Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Castlevania Nocturne: Season 2 is the continuation of the action-adventure horror anime series produced for streaming video. The series features animation production by Powerhouse Animation Studios. Executive produced by Adi Shankar, Clive Bradley, Fred Seibert, and Kevin Kolde (the executive producer team behind the first Castlevania animated series). Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 is a dark and gothic vampire anime aimed at audiences who appreciate gothic storytelling.

Castlevania Nocturne: Season 2 continues as a Netflix original anime production created for the popular streaming service. The series has been licensed for home media release by VIZ Media in North America. The second season picks up the saga from the original season of the gothic saga. The sequel continues the journey. Castlevania Nocturne: Season 2 also works as a video game adaptation, too. The video games series was created by Konami.

Castlevania Nocturne: Season 2 explores the journey of Richter Belmont as he works alongside a group of vampire hunters – joining up with Alucard – on a mission that will test them to their core fiber. The group has come to face the Vampire Messiah, who is determined to get the full power of Goddess Sekhmet. The Vampire Messiah wants total darkness for the entire world. Can that ominous fate be prevented?

The second season of the series remains produced in the United States. Even despite the production being a Netflix original, the series remains strong at blending together the vibe of a cartoon and the aspects one expects from Japanese anime. The series has a style that is anime reminiscent and this classification makes sense for the cartoon. The background animation and artwork style is decidedly darker, too.

The series is a lot more intense and dark than most cartoons made in North America. There is a huge emphasis on blood and violence during the cartoon. The series is clearly aimed at a more mature audience compared to a typical family oriented series. Due to the mature content, the series is something many would outright mistake as being anime altogether – but it does remain a Netflix production. Fans of gritty television (such as HBO original programming) will find something that is appealing about the series.

The animation is one of the core highlights of the second season. Castlevania Nocturne: Season 2 continues the saga with dark and gritty animation. The aesthetic is far darker than a typical series. The cartoon remains steadfast in showcasing the dark visual sensibilities of the production, especially with the emphasis on the setting. The series feels evocative of period drama and even manages to add an extra element of edginess through this aspect.

The grittiness of the animation stands out. The animation team clearly brought back their classic style that was established with earlier saga installments. The season brings the animators more chances to flex those dark-gothic muscles and showcase the action-adventure-horror of the series. The cartoon is certainly enhanced a lot by the efforts of the animation team and what the team brings to the table.

The score composed by Trevor Morris (Castlevania) and Trey Toy adds to the gothic sensibilities of the series. The series music works in the same style as the original cartoon and its first follow up season. Building on what has been established, the music continues to push the saga forward.

Written by Clive Bradley, Temi Oh, and Zodwa Nyoni, Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 writers expand on the saga. The season showcases room for the writers to continue exploring the saga and its dark approach to storytelling. The storytelling is far moodier than a typical cartoon. Fans can expect the storytelling to remain similarly gothic and oriented towards fans of action-horror.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 continues to be well directed. The saga appeals to fans of the previous season and franchise. The fanbase will enjoy the continued emphasis on action-horror. The season has plenty of dark and gritty aesthetic qualities that set it apart as a more mature Netflix production. Fans looking for more from the saga will be pleased with the direction taken. The emphasis on atmosphere remains essential to the directing and storytelling, too.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation is impressive throughout. The transfer showcases gothic animation in spades. The Blu-ray release provides plenty of impressive visual elements.

One of the qualities of physical media is the superior encoding. Streaming video services can encounter more issues with streaming errors and compression artifacts. Physical media can provide a more consistent image without the variables of streaming services. This aspect can be important for collectors.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. English subtitles are provided on the release. Optional Spanish subtitles are also provided on the release.

The English surround sound track sounds impressive in 5.1 surround. The surround sound audio sets a good soundstage. The surrounds are used actively and the soundstage is all the better as a result. The score is well integrated and emphasized on the sound mix. The results are impressive and make a big difference. The release also is all the better for the myriad of Spanish language audio options being provided for Spanish speakers. Optional English subtitles are also provided.

One of the cool things about physical media is the lossless audio encoding. Blu-ray disc provides lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services are limited to lossy (not lossless) audio encoding. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, the audio quality difference can matter and make a big impression.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice o-card slipcover on the first print run.

On disc extras include:

Art Galleries:

Characters includes 78 click-through slides.

Background includes 78 click-through slides.

Props includes 43 click-through slides.

FX includes 22 click-through slides.

Storyboards –

202 – Fire It Is includes 107 pages of storyboards.

204 – Now It's My Turn includes 149 pages of storyboards.

207 – Bloodlines Reunited includes 107 pages of storyboards.

207 – The Earth Needs The Dawn includes 34 pages of storyboards for part one and 23 pages of storyboards for part two.

Animatics –

202 – Fire It Is (HD, 2:27)

204 – Now It's My Turn (HD, 3:02)

207 – Bloodlines Reunited (HD, 2:44)

207 – The Earth Needs The Dawn (HD, 2:52)

Trailers (HD, 4:57) & Trailers Espanol (HD 1:56)

More from VIZ (HD, 4:23)

VIZ has done a good job with the bonus features. The value of the set is much greater with the assortment of bonus features provided for the Netflix production. Extras aren't always easily available on streaming platforms so it is nice to see a package that includes some nice supplements such as the art galleries, storyboards, and animatics. Fans of the series will appreciate the amount of bonuses included on the release.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 finds a way to continue the franchise with more action-adventure horror for genre fans. The series continues to explore its themes with gothic style and mature action-packed storytelling. The series will continue to appeal to fans of mature anime and animation.

The Blu-ray release includes a solid high-definition video transfer, lossless audio, and a selection of bonus features. The bonus features are well done and include storyboards, animatics, art galleries, and more. The bonus features may be one of the most appealing qualities of the release on the whole (as the series is a Netflix production).

The first print run also includes a nice o-card slipcover. Slipcover fans might want to purchase it sooner rather than later to ensure a slipcover copy is secured. The Blu-ray release is well worth consideration for fans looking to own a permanent copy for their shelf (rather than simply relegating it to a one-time stream on Netflix). Recommended.