Castlevania: Nocturne

Well, well, well. It's time for the shining star of one of the classic games to come out with a Harmony of Despair on his Rondo of Blood to deliver a Symphony of the Night. After making that many jokes, you know this has to be either a) real good or b) real bad. I'll be the first to say (not really) that this show is pretty dang good. Animation is a vastly underappreciated source of media and people REALLY need to get their heads around the fact that both kids and adults can appreciate the goofy cartoons. This is a cartoon that, while certainly a bit unserious at times, delivers a dark story worthy of the Belmont clan. This is my review of Castlevania: Nocturne!

RECAP: What is Castlevania?

Yet another section to add onto my reviews! This one will only be done if I review a sequel without reviewing the former or if the medium is based upon a source. For example, this show is based on the hit video game series "Castlevania", a game focused on slaying vampires and killing the undead. A 2D side-scroller adventure turned into a TV show, the original games were set in the past telling the story of the long-lasting Belmont clan and its many heroes. This story in particular pulls from Symphony of the Night, Rondo of Blood, and Harmony of Despair. But, this show also functions as a sequel to the original Castlevania show that came out 6 years ago. This show focuses on Richter Belmont, descendant of Trevor Belmont from the original show. I will not compare this show to the prior one, as a brand new creative team stands on this one and many elements are distanced from the original show. But, now that you know what Castlevania is, let's talk about it!

PLOT: Simple, short, and sweet!

These writers know their way around a plot! Sometimes, a simple-to-follow narrative that doesn't rely on the previous show to tell its story is just what we're looking for. That's the last of my comparisons to the previous show, I apologize. But, this show relies on its eight episode narrative to show the tragic tale of Richter Belmont and the woes of the people around him. The story is tightly-knit and doesn't waste time. While I feel this definitely hurts character beats in certain areas, this is by no means a bad thing. I like being able to focus on a small story for a little while, especially when it's compelling.

CHARACTERS: Depends? All great though.

Man, I really love Richter Belmont. A lot of characters here are done well, but Richter is especially compelling as a protagonist. Having him start with no magic then grow into it works especially well to build narrative tension. We have Maria, a sisterly figure with a heart of gold; Olrox, an initially villanous vampire revealed to be a complex and unique source of aid; and Edouard, a man with a beautiful voice turned into a monster. Each of these are brilliant additions as part of the cast and each actor gives it their all to allow the characters to feel wholly brilliant. Even Annette, my least favorite, is just underdeveloped ever so slightly. Her background is clear, but her personality is not as much. I feel she will be benefit from a second season. The villain is terrifying, shrugging off everything and eventually winning. The characters do not win here and it works so well as the voice actors show just how much the situation has gone sideways brilliantly. Character work is a brilliant part of the show and deserves all the praise.

SHOTS: Love me some beautiful shots.

This showcase of beautiful color and animation is one of the reasons I consider animation cinema in its own right. Nocturne demonstrates beautiful shot after shot with a use of color that makes me feel all fuzzy and warm. Not much to say besides how great this show uses animation and color, ESPECIALLY when it comes to fight scenes. While the frames can be a bit choppy, it works overall.

SOUND: I am not an opera lover, but oh, man...

This is one of the few soundtracks this year I consistently added to my playlist, but that's a good thing. I still listen to the trailer music as well as songs from the show on the regular. Lamento della Ninfa, I'm Free, and, most importantly, Divine Bloodlines are all beautiful tracks and have become staples of my musical library. Just wonderful!

WRITING: Uh, yeah, sure.

This is where the show kind of loses people. While I love the characters and their snarkiness, a lot of people do not like that style of writing. I will admit, it undercuts emotional moments sometimes, but many of the emotional moments are wisely given either only music or very little dialogue to allow them to sink in fully. What I cannot forgive is when they try to be cheeky and fail. Richter has a line near the final episodes that is abysmal, but otherwise the show does do okay at trying to keep emotional moments while using dark or sharp humor to cut away at harsher parts.

CONS: Like I said...

I feel that my biggest problem with the show lies within the writing team needing to cut back and one more thing I'll save for the end. If the writers were told to chill on the jokes, the show would definitely resonate more with others. That being said, my only other complaint is simple: I wanted more episodes. These characters were charming and lovely and I wanted more time with them. A shame...

LITTLE THINGS: Belmont clan!

The Belmont clan is not heavily focused on here as the main focus is Richter and his grief from his mother. However, the one member they bring up is a person who shows his face: Juste Belmont, forgotten descendant of Trevor Belmont (likely great-great grandson?). Here, we get to see two Belmonts finally meet and it is truly the show's strength. Focusing on two monster hunters from the same clan is new and manages to stir emotion from the loss the two share.

VERDICT: A well-crafted show built on solid foundations... with a couple weak supports.

As stated in the description, this show has some weak supports, but is built on solid foundations with great material. The characters are mostly great, the music and shots are wonderful, and I really do love this little world. I loved it to the point of creating a Dungeons and Dragons campaign based on the concept. The world is so interesting and comes with such a air of mystery despite how much has been explored. Please tune in and see what Richter Belmont has to offer!

SCORE: 9/10