Castlevania

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 7, 2017
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 301 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 249 out of 301
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 301
  3. Negative: 26 out of 301
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User Reviews

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  1. mugen_is_here
    Oct 18, 2017
    10
    I loved this show! I played a little of the original game so I cannot really comment on whether this brought out the game theme well enough. However, I would definitely say that if I see this TV series as it is, without caring about the original game, then I would say it's gripping as hell.

    I loved the character development. The variety of characters. the suspense build up in different    I loved this show! I played a little of the original game so I cannot really comment on whether this brought out the game theme well enough. However, I would definitely say that if I see this TV series as it is, without caring about the original game, then I would say it's gripping as hell.

    I loved the character development. The variety of characters. the suspense build up in different situations. The music. The fights. The style. Overall, I loved the plotline.

    I'm waiting for the next season.    … Expand
  2. veilex
    Jul 7, 2017
    10
    Not only is the series true to established cannon, but there are intertwined facets of the game threaded throughout the TV show, enriching it and adding flair in all the right ways. Add to that, the voice acting is amazing, and the characters are interesting. This show is sure to please, not only fans of the series, but anyone else who enjoys a quality show.
  3. Juggz
    Jan 15, 2018
    10
    I really loved it and I am a huge Castlevania fan from the beginning....the show didn´t dissapoint, only the lack of original OST
  4. ProGamerZix
    Jul 8, 2017
    10
    This is the first time I was introduced to the Castlevania universe and i just f*****g love it. It's R-Rated and the visuals and animation are stunning, but the thing that kept me interested was Dracula. His short performance is amazing and definitely the star of the show (for me at least)...
  5. Vercis
    Jul 7, 2017
    10
    Beautiful graphics, nice story and good characters. Being close to the feeling of the game yet offering something fresh. To bad only 4 episodes for season 1.
  6. Michaletos
    Jul 22, 2017
    10
    The first season was amazing! The only drawback is that it had only 4 20min episodes. The story, the characters, the animation is perfect! Can't wait for season 2!
  7. Mrcool1989
    Oct 29, 2018
    10
    Castlevania season 1 was great. Voice acting was on point as to was the story.
  8. Jax360
    Jul 8, 2017
    10
    one of the best animes ever after BRESERK original
    animation 9.5
    sound fx 10
    music 9
    voice acting 10
    story 10
    directing 10
    writing 10
    fun factor 9.5
    over all 9.5
  9. MovieNerd_EP
    Jul 7, 2017
    10
    Stunning animation, great voice-acting, well developed Characters and a dark, violent atmosphere make this season a must-watch.
    (I have not played the games, but from what i've seen of them, this also seems to heir closely to their art style)
  10. dieg657
    Jul 16, 2017
    10
    Lives up to Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse! Plot, Soundtrack, Characters, side histories, absolutely AMAZING! I can't wait for 2nd Season! Seriously candidate for GREATEST game adaptation in an animated series!
  11. LasPlays
    Nov 6, 2017
    10
    La verdad que lo que son los gráficos o animación mejor dicho me han gustado bastante.
    La historia y la forma que esta relatada del juego Castlevania se ve muy bien y creo que para mi gusto se merece un 10, no solo por la reseña de que se pueden hacer buenas series y películas de juegos.
    No como el mortal kombat o remedir a dragón ball revolution que esas si son una caca.
  12. SilentTactician
    Sep 1, 2017
    10
    Castlevania: Season 1 was something I watched in in one night and wished immediately that there was more. Excellent animation, voice acting, character development and embodiment of the video game. Kept to the core characters and captured the emotion/ambiance of the video game. Not for children as there are scenes of gore and slaughter. However, the gore serves a purpose and isn't a mainCastlevania: Season 1 was something I watched in in one night and wished immediately that there was more. Excellent animation, voice acting, character development and embodiment of the video game. Kept to the core characters and captured the emotion/ambiance of the video game. Not for children as there are scenes of gore and slaughter. However, the gore serves a purpose and isn't a main focus of the tv show but rather an accurate demonstration of what would happen if a horde of demons were released. Can't wait for a season 2!… Expand
  13. BillyHerrington
    Dec 30, 2017
    10
    Amazing how one good writer can make a 4 episode long season that great. I cant wait for more.
  14. Mordahuez
    Oct 28, 2018
    10
    Literally perfect.
    Season 1 is a first act, the beginning of a story, rather than a full season of content, but it isn't the fault of the studio that Netflix only ordered 4 episodes. Also, it is a perfect first act. Beautiful animation, acting, and voice work. The delightfully gory action and powerful character drama are all perfectly balanced. It stays true to the material of the games    Literally perfect.
    Season 1 is a first act, the beginning of a story, rather than a full season of content, but it isn't the fault of the studio that Netflix only ordered 4 episodes. Also, it is a perfect first act. Beautiful animation, acting, and voice work. The delightfully gory action and powerful character drama are all perfectly balanced. It stays true to the material of the games and pleases fans without pandering or alienating non-fans. Literally perfect.    … Expand
  15. demonicreviews
    Feb 11, 2019
    10
    IF YOU ARE AN ANIME LOVER FROM BACK IN THE 90'S YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THIS ONE ISN'T LIKE THE ONES THEY PRODUCE THESE DAYS.

    I went into thinking this was going to be a typical anime with the supernatural and demons, but funny enough this one caught me off guard. I'm always looking for new anime with a thriller type background and keeps me on edge with the story line and this one    IF YOU ARE AN ANIME LOVER FROM BACK IN THE 90'S YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THIS ONE ISN'T LIKE THE ONES THEY PRODUCE THESE DAYS.

    I went into thinking this was going to be a typical anime with the supernatural and demons, but funny enough this one caught me off guard. I'm always looking for new anime with a thriller type background and keeps me on edge with the story line and this one did exactly that.

    From the characters and where they come from, the build up of the side characters telling us about their current situation, to the sheer sorrow of Dracula and his son. I haven't played the games, from what I've heard, this animation adaption is far from what happens in the games, but players of the game have also told me that this story shows the depth of how far the story actually goes.

    If you want something different from the usual anime - and its all in English as well, check this anime out. It's hilarious in many different ways, and will leave you emotionally attached to characters. There are many moments where it shows the true nature of humans of our society today and what we're all capable of.

    The animation is so beautiful that you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  16. Bruterake
    Nov 22, 2020
    10
    Eu achei praticamente perfeito, a animação, a dublagem e os personagens no geral. Em poucos episódios eles conseguiram passar tudo isso então vou de 10.
  17. Dip0
    May 19, 2021
    10
    Absolutely beautiful. Stunning visuals. Great execution.
    That's how you adapt a video game series. A totally fiery series.
  18. TheQuietGamer
    Jul 12, 2017
    9
    Netflix's new action-horror series based on the popular video game series gets off to a strong start. At only four episodes, each at 23 minutes a piece, the plot side of things is a little lacking. What we get is a basic set up for the rest of the series and an introduction to the protagonist, Trevor Belmont. Think of this first season as an extended pilot that's largely meant to pump usNetflix's new action-horror series based on the popular video game series gets off to a strong start. At only four episodes, each at 23 minutes a piece, the plot side of things is a little lacking. What we get is a basic set up for the rest of the series and an introduction to the protagonist, Trevor Belmont. Think of this first season as an extended pilot that's largely meant to pump us up for future episodes with it's strong visuals, gory action, compelling world, surprising sense of humor, and style. All of which it does excellently.

    Now I'm not saying there isn't any story to speak of. It clearly introduces us to the conflict, let's us know exactly who Trevor Belmont is, and even starts some world-building. It's just that these four episodes aren't quite long enough to fit a lot of that sort of stuff in, so it can feel a bit bare bones at times in that area. It manages to let us in on what the themes are though. The show does a lot of talking about how dangerous ignorance and the fear that comes with it can be. Particularly when religion is around to take advantage of them. It shows just how cruel the religious can be. Not an uncommon theme these days. Castlevania feels a bit unfair in it's depiction of Christians though. Not a single character with affiliation to the church isn't a bad guy. It gets to the point where the show is just as manipulative in it's depiction of the religious as it's religious characters are to the average person.

    I can't fault the minute-to-minute writing that much though. Mostly because the majority of it is taken up by clever and amusing dialog from Trevor Belmont. He is an immediately likable lead and excellently voiced by Richard Armitage. Despite the dark setting these episodes can be remarkably funny. Every now and then we'll have to suffer through some awkward, cheesy dialog whenever anyone wants to try and act tough, but it's worth putting up with.

    The animation is stunning. Kind of a mix between anime and old school Disney movies. It's liberal with it's use of blood and the action is crisp and exciting. It doesn't miss out on the flash and style. Along with the humor and strong characterization, it's that kind of thing that carries the show through when you realize that the plot isn't really going anywhere and the dialog stumbles.

    I can't help but compare it to the Devil May Cry anime series. Not only because this too is based on a video game series, but because it also nails the tone, action, and style needed to carry it forward. Plus it just does a lot of justice to the game series it's based on. Even with it's shortcomings in terms of writing, it has just what it takes to get people excited for the already announced eight-episode second season. If it steps up the writing, keeps the action and humor strong, and perhaps works on it's depiction of the religious then we are practically guaranteed to have a hit on our hands. As it stands now, we have an exciting and very enjoyable introduction to a series that shows a lot of promise.    … Expand
  19. Arzen353
    Jul 7, 2017
    9
    I thought it'd be mediocre at best but they totally nailed it.

    I had assumed this would be a PG-13 property, but it's crazy death metal, brutally violent animation all the way. Which is exactly what I want in a story that's basically like "Dracula's gonna murder everyone, go fight Satan's undead army." It literally rains blood & mutant fetuses while demons pour out of hell. It's also    I thought it'd be mediocre at best but they totally nailed it.

    I had assumed this would be a PG-13 property, but it's crazy death metal, brutally violent animation all the way. Which is exactly what I want in a story that's basically like "Dracula's gonna murder everyone, go fight Satan's undead army." It literally rains blood & mutant fetuses while demons pour out of hell.

    It's also just about the only videogame-to-film adaptation I've seen that doesn't feel like they just threw the script or order of events from the game in the garbage. It's obviously not quite the same, but the references to the game and sequence with the source material is obvious and compelling with characters being more fleshed out and an expanded backstory.

    The first season is also ridiculously short: Four episodes with a total run-time of 80 minutes, I'm guessing because they needed to do this season as a test run to see if there'll be any interest.

    About the only way I think could do better is in the soundtrack - ironically, the actual games had way better music despite being all chiptunes. If they couldn't use that, they probably should have gotten some good metal, but instead it's all serviceable, but forgettable, atmospheric stuff.

    Overall though, it's a huge suprise how great this is.    … Expand
  20. Kenmei
    Aug 13, 2017
    9
    Awesome "series" if extremely over the top. Can't ignore the elephant in the room though that this season is the length of a decent sized movie. Almost felt like Netflix was preparing to cancel it in case it was bad. But it's definitely not. I'm totally down for many more seasons to come from this. A good 10-12 episode would be amazing with this cast and performance level.
  21. mrmonster
    Jul 12, 2017
    9
    I am going to give it a nine just because of how short it was. if it was a little longer, it may have gotten a perfect ten. The four episodes were packed with excitement and great action. However, it was too short. Hopefully season 2 is a lot longer.
  22. JustinOhio
    Jul 7, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Video game adaptations are very difficult to pull off, with the biggest issue usually being the lack of faithfulness to the original source material. However, while Castlevania does go in a couple of questionable directions, it also manages to stay very true to the game that it's based on, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. The voice acting, animation, and story telling are all nearly flawless, which elevates this show even further. My biggest complaint is that it was WAY too short. Only four episodes, each only 25 minutes in length? Overall, it felt more like a large prologue then a season that could stand on its own. The wait for Season 2 just got that much longer. Hopefully, the next season will at least be twice the length. Other than that, I highly recommend this series. It's not the greatest video game adaptation (yet), but it's getting there.… Expand
  23. Ekoc_77
    Jul 21, 2017
    9
    wait what!, this is really good stuff, it is so great when you are watching something with no espectatives and end with Castlevania, great use of the IP, great story, great anime, it is just a freaking good show, goon on Netflix, it is one of the best use of IP i have seen in the last time
  24. nikwagh
    Jul 14, 2017
    9
    I rarely have any interest in video game adaptations, but this is a great show. Good characters, interesting plot and great animation - highly recommended. The only negative is that there are only 4 episodes, and they are around 20 minutes each.
  25. Bertoflyingfox
    Jul 12, 2017
    9
    A beautiful return-to-form for the Castlevania series. Loved the voice acting, animation, score, and plot. As a long time fan (first game came out in NA when I was 1), I couldn't be happier.

    Can't really fault this first season for much, it held focus across all 4 episodes. Now that the next season will have double the episode count, a lot more fleshing out can come into play....then I    A beautiful return-to-form for the Castlevania series. Loved the voice acting, animation, score, and plot. As a long time fan (first game came out in NA when I was 1), I couldn't be happier.

    Can't really fault this first season for much, it held focus across all 4 episodes. Now that the next season will have double the episode count, a lot more fleshing out can come into play....then I may have worthwhile criticisms.    … Expand
  26. Elias_Schmitz
    Jul 9, 2017
    9
    Besides the fact that it has only 4 episodes, it is still very good and has potential to be a very huge hit!! Can't wait for the second season. If you are a Castlevania fan or not, you should watch this
  27. Skeletal
    Jul 8, 2017
    9
    R-Rated Castlevania goodness! I really like how they showed Dracula's backstory, so you can actually understand why he is slaughtering all these people. The characters in general are very well written and funny. 4 episodes were not enough.
  28. Johnny_9-3
    Jul 13, 2017
    9
    This show is amazing. The gory action came as a surprise, but it made it even more entertaining to watch. I don't understand how people could score this below 5.
  29. BananaLuiz
    Jul 19, 2017
    9
    Incredible, a series made with affection for all fans of Castlevania, and also pleases people who do not know the game, beautiful animation, history and good characters, right pace and much violence, recommended for everyone and come the second season
  30. ClappyCamper
    Aug 22, 2017
    9
    Way better than I expected. The voice actors really make the show shine and the dialogue coupled with the underlying themes of the show are beautifully crafted. The characters feel like actual people and the plot contains some actual wisdom in it.

    The visual aspect alone makes the show worth watching. Both gruesome and fluidly animated, the fight/action scenes are very articulate and    Way better than I expected. The voice actors really make the show shine and the dialogue coupled with the underlying themes of the show are beautifully crafted. The characters feel like actual people and the plot contains some actual wisdom in it.

    The visual aspect alone makes the show worth watching. Both gruesome and fluidly animated, the fight/action scenes are very articulate and stimulating. Definitely give it a try.    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Matt Gerardi
    Jul 10, 2017
    75
    While the animation and writing in this first “season” occasionally stumble along the way, the series’ creators have gone above and beyond to wring a resonant story from a game that never really had or needed one. It’s a promising start, and while this isn’t saying much, that alone makes it one of the most successful video game adaptations to date.
    Read full review
  2. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Will Ashton
    Jul 10, 2017
    60
    Bleak, bold, blackhearted, brutal and very, very bloody, Netflix’s Castlevania is an uneven, weirdly paced but vividly realized and often captivating anime adaptation, one that propels the video game genre to newfound heights and a promising, if very short, glimpse at the show’s potential.
    Read full review
  3. Collider
    Reviewed by: Dave Trumbore
    Jul 10, 2017
    80
    This definitely isn’t kid friendly. And yet the violence and gore serves the story, one that’s not about a simple action-packed adventure of a trio of heroes wandering the Wallachian countryside, but the very real battle of complex heroes fighting for what’s right and protecting the innocent from darkness, death, and ignorance.
    Read full review
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