Animated series "Castlevania" premiered on Netflix last week to generally favorable reviews. All four episodes were released on the streaming service for fans and viewers to check out.
The American horror-adventure show is based on the 1989 video game "Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse" by the Japanese entertainment company Konami. On RottenTomatoes, the series has received a rating of 91 percent from critics as well as 88 percent from audiences. Here is what critics had to say.
Matthew Byrd from Den of Geek said, "'Castlevania's' writing steals the show. While the dramatic story progression sequences are all well-handled and serve their purpose, it is the show's humor that will catch you off-guard time and time again."
The story is about a monster hunter named Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) and his struggle in stopping Vlad Dracula Tepes (Graham McTavish) from killing the people of Wallachia. However, how Dracula came to wanting to murder an entire nation is the tragic part.
Dracula's wife Lisa Tepes (Emily Swallow) whom he loved very much was one day accused by the Bishop (Matt Frewer) for witchcraft after discovering some scientific equipment in her home. Lisa was burned at the stake which devastated Dracula; thus, he swore to take his revenge on everyone through murder. This served as the dramatic impetus that pushed the narrative forward — which critics lauded.
Sarah Moran of ScreenRant expressed, "Filled with spectacle, fascinating characters, and a healthy dose of the macabre, 'Castlevania' proves a rousing tale for adaptation."
"Castlevania" with its spectacle and visuals can be attributed to its production team, Powerhouse Animation Studios, for coming up with the scripts. It was produced by Adi Shankar, who is known for his work on "Dredd," "The Grey" and "A Walk Among the Tombstones."
All four episodes of "Castlevania" are now available to stream on Netflix. It was renewed for an expanded 8-epsiode second season.
