Netflix’s 2023 adult animated dark fantasy Castlevania: Nocturne follows Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel), a descendent of the Belmont clan, as he upholds his family’s legacy and battles against the threat of the enigmatic, ruthless ‘vampire messiah’ and her devoted army. Nocturne is the sequel to the original 2017 Castlevania Netflix animation, it was created by Clive Bradley and directed by Adam and Sam Deats. It currently consists of one eight-episode season that was released worldwide on September 28, 2023, with a second season confirmed to be in production.

Set 300 years after the events of the original Castlevania series, Castlevania: Nocturne features a new cast of characters and conflicts with the backdrop settings of the french revolution and slavery heightening tension and conflict. The backdrop settings enhance the overarching themes of freedom and slavery, as throughout the season, both humans and vampires are fighting for their own definition of liberty against individuals and elements that constrain them.

Nocturne’s opening episode does not shy away from tragedy and quickly introduces the crucial themes of loss, revenge, justice and motherhood

Nocturne’s opening episode does not shy away from tragedy and quickly introduces the crucial themes of loss, revenge, justice and motherhood into the series. It establishes the ongoing threat of vampires and night creatures, highlighting the need for the Belmont clan’s vampire-hunting knowledge and abilities. The threat of danger heightens over the course of the season, with the powerful threat of the vampire messiah, and the abundance of night creatures that continuously hunt the protagonists and bystanders down.

Much like the original series, Nocturne contains a diverse cast of voice actors that convey the emotions and intentions of the characters brilliantly. Occasionally, the voice acting has a tendency to feel awkward and to distract focus on the scene, something which I also experienced with the original series. Despite these criticisms, I thought the voice acting was an improvement from the first series, and could adapt to the action, drama or socio-political discussions that were occurring in the scene.

Nocturne contains a diverse cast of voice actors that convey the emotions and intentions of the characters brilliantly

Edward Bluemel’s portrayal of Richter Belmont was a highlight of the series for me, as he can depict a suave, juvenile hero who is plagued by traumatic memories. Bluemel’s distraught voice acting alongside the disturbing flashback scenes that frequently appear throughout the series express the trauma Richter carries with him after horrific childhood experiences that drive him to seek justice yet limit his magic abilities, a constraint he constantly tries to overcome as the season progresses. Despite his confidence and wilfulness to fight vampires, Richter’s unwillingness to face the past and address his trauma constantly causes him to abandon his allies in combat, and watching his internal battle regarding his trauma made him a very complex and interesting protagonist.

The powerful and emotive soundtrack, composed by Trevor Morris and Trey Toy, and the beautiful animation by the returning Powerhouse Animation is another highlight of the series. My favourite track is ‘Divine Bloodlines (feat. Ari Mason)’ which is a re-composed version of the track of the same name from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993). ‘Divine Bloodlines’ playing in the pivotal scene of the sixth episode was very impactful and heightened Richter’s momentous triumph and character development in a way that involves the audience in the fictional world and lets us empathise with the characters.

The powerful and emotive soundtrack, composed by Trevor Morris and Trey Toy, and the beautiful animation by the returning Powerhouse Animation is another highlight of the series

Castlevania: Nocturne takes inspiration from the Castlevania game series created and developed by the Japanese entertainment company, Konami. Nocturne combines loose adaptations of Rondo of Blood (1993) and its direct sequel, Symphony of the Night (1996), with the utilisation of characters that feature in those games, such as Richter Belmont, Maria Renard, and Annette. Notably, the characters have been altered for the Netflix series, and had their designs, relationships and goals changed, creating more depth to the characters and helping the audience build a relationship and empathy with them as we watch their journey, their successes and their hardships.

Overall, Castlevania: Nocturne is a beautifully gothic continuation of the Castlevania series. The strong cast of characters, beautiful animation and an impassioned soundtrack enhance the world-building of the series. Additionally, the references to the game series through the characters and the soundtrack are very nostalgic acknowledgments of the source of inspiration with a modern twist.

Rating: 4/5

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