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Castlevania Season 4 |OT| A Miserable Pile of Episodes (Tag your spoilers!)
- Thread starter Violence Jack
- Start date
Just finished S3 and S4 in a couple of days. Hot damn that was awesome! Bummed we aren't getting a S5 but I think they tied up the loose ends nicely. Really excited to see what this production team do next.
2>1>4>3
As its been said in the past, since 1 is all world building on the surface it can seem a bit slow (Think Game Of Thrones Season 1). It sets things up differently than you expect from a Castlevania series though so its entertaining particularly if you enjoy character work and if not its only 2 hours long. Season 2 is all payoff and just pure premium TV, just great high octane action and plotting and ends in a complete and very fucking satisfying arc.
You get a similar pattern in Season 3 and 4; but imho since the first arc was razor focused on the main characters you can argue its narratively tighter, while 3-4 worked with the wider world-building that happened previously.
The end of the journey is worth it, and arguably some of the best animated battles in the series (btw the quality big screen animated battles are consistent across the board across all the seasons).
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Thanks for the replies, you made me more excited about the show!
I've been a little bit more lukewarm on Castlevania than most but CHRIST season 4 is incredible. Loved it.
Episode 9 is a work of art. One of the most gripping half hours if TV I've watched.
The marvel/whedon quips were tiresome in the early part of this season, disrupted otherwise wonderful action.
The ending does feel very definitive.
The marvel/whedon quips were tiresome in the early part of this season, disrupted otherwise wonderful action.
The ending does feel very definitive.
I'm only on episode 7(?) but one thing I've noticed is a lot of these monologues have them repeat entire sentences from earlier in the monologue, often kind of randomly. I think they're doing it to be poetic but it just makes me think "wait didn't they already say that?"
Yeah, one of the chief criticisms of the season has been redundant dialogue in the monologue scenes.
Yeah, the show had some complaints, the chief of them being redundant dialogue in scenes featuring monologoues.
Finished S4 a few days ago, hot damn. I need to do a rewatch of the whole series again. Just fantastic all around.
Final battle(s) were awesome and had a pretty gripping story element to them, but for sheer choreography Isaac vs Carmilla is like GOAT tier animated battle. The way Isaac's army (and that one winged night creature) would interact with the battle, like extra appendages for Isaac, was amazing.
Death battle definitely felt like the closest thing to a video game boss fight I'd seen in film.
All that being said Lenore's death felt... kinda forced? Like I get what they were going for but after her speech about things changing I was like "You could literally just sit in the castle for a few decades and then be free to leave again after Isaac dies of old age, or much sooner if he gets bored." Very minor thing for me, though.
Death battle definitely felt like the closest thing to a video game boss fight I'd seen in film.
All that being said Lenore's death felt... kinda forced? Like I get what they were going for but after her speech about things changing I was like "You could literally just sit in the castle for a few decades and then be free to leave again after Isaac dies of old age, or much sooner if he gets bored." Very minor thing for me, though.
Season 1: 7
Season 2: 8
Season 3: 9
Season 4: 10
No joke. The first season isn't much of a season since it's more of a prologue, but it just keeps getting better and better after that. I know people complain that the third season is too slow, but it provides vital character moments that aren't just enjoyable but also matter so dang much in the fourth season that you'd be remiss to skip it.
Right, a recurring critique was how circular the conversations were, especially when characters would give spiels. Using different words to say the same thing again.
New season/series just announced.
Showrunner Clive Bradley
Richter Belmont
Set in France during French Revolution.
Showrunner Clive Bradley
Richter Belmont
Set in France during French Revolution.
Netflix Geeked presentation going on right now with lots of gaming show announcements.
Hooooly shit!!
But Richter as the offspring of Sypha and Trevor...?
They are skipping my boys Christopher and Simon... I gotta say that's mighty disappointing... :(
But Richter as the offspring of Sypha and Trevor...?
They are skipping my boys Christopher and Simon... I gotta say that's mighty disappointing... :(
Unless Trevor and Sypha somehow had a kid 300 years after their adventures in the 1400s, they probably meant Richter as their descendant, given it's set in 1792, during the French Revolution.
Oooh you are absolutely right. I completely missed the time period.
Watched this through with my friends a week and a half ago and really really really loved it. Absolute genuine surprise at how good it was. I think there was some weird dialogue here and there, and the Season 3 and 4 plotting was odd (and that led to pacing issues) but really didn't matter to me cause I just had a blast overall. Hector, Isaac, and Lenore are the allstars.
Also the final episode left me a fucking blubbering crying terrible rotten mess. Just horrible anguish and tears throughout the entire thing and it's probably why I came away so positively despite the faults.
Also the final episode left me a fucking blubbering crying terrible rotten mess. Just horrible anguish and tears throughout the entire thing and it's probably why I came away so positively despite the faults.
Lenore and Hector deserved better but it was exactly the ending I knew would happen. Just how these stories go. Fuck. Just big sad baby tears. Couldn't handle it. I haven't been this smitten by a pairing in a decade. Like going back to highschool and writing sappy fanfic over terrible lovers.
For what its worth, I didn't even think of it but you are 100% right. And it would have been hilarious if someone had pointed it out in the show.
Just finished watching this today: AMAZING SEASON! Just so so so good!!!
Episode 9 is one of the best animated pieces I've seen in all of anime!!!
Trevor, Sypha and Alucard fucking killed it this season just HOLY SHIT!! Will post more detailed thoughts later.
Episode 9 is one of the best animated pieces I've seen in all of anime!!!
Trevor, Sypha and Alucard fucking killed it this season just HOLY SHIT!! Will post more detailed thoughts later.
That was pretty amazing.
Not as good as the ending to Season 2, but overall I think it was the best season.
Not as good as the ending to Season 2, but overall I think it was the best season.
I really enjoyed seeing Sypha and Alucard slowly grow in power. It was really well done how they came back together and I loved how they worked together, like when they are all trapped but the boomerang rips away one monster's arm causing a chain reaction.
Also I thought it was appropriate that Trevor went out like a boss and kind of did it by himself. That seems very true to the videogames. And like a video game the monsters similarly became much more menacing.
I was surprised by Trevor and Dracula and his wife all coming back to life. But honestly they all deserved a happy ending after all the shit they went through.
The Hector Isaac stuff was kind of unnecessary to me, but it was a nice side plot to fill out the series.
Also I thought it was appropriate that Trevor went out like a boss and kind of did it by himself. That seems very true to the videogames. And like a video game the monsters similarly became much more menacing.
I was surprised by Trevor and Dracula and his wife all coming back to life. But honestly they all deserved a happy ending after all the shit they went through.
The Hector Isaac stuff was kind of unnecessary to me, but it was a nice side plot to fill out the series.
Just got back to finishing this up. Finished episode 6. FUCK Isaac. What a boring piece of shit.
Also, I have no memory of how Isaac acquired
Also, I have no memory of how Isaac acquired
this cum Guardian guy he has. Did I miss something?
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Is he? I consider him a snooze fest. Especially compared to Carmilla.
I marathoned every season. Damn that was great. Awesome art and action, gripping story, cool characters, hotties everywhere. Remarkably satisfying ending too.
Alucard is my husbando. The goodest boi. And what a cool fighting style.
Alucard is my husbando. The goodest boi. And what a cool fighting style.
Finally got around to finishing this. Has some issues, some of which have persisted throughout the show's run, and others that have been more specific to this season (the monologue writing has been mentioned, I see).
The fights were some of the best in the series. Lot of fun there.
The Death reveal is cool, except that he still sounds exactly like Varney, who was portrayed as a total coattail riding loser. No disrespect to McDowell, but It's a weird fit for the intense grim reaper look, especially given that he changed his voice for the alchemist woman in the Infinite Corridor. Even a slight voice effect would have made him seem more intimidating. And he goes to the long-tired "fucking" well for all of his dialogue like most of the show's villains. I dunno, just felt like as the show's final major villain, he should have seemed more elevated; an ancient, almost elemental being. I think I'll be interested to see how the other show is written, 'cause at this point I'm pretty tired of Warren Ellis's limited flavors.
And he had no reason to reveal himself to Saint Germain before the ritual was complete. There's arrogance, and then there's just goofy villain stuff.
So maybe it wasn't so cool? Eh. the design and fight were nice.
Ending was weirdly definitive, given the expanded plans for this universe. Bit miffed that Isaac didn't make a final appearance. His own last episode was really cool, but if we're wrapping up this era, it would have been nice to see him take active direction, rather than just philosophical. He still has an army of night creatures just sitting around.
And he had no reason to reveal himself to Saint Germain before the ritual was complete. There's arrogance, and then there's just goofy villain stuff.
So maybe it wasn't so cool? Eh. the design and fight were nice.
Ending was weirdly definitive, given the expanded plans for this universe. Bit miffed that Isaac didn't make a final appearance. His own last episode was really cool, but if we're wrapping up this era, it would have been nice to see him take active direction, rather than just philosophical. He still has an army of night creatures just sitting around.
The fights were some of the best in the series. Lot of fun there.
Was never into Castlevania games, but so many new animated series started imitating its style that I figure I may as well watch it.
Season 1: An extended pilot, not really worth talking about
Season 2: The series at its purest. Belmont, Sypha, Alucard vs Dracula and assorted generals & night creatures. My favourite action scene of the series is the lobby fight. I have to say I could stare at Dracula's castle for hours. It's like an MC Escher painting, but grounded enough that it looks like it could actually function in our world.
Season 3: Everyone's factionalised so there's a lot more politicking and aimlessness. Took a while to find its feet but I ended up liking it. Isaac's amazing Magician battle came out of nowhere. You could have made that the build up of the entire season instead of a one-off enemy of the episode. They laid it on a bit thick with the Judge. I guessed what he'd done as soon as you see him washing his hands all flustered. Didn't need the multiple overlaid flashbacks and the characters spelling it out.
Season 4: Always loved Malcolm McDowell. Quite a scary creature design, even by Castlevania standards. The fight scenes did sort of pile up. They were good individually but so many together drained my attention.
Are there any Castlevania games with a similar tone? Find it impossible to establish a connection with the 2D stuff it's most known for. Have completed the N64 and Robert Carlyle ones. What about Castlevania: Curse of Darkness?
Season 1: An extended pilot, not really worth talking about
Season 2: The series at its purest. Belmont, Sypha, Alucard vs Dracula and assorted generals & night creatures. My favourite action scene of the series is the lobby fight. I have to say I could stare at Dracula's castle for hours. It's like an MC Escher painting, but grounded enough that it looks like it could actually function in our world.
Season 3: Everyone's factionalised so there's a lot more politicking and aimlessness. Took a while to find its feet but I ended up liking it. Isaac's amazing Magician battle came out of nowhere. You could have made that the build up of the entire season instead of a one-off enemy of the episode. They laid it on a bit thick with the Judge. I guessed what he'd done as soon as you see him washing his hands all flustered. Didn't need the multiple overlaid flashbacks and the characters spelling it out.
Season 4: Always loved Malcolm McDowell. Quite a scary creature design, even by Castlevania standards. The fight scenes did sort of pile up. They were good individually but so many together drained my attention.
Are there any Castlevania games with a similar tone? Find it impossible to establish a connection with the 2D stuff it's most known for. Have completed the N64 and Robert Carlyle ones. What about Castlevania: Curse of Darkness?