While the video games remain dormant, Netflix’s Castlevania restores the classic adventure/horror franchise’s glory.

The first season of Netflix’s animated Castlevania series offered a lot of promise, but no guarantee that it would succeed where oh so many video game adaptations failed before it. At just four episodes in length, it was difficult to gauge if the show would truly be able to capture the spirit of the beloved video games, while expanding the lore to tell a sufficient, compelling story. Tonal inconsistencies were significant red flags among the many positives in those opening episodes, leaving Castlevania’s merit far from decided.

More than a year later, Castlevania has returned with answers, and a resounding statement. Season 2 has eight episodes to build off last summer’s tease, maximizing every last minute at its disposal to strike down the dreaded curse of video game adaptations.

Showrunner Adi Shankar (Lone Survivor, Dredd, The Grey) has long flaunted his gamer identity, and his respect for the source material in Castlevania is evident with the visuals, alone. In an era where Western-produced animation has made leaps and bounds, Castlevania sets a whole new standard. Even when the blood is flowing in excess during one of its gruesome sequences of slaughter or battle, Castlevania is incredible to behold. The action sequences are choreographed with fluidity which surpasses that of many live action blockbusters, the characters and any number of moving parts all graceful when in motion. Trevor Belmont whirling his Morningstar whip can be hypnotizing with his dexterity, while the intensity in an encounter between Alucard and Dracula would get Superman’s and Zod’s nods of approval. This is the best animation you’ll find from a non-Japanese studio, and it still stands tall even among the highest-quality anime.

The fantastic production values go well beyond Castlevania’s imagery. The score expertly balances the ever-shifting mood that is a common trait from the video games, where beauty and levity are just as much at home as brutality and gravity are. Castlevania can be nightmarish when it fully embraces its darkness, but it’s also very capable of being amusing, and absolutely thrilling. The superb sound design is one of several keys to achieving this diverse atmosphere.

The actors lending their voices to the cast deserve just as much credit. Everyone delivering a vocal performance is putting forth their best effort―a testament to the dignity that this video game adaptation earned even while in development. The cast gets a lot bigger in Castlevania’s sophomore outing, introducing a number of new characters under Dracula’s command. One of Seasons 1’s accomplishments was that it made Dracula an eerily-sympathetic antagonist, to the point where it was difficult to label him a legitimate “villain”.

The generals who pledge themselves to him in Season 2 by and large share that same ambiguity. A few, like the vampires Carmilla and Godbrand, are unabashedly cruel and twisted. But then you’ve got two humans in Hector and Isaac (yes, the very same from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness) who are morally neutral, if not, occasionally noble while loyally serving under an all-powerful, vengeful vampire lord. They may be contributing to Dracula’s attempt at wiping out the human race in retribution for killing his wife, Lisa, but they do so out of no inherent malice. Their self-inflicted isolation from the rest of humanity is because they have both been wronged by mankind, just as their master has.

The motley crew of Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard make a fine trio of heroes, channeling the nostalgia of the same team from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, while adding appropriate depth to their characters. Their moments of uncouth behavior still feel out of place, but for every F-bomb that is dropped, or every middle finger that is raised, there’s moments for them to reflect on their tragic pasts, and opportunities for their resolves to shine as they strive to create a better future.

Alucard and Dracula undoubtedly steal the show in Season 2, as the father/son duo experience sobering story arcs that are intrinsically linked to one another. Dracula, no matter his immense power and immortality, is a broken soul who lives on merely to avenge the earthly joy that was torn away from him. The half human, half vampire Alucard is embroiled in that very struggle, as he fights to stop his father’s genocide in the name of his mother’s loving, virtuous outlook on life.

The remarkable plotting and dialogue, courtesy of writer Warren Ellis (Red, Iron Man Extremis) ensure that even a relatively slow first half for Season 2 is still compelling viewing. The opening episodes are fairly light on action, heavy on talk, but the worldbuilding that is done and the backstories that are explored methodically navigate to a rousing back half.

When the many different sides of the conflict finally clash, it is incredible whether you’ve played every Castlevania game ever made, or none, at all. Castlevania continues to be loaded with references to the video game series’ 32-year history. There are appearances by iconic boss creatures, references to important figures in the franchise’s lore, recognizable weapons and abilities used in battle―but nothing is more memorable than a spine-tingling rendition of the music track Bloody Tears. Even if you head into this animated series having no familiarity with the video games, Castlevania will entertain anyone who may enjoy an intricate, nuanced story taking place in a suitably grim Gothic horror setting.

FINAL SCORE

9.0/10

Showrunner Adi Shankar has said in the past that his and his team’s goal is to make Castlevania the greatest video game adaptation of all time. With the arrival of Season 2, Castlevania blows past that ambition. Propelled by the potential that flashed in the show’s debut outing, Season 2 expands its drama, bolsters its cast of characters, and stokes its action to become one the very best productions in the animation medium today. Whether viewed within the bubble of video game adaptations, or within the entertainment industry, as a whole, Castlevania can now be considered a triumph.

+ Outstanding animation that joins the very best in the medium

+ A large, compelling cast of characters

+ Tons of great easter eggs included from the video games

+ Deep, layered worldbuilding that might surprise some viewers

+ Superb voice work from the actors bringing the characters to life

― The first half of the season can be a little slow at times

― Some dialogue, particularly the quips that are meant to be humorous, feel inappropriate for the characters

Read our review for Season 1 of Castlevania here.

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