Castlevania: Nocturne (Netflix Series)

First impressions: This is a much better series than the original four seasons. Yeah, it could fuck things up in the story by the end of the season, but it's a step up in every department.

I'll give my impressions about the events in the episode in a moment, but let's talk about those vast improvements first. Everybody was disappointed Warren Ellis had to leave the series because he's a fucking creep, and we don't have to tolerate fucking creeps anymore. But after this? Good riddance.

The animation is better. More detail and shading. The opening visuals of seeing the fireworks through the water were quite beautiful.

The voice-over work is MUCH better. Ironically there are fewer "name" actors in the cast. But whoever is doing the voice direction is giving good notes. The characters speak realistically in not just their dialogue, but their tone. Of course, maybe not realistic for that time period, but neither is fuck and dick, so I'm grateful this show has modernized in that respect too. It hard to describe the way in which it's realistic. Let me try. The characters speak softly. But they actually have proper, human inflections when doing so. As far as modern live-action drama goes, characters now speak realistically. But that's NOT true of most modern cartoons, even TV-MA rated dramas. Cartoon characters, no matter the project, speak loudly and forcefully. It fits the animation most of the time, but honestly I think it's possible the animation needs to do more of the work regarding emoting, and if it does that, the performances can work if they are subtle. The performances are usually arch because the animation can NOT back subtlety up in facial expressions. I will not go so far as to say this show gives great animated expressions. It's anime-inspired, and hiss at me if you must, but for me, that's always been a weakness of the medium. And yet the soft performances sound like real conversations.

The other improvement is I like Richter Belmont. Is this even fucking hard? WHY does TV make this SUCH a fucking ordeal? What possible advantage did the first four seasons get out of portraying Trevor Belmont as a gross jerk and a total cad? What dramatic purpose did it serve? Richter IS roguish, but of a softer-spoken, more gallant variety. I like him not just for the funny things he says, but because when Maria calls him a dick, she not only doesn't mean it, she wouldn't be right even if she did.

Let's talk about the episode. I knew nothing about the show going in. I was not sure if either Julia or her son were gonna be the big deaths in the prologue. As weird as it would be to have a female lead for this specific franchise, I was worried the little kid was gonna get killed off anyways. Because never using the lighter touch was Ellis' entire shtick during those first four seasons, and holy shit, did that get old fast. I'm not saying the sequel will never disappoint me in that regard. If it does it will disappoint me, but not surprise me. But yeah, Jesus the show doesn't kill a little kid right out of the gate.

There seems to be a political bent to the show, but considering the current state of affairs in this country, it concerns me because I don't know the side this show is taking about it yet. Maria's ideas are strong. But I am not sure the show won't knock her beliefs down a few pegs.

The thing that gives me hope is aristocratic vampires feeding on peasants. Talk about class warfare! Maybe the writer of this show is a Red Hat. But that scene tells me they probably aren't.

Seeing Maria's mother Tera in the Pilot worried me. Pilots are the one episode where literally ANY character can die and in a HORROR-themed show? She's lucky she made it out of the first episode alive. If she survives the season it will be a miracle.

I like this SO much better than the craptastic Ellis shit. 4 stars.

Not as good as the first episode. That was some teaser though, and the animation is as striking as ever.

It sucks that the nice young guy who sang that haunting and lovely funerary song is the dude that gets turned into the Night Creature. Horror franchises are never kind to characters of color.

It was pretty good still. 3 stars.

Annette's mother's death is gutwrenching.

I think it is brilliant to tie one of mankind's worst and most unholy evils, slavery, to the supernatural blasphemies of vampires. The ugliness of both scenarios fit each other. It's a very clever allegory.

The scene of Annette running is beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous animation.

Edouard seems to have synesthesia. It's a neurological condition I have too. It's really kind of cool to see colors nobody else does.

Mizrak's back and forth fight with Olrox is pretty cool.

Maria is sort of piggybacking on Annette's trials and tribulations. It's kind of annoying to see a white character do that, even in the 18th Century.

Interesting story choice to have one of Edouard's first moves as a Night Creature be to save Annette's life. That's not necessarily the drama from the scenario I would have predicted. But it's messier, therefore better.

Speaking of Edouard, I have become convinced these flashbacks belonged in the previous episode, and Edoaurd should have died in this one. His death didn't really matter then. If we had seen this first it would have. Also Annette recognizing the slavemaster vampire at the castle would have actually landed instead of being a question. I think they should have switched the order of these events in the narrative.

Still, it was a strong episode. 4 stars.

The Abbot Emmanuel is a total bastard, isn't he?

Richter and Annette are exploring all of the great moral dilemmas involved in whether or not Edouard is a Night Creature. Good drama there.

Oh so Mizrak and Olrax are SEXUAL tension. Got it. Also, Mizrak, it's a little tough to take your claims of only serving God seriously WHEN YOU JUST FUCKED A VAMPIRE!

Olrax is a pretty fun character in general.

Edouard has a human soul? Juicy! I love that Annette is getting through to him, but when she offers to kill him, he reels back. Believe it or not Annette, that is not actually the preferable outcome for most creatures. And I like the show because it says as miserable and tortured as Edouard is, he doesn't want that, and his best friend thinking he would is purely crazy. It didn't seem so when she raised the knife, but his reaction sort of made it obvious to the viewer anyways.

So this show is NOT written by Red Hats. Essentially the Church is teaming up with unholy vampires to fight a common enemy: The People! Could they have found a way to make a show set in the 18th Century MORE relevant to today? Yeah, okay, probably. But this is a Nintendo videogame that's doing it!

Another great episode. Really digging this sequel a lot. I don't recall saying that all too often on the old show. 4 1/2 stars.

Annette's story of the mark is kind of amazing.

Vaublance is fucking crazy. I love every inch of Annette getting the best of him. THAT is the Natural Order of Things.

It strikes me as a bad idea to essentially set aside Richter for an entire episode. Maybe if the episode count were higher it wouldn't be, but this sojourn doesn't please me.

So Emmanuel is crazy too. I love Tera saying that if God is all powerful, He doesn't need other people to fight for him. Frankly I wish more secular folks used this argument. It makes the zealot THINK, instead of recoil with shouts of "Blasphemy!" There really is no good answer to it, which is why I'm surprised the argument isn't used more.

He's Maria's FATHER?! Holy shit! This show is bananas!

It would be better if the grandfather was Trevor, but I don't think the timeline would have fit.

This show is WAY better than the previous version. 4 1/2 stars.

The voice performance for Erzsebet in the teaser was amazing. Totally spooky.

Aha! Trevor DID continue the Belmont line with Sypha! Puzzle piece fit in! Of course the Belmonts using magic in the opening scene of the season is good foreshadowing of that too.

Grandpa Juste WANTS to reach out. Can't quite do it. Nice moment.

I'm with Annette when after her mother tells her everyone runs away, that what Richter did is NOT the same thing. Honestly, that is NOT a button the show should have pushed in that moment. For the record.

The other Night Creatures aren't sure what to make of the monster among them singing opera. Is Edouardo awakening the rest of them? Could this be the actual gamechanger of the season? It's kind of an amazing idea, to tell you the truth.

On the surface Olrax's backstory sounds deeply romantic. But when Mizrak digs deeper, he realizes it's not. He turned the dude he loved into a vampire. Probably without permission. Julia Belmont killing him is actually partially on him.

As Richter is getting punked at the end, I told myself "I hope he gets better at this in future seasons." The sudden magic bomb immediately settled the question: "He will." Also just based on the monster's specific horrific threats, vampires suck ass.

If the writers thought "But fuck it," was an acceptable alternative to a witty one-liner, they are mistaken. It is actually a bit cringe.

I liked the rest of the episode though. 4 stars.

Holy shit! You think the Abbot is screwed, but no, he's actually too far-gone to do the right thing. Maria's words actually help him decide to sacrifice her. What a delusional bastard. And say what you will about Mizrak, there at least exists a line in the sand for him. That's good to know.

The Eclipse thing is the same idea as the Beast blotting out the sun on Season 4 of Angel. As Wesley noted when first learning about Permanent Midnight, "As far as evil plans go, it doesn't suck." It really doesn't. It solves a LOT of bad guy problems and makes the good guys lives a hundred times harder. I think Angel ultimately failed the idea with the cop-out they did. But maybe this show won't.

Erzsebet's proclamations of glory and power in the teaser all seem to have a slightly dirty undertone to them.

"Gods should know where all their dragons are." Good one.

Nice hero moment for Richter upon his return. He can do magic now. And he wears a headband. That's the weirder thing.

I like that Annette is conflicted to see him. And I like her telling him she cares for him more than she expected to.

Are they gonna ship those two now? It makes sense why they made Edouard gay then.

Olrax can be made to bow. But he doesn't flinch. That to me is the more notable thing about him.

I kind of thought that Richter was going for the dick thing when describing Juste. It's weird Hera didn't.

Drolta is a Gargoyle now! Nice!

What a great episode. 4 1/2 stars.

I was extremely unhappy the season ended on a cliffhanger, but to be honest, as dirty a move as it is, bringing back Alucard ALMOST justifies it. It's almost worth it. And yeah, it's James Gaius Baltar Callis back, and the voice credits are at the end titles so he can get full credit without the appearance being spoiled.

Okay, the Abbot has no redeeming qualities. When he's doing his Jacob and Isaac bit, I was like "Does he actually believe a ram is coming or is he just gaslighting?" He's delusional enough that he MIGHT believe it, but his entire philosophy is a lie, so I doubt it.

He is SO concerned about the Church being destroyed, and he's the one that's done it. Not just the building, which in my mind doesn't matter. But of the ideas and the foundations, HE has perverted them. What Maria speaks of "the revolution" razing Churches to the ground, in any other context the threat would be abhorrent. Now it's actually justified. All because of the Abbot and his corruption.

But let me be real about this. I know the show isn't precisely anime. The subtle voice performances are the clearest sign of that. But an anime trope that I find absolutely tiresome is making one of the delusional villains extra pathetic, and giving them more and more humiliations while they double down on their foolishness and failures. I'm guessing Japanese audiences find that sort of thing cathartic, but the longer it goes on, the more I find it redundant. We get it. Emmanuel sucks. But I don't think this show and the arc needs to be about HIM.

I'll tell what I didn't like. I feel the heroes could have done more to save Tera. Now if the Erzsebet instantly bit her and took her rescue off the table, that would be one thing. But the heroes are fighting in the same room before it happens for awhile and none of them try to swoop in and save her. Worse, once she's bitten, I'm annoyed nobody there thinks to throw a dagger into her heart so she cannot be turned. I don't agree the character had to die. But even if she did, there was NO way she HAD to be turned. That's poor writing.

I think Edouard is a hell of a solid dude. For the record.

That climactic fight scene was frelling bonkers. I love it.

Okay, so Erzsebet can tell the opera is trouble. Which means she is NOT a dummy.

Can't tell if this show has a better resolution for Permanent Midnight than Angel because the show doesn't fucking resolve it! I get why the show is called Nocturne now, but it's still annoying. 3 1/2 stars.