Due to the fact that I am reviewing the finale, I will not hide many spoilers (except for the finale at the very end of the review). If you haven't seen it yet, continue reading at your own risk!
We are finally in the 4th season. The delays were due to 2 reasons - the first was a pandemic, the second was sexual harassment accusations against the show's creator. I informed about the case a month ago and since then, we have not received any specific information and we do not know if he is guilty, if the fault is on both sides (as in the case of Depp and Amber), or if it is just a lie. These two cases also reportedly affected its length. I have not found any specific information where it would be clearly written, but apparently the series was supposed to be even longer (which may be indicated by some threads that seem cut in some place, it is especially visible in Lenora). On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing? Not that I was complaining about the excess of episodes, but the first half of season 4 could be shortened by 2.5 or 3 episodes and the show would only benefit from it.
Why? Because many of their elements are redundant and do not add anything to the series. I am talking mainly about dialogues and scenes that were to show what our heroes are currently doing. Obviously, it was necessary to show something, because 5-6 episodes with the action itself, the so-called "meat" would be unsatisfactory for most viewers. Kind of like a dinner where we only have meat and vegetables, but no stuffing like porridge, rice or potatoes. For people who exercise and eat healthy, this is often normal, for the rest it is usually not. I do not blame the creators that some dialogues are only a time clog, something like a filler to increase the amount of content. Man does not live by the action alone and sometimes it is necessary to show scenes that only serve to deepen the interaction between the characters or show the way to their new goals. Nevertheless, at least some of them could be thrown away and the rest reassembled. The episodes would be more stuffed with content, but that wouldn't be a problem. The pacing is terribly lumpy - some parts were enjoyable to watch, others had a noticeably slower pace, but you still "floated" through the episodes and some were just tiring to watch. Not only because of the faster or slower pace, which made me regularly jump off the beat while watching, but also the editing, which was evident from how quickly we jumped from place to place.
To conclude on the flaws, I also think some dialogues or justifications for some characters' actions were stupid or very stupid. The Sorceress, for example in the first half of Season 4, had some idiotic conversations with Belmont that sounded as if they were being spoken by some teenage rebellious feminist. Or Saint Germain, who is looking for the infinity corridor because he wants to find his beloved. There is nothing wrong with the thread yet, but as he said "I'll finally have sex!", I slapped my hand on my forehead loudly. It was so fucking stupid that I genuinely felt faint hearing it. Commit so many crimes just to satisfy his needs, which he can fulfill with many others...
On top of that, Lenora was also disappointing, especially after her spectacular performance at the end of Season 3. Ok, I understand that she had to suddenly change her mind, or rather, Carmilla did not give her the opportunity to achieve her goals, but she might have had a plan B. Her ambitions were enormous, and when it came down to it, she obediently complied and ... She meant nothing this season. The man was getting ready for another interesting plot, which disappeared as quickly as the first snow. It was different in the case of Stryga and the fourth sister - their breaking of the plot was properly thought out and implemented. They were outside the castle during Isaac's attack, and as they approached him, they felt Carmilla's death. They had two options then - either to let themselves be murdered (because if Carmilla died, they would at least have to fight a hard fight for survival) or forget about the Vampire Quartet and find a new place to live. It is true that their plot in S4 does not matter to the whole, but at least they do anything meaningful - i.e. operate at the front, carrying out Carmilla's orders. Besides these things, a few more little things pissed me off, but since I don't remember them, they probably weren't that important.
Before I go over the advantages, a few words about the plot. Right now, I don't know games, so don't expect me to tell you if it's a good or bad adaptation. From what I heard from friends, the creator of the series quite faithfully transferred the lore to the animated form. I do not know how it is in the game, but from what I understood this thread in the series, Dracula is an integral part of our world. You can kill him temporarily or immobilize him for a while, but he will always come back, because that's his nature. Various beings, for different reasons, are trying to bring it back. Some vampires because they lack a leader, some fanatics because they are mentally ill, Hektor because he has remorse that Tepesz died because of him, the final boss - because he needs him. Maybe my interpretation is pointless, but when I heard the texts spoken by various heroes about Dracula and the fact that it cannot be permanently destroyed, I thought about how Andrzej Sapkowski or the creators of the series "Dark" explained what destiny is. Dracula's destiny is to murder creatures, support Satan in this work (in one scene it was explicitly said that Tepesz likes to criticize him), motivating people to self-development - in terms of gaining knowledge, becoming better, or improving self-defense skills. If some possibilities are blocked, then nature, God, destiny, or whatever we try to call it, will always find a way. Just like a man who wants to do something, but almost all possibilities have been taken away from him, so he has to think outside the box and look for such solutions.
As for the advantages, I have to start with a fanservice. As I said, I only played "Super Castlevania IV" on the SNES, so in Seasons 1-3 I didn't see much of my familiar stuff. In 4 it was better - I saw a few monsters I know, one of my favorite weapons (the chakram that Trevor used), and the finale ... God, it was wonderful. But I will write about it at the end, so as not to spoil someone's impressions. I did not ask my friend and colleague (greetings to you, Krystian and Ola) how detailed the lore of games was given, but since these two are much more meticulous and consistent than me in finding errors and inaccuracies, I take their praise at face value. Generally, it was done right, if the creators did something wrong, these are probably not important matters.
The second biggest advantage is the great structure of the fights, i.e. choreography, brutality and effective blows. When Striga wore her famous armor, which resembled Guts from "Berserk" (a "funny" coincidence, just at the time its author died), she felt even more powerful than normal. And how she started chopping people with a huge sword as if they were farm cattle and she was a butcher ... Honey and poetry for the eyes. It was with great pleasure that I watched her move like the Higher Vampires in "The Witcher: Wild Hunt," and pound her enemies to pieces. If you like to watch scenes where blood is spurting, arms and legs flying across the screen, this season you will have plenty of it! The sorceress also showed great creativity in murdering. She is a petite girl with a muscular vamp, but why should she need pounds of muscle when she can get the same effect by controlling and manipulating ice and fire? She beautifully stuck icicles, burned alive or cut monsters in various ways.
However, that's nothing compared to Isaac and Alucard. The Carmilla vs Isaac fight as well as the final boss fight made it into my top-50 best fights I have seen in cartoons and anime in my entire life. They are also my current candidates for the best fights of 2021. I don't know if you know, but I love Sasori from "Naruto" and his fighting style. Using dolls or summons in the form of support, defensive shield, units with magical skills unavailable to their owner, etc. thanks Kishimoto, this is one of my favorite fighting styles. You can use it to make a real masterpiece in terms of choreography, show the fast pace of the fight or unconventional moments that we do not often see on a TV or cinema screen. Mainly because it requires the use of imagination and more drawing and animation work. And Netflix and their animators did it. His tactics, how Isaac moves, his ability to control summoned creatures ... It's just art. The same was Carmilla, who talked like an extreme feminist, but when it came to what, she showed that she had every right to do so. She is powerful, and as any mature or intelligent person knows, powerful beings always impose their will. The duel between the two was as wonderful an experience as Sasori's duel against Chiyo and Sakura. Same with Alucard, his combat sequences are also a work of art. He is a good man who must have become a bitter dick like his father because of various circumstances. It didn't take long, however, for he remembered his mother's words to use his powers and artifacts for the good of mankind. I loved watching him use his sword, turn into different animals, generally use his full assortment as if he were an admin from some MMORPG with unfettered access to the skills of all classes. And this show of his speed, something wonderful! Jumping from place to place, fast movement on every plane, no time-space limitations ... I love seeing such things! I have one, but minor, caveat - I missed a scene with a remix of Bloody Tears, like in season 3, when Trevor Belmont drew two lashes and began mercilessly lashing this summoner demon. Whip? Sorry to get the fuck off like his life depended on it. If I got such a video in Season 4, even in an equally short version, it would be enough for me. Well, this is a minor complaint, practically irrelevant considering all the advantages. Well, I would still hear the remix of the Vampire Killer song...
Since I started the subject of animation, I will say yes. At some points, I had the impression that the animation was not completely smooth, but I don't know if it's the fault of overloading Netflix's servers or the creators. If too many people watch Netflix series at any given time, there is a drop in quality. My laptop, although it is weak, copes well with animations in 1080p and only has problems when it is too hot or I have turned on too many programs that are running in the background. I looked at the final scene on YT while writing this and it looks like the creators didn't quite make it, but I don't think that is a big disadvantage. True, if the animation was smoother, like during the All Might vs Nomu fight from season 1 of "Boku no Hero Academia" or the special episode of Goku vs Jiren, I would not be complaining, but ... Is there anything to complain about? The key sequences were excellently animated and drawn, most of the scenes had no such problems, so I can accept some minor shortcomings. We have more epic and colorful scenes that evoke associations with the most spectacular fights "Naruto", "Bleach", "Dragon Ball Super" or "Hunter x Hunter". You can feel the strength and speed of blows in them, as well as the suffering of those who were hurt by them. There were some uglier elements, but it's no wonder - the animation must have a high budget, a lot of time and very good specialists to keep it equally high from the first to the last episode. In most anime (omitting tapes like DBZ, "Naruto" etc.) there will always be some scenes or fragments that have been made worse. Once, that you need to save money or perform a given scene worse to make a masterpiece from another. Two, as I said before - not all animations have the privilege of having a high budget, experienced and talented animators and having time for all of this. A simple example - "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood". How many shounens can this anime match in terms of technical execution?
This is the last paragraph, in the next I will give my commentary on the final episode! Before I go to the conclusion, a few words about two generals of Dracula. Hektor has finally shown that he is not just a sweet boy with as much charm as my dog. It is a pity that his role was not very significant and he was only an assistant to Isaac or the vampires. Isaac, in turn, got a satisfying ending. I would risk saying that this is the best created character in the whole "Castlevania". For a while I hesitated if Dracula or Alucard had more deserved the title, but after the last episode, I changed my mind. In the beginning, he was an extreme fanatic who did not recognize half his resources and always got his way (that is, when he could afford it, because he had to make a small compromise a few times). In the fourth season, he slightly changed his approach to life and limited himself only to eliminating Dracula's enemies. He walked the road, solved his problems and weaknesses, finding satisfaction and pleasure at the end. The summary will be short - it is a very good cartoon and a pattern of how games should be transferred to the language of the film. Hopefully this title will be cited over the years as an example of how it should be done. I rate S4 at 9/10, and the whole anime at +8/10. Watch because it's worth it!
The final fight was ... Majestic and overwhelmingly beautiful. As a child, I played platformers more often, because at that time you played whatever you could get your hands on. When I got involved in a game, I often imagined that I was the main character fighting against the final big Boss. When I watched the duel between Trevor and Death, I didn't know what to say, as rarely ever. I just sat there walled up and my mouth was moving but unable to utter a word. Probably the last time I had this with "Brolly", earlier with the film about Goemon from "Lupin III" and ... these are probably all examples from this decade. It happens a bit more often with very sad moments or scenes that take your breath away with their size (such as dropping a space colony to Earth in "Gundam the Origin", an effect similar to the fact that our planet was hit by a large meteorite), but it is completely a different kind of "emotion". The fight between Belmont and the vampire was the icing on the cake. Something that wasn't necessary after so many delicious scenes we've seen and yet got. It was the highest dimension of fanservice, 100% screening of many final matches in which our opponent grew larger as in "Power Rangers". Pure perfection on an emotional, animation and atmosphere level. It didn't even bother me that Death was an unexpected adversary. Mainly because he had a cool character (his lyrics showing a total contempt for the human race!), It was justified in a sensible way + we got foreshadowing in one of the first episodes of season 4. Besides, fighting the transgender Dracula could be funny. Don't get me wrong, I don't make fun of transgender people and their problems, I'm far from there. The thread with such a Dracula, despite its absurdity, turned out really well, but it would be such ... You know, a strange ending to the series. I don't know if I would react positively or not, whether I would be sitting in high heels or laughing at an absurd situation. Nevertheless, the idea of pissing Dracula on like this is masterful. Applause for Death. I'd get pissed off too and flood the whole Earth with blood if I were in his place. Think to yourself, you can't even have a good fight with your better half, because he is still with you. xD Well, this one, I will finish it at this point. How did you like Castlevania? :)
