Castlevania Season 2 - Reviews

The second season of Castlevania builds upon the solid foundation laid by its inaugural season, expanding its narrative scope and delving deeper into its characters, lore, and the intricate dynamics of its dark, gothic world. With a longer season that allows for more detailed storytelling, this continuation not only explores the consequences of Dracula's war on humanity but also introduces internal conflicts within the vampire ranks and the complexities of the human characters fighting to save their world.

A Richer Tapestry Unveiled

• Expanded Lore and Character Depth: This season excels in fleshing out its characters, providing backstories and motivations that enrich the narrative. The introduction of new characters, alongside the development of familiar ones, adds layers to the story, making the conflict more nuanced and compelling.
• Strategic and Emotional Complexity: The season delves into the strategic aspects of the war between humans and vampires, showcasing the planning, alliances, and betrayals that come with it. These elements, combined with the personal struggles and growth of the characters, create a multifaceted narrative that engages both the intellect and the emotions.
• Visual and Narrative Ambition: With its extended episode count, the season boasts more ambitious storytelling and breathtaking animation. The action sequences are more elaborate, and the exploration of the series' dark themes is deeper, benefiting from the additional screen time to unfold the story.

Shadows Cast More Widely

• Engrossing Character Dynamics: The dynamic between Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard continues to be a highlight, with their developing relationships and teamwork providing both heart and humor amidst the darkness. The introduction of characters like Hector and Isaac adds complexity to the vampire side, offering perspectives that question morality and power.
• Artistic Mastery: The animation quality remains exceptional, with detailed character designs and fluid, dynamic action sequences that stand out as some of the best in the genre. The atmospheric use of lighting and color enhances the gothic horror aesthetic, creating a visually stunning experience.
• Emotional and Philosophical Depth: This season explores themes of loss, betrayal, and the quest for power in more depth, presenting a philosophical inquiry into the nature of humanity and monstrosity. The emotional weight of the characters' journeys is felt more profoundly, making for a richer, more engaging story.

A Few Shadows Linger

• Pacing Variations: While the expanded episode count allows for deeper exploration, it also results in occasional pacing issues. Some episodes may feel slower as the narrative takes its time to develop the plot and characters, which, while enriching the story, might test the patience of viewers looking for constant action.
• Complex Narratives: As the plot thickens, the intertwining stories and motivations can become complex, potentially overwhelming viewers who prefer more straightforward storytelling. However, this complexity is also what gives the season its depth and richness.

In the Light of the Moon

• A Symphony of Horror and Beauty: The second season of Castlevania is a masterful continuation of the saga, blending horror, action, and deep emotional storytelling. It respects its source material while daring to explore new territory, setting a high standard for video game adaptations.
• A Dance of Darkness and Light: Through its exploration of dark themes against the backdrop of a battle for the soul of humanity, the season offers a compelling narrative that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. It stands as a testament to the potential of animated series to deliver stories with the depth and complexity of any live-action show.

In conclusion, the second season of Castlevania is a triumph that expands the series in every direction, offering a deeper, more nuanced story that captivates and entertains. It successfully balances the expansion of its world and lore with the development of its characters, delivering a season that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant. For fans and newcomers alike, it solidifies Castlevania's place as a landmark series in the animation landscape, promising even greater adventures in the darkness to come.

The show is very violent and gory,but it could have been much better.Why do people think this show is a masterpiece? Although it isn’t complete garbage,it’s nothing to write home about.Maybe season 3 will be better

This will be my overall review for season 1 & 2 because I mean...idk why they even spilt the two honestly. Added together its still 12 episodes. 

Okay so I've been a fan of the castlevania games, the first one I played and beat was when you played this girl named Shanoa who had an armory of weapons she summoned from her back and was cool as cool gets. The ending of that game left me emotionally damaged and I've loved Castlevania and its darkness since (despite how much it hurt me). 

I was a little hesitant getting into this anime because of my love for the games but overall I am glad I did. I really loved how they executed the characters and the personality they gave them. The art in this anime is also wonderfully done, but the characters admittedly move a bit stiffly in all their beauty when their aren't doing cool fight scenes. That last fight scene with Dracula was intense and I really loved how it was done but honestly I kind of wish it didn't have to end the way it did with Drac. Alucard = most beautiful man I have ever seen. 

The environment and gore in this anime were all fitting and I have to admit I enjoyed the fate of some of those church members. Those lines from the demons though, perfect. 

Overall I can't wait to see what season 3 brings us and I hope Alucard can find happiness. 

Castlevania is a series based off of the Video Game franchise 'Castlevania', specifically 'Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse' (along with some elements from 'Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'). The 2nd season premiered on Netflix on October 26th, 2018 and is 8 episodes long, each being roughly 26 minutes. As of the time writing this review, there are 4 seasons. This is a review for Season 2.

I recently finished the first season of Castlevania and was absolutely blown away. The animation was gorgeous, the characters were amazing and the story was entertaining. After such a fantastic first season I was left wanting more and excited for what's to come. I have just finished Castlevania season 2 and it was everything I wanted plus more! Let's take a look and see why Castlevania season 2 is absolutely 'Fang-tastic'!

I think the first thing to point out about this season is its length. It's 8 episodes long, twice as long as the previous season. The length of season 1 was one of my main complaints, so I'm super happy that season 2 is much longer. However, because of its longer length, it feels much slower than season one. I really REALLY enjoyed this season so I'm going to get my only complaint out of the way. 

I'm fine with slower stories, in fact, in some cases, I prefer them. They can help characters grow as well as allow for world building, which this season does really well. However, around the middle of the season the story starts to drag on, mainly when the heros are onscreen. You see, much to my enjoyment, this season focuses a great deal on the Vampires. I thought that, while really enjoyable, season 1 felt kinda one-sided as we saw very little Dracula throughout the whole season, which I wasn't too happy with as he was my favourite character in that season. So while the show focuses mainly on the Vampires, we still see our heros and they're also given stuff to do. I'll talk about them more later. My main complaint is based on what they're doing and how it links back to the seasons length. For about 4+ episodes (over half of the season) the trio stay at the Belmont family mansion as they look for knowledge, gear and other things to help them on their quest to take down Dracula. I'm fine with this, in fact, we get some great scenes with these guys. From them fighting the intruding monsters of the night to some adorable moments between Sypha and Trevor (once again, more on them later). The actual mansion is super cool too. The main problem is that these moments are really short, making it so that the majority of the time we spend at the mansion is wasted due to nothing happening. It's like a loop; they make no progress, Alucard complains or is unhappy and Trevor is grumpy. It's like this for at least a solid 3 episodes, so it really slows down not only the plot, but any potential growth the characters could go through. It wastes time and is a huge missed opportunity for something worthwhile happening. It feels like episodes 2 from season 1 but stretched out. I really wasn't a fan of the middle of this season. Anyways, that's enough ranting, time to talk about what I liked/ what the season does right (AKA literally EVERYTHING ELSE!).

Instead of talking about the animation first like I did in my season 1 review, I want to take a bit of time to talk about the story and the characters first. Trevor, Sypha and Alucard are continuing their mission to take down Dracula and save all of humanity. Trevor suggests that they should visit his childhood home, the Belmont family mansion to look for help as well as tools to assist them on their journey. Meanwhile, Dracula is building an army thanks to the help of 2 humans, Hector and Isaac (his Forgemasters). Conflict is stirring up in Dracula's War Council about whether or not Dracula's strategies are good. Suddenly, Carmilla, the Queen of Styria and a manipulative, cunning but powerful vampire appears before Dracula with a solution. However, little does Dracula know that secretly behind his back, Carmilla is planning a devious plan to overthrow Dracula and take over his castle.

Season 2 introduces a bunch of new characters as well as expand upon old ones. The 4 notable newcomers include the previously mentioned Carmilla, Godbrand, Hector and Isaac. Out of these new characters, Carmilla is definitely my favourite so far. While being a really cruel person, the writers do a fantastic job at making her feel like a genuine threat as well as make her feel incredibly competent as she is able to outsmart Dracula as well as manipulate and seize control of one of his Forgemasters, Hector. I won't talk about Hector just yet as I've heard he gets more character development in season 3. It's the same for Isaac but he is much more developed than Hector as of now. He is incredibly loyal and wants humanity to be eradicated due to his previous experiences. As of now, he is definitely my favourite of the two as he is of course loyal but also very intelligent. The last new character is Godbrand, a very immature viking vampire, who, according to Hector, has never met anyone who he didn't kill, fuck or make a boat out of (he loves boats). I'd have to say that out of the 4, Godbrand is definitely my least favourite. I don't hate him, I just tolerate him. He actually doesn't get any character growth at all, unless of course if you count him no longer wanting to sleep with Carmilla that is. Overall, season 2 introduces a lot of cool new characters, but what about the old cast? Well, I'm happy to say that not only did they get a lot of character development, but I also may have a new favourite character.

First things first, Dracula. This season gives him so much development and I'm so happy they did. His character and his emotions feel so real that you may end up rooting for him. This season allows us to see a different, more human, side of Dracula rather than the bloodthirsty menace we side of him we saw in season 1. He is still grieving the loss of his wife. He used to, as he said, care about the finer details of death but now, he doesn't care and just wants them dead. He has lost his spirit, his drive, his passion. He is truly dead.

Now it's time to move onto the main trio, Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades and Alucard (Adrian Tepes). Starting off with Trevor. Out of the main 3, Trevors character has definitely grown the most. Previously he had been an apathetic drunk that never took things too seriously. It fit really well with the apocalyptic setting the show was going for. Just like Dracula in season 2, he had no drive, no passion (other than alcohol of course) and he had no spirit. That was until he met Sypha and Alucard and started their quest to defeat Dracula. He has matured a lot since season 1 and seems to be a lot happier too. We learn that surprisingly Alucard had more of a childhood than Trevor (even though he is the son of Dracula himself) as Trevor was forced to fend for himself from the age of 12. He never had a real childhood and when we first meet him, he is incredibly immature. However, he is no longer like this (well, at least not to the same level as he was in season 1, he is still the same old hotheaded bad-ass Belmont we all know and love) as he finally has the one thing that has made him feel complete; a family. He has been so lonely up until he met the others and now he finally feels cared about. It's not just us who see his character evolve and grow though. Sypha and Trevor have grown incredibly close to each other and as Sypha said, it feels like she is finally talking to an adult man. Their interactions between each other throughout this season range from being incredibly cute and adorable to being unbelievably funny and entertaining. This leads me onto the next character as well as my new favourite in the entire show: Speaker Magician Sypha Belnades.

Out of the main trio of characters, I'd say Sypha probably receives the least amount of development. However, she is easily my favourite character. In season 1, we only saw Sypha for about 1 and a half episodes. In season 2 though, we see her for all 8 episodes. While her personality doesn't change or grow, we simply get to see more of her character instead. I can imagine they'll give her lots of development in future seasons but if they don't, I'd be fine as I said before, she is my favourite character. She is witty, funny, clever, competent, charming, adorable and incredibly bad-ass when she wants to be. Seeing her use her powers to fight enemies and monsters is a wonderful experience. The way she uses some of her abilities is incredibly creative and offers much appreciated variety to the action scenes. She is a joy to watch whenever she is onscreen and brings some much needed humour to the show when needed. While her individual character doesn't seem to grow, we still see her bond with Trevor and Alucard grow, especially Trevor. Those two make a fantastic pair and I hope their relationship is explored and expanded upon in season 3! They are the ultimate power couple! Now it's time to move onto the final member of the trio and the son of Vlad and Lisa Tepes; Adrian 'Alucard' Tepes!

This season of Castlevania explores Alucard's motives more than his character. He says that they must kill Dracula but at the same time, he is experiencing internal conflict. In saving humanity, he must vanquish his father, the only family he has left. We get some really emotional scenes with Alucard, especially towards the end. There are two scenes in particular that really portray his bond and relationship with his father, Dracula.

In episode 7, Trevor, Sypha and Alucard all fight Dracula and his forces. We get to see some of the most phenomenal action scenes in an animated piece of media I have ever seen (more on the animation later). Before the fight begins, we see that a Blood Moon rises above the castle, casting a deep crimson glow upon the castle. Upon seeing the moon, Dracula's eyes turn red. I believe it may represent his anger and his hatred. It will be important later. In the final moments of the battle, Dracula and Alucard fight among themselves, separated from Sypha and Trevor. They start throwing incredibly strong punches at each other, sending them flying through walls. During their fight, they exchange some words. Alucard tells Dracula that he will put an end to his plans of mass genocide in the name of his mother, as she is a human. But Dracula says in return that the whole war rages on in the name of Alucards mother, as Dracula wants revenge on humanity for destroying the only one he ever fell in love with. This moment of dialogue serves a greater purpose than simple padding, it shows that Alucard and Dracula are both different and the same. They both care about the same person. It allows for the two to reflect upon their motives and also serves as a way of allowing the audience to connect more with these characters.

Their supernatural brawl brings the pair to a bedroom. With a bit of a closer inspection, Dracula realises it's none other than Alucards room. Dracula stops fighting after he realises what he is doing to his boy, his only gift from his wife. Alucard grabs a piece of wood that had been broken off from his childhood bed. He intends on staking his father. However, he hesitates for a bit. In an earlier moment, when the trio are finally leaving the Belmont estate, Alucard says that they must defeat Dracula to save humanity, but while he says this, he has a deeply sorrowful expression on his face. He knows this is what is best for humanity and his mother's people but he isn't sure if this is the best for him. It's his father after all. His sorrowful expression then turns into a face of confidence and courage. He realises and tells himself that his father 'died' along time ago, when his mother died. This is correct as we know that Dracula no longer seems to care about anything. He is not (fully) dead on the outside, but he sure as hell is on the inside. After a few moments, Alucard stakes Dracula. Dracula let's it happen before saying "for love" and perishing. Dracula's crimson eyes revert back to their original form, signifying that he is finally at peace. It's truly a sad but incredibly deep moment, for the characters and the audience. 

The second scene I would like to talk about is one of the very last of the entire season. Trevor bestows the Belmont Mansion to Alucard and tells him to turn it into something great. Alucard also has Dracula's Castle to look after too; "The combined knowledge of his father's people and the combined knowledge of his mother's people". After saying his farewells to his friends, he returns to the castle. After inspecting it closer in its smashed up state, he realises that this is what it must have felt like to his father before he met his mother, dark, gloomy and horrifying. Alucard takes a walk around the castle before ending up in Dracula's old private room, where he would sit and think about any current and ongoing situations in life. Alucard spots his father's throne and sits in it. As he watches the hall from across the room, he sees what looks like a younger version of himself run down the hall, giggling and laughing, before being grabbed and cuddled by who appears to be Lisa Tepes, his mother. She looks back at Alucard and smiles, before fading away and out of existence. A strong feeling of sadness and loneliness washes over Alucard as he begins to cry; he now knows how his father felt for so long.

I'm really happy that the original characters got so much development instead of being ditched completely for the newer cast. It made me love them all so much more and added another layer of humanity to them, even Dracula. I hope to see a lot more of them in the future seasons.

Season 2 also expands and builds upon the world it has established. We learn so much about the history of the land, the history of vampire kind and the history of the Belmont family. Apparently they were exiled from ancestral lands and excommunicated by the Church after rumours started to spread that they were performing black magic. The Belmonts have been hunting vampires for centuries upon centuries since Leon Belmont swore to defeat the creatures of the night. The history of the land isn't the only thing we learn though. Season 2 explores vampire society and politics. We learn of new areas ruled by different vampires, such as Carmilla, who rules over Styria. I hope these aspects will be explored even more so in future seasons as it is quite interesting.

The voice acting for this season was really good! Just like last season, everyone gives a good performance! Because of the longer length of this season, we get to hear more of the voice actors and actresses. Everyone feels real in that their voices are very expressive and full of emotion. Graham McTavish as Dracula is fantastic as usual, especially during his fight with Alucard as well as when he confronts Godbrand. James Callis as Alucard is amazing throughout the season, making the character and his emotions feel incredibly genuine. Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont is such a mood. He brings so much to the series from being very witty and funny to being a complete bad-ass. Alejandra Reynoso as Sypha Belnades is simply perfect. She is incredibly funny, charming and, like her co-star Mr Armitage, a complete bad-ass. Last but certainly not least, Jaime Murray as Carmilla. She is absolutely fantastic in her role and she brings a sly and cunning performance as the ruler of Styria. Everyone else was absolutely fantastic and they all made the show 10 times better!

The music of season 1 was pretty good. It helped set the mood of the series a lot. If you read my season 1 review though, you would have known that, in my opinion, there was a lot of missed potential for the score due to the lack of original Castlevania Video Game music. Well, I was expecting season 2 to be the same but thankfully, in episode 7, I was proven wrong. The score was really good throughout the show, but all of it was completely blown out of the water in episode 7. When our courageous trio of heros first step into Dracula's castle, there is complete silence. The current battle between vampire kind is put on hold as everyone now notices the trio. Suddenly, both sides charge at one another, ready for a fierce battle, when all of a sudden, an incredibly EPIC version of 'Bloody Tears' starts playing! I lost my shit when I heard the iconic classic piece play! Bloody Tears and Divine Bloodlines are my two favourite Castlevania tracks, so I was so immensely happy with what I was hearing! 

Not only was the voice acting and the music absolutely phenomenal, but the actual sound design too, especially during the action sequences. Every punch, kick, bite and whip felt so satisfying and added another layer to the depth of the audio. It is absolutely incredible what they were able to do for the sound design. The peak of the sound design wa definitely during the fight between Alucard, Sypha and Trevor vs Dracula in episode 7. Every punch was followed by a satisfying and deep boom. Every time Trevor maneuvered the Morning Star Whip, there was a spine-chilling snap. Every time a fire attack was used, it was as if there was a real fire right beside you. It was amazing and the team behind the sound design for the series should be highly praised!

Last but certainly not least, the animation. So far Castlevania hass had some of the best animation I have ever had the pleasure of watching! The movements during action scenes, most notably the fights, appear to be fluent and incredibly lifelike most of the time. The style they chose fits the tone and setting EXTREMELY well, offering some gritty and gothic visuals to help amplify the mood of the show as well as some magical and enchanting scenes to help add to the otherworldly aspects of the show. Season 1's animation was just as good as season 2s, although my only problem was that there wasn't nearly enough due to the first season's incredibly short length of 4 episodes (it's more of a compliment than a form of criticism when your only 'problem' is the length). Thankfully, not only do we get to see more of Powerhouse Animation Studios magnificent work, but due to seasons 2s doubled episode count, we get to enjoy EVEN MORE! Season 1 had roughly 3 phenomenal action scenes while season 2 has about 6! My 3 favourites of this season were easily the first fight when the trio intercepts a travelling horde of monsters on their way to attack another city, the fight between the vampire soldiers and the trio when they first arrive at Dracula's castle and the final fight between Alucard, Trevor and Sypha against Dracula. These explosive and engaging moments show off flashy and gorgeous moves effortlessly being performed by the cast while also making for some great character interactions and development, for example, the final Dracula fight. If season 3 has fights even just on par with what Powerhouse Animation Studios has shown us in season 2, I'll be more than happy! Absolutely fantastic job on the animation!

Overall, 'Castlevania: Season 2' is a really deep and intriguing end to what feels like the first of two stories. It wraps up Dracula's arc as well as build upon our heros while driving them towards their next mission. This season/show is an absolute must watch for not just Castlevania fans, but rather everyone! With stunning animation, talent everywhere in the production and deep and gripping character arcs, Castlevania: Season 2 is an absolute pleasure to watch, even despite of its rather slow middle episode/s. Its best moments however, blend into a truly enjoyable and delightfully rich experience that will have you hungry for more. I'd 100% recommend this phenomenal masterpiece of animation!

I give 'Castlevania: Season 2' an 8.5/10

Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful!