There are many decisions that have come together to create Castlevania, the anime based on a retro video game franchise from Konami, something that would be so easy to fumble and cast off as a cheap licensed project. From the early goings, however, it was clear that Netflix’s show had something to prove. Much like its Belmont-bred protagonist, Trevor (voiced by Richard Armitage), it gives a predictable first impression but rises to the occasion to deliver what it was born to do.
Perhaps taking cues of inspiration from other eastern-animated, western-directed cartoons, Castlevania takes the stylings of anime but speaks predominantly to a western, adult audience. Episodes often carry the same kind of pacing one might expect from anime storytelling, and yet banter between characters and their development over time is approaching from a writing style more common in adult live-action drama. As the show finds its down-to-earth moments – like endearingly plausible bedside teasing – it actually can feel a bit surreal to see characters depicted in such a visual aesthetic interacting in ways we’re used to seeing only in live action. This element of the show’s writing can be difficult to quantify since there simply isn’t much like it out there, but it’s refreshing to see all the same, and from a dark fantasy horror world of all places.
While it certainly strays from what might be expected on the tin, Castlevania still delivers on the core premise of adapting the game series to a narrative-driven animated format. Using the third entry in the game series from 1989 as a baseline, the show eventually expands beyond the scope of that one game, remixing its own characters and ideas with ones from other places in the franchise such as Curse of Darkness. Isaac (voiced by Adetokumboh M’Cormack) is a sterling example of what can be done to adapt a character into new life without abandoning the core premise and origin. Isaac is joined by multiple characters from the often ignored PS2 game who find themselves thrown into the spotlight here, and that’s not to mention how well Dracula’s Curse character Sypha (voiced by Alejandra Reynoso) has been portrayed – this is likely the most developed and prominent version of her from any piece of Castlevania media. And it perhaps goes without saying, but the famous son of Dracula, Alucard (voiced by James Callis), is given appropriate treatment and even some surprisingly emotional depth later on.
But humans chattering and crying and wallowing may not be what Castlevania fans signed up for with an anime adaption. Castlevania has always been an action-driven series, and while action may not be the key component here in the show, it is handled as deftly as Trevor wields his Morning Star whip. Iconic abilities and weapons, like Alucard’s magical sword, Sypha’s elemental magic, and Trevor’s vampire killing whip, are all portrayed with adrenaline-driven energy and detail unlike even most traditional animes, and they leave a wide path of blood and gore in their wake. The series isn’t afraid to tap into sudden and gut-wrenching body-horror in how action scenes are carried out, and it’s appropriate to the franchise’s legacy. There’s blood, gore, profanity, and sex, and while the more extreme moments of violence or the less common bits of overt sexuality may not be to everyone’s preference, they never feel out of place for the world and the story being told. If you’ve seen Game of Thrones (and bless you for having survived its finale if you have), then you’d be surprised at how much in common the two series have in tone and storytelling sense, despite their drastic differences in presentation.
Netflix’s Castlevania doesn’t amp up the game references, churn out a bunch of electric guitar arrangements of classic NES tracks, copy-paste plot points from the game franchise, and call it all a day. This is a series that was clearly born out of fan passion and adapted to television with intent in a way rarely seen with video games transitioning to film or TV. It shows some restraint in how it displays its heritage, trying to function as a television series first and foremost while still revering iconic elements and weaving them into the fold at the right moments. Its success with fans of the games and dark fantasy viewers alike is proof in the bloody pudding that if an adaptation is approached with passion and smart choices people will see what they came to see: a well-produced piece of media.
It’s unclear what other plans the creators may have in store or how many seasons they aim to produce, but at the least, this doesn’t feel like the sort of anime that will continue in cursed perpetuity. Like Dracula and the shadow cast by his looming castle, even sympathetic antagonists may need to meet their end, and this series will no-doubt find its resting place eventually – after enough blood has been spilled.
The animated Castlevania series can be streamed on Netflix.
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