Castlevania Nocturne: Season 1 (2023) — Good But Dissapointingly Not Great
Netflix’s Castlevania animated series, which had a 4 season run, is one of my favourites on that streaming platform. Whether it’s the strong characterization of the main trio (Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, Alucard) and their dynamic with each other, the phenomenal portrayal of Dracula (my favourite in media), the superb secondary characters (such as Isaac), the wonderful voice acting, the breathtaking action sequences, the beautiful soundtrack, or the overall solid writing and storytelling, I absolutely adored it. So you can imagine my excitement for another animated series set in the same world and acting as a sequel with — apparently — a bigger budget. As soon as I had the time to check it out, I didn’t hesitate.
Castlevania Nocturne takes place 300+ years after the events of its predecessor and follows Richter Belmont, a descendent of Trevor and Sypha, during the French Revolution as he carries on the legacy of his family and faces a new Vampire menace alongside his companions. The premise made for an interesting setting for the plot to play out and while by the end of the last episode I was satisfied, this first season was disappointing in comparison.
The striking element from the get-go is the animation. A different art style where the environment and the clothing are greatly detailed accompanying fluid movements during action sequences. Some of the fights were truly exhilarating and had my blood pumping (as I’d hoped they’d do). The distinct fighting styles add layers to the encounters with Richter having a mix of brawling with the classic whip approach while also getting the added benefit of magic as a part of the arsenal now (courtesy of Sypha); Maria is a long-range type using her magical creatures for support and attack (reminds me of V’s fighting style from Devil May Cry 5); Annette is the mage powerhouse with an intriguing ability to bend stone and metal to her will. The design of the Vampires and night creatures was also cool.
The characterization and the storytelling were a hit and a miss. You get treated to a strong tragic opening in the first episode and then the experience tanks. The pacing, the dialogue, the voice acting, and the general feel of the characters were off — they weren’t interesting. The story didn’t have that HOOK and I was not getting invested. Engagement was low for the first 3–4 episodes, and I had several instances of boredom pressing down on me. It also didn’t help that some characters (Annette) were straight-up annoying during this period.
The momentum does pick up in the second half where Richter, in particular, gets a much-needed dose of development, investment in the characters increases and the overall plot actually starts falling into place forming excitement. Some deeper themes are executed well. The Vampire side of things gets intriguing too with Olrox carrying the brunt of it.
Spoilers in the following paragraph so skip it if you don’t want them.
It became apparent that things would not get resolved in the final episode and considering the narrative at that point, I’m glad it didn’t. A weird thing to say but I prefer the cliffhanger here than a quick wrap-up that would have tarnished the build-up and stakes of the big baddie — Erzsebet Bathory. With all the verbal boasting, it did not disappoint when the series finally showed you her power and came off as untouchable for our hero's current power levels. Not to mention the final scene was pure HYPE! I had no expectations of Alucard appearing in this first season so when he deus ex machina’d Drolta and obliterated her swiftly with the music blaring up, I was in a state of bliss.
So, even though Nocturne Season 1 was a step down from its predecessor in every facet other than the animation — even that was inconsistent sometimes and had janky instances — and even though the first half was not good with some downright stupid portions, the second half thankfully does the heavy lifting and brings back the experience to a satisfying level and leaves you off with something to look forward to.
Season 2 hasn’t been confirmed yet by Netflix but I hope it does and I hope it is a step up from the first one. I love this world and a plethora of characters inhabiting it and I want to see more of it executed properly. If you loved the previous series, I’d suggest tempering your expectations before starting Nocturne. If you’re new to the franchise, go ahead and enjoy the complete four seasons of the previous series and then try this new one. All in all, good but disappointingly not great. And if I were to rate it, I’d give it a 7/10.
