Castlevania Dungeon Forums

The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: AlexCalvo on July 07, 2017, 01:36:57 AM

Title: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 07, 2017, 01:36:57 AM

I thought we could make a thread for professional and fan reviews.  Let's tag spoilers.  Professional review are pretty starkly positive.  People are loving it.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/castlevania/s01 (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/castlevania/s01)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frsmg.pbsrc.com%2Falbums%2Fv181%2FJerkofwonder%2FScreenshot_20170713-082400.png%3Fw%3D480%26amp%3Bh%3D480%26amp%3Bfit%3Dclip&hash=d666771f4f1c94253dcccaf15c8863be)

https://creators.co/@AlexCalvoBelmont/4318216 (https://creators.co/@AlexCalvoBelmont/4318216)  My review.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review (http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review)

http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/ (http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/)

http://collider.com/castlevania-review-netflix/#images-poster (http://collider.com/castlevania-review-netflix/#images-poster)

https://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-season-1--445745.phtml (https://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-season-1--445745.phtml)

http://screenrant.com/castlevania-netflix-season-1-review/ (http://screenrant.com/castlevania-netflix-season-1-review/)

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/08/reviewing-netflix-castlevania-gamer/ (https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/08/reviewing-netflix-castlevania-gamer/)

http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/239108/castlevania-2017/ (http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/239108/castlevania-2017/)

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/castlevania/266172/netflixs-castlevania-review (http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/castlevania/266172/netflixs-castlevania-review)

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/netflix-castlevania-review/ (https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/netflix-castlevania-review/)

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/castlevania-netflix-review-season-1-animated-series-1201851882/ (http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/castlevania-netflix-review-season-1-animated-series-1201851882/)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 07, 2017, 04:29:50 AM

Richard Amitage and Graham McTavish were excellent as the two leads, really spot on casting imo.  Armitage's Trevor feels very fresh and new while being very familiar at the same time, and he grew on me quickly.  I really liked how it took a bit of time to let the characters develop.  I love the nods to the Belmont history, and like with Alucard, it feels like while the story at its heart is CV3, it's also drawing on from loads of later games, it felt like there were nods to Lament of Innocence.  I loved the humour in it, and while yes, there was the infamous goat scene, I think it worked for helping to set things up, adding a counterbalance to the darker scenes and weight of the first episode, which was magnificent.  Dare I say it, but it felt very British in tone, reminding me a bit of the animated adaptations of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and one line made me want to quote Monty Python's Life of Brian.  I get why it was so short, as a origins and scene settin season, with the over arching plot heling to round it out  as a self contained season I guess.  I definitely agree o the compairsons to Vampire Hunter D, especially Bloodlust.  I loved Alucard's appearance, I like the direction they've gone with him and how the fight plays out.  I loved the nod to some of what powers he used, I mentally yelled it out when he used it.  Over all a very solid start.  I just wouldn't have complained at it being a bit longer than four episodes.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 11:04:10 AM

AWRIGHT CHUMS LET'S DO THIS

TREVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO R BELMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONT

(obligatory spoiler warning, don't read if you ain't seen all four yet)

Visuals:

(click to show/hide)

On the whole, I like very much how it all looks. Very reminiscent of Hellsing at times in scene composition and general lighting/detailing. I also notice a particularly poignant use of contrasting warm-cool hues, namely the use of firelight which takes center stage anytime it's used. Very nice.

There are some squibbles here and there I caught, like Trevor's single bang-hair over his nose disappearing and reappearing between frames, or the outline of someone's face disappearing during a frame of mouth movement. Ultimately these are just an extremely minor annoyance, and while they bug me a bit I don't consider them severe enough to detract from the overall visual quality. But these animation flaws do exist, nonetheless.

The Castle's appearance finally gets an explanation in the form of it basically being a demon version of Howl's Moving Castle. While I'm iffy still on how it generally looks, the function it serves in-universe is fine in my book and I can begrudgingly accept its appearance to that end. Very much a case of "I get it, but I don't have to love it" for me here. That the Castle's bizarre look finally has an explanation is enough for me to suspend my distastes and view it as what it was intended.

Music:

(click to show/hide)

Much as I'd like to hear classic tunes make a comeback, I can't say I'm in the camp of disliking vehemently that it's not present thus far. Yeah, I'd love to hear Beginning as Trevor kicks ass, but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it if it doesn't happen.

The current soundtrack I happen to like very much, actually. Again, it reminds me at times of Hellsing in how it sets tone, despite the genres being wildly different. I particularly like the use of the synth bass drum kicks (they sound like they might be 808 or 909, I'd have to listen deliberately to tell).

Adi had said that he wanted to move away from sweeping orchestral score and return to what he considers the rocky and intense music from the games themselves. As a musician who has experience with both orchestral libraries and a long history with chiptune and chipsounds, I can understand this mindset totally. And, as it happens, I'm in agreement with him about it. I myself never heard the classic NES tunes and thought to my self that they were meant as grand orchestra pieces--they were quick, sharp, punchy, and hard-hitting. Since the series of course can't just slap a straight-to-form tune from CV3 in there and expect it to work (it's rare that one writes a scene to accommodate a piece of music after all, there's a reason it's almost always been the inverse in film and television), it comes as no surprise to me as a musician that those tracks we all not-so-secretly hope to hear have gone ignored thus far. A song written for a fast-paced platformer cannot work the same in a narrative animation with a completely different structure and flow of action, and I wouldn't have expected it to.

I never had high hopes of classic tunes making it in for these reasons, so I can't say I'm too shaken up by them not being present. That doesn't mean I'm against them showing up, though. Just not in the forms we've come to identify them with.

What's more, let's consider two distinct problems:

Should they just remix a classic song to fit the show, then it could be argued that what's there is no longer the song as we know it and wanted to hear it. At that point, all it becomes is a series of notes we have nostalgia for. The tone is no longer the same. Any musician worth their salt could easily remix Beginning or Riddle to suit the series, but this falls back into the problem of writing the scenic context AROUND the song, rather than using music to establish tone. And that's not a good thing to do in most cases.

And secondly, I would actually fear the possibility (or probability, if I'm being honest) that classic tunes would actually overshadow the events of the scene. Obviously this wouldn't be unanimous for every series-veteran viewer, of course. But imagine Beginning suddenly blasting out of nowhere. I at least would probably be so enamored that HOLY SHIT IT'S BEGINNING IT'S BEGINNING YOU GUYS HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME that I might actually lose focus on the scene itself. Again, not necessarily a likelihood for literally everyone or even a majority. But definitely something I can foresee happening. And I'm sure this train of thought came up during development, and was decided against for obvious reasons. I of course can't speak with certainty, as I wasn't there, but this is definitely something I would consider in their shoes. And if some 23-year-old schmuck on the Internet thinks of this, why wouldn't someone producing a Netflix original series with shitloads of money and prestige at their back?

On the whole, I like the music for what it is and what it aims to do. I'm very mildly disappointed in lack of classic tunes same as everyone else, but I fully understand some of the probable rationales behind their absence and don't take any serious issue with them not being here (thus far).

Plot:

(click to show/hide)

People gonna dislike it. I can say that with certainty. It's not quite the elaborate IGAverse with Mathias' tragic backstory or the extensive symbolism and power that fuels everything that happens in Castlevania. It's not quite the simple "Dracula bad person, go kill him" premise that we had when CV3 first came out. It's somewhere in the middle, and I actually like that.

We have the SotN involvement of "Dracula fully lost his shit when the commoners killed his wife under misguided accusations of withcraft." We have Alucard's relationship with both his father and mother laid out before us (we even have his SotN appearance, to boot, thank god).

But we also have the very simple premise of "bad dude, wiping whole cities off the map, has black magic and monsters, you're the hero so go kill him and save everyone."

And for the most part I like how they've tried to tie the two together. They only took from the non-CV3 lore what was appropriate and suitable enough to enhance the basic story. Lisa shows up because it gives causation for Dracula's war on humanity. Alucard's dispute with his father over how to react to her murder shows up because it gives causation for Alucard to oppose him, as well as to develop Dracula as a villain a bit more and to illustrate the lengths his grief and rage have driven him to--to attack and more or less disavow his own son, the only living remnant of his beloved wife.

There are things that, as a canon-digger and somewhat canon purist, I of course have teensy issues with here and there. But honestly, the changes and deviations are not so glaring that I would consider the work as a whole to be of poor quality. I feel this and that and those could be better, but by no means do I dislike what exists currently.

--------------------------------------

I like the invention of the Speakers and the dichotomy they bring to the table.

We have Trevor wandering in cynical exile. We have this order of samaritans in similar pariahdom, only they do not take a defeatist attitude. From a storytelling standpoint, he and they operate as two halves of the socially-outcast coin. It gives another light to the Belmont exile and lends a more altruistic perspective than the already-established "well fuck these guys for kicking me out when I was trying to help them."

They also give Sypha a more solidifed role in the story. Yes, originally she was explained away by simply being with the Church. For the context of a game not driven much by extensive story, this was sufficient.

But it no longer is sufficient.

While I'm sure we're all sick by now of "Church is evil" plot devices, it does bear repeating in this context at least. Simply looking at the plot details and the actual time period answer that well enough.

-Lisa was a practitioner of more scientifically and biologically-based medicinal practices
-The Church historically was 200% NOT OKAY with these kinds of people
-The Church historically was 200% TOTALLY OKAY with declaring anyone doing anything more advanced than what they allowed witches and killing them

So right off the bat, we already have a million and one reasons to implement "Church is evil" here, because historically the murder of Lisa and its reasoning would've been just another day at work for the Old Church. Let's continue the list.

-Sypha is a hero
-Sypha sides with the side that fights for the people

So here we have a very simple reason why Sypha being in the Church's corner becomes problematic. Someone who genuinely cares for the people would not sit by idly while their order and life system slaughtered the innocent. While true this could easily be made to work as Sypha being with the Church, realizing their sins and misdeeds, and breaking off from them, that would require even more airtime to tell in proper measure.

As a result, it simply becomes more pragmatic to give Sypha over to another new group already in-line with her ideals and moral compass. And when that group serves secondary storytelling purposes of being the Yin to the protag's Yang and helping him see the error of his ways and return to the light, then all the more better. I also foresee the Speakers having somewhat more prominent of a role than simply those two things, given that they're people of the people for the people, and the Church's influence doesn't seem like it's gonna last too long in the story.

So the Speaker's invention and Sypha's changing to their side makes complete sense to me, both from a narrative as well as a practical development time standpoint.

--------------------------------------

I know a lot of peeps are gonna hate it, but I fucking love that Trevor's a cynical drunk. I don't care that it "doesn't make sense" for CV3's base story or even his personality in CoD. This series' story is neither wholly those things, though echoes from each can be seen in Trevor's dialogue and mannerisms.

Fact is, if I spent my life training and fighting for my country only for that country's people to exile and regard me either as a monster or as if I wasn't even there, I'd probably take up drinking and cynicism too. I mean, how many veterans do we see in the worldalready that either get antagonized by the anti-war crowds and/or forgotten on the side of the street because they're just another bum and fuck 'em who cares? Not meaning to get political here, just drawing similar situations by their principles in-common.

Fighting for a cause and having that cause completely exile and demonize you would certainly cause a lot of trust and self-worth issues. That this consequence of those actions has this result so frequently only speaks more highly of the Speakers, I should think, enforcing their aforementioned story worth.

So I don't mind that Trevor's a wandering miserable cynical drunk. Given his place (or lack thereof) in the world I see no problem with it.

Plus, a drunken Belmont is a funny sight to see.

Yes, the goatfucking bar fight might've been a bit uncouth and uncharacteristic for Castlevania, but let's be fair here. We're talking about shitfaced peasants arguing in the local inn in the rural countryside. We all know cattlefucking is a thing that happened and still happens, so let's not pretend it's suddenly out of form because the historical period we're dealing with has heavy fictional elements.

And a sloshed Trevor kicking the shit out of them despite his inebriation is just a humorous break in all the violence and intensity to establish that this dude's a badass even when tanked out of his mind. It's dumb, it's funny, and I enjoyed the shit out of it.

Quite a few of you will disagree (probably vehemently) with me on that front and that's totally fine. But I for one find it incredibly fucking funny that the seasoned supernatural-mercenary badass spends his off time totally slammed and washing his troubles away with smallbeer and ale and getting into fights with equally-shitfaced locals.

Why? Because fiction or not, this was the Middle Ages. Even the biggest toughest badasses of the period at some point or another got shitfaced in a tavern and punched a few locals in a barfight. And a Belmont doing this was honestly a breath of fresh air and humor for me.

--------------------------------------

Small sidenote: I like that the Castle is this Frankenstein-esque monstrosity of science and (presumably) alchemy and gears and pistons and cogs. I liked it in LoS, I liked it in Van Helsing, and I like it here. It's pure Steampunk and I am 100% on board with it.

--------------------------------------

I also like that Dracula does the whole "you have one year before I wreck your shit" thing. Some might argue it as out-of-character, but honestly I like what it implies. He's pissed and scathing in his grief, but he still does this one last thing to honor Lisa's memory. He gives his wrongdoers a final chance to atone and gives them a good long while to do it before unleashing his fury. And seeing as they did exactly as he accused and celebrated Lisa's murder rather than atone for it, his wrath became deserved and his threat fulfilled. And actually, he also does no harm to the old woman visiting the remnants of Lisa's home and even gives her the warning to leave the country while she still has the safety to do so. For all things considered, we actually see a very well-performed and honestly quite complex and conflicted side of Dracula's last shreds of humanity being tested and coming undone at the seams.

I'm still in Al's corner of "yeah go butcher the fuckers that killed her and paint the country with their entrails, but leave the innocents alone," but this iteration of Dracula raises a very good and nice point that's never been seen before.

(paraphrased and extended for thematic/symbolic purposes):

"Any one of them could have stood up and said 'no.' Any one of them could've tried to stop it. If the whole of those commoners has the humanity to stand up and say 'no' they could have overpowered the murderers and clergy responsible without effort or resistance. But not one of them saw an innocent woman, a healer of the sick and the needy, be burned alive for nonexistent crimes, and thought to themselves that this was wrong and that it should be stopped. Instead, they all stood by and did nothing but shout and cheer and revel in her suffering."

This one bit of dialogue lends credence to a side of Dracula we've never really seen before. This idea that Lisa gave him such a gear-change on humanity that he is not only furious at her murder, but perhaps even more furious that the very people she worked to help and save wouldn't even raise their voice in opposition to her murder, that they would be content to stand in indignant and ungrateful petulance and ignorance while one of their very own was wrongly murdered in brutal fashion.

This particular line and exchange between he and Alucard was fucking brilliant on the part of the writers and masterfully executed by the actors in question. I absolutely love and cherish this scene and everything it implies.

Writing:

(click to show/hide)

Writing I'm not entirely in favor of, but not for reasons relating to the OG series or nostalgia vision or anything. Some lines just feel a bit clunky in their actual form. I don't feel I can really blame cast delivery here, since I enjoy the cast and acting very much. Even the best actors and actresses don't sound "good" when they're reading a shoddy script or a poorly-written line. Such is the case here.

Though while definitely not so bad that I'd consider it cringe-inducing, it's not always where I might prefer it, either. Seems very much a case of hit-or-miss in a lot of lines. Some are absolutely magnificent, others are just kind of...ehhhhh.

It's not unlike the B-grade action/horror films we got so many of the last 15 years or so, really. Some really goofy or awkwardly-written dialogues, and a LOT of cheese and camp. Doesn't necessarily make it a BAD thing, just something not trying to be deathly serious. And I can respect that despite my misgivings.

Acting/Casting:

(click to show/hide)

Plot might have some iffy bits, writing might have some iffy bits, but the casting and acting is fucking stellar. No embellishment, not long-winded explanations for this one. I think they're all fucking great. That they're actually using relevant accents and dialects just makes it a hundred times better.

Overall impressions:

(click to show/hide)

I like it, in short.

Yes, it might disregard aspects of the original series that we veterans might take a bit of offense or dislike to.

Yes, it might alter this or that element for its own purpose.

But you know what? I like it all the same.

I think it's actually become very clear now that it's out that this was not a series intended as a fanservice love letter to the series veterans and the series veterans alone for enjoy with dozens of little injokes and references nobody else would get.

No, this doesn't feel like that to me. This feels like something that tries to get in the middle--something that has elements longtime fans would enjoy, and something that is just vague enough about its original context and story to garner interest from new viewers unfamiliar with the series at large.

And if I'm right in this assessment, then you know what?

Take Grant out. Make Sypha part of another group. Keep Trevor as a foulmouthed drunk. Make the Church as conniving and sinful as you possibly can.

Why?

Because if my assessment has even a remote measure of accuracy to the intent of the developers, then this series may very well prove to be the reboot of interest we've all been screaming and shouting for for years. This series doesn't feel at all like it was made solely for us to enjoy. This series feels like it's trying to please a few oldies at the same time as trying to tell enough of the old stories to spark a new interest, a new breath of life and fresh air, into the series as a whole.

And for all the things this series does that I might not like, or that might grind my gears or rub me the wrong way, if it has the potential and power to do that? To give a new jolt of electricity into the Creature so that we all might collectively shout "it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIIIIIIIVE!" as we've been dreaming to for years?

Then fuck my personal nostalgia and pride and egotistical stake in the series. Let it bring in the new fans, who will learn the old canon and old stories on their own time just as every single one of us did all those years ago as kids.

Would I like to see Grant make it in somewhere? Of course I would. Would I like to hear Beginning and Aquarius and Overture and Big Battle blasting while the heroes kick monster ass? Of course I would.

But you know, if this thing has the potential to revive interest in the series, however small, then I'll gladly abandon my personal ideas and pride in what I consider to be "appropriate" for the series at large, because I don't have the place to declare my singular opinions as the series standard. We've already seen the likes of LC2 generate a ridiculous amount of hype from fans old and new alike. And that was just a fan project. How many oldtime fans played LC2, liked it, told their friend who knew nothing of CV about it and that friend liked it and got interested? Those word-of-mouth friends aren't gonna give a fuck if Grant shows up in the animated series, they don't even know who the guy is!

All non-fans are gonna know is that Dracula's got a sympathetic plight that led to him going apeshit, a band of misfit heroes taking up arms to stop him, and some crazy magic-throwing whip-slinging action to wrap it all up.

And hey, if that's enough to get folks interested in Castlevania again, then godspeed to Adi and his people. I'll gladly shove my personal tastes and desires in the back of the closet if it means this thing can generate new life and interest in the Castlevania. The series' potential to have a measure of revival with this is more important than my pride.

In many ways, it's not unlike Link Between Worlds starting the trend of shifting what Zelda was (tell me that wall-painting mechanic wasn't a fucking masterpiece that changed how we looked at the ENTIRE Zelda series), and then Hyrule Warriors and BotW came along and both introduced a shift in what defined a Zelda game. And now BotW has overtaken the gaming industry with its innovations and impact and will in all likelihood with GOTY 2017 and has gotten so many new players and fans of the Zelda series.

I feel like this animated series has the potential to be that first little pebble. It remains to be seen if that pebble will cause a landslide, but the potential remains regardless. I'd like to think that landslide of Castlevania interest can definitely happen...if people can allow themselves to be more open-minded about a shift in Castlevania.

Keyword though, a good shift. We've seen past shifts in the series that weren't too good. But this animation I feel can very well BE a good shift if treated with the right attitude about it and what it aims to do and the narrative purpose it means to tell. And by "treated with the right attitude," I refer to both the series fans and the developers themselves. Obviously the series still has rules to follow, it IS an adaptation of an existing work, of course. But I think this puppy has some serious potential if both parties handle it and themselves well.

All in all, I enjoyed the thing. Things I didn't like were there (mostly how rushed certain bits felt, more than anything else honestly, but that's the fault of the medium and the episodic method), but on the whole there was more good and potential for good here than there was bad and potential for bad.

I enjoyed it, I liked it, and I eagerly await to see more. I have no doubts in my mind many of you will disagree. This is fine and fair. But I'm quite sure many series veterans run the very real risk of nostalgia and decades of emotional attachment obscuring their interpretation of what this series means to do. So as a result of acknowledging this very real and very valid potential issue (I had to get over my own hurdles too, y'know), all I'd want to see now is fans judge it on its own merits, and not the merits of the series it derives from and was known from the start to not be following verbatim.

If y'all can suspend disbelief and enjoy a bit of campy over-the-top nutty action in the likes of Van Helsing or Underworld, then I see no reason why one can't do the same thing here. Though if you don't or can't enjoy the campy B-horror/action films, this doesn't apply to you.

This concludes my long-ass review that still paraphrases and condenses a shitload (it'd likely be two or three times this long if I didn't condense things). Thank you for your time and reading if you actually finished this whole thing.

Grade:

(click to show/hide)

C+ to B-

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: GuyStarwind on July 07, 2017, 12:01:36 PM

Watched it this morning. Does anyone know when the other episodes are coming out?

(click to show/hide)

Good
- Nice touch of keeping true to the CV story. Certainly, they took liberties at spots, but I felt like the overall story is what's described in the games. I find it a lot of times that directors try to leave their mark on something and in the process they completely ruin what made the original great in the first place. I felt they did a good job with this.
- The animation and voice acting are good. I felt like the mouths were off at times but not a deal breaker. I'm glad they stayed true to original looks. Though not everyone has the look they're given in CV3. Alucard has his SotN look and Trevor more of his CoD look.
- This will sound weird but I liked how Trevor used his whip. He uses a lot of weapons (as he should) but I thought he was gonna only use it a few times and they'd make him a sword user. I'm glad they didn't.

Bad
- I do wish some original tunes were present. I'm sure there is some reason but maybe in later episodes, we can get some in there.
- I'm bummed Grant wasn't there. I read on these forums that the director doesn't like the character. I still hope that in later episodes they bring him in. One can hope, right?
- It's a bummer it's only 4 episodes (so far). But I guess they need to start somewhere.

I liked it. I felt like there wasn't enough to give my full opinion but it will be interesting where they take it.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 12:06:02 PM

Quote from: GuyStarwind on July 07, 2017, 12:01:36 PM

- This will sound weird but I liked how Trevor used his whip.

Can confirm that many of the techniques he uses are actual whip techniques.

The

(click to show/hide)

knife-launch he does on the Cyclops and way he knocks Alucard out of the air are the best examples I think, watch the way he twists and maneuvers his torso and arms to control direction and momentum, that shit's just GOD FINALLY YES

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 07, 2017, 12:40:54 PM

I really cannot like your review of this enough, Dracula9.  You've summed up everything that I wanted to say but don't have the energy to say (thanks to the flu).  Sometimes what someone wants isn't actually what someone actually needs.  This series to me brought fresh air and injected new life into the original timeline world.  It did what I hoped for - a melding of the original games and what came later.  The bits of backstory left vague can be added in later through the story telling.  It felt like Castlevania.  It hit so many right notes for me, including the scenes you mentioned, and I agree completely about the music.  Even the occassional bits of clunky writing to me kind of reminded me of the bits of bad, clunky writing you got in the old Hammer and Universal horror films. 

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dremn on July 07, 2017, 02:08:25 PM

I loved it, I watched the whole season twice. I need more. I didn't expect so much profanity and ultra violence but everything else felt like Castlevania to me, ending the season on the group beginning their march to Dracula's Castle has me rubbing my hands in anticipation for the second season.

(click to show/hide)

I think the series has my favorite incarnation of Dracula ever, my favorite moment in the whole thing is when Dracula literally parks his castle in the middle of Targoviste.

I was hoping for a classic tune in the soundtrack here and there but perhaps next time?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Nagumo on July 07, 2017, 03:38:32 PM

I'm going to be contrarian and say that I absolutely hated it. In my opinion, this series really doesn't deserve all the praise it's getting.

The characters design they went with are pretty good, but that's pretty much it. The designs of the secondary characters look terrible, and I think a lot of more the shoddily animated parts got intentionally left out of the trailer.

The voices didn't really sound all that great to me, either. I think Trevor's voice was completely miscast and his personality was completely off the mark. Voices of minor characters were straight up bad most of the time. Plus, they made Sypha speak with an annoying fake accent.

The lines the characters were spewing were like nails on a chalkboard and were exactly as try-hard edgy as I feared they would be. I couldn't watch these episodes without cringing every couple of minutes because it was just so unbelievably bad.

Lisa to Dracula: "You're a psychopath who impales people and displays them outside your castle, but you wouldn't be such a bad guy if you'd go out more". Why would I give a crap what happens to Dracula if he's already established as a mass murderer? The fleshing out of Dracula and Lisa's relationship was absolute shit.

I could go on but I'll leave it at this for now. I guess I give a point for the character designs of the main characters and another one for the Alucard fight.

2/10

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 03:48:05 PM

OH

OH GUYS

I JUST THOUGHT

DO YOU THINK WHEN TREVOR GETS REALLY DRUNK

HE RALPHS?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on July 07, 2017, 04:31:59 PM

I also liked how Lisa convinced him to travel 'as a human', meaning 'by foot'.
Kinda reminds me of how he will do this to hop on a ship and go to London in the Stoker novel.

Also, the scene with the drunks at the tavern and the conversation about the goat, all I kept thinking was "You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the Old Country. You know… morons."  xD

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 04:41:43 PM

Quote from: Jorge D. Fuentes on July 07, 2017, 04:31:59 PM

Also, the scene with the drunks at the tavern and the conversation about the goat, all I kept thinking was "You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the Old Country. You know… morons."  xD

Welcome, sonny.

Shoulda told those clergymen and those peasants not to shoot Dracula.

You never shoot Dracula. If you shoot Dracula you'll just make him mad.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Laina on July 07, 2017, 06:13:59 PM

I agree with Nagumo, will write more later. Two ????'s out of a herd of ten.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: VEP on July 07, 2017, 06:26:18 PM

I like some of fan service, but you can never expect it to truly be pure. I do agree that they did seem to slack on lesser characters whether that was in detail or dialogue.

I did find it a nice bit of fun however overall.

I guess I thought it may have been longer for the first season. Perhaps this effort is to test the waters for future ventures. Although it may be no excuse for brevity of the first season. Maybe that's the point to leave us wanting more. A lot more?

Either way it woke me out of my slumber even if it was for but a moment.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sindra on July 07, 2017, 06:38:35 PM

It was flawed but entertaining.

Action animation was good, even if everything else was stiff. Dracula really being played straight as this hugely powerful creature that shouldn't be fucked with was good. The church being played as the secondary antagonists was a bit too forced. (Like, seriously, that first whole episode I was rooting for Dracula to burn everything) Trevor seemed to be a bit too jaded and sarcastic than I would have thought/liked but I'm basing that off what little characterization Curse of Darkness gave him beyond mere text in CV3. Sypha was great though played her a bit too naive I thought. No Grant, booo. Alucard was spot on in design and temperament and that fight with him and Trevor was great. No game music was a big letdown, and the original music didn't really make up for it at all. And of course, it was too short....but I'm treating it as a pilot and a test run. There were enough references to the games to satisfy me.

I'll be far more critical of season two, because then they'll be out of the testing phase and they'll need to ramp everything up.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 06:43:04 PM

Quote from: Sindra on July 07, 2017, 06:38:35 PM

It was flawed but entertaining.

I'll be far more critical of season two, because then they'll be out of the testing phase and they'll need to ramp everything up.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This for DAYS.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: xscientist5000 on July 07, 2017, 08:23:01 PM

Watched 2/4 so far and loving it.
Ultra violence. Adult themes.
They did a good job on this.
Think about how bad they could have messed it up. The trailer didn't do it justice.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 07, 2017, 08:34:05 PM

http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/239108/castlevania-2017/ (http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/239108/castlevania-2017/)
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/castlevania/266172/netflixs-castlevania-review (http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/castlevania/266172/netflixs-castlevania-review)
Professional reviews are starting to roll in. They are very positive to say the least.  I think there is little bit of "self fulfilling prophecy" going on here with some of the hate, as most the people who had major problems with the series are the same as those who have been very negative since well before release... but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  This is shaping up to be a huge hit.  And that is GREAT for the franchise.  Things are looking better than they have in a long while.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Foffy on July 07, 2017, 09:09:23 PM

I felt kinda mixed on it. Animation was fine, some of the scenes were pretty damn cool, but the two biggest gripes I had with it is the first season really kinda goes nowhere in terms of major events; the whole thing feels like a pilot in a sense. And Sypha's voice is prettttty bad.

Good thing they doubled the episode count for season 2. Also, this had no right being as good as it was, being a show in the womb for about a decade.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: GigaDan on July 07, 2017, 09:17:56 PM

WELL MET CASTLEVANIA DUNGEON! IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

I did a review this morning expressing how I felt about it. Please enjoy!

Quote from: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 03:48:05 PM

DO YOU THINK WHEN TREVOR GETS REALLY DRUNK

HE RALPHS?

Classic! Glad to be back here! XD

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: aensland on July 07, 2017, 09:48:56 PM

7/10

Good:

(click to show/hide)

-Background design
-English Voice Acting
-Alucard's design and introduction
-Trevor's fiery youth spirit
-The Archbishop's iron will
-Subtle tributes to the series
-Really cute background girls
-Straightforward and great action scenes

Bad:

(click to show/hide)

-At one point, the plot became too centred around Alucard that made everyone look like supporting characters
-Out of place and unneeded gore, even a character said it
-Lots of sliding frames and heavy quality drops during conversation and non-close up scenes
-Overuse of plot devices and some jokes get stale too fast
-Dracula's Moving Castle
-Using cinematic cues and atmospheres instead of proper bgm.

The Ugly

(click to show/hide)

-Japanese dub uses Trevor instead of Ralph

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: GuyStarwind on July 07, 2017, 10:26:09 PM

Quote from: aensland on July 07, 2017, 09:48:56 PM

7/10

Good:

(click to show/hide)

-Background design
-English Voice Acting
-Alucard's design and introduction
-Trevor's fiery youth spirit
-The Archbishop's iron will
-Subtle tributes to the series
-Really cute background girls
-Straightforward and great action scenes

Bad:

(click to show/hide)

-At one point, the plot became too centred around Alucard that made everyone look like supporting characters
-Out of place and unneeded gore, even a character said it
-Lots of sliding frames and heavy quality drops during conversation and non-close up scenes
-Overuse of plot devices and some jokes get stale too fast
-Dracula's Moving Castle
-Using cinematic cues and atmospheres instead of proper bgm.

The Ugly

(click to show/hide)

-Japanese dub uses Trevor instead of Ralph

I really agree with your first point on the bad. I'm still a little worried about this.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Reinhart77 on July 07, 2017, 10:46:08 PM

wow, yeah, that pacing didn't fit a miniseries at all.  can't not watch them all in one setting.  i hope if they ever do a blue ray release of this, that they skip the episode breaks and just release it as a movie as originally intended.

i craved a little more monster hunting than what i got, but we still got two "movies" to go, so i'm sure i'll get plenty more of that then, it didn't have to all be right away.  the cyclops and alucard battles were awesome. 

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Inccubus on July 07, 2017, 11:22:22 PM

I pretty much agree with Nagumo, Laina, Sindra, Foffly, Aensland, and Reinhart77.

I liked it most when I suspended my disbelief as a Castlevania fan.
But if I have to do that to enjoy this, then it is a fail as a version of the Castlevania III story.
So this is once again the writers putting their creativity before the canon and the producers mindlessly grabbing at a franchise license with no actual confidence that it can stand on it's own for what it is.
It felt very much like Akumajou Densetsu as seen through the the stained glass window of Vampire Hunter D.

I didn't mind Sypha's accent because at least it wasn't cockney.
As much as the average viewer might find it cliche, I would have preferred eastern European accents for the villagers.
And a better Spanish accent for Sypha FERNANDEZ would have been better.
Could they just correct that horrible mistranslation, please?
Would it kill them to acknowledge this finally?

And the biggest problem is with demonizing the church in general then having to make up a cockamamie group of spell casters for Sypha to be a part of.
There was nothing wrong with the original story's premise.
If they needed to make a distinction between "the church" which burned Lisa as a witch, and "the church" that sends mages and to fight Dracula and search out an exiled Belmont they could have blamed the Inquisition which was relevant in the time frame of the setting.
This would have left more time for character development instead of wasting it explaining what this new group they pulled out of their collective asses was.

The lack of monster variety was unforgivable. I'm no insider, but I think the studio could have been able to throw in a few skeletons and zombies here and there.
Hell, I thought when Trevor first went down into the catacombs that suit of armor was going to be an Axe Lord. Missed opportunity or cut content?

I guess I would give this a 7/10 because it was entertaining in a very least common denominator sort of way.
As a retelling of CVIII, I give it a 4/10. And I have no confidence that the rest will be any different.

PS- I get the feeling that all of the violence and heavy metal talk from Ari was reigned back by the rest of the producers. Just a thought.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Wallachia on July 07, 2017, 11:32:01 PM

I'm in the middle of it now. I'm just floored we get a show!!

Armitage is great.

I feel the second season will go full bore. This was a conservative (in the story and content sense) pilot episode split in 4.

That scene of the bat demons shredding up the town - I was in awe.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 08, 2017, 03:52:11 AM

Gonna go through this point by point, and decided to go to this forum to voice my thoughts as I figure most people wouldn't care about all these details anywhere else :)
Sorry if there's any spoilers - I'd consider anything mentioned here pretty minor and expected for a review thread.

• I love the way they describe Dracula and his castle. He's both a magician and a scientist, which goes well in hand with the games. While the games have always had anachronisms, it's never been a major plot point, but I love the way the series embraces it, featuring electric lights and mechanical creations among Dracula's (and Alucard's) contraptions.
• Expanding on above, they hit a perfect blend of the original gothic horror inspirations (ie. bram stoker, monster legends and classic horror movies), and the games' own lore. Dracula remains the classic tall brooding vampire (ignoring the stupid retcons in LoI), while also playing the role of "pretty much Satan". I can't possibly think of a better way to adapt the general mood and lore of the CV series, and I'm looking forward to seeing if they are gonna incorporate Death as a character, as well.
• I love that they took an entire episode to give Dracula some character. Lisa being burned on the stake pretty much lifted directly from SotN and still fitting perfectly into the story? Fuck yeah.
• As others have mentioned, I feel the violence and swearing didn't really fit in that much. I think it's great that they don't censor it, and especially the acts of the monsters need to have impact, but it feels unnecessary for Trevor to take out a finger or an eye just because "violence is cool". It was minor though, and I didn't mind it. Considering everything Shankar had said, I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't dominate the series. Trevor's excessive swearing feels forced as well, but again it's nothing too bad.
• The bishop was maybe a little too psychotic. I like the ambiguity of the church not being as good as it thinks of itself as, but this guy is just straight up evil. After all, the Belmonts have always used holy power to fight Dracula, so when Trevor suddenly requests holy water to fight the monsters, that does seem almost awkward.
• Needs more episodes. Like way more episodes. I have to wait for probably more than a year for only 8 more 20 minute episodes? Booh :(
• Best video games adaption I have ever seen, by far. Not that the competition is particularly tough, but this series is actually good, which is already more than I dared expect
• Proper handdrawn 2D animation, sure it had some mistakes, but it's well above the standard for western animated series at the moment.
• Not too impressed with the voice acting, but it gets the job done. Armitage does a fine job, but the character you see often doesn't fit his tone particularly well.
• Trevor not knowing what Dracula looks like is a nice twist. I mean, it obviously makes sense, but I like that the series accentuates on it, and it helps set him up as the mysterious final boss that you know from the games and rarely get to see until the end.

It's almost impossible for me to guess what someone who isn't a fan of the games would think, but I think it's extremely obvious that the people behind the show (or at least Ellis and Shankar) didn't just play the games for research, but are clearly familiar with them, or at least CV3 and SotN, obviously. The show is filled with tasteful callbacks or references, such as:

• Dracula teleporting in a pillar of light? Check!
• Sypha relying on fire and ice? Check!
• Trevor rescuing Sypha from being turned into a statue, byt defeating a cyclops? Check!
• Walking on huge cogwheels? Not a clocktower, but still, check!
• Alucard's SotN coat? Check!
• Burke's "the only way for evil to triumph" quote, rewritten, but essentially the same
• Trevor shedding his cape when he finally decides to take up his duty after having lived in seclusion most of his life. Even if he still kept wearing the cape in CV3 after the small intro, it feels like an apt callback
• Sypha's gender being ambigious until she is rescued, along with Trevor's comment that she's dressed the same as a guy. Obviously any fan would realise immediately who he's headed out to rescue, but it's a clever reference to the way the localization of the game was originally handled
• Probably a billion other things I didn't notice or remember from the first viewing

Really hoping for this to be succesful, so Konami might finally realise what the fans actually want. Or at least just so we can get more seasons. It would be easy to build on Simon's and/or Richter's stories for sequels.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 08, 2017, 04:32:11 AM

Quote from: Dracula9 on July 07, 2017, 11:04:10 AM

Yes, it might disregard aspects of the original series that we veterans might take a bit of offense or dislike to.

Yes, it might alter this or that element for its own purpose.

But you know what? I like it all the same.

I think it's actually become very clear now that it's out that this was not a series intended as a fanservice love letter to the series veterans and the series veterans alone for enjoy with dozens of little injokes and references nobody else would get.

I agree with pretty much your entire post except from this. I was surprised how little was changed. I can't think of anything that was genuinely changed from the original premise of CV3 apart from things that obviously HAD to be moved around to make sense in a stoy narrative - it's not like the entire series should be a side view of Trevor fighting various monsters and bosses, and I can't think of what anyone could have wanted other than this.
I think the series is very much a fanservice love letter, it just manages to do it without coming across as awkward and nerdy. It makes it hard for me to remain unbiased, and I still have yet to see what someone without preceeding love for the games would think of it.

Quote from: aensland on July 07, 2017, 09:48:56 PM

Bad:

(click to show/hide)

-At one point, the plot became too centred around Alucard that made everyone look like supporting characters

Quote from: GuyStarwind on July 07, 2017, 10:26:09 PM

I really agree with your first point on the bad. I'm still a little worried about this.

You guys serious? The character that was

(click to show/hide)

only introduced in the final 10 minutes of the season, not counting his short early cameo.
I think it makes sense to include Alucard as an important character, but he's clearly second fiddle to both Trevor and Dracula.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 08:13:41 AM

More reviews.
https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/netflix-castlevania-review/ (https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/netflix-castlevania-review/)

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/castlevania-netflix-review-season-1-animated-series-1201851882/ (http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/castlevania-netflix-review-season-1-animated-series-1201851882/)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: aensland on July 08, 2017, 09:33:27 AM

Quote from: Sumez on July 08, 2017, 04:32:11 AM

You guys serious?

Yes

(click to show/hide)

Since Trevor arrived into that town, the Sleeping Soldier (Alucard legend) came into scene and became the plot centre, the rest of the 3 episodes revolved into people risking their lifes for him, discussing his prophecy and debating if him was a saviour or not.

The Belmont "myth" degraded into "that accursed family" and only had a brief time to shine during the final episode battle, which turned into the hole to Alucard sequence

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 09:35:56 AM

I strongly disagree that alucard takes the focus away from Trevor.  My favorite aspects of the series are the way it slowly builds the Belmont legend with offhand remarks, and Trevor's turn from bitter, damaged outcast to true Belmont hero.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 08, 2017, 09:58:47 AM

Quote from: aensland on July 08, 2017, 09:33:27 AM

(click to show/hide)

The Belmont "myth" degraded into "that accursed family" and only had a brief time to shine during the final episode battle, which turned into the hole to Alucard sequence

Well that's pretty much the premise of Castlevania 3. Trevor was an outcast and the church turned to him as their only hope. I don't really care much for lore in video games, but I like these little tidbits of worldbuilding from the intro scroll of CV3 and the manual. The show really managed to build well on that.

Also, what the post above me says. Trevor wouldn't be an interesting character if he started out as a hero from the get go.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 11:26:09 AM

Quote from: Sumez on July 08, 2017, 04:32:11 AM

I agree with pretty much your entire post except from this. I was surprised how little was changed. I can't think of anything that was genuinely changed from the original premise of CV3 apart from things that obviously HAD to be moved around to make sense in a stoy narrative - it's not like the entire series should be a side view of Trevor fighting various monsters and bosses, and I can't think of what anyone could have wanted other than this.
I think the series is very much a fanservice love letter, it just manages to do it without coming across as awkward and nerdy. It makes it hard for me to remain unbiased, and I still have yet to see what someone without preceeding love for the games would think of it.

I think this was more inline with what I had meant--I wrote that thing after binging it multiple times well through the night and hadn't slept, lol.

Quote from: Sumez

list of references

-dagger storm
-throwing axe
-dracula turning into a giant head
-bloody tears (literally)
-alucard using the alucard sword's special attack

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Kamirine on July 08, 2017, 12:18:34 PM

I liked it. 

It has it's flaws (the VA work was kinda spotty in some places--like Drac's voice wasn't conveying all consuming rage and hatred of humanity, to give an example) but honestly, I liked it a hell of a lot more than I thought I would.  I think I'll end up being more judgemental when they actually get to the castle though. 

Guess I'll be the weirdo and admit I liked the interaction with Lisa and Dracula. I always got the vibe Lisa was suppose to be sort of an odd person/exceedingly open minded individual and I feel like her interaction with Dracula showed that, if maybe too much (the whole get out more = maybe stop putting individuals on poles comments and being said so...flippantly). If anything, I kinda wish we had gotten more time to see their relationship fleshed out.  Hopefully we'll get flashbacks of her with Alucard in the new coming episodes or something.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: piscesdreams on July 08, 2017, 12:28:15 PM

I'll keep it brief. I liked it overall, but the lack of familiar music is a crucial mistake. Hopefully this is rectified in season 2. I was disappointed that recognizable town names weren't used, but that's just a nitpick. And Trevor's actor didn't show as wide of a range as I hoped for. It also felt edgy at times just to be edgy without much substance. Lastly, there wasn't enough variety to the monsters, but what was shown I really liked.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The atmosphere was fucking spot on though. The visuals were damn impressive. It just needs more variety of monsters and familiar musical motifs.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 12:46:03 PM

Quote from: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 11:26:09 AM

-dagger storm
-throwing axe
-dracula turning into a giant head
-bloody tears (literally)
-alucard using the alucard sword's special attack

Forgot Dracula teleporting away in a big fiery orange pillar.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 12:49:56 PM

Did I? I thought somebody'd listed that one already...

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 12:57:06 PM

Quote from: Kamirine on July 08, 2017, 12:18:34 PM

Guess I'll be the weirdo and admit I liked the interaction with Lisa and Dracula. I always got the vibe Lisa was suppose to be sort of an odd person/exceedingly open minded individual and I feel like her interaction with Dracula showed that, if maybe too much (the whole get out more = maybe stop putting individuals on poles comments and being said so...flippantly). If anything, I kinda wish we had gotten more time to see their relationship fleshed out.  Hopefully we'll get flashbacks of her with Alucard in the new coming episodes or something.

I have a feeling that more of Lisa's backstory with Dracula was done for the purpose of keeping Alucard under wraps, aside for the teaser cameo in that beautiful scene with his father.  It kept a degree of mystery about him, and saved the introduction for when Trevor and Sypha meet him.  It made sense storytelling-wise.  It also had more punch this way, I think, especially with the episode count being so low.  I really hope that we get more details on stuff all round in season two, such as a flashback to a young Allie, and see more of that lovely interaction between Drac and Lisa.  There was some lovely chemistry between them.


I've been thinking, and I know that some have complained about the sound mixing in places.  There were one or two little moments that got me as well, I admit, but I'm also wondering whether it could also partially be due in places to the strength of the accents of some of the minor characters, especially for those not used to those accents (the use of which I liked I admit).

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 12:58:09 PM

You are correct D9.  My bad.

I'm gonna copy/paste something I wrote in another thread.

I get that some people don't like to see the church in a negative light... but let's be real here.  The medieval church was as evil as any evil that ever eviled.  To be honest the church in this series acted about exactly as the church probably would have, had such a scenario presented itself.  Burning innocent women as witches, excommunicating virtuous, even heroic individuals that don't fall in line with there teachings, violently persecuting religious minorities... that was a normal Friday night in those days, for the clergy.  I don't think this was a problem at all.  And they even make a point to show that there are good members of the clergy in episode 4.  Honestly if they had made the church into good guys, it would be equally historically inaccurate and offensive

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 12:58:47 PM

I wish I could phone in on mixing quality, but my speakers are already on their way out so I'm playing without a full deck anyway.

Which sucks, because I usually have a good ear for this shit.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 01:06:58 PM

The point about the church's nastier antics on calling out heretic! left, right, and centre is absoutely correct for this sort of time period.  A friend of mine gave a class on this sort of thing a few years ago, and it made for very interesting reading and listening, on just how many different theoogies and philosphies could get you kicked out.  It was pretty brutal, no wonder tensions were high.  I felt that in the series this was shown well, through both how Lisa and the Belmonts were treated, and the frown that the Bishop gave the Mayor of Targoviste when he said he'd looked into the sciences.  It added a layer of realism in the historical context, as well as serving the purpose well of framing the narrative of how Dracula lost his shit with humanity after the death of Lisa.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Holy Diver on July 08, 2017, 01:19:16 PM

CONS
-NO STRUT WALK
-NO WALL MEAT
-NO FLOATING CANDLES
-TREVOR USES KNIVES AS A PRIMARY SUBWEAPON LIKE A NOOB
-TREVOR IS WEARING ACTUAL PANTS

PROS
-ALUCARD'S TIDDIES
-SHEEP FUCKING

0/10
BLASPHEMOUS

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 01:19:59 PM

Quote from: Undead Waiter on July 08, 2017, 01:19:16 PM

-NO STRUT WALK
-TREVOR IS WEARING ACTUAL PANTS

Done, 0/10, series shit, never watching again

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 01:29:54 PM

Quote from: Undead Waiter on July 08, 2017, 01:19:16 PM

CONS
-NO STRUT WALK
-NO WALL MEAT
-NO FLOATING CANDLES
-TREVOR USES KNIVES AS A PRIMARY SUBWEAPON LIKE A NOOB
-TREVOR IS WEARING ACTUAL PANTS

PROS
-ALUCARD'S TIDDIES
-SHEEP FUCKING

0/10
BLASPHEMOUS

Maybe when they get inside Castlevania some of these might appear?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Lelygax on July 08, 2017, 02:42:37 PM

I watched it in Japanese today and really liked it. That scene on the bar where trevor fights "Mr. Shovel Knight" was really funny.
I see that some people disliked the series (not these that I'll quote later, another ones) yet I think it was pretty good, not perfect but good, I was expecting something very worse than that and after so many cancelled CV animations and movies, even thought we never would get something like that.

While it can and should improve on season 2, I think its a perfect spark to lit the fire on this franchise again and get new fans, without resorting to something that totally doesnt looks like Castlevania or too forced (like I expected this series would be before watching the trailer).

Hopefully they will finda a way to include Grant on season 2 and show more about Lisa, maybe we can even dream with they including another character like Master Librarian in some way.

They did well in creating a character like that bishop for this show, hopefully they will continue keeping new characters as interesting as these shown until now or better.

If they make a game adaptation of this, they should include the shovel guy and goat familiar as an unlockable character. :P

(click to show/hide)

I thought bishop corpse would be brought to Dracula's castle and maybe became some sort of demon or trophy when that devil start carrying him on its mouth

Quote from: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 01:29:54 PM

Maybe when they get inside Castlevania some of these might appear?

Trevor will shit piss in his pants because of too much beer, start strut walking and then decide to walk without pants for the rest of the show?

Quote from: Undead Waiter on July 08, 2017, 01:19:16 PM

-NO FLOATING CANDLES

While they weren't floating, I think all these torches in the catacombs were meant to be our classic candles. Trevor even enter in detail about it.

Quote from: piscesdreams on July 08, 2017, 12:28:15 PM

I was disappointed that recognizable town names weren't used, but that's just a nitpick.

You mean in-game town names? Maybe they were built after CV3, but I kinda understand what you mean.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Aiddon on July 08, 2017, 02:48:29 PM

Wall o' text

(click to show/hide)

It's the best videogame adaptation from the West. Period. And I don't mean that in quantifying terms either due to game adaptations being pretty terrible. Castlevania is actually a good, Gothic horror, dark fantasy swashbuckling series (man, genre blender is set to puree) and gives a great blueprint for how to do adaptations of gaming.

The casting was spot on, all the main players turning in great performances, such as Armitage as a drunken, surly, embittered Trevor whose content to drink himself to death due to his family's exile and excommunication. MacTavish also does a menacing Dracula with showing both the man and the monster, the monster being a product of man's ignorance. His chemistry with Lisa was delightful, playing a feisty scholar who has a thirst for knowledge wherein they find common ground (which makes sense that Dracula would be a learned scientist considering his in-mythos background as a tactician and scholar. He probably had nothing better to do for hundreds of years besides run experiments). Despite it being so short, it shows that she was indeed someone he would kill for. Sypha is delightfully sassy and plays idealist straightwoman to Trevor's bitter, snarky former lord and Reynoso nails the part. Callis does good with what little screentime he has as the brooding Alucard who chose to respond to his mother's death in the opposite manner of his father and is one of the few who has no snark. And of course we get to Matt Frewer (Max Headroom himself) as the Bishop and is clearly having the time of his life portraying the man of the cloth as an utterly despicable, contemptible, hypocritical, self-righteous, ignorant zealot so convinced of his warped idea of faith it's not until freaking Pazuzu and a horde of demons show up in his church and bite his goddamned face off that he sees he knows nothing of God.

The story itself is basic: Dracula goes on a rampage against the ignorant and complicit masses of Wallachia for burning his wife at the stake for practicing medicine and Trevor Belmont is brought into the fray as the entire mission of his family is to hunt creatures of the night, Dracula being the main one. However, knowing that wasn't enough to base the series on and wanting to save the big bits for the followup, it's really the human element that the story is centered around. Ellis is best known for his comics writing which takes place mostly in the modern day or the future. However, he manages to make his own sardonic wit fit into a medieval Europe setting, modernizing it but not feeling out of place.

Armitage sells Trevor as a bitter man, a sort of parallel to Lisa who was punished for helping people just because it didn't fit 100% with a stupidly narrow idea of how to do things. Armitage is humorous and snarky, but the script shows that his quips and sarcasm are really hiding someone who's angry that he could help people who ostracize him for arbitrary reasons, even when the legions of Hell are literally bearing down on them. Heck, the further along the series goes the less snarky he becomes and starts to morph into a more heroic, swashbuckling Errol Flynn figure who tells the people who has actually misled them and helps them even if they had been trying to kill him just minutes ago. A lot of it you can also chalk up to Reynoso as Sypha who tells him that there is always a choice and you can either roll over, run, or fight because it's better to have done something than done nothing.

The church plot is definitely very heavy-handed, Ellis pulling no punches in showing that the upper echelons of the church are really corrupt, even putting thugs into their employ as a way to enforce their narrow-minded, anti-intellectual viewpoints and the archibishop gleefully brags about burning Lisa at the stake on the anniversary of her death before claiming he was one day away from retirement. I could almost imagine Dracula seeing that and every denizen of his castle face-palming at once. Dracula even gave them a grace period to flee out of respect for Lisa's memory. He's not wrong in his condemnation of the church and the complicit masses only making things worse. And here's the thing: Ellis may be heavy-handed with this, but he's still probably holding back. Things really did get this bad with the church. That's why the Reformation occurred. Of course, this also brings up an egregious error in that Romania is not predominantly Catholic, but Orthodox. Even with the Bishop giving a throwaway line about his differences with the Archbishop it's still odd. In spite of that Ellis does a great job of a tale of ignorance vs knowledge, religion vs zealotry, and complicity vs action.

There are also a ton of neat Easter eggs and nods to the franchise mythology, like the introductions of Sypha and Alucard being like their game intros, Trevor walking around town in similarities to NPC conversations, platforming and boss fights, Alucard using his teleport move from Symphony of the Night, and mentions of the Speakers' prophecies being based on info from the future (referencing Saint Germain from Curse of Darkness as well as the series bouncing around the timeline constantly). Trevor uses three of the five sub-weapons from the game, omitting only the stop watch and oh-fuck-me boomerang cross (though we have to save something for Season 2). With over three decades of mythology and lore to draw from Ellis and the team did great at weaving together story elements from different entries to make a whole (especially if they decide to adapt Lament of Innocence, Simon's games, or Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night).

On the visual side the series is stunning. Every frame drips with atmosphere, bringing to life not only medieval dark fantasy exemplifying the bleakness of the middle ages, but the Gothic horror element that maxes out the settings and just keeps going. Wallachia is grim,
 gruesome, and vicious. It's really out of stuff like Berserk, Vampire Hunter D, with a smattering of the Universal and Hammer horror films. Blood flows like a river, guts splatter across the walls and streets, heads are impaled on spikes with intestines serving as rope, this is Hell on Earth.

The art style also taking steampunk elements like in the games makes for cool locations, like the giant clockwork room before Alucard's keep. It sells the aesthetic that makes Castlevania not only unique in gaming culture, but also unique in anything. The only problem is most of the action is kept to Gresit which is a typical medieval city and we only get a sneak peek of stuff like Dracula's castle. Creature design is good, but limited to just gargoyles and the Pazuzu demon who dines on delicious clergy faces. There is also the Cyclops, which gives one of the best fights in the series. They can probably turn the notch up in the sequel with stuff like Medusa, the mummies, the water dragons, and of course Death himself.

The standout moments are definitely in the first and final episodes. Dracula literally making it rain blood before it then hails HOLY FUCKING SHIT, DEMON FETUSES and summoning his gigantic Dracula's Moving Castle Death Star to begin the slaughter of every last denizen of the city. The image of Dracula ordering his forces to go forth via a murder of crows conjuring his image is haunting and terrifying, Dracula being no mere vampire but more akin to a dark god with the forces of nature at his command.

The other standout is the duel between Alucard and Trevor which kicks things into high gear, Trevor using his whip to full effect while Alucard dances around with the kind of grace only a dhampir can pull off. Trevor charges while Alucard dances and it's completely believable at how a guy like Trevor can match a supernatural creature like Alucard with training, guile, and guts. It's a real nail biter and a great climax for the show.

On the score front Trevor Morris does an admirable job at building the spooky atmosphere and gives pulse-pounding entries when needed.
 It still can't hold a candle to Michiru Yamane's eclectic repertoire that has included eerie compositions, bombastic overtures, electronic beats, and even heavy metal guitar, but it fits and there's always Season 2.

The only real flaw of the series is that it's clearly a pilot. It's something meant to sell the project and ends on an obvious entry for the second act. All in all though, Castlevania is a great adaptation of a classic game franchise and it's definitely a landmark in how to adapt gaming properties. It's  fitting that one of the biggest victories for a gaming adaptation is one of the most long-lived, beloved, unique and oft-copied franchises ever, having a setting and aesthetic that is one-of-a-kind not only in gaming, but pop culture as a whole. Even bigger than that though is how this is a serious adult animation as opposed to the deluge of comedies. It shows that animation can do so much more and tell adult stories. If you're a fan of the series, check it out and if you're not check it out anyway and then bring yourself up to speed on the franchise.

Also, Nintendo's rewards program is offering discounts for the first three Castlevania titles. Good timing

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 02:48:44 PM

Bluefang wasn't carrying the bishop in his mouth. Just some random woman.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 03:12:29 PM

http://collider.com/castlevania-review-netflix/#images-poster (http://collider.com/castlevania-review-netflix/#images-poster)

https://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-season-1--445745.phtml (https://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-season-1--445745.phtml)

http://screenrant.com/castlevania-netflix-season-1-review/ (http://screenrant.com/castlevania-netflix-season-1-review/)

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/08/reviewing-netflix-castlevania-gamer/ (https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/07/08/reviewing-netflix-castlevania-gamer/)

More love.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: piscesdreams on July 08, 2017, 03:13:03 PM

Quote from: Lelygax on July 08, 2017, 02:42:37 PM

You mean in-game town names? Maybe they were built after CV3, but I kinda understand what you mean.

Yeah, such as Aljiba or any others in the series.  But it is possible like you say, that they're not yet built.  It would make sense as there would need to be a reconstruction period after the events of CVIII.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 03:30:45 PM

Quote from: Lelygax on July 08, 2017, 02:42:37 PM

I watched it in Japanese today and really liked it.

  I really hope that Netflix uploads the Japanese audio track here, I'd love to watch it.  I've been watching snippets of it with all of my country's available languages.

Quote from: Lelygax on July 08, 2017, 02:42:37 PM

Trevor will shit piss in his pants because of too much beer, start strut walking and then decide to walk without pants for the rest of the show?

XD  That would be hilarious, especially if he then starts noticing the floating candles, and decides that he isn't wasted enough for that kind of shit. ;) 

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 03:43:55 PM

Sidenote:

Obvious Trevor/Sypha meetcutes.

Thoughts?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: JohannGralog on July 08, 2017, 03:49:24 PM

So far I’ve seen the first half, I will watch the second half tomorrow.

Visually, it looks pretty great. I like the designs of Dracula and Trevor. The show’s elaboration on the relationship between Dracula and Lisa works, though the person I was watching it with (not a Castlevania player) was rather confused by why the "aristocrat scientist" suddenly became Satan, so it was perhaps a bit too rushed. I noticed a ton of fun easter eggs as well. I'm glad that Trevor actually uses his whip.

The way “the Church” was depicted… I know I can’t expect this to be historically accurate, but it would have been nice to see the Orthodox Church looking actually Eastern rather than modern-day Roman Catholic clergy. Likewise, the fact that Wallachia was a region in which witch-hunting etc. was not very prevalent makes the ludicrous portrayal extra cringe-worthy. So far, the "Christian Church" seems to be portrayed as the true villain, which makes little sense in the broader context of the Castlevania games. Superstitious townfolk, a rocky relationship with the Belmonts as opposed to the later collaborations, inner-church conflict, okay, but these guys seem to be hellbent on being common thugs. They might as well have been a bunch of bandits terrorizing the town.

I don't get the need to invent a group of Speakers either, especially after the rushed first episode. It's kinda as if they wasted so much time of emphasizing the evil church cliché  that they had to rush the actual plot.

I can understand thematic gore in this show (whipping out eyeballs etc.), but what was the purpose of drunkards yammering about goat-fuckers and Trevor crawling through shit? Not my kind of humor, I suppose. Hopefully there's less of that in the second half. Trevor seemed like a jerk, though that may improve in the second half.

I really wanted to like this, but unless the second half is significantly better, I don't think this would be something I'd recommend to others.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Wallachia on July 08, 2017, 03:58:44 PM

Quote from: Undead Waiter on July 08, 2017, 01:19:16 PM

CONS
-NO STRUT WALK
-NO WALL MEAT
-NO FLOATING CANDLES
-TREVOR USES KNIVES AS A PRIMARY SUBWEAPON LIKE A NOOB
-TREVOR IS WEARING ACTUAL PANTS

PROS
-ALUCARD'S TIDDIES
-SHEEP FUCKING

0/10
BLASPHEMOUS

Lol!! But also would be awesome if all those were at least given nods.

Yes, shit better get crazy and straight creepy once we get in the deep innards of the castle next season.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 04:01:12 PM

It was adorable.  Especially Sypha's blush when Alucard asks her if she knew the full story.  Her beer comment to her grandfather made me giggle, puerile as it was.

Lisa and Dracula though!  That was even cuter.  I really hope that they haave more flashbacks to them in season 2 - I can just see Lisa being practically minded and shoving a crying baby!Adrian into Dracula's hands while he gives her halp! looks.  Powerful vampire lord, scientist, and tactician he might be, experienced father he is not.  Then as Adrian is growing up, they're both teaching Adrian the sciences, with Vlad also teaching him how to fight and use his powers at night, while Lisa gets him helping her on eraands around Lupu.  Yes, I am a bit of a softie when it comes to this family.  I felt that the portrayal here of Lisa and Vlad near completely matched my headcanon as I've interpretted the games, aside for Adrian being there in person at Lisa's burning.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 04:08:13 PM

Quote from: JohannGralog on July 08, 2017, 03:49:24 PM

Superstitious townfolk, a rocky relationship with the Belmonts as opposed to the later collaborations, inner-church conflict, okay, but these guys seem to be hellbent on being common thugs. They might as well have been a bunch of bandits terrorizing the town.

That is a very accurate description of the medieval church.  Say what you will about the modern church, but back then they were as bad as Nazis.  As I said earlier, burning innocent people to death, violently persecuting religious minorities... all part of their game.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: JohannGralog on July 08, 2017, 04:34:04 PM

Quote from: AlexCalvo on July 08, 2017, 04:08:13 PM

That is a very accurate description of the medieval church.  Say what you will about the modern church, but back then they were as bad as Nazis.  As I said earlier, burning innocent people to death, violently persecuting religious minorities... all part of their game.

A Reductio ad Hitlerum is presentist hogwash.

First off, there is no such thing as the medieval Church. By this time. the Eastern schism was well-established and even within the respective churches the differences between regions could be enormous.

For most of the middle ages, church hierarchies explicitly denied the existence of witches, and even when the renaissance brought with it the infamous witch-hunts, they were never uncontested. Likewise, persecution of religious minorities was never a constant, and the most notorious examples, the Jews and the Cathars, respectively was in direct contradiction of Papal decrees and followed political violence. That is not to say they were justified. The Churches were not unchanging monoliths, but organizations that encompassed many different opinions and had various leaders who did not always agree with their predecessors. The Churches were not evil nor were they good, the truth is nuanced and fickle.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 04:35:32 PM

Quote from: JohannGralog on July 08, 2017, 04:34:04 PM

A Reductio ad Hitlerum

I'm stealing this.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 08, 2017, 04:51:16 PM

I can see the church arguement could turn pretty damn nasty quickly.  Best nip this in the bud now and let the discussion stay on topic.  Besides, this series isn't completely historically accurate, it's horror fantasy, for starters. If a couple of you want to squabble and butt heads over this and not let it rest, take it to PM, please?  This could go on until the cows come home otherwise. 

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Holy Diver on July 08, 2017, 05:41:11 PM

Did a Castlevania fanfiction writer enter Ellis' office at any given moment.
I'm asking because:

(click to show/hide)

I just witnessed Trevor whiping shirtless Alucard.
On an unrelated note I got a boner.

Also someone should tell Phantom bat not to buy condoms at gas station.

Ok, now that I'm done with shitposting, I actually liked it more than I expected.

(click to show/hide)

Character desings and animation are on point.
Sure, Trevor has scar on his eye, I'd prefer if he didn't.
But, the way he looks now seems pretty close to his CoD look, and that gives me some weird hope that we might actually see Hector and Isaac(though it's more likely that it won't happen).

Characters are done okay.
Trevor appeals to me quite a lot, Sypha has a lot of potential though it seems to me that it isn't fully used, Alucard's introduction was done neatly(although I, like other people am a bit worried that focus will somewhat shift to him).
Dracula and Lisa could've used more time.
I loved their interactions, but Lisa has like, what, 2 minutes of screen time.
Bishop was more of an asshole than I anticipated.
But as few have said, medieval Church was pretty much like that.
Bishop was okay, but I'd prefer if he seemed more like a asshole and less like a retard.
Only thing that disapoints me "variety" of Dracula's army.
They have a bestiary of hundreds of monsters and so far there are only "bats" and Cyclops.

Music fits the mood I guess.
I never liked atmospheric music, I believe mr. Shankar once said that it was going to be more like metal, so I guess I'm just dissapointed.

I'm happy to see that plot wasn't too drasticaly changed.
Sure, they could've been closer to the canon in few places,
but it doesn't matter because it works like this.

Now, I'd love if there were more callbacks to the original material (like ones I mentioned in my shitpost) but they are irrelevant.
True I'd love to see things like this:

Quote

Trevor will shit piss in his pants because of too much beer, start strut walking and then decide to walk without pants for the rest of the show?

But newcomers will probably have question marks floating round their heads because of it.

Overall, it's a solid way to set the story.
If they can keep it up like this, something great might come out of it.
I'll probably be satisfied if they just include Grant though.
But, if they were to include Isaac and Hector, I would disregard my social ankwardness and depression and for once be happy in life.

Now, some other notes.
I don't think it will make PachiKonami try to milk the franchise with the conventional games no matter how popular it becomes.
The series tries to be a bit edgier than original material in a few places, probably to attract new fans.
Now, I've seen some guys saying that they liked it even though they've never played any Castlevanias.
I don't think well be getting too much recruits in the fandom, considering that series takes previously mentioned edgy style which is kind of unlike most of the games.
Getting them to like the franchise is one thing, keeping them to like it another.

Now, to finish, I'd give it 7/10(okay, maybe closer to 6.5/10, but since it positively suprised me lets give it that 0.5).

So guys, what do you think, will we get to see Grant, Grim Reaper, Isaac and Hector?
I think the first 2 will appear, but I have a strong feeling devil forgemasters will be disregarded.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: crisis on July 08, 2017, 06:52:50 PM

all of you are pretty much reiterating what each other is saying over n over, so I don't see a point in adding another wall of text as my opinion

i liked the part where that demon in ep4 says that God's love is not unconditional, or else he would love him & his fellow demons the same. that was pretty cool & philosophical. also,

Did anyone else catch in the beginning when Lisa & Vlad were conversing, she says some stuff about his knowledge can be used by other people or something along those lines. To me this was perhaps a hint at Devil Forgemasters. Could they be giving a nod to Curse of Darkness?

also I noticed some of yous guys need to chill. it's perfectly fine for them to take liberties and add their own ideas to the overall CVIII mythos. nothing of liberties in this animation was Lords of Shadow bad but some people think it is apparently

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: aensland on July 08, 2017, 07:23:28 PM

Quote from: Undead Waiter on July 08, 2017, 05:41:11 PM

(click to show/hide)

I just witnessed Trevor whiping shirtless Alucard.

Give this guy a promotion.

Now.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on July 09, 2017, 02:03:53 AM

This show proves that Belmonts have balls of steel. No wonder they walk so slow in the games.....

@tattered: Alucard fanservice is real. ♥ I want a baby Adrian scene too! The Lisa and Drac scene fits my headcannon too.

Actual review: The entire season is a pilot. Well, at least people are now aware that Castlevania still exists.
JP dub is good. Even if the roles are switched.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Wallachia on July 09, 2017, 11:19:30 AM

"Lies? In your house of God? He does not love you. But we do. Let me .. kiss you."

Loved that part.. creepy.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 09, 2017, 11:51:16 AM

Even more love.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review (http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review)

http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/ (http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Wallachia on July 09, 2017, 12:41:16 PM

Quote from: AlexCalvo on July 09, 2017, 11:51:16 AM

Even more love.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review (http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/09/castlevania-season-1-review)

http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/ (http://www.horror-movies.ca/2017/07/review-castlevania-video-game-adaptation-weve-waiting/)

Nice. Any rumors of when Season 2 might go up?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 09, 2017, 12:45:33 PM

Good guess would probably be about a year from now. =(

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 09, 2017, 02:17:23 PM

From what I've been reading, season 2 will land at some point in 2018, although all that Netflix US have said is in the near future.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: GigaDan on July 09, 2017, 03:09:20 PM

Quote from: Dracula9 on July 08, 2017, 12:58:47 PM

I wish I could phone in on mixing quality, but my speakers are already on their way out so I'm playing without a full deck anyway.

It's pretty awful. Definitely the worst part of the production. If I can't understand what characters are saying on my HD598's listening on an optical connection to a dedicated DAC/AMP, then yea, it's pretty bad. I didn't turn on subtitles because I didn't want to detract from the performances or joke delivery. I'm definitely gonna watch it again sometime with subtitles.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 09, 2017, 03:36:15 PM

Quote from: GigaDan on July 09, 2017, 03:09:20 PM

If I can't understand what characters are saying on my HD598's listening on an optical connection to a dedicated DAC/AMP

Jesus.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: KaZudra on July 09, 2017, 04:14:06 PM

Castlevania The Anime Pachislot incoming...

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TheTextGuy on July 09, 2017, 05:54:12 PM

Aight, Trevor and Alucard do look like well animated versions of the Kojima design, and the action was enjoyable.  The music was generic and forgettable, and the violence in some parts was a bit too excessive/they were trying too hard.  Not gonna give a full review (I've just finished watching it), but overall, Inccubus' end comment pretty much sums it up.

Quote from: Inccubus on July 07, 2017, 11:22:22 PM

I guess I would give this a 7/10 because it was entertaining in a very least common denominator sort of way.
As a retelling of CVIII, I give it a 4/10. And I have no confidence that the rest will be any different.

It's good for a kick, but I don't think it's that great of a CVIII adaptation.  Very loose adaptation in that regards.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 10, 2017, 10:56:48 AM

How is it loose? Because it includes characters that are not in the pretty much story-less 2D action game?
I was honestly surprised by how well they were able to tell a story based on what little of a premise we actually get in the game.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: theplottwist on July 10, 2017, 11:31:26 AM

Quote from: Sumez on July 10, 2017, 10:56:48 AM

How is it loose? Because it includes characters that are not in the pretty much story-less 2D action game?
I was honestly surprised by how well they were able to tell a story based on what little of a premise we actually get in the game.

OK, so I'm watching this silly argument being thrown around TOO much to keep quiet. It's been literally three days of Castlevania fans spouting this nonsense nonstop, all over the internet, looking for an excuse to diminish the games' lore.

Castlevania III doesn't have "so little premise" nor it's "pretty much story-less". It actually is the one of the games with the most plot on the NES which, while not hard of a feat to pull off, IS a feat in itself considering how little plot non-RPG NES games had. The adaptation on Netflix IS very loose in consideration of the original story. And that's talking only of it alone -- not counting expanded plot given by further games or media such as SotN, Judgment, Curse of Darkness or the Manga.

"Speakers"? Not in the game. "Sypha has a family"? Not in the game. "Trevor's excommunication"? Not in the game. "Church representatives oppresing people"? Not in the game. "Legendary sleeping savior myth"? Not in the game. "Dracula giving people one year to leave"? Not in the game. "Castle is special because is some kinda machine"? Not in the game. "Mystery prophecy about who will kill Dracula and with whom's help"? Not in the game (and this last one possibly killing Grant as one of the four warriors). And here I'm talking only of stuff that is directly stated to not be the case on the original plot itself, or that changing something would change the original plot's essence. I'm not talking about shit that expanding on the animation would have little to no impact on the original story, such as Dracula acting as a human by behest of Lisa.

Some of this stuff contradicts directly the original plot to the point of unrecognizability. Sypha being a Speaker flies in the face of her origin story given on the manual, and is completelly opposed to her final resolution as an operative of the Church whose failure prompted the Pope to seek a Belmont. Prophecy talking of "A hunter and a Scholar" overrides completelly the reason why Alucard hid and who are the final warriors to stop Dracula. Will these work on the show? Good. The original game has enough storyline that causes these changes to be incompatible with the original lore.

So, yes. The Netflix show IS very loosely connected to the actual CVIII plotline. You want to praise the show? Of fucking course you're allowed to do it, including praising the new plot. Just don't say "CASTLEVANIA HAS NO PLOT! THEY DID A MIRACLE WITH WHAT LITTLE THEY HAD!" because there is zero miracle involved, and there's a lot of original plot to be worked with. "Castlevania has no plot" is a meme by people who were raised with the US manuals, where the actually-quite-complex-for-a-simple-game plot has been reduced to complete bullshit nonsense, and not actual fact of the Castlevania franchise.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shinobi on July 10, 2017, 12:07:50 PM

Some people complain how the series didn't use some iconic music from any of the games, seriously it's not surprising considering almost every movie or any form of adaptation doesn't even use any music from it's original source or atleast their previous incarnation, Any of Spiderman movies doesn't have the 60s  Spiderman cartoon theme, any Batman movies(Both Tim Burton or Nolan's take on Batman)doesn't have the iconic theme from the Batman TV series starring Adam West, Man of Steel doesn't have the iconic theme from previous Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, Rurouni Kenshin movies doesn't have any themes or bgms from the anime series, etc. etc.   

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: theplottwist on July 10, 2017, 12:17:50 PM

Quote to Shinobi. Just... Don't click this if you don't wanna be spoiled, dude.

(click to show/hide)

Quote from: Shinobi on July 10, 2017, 12:07:50 PM

Any of Spiderman movies doesn't have the 60s  Spiderman cartoon theme,

(click to show/hide)

Like, I get your point. But this is not true anymore :P

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shinobi on July 10, 2017, 12:53:30 PM

Quote from: theplottwist on July 10, 2017, 12:17:50 PM

Quote to Shinobi. Just... Don't click this if you don't wanna be spoiled, dude.

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Like, I get your point. But this is not true anymore :P

Haven't watched Spiderman Homecoming yet anyway so my bad.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: piscesdreams on July 10, 2017, 02:44:52 PM

Quote from: Shinobi on July 10, 2017, 12:07:50 PM

Some people complain how the series didn't use some iconic music from any of the games, seriously it's not surprising considering almost every movie or any form of adaptation doesn't even use any music from it's original source or atleast their previous incarnation, Any of Spiderman movies doesn't have the 60s  Spiderman cartoon theme, any Batman movies(Both Tim Burton or Nolan's take on Batman)doesn't have the iconic theme from the Batman TV series starring Adam West, Man of Steel doesn't have the iconic theme from previous Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, Rurouni Kenshin movies doesn't have any themes or bgms from the anime series, etc. etc.

To be fair though, the above mentioned series aren't as notorious for excellent music in the way CV is, especially in terms of sheer number of excellent tracks overall.  The Batman 60's show would probably be the most iconic of the series you mentioned.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: JohannGralog on July 10, 2017, 03:57:14 PM

Quote from: Shinobi on July 10, 2017, 12:53:30 PM

Haven't watched Spiderman Homecoming yet anyway so my bad.

(click to show/hide)

The Raimi movies had this though

---

I watched the second half. The Cyclops scene and Alucard’s introduction were pretty fun.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on July 10, 2017, 06:06:15 PM

^^ I deleted my post because someone beat me to it.
It's totally in Spider-Man 2. :D

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Aiddon on July 10, 2017, 07:01:48 PM

More reviews:

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/castlevania-netflix-review (http://www.usgamer.net/articles/castlevania-netflix-review)

http://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-s-castlevania-tv-show-is-a-bloody-great-video-g-1796775317 (http://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-s-castlevania-tv-show-is-a-bloody-great-video-g-1796775317)

http://kotaku.com/what-we-loved-and-didnt-love-about-the-castlevania-an-1796775864 (http://kotaku.com/what-we-loved-and-didnt-love-about-the-castlevania-an-1796775864)

http://www.avclub.com/review/religion-just-dangerous-dracula-netflixs-promising-257870 (http://www.avclub.com/review/religion-just-dangerous-dracula-netflixs-promising-257870)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-b1DSNQZx8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-b1DSNQZx8)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 05:22:50 AM

Quote from: theplottwist on July 10, 2017, 11:31:26 AM

Castlevania III doesn't have "so little premise" nor it's "pretty much story-less". It actually is the one of the games with the most plot on the NES which, while not hard of a feat to pull off, IS a feat in itself considering how little plot non-RPG NES games had.

Let's just be clear here. Castlevania 3 is one of my favourite games of all time, and I'm familiar with the game's story. I love it for everything it is, and I truly appreciate the way it's told in the game, as a game, basically just depicting Trevor's journey to the castle, and meeting characters along the way that will help him in his battle, never going into details with stuff that it doesn't need to.
After a bunch of Simon games, Konami made the series interesting by introducing ancestors to Simon Belmont in CV3 and the Game Boy games, and the idea that the Belmont clan had an inherent ability to combat monsters that caused the rest of the world to see them as cursed and dangerous was something I found extremely interesting at the time. That's all the premise I needed.

Now, after running for many decades since, Konami has been adding to the story, and I don't think I need to point out how every game doesn't exactly add up, and how a lot of things had to be constantly retconned to make sure things add up (such as games turning non-canon, or the Dracula's 100 year cycle silently being forgotten, etc.). So yeah, games like Curse of Darkness and *shudder* Judgment added new stuff to the canon, but I'm extremely thankful that the show decided to ignore these sporadic attempts at expanding lore that was never intended to be expanded upon. The show is clearly meant as an adaption of Castlevania 3, not of IGA's distraught mind, and I can't imagine anyone believes the show would have been better like that. Instead they took what they needed from SotN, and implemented it really well in the existing story. I think that should be commended.

Quote

"Trevor's excommunication"? Not in the game.

I'm sure we have all seen this, but 1:16 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdwYlvCDXA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdwYlvCDXA)

Quote

(list of other things that are "Not in the game")

I'm genuinely confused by what you really wanted here. If the show is not allowed to tell anything apart from what's already depicted in the game, why would you even want a show in the first place? Just play the games. Adding new elements to an existing story (which is no different from what Curse of Darkness did) does not make it a loose adaption, rather it's what you would expect from an adaption. It would be a loose adaption if it actually changed the existing story, only taking inspiration from the source, which was something I would have expected. I was really surprised that it actually didn't go this route.
The only thing I can think of that's directly constradictionary to the story we were told in CV3/AD, was the part with Sypha being trained by the church, and honestly I fail to see how that makes any kind of impact on the story. In fact, considering the story being built around a church that burns people at the stake for dealing in what they believe to be magic, it would have been pretty contradictionary to have a member of the church practicing magic...

Quote

Sypha being a Speaker flies in the face of her origin story given on the manual

According to the manual, Sypha is a guy. :P

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Nagumo on July 11, 2017, 06:30:46 AM

The excommunication thing is based on the wording of the English version of the game. In the Japanese intro it does say people feared the Belmonts because of their powers but then it goes on say the Belmonts suddenly disappeared one day and nobody knew where they went.

Also, the Japanse version never outright refers to Sypha as a man. In Japanese you can leave gender pronouns without it sounding unnatural and that's the case with  Cv3's Japanse manual. Sypha was always intented to be a woman.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 06:37:50 AM

Well obviously. :)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 11, 2017, 06:39:23 AM

The final shot as well with Sypha and Trevor in Sypha's ending is also telling - it's the long, loose hair down her back, and how close she is to Trevor, with his arm around her.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Gaawa-chan on July 11, 2017, 07:58:30 AM

As far as the depiction of the church goes, I really don't see any problem.  You have one power-hungry zealot that's got thugs working for his ambitions in a time of crisis, and ignorant followers.  I guess you could point to the archbishop as well, but he barely shows up and is mostly just used to emphasize the hubris of of the people.  So that's two people and a handful of thugs that one of those two people has in his employ.

Quote from: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 05:22:50 AM

was the part with Sypha being trained by the church, and honestly I fail to see how that makes any kind of impact on the story. In fact, considering the story being built around a church that burns people at the stake for dealing in what they believe to be magic, it would have been pretty contradictory to have a member of the church practicing magic...

I suspect that this is one of the main reasons why they changed Sypha's backstory.  I suppose they could have gone the route of having multiple groups within the church that were antithetical to one another, but eh.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Chernabogue on July 11, 2017, 08:01:21 AM

All those reviews are good, the main criticism is just the season being short. Let's hope it gets CV more popular!

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: theplottwist on July 11, 2017, 08:09:12 AM

Quote from: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 05:22:50 AM

Let's just be clear here. Castlevania 3 is one of my favourite games of all time, and I'm familiar with the game's story.

(click to show/hide)

Are you? Because seeing as you cite the English intro of CVIII (that does NOT say what you think it does), it looks like otherwise, to be frank with you. The game's plot is FAR from being just its intro.

This is not a problem, mind you. One doesn't need to know every single comma from the game's plot to be a fan. What I'm noticing, however, is a trend of people saying the game "has no plot" while at the same time showing they have no clue what it is.

Also, Castlevania is beloved by many people. Doesn't mean they fully understand the medium. Most still think Dracula is ~le scary vampire man~ only.

Quote

Now, after running for many decades since, Konami has been adding to the story, and I don't think I need to point out how every game doesn't exactly add up, and how a lot of things had to be constantly retconned to make sure things add up (such as games turning non-canon, or the Dracula's 100 year cycle silently being forgotten, etc.)

Do you know the reason why specific games are not canon? Do you know why the 100-year revival cycle is not true (yes it is NOT TRUE, did you know that?)? How much of it "doesn't add up"? Because, the way you say it makes it sound like EVERY game contradicts the previous one. Does it "not add up" because you don't get it, or because you don't like it?

See why I keep saying that you're criticising something you don't know? These points have very clear reasons, and you're using them as "negatives".

Quote

So yeah, games like Curse of Darkness and *shudder* Judgment added new stuff to the canon, but I'm extremely thankful that the show decided to ignore these sporadic attempts at expanding lore that was never intended to be expanded upon. The show is clearly meant as an adaption of Castlevania 3, not of IGA's distraught mind, and I can't imagine anyone believes the show would have been better like that. Instead they took what they needed from SotN, and implemented it really well in the existing story. I think that should be commended.

>I can't imagine it therefore it'd be impossible

Two things:
1. This show has IGA's hand in it. It has MUUUUCH more of Ellis, but still of IGA. Whatever way you think IGA's "distraught mind"  works, this show only exists like what it does because of him. You didn't know that, did you?
2. IGA did barely no change to CVIII, did you know that? Did you know IGA created everything around CVIII without messing with the original plot beyond adding Lisa? So, the show not only used as little as possible from the original CVIII plot to concoct its own story, but the greatest actual plot point came from IGA.

Consider these two things.

Quote

I'm sure we have all seen this, but 1:16 in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdwYlvCDXA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdwYlvCDXA)

Where on this scene is saying "the Church excommunicated Trevor"? If I'm reading clearly, it says "towspeople". As far as I'm aware, "towspeople" do not hold power to excommunicate someone.

Despite the crap US translations, this point holds true even in English (on its own strange, schizophrenic way). The theme is: The people is ignorant, not the Church.

Quote

I'm genuinely confused by what you really wanted here.

I will not express what I really wanted for this series. But I will tell you that you didn't understand the point. Repeating myself for the sake of clarity, not out of condescension:

"And here I'm talking only of stuff that is directly stated to not be the case on the original plot itself, or that changing something would change the original plot's essence."

You need to know the original plot. If your only knowledge of the CVIII plot comes from the official US translations and "playing the game", you'll certainly not understand what I meant. Also, you can think only of Sypha, but I could think of all those points. Why is that?

Quote

If the show is not allowed to tell anything apart from what's already depicted in the game, why would you even want a show in the first place?

"If the show wants to do whatever the hell it wants respecting nothing, why make a show out of a video game? Why not make an original show? Why go the trouble of touting it as the greatest, most perfect, most true video game adaptation to date if it really isn't?"

See the problem? I never said it is not allowed to take freedoms, Sumez. I was specifically pointing why your argument of "no plot" doesn't work: CVIII has so much plot that the series contradicts it at every 5 minutes. Hence why it IS accurate to call it a loose adaptation. It IS loose. I never said it "can't be loose", I said it IS loose.

It being loose is no detriment to the series. The problem is trying to correct people on their rightful assertion (that it IS REALLY loose) because you don't like the Castlevania canon.

Quote

The only thing I can think of that's directly constradictionary to the story we were told in CV3/AD, was the part with Sypha being trained by the church, and honestly I fail to see how that makes any kind of impact on the story. In fact, considering the story being built around a church that burns people at the stake for dealing in what they believe to be magic, it would have been pretty contradictionary to have a member of the church practicing magic...

So, what should you draw from that? The game and manual makes no mention of "the Church punishing people", and Sypha works for the Church. The people is constantly said to be ignorant, while the Church is an organization aware of the nuances of evil magic and good magic.

Put 1+1. Don't you realize this entire plot of the Church was built for the series, and never once stated or implied on the games? It is contradictory for you because you don't understand the plot.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shinobi on July 11, 2017, 09:51:48 AM

Quote from: piscesdreams on July 10, 2017, 02:44:52 PM

To be fair though, the above mentioned series aren't as notorious for excellent music in the way CV is, especially in terms of sheer number of excellent tracks overall.  The Batman 60's show would probably be the most iconic of the series you mentioned.

While I agree to your firsts sentence, that doesn't mean Castlevania will be an exception not to use any of it's iconic music in animated adaptation. We could say the same thing with Street Fighter II which has an excellent yet iconic music for each fighters but none of their themes was used in the animated movie version both in Japanese and American version(Same thing as the animated movie version of Street Fighter Zero). Fatal Fury OVAs and Motion Picture is another example, although one track has a hint of Tung Fu Rue's theme in the first OVA, the rest are original tracks. Samurai Shodown too which none of the character's themes was used in the Motion Picture and the two part OVA.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 02:38:07 PM

@theplottwist

I think you're severely misunderstanding my post if you think I'm criticizing anything.
Look, I never claimed there's no story to CV3, just that the game itself doesn't actually tell a story the way that a movie or TV series would. I definitely believe that you are reading way too much into a bunch of games that were thought up one at a time based on what kind of story the developers in question thought would be cool to add. This is a series of video games, not a grand complex and epic mythos that was all mapped out ahead of time. And thank god this show doesn't think it was either.

I don't believe the show changes anything besides minor details in the storytelling that you'd see in any adaptions of any material, while you believe it's constantly contradicting everything that's going on in the canon you have assembled. I guess we will just leave it at that...

Yeah, I have read the Japanese manual, and I have followed the series closely since the 80s, taking in both the Western and Japanese versions of the games' promotion material, reading interviews, and hell even radio dramas and all kinds of other ridiculous nerdy things. I'm not sure what it is you think that I don't get, but the fact that I'm not taking everything literally and super seriously does not mean I "don't understand it". If you're gonna keep up this rude tone I'm not really seeing this going anywhere anyway.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 11, 2017, 02:52:38 PM

And there it is.

"You're just reading too much into it, god what's wrong with you? How dare you read into between-the-lines themes that I either didn't notice or don't care about! The canon was never as big as you say it was because I think so!"

And you people wonder why he gets annoyed.

"God, why can't you just let me have my opinion, I know just as much as you because I think so! You're so rude for arguing a different opinion, just let it be what I think it should be!"

And then you people wonder why he gets pissed about being told to shove it or being called rude or whatever else because he has the audacity to share and defend his opinion the same as everyone else is.

Especially when it's been well established that the man has leaps and bounds more connections and insights into the lore than the average fan that were earned by years of digging and work.

The conversation's not going anywhere because some folks can't handle dissent or have their opinions challenged without feeling personally attacked, not because one guy is arguing his opinion against others.

Hell, I'm in the camp that's (mostly) in favor of the show, and you don't see me calling names or arguing a pissing match of who knows more about the series, do you?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 03:23:04 PM

I honestly don't care that he has a different opinion about how the Castlevania "lore" should be represented in a cartoon show, I think everyone is free to think what they do. But there's really no reason to take up such a patronizing tone in his way of addressing me directly just because I dared calling Castlevania 3 light on storytelling.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 11, 2017, 03:26:57 PM

Now it's been stated by D9, possibly walking away and having a bit of a calm down might be a good idea.  Things are getting a bit heated.  We're all entitled to having our own likes and dislikes, our own opinions on matters.  Just because a view is different to one's own doesn't mean that their view is any less valid, and it doesn't have any relevance on who might have more, or less, knowledge on a series, as that's how it's certainly come across.  Now though, it's posisbly time to walk away fro the keyvboard for a bit, like I said earlier. 

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: theplottwist on July 11, 2017, 03:33:54 PM

Quote from: Sumez on July 11, 2017, 03:23:04 PM

I honestly don't care that he has a different opinion about how the Castlevania "lore" should be represented in a cartoon show, I think everyone is free to think what they do. But there's really no reason to take up such a patronizing tone in his way of addressing me directly just because I dared calling Castlevania 3 light on storytelling...

You didn't "dared calling Castlevania 3 light on storytelling". You specifically responded TheTextGuy in a patronizing tone, making suppositions about his mindset, ("Because it includes characters that are not in the pretty much story-less 2D action game?") reducing his argument to an absurd premise to make his opinion look silly, due to him daring to say this adaptation is a loose adaptation in regards with the original material (which is not an inherently bad thing, I repeat, but he is correct in that it is really loose).

And then, when someone appeared to tell you how loose it is and to show that TheTextGuy and Inccubus both have grounds on their opinion, you started deflecting. I'm not some judge, don't misunderstand me as saying that -- I'm just requesting a modicum of honesty. When they said the show is loose on its adaptation, why didn't you ask them to explain this to you instead of trying to debunk them with your "Because it includes characters that are not in the pretty much story-less 2D action game?"

And I'm not having any "tones" with you, chill out. Search the ruckus I cause with people on this forum, and you'll see I'm acting civil to you. I not once crucified you for liking the show as it is, did I? I didn't because there is ZERO shame in liking the show the precise way it is.

I'm just pointing out that YOUR correcting of TheTextGuy is flawed, because he is correct on the assertion that the adaptation is really loose. You implied his opinion is silly, and now I'm here flat out telling your rebuking of him is sillier. You can like the show however it is, you just don't get to act like your opinion of "how much plot there is originally" is objectivelly correct.

Also, you don't know how I think the game should've been adapted or what are my final thoughts on the show, the actual product out now for everyone. Search a review from me. You won't find one.

And, I love it when people say that I have a canon lol You guys do realize I'm not Konami, right?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on July 11, 2017, 03:38:02 PM

Consider that the patronizing is almost entirely the result of people constantly treating the man like shit because he has a different opinion. For a very long time. Over the same shit he's explained someplace or another too many times already.

Gets a bit wearisome after a while, and when you have massive groups of people (on places other than the Dungeon) going after and shitting on him for the exact reasons of "I KNOW JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO (when they actually don't) AND YOU'RE WRONG BECAUSE I SAY SO FUCK OFF" I stipulated...

...well, it becomes easy to see why he's gone a bit spikey over the whole ordeal.

Does this justify any possible or perceived rude behavior? No, but that's not to say all accusations of such have been correct.

Does this provide a very rational and reasonable context for why he might be sick of having his integrity/knowledge/general character/whatever else questioned over the very same things he's got large quantities of people attacking him for elsewhere? Absolutely.

It's very simply a case of the following:

-series has largely overwhelmingly positive reception, both from the fanbase and various coverage sites writing articles and the like about it
-some fans disagree with the show's quality and feel the nature of its reception is somewhat misguided due to the issues they perceive within the show
-these fans (to put it very bluntly) are the minority in all of this, and simply want to voice their concerns and maybe vent some of their frustrations
-these voicings seem to get swallowed by the praising reception, which agitates them further
-when these voicings DO get heard, many reactions from the others camp(s) have largely been antagonistic towards them
-so combine antagonism of the "HOW DARE YOU DISAGREE" with the large swathes of fans with a positive reception of the series, and you get a pile-on

So now this minority of fans is not only having to deal with their voices going unheard because of sheer volume ratio, and antagonism by the fans who enjoy the series but can't fathom the concept of it being anything but their perfect wet dream (differentiating here, as obviously there are show fans who disagree with the outcrier fans but aren't taking it negatively and respecting their opinions as such), they ALSO have to deal with the simple fact that if they dare to voice their opinions in the wrong place at the wrong time they will more or less be dogpiled and beaten back into a corner by the wave of fans who don't see their differing opinions as anything more than slander on their precious show.

Do note that I do indeed recognize the difference in the fans here, but am citing the rabid "it's perfect and nothing can convince me otherwise" ones because I've got firsthand experience witnessing mobs of exactly this kind of fan going after Plot over this. I'm not accusing anyone in this thread of being such a fan, only providing context as to the probable reason(s) he and others gotten a bit prickly over all this.

And again, I'm not justifying any wrongdoing on anyone's part. I don't personally think Plot's been remotely as spikey or rude as I've seen him get before, but I am aware that my perception is not equivalent to your own and that you may perceive more rudeness than may have been intended. As a result, I'm just trying to provide context here for why he's in this frame of mind so that hopefully those on the receiving end can have a bit more understanding of why, since understanding a person's frame of mind makes conversing with them easier to undertake.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: piscesdreams on July 11, 2017, 04:53:47 PM

Quote from: Shinobi on July 11, 2017, 09:51:48 AM

While I agree to your firsts sentence, that doesn't mean Castlevania will be an exception not to use any of it's iconic music in animated adaptation. We could say the same thing with Street Fighter II which has an excellent yet iconic music for each fighters but none of their themes was used in the animated movie version both in Japanese and American version(Same thing as the animated movie version of Street Fighter Zero). Fatal Fury OVAs and Motion Picture is another example, although one track has a hint of Tung Fu Rue's theme in the first OVA, the rest are original tracks. Samurai Shodown too which none of the character's themes was used in the Motion Picture and the two part OVA.

I've never seen those so I wasn't aware, but I'd say the same thing: why didn't they use any of the music?  I'm not saying litter and spam it all over the place, but why not use it? Same thing here.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Aiddon on July 11, 2017, 05:59:14 PM

Quote from: piscesdreams on July 11, 2017, 04:53:47 PM

I've never seen those so I wasn't aware, but I'd say the same thing: why didn't they use any of the music?  I'm not saying litter and spam it all over the place, but why not use it? Same thing here.

Probably because it's very hard to balance homage staying true to the original track while also giving it an identity of its own. It's similar to how despite the show being loaded with neat little Easter eggs those are just Easter eggs fit into the narrative where it makes sense. We have another season on the way, so it's possible they'll get Morris to maybe research the games' soundtracks to bring it more in line with the 'Vania stuff.

Anyway, the AVGN himself has a few words to say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no6x0KCOAU4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no6x0KCOAU4)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Sindra on July 11, 2017, 06:41:12 PM

Yeah, James pretty much nails what my takeaway was when I first finished the season. I was happy it didn't suck.....but something felt missing. Only having 4 episodes to dig into and knowing the meat of things are yet to come was part of it, but I still felt something was being left out that was keeping me from being more excited about what I'd just seen, and I figured out it was the lack of series music. Maybe if they'd had "Nightmare" very quietly playing in the background as Trevor and Sypha were leading up to Alucard's crypt, or "Rising" or "Riddle" playing subtly during the Trevor/Alucard fight I would have walked away feeling a lot more jazzed than I did.

Again, I'm beating an undead horse here, I know. It was just interesting James had the same thoughts I did.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shinobi on July 11, 2017, 10:01:47 PM

Quote from: piscesdreams on July 11, 2017, 04:53:47 PM

I've never seen those so I wasn't aware, but I'd say the same thing: why didn't they use any of the music?  I'm not saying litter and spam it all over the place, but why not use it? Same thing here.

Maybe I'm a minority here but after we've heard tons of fan and official remixes of Castlevania tunes already, I find it annoying if they use it again on the animated series which while it was indeed based from Castlevania 3, it still trying to have an identity as it's own like Aiddon pointed out.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 12, 2017, 04:33:40 AM

I think everyone should stop trying to enforce their opinions on others, and people really need to tone down the persecution complexes.  We don't need to explain to people why they are wrong about what they do and don't like, and no one has suffered some kind of psychological trauma because their opinion is in the minority, calm down people.  I brought up the church issue as a response to people who were upset about the church's portrayel, I was just explaining why making the church seem evil is not out rageous in and of itself.  If someone doesn't like it because it is not how it was presented in the original NES game that's fine, and definitely justified, and while I don't agree with how loose of an adaptation some claim this series to be,  everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Chernabogue on July 12, 2017, 04:58:48 AM

Quote from: Shinobi on July 11, 2017, 10:01:47 PM

Maybe I'm a minority here but after we've heard tons of fan and official remixes of Castlevania tunes already, I find it annoying if they use it again on the animated series which while it was indeed based from Castlevania 3, it still trying to have an identity as it's own like Aiddon pointed out.

I agree with that. It's trying to do its own thing -- even if it didn't succeed in creating good themes. I rewatched the series (in a different language to check the dub's quality) and paid more attention to the music this time. It's far from memorable (even less than LoS, which still had memorable tunes) but it does the job, fits in every scene (even if some choirs sound very synth-y) and doesn't distract too much from the action/exposition. It's maybe "random epic orchestra tune #43" but it fits well, IMO. Let's just hope season 2 brings distinct and memorable themes.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Aiddon on July 12, 2017, 08:16:17 AM

Quote from: Shinobi on July 11, 2017, 10:01:47 PM

Maybe I'm a minority here but after we've heard tons of fan and official remixes of Castlevania tunes already, I find it annoying if they use it again on the animated series which while it was indeed based from Castlevania 3, it still trying to have an identity as it's own like Aiddon pointed out.

The thing is I still think they could have worked one of the Big Three (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, Beginning) into the series, but only if their inclusion fit the scene they were put in. We also have to face reality in that the fanservice must serve the narrative, not the other way around.

Anyway, Zac Bertschy from AnimeNewsNetwork gives his opinion:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/castlevania/.118704 (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/castlevania/.118704)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Lelygax on July 12, 2017, 12:22:25 PM

James Rolfe (from AVGN) says what he thinks:

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: GuyStarwind on July 12, 2017, 02:13:54 PM

^^
I liked the show but I do agree with AVGN's statement about SotN being the definitive (I think that's the word I'm looking for) CV game. I love SotN but those classic games are still my number one choice. Once again I did enjoy the show.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shinobi on July 12, 2017, 06:00:56 PM

Quote from: Aiddon on July 12, 2017, 08:16:17 AM

The thing is I still think they could have worked one of the Big Three (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, Beginning) into the series, but only if their inclusion fit the scene they were put in. We also have to face reality in that the fanservice must serve the narrative, not the other way around.

Those big three was already remixed a bazillion times already in officials games even just inserts on a different tracks like in the music where Soma and Mina already escaped from lunar eclipse in the best ending of Aria of Sorrow, the ending of Lament Of Innocence, and the narration intro of Order of Ecclesia, they felt way too forced rather than a natural part of the music so I'll surely feel the same way if the animated series did the same thing. The Live Action Hymn of Blood series already tried that with Vampire Killer in one of the ending credits and for some reason sounded out of place from the overall tone of the live action series.

The only fanservice that totally fits is some of the situations and background characters from the actual games like Sypha was mistaken as a man, Alucard's teleport sword, Trevor hitting the poles to climb up as seen in Lament of Innocence, even LOS reference where Trevor balance himself while walking on the poles.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 13, 2017, 05:21:10 AM

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/castlevania/s01 (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/castlevania/s01)

91% on rottentomatoes.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 13, 2017, 07:32:16 PM

My detailed review. https://creators.co/@AlexCalvoBelmont/4318216

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: X on July 14, 2017, 10:03:01 AM

Nice review  ;)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on July 14, 2017, 02:17:41 PM

So Adi Shankar shared my review today... =D  Closing in on 1000 views in one day.  https://www.facebook.com/bootleguniverse/posts/1953553478211610 (https://www.facebook.com/bootleguniverse/posts/1953553478211610)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on July 15, 2017, 12:04:47 AM

Congrats dude! Sempai noticed you.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Eric Roman on July 15, 2017, 05:02:53 AM

It was one of the greatest experiences of my life thus far.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: affinity on July 15, 2017, 09:59:38 AM

Spoilers

Grant could be added in season 2, as a beast in the castle at first, and then changing human, could get a backstory of being a former pirate outcast turned treasure hunter.  Ellis really is closed minded if he completely writes off Grant from the second season.   and this animated series would be incomplete and wasted without one of the most memorable and UNIQUE characters from the entire Castlevania series.

that aside, what's really unnecessary is cutting Sypha's hair.  in the source material, Sypha has really long hair (even her sprite in SOTN).  well in CVIII, she had the hood on full time until the cutscene after the castle falls, but still, it's dumb the Speakers hide Sypha's sex by cutting her hair short, when that time and place has some guys with really long hair too.   Why don't they give her a face mask while they're at it then?    Ellis really dropped the ball on Sypha's hair design.   inexcusable.   that's even worse than what the Golden Axe Beast Rider devs did to Tyris Flare's hair.  Like it's so dumb. even as a golden axe prequel, you don't mess with a legendary character's hair length.    and Castlevania III animated series has no excuse, its based on CVIII time period, should it shouldn't mess Sypha's hair.

Like, Ellis didn't even bother to beat Sypha route Castlevania III, didn't even bother to watch the Sypha ending on youtube. Sypha has long hair in the canon,  the animated series totally messed up that fact.   Like her hair in the tv series is even shorter than Trevor's, that's so degrading and not Sypha enough.

now only Alucard gets the full glory of long hair because of fanatical SOTN design influence, but Sypha is only half the woman she was.   some say her more potent magic powers in this tv series makes up for it.  but she could have had both beautiful long hair AND awesome ice/fire magic.  (and didn't she use lightning at all? didn't notice). 

as for the 4 episodes as a whole, it's decent world building. that's really neat how Trevor organizes the villagers to chip in to fight back the horde.  its cool it shows the evil side of humanity, but season 2 should focus on fighting beasties on the way and inside the castle as well.   it should be as more consistently action packed like the cyclops, the beasties, and Alucard duel. 

 Enough with the small talk and "the floor is breaking!" gravity drops. season 1 already set the stage, now Season 2 should be consistently action packed, progressive and intense like a true Castlevania.    just have them travel and fight their way through the hordes into and up the castle. they have 4 more episodes to complete the CVIII, so don't mess it up with uneventful melodrama.   

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Flame on July 15, 2017, 10:52:53 AM

cutting a woman's hair short so she passes for a boy was fairly common practice. because generally, Woman never cut their hair like that. Only boys did.

So while a man with long hair was fine, a woman with short hair was unheard of, and effeminate features could be misconstrued as youthfulness. Sypha even makes her voice deeper when Trevor rescues her

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Kale on July 17, 2017, 12:49:24 PM

Only watched 1 episode so far... but man.... I really don't like some of.... or maybe a lot of the art style.

I also feel Lisa's dialogue sounded forced as hell.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: DoctaMario on July 17, 2017, 09:44:05 PM

I really liked it. They had a lot of ground to cover in 4 episodes and they did it reasonably well, giving a reason for Trevor & Co. to have to fight Dracula, showing why Drac was unleashing the hordes, and showing why the Belmonts weren't exactly popular. The voice acting was on the whole pretty good and I really like the animation style they chose. I'm excited to see where they take it in the second season.

It makes me optimistic that something like this is out there when it's clear Konami doesn't give a shit about making good games anymore, so if this is the future of Castlevania, so be it.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Guy Belmont on July 18, 2017, 12:31:35 PM

I've been looking at the architecture Of this Series, and I gotta say they've done well, but I saw this and it really rung with me,

the room were Alucard's coffin has a rug and its  pattern really looks like they based it on the walls of the alchemy laboratory.

(click to show/hide)

(https://portforward.com/games/walkthroughs/Castlevania-Symphony-of-the-Night/Castlevania-Symphony-of-the-Night-small-26.jpg)

I mean it could be just me but they really looks like they based it on that, I mean a lot of the places in that show look like All the IGA game's architecture, mixed with a bit of CV64.

But I mean I think that's soo cool to do something like that, show a lot of respect to CV.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 18, 2017, 01:53:24 PM

That's a good spot!  I noticed that they used the rug design as well or one very similar, in the prologue scene.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Guy Belmont on July 18, 2017, 01:59:47 PM

Quote from: TatteredSeraph on July 18, 2017, 01:53:24 PM

That's a good spot!  I noticed that they used the rug design as well or one very similar, in the prologue scene.

Thanks, yeah its a really nice nod to SOTN, it really shows they've looked in to more then just CV3

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dremn on July 18, 2017, 05:41:35 PM

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/netflix-castlevania-broke-rotten-tomatoes-record/?cmp=TWRT_News_Castlevania

Quote

It’s always a horrible night to have a curse in Dracula country, but in real life, Netflix’s Castlevania just lifted another curse: It’s the first video game adaptation to get a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Wow, incredible.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Aiddon on July 18, 2017, 07:32:58 PM

Quote from: OSM on July 18, 2017, 05:41:35 PM

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/netflix-castlevania-broke-rotten-tomatoes-record/?cmp=TWRT_News_Castlevania

Wow, incredible.

Funny how of all game adaptations to finally get it right, it's one of the long-storied franchises that has a lot of quirks grounded in the offbeat 80s and 90s (like loads of anachronisms, weird game logic, and a positively ludicrous setup), made it into a good show about the failings of mankind, ignorance vs. knowledge, religion vs faith/God, and complicity vs action, and yet managed to still maintain the series' identity. Seriously, there needs to be analysis about why this worked unlike, say, stuff like Warcraft and Assassin's Creed.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on July 19, 2017, 02:23:34 AM

Maybe the lesser people know about the franchise, the better it is, because there are lesser expectations?

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: DoctaMario on July 20, 2017, 07:44:02 AM

Quote from: Aiddon on July 18, 2017, 07:32:58 PM

Funny how of all game adaptations to finally get it right, it's one of the long-storied franchises that has a lot of quirks grounded in the offbeat 80s and 90s (like loads of anachronisms, weird game logic, and a positively ludicrous setup), made it into a good show about the failings of mankind, ignorance vs. knowledge, religion vs faith/God, and complicity vs action, and yet managed to still maintain the series' identity. Seriously, there needs to be analysis about why this worked unlike, say, stuff like Warcraft and Assassin's Creed.

Like you said, there's a lot to the story of Castlevania. I think the fact that it's historically based means there's a lot more to work with than say Warcraft which created its own world, which, while still cool, means that it's not necessarily going to be as timeless as a story rooted in actual history where historical themes can be explored.

I think the fact that Castlevania has had many characters that aren't necessarily black & white helps too. Gabriel is a perfect example of this, but in the show, Dracula and Trevor are characters who you can't entirely root for all the time, but you can't shit on them either because they have their motivations that make sense to them and are interesting to watch them work through.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Kaneda on July 22, 2017, 10:37:33 PM

A review of mine that I thought I'd share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4q5DbkhKM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4q5DbkhKM)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: AlexCalvo on September 05, 2017, 02:53:22 PM

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1699639/how-former-castlevania-producer-koji-igarashi-felt-about-the-netflix-animated-series (http://www.cinemablend.com/television/1699639/how-former-castlevania-producer-koji-igarashi-felt-about-the-netflix-animated-series)

The man himself chimes in. Iga:

Quote

Yes, I have seen it, I thought it was great. We feel that the people that were working on the Netflix series understood what the game was all about and probably enjoys the original titles. We thought it was great because they knew the ins and outs of it. The art style was also very fitting for the series.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Crying Freeman on September 05, 2017, 07:15:20 PM

Quote from: affinity on July 15, 2017, 09:59:38 AM

Spoilers

that aside, what's really unnecessary is cutting Sypha's hair.  in the source material, Sypha has really long hair (even her sprite in SOTN).  well in CVIII, she had the hood on full time until the cutscene after the castle falls, but still, it's dumb the Speakers hide Sypha's sex by cutting her hair short, when that time and place has some guys with really long hair too.   Why don't they give her a face mask while they're at it then?    Ellis really dropped the ball on Sypha's hair design.   inexcusable.   that's even worse than what the Golden Axe Beast Rider devs did to Tyris Flare's hair.  Like it's so dumb. even as a golden axe prequel, you don't mess with a legendary character's hair length.    and Castlevania III animated series has no excuse, its based on CVIII time period, should it shouldn't mess Sypha's hair.

I don't see the big deal. Her Judgement design had a shorter look to it. And its part of something I loved int he series: Trevor goes to save who he believes to be a man, but turns out to be a woman; similar to how players thought Sypha was a male in the game until completion. Then Trevor claims the "floating vampire Jesus" could possibly be Dracula; while fighting Alucard in the game you think he's Dracula from the look and attacks.

It was very subtle and I loved how they thought of that; reminded me of my first playthroughs of CV3 years ago.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Dracula9 on September 05, 2017, 09:44:44 PM

Quote from: Crying Freeman on September 05, 2017, 07:15:20 PM

Trevor goes to save who he believes to be a man, but turns out to be a woman; similar to how players thought Sypha was a male in the game until completion.

normally i'd present a potential argument in lieu of the in-universe idea of posing as more of a man to move around more easily

but let's be fair here there isn't a thing about netflix sypha that could be mistaken as masculine so this potential explanation is already dead in its crib

plus nobody on tv's gonna do it better than arya anyway

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: TheouAegis on September 10, 2017, 11:41:28 PM

Sypha had long hair at the END of Castlevania III. Maybe a lot of time actually passed between when Trevor meets her and when the castle falls. You assume it takes just as long as it took you to beat the game, but Trevor does travel quite a long distance between locations on the map. It seems ridiculous that Sypha's hair would grow that fast, even then, but maybe her mystic powers had an effect on her hair growth.

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Crying Freeman on September 19, 2017, 07:18:57 PM

Quote from: Dracula9 on September 05, 2017, 09:44:44 PM

normally i'd present a potential argument in lieu of the in-universe idea of posing as more of a man to move around more easily

but let's be fair here there isn't a thing about netflix sypha that could be mistaken as masculine so this potential explanation is already dead in its crib

plus nobody on tv's gonna do it better than arya anyway

I agree she couldn't be mistaken from a voice or character design perspective. Seems silly in the show's world but its a small kinda-easter egg for players of CV3. Outside of it being in the game theres no reason for the gender twist in the show

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Mooning Freddy on October 11, 2017, 01:18:36 AM

After watching the four episodes, these are the points I want to raise (maybe have been raised before, but what the heck)

1) The first episode: ugh. Hated it. The other episodes were much better IMHO, but I consider the first episode the most half-assed introduction to the story ever. Let's talk about Lisa:
-In a paraphrase to Boromir, You can't just WALK into Dracula's castle! What the heck. Couldn't they think of a better story for how Dracula and Lisa meet each other? Lisa just fearlessly traveling there alone makes no sense.
-Oh, I'm going to disregard the forest of corpses by the entrance to Drac's castle because he's probably not really a bad guy, just misunderstood. Evil vampire overlord? No, he's just misunderstood!
-Dracula is a master of science? What? I thought he's a master of black magic. But I'll disregard that.
-The church is evil and dumb and they burn Lisa just for befriending Dracula, ignoring all his warning. Well, okay. Could you make the church a little less evil, though? I mean, that's almost a cliche.

2) Too much gore and profanity. I mean, I could ignore the gore (though I really do think you can make a good Castlevania film with minimal gore.) And the series has A LOT of gore, which is unnecessary, since CV is supposed to be all about the action.  You could easily make a PG-13 CV film that would still be very good IMHO
But the profanity, ugh! Come on. Turn down the profanity, please! Do I really need to hear dialogue about ****ing goats in a castlevania film? Cringe is all I can say.

3) Other than that, I thought other parts were reasonable. The "Speaker" lore is quite interesting, while maybe too long. Action is good. I liked the action.

6.5/10
(7.5/10 if I disregard the first episode)

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Inccubus on October 14, 2017, 12:48:58 AM

Quote from: Crying Freeman on September 19, 2017, 07:18:57 PM

I agree she couldn't be mistaken from a voice or character design perspective. Seems silly in the show's world but its a small kinda-easter egg for players of CV3. Outside of it being in the game theres no reason for the gender twist in the show

Except that their precious newcomers that are not fans of the original series and never played CV3 wouldn't know about it at all and have had that detail spoiled. And it was relevant in the original game because the church at the time was, like most of the rest of the world, an extreme patriarchal institution and would have wanted to hide Sypha's gender from the public for a bunch of different reasons. But since the show blindly torpedoed that aspect of the story in favor of demonizing the church as a whole, the gender twist was basically pointless.

This is why changing source material usually infuriates me. Most of the people who are watching these adaptations are not the fans of the original work. They are not going to care if things are different. Some of the fans will care to varying degrees. And the very fact they are adapting something in the first place is because there is interest in the original on it's own merits. Thus, making "artistic" changes to major parts of an adapted source is basically only guaranteeing to piss off a portion of the fan base. That is completely nonsensical, yet they do it all the time. And the kicker is that what they put out is usually sub-par. Hence why in 2017 people are talking about Castlevania for being the first video game adaptation to to get a fresh rating at that cesspool of an aggregation site. I've got some news for you folks, they could have done that a decade ago. [/rant]

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: gallandryal on October 16, 2017, 08:26:26 AM

I think Sypha's past will be expanded in season two, and will show her ties with the church. More likely she joined the Speakers and cut her hair to escape the witch hunting orchestrated by the corrupt branch of the church? Makes sense and wouldn't hurt to add a flashback of her past or just mention it casually. Also more likely Sypha would let her hair grow longer after she married Trevor, since being a housewife, she would have no reason to try to disguise as a boy anymore.

Quote from: Lelygax on July 08, 2017, 02:42:37 PM

Trevor will shit piss in his pants because of too much beer, start strut walking and then decide to walk without pants for the rest of the show?

Please, no spoilers, thanks.
Imagine Trevor fighting dracula drunk and without pants... so epic

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on October 17, 2017, 12:42:56 AM

Quote from: gallandryal on October 16, 2017, 08:26:26 AM

Imagine Trevor fighting dracula drunk and without pants... so epic

YES PLEASE!  ;D

Title: Re: Animated series reviews.
Post by: EstebanT on November 09, 2017, 05:22:55 PM

Apparently the assistant director to this wrote the Bradygames Order of Ecclesia Strategy guide. Isn't that just so strange?