Based on the popular video game franchise from Konami, Castlevania is perfect material for an Anime series that harkens back to the days of hyper ultra violent Anime. You’ve got Dracula, Demonic hordes, oceans of blood (sometimes raining from the skies), a crew of bad asses who can give as good as the Monsters (if not even better), plus all the sex, violence and swearing you can shake a wooden stake or cross at. As it is for the month of October, I like to go with a more supernatural/horror title for the season of scares. Originally it was going to be Blood-C…but then Castlevania wrapped earlier this year, for which I gave myself the green light to do a full series review (Blood-C is coming…you’ll just have to wait a year, good not to waste already written reviews). So welcome, Dear Readers, to what I hope to be the best Dracula story ever told. This…is Castlevania.
Couple of minor ground rules. First off, since we have 4 Weeks in October, each Monday I’ll be doing a full season of Castlevania. That means covering a whole swath of episodes that are usually more than what I’d normally cover week to week. But much like RWBY, I think I can manage. Second and speaking of RWBY, I’m not going to be rating each individual season. I’m treating this as a normal set of reviews and thus everything will be building to one final grade. With that out of the way: How does this bold take on the Dracula legend get started?
The one thing anyone will notice about Season 1 of Castlevania is it’s length. It’s only 4 episodes long and normally you’d question the logic of making a season so short and risking viewers being angry that there isn’t more. It’s certainly a gamble but it’s one that pays off tremendously. Castlevania Season 1 is more a proof of concept and even could’ve been a two hour movie pilot and it is really, really good too. From the very beginning, the animation captures the look and feel of a true Dracula adaptation: red backdrops, dark shadows everywhere and a feeling of dread that encompasses most of the first episode before you meet the characters who will actually make you feel somewhat safe in spite of the horrors unfolding on screen. And all of this is before the blood starts flowing. As I said in my intro, this isn’t a Disney take on Dracula being all cute and cuddly. The amount of violence on display is not for the feint of heart and its some of the most graphic I’ve ever seen in an Anime…in other words, it’s exactly the level of carnage you’d expect from a proper Dracula tale.
The big guy himself is arguably both a terrifying threat and very sympathetic, a quality some probably wouldn’t associate with a character well known for being an outright villain. I’m not saying I condone Dracula unleashing hell upon Wallachia…but it’s not because he’s being an outright jerk. That’s why it was smart to open the show with his first encounter with Lisa, his wife. She isn’t around for long but in a few short minutes you can tell why she was the one to do the impossible and tame the heart of the King of the Vampires and even give him a son. Their chemistry is instant and you feel for her final pleas trying to reach her husband. Losing someone that special, especially to a bunch of zealots who believe she is a Witch, would set anyone off. Either way, Dracula is one of many truly bad ass characters and he’ll make an excellent final boss: both for his ferocious power and his complexity in the matter of why he's waging this war.
Standing in his way is a motley crew befitting a DnD campaign: A Demon Hunter, A Vampire and A Speaker (Mage). Trevor, Alucard and Sypha are gonna be a fun troupe to follow for their radically different personalities but similar goals. We spend most of the season with Trevor, who really wants to not be the hero but cant help it because deep down, he’s a good guy who cant pass on a lost cause, no matter how dire. Sypha is a good counter to him, never hesitating to do what is right even if it seems foolish…and man I love her voice, confident and very sexy. Alucard gets the least amount of screentime but when he does pop up man does he make his presence known. It’s a miracle Trevor could even go one on one with him (granted he does fight Vampires for a living). But Alucard’s more than just swift and powerful fighthing abilities (including mentally wielding his sword like it’s a fin funnel from Amuro Ray’s Nu Gundam). He’s the son of Dracula and Lisa and yet he doesn’t want to share in his fathers vengeance. There’s good potential for exploring that dynamic and seeing if Alucard will stick to his new comrades or embrace his fathers wrathful punishment of all Mankind for the death of his mother. All of this and in only four episodes…that’s a damn good hook.
The production value of Castlevania cannot be denied across the board. The characters speak in a mix of both olden day and modern slang (dropping F bombs galore even in the precense of Priests). I talked about how good the animation looks when it comes to scenery but the action, whew its spectacular. The defense of Gresit and Trevor and Alucard’s one on one are both stand outs and are very tasty appetizers for the bigger stuff that surely lies ahead. What impressed me most when it came to the writing was the pacing. Castlevania’s eerie and nightmarish atmosphere can make anyone rightfully uncomfortable and the build up to the next fight, death or literally all hell breaking loose is some of the best ive seen in any series in a long time. There’s a scene where a supporting player meets a truly horrific demise (even if they deserved it) and the entire scene where it happens has the best of all these elements: haunting animation, well written dialogue and a sense of dread that you cant escape…this is freaking awesome stuff.
Last thing I should touch on is the voice cast. Like everything else, it’s solid across the board and features several genre actors you might recognize. Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) plays Trevor with the mix of loveable oaf and seasoned bad ass you’d come to expect from a disillusioned but still very capable demon slayer. James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) gives a soft spoken but nonetheless always deadly energy to Alucard. Alejandra Reynosa infuses Sypha with the kind of personality that would make you want to follow her anyway and try to woo her in the process while trying not to make her angry. Graham McTavish brings the gravitas and tragedy to the King of the Vampires as Dracula. And that’s just the main cast. There are other familiar voices to keep an eye out for such as Tony Amendola from Stargate SG-1 and Matt Frewer of Max Headroom fame. No doubt the cast will grow beyond them and I’m looking forward to hearing the voices that help bring this world to life.
If I were to grade Castlevania right now I’d give it a 9 though I think I’d want to give it a 10 and that’s just after four episodes of story. It’s all setup but it’s brilliant setup with the best of all worlds behind it from animation to storytelling to top notch voice work…and a hefty helping of no hold bar action, blood and gore to make any Anime fan long for the days of Ninja Scroll. But I’m not grading season by season. We’ve got three more chapters to go…but I’ve got a good feeling a 9 or a 10 might be in this Anime’s future and I would never make that boast lightly…or ever, wow im really excited.
Next week, Dracula’s war rages on and only three unlikely
allies can stop it…I like the odds.
Castlevania continues Next Monday right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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