“CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE” IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

For October, I decided that, rather than watching a horror movie, I would watch the sequel to a series I’ve loved for the past few years. I had only seen the first Netflix series, so I thought to give its descendant a chance because “Castlevania” was simply amazing. Turns out, I made the right choice! As someone who is easily spooked, watching “Castlevania: Nocturne” filled me with the same amount of anxiety as a scary movie would.

“Castlevania: Nocturne” is the stand-alone sequel to the animated series titled “Castlevania.” “Nocturne” is a dark fantasy, action-adventure horror based on the video game series of the same name.

This series was written by Clive Bradley and produced by Kevin Kolde. “Nocturne” is both a spin-off and a standalone work, and the series specifically draws inspiration from “Rondo of Blood” and “Symphony of the Night.”

“Nocturne” follows Richter Belmont, the descendant of Trevor (the main character in the original series) and member of the vampire hunting Belmont Clan.

In the first season, 19-year-old Richter struggles to uphold his family legacy, avenge the death of his mother Julia and manage the PTSD he has surrounding his mother’s death at the hands of the Aztec vampire Olrox.

Simultaneously, he teams up his adoptive sister Maria Renard, his aunt Tera, revolutionary witch Annette and opera singer Edouard to combat the rise of the Vampire Messiah, Erzsebet Báthory, and the vampires’ attempts to take over the world.

Set in Machecoul, France, during 1792, the team must fight against an upcoming vampire uprising amidst the

Story: Kaitlin Jackson

French Revolution and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The aristocrats are vampires, the slave owners are vampires and the corrupt church members are working with the vampires too. There’s a lot going on.

I found the general plot of “Castlevania: Nocturne” to be very entertaining and enjoyable, if not a bit overwhelming.

Once things began to take focus, it made more sense. I do think that it would be good to have some idea of history due to the references “Nocturne” includes, such as its depiction of the Haitian slave revolts, the Bastille Day celebration and the show’s depiction of the French Revolution outside of Paris.

While I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary to pull out a history book before watching, I think even general knowledge of what occurred during the 1700s enhances the storytelling while it’s relevant.

The Vampire Messiah storyline takes up the plot, so the initial points about the revolution and slavery are less and less touched upon as the season continues.

I kind of hoped that both plot points would remain relevant, even if having a clear goal was nice as well. I also would have liked to see how the current historical events and the dark fantasy tropes in the show interacted, especially with the whole “the slave owners are vampires” anecdote.

You can’t tell me that slave owners and rich people are vampires and not keep elaborating on that concept regarding the setting and character goals, especially since Annette was formerly enslaved and Eduoard helped to free slaves and supported rebellions.

I will say, the entire first season felt incredibly rushed: It all takes place within eight episodes, but the plot moves as if the writers wanted to pack the trauma and sad backstories in now so that they could move on to something else later.

I found that there wasn’t much time for me to get used to anything that was going on, and I often found myself thinking, “There’s so much happening” or “Why is there so much going on right now?”

Knowing that there was a second season confirmed only made the quickness of the first more confusing, and it makes me wonder if things will continue to move so quickly in the future.

I really think more episodes, slower pacing or both would have improved the plot for “Castlevania: Nocturne.”

One thing I absolutely have to talk about is the use of magic as a fantasy series in “Nocturne.” For example, most of the magical abilities shown throughout the series are not explained. This is typically demonstrated wonderfully.

For example, Maria’s animal summoning powers are self-explanatory and, although there is an accompanying explanation, Annette’s power over earth and metal is animated well.

There is some cool lore surrounding how Annette’s powers are tied to Yoruba mythos, with her magic being tied to Ogun, the god of war and iron.

If you’re looking for an in-depth explanation, however, you need to get over yourself or you’ll be disappointed. I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.

I like this aspect of the series though: magic seems to be an individualistic thing, and I think it being showcased or used to explain fantastical things is more enjoyable than being accompanied with an in-depth elaboration in the middle of the show.

When thinking of the impressions the characters made on me, I realized that I had some trouble even remembering who they were outside of what they do, their backgrounds or their abilities. Whatever their personalities were, they were motivated and their actions seemed consistent with their personalities. I may have thought “Why did they do that?,” but I never wondered “Why did this person specifically do that? That doesn’t make sense for them!” Most characters are fierce and badass, with a few differentiating traits, but that’s about all I could muster up.

Honestly, their personalities could probably be summed up with a single adjective: traumatized. Part of me wonders if their seeming lack of personality stems from the characters always going through something.

There’s problem after problem, and there aren’t many chances to see who the characters are outside of constant vampire hunting and conversations about someone’s trauma. Because of this, the character development the protagonists do have also come off as rushed; other times, it felt as if the development wasn’t truly present. The character designs were wonderful though. The characters looked amazing, each one stands out, and nothing seemed too out of the ordinary for the setting.

Overall, I found

“Castlevania: Nocturne” to be incredibly enjoyable. Although there were issues with rushing the plot, I think the show should be given time for any future improvements. As more episodes are released, I’m sure things like personalities and more clear motivations will reveal themselves. In spite of its flaws, I think the first season is entertaining and well-written enough to keep an eye out for the second season!