Castlevania: Nocturne

Streaming Series Overview

The release of the CastlevaniaFor years Hollywood attempted to make a Castlevania movie, but it was only with the intervention of Netflix, and a the cretivity of Federator Studios, that an anime adaptation (in any form) finally took shape. Netflix series was met with praise and solid ratings. With the conclusion of that story, after four seasons between 2017 and 2021, Netflix announced that further stories in the universe would be told. As executive producer Adi Shankar noted, there were many more games in the Castlevania series that could be adapted into future TV series.

On June 10, 2022, Netflix made good on that promise, putting out the first announcement (and teaser trailer) for Castlevania: Nocturne, its continuation of the series that would jump 300 years ahead in the Belmont lineage. Focusing on heroes Richter BelmontRevealed first in Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood in Japan, and then Castlevania: Dracula X in the West, Richter is the Belmont hero of the late 1700s who worked with Maria Renard to bring down Dracula. and Maria RenardA young heroine, and cousin to Richter Belmont, with the blood of the Belmont clan in her veins, Maria teams with Richter to fight back Dracula and the forces of darkness in the late 1700s., the first season told a loose adaptation of Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of BloodThe first adventure for Rochter Belmont, this game didn't originally make it to the West (instead seeing a SNES remake to replace it) as was considered something of a prized collector's item by fans.. A very loose adaptation. Loose enough that if you were a fan of the original game you might be hard pressed to recognize the source material.

That was, of course, to be expected considering where the previous series left off. DeathThe Grim Reaper who, in the series is Dracula's right hand man and most reliable supporter (although the Netflix series changes this some). defeated, DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. off living a happy, newly resurrected life with his (also resurrected) wife LisaDracula's wife and mother of Alucard. It is generally accepted that the events of the game series are kicked off (at least for Dracula) when Lisa is killed by religious fanatics, hardening Dracula's heart against humanity.. The heroes in control of Dracula's castle and the Belmont archives. Any sequel series would have to contort fairly hard to fit new adventures into the same timeline as the games.

The solution, then, was to borrow a villain from another game -- Elizabeth BartleyBased on Erzsabet Bathory, Elizabeth is the secondary antagonist in Castlevania: Bloodlines. Bartley is the neice of Dracula and, by sowing discord around Europe, she aids in his eventual resurrection. (ne Erzsabet Bathory) from Castlevania: BloodlinesThe first Castlevania game for a Sega console, this title marked the introduction of elements from Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, into the game series. -- and drop them in place of Dracula for the new title. Update the characters, move around the setting, and you have a functional story to work with that respects the previous seasons of the show.

Of course, fans weren't entirely thrilled about this. Seeing their reviews posted everywhere, there was plenty of hate for the updated story of Nocturne in fan circles. Basic reviews of "they disrespected the games" to "this isn't my Castlevania!" along with a bit of hatred towards new Black and LGBTQIA+ characters being included. But the wider public was generally favorable to the series. The series was released on September 28, 2023 and received 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes during it's inital release, and a 77 out of 100 on Metcritic. Overall the audience liked it, and ratings were good.

Good enough for Netflix to put a second season into production in October, 2023. Eight more episodes to continue the story and, perhaps, finish the adaptation of Rondo and, perhaps, tee up a similarly loose adaptation of Castlevania: Symphony of the NightReleased on the PlayStation in 1997, this game, while not hugely successful in the U.S. at the time, went on to become on the most beloved titles in the Castlevania series. for the future.