What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2023
Where’s it showing? Netflix
I was more than content with the conclusion of Netflix’s four-season vampire anime Castlevania (2017-2021) because the series’ overarching story ended with a satisfying sense of completion. Even as much as I love the underrated, critically maligned string of video game films that graced the ’90s—Super Mario Bros. (with Bob Hoskins, not Chris Pratt), Double Dragon, Street Fighter, etc.—I would go as far as to tout Castlevania as the best video game-to-screen adaptation yet, but a possible contender could be on the horizon. After watching 2023’s Castlevania: Nocturne, the anime’s anticipated spin-off that premiered earlier this fall, I’m stoked and somewhat shocked to report it’s on par with the original series. The new show follows Richter Belmont, a descendant of Castlevania protagonist vampire killer Trevor Belmont, who continues his family’s crusade against bloodsuckers and other creatures of the night plaguing France during the late 1700s. With one season so far, time will tell how the new series as a whole stacks up against its predecessor. But it’s off to a bloody good start. (eight 25-min. episodes) Δ
This article appears in Nov 23 – Dec 3, 2023.
