Topic: Castlevania Animated Series to be on Netflix?!

[Nagumo]

Afaik Dracula was already a vampire. He may have been a "nice" vampire but i doubr he was Edward Cullen-ing it and using deers or whatever.

Yes, even before he met Lisa, Dracula already has a history of making selfish decisions. The point is that Dracula's love for Lisa gave him a second chance at happiness despite his past deeds. Because of Lisa, Dracula had a chance to better himself and regain his humanity.This is what makes it all the more tragic that this opportunity is taken away from him due to actions outside of his control.

[SecretWeapon]

Yes. Doesn't change the fact between a vampire and living in an gravity defying castle the former is the most worrying one.

[Dracula9]

Somebody's racist against vampires.

[Nagumo]

Yes. Doesn't change the fact between a vampire and living in an gravity defying castle the former is the most worrying one.

Could you rephrase? I'm not sure what the point is you're trying to make.

Edit: I'm guessing that you're trying to say that the fact that Dracula is a vampire would already be a deal breaker for most people so him living an overlord lair doesn't matter.

I disagree with that line of thought. The series contains several cases of vampires who still have some humanity left in them. For example, Rosa from the N64 games. I believe it's also made clear this is because of her feelings for Reinhardt. A more prominent example would be Alucard.  You could say he doesn't count because he's half-human, which is a fair point. However, when looking at his CVIII incarnation he definitely counts as a good example because in that game he is described as a vampire who still has some humanity left in him.

So the bottom line is that being a vampire doesn't automatically make you an unredeemable monster. There are vampires who can regain their human side by forming attachments.

[AlexCalvo]

What about having a giant spooky castle that is a refuge for all those beings who rage against God? That was the situation according to the CoD manga. Dracula's castle was plenty spooky/evil before Lisa. He wasn't just murdering people, but it wasn't just a happy pretty castle. This idea some people haven of it being an ordinary pretty castle is just head canon.

[Nagumo]

Yeah, I recently flipped through the manga again to check that part. At one point Isaac says: "The count is said to be generous towards those who turn their back on God, like us". Dracula takes in people like Hector and Iscaac who are outcasts and have lost their faith in God. I don't think this is really "raging" against  God but more like not accepting God. The raging is what happend afterwards. So I disagree with the idea that "Dracula was always evil ever since he became a vampire, he just didn't kill people".

But you're right that Dracula's castle was a spooky place when Lisa was still alive. A small sidenote though, we don't know anything about the castle's past or when Dracula started taking up residence there, so to conclude based on the CoD manga that Dracula's castle never could have been an uncorrupted place in the past is jumping to conclusions. We don't know enough information to support either claim.

I'm just interested what Dracula's relationship with Lisa worked in the environment we see him in. Lisa is reminiscent of the Virgin Mary and IGA said she was part of a holy bloodline. What did she think of Dracula's attitude against God? Would a person like her live in such a place? These seem like reasonable questions to ask.         

[AlexCalvo]

We know that Dracula was raging against god ever since Elisabetha's death.  Enough to have Sara killed, and to steal a vampire's soul.  We also know from the manga that there were demons and dark magic going on in the castle before Lisa's death.  I am not saying Dracula was a full scale Hitler, but he was certainly not just a peaceful benevolent vampire king.  I think Lisa saw through his darkness, and that's what made her so special, but the darkness was very present.  Lisa's death drove him to world domination/human extinction, but he was already a villain.

[SecretWeapon]

Lisa: "I can love a bloodsucker...but i could never live in a weird looking castle, thats too much"

[Nagumo]

Lisa: "I can love a bloodsucker...but i could never live in a weird looking castle, thats too much"

I see you didn't bother to read my post.

[Laina]

Kinda feeling cautious about this.  On the one hand, just the fact that we're getting anything Castlevania related at all is wonderful...but the way it's being described makes me raise an eyebrow.  More so since this still based on Castlevania 3 (my favorite game in the series).

It really just depends on the presentation, so I'll reserve further judgement until we see something.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kinda happy about this happening at all though.

Basically this mixed with Nagumo's cringe & a preference to not use the CVIII Alucard design comments. I'm...bracing for impact, HARD. But...I'm also...well, I'm a little tickled to be getting SOMETHING Castlevania related that isn't parked in a smoke filled pachinko parlor nestled in Tokyo...just a little. At the end of the day though, I'm ready for a total disaster while hoping for a pleasant surprise.

[theplottwist]

This idea some people haven of it being an ordinary pretty castle is just head canon.

As if it were impossible to prove that the castle's exterior looks pretty damn normal in general in almost every one of its incarnations. If the idea of it looking mostly ordinary is "headcanon", the same is so for it looking like a BDSM haven.

I'd not be so opposed to the castle looking nightmarish if the series weren't based on Castlevania III. I still hope this form is something the castle will become only after Dracula goes mad -- which would admitedly make it a pretty good concept, if a little bit too obvious. Like, it'd showcase that Dracula has now FULL INTENTION of burning the castle's horrifying visage on the minds of people.

but he was certainly not just a peaceful benevolent vampire king.

Perhaps not "benevolent" (though I DO remember it saying officially Dracula protected the people from an invading army. I'll get the source on that, just you wait), but "peaceful"... Well...



I understand "peaceful" as "not trying to wreck people's shit" or "not trying to scare the hell out of them".

"B-but that's previous to Curse of Darkness! IGA certainly changed his mind!"

Oh, by all means:



Double Jump interview with IGA. On the same interview he mentions Curse of Darkness in the past, having done this interview years later. The excerpt I posted seems to make it obvious that IGA hasn't changed his "Dracula was living on relative discretion" mindset.

"Living quietly" I think means "not wanting to attract attention to yourself". This probably means not having an enormous castle screaming "THE DEVIL LIVES HERE" attracting all the attention to you.

And, finally, this:

暗黒時代のヨーロッパ。ドラキュラ伯爵の人類虐殺が始まる。伯爵がヴァンパイアであると確信を得た東方正教会は、討伐への軍を派遣するが失敗。正統ヴァンパイアハンターの末裔、“ラルフ・C・ベルモンド”へ討伐を依頼をすることとなる。ラルフは、戦いの中で出会う、“グラント・ダナナスティ”、“サイファ・ヴェルナンデス”、そして、ドラキュラ伯爵の息子、“アルカード”と共に、伯爵を滅ぼすことに成功する。その強力な力ゆえに、人々に忌み嫌われていたベルモンド一族は、英雄としての道を歩み始める。

This is the explanation for CVIII on the timeline. It says that once the Church was convinced Dracula was a vampire, then they dispatched a team of vampire hunters to deal with him. See, Dracula being a vampire was not something known at the time, and it wasn't until his war that someone did anything against him. Don't you think having a castle screaming "final boss lives here" from the onset wouldn't tip off the Church something is wrong? Collecting GODDAMN HERBS was enough to get Lisa killed under accusations of sorcery.

I think that settles it, and just an addendum because I absolutelly love to be told my ideas are "just headcanon" when I can show they are not: Some of you guys seem to be eager to wave Nagumo's, Dracula9's and my perspectives as the crazy ramblings of lunatics when we said nothing of your perspectives, of which I, at least, do have some opinions on too, but don't express because honestly they would just work to offend people for no reason.

Make sure you do your research. I do mine most of the time before saying anything on any matter and my opinion is not based on "what looks prettier" or "give them a chance". My opinion comes from already knowing what these people think of the series (Ellis' blog is gone, but you can still find him saying that he has an "interest" on the series, as if he has no attachment to the work he's doing at all, or giving bullshit excuses about Grant) and my own knowledge and observations of the series. Comes from seeing Shankar use the exact same tricks Dave Cox used (buzzwords, be as misleading as possible), and not be challenged on them at all.

So, you think this castle is good? Good for you, and I'll let you have your opinion. So let me write my goddamn five paragraphs about it not being good in peace, and let me screenshot castle forms for frames of reference to give my point any substance beyond "3/10 looks like shit".

[zangetsu468]

Plottwist has a point re: Castlevania's physiognomy.

Ignore this article's text but have a look at the image comparison at the bottom http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/02/24/netflixs-castlevania-poster-shows-draculas-classically-bizarre-castle

What they got right was the throne room, but if we're staying true to CVIII I almost want to delete the bottom half of the castle on the poster.

I'm also not following why that tower to the left of the moon has to be there, there's clearly a throne room at the very top of the castle. The more I look at the castle's build (particularly the lower half) it's starting to look the Dracula's Castle from the Van Helsing film.

Sotn's Manga adaptation is an example where the artwork has stayed more true to the game:
Manga: http://img12.deviantart.net/b75f/i/2015/125/5/3/castlevania_sotn_manga__eng__8_by_diobrando-d1pfn0v.jpg
Game: http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/Masters/protogem/SOTN_1.jpg
Game (3d cutscene): http://www.relyonhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/castle.jpg

[theplottwist]

Plottwist has a point re: Castlevania's physiognomy.

Ignore this article's text but have a look at the image comparison at the bottom http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/02/24/netflixs-castlevania-poster-shows-draculas-classically-bizarre-castle

What they got right was the throne room, but if we're staying true to CVIII I almost want to delete the bottom half of the castle on the poster.

I'm also not following why that tower to the left of the moon has to be there, there's clearly a throne room at the very top of the castle. The more I look at the castle's build (particularly the lower half) it's starting to look the Dracula's Castle from the Van Helsing film.

Sotn's Manga adaptation is an example where the artwork has stayed more true to the game:
Manga: http://img12.deviantart.net/b75f/i/2015/125/5/3/castlevania_sotn_manga__eng__8_by_diobrando-d1pfn0v.jpg
Game: http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/Masters/protogem/SOTN_1.jpg
Game (3d cutscene): http://www.relyonhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/castle.jpg

See, this is why I praised the fact that they got the GENERAL disposition of stuff right. They did. There's even what appears to be the tower where Grant is, and the long bridge that collapses.

What is bugging me is that they took a design that doesn't look stereotypically evil, and turned it into stereotipically evil by adding far too many useless details just because "edgy", making the castle look haphazardly composited on the process. While it looks alive, that's not the point of the castle. It's so much not the point that Maria couldn't even realize it until Alucard told her that. The objective is for this living creature that is the castle to be DISGUISED from the common sense of people. If your common sense tells you immediately that the castle is evil as fuck, I'm sorry, but you failed to hide your sinister nature and the Church would be all over that followed by an army of pitch-fork-holding commoners.

[EstebanT]

I don't care what IGA had to say about anything. I love IGA as much as the next guy but he had nothing to do with Draculas Curse.

Also Dracula is not some magnificently crafted villain. He's as stereotypically evil as a villain can get. He was created as a five second explanation to explain why you're breaking into a castle killing monsters.

[theplottwist]

I don't care what IGA had to say about anything. I love IGA as much as the next guy but he had nothing to do with Draculas Curse.

Good, because that Japanese part I quoted there is a timeline summary from the original CVIII manual, down to the part of the Church only sending vampire hunters after Dracula is confirmed as a threat. Before that? Not a single word from clergymen at all, so much that Dracula managed to amass humongous power unrestrained. The manual even goes as far as stating Wallachia is Dracula's reign, implying that yeah, the people did lead a common life before his slaughter began.

Isn't research a beautiful thing? I can base my points quoting CVIII alone all day long, dude. IGA did have an involvement with the CVIII film, also written by Warren Ellis, who is writing for this. But if you want me to keep myself restrained to CVIII, I can do it.

For reference, this is the timeline summary:

(click to show/hide)

1476年〜
暗黒時代のヨーロッパ。ドラキュラ伯爵の人類虐殺が始まる。伯爵がヴァンパイアであると確信を得た東方正教会は、討伐への軍を派遣するが失敗。正統ヴァンパイアハンターの末裔、“ラルフ・C・ベルモンド”へ討伐を依頼をすることとなる。ラルフは、戦いの中で出会う、“グラント・ダナナスティ”、“サイファ・ヴェルナンデス”、そして、ドラキュラ伯爵の息子、“アルカード”と共に、伯爵を滅ぼすことに成功する。その強力な力ゆえに、人々に忌み嫌われていたベルモンド一族は、英雄としての道を歩み始める。

And THIS is the "boo hoo CVIII has no plot" manual story:

(click to show/hide)

15世紀ヨーロッパ。中世の暗黒時代に、恐るべき人物がいた。いや、既に人間とはいえなくなっていたのかも知れない。彼の名はヴラド＝ツェペシュ公。またの名をドラキュラといわれている。

ヴラド公＝ドラキュラは、彼の領地であるトランシルバニアのはずれ、ワラキア地方で、禁忌（タブー）とされていた術を使い暗黒邪神崇拝を復活させた。ドラキュラは邪神の力を借りて、魔界から次々と魔物たちを召喚し、ワラキア全土を暗黒と殺戮の焦土へとかえていった。

そして自分の領土を思いのままになぶり尽くした彼は、今度はその魔の手をヨーロッパ全土に広げようと図ったのであった。この事態を重く見た東方正教会は、直ちに屈強な軍隊を派遣したが、誰一人としてワラキアから戻って来る者はなかった。

なすすべのなくなった教皇は最後の手段として、裏世界に生きる者、禁じられた術を身につけた者、ヴァンパイア・ハンター達にワラキア討伐を依頼することを決意した。

教皇から最初に依頼を受けたのは、東方正教会の修道院で、修道僧としての修行を積んでいた僧侶のサイファ・ヴェルナンデスであった。サイファの能力は、主に大気の力を借りた強力な魔法で、火炎、冷気、光弾（ライトニングボルト）などを操ることができるというものである。攻撃力は絶大なものがあるが、武具を纏えないため、敵の攻撃を受けるとダメージを被りやすいという 欠点があった。サイファは幼くして両親を無くし修道院を渡り歩いていた為、かつて美しかったワラキアにも滞在していたことがあったのだった。その思い出の地が汚されようとしているのを知ったサイファは、教皇からの依頼を受けるとすぐさまワラキアへと旅立った。

時を同じくして、ワラキア国内でも、秘かにドラキュラ公に対して反発する者達が活動を起こそうとしていた。 しかし、いかんせん人間の力では太刀打ちできる筈もなく、逆にドラキュラ公の魔力によって、ある者は八つ裂きにされ、またある者は串刺しの刑にあい、そして他の者は恐ろしい化け物の姿に変えられてしまった。ワラキアきっての身軽な男、グラント・ダナスティもその中の一人であった。

一度その手を汚した者は、とどまることを知らない。ドラキュラ公は自らの力を絶大なものにするため、 その身を悪魔に売り渡すまでになっていたが、それだけでは満足せず、自分の息子にまで悪魔との契約を行うよう強要したのである。

彼の息子は、人間としての心を失っておらず悪魔に魂を売り払った父親に反発していたが、自分の体を人間で無くされるに至って、ついに父親に対し憎しみを覚えるようになったのであった。だが、悪魔そのものとも言える父に対し、一人で戦いを挑んでみても勝ち目があるわけはない。ドラキュラ一族 としての重い十字架を背負ったまま、彼＝アドリアン・ファーレンハイツ・ツェペシュは戦いを決意した。彼は「アルカード」と名を変え、地下に潜入し、父ドラキュラを滅ぼしワラキアを元の美しい国に戻すために、同じ目的を持つ同志を捜し始めたのであった。

しばらくして教皇は、苦境にたたされる事となった。ヴァンパイア・ハンターとしてワラキアに乗りこんだサイファが、約束の期間を過ぎても戻ってこなかったのだ。“戻らない”ということは、すなわち失敗＝死を意味する。

ここにきて教皇はついに、真正ヴァンパイア・ハンターであるベルモンド家にワラキア討伐を依頼することとなった。ベルモンド家は、そのあまりにも強靭な精神力と底知れぬ能力のため、一般の人々からは、ヴァンパイアと同じように受けとめられ恐れられていた。そのため、世俗から遠く離れてひっそりと生きているという、半ば伝説と化した一族であった。四方八方へ手を回し、教皇はついにベルモンド家の血を引く人間に会うことができた。まだ髪を切らぬ若者、ラルフ・Ｃ・ベルモンドがその人であった。

シモン・ベルモンドの時代を遡ること百余年、ドラキュラと人間の戦いは、ここから始まったのであった……。

Yeah. No plot at all. Reminder that this has absolutely 0% IGA in it, and that I didn't even add the tiny character description further speaking of story.

Also Dracula is not some magnificently crafted villain. He's as stereotypically evil as a villain can get. He was created as a five second explanation to explain why you're breaking into a castle killing monsters.

Nice opinion :^)

EDIT: I deleted the part saying EstebanT was moving the goalpost because I did honestly thought it was needless. But now that he has responded to it, I'm re-adding it: Yeah EstebanT is moving the goalposts; First thought my and Nagumo's opinion were silly. When I responded, said IGA's statements don't matter. When I responded presenting CVIII-only information, jumped to "yeh you're salty yeh"