Topic: Castlevania Animated Series to be on Netflix?!

[Nagumo]

For me it looks too forced, too "metal". While the obvious bizarre structure conveys the "you will not want to be here, man" feeling, and while it's a good thing that this design draws parallels with the CVIII castle in overall disposition of stuff, it looks to me that someone didn't get the part where Dracula was supposed to be living PEACEFULLY amongst humans, in a castle that holds a façade of a "totally normal, albeit a bit too large, castle", until Dracula lost his mind. You can't be very peaceful when you live on the Obviously Evil Castle, can you?

From what I gather, and this comes a lot from personal opinion based on what I have perceived on the series mind you, the castle doesn't LOOK obviously eldritch from the outside. It's only when you squint that you start noticing the absurd stuff from the outside -- in special Dracula's room hanging on nothing but a stairway. The devil is on the details, and this poster is too on-your-face, I think.

We don't know much about the plot, so we I don't have much context or know if the castle will like transform or something, or if Dracula will shape up this evil castle when he goes mad. But this looks like somewhere where Bowser would live in, not Dracula.

This is an excellent point and it's something that bothers me too. The design of this castle is way too much "in your face". If Dracula's castle was a character from Judgment this design is what you'll end up with. I prefer a more subdued look. And as trivial as it may sound, Dracula's castle looking like this raises the question how Dracula managed to keep a low profile. Unless this look is a more recent development or something.

Also, this is just a feeling I have, but I think the idea of Dracula living in such a structure (it's obviously supposed to convey a sense of 'evilness' ) clashes with how Dracula was like as a person before Lisa's death. It's weird to picture Dracula being with a woman like Lisa (who is described as being like the Virgin Mary) while living, as plottwist put it, in Bowser's Castle. Dracula first has to complete his transformation into the main antagonist before you put him into such an environment. However, I think this part of a larger problem: the idea that Dracula should assume the mantle of a generic evil overlord as quickly as possible after Lament of Innocence. However, doing so completely ruins his romance with Lisa and makes their relationship nonsensical.

[AxeLord]

Also, this is just a feeling I have, but I think the idea of Dracula living in such a structure (it's obviously supposed to convey a sense of 'evilness' ) clashes with how Dracula was like as a person before Lisa's death. It's weird to picture Dracula being with a woman like Lisa (who is described as being like the Virgin Mary) while living, as plottwist put it, in Bowser's Castle. Dracula first has to complete his transformation into the main antagonist before you put him into such an environment. However, I think this part of a larger problem: the idea that Dracula should assume the mantle of a generic evil overlord as quickly as possible after Lament of Innocence. However, doing so completely ruins his romance with Lisa and makes their relationship nonsensical.

I think it's safe to assume plotlines established by IGA in later entries such as Lament of Innocence will go largely ignored. Realistically, I'm sure Shankar's frame of reference for what "Castlevania" is probably cuts off at 1991. I don't think he's any kind of superfan like us.

[theplottwist]

I went and captured many forms of the castle to see if I'm not being a dick for no reason. Conclusion: I'm pretty sure I'm not.

See, the castle looks mostly normal except for specific details -- it generally has there Dracula's tower sustained over nothing, and overly long bridges. Sometimes very tall towers, sometimes it's slightly too big to be a believable castle. Amongst the most normal ones, the most egregious example is Chronicles' version, and even so it doesn't look as incredibly eldritch, which a lot of sustenance to hold the suspended part.

To say there AREN'T instances of overly bizarre forms at all is incorrect: I've captured The Adventure's and Belmont's Revenge's castles. One looks like an alien hive, the other looks like a futuristic castle.

But c'mon, man... These are two examples against many others of the castle NOT looking like Sauron's Summer Abode. Though I agree it doesn't look bad from the artistic standpoint, this one on the poster is looking too stereotypically evil for my tastes and sending me the wrong message.

The castle is generally elegant before being terrifying. As Dracula's description says -- he is cruel, but values elegance. And this is what is not selling the poster to me.

[EstebanT]

It looks to me like a creature of chaos that can take many incarnations.

[Dracula9]

I wonder how many people would still be singing that tune if they made the castle out of cotton candy and decked out with pink and blue neon lights and all the monsters are Rod Stewart in a speedo and every stage theme is "Shadow Dancing", and Dracula is Gary Busey in a cape sewn from the hairs off of Sean Connery's chest.

I mean, if "many incarnations" counts as a valid justification for otherwise nonsensical or simply generic designs, then anything goes and literally no one has any right to complain, right?

[chainsawmidget]

I wonder how many people would still be singing that tune if they made the castle out of cotton candy and decked out with pink and blue neon lights and all the monsters are Rod Stewart in a speedo and every stage theme is "Shadow Dancing", and Dracula is Gary Busey in a cape sewn from the hairs off of Sean Connery's chest.

I would buy that game TWICE! 

(or cartoon series... or whatever.)

Anyway, the poster of the castle, I like the design.  There's something about that makes it look like it may have once been a normal castle, but it started growing and twisting in ways no human would ever design. 

[Shiroi Koumori]

More than the poster, I need to know more of the plot.

[zangetsu468]

As an art piece, I don't mind the poster. It looks like a very detailed comic book cover, nice perspective and quite architecturally detailed.

What I don't think is necessary is the "literalisation" of a castle which isn't necessarily engineered the way builidngs are in real life (albeit with engineering and architectural feats including impressive cantilevers in contemporary cities). What I mean is that the top half looks elegant, and the bottom half looks 'heavier'. Perhaps this is the look they were going for based upon CVIII's particular castle/ context, but I believe a lighter and more surreal attachment to the earth/ ocean would've been more effective.

In summary, it looks overly designed for something surreal and conceptual in philosophy. The actual technical skills involved are effective though.

[SecretWeapon]

I like it. Personally i believe that it looks like it was a normal castle that "grew" parts which kinda suits the creature of chaos schtick.

[EstebanT]

I wonder how many people would still be singing that tune if they made the castle out of cotton candy and decked out with pink and blue neon lights and all the monsters are Rod Stewart in a speedo and every stage theme is "Shadow Dancing", and Dracula is Gary Busey in a cape sewn from the hairs off of Sean Connery's chest.

I mean, if "many incarnations" counts as a valid justification for otherwise nonsensical or simply generic designs, then anything goes and literally no one has any right to complain, right?

Lmao. Thanks for the wonderful mental image!

Anyway.... I don't think that argument makes any sense at all.
The reason I like the design is exactly because it's a perfect balance of nonsensical and serious.
The series might actually end up being shitty but at least This image hopefully shows they're willing to take risks with designs and hopefully it translates into the story as well. The last thing I want is a generic castle. When you don't take risks and you play it safe you get Lords of Shadow.

[AlexCalvo]

This is a teaser poster.  A. TEASER. POSTER.  Some people here are working really hard to get themselves worked up over this.  I know we all have our own beloved head canon, our own beloved filter for seeing the series.  But the truth is nothing we've seen so far indicates anything too far flung from what we should expect from a Castlevania adaptation.  I am still very optimistic.  The poster is generic, nothing spectacular.  But as I said, it is the very earliest tease we get, and I very much doubt it is supposed to show us exactly how the castle will be portrayed in the series.  My recommendation until we see more is for people to calm down, and don't try to pick every new scrap of info apart to try and figure out where it's going wrong.

[Dracula9]

Said teaser looks like something MC Escher would draw after binge-watching Metalocalypse. Which is awesome, just not for CV. Little bit too over-the-top.

If a few of us are a little bit pissed off about that, I think it's a little justified. Just because something looks good and without context is pretty cool doesn't mean it's a good fit.

It's Dracula's castle, not Rl'yeh.

[AlexCalvo]

 
Thanks for providing a graphic to My point. You are exaggerating more than a little here. While the castle is certainly a little bit wonky and unnatural it is very far from anything lovecraftian, or like  Escher.  It looks like an eery, other worldly, gothic castle.  Very much in line with what it is representing, it is obviously stylized.  It is mediocre, don't get me wrong. But a mediocre teaser poster is nothing to write five paragraph essays on.

[Nagumo]

In the end, it's indeed just a teaser poster. I'm a bit apprehensive about how this series is going to turn out so my earlier post was a gut reaction. The art style and the script is what's going to determine my feelings about it. Fingers crossed this poster is just generic looking concept art.

[Dracula9]

You're right. I mean, it's not like there has been a history a video game cartoon adaptations failing miserably. I'm sure the Mega Man cartoon...whoops, I mean Aki and his quest to become a real boy in school since Man of Action doesn't seem to like plot lines that aren't "school kid with superpowers"...will be absolutely wonderful and completely accurate to the source material and absolutely definitely not piss off any fans for its ridiculous deviations from source material and deciding that inventing new storylines instead of going by 20-plus years of canon is a good idea . Nope, definitely not any room to piss people off with that kind of mindset.

Don't patronize me. There is more than enough of a precedent set for TV adaptations that even something as small as this teaser to be entirely able to be held accountable for what the studios plan to do. I would be skeptical regardless of who the studio was. Adaptations like these are not easy, and far too often we see people take the easy route and just make their own shit up as they go along, rather than expend additional time, effort, and money to cross-check and fact-check the existing source material.

And yes, it IS very reminiscent of something Lovecraftian or Escsher. Both sources, albeit for different reasons, are kind of big on unnatural or otherwise otherworldly depictions of reality and architecture.

Regardless, I will write and feel however I gosh hecking darn well please. There is more than enough precedent in this field for myself and others to feel the way we do.

Also I'm condensing a lot of this down and probably coming off as more hostile that I actually feel, but currently my only source of Internet is my phone and I really don't feel like typing out the full thing that I have in my head. So, disclaimer there.