Castlevania: The Animated Series

[bruceleegreyhulk]

So how many people here know or read Varney The Vampire? Castlevania pretty much references the main vampire from the book with Death disguising himself as a vampire and the name he gives himself. A reference to a vampire who is overshadowed by Dracula even though he came first, and introduced many of the powers vampires are known for today.

James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest's The Varney Vampire was written and published before Bram stoker's Dracula novel.

[Alan2099]

So how many people here know or read Varney The Vampire?

I have.

There are some good moments and a few really good characters but to say it's a mess is putting it lightly.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

I have.

There are some good moments and a few really good characters but to say it's a mess is putting it lightly.

So I'm guessing you caught on to the meta-joke about the book in Castlevania's fourth season.

[Cyke]

Biggest personal disappointment: the show not using Vampire Killer for either of the final two battles.

Sure, one can argue that that's more for Simon Belmont, but 1. Simon has his own theme and 2. Vampire Killer is the most often used song in the franchise to the point of it being a hallmark of the brand as a whole, akin to the first level of the original Super Mario Brothers.

[Immortal Weapon]

spoilers:

I love how Alucard's biggest shock of the season is finding out he's becoming Trevor . Trevor and Sypha got to profess their love for each other, which is nice. No on-screen kiss, but still nice . Hector helped revive Dracula and Isaac is the one who says leave him to rest? Isn't that the exact opposite of how it is in the games? I mean, it made sense in the context of their show characters but it felt kind of weird. It's still kind of weird to me that Hector and Isaac had this long-running subplot to themselves, along with Carmilla's sisters, that had no real bearing on the main characters. Like, literally their closest contact is when Isaac sees the main characters about to go up to fight Dracula in season 2, and that's it. I'm kind of not surprised the two lesbian lovers of Carmilla's sisters would end up surviving, although I kinda wish Striga had gotten to use her armor more. Carmilla was obsessed with defeating crazy old men, but in the end she was defeated by two...relatively well-adjusted young men. I guess this is also the consequence of her manipulations to take Dracula down finally coming back to bite her. I'm not sure how I feel about how things swung for Hector. I mean, he finally got his freedom and got to get payback, and he made peace with Isaac and his part in what happened to Dracula. Could this be spun into his own solo adventure like in the games where he becomes a genuine hero and has to fight Isaac? I don't know. I guess I'm glad they didn't kill him. Hector and Lenore's relationship was...complicated. I mean, obviously she manipulated him and used him like a toy, but in the end it seemed like they were genuinely close and cared for each other to the point where Hector wanted Lenore to live even if she didn't want to survive as a prisoner and Lenore felt Hector was the only person she could open up with. Lenore made Hector realize Dracula lied to him and Hector made Lenore realize how far Carmilla had gone. I don't know if it was love, but it was something. I guess this opens up Hector to meet Rosaly. Saint Germain working to revive Dracula and going evil was not what I expected when I wanted to see him again. I mean, his lover was beautiful, but he really went too far trying to find her again because he wanted to have sex. And in the end he got played, killed, and shunned by the woman he loved. At least he saved Trevor. You couldn't really do an adaption of Castlevania and not throw in Death, and who else would try so fervently to resurrect Dracula? Having Malcolm McDowell slip in there as a vampire no one takes seriously until he turns out to be Death was a clever twist. Was Greta supposed to be show's take on Grant, like the only major character from the game they didn't use? I guess it's nice Alucard was able to find love with a fellow bisexual. Trevor not only stopped Dracula's resurrection (technically) but he also defeated Death. He really upheld the Belmont legacy and restored their honor for generations to come. I assumed part of the reason Trevor survived was because he was still alive during Curse of Darkness, even if this seasons nominally adapted that storyline (kinda) without Hector being the main character. Sypha pregnant with the next Belmont, who will get to grow up in a village named after and dedicated to their family and get raised in the kind of childhood Trevor was robbed of. Dracula and Lisa getting inexplicably revived was...something. Kind of wondering now how that's going to jive with the future for this franchise in animated form, if it comes to that. I mean, it's nice to see the couple get a happy ending and it brings things full circle, but is something going to happen to Lisa so a future Belmont will have to slay Dracula again?

end of spoilers

I guess it was marrying Dracula?

Greta is definitely suppose to be Grant. The name of her village felt like a dead giveaway. It's his last name.

[Frontier]

Biggest personal disappointment: the show not using Vampire Killer for either of the final two battles.

Sure, one can argue that that's more for Simon Belmont, but 1. Simon has his own theme and 2. Vampire Killer is the most often used song in the franchise to the point of it being a hallmark of the brand as a whole, akin to the first level of the original Super Mario Brothers.

I would've liked them to have used more of the OST from the games...

[Godlike13]

Never got into the games, but this show was pretty awesome. That boss battle at the end was something else.

[Frontier]

Never got into the games, but this show was pretty awesome. That boss battle at the end was something else.

I love how it was such a final boss battle with like the environment and the main character having to solo them. Felt fitting .

[Username taken]

I didn't like Season 3 of Castlevania at all. I found it boring and almost entirely dedicated to set-up.

I also have a problem with Warren Ellis writing. It comes across as "edgelord" at times and unnecessarily nihilistic.

I'm about to start season 4, I hope it's much better than season 3.

[Frontier]

I didn't like Season 3 of Castlevania at all. I found it boring and almost entirely dedicated to set-up.

I also have a problem with Warren Ellis writing. It comes across as "edgelord" at times and unnecessarily nihilistic.

I'm about to start season 4, I hope it's much better than season 3.

I will say I don't feel season 4 gets that nihilistic, but the most I had trouble with the pacing was in season 2 with the heroes at the Belmont Keep and all the Vampire politics. I kept waiting for them to storm Castlevania and fight Dracula.

[Captain Craig]

Got to S4 of this recently and really enjoyed the concluding season.

I was a bit surprised at Carmilla being dispatched at midpoint. Thought a big battle with her was for the last episode or two.
Once she is out of the picture Isaac also just drops away. It is at this point I think that perhaps Hector and Lenore might have as happy an ending together as those two could have. But alas Lenore is super super depressed over a few things and Hector respects her wishes enough to allow her the way out she chooses.

Was thinking that Alucard and Greta might become a real romantic item. Seemed to be enough bread crumbs there at any rate.
Sypha being pregnant did not surprise me at all. Trevor not being dead though did. Good for that happy ending.
The happy ending I did not see coming was Vlad and Lisa.

Overall I really enjoyed the finale fight, very game-esque in its framing sequence.
I hope another take on this legendary game and lore are tried soon.

[Multiverse]

I'm curious to see where they're gonna go with future storylines and spin-offs considering where they left off.

Hopefully we get to see future members of the Belmont Clan (Particularly Simon, Richter and Julius)

[Frontier]

A new series starring Richter Belmont (most likely adapting Rondo of Blood) is in the works.

It will take place during the French Revolution.

[Immortal Weapon]

A new series starring Richter Belmont (most likely adapting Rondo of Blood) is in the works.

It will take place during the French Revolution.

That announcement made raise an eyebrow. This show took place in the late 1400s so there no way Richter can be Trevor's son during the French Revolution. I appreciate the correction there.

I'm hype that the best Belmont and best game of the classic series is being adapted.

[Captain Craig]

Was a date mentioned in S1? I don't recall.
I'm glad for more Castlevania in this series at any rate?