Mbedu , who clamber in a standout episode exploring her fictitious character ’s backstory that elevates her far beyond her status as Richter ’s beloved interest in the games ) and Edouard ( Sydney James Harcourt ) are all significantly untried than Trevor and Sypha were , and with that young bring an energy to Nocturne that amplifies its fresh tone .

They ’re idealist and driving , cheeky and yet queer to learn , and they all grow and develop from their failings across the season in ways Trevor ’s charmingly cynical , earthly concern - aweary theatrical role could n’t bug into in his own journeying . And as Nocturne reach its climax and begins to tie in thread to its predecessor , it does so to analyze and tone its own character ’ part in that vast legacy — specially Richter ’s , as he tackle thetraumas of his puerility — rather than to plainly check off Easter testicle nods and book of facts . Nocturne is an effectual onboarding place for people eager to see what Powerhouse ’s work on Castlevania is all about , but long term fan of both the game and the prior inspire serial will be rewarded with a loving , nuance bosom of Castlevania ’s generational battle .

Image: Netflix

Image: Netflix

It ’s this voguish exploration of these theme , and its new context , that make Nocturne a more than desirable successor to the original Castlevania series . A clever reset on its world and story brings a focal point and nuance that let Nocturne really drill in on keeping what made the original showsuch a surprise hitin the first place , while winnowing away a lot of the frustrations and bloat that had started to drag the series down beyond its intuitive , luxurious action by the metre of its end . In doing so , the degree is limit to pull up stakes you thirsty for much more of this version of Castlevania ’s humans and these type in the futurity — and the promise that , wherever Castlevania could finally go beyond Nocturne , the series already keenly understands how to embrace its place in a big , grander bloodline .

Castlevania : Nocturne is now pour on Netflix .

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Image: Netflix