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Netflix & Kill—Review: 'Castlevania'

SPOILERS AHEAD, SPOILERS

By J.R. GonzalezPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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Image courtesy Netflix

Castlevania is an incredible animated show that I never want to see as a live feature. The Netflix-exclusive show based on the video game series is exactly what you need if you like a smart, gory and well-told story. The show takes the legend of Dracula and it gives it a unique angle. This angle shows Vlad Dracula Tepes not as a monster that feeds on the living. Instead, the audience can see Dracula as a husband whose world is shattered after the church burns his wife at the stake.

The story begins on Walachia in the year 1455. A brave woman named Lisa approaches the castle of Dracula in search of medical help for the town's people. Dracula is intrigued by the lack of fear of the woman and her kindness towards others. Dracula agrees to help the women and both of them seem to forge a special bond. Fast forward 20 years into the future and the crowd erupts as Lisa is burned at the stake for practicing "witchcraft." In true nature, she was using technology, but the Bishop decides that her actions are sins that only fire can clean.

Dracula comes back to find the terrible news of his wife. Vlad says as blood tears pour down his eyes, "If you love me as a man, live as a man. Travel as a man," remembering his wife plead for him to embrace his humanity. Dracula appears in front of all the people that celebrated the murder of his wife and gives them one last chance. One year to make their peace as he will return and will unleash his hell army on everyone. One year passed and the people celebrate believing that nothing could damage them and that the devil is a liar. As they celebrated, blood and demon fetuses start raining down on the people. Dracula's castle rises out of what appear hell and demons start slaughtering everyone. This is just episode one.

No Need for Video Game

Image courtesy Netflix

Although this series is only four episodes long, it covers a lot of content. The audience is introduced to great characters like Trevor Belmont, the last son of House Belmont. House Belmont, once a powerful house of demon hunters, has been excommunicated from the church for their practices of what they believe is the dark arts. Trevor must restore the name of his family and protect the people of Walachia from Dracula. Sylphia Belnades is a sorcerer from the tribe of the Speakers who refuses to give the land to the creatures of the night. Also, Adrian Tepes, Dracula's son, will battle his own father to protect the people that his mother tried to help and ending costing her life.

The show touches on a lot of serious issues. Issues like the power of religion and how people can be influenced to do incredible things when they seek salvation. The show also touches on how standing idle in the presence of something that's wrong does not make you less guilty. As Trevor Belmont puts it, "For evil bastards to win power, all ordinary people have to do is stand aside and keep quiet." In this matter both Belmont and Dracula seem to agree. Failing to do something in the presence of evil does not make you innocent but it does raise a question. When you witness something wrong or evil, do you do something and risk danger to yourself and loved ones or do you do nothing? The answer might seem simple but when an army from hell is coming for you it might be a bit harder.

Castlevania's first four episodes are available now on Netflix. According to Netflix, the show will be renewed for a second season that's eight episodes long. Whether you are long fan of the video game series or just a fan of well-scripted gory anime shows, this is something that you want to sink your fangs into. Make sure to check out the trailer below.

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J.R. Gonzalez

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