So I'm taking a personal day to get a break from the many responsibilities I have in my real life and I've been watching Season 2.
I'm about half way through. Here are some thoughts, as spoiler free as I can make them.
One of the things I can immediately tell about Castlevania on Netflix is how gifted Warren Ellis is as a writer that can recognize the inherent value in any IP with even a cult following. I saw him work similar magic with G.I. Joe a few years back. In the case of Castlevania, he's effectively mined the lore to produce a compelling interpretation that feels true to the source while weathering it some, seasoning it and taking it in places that the video games never could but which, all things considered, don't really stray too far from the core values of the series' mythology. This has the additional effect, almost unintentionally, of being respectful to the source material. Warren Ellis and Adi Shankar clearly have respect for Castlevania and know how to pay it proper tribute.
But it isn't solely bound by the video games' straightforward presentation. I know that some people are going to have a problem with the pacing of this second season, which spends a great deal of time portraying Dracula as far more than an evil overlord bent on ruining the world. You could ask yourself why Dracula needs depth, but to put it plainly....Dracula is a generic character in Castlevania until SotN breathes some real life into him (so to speak). That conversation between Dracula and Richter ('Have at you!') takes on a life of its own as Dracula's past is explored through the experiences and history of Alucard in SotN, and this game turned Dracula from 'generic bad guy x' into a legitimate character in his own right. This second season spends a lot of time focusing on:
-Dracula's lieutenants and the various bureaucracies and intrigues that motivate them
-Dracula's complex and profound sadness, which is derived from a type of compassion that simply cannot be divorced from the character in this series. It's clear that he is not like other vampires, and this series shows you why.
-The bonds of friendship that slowly, awkwardly form between Alucard, Sypha and Trevor. This is, surprisingly, one of the most profoundly heartwarming relationship dynamics I've seen in a series in some time.
At present, there has been very little action, although it's happened in a few moments. I remember when stories used to be like this; character driven, with brief sparks of violence sprinkled in between scenes that establish tension and empathy for its players. Some people want to just watch gruesome bloodshed and creative methods of slaughter. That's cool. But honestly, action for its own sake in a long form series bores me to death. Look at The Walking Dead, which awkwardly goes out of its way to get more creative and clever with zombie action even though the audience isn't taking it seriously anymore.
I can see that they're still trying to make a series with broad appeal for fans across many genres and levels of engagement. This is a series I could show to my nerd friends who love dark fantasy or to my friends who are normies that like Game of Thrones and football and there is plenty in this series for both of those groups to enjoy.
I am not saying it's 'perfect'. Some of the dialogue could use some cleaning up and some of the humor is too cute and millenial (although thankfully never veering into the dreaded 'Whedonesque' bullshit) for my tastes, but there are some legit great character moments in this series and, if you're patient, the solid foundation for establishment of motivation.
Good shit so far.
