- Joined
- Dec 29, 2000
- Posts
- 14,618
Some further thoughts on this series as a whole:
So I think the general consensus is that Castlevania on Netflix is pretty good. There really aren't that many people complaining about it, and I think the reason is because we have a show runner and writers that recognize the solid narrative fundamentals that have been baked into the video games.
It was a simple premise that grew into its own complex mythology over time and lends itself very well to storytelling mediums. Good lore, world building with potential, character traits that lend themselves to good chemistry and just enough mystery to leave room for satisfying reveals and the occasional plot twist.
I think one of the reasons this is all pulled off so well is because its animated. It's a medium that isn't treated as the same kind of cash cow as, say, a live action TV series or a major motion picture. The show runners are probably under some expectation to perform, but because the cost for failure is lower, it's treated as a sort of financial 'adjunct'; if it profits, great. If not, oh well. And even though they've gotten some respectable names to play roles on Castlevania, such as Richard Armitage and James Callis to name a few, the budget isn't breaking the bank.
The art direction is good but there is a kind of 'rough' feel to the visuals, which I sort of like. The show looks like it was developed by human beings, capable of flashes of brilliance but with all of their shortcomings woven into the final output as well. It's imperfect, but not so glaringly fumbled that its unsatisfying. It's also not so slickly polished or produced that it looks unnatural or uncanny. It's a story about humanity struggling to survive in a world of monsters, and I feel the almost 'hewn' look of the show is a perfect visual match for the theme and direction of the series, although this is probably an unintentional byproduct. That sort of thing happens when a production's heart is in the right place.
I feel like Castlevania has discovered the formula for adapting a video game series to a visual storytelling medium:
-Long form series
-Animated
-Budget conscious
-Respect for the source
-Respect for the fans
This is not to say that the writing is perfect. It's a bit too potty mouthed for my tastes (for this particular source material, mind you) and the heroes act in an anachronistically comfortable fashion that takes some getting used to. I think this is less Shankar's and Ellis' first choice and more a failure of modern writers to find ways to get people to really care about characters in a medieval setting. It can be done, but they want young audiences watching because they want fans invested for the long haul and we all keep these things sacred in our hearts. We do all know where we are right now, yes? I would have probably kept it more traditional in terms of the social dynamics and vocabulary, but that's the main reason I never truly pursued a career writing for television (although I've had chances to put a foot in the door if I wanted to); I'm the sort of person that would prefer to let others adapt my existing works (the pipe dream to end all pipe dreams, I know.) I don't really think I could be satisfied as 'the tracer'.
So I was thinking about other video game series that might benefit from this template. There are plenty of great games out there with lore and mythology that capture our attention and get us invested. I would love to see any of the following series receive the same treatment. What I mean by this is that it would be great if these series were adapted to animated series and followed the Castlevania formula:
Dark Souls
SoulCalibur
Assassin's Creed (lends itself perfectly to this formula. Probably works better as a story than as a game series, anyway)
Final Fantasy (I'm aware it's been done before, but the long form series have all been trash)
The Witcher (believe me, I'm probably more aware than you are about the coming Netflix series. But I think this would have worked better as an animated show)
Fallout 3
I really think that Castlevania is the start of something big, guys. Video games are the biggest entertainment medium on the planet. It was inevitable that someone would eventually crack the code on adapting these things in a satisfying manner.
So I think the general consensus is that Castlevania on Netflix is pretty good. There really aren't that many people complaining about it, and I think the reason is because we have a show runner and writers that recognize the solid narrative fundamentals that have been baked into the video games.
It was a simple premise that grew into its own complex mythology over time and lends itself very well to storytelling mediums. Good lore, world building with potential, character traits that lend themselves to good chemistry and just enough mystery to leave room for satisfying reveals and the occasional plot twist.
I think one of the reasons this is all pulled off so well is because its animated. It's a medium that isn't treated as the same kind of cash cow as, say, a live action TV series or a major motion picture. The show runners are probably under some expectation to perform, but because the cost for failure is lower, it's treated as a sort of financial 'adjunct'; if it profits, great. If not, oh well. And even though they've gotten some respectable names to play roles on Castlevania, such as Richard Armitage and James Callis to name a few, the budget isn't breaking the bank.
The art direction is good but there is a kind of 'rough' feel to the visuals, which I sort of like. The show looks like it was developed by human beings, capable of flashes of brilliance but with all of their shortcomings woven into the final output as well. It's imperfect, but not so glaringly fumbled that its unsatisfying. It's also not so slickly polished or produced that it looks unnatural or uncanny. It's a story about humanity struggling to survive in a world of monsters, and I feel the almost 'hewn' look of the show is a perfect visual match for the theme and direction of the series, although this is probably an unintentional byproduct. That sort of thing happens when a production's heart is in the right place.
I feel like Castlevania has discovered the formula for adapting a video game series to a visual storytelling medium:
-Long form series
-Animated
-Budget conscious
-Respect for the source
-Respect for the fans
This is not to say that the writing is perfect. It's a bit too potty mouthed for my tastes (for this particular source material, mind you) and the heroes act in an anachronistically comfortable fashion that takes some getting used to. I think this is less Shankar's and Ellis' first choice and more a failure of modern writers to find ways to get people to really care about characters in a medieval setting. It can be done, but they want young audiences watching because they want fans invested for the long haul and we all keep these things sacred in our hearts. We do all know where we are right now, yes? I would have probably kept it more traditional in terms of the social dynamics and vocabulary, but that's the main reason I never truly pursued a career writing for television (although I've had chances to put a foot in the door if I wanted to); I'm the sort of person that would prefer to let others adapt my existing works (the pipe dream to end all pipe dreams, I know.) I don't really think I could be satisfied as 'the tracer'.
So I was thinking about other video game series that might benefit from this template. There are plenty of great games out there with lore and mythology that capture our attention and get us invested. I would love to see any of the following series receive the same treatment. What I mean by this is that it would be great if these series were adapted to animated series and followed the Castlevania formula:
Dark Souls
SoulCalibur
Assassin's Creed (lends itself perfectly to this formula. Probably works better as a story than as a game series, anyway)
Final Fantasy (I'm aware it's been done before, but the long form series have all been trash)
The Witcher (believe me, I'm probably more aware than you are about the coming Netflix series. But I think this would have worked better as an animated show)
Fallout 3
I really think that Castlevania is the start of something big, guys. Video games are the biggest entertainment medium on the planet. It was inevitable that someone would eventually crack the code on adapting these things in a satisfying manner.
