Topic: Animated series reviews.

[AlexCalvo]

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

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

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

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

More love.

[piscesdreams]

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.

[TatteredSeraph]

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.

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.  

[Dracula9]

Sidenote:

Obvious Trevor/Sypha meetcutes.

Thoughts?

[JohannGralog]

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.

[Wallachia]

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.

[TatteredSeraph]

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.

[AlexCalvo]

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.

[JohannGralog]

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.

[Dracula9]

A Reductio ad Hitlerum

I'm stealing this.

[TatteredSeraph]

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. 

[Holy Diver]

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.

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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:

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.

[crisis]

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

[aensland]

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I just witnessed Trevor whiping shirtless Alucard.

Give this guy a promotion.

Now.

[Shiroi Koumori]

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.