In May 2021, it was time to say goodbye to one of the most popular, bloodiest and ultimately best Netflix series ever. A good two and a half years later, it returns today – in a new guise: After “Castlevania” comes “Castlevania: Nocturne”.
Fans of animated entertainment aimed at an adult (or at least adult) audience are regularly served with exclusive highlights of this genre on Netflix – which, in addition to David Fincher’s anthology series “Love, Death & Robots” and the steampunk highlight “Arcane”, also include “Castlevania”. The animated series based on the Konami video game series of the same name thrilled audiences and the trade press from 2017 to 2021 before coming to an end after four seasons. At least for the time being. Because from today, 28 September 2023, you’ll find brand-new “Castlevania” episodes exclusively on Netflix …
… but not in the form of a continuation of the well-known story about vampire lord Vlad Dracula Tepes. Instead, you can expect a completely new story with “Castlevania: Nocturne”, which takes place hundreds of years after the events of the original series.
The good thing for all those who could hardly wait for the start of the series and are now already waiting in the wings to plunge into new “Castlevania” adventures: You can now stream the complete first season “Nocturne”, comprising a total of eight episodes. The disadvantage, especially for all binge-watchers: with episodes between 24 and 30 minutes long, it probably won’t take too long until you’re back on dry land. If the spin-off follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in terms of success and popularity, it is probably only a matter of time before there is another sequel. Should a sequel actually be made, however, it will probably be a while in coming…
First, however, it remains to be seen whether showrunner Clive Bradley will be able to trigger similar euphoria with the sequel. The parent series has already made an impressive start with outstanding ratings on various platforms such as IMDb (8.3 out of 10 stars) or Rotten Tomatoes (94 percent positive reviews)…
WHAT CASTLEVANIA: NOCTURNE IS ABOUT
With “Castlevania: Nocturne” we now go to the time of the French Revolution (after “Castlevania” was still set in the middle of the 15th century): In 1792, uprisings and political executions are the order of the day. And while the civilian population no longer wants to be ruled by unworldly rulers, the high nobility feels the wrath of the citizens. The upper class thus has no choice but to get creative. In order to secure their dwindling power, they are ultimately forced to resort to methods that are as harsh as they are unorthodox:
A mysterious vampire is to win the battle for them – and crush the revolution once and for all. But the price is high: in return, the bloodsucker wants to subjugate humanity himself and impose his regime with the support of sinister creatures. The sorceress Annette (Thuso Mbedu) takes up the fight against the seemingly invincible bloodsucker…
