Nocturne Season 2 achieves a rare feat for Netflix

In the modern era of streaming, very few shows last longer than one or two seasons. Netflix has probably earned the worst cancellation reputation For all streaming services. Although the company commissions and produces a significant amount of original content each year, very little of it lasts for as many years as shows did in the good old days of traditional television. Of course, there are exceptions, and with the release of Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne, there are big exceptions.

Yes, this is only the second season of “Nocturne,” but if you consider it an extension of the original “Castlevania” series, it is season six. Most sequel series are their own distinct entities, but in the case of the “Castlevania” team, several core members have made the transition between the two shows. Original creator, director, and writer Warren Ellis was dropped from the franchise between shows after allegations of misconduct, and was replaced by a team that includes writers. However, the directors and animators at Powerhouse Animation Studios are led by Adam and Samuel Deets, the composer Trevor Morris, producers Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert, and Adi Shankar were all on board from the beginning, giving both shows plenty of cohesion beyond their shared universe capabilities.

What’s even more impressive than getting six seasons of an animated video game on Netflix is ​​that every season of Castlevania is amazing. With the second season of “Nocturne” offering another outstanding set of episodes, the series has become a true rarity.

It’s difficult to make a list of shows that have been running for at least six seasons and have never declined in quality. Season 6 of “Game of Thrones” was as controversial as it was all the time like “The Wire” and “The Wire.” “Breaking Bad” only ran for five seasons Each, and many other popular high-genre shows like “Supernatural,” “Doctor Who,” or “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” had significant drops in quality.

Some viewers may argue that Castlevania stopped after the second season, as the third season of the original series was much slower. However, I think season three is some of the strongest material in the series, because it gives all the characters time to breathe, develop, and explore core themes like faith, grief, love, and loneliness. The first season of “Nocturne” changed things up again by giving the series a younger cast of characters, but the core of what made “Castlevania” great remained intact.

Yes, updating the story with a new time period and cast arguably helps keep things interesting, but it’s no easier to completely change a show’s story than to keep one arc going for five or six seasons. If anything, “Nocturne” was a huge risk when it first came out, as none of the characters fans loved from the previous series were there at all.

That might be a more appropriate comparison “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra.” While “Castlevania” is a more brutal, adult-oriented show, the “Avatar” franchise has a similar animation style, a level of supernatural lore, and a close connection between the original series and the sequel series. In both cases, the majority of the creative team moved from the first show to the second show, changing the tone and structure while keeping the important things consistent.

Ranking of each season of Castlevania It’s a challenge because they’re all great but in different ways. However, “Nocturne” Season 2 is near the top of that list. It doesn’t outperform the second season of the original series in my opinion, but it has a similar structure, increased tension, and an explosive climax.

The final two episodes of this season contain some of the best action the “Castlevania” series has ever seen. Alucard’s extended duel in Paris with Drolta and the multi-stage team against Erzsebet are true achievements of animation, no less impressive than Trevor’s battle against Death in Season 4’s “Castlevania” or the fight against Dracula in Season 2. What’s more, the character work – something “Castlevania” has always excelled at – remains incredibly strong. Everyone, even villains and heroes, gets exciting material here. Maria grapples with a devastating mix of grief and anger that nearly destroys her. Olrox struggles with his own morality, which is at times both enriched and conflicted by his selfishness.

We don’t know yet if Netflix will renew “Castlevania” for another season, but at this point, the franchise is eight years old, and the streamer wouldn’t be the same without it. Video games eventually transcend the present day and enter the near future, so there’s plenty of material available for adaptation if “Nocturne” ends and a third show with a new name succeeds it. Personally, I hope Castlevania continues for six more seasons, because after being so good for this long, I just want to see how far it can go.