#watching castlevania nocturne has me thinking things

[guys-in-distress-database]

You ever just look at a character and think “he’d look so good bound, gagged and helpless?”

[violet-moonstone]

Black Women and Girls in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Media in General

Thinking about how much Mel Medarda (and characters like her) means to me and considering making a sideblog with posts about black women in science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction -- because we are often not included, sidelined, or portrayed primarily as struggling.

And I want to focus on Black women who are portrayed as intelligent, kind, wise, graceful, cherished, etc because we are not expected to be these things (I've straight up been told to my face that someone was shocked that I was kind and intelligent because I'm Black...and they meant this as a compliment). I've also had friends make comments about not expecting a guy I liked to be interested in me because they just naturally assumed he's "not into Black girls" because that's the norm in our neighbourhood.

I've also been told that I'm not "really Black" or that I'm "whitewashed" or "an Oreo" because I don't fit the narrow idea of a Black woman many people have about Black women and Black people in general. I'm not loud, sexual, or aggressive enough. The way I speak isn't Black enough, and neither are my hobbies and interests). Seeing Black women and girls portrayed in a variety of ways is so freeing, because it allows all Black women to see themselves in media and art.

I think conversations about how women are portrayed in fiction can be difficult, because no, I don't think all women should be portrayed as traditionally feminine and/or as love interests. Yes, I think there should be women who are portrayed a strong and brave warriors...but as a Black woman, that's pretty much the expectation -- to be a warrior who needs no help. But this expectation does not come out of admiration.

We're expected to be strong and able to shoulder burdens on our own because very often, people don't want to help us so we have to help ourselves. We're not expected to be watched out for and certainly not serious, long-term love interests (unless we're biracial or have light skin) in fiction or even in real life. And then when you get intelligent, dark skinned Black girls/women as love interests who have any personal goals or opinions that don't 100% align with the male protagonist, prepare for her to be hated (See the Castlevania: Nocturne and Invincible fandoms for examples).

I'm not going to get into detail about the history of the "strong Black woman" trope and the effects of slavery on perceptions of Black women, but if you need an example of how this still affects society: Black women in countries like the US, Canada, and England are more likely to die in childbirth. This is partially because of how wealth disparities among racial groups affect access to healthcare, but it's also related to Black women's pain not being taken seriously and Black women not being seen as worth protecting in the same way (This also happens with Indigenous and Hispanic women btw).

There are still people in healthcare programs/people who work in healthcare who were taught that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than people of other races. Being a "strong Black woman" isn't exactly an empowering experience when your suffering is seen as trivial or non-existent.

Let's not forget that when Rue (who was explicitly described has having dark skin in THG) was cast as Black (and played by a very light actress btw) there were people in the fandom talking about how they automatically pictured her as being pale and blonde because that's their mental image of a sweet, innocent girl. (Also because these people were not very bright and couldn't imagine that Katniss thought Rue was similar to Prim in terms of personality, not literal appearance).

When Annabeth Chase was cast as Black, I saw someone talking about how it didn't make sense because as a white blonde in the books, she would have a reason to prove her intelligence and defy stereotypes...as if this isn't something Black girls go through in a much more intense way on a regular basis!

Anyway I wanted to mention all of that because it's important to keep in mind when I'm talking about appreciating characters like Mel. Appreciating femininity or being a primary love interest can be seen as frivolous and limiting because in general it's a box that a lot of female characters (especially White female characters) are put into, but it's important for Black women because we get it so rarely (although I think it's getting less and less rare these days, thankfully).

[comicaurora]

I watched Castlevania: Nocturne the otger day and liked it a lot less than you seemed to, so I want to hear a more detailed opinion if you have one. Am I in the wrong to think it was more shounen and less "deep" in some way?

I'd say it's definitely more shounen. Introducing the "Richter can't do magic because unresolved trauma" thing right from the jump meant a Believing In Yourself powerup was pretty much inevitable, but I liked the execution of that scene enough that I didn't mind much.

It doesn't quite have the backbone of the original Castlevania, which was grounded so strongly in Dracula's apocalyptic grief - a motivation the audience is directed to find deeply understandable from minute one - that it gave the characters a solid thematic core to play off of. This let the writing stay pretty tight by letting Trevor serve as a foiling mirror for Dracula in their mutual disgust with the failures of human kindness, Sypha for Lisa in their altruistic use of their knowledge and their vilification for "witchcraft", and Alucard in the middle torn between worlds.

Nocturne is more loose and character-driven, but it still has a core theme - the argument over "the natural order" and how that plays into a fear of change from those currently on top. However, Richter doesn't really have a horse in that race, since his motivation starts and ends at Kill Vampires while everyone around him is more complex, trying to overthrow the aristocracy and free the enslaved and such. I think this makes Richter feel a little less important than Trevor was, narratively, because he sort of stands apart from the core philosophical debate at play. It took me a few episodes to get what his deal was and start caring about his self-actualization, and I think he's definitely got further to go. Possibly Alucard's presence in season 2 will give him more to play off of.

I think Nocturne has several independently interesting villains instead of one really good villain, which is a complaint I also saw about Castlevania season 4 - I liked Death just fine, but he really didn't work for everyone, and the secondary villains like Saint Germaine were much more interesting and complex. Nocturne does, however, pull off something Castlevania didn't as much, which is most of the characters acting on their own internal consistent motivation without cleanly falling into the "good guy" or "bad guy" box, causing them to slide into and out of conflicts and alliances depending on the circumstances.

I feel like Bathory is kind of a weak core villain with almost no human-level motivations or ideas beyond General Villainy, and the extent of her development being a darkest hour shonen villain powerup/frieza transformation doesn't help much, which is why I'm kind of holding out hope that they just bite the bullet and bring back Dracula. He's the nemesis from the Castlevania games, and while they gave him and Lisa a happy ending in Castlevania season 4, I don't think they need to keep him on the bench forever. It's been 300 years, Lisa is almost certainly long dead again and Dracula doesn't need to be full Mad With Vengeance Burn Down The World to still be a credible problem in need of a little Belmonting.

I had fun with season 1 of Nocturne with the understanding that the first four-episode "season" of Castlevania wasn't representative of the final shape of the story either. Sypha's character, for instance, was very flat before she and the gang went on their season 2 bonding adventure, not much more than some banter and infodumps. I think Nocturne did solid setup of the cast and the theme they'll be unpacking, and it has lots of room to explore these characters in interesting ways once they energy-ball-tennis Bathory out of the way first.

[avaelangel]

I absolutely fucking love Castlevania: Nocturne.

It's fun, it's bloody, lots of anction and lot's of soul, like in the original.

I love every single character. I love having my boy back, even though he looks younger after 300 something years. Love my new ungreatul wanker. Sypha would have been proud of him and Maria. Annette and Edouard? Are you kidding me? If the show was about them, I would cry every episode. Turns out, I don't hate opera that much.

But let's agree, Erzebet Bathory doesn't measure up to Dracula. (Who's Dracula?) And her motivation also really doesn't. Carmilla held the same broad goal as Dracula did: Revenge. Compared to that, power about power for vampires isn't as fun. To put it nicely, Bathory lore and Sechmet lore seem so far from each other.

And what's up with Drolta? Don't mind me, she's fucking gorgeous. But she's also an eyesore. She goes from a very glorified owner of a goth club to a Baldur's gate succubus type character. Yeah, she has that dress, but it is also not...anything time appropiate. Glad she's dead. Very curious to see what Tera would look like as Erzebet's apprentice or whatever.

The whole Abbot thing is fine. I'm glad he's suffered. Watching Mizrak's world crumble with Abbot's integrity was very intresting. I hope Mizrak doesn't die. I can't handle thinking about loneliness Olrox endures.

So, yeah. I would forever detest Netflix if this one doesn't move on to the second season and many more after. As if i'm in love with Netflix, but still.

[ruiniel]

Hidden

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Pairing: Alucard x fem!reader

Rating: 🔞

Count: 1.3k

Tags & Warnings: rating changed, sexual intimacy, banter

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV

V. Wilderness

Your destination for the night is close to that very same lake. The burning colors of sunset dwindle to cold twilight, and the water surface is a mirror, reflecting the tall dark silhouettes of evergreens. You stand on the shore, turning to follow Adrian when he calls.

Not far, there’s a ragged stone formation overlooking the water, the face of a cliff with a set of stairs carved into it. Intrigued, you climb. This place is not steep, but still high enough to offer a delectable view of the lake and the forest around it, hailing on forever across the lands.

“My parents would take this route sometimes, in seasons when the weather allows.”

“Oh,” you turn, following until you step up from the hewn stairway and onto a flat platform. 

“We’re here.”

There is—or used to be—the mouth of a cave. Two bolted wooden doors have been built to fit it. Adrian produces a key, unlocks them and draws them wide open. The entrance is not very high as you both must stoop to enter. Inside, you see a cot built against the wall. The ground is dry. Rectangular recesses are carved into the rock, used to shelf things. Adrian prepares and lights a lamp lying in a corner, then places it by the doors. Veins of red and pink slither across the stone, visible in the playful light. 

“... this is… unexpected…” you say, wide-eyed. 

“I hoped you’d like it,” Adrian says, retrieving a blanket from his bag and folding it over the cot. He sits, looking at you with a warming smile.

You make your way next to him, and for a while watch in silence as more stars appear in the sky. 

“I’ll gather some firewood,” he says, nuzzling you briefly, “then finally going for that bath.”

You’d leaned with your head against his shoulder, making yourself much too comfortable. “Bathing?! Now?”

He chuckles, looking so very careless and unwound. It appears this change has done you both a world of good… despite the complications you refuse to dwell on now.

“You forget I’m nocturnal as well, and the cold affects me differently than it does you, my dear.”

My dear. He said the last part slowly, stressing each word with deliberate care, as though tasting it and the truth it conveys. Your body heat must’ve spiked, and you ‘hmph’ into him to hide your fluster. “Yes, yes, lord your fantastic abilities over me, why don’t you.” You nose at his shoulder, loath to be deprived of the comfort. So much changed, and in so little time, it’s laughable.

Adrian tilts your chin up, smiles with a show of fang. You like it when he does that; you like it more than you want to admit. “The water’s not cold, if you’re considering joining. Do be careful descending the steps, though.”

He’s already rising and heading down by the time you think of an answer. 

The flames spit merrily at the mouth of the cave as you sit cross-legged watching the stars spilled over the skies. For lack of another occupation, you’ve taken the noble task of trying to catch a glimpse of Adrian in that lake, and failing. 

Waiting here, alone, thinking of him, becomes pressing after a while—and… he is taking his time, isn’t he? You stop yourself at the last thought: this didn’t sound quite like you. You’ve never been a possessive person, nor do you fear for his safety. 

Then, what is it? 

Whatever it is, there’s only one way to tame it, which is why soon you’re stepping off the last stone stair, legs bare, toes digging in the soft grass. It soothes your weary feet after a day’s journey, and this place has a charm close to those enchanted groves one hears about in stories told by the fireplace. 

Standing on the lake shore, you listen. Your voice is hushed as you call for him. “Adrian?” 

No answer at first, but a ripple here and there tells of the direction to take. You call his name again, this time louder.

“Here.” His voice is low, smooth as morning light over sleepy skin. You still can’t see much in this darkness. “Decided to try the water?”

“Something like that,” you mutter, and after a second’s hesitation, draw your clothing and then your undershift over your head. It’s long since you’ve bathed in nature. Besides, you’re both adults in your own right, and this likely won’t be an issue for him. “I’m not getting my shift wet.”

A beat of silence. “I understand.” He sounds like he’s smiling; it sends your heartbeat racing.

Well, that takes care of that. “Speak to me… so I know where to come.” 

“You’re doing well,” Adrian says, a humorous inflection to his words. “Very well.”

He was right, the water is lukewarm rather than outright cold, and the season allows for this indulgence. You wade over to him until a larger hand reaches for yours—but his movement stops there. “I’m not dressed, either.”

“Oh.” You understand now—he’s asking permission to… “All right. Can you… will you hold me?”

His fingers interlace with yours and without hesitation Adrian brings you in. His naked arms wind around you. Feeling without seeing has its own gains, you discover, as his hands glide down your back in the water, as your breasts press against his warm chest.

“Is this actually happening…?”

“I’m here, and so are you.”

You might’ve heard a soft sigh as he kisses the top of your head. Your fingers glide over the tension in his biceps, down his back. Before, on lonely nights, you’d think of him this way, and what it would be like, but this is… “Can I say something?” 

“Please, do.” His voice has a strangled quality to it, but he’s remarkable in his… stillness. 

“There’s… there’s so much of you.” You hide your face against him as laughter shakes his chest. 

“Really?”

“Not that I can tell much of a difference, I haven't ever...”

He's still giggling, the bastard? “ ... do you think that will pose a problem?” 

“N-no... I don’t know? I mean…” You’ve begun tilting your hips left and right, wondering where this boldness is coming from. 

Within, it comes from within. 

“... did you say something?” 

“... No.” He sounds less sure of himself than before, but he’s also holding you tighter as you move.

It’s incredibly intoxicating: him, hard and tense beneath his skin as he embraces you with only the slightest pressure of his fingers on your hips; you reach down, guiding him between your thighs and squeezing them together.

His chest hitches against yours, and a warm gasp brushes your forehead; he tilts your chin up. “As much as I… enjoy this, I…”

Indeed… hearing and feeling but not seeing has its own charm.

He doesn’t go on, choosing a deep, open-mouthed kiss instead. You renounce any pretense at standing, instead using him as your support, your thighs pressed together and grasping his cock tighter as it twitches. His hands dig harder into the flesh of your naked hips, holding you pressed up against him. It’s not much, but the decisive way he does so breaks you at the seams all the same. He ends the kiss with a soft bite on your upper lip.

“... what did you want to say?” The incompleteness of this, prolonging the wait just a little more, feels exquisite.

“Come back up with me,” he says, or pleads? His voice, so familiar, is both tender and rough. He sounds like a man who’s silently abandoned reason as he lifts you easily by the waist, leading your legs to wrap around him. 

“Finally,” you hide your face against his neck.

“Yes… finally,” he says, and to you, that means so many things. You know he’s smiling as he carries you towards your refuge.

TBC

[ifishouldvanish]

Some Olrox Analysis & Headcanons

Have you seen this man? Now you have! 🥰

I have a lot of thoughts about Olrox Castlevania Nocturne and I'm dumping them here.

DISCLAIMER: We know so little about Olrox's past and I am but a humble stan looking at an expressionist painting and projecting my own deranged nonsense onto it. I'm fully prepared for 90% of this to get jossed in season 2, but for now I'm just letting the worms in my brain wiggle and send me beautiful visions of what could be 🥹

1. Olrox Was a Commoner and Does Not Respect Hierarchies

I've seen people point to his manner of speech and dress as evidence that he must come from a privileged background, but I think he displays too much contempt for the wealthy/nobility to have been one himself. I think these things are just symbols of power he has learned to use to his advantage.

Of course, there's everyone's favorite quote: "I prefer my blood blue." But he also demonstrates virtually no respect for authority or symbols/institutions of power in general:

He refuses the escort sent by the marquis when he arrives in France and insists on staying at the inn because he likes to "keep his ear to the ground". He would rather be around 'the people' than accept anything from the wealthy.

When Drolta is reminiscing about her glory days as a priestess, there's really not any nostalgia or sentimentality when he interrupts and says "and now those temples are half-buried in dust."

For as good as he is at presenting himself as a Gentleman of Status, he cannot bring himself to even pretend to enjoy himself at Erzsebet's lil debutante ball at the chateau.

When Erzsebet insists she is a goddess, his response is "Of course you are, sweetie 🙂"

His whole speech to Mizrak in the morning-after scene is basically a deconstruction of what power means, and how it is only a perceived vs tangible thing, a temporary position vs an immutable one:

"There are petty demon princelings you can haggle with and cheat. There are demon charlatans whose faces you can laugh in, spit in. There are demons who once were gods... And those who still are."

Foucault? In MY anime adaptation of a vampire video game?? It's more likely than u think 🤔

(continued under the cut bc this got long as hell)

2. Olrox was an Adult when Cortés Arrived

(I don't have a relevant screenshot for this point, so here's Olrox being pretty for no reason)

I've seen it float around some places that if we adhere to historical timelines to a 'T', it would make most sense for him to have been a child, but I'm of the opinion that it's more useful to take what the text itself gives us and fill the gaps with bits and pieces of the actual history where it's convenient. At the end of the day, this is a work of fiction/fantasy. So what does the text tell us?

He lived a long time as human and vampire

As of 1783, he'd been a vampire for approximately 250 years

Now, if we want to take this 250 figure literally, that would put the year of his turning at 1533. But I think we can give ourselves +/-15 years leeway because 250 is just the kind of rounded, even number one would use in natural speech in place of "267" or some shit like that. It's just how believable dialogue is written. So what lies in this +/-15 year window? The invasion by the Spanish, 1519-1521.

Now, he tells Mizrak: "Long ago, when I was still human, I watched men wade ashore from ships..."

I think this is another case of how important dialogue is. Because if he was a boy at the time, this line would likely have been written as "Long ago, when I was just a boy..." or something like "One of my earliest memories is of..." instead. "Still human" implies not only was he a human, but that he had been human for quite some time already. That the events he's describing fall in the stretch of time leading up to "still human" no longer being true.

tl;dr: the Spanish arrival and him becoming a vampire happened within a few years of each other, and if turned vampires stop aging, then he would have had to have been an adult at the time.

3. Olrox Became A Vampire Willingly

I assume that vampirism is something that was introduced to the Mexica by the Spanish in the same way it was introduced to Haiti by the French, in Annette's case.

However, rather than vampires creating spawn left and right, the persistent lore (in the show at least) is that to be turned is to be accepted into the sort of elite in-group of vampire society. (Carmilla questioning why Lisa was never turned, the Count never turning slaves, etc). Vampires feed on humans, they don't view them as potential spawn to have in thrall or whatever.

The Spanish weren't going around giving natives The Bite, because vampirism is power. So what I think, is that Olrox recognized that power, and decided to take it for himself. Rather than being the passive 'recipient' of the 'gift' of vampirism, he pried it from some Spanish vampire's cold, undead hands. (i.e., he drank their blood)

Do I have any proof of this? No. It's just what the worms in my brain are telling me 🤷 But!!

Do I think it would be a sexy little inversion of the way Erzsebet drank a god's blood to obtain her power? Yes.

Do I think it would be thematically very appropriate for a morally grey character who seems to have a very... Interesting relationship with power (individual power vs institutional powers, the subverting of power, the weaponization of symbols of power, etc)?? Oh absolutely fuck yes!!1!

[sickos.jpg]

4. Olrox Was a Priest, But Not Like That.

Priesthood in the Mexica empire was largely dominated by the nobility, whose children would be sent to the calmecec to learn how to read and write, speak the noble dialect, perform rituals, etc. But if the circumstances were right, the children of commoners could also get in!

Olrox says he's never been much of a believer, but he's highly intelligent and incredibly good at reading people. Even if he was never a man of faith, the priesthood was still a powerful institution where one could climb the ranks and earn influence over the nobility. No doubt someone as sharp and charismatic as Olrox would be able to take advantage of the opportunity to get a good education and maybe try to undermine the system from within/play a bit of political games while he was at it.

Also... Olrox's weapon of choice is the dagger. Obviously a dagger is an appropriate weapon for a character who's kind of rogue-ish, but also consider: Aztec warriors used a lot of weapons in combat: clubs, spears, arrows, axes—but an obsidian dagger? That's something that would have been used by a priest during rituals.

5. Olrox is a Bitch™ Who Knows Just What to Say to Get Under People's Skin

A common myth is that the Mexica welcomed Cortés at first because they thought he was Quetzalcoatl. But this is a misreading of the way Mexica social conventions/the noble dialect worked, which was kinda ~passive aggressive in a way, such that the more loftily and overly politely you spoke with someone, the more you were actually telling them to go eat shit and die. I think Olrox's dialogue demonstrates this beautifully in the scene where he meets Erzsebet:

"Taker of Souls, Vampire Lioness, She Who Mauls, The Messiah of--" / "Yes, charmed to meet you 😒"

"Her magnificence has heard much about you." / "Flattered. For a god to have heard of me. 🥱"

"I am a goddess!" / "...Of course 🙂"

His words are receptive, respectful, docile, even... but his tone and delivery are completely the opposite. Compare this with the way he speaks with Richter and (in later interactions) Mizrak—which is more informal, open, confrontational. He's more direct with them because he actually respects them.

As far as reading and getting under people's skin with pinpoint precision, I present the following interactions:

When he catches the marquis' severed head in the catacombs, he reads him (and potentially also Drolta) like a book: "This one? He was just an opportunist, following the messiah because she's powerful. But there are those who love her [looks to Drolta]. So I'm told."

When Drolta gives him a verbal slap on the wrist for feeding on the wealthy, he says "mY Ap0LoGiEs, I didn't realize how invested you are in keeping the mortals happy." - To which Drolta goes on to grumble about how their alliance with some of the mortals disgusts her.

When Erzsebet is waxing poetic about how everyone will see her beauty and worship her, he has the balls to—without missing a beat—say "PaRd0n mEe, but you mean to do this through an alliance with a man who will never worship you? 🫢" right to her fcuuckin face mgod I love him so much (this is the point where she whips out the big guns and yells "I am a goddess!!" while threateningly flashing her orb of darkness btw. Like she did NOT like that)

6. Olrox Has an 'Eye for an Eye' View of Justice

A prevalent theme in Aztec religion is the idea that like... ain't nothin' in this world for free. Sacrifices to the gods weren't symbolic gestures of devotion, but an act of paying the gods back for providing humanity with the means to survive.

The idea that everything has a price pervades the dialogue he has with Mizrak in the morning-after scene:

"What was the cost? Who pays it? Just him? Or all of you? Will you? Which demon will claim his price when all this is done?"

And it's also present in the very first scene where we are introduced to Olrox:

"You see, your mama took someone from me I loved, just as much as you loved her. So, she had to die."

What's interesting about this scene is also how... calm he is the whole time—before the fight, after the fight. Yes, he's motivated by the murder of the man he loved, but he brings zero of that passion to this confrontation. It's just an execution, something inevitable that must be done.

That he's fine with confronting a terrified Richter immediately afterwards to explain what just happened (and is completely unapologetic about it) is also telling. It suggests that Olrox views this kind of thing as just 'the way of the world'—a hard truth that Richter will be better off for having learned sooner rather than later.

I think this also helps explain why, years later, Olrox seems to treat Richter with a little more.... Familiarity than we might consider appropriate. He approaches Richter in the catacombs like he's just an old acquaintance, as though Richter should have no reason to be terrified of him. When Drolta mentions the incident later, he seems kind of lightly amused by it. Then, when he drops off the book, he's visibly/audibly frustrated that Richter starts gearing up for a fight. To Olrox, the whole "killed your mom" thing is water under the bridge, nothing personal.

7. Olrox is a Vampire of Prominence in The New World

Obviously, he has to be kind of a big deal to give a Belmont a run for their money. But let's go deeper into the IMPLICATIONS!!

"In 250 years, do you know how many vampire hunters have promised to slice me in two?"

"Her magnificence has heard much about you."

"You will be her guide into America."

He's enough of a big deal that countless hunters have promised to kill him. Enough of a big deal that Erzsebet has not only heard of him, but sees him as a valuable ally who knows enough about America to guide her as she builds her empire across it.

Olrox wasn't just a powerful vampire who got entangled with the politics of colonial Massachusetts and happened to cross paths with a Belmont. He's presumably had a hand in matters across the continent. Erzsebet refers to the colonists as "American upstarts" but for her, this is a conflict between humans vs vampires. The American colonists aren't allies or even rivals to her—because they're not vampires. They're just more pesky humans to be dealt with. (Also??? 'Protestant Vampires' as a concept is just hilarious to me, I'm so sorry)

So.

What the worms in my brain are telling me is—And this is Big!! This is a Steaming Hot Take!!!

(...seriously, tin foil hat tier headcanon incoming)

Olrox has established a network of indigenous vampires who are resisting the colonial threat. He's been turning them (or at least select individuals who are into it), and thereby redistributing the power he took from the Spanish colonizers to wield against the British colonizers.

(Look I have 0.01% faith in this actually being canon or anything. I just think it would be cool as fuck.)

Anyway.

Thanks for coming 2 my Ted talk or whatever. 😘

[ouraboras]

Ranking Alucard's Designs, Best to Worst

I've had a rough day and feel like being mean. These are just my opinions. Some rules:

I’m not counting each game a character appears in unless the design is noticeably different. I don’t count different art styles as a different design. I’m not counting the mobile game skins with two exceptions. For the most part it’s just him but purple. However, for your pleasure, joker Alucard:

Symphony of the Night

No surprise. It’s his most iconic design. He’s gorgeous. I enjoy how he wears a mixture of human clothes (the jacket) and more stereotypical vampire clothing like the cape. Same with warm colors with black and silver.

2. Grimoire of Souls

I love this design. I kiss it every night before I go to bed. I pray to it on Sundays. His waist makes me go feral. The only thing that bothers me is the brown lining. I wish they did something like the inside of his SotN jacket.

3. Moonlight Rhapsody – Outfit 3

I know absolutely nothing about this game. However, I love this skin. In my head when I imagine Alucard pre-Dracula betrayal this is it. The collar is a bit silly but I can look past it. I love the sleeves. The only critique I have is the brown and we’ll get to my feeling on Alucard wearing brown. But on this outfit, it’s not too bad.

4. Nocturne

They gave him his gay little neck ruffle back nature is healing. I wish they kept the details on the coat, but I’ll happily take the trade. I like his face.

5. The cancelled Dracula’s Curse movie concept art

I need to know what the context behind this would have been. The skirt, the pauldrons, his bloody hands, HIS HAIR PUSHED BACK. The only thing I dislike is his black nipple.

6. Aria and Dawn of Sorrow

I like the suit. The red pocket square is nice. I think it is a really interesting choice for it to be red rather than yellow as a callback. I love the choice to make him resemble Dracula pre-vampirism. All of his color has been drained and replaced with black and red. I go back and forth on if I hate or like (for symbolic reasons) his tie-neck ruffle thing. But none of that is my real problem with the design. His shoes are hideous. The heel is good.  He deserves a little heel. But what is going on with the white. It's ugly and going to be a bitch to keep clean. His slacks are too long. He’s a government agent, he can afford to go to a tailor.

7. Season 1 & 2 of the show

I dislike the shirt. I’m not a big fan of how they drew his face either. But I like how they gave him Trevor’s chest scar.

8. Captain N

He’s so rad. But to be honest, Captain N Alucard has a special place in my heart. I remember when this was the closest thing to an animated series Castlevania had. It being this high is purely my nostalgia. I highly recommend watching the episode. It is pure 90s camp.

9. Season 4 of the show

Whore.

10. Grimoire of Souls – Blood and Loyalty

I can’t find a better look at this skin. He’s apparently dressed as a samurai. I like this purely because his hair is up. I don’t see enough of that. (artists pls you’d be doing the world a service)

11. Lords of Shadow 2

The only thing I like about this design is the coat. The dark blue with gold looks really good. I don’t like the belts, but I can ignore them. My issue is the armor. I hate the bronze so much. The armor on one hip is ugly. The ONLY thing that salvages this crime is the fact this Alucard is wearing the highest heels. This looks like an MMO armor set.

12. Judgement

I only unironically like 2 of Judgement’s designs. This is not one of them. I dislike it purely because of how boring it is. They put Simon in bondage gear, gave Trevor a boob window, and made Sypha a Catholic magical girl. But Alucard has to be more modest than the actual child. They could have fun with this but didn't. The most interesting thing about this design is they made a vintage couch into his cape.

13. Dracula’s Curse

This is Alucard’s original design. It’s just your standard pop culture vampire. I like his little owl hair tufts.

14. Legends

I’m fine with changing up Alucard’s design. Hell, we got SotN because of changing it. However, why is he blue? It’s not this illustration either he is just light blue for some reason. I like the short hair. I think it’s a cute way to show this game takes place in the past. But again, purple? Really? His necktie is not doing it for me either. It looks really bad.

15. And finally, last and certainly least: Pachinko and Moonlight Rhapsody

The faces? Good. Hair? Good. But for some reason they made his coat brown. At LEAST for pachinko they had some gold gauntlets and brown gloves instead of his sleeve cuffs. But whatever fucked up person at Konami did the design for MR kept the sleeve cuffs. It’s not like there is the excuse of ‘Oh the inside is black’ because it’s yellow. Now you might be asking: Why is this the worst? I have similar issues with other designs. But here is the thing, they all did something new. This is just your standard SotN Alucard with a color palette change. It looks like a recolor skin but it’s the main one. It's a bad change but not one bad enough to not be boring.

[nelmyriel]

[ Castlevania: Nocturne ]

Briefly (haha, nope) about my attitude to Netflixvania: I’m neither a fan of the original animated series, nor its hater (I like S1 and S2, but S3 and S4 are absolutely not for me. Apart from the franchise, it remains one of the strongest animated works). I'm always open to new things as long as the creators try to keep at least some connection between characters and their prototypes (and I have some concerns about it).

As a fan of Maria Renard (especially the grown-up version), I'm glad she's not forgotten. The gaming community is largely divided between those who see Maria as a funny child added into the universe as a joke, and those who hate the adult version for being implied to be Alucard's love interest (I don’t agree with some fans' interpretation of their relationship, but more on that another time. glorfys_glorioushair's vision is the closest to me).

I'M TIRED, I just want to meet new people, even if we have different canon sources. I will take care of them, warm them up, presenting the games xD

In more detail (not criticism, just verbiage): Let's start from the obvious part — this is a product of inspiration, not an adaptation in the literal sense. To get some pleasure watching the animated series, you need to distance yourself from games. This is a quite standard method nowadays, I think.

I'm still forming an opinion about Nocturne, because the story is not finished yet. But I'm also slowly plunging into melancholy, because Alumaria ship and Maria are the cornerstones of my love to Castlevania per se.

How changed is the huntress' image? Well, I feel like Netflix missed some potential that games contained (or will implement it later?) and done a hideous damage with Maria's swearing, but there's still a chance to patch up such flaws with her growing up.

I always imagined her as a battle Lady. Dangerous and daring, but elegant and well-mannered (if I correctly understood Renard family's position). If I were the adaptation's author, I would tend to the archetype of a young noble lady breaking stereotypes. (Without extremes, of course — she is engaged in a tough business). This would have provided interesting dynamics with other characters (and an interesting detail for Richette), since the nobility side would be represented not only by vampires, but also the dissident protagonists.

This doesn’t mean I think Netflix’s biography of Maria is bad — it’s just different and takes us away from Konami again. Whether this is good or bad — we still have to find out. Perhaps it's just a matter of habit?

However, I'm hopeful about the family arc. Such plot has controversial nuances, but it's much better than the off-screen death of nameless parents. I want to witness the girl's experiences and life lessons! I'm also absolutely thrilled with how Tera's character was reworked!

I thank and at the same time judge the creators for the way they managed characters' age. Now the gifted summoner better fits the gloomy setting, but, unfortunately, she meets Alucard too early — this fact obviously sets the audience against the romance. Because of S4*, I already had to bury my dream about "one true love" story (its symbolism is expressed in the wolf form), and then they added fuel to the fire**.

(*A dude can't experience "first and/or only love" more than once (not being reincarnated, of course), so my favorite trope just won't be adapted. It's not about Greta, she's a good (one of the best in S4, actually) character. You can substitute Sonia in her place or swap Maria and Greta, and my message will not change. It’s just that Konami — many years ago — hooked me with a story about naive and inexperienced lovers. Given Alucard's nature, this made an interesting topic to explore. But, since I am still here, it means I accept new rules.) (**In my culture, only the moment (age) when a romance begins is important. Not the moment of first meeting. But it's hard to miss the public outcry — people haven't seen the characters' relations yet, but already hate their dynamics).

I'm also upset that in battle scenes Maria is a pale shadow of herself. In the opening fight, she couldn't handle just one vampire, but I hope that the writers intentionally left room for her skills development. Drawing a little minus for this. But a plus for the sword and the underrated DXC design!

Well, if the plot disappoints me, at least a lot of visual content will remain, which is a real treasure for a fan of unpopular Maria. I'll always admire the work of all involved artists.

P.S. Yes, I deliberately omit the analysis of general history, setting, etc. (After all, this is not a review of the entire Nocturne, just a character's superficial analysis). There is a huge room for discussion, but I will leave it to more historically savvy people. One thing I understand for sure: this is one of the most visually and historically rich basis, which wasn't used properly. On the other hand, it's mainly a matter of budget. Corporations are unfair to creative studios. In my perfect world, Powerhouse and Konami join their forces.

Hey Konami, don't you have an animation studio? Your followers are dreaming about a canonical adaptation or a remake of an iconic game with significantly deeper plot.

I never seriously criticize and certainly never post angry manifests, especially dedicated to someone’s creative expression. I'm always looking for the positive aspects, but if my patience runs out, I usually just retire.

Anyway, since the release of S1 I've been immersed in the Nocturne fandom and even prepared something unique for you!

P.P.S. Sorry for the confusion and my poor English!

[tiddiesoutwhenthetisout]

tag from @babyrdie and @greekmythologylover234 .

been a lot of tag games recently huh! thanks for remembering me 🤣

9 people you want to know better

i don't know enough people on here, but i'll be tagging @amnesiaa-on-ice @akhillaous @whorewhouse @naurumii @elnbnt @peggy-sue-reads-a-book

here are the questions to copy-paste:

three ships

first ship

last song

last tv show

currently reading

currently watching

currently eating

currently craving

my answers to them are under the cut so only those who are interested will be reading it (because i'll be yapping) lol

three ships

- patrochilles (duh; probably going to be my favorite, if i'm honest)

- kavetham (admits this semi-shamefully because the rest of the fandom is ass-- but i've left it. glad i did because the recent toxic community will never do me any good. i stressed, i die. simple. was a huge hyperfixation for a year or so though.)

- vashwood (it's been a while, but i really got obsessed with them and the show. watched 1997 once, stampede 3 times, not inclusive of the scattered episodes)

first ship

tbh no idea. it may or may not be solomon and saya from blood+ (great show great show) but i was around 7 when this happened and was just tagging along with whatever my sister had to say about things like these? i'm not a super shippy person either-- i'm not big on these things and certainly a lot less when i was younger. didn't have a lot of interest in couples prolly bc i had no idea what difference it had with friendship. just that you kiss and fuck or something. and i thought that was weird, or well, nothing much to it.

i guess you could say that the first pairing i've ever wanted to defend was zuko and katara from ATLA 🤣 nowadays i understand mai and zuko's relationship and i think it's pretty sweet, but back then i was fixated on zutara chemistry so whee🕺

last song

i haven't been playing music recently since i've been over at my partner's, but "done for" from epic the musical has been playing in my head since i woke up so there's that lol

last tv show

we were looking through netflix for an "easy" show to watch for dinner and got through 2 episodes of the exploding kittens show 🤣 played the game a lot when we got it, plus fond memories of things that happened whilst prompted us to check it out. it's an american tv show i guess, and i've never really vibed with those so it was alright, i guess. the kitties were cute.

currently reading

nothing. finished madeline miller's circe 3 days ago or so, though. my odyssey reading has been suspended for 2 weeks now but i guess it's because i'm pretty much kept up on the plot from randomly reading shit about it on the internet? i'm generally more of a "how did the story go?" person when i get into a book unless i become super obsessed with it. then, i'll dive into the nuances of text and its analysis. which hasn't been happening recently. i'll probably be balls-deep in academic text soon considering i haven't been a good student (our research adviser told us to start doing our thesis papers over the summer holiday so the process will be smoother... guess i'll be disappointing the prof who actually likes me ✊)

currently watching

nothing. finished castlevania (as well as the released season of nocturne) last month and i think that's my quota for shows for a while lol.

currently eating

fast food because the rain started pouring so hard. in time for lunch or so. it was a sign from the lord to spend and have a good time because the world might end tomorrow or something.

currently craving

the other items on the menu i didn't order- kidding lmao. a calzone for some reason, as well as a fizzy drink i usually get from a local cafe run by a nice old lady and youth on the drinks. ok, now i want her pesto sandwich.

ight i'll just eat now brb

[mihrimahfs]

Tera Renard Castlevania Nocturne- thoughts on final episode

Okay so a week after the Castlevania Nocturne season one premiere I have a lot of thoughts, mostly very positive regarding this season. But one moment has struck me, has occupied all my mind since this aired (warning this will contain  major spoilers for this season so if you haven’t watched this yet, please avoid this) and that is the final episode. particularly when they’re rescuing Maria from being sacrificed by Abbot Emmanuel as a “offering” of his loyalty to Erzesbet Bathory (aka the Vampire Messiah). There’s a lot of stuff that i think when I think of this scene over and over again and it’s one that I think broke me deeply. All great art does this in some way, breaks you till you’re wonderfully changed. anyways, let me begin. (and please also note, i am not an expert by any means, just a historian geek so if im incorrect, don’t hesitate to correct me)

we already know that the abbot regards the revolution as a subversion of “God’s natural order” which at the time and especially Catholic Church, that was the way the order  of the world was seen. That royalty had the so called “divine right to rule” which the catholic church supported as it had them provide legitimacy to rulers for this divine right. France has had a storied loyalty to the catholic church and the papacy, was often seen as a bastion, hell one of their rulers was deemed “the most christian prince” (ironically Francis I). It’s no surprise that for an abbot as “devoted” as Emmanuel, he sees the revolution threatening this, his position and faith that has formed most of his world and how he’s able to “reason” with the world as it were. His alliance with Bathory is sort of seen as his desperate attempt to keep a hold onto this power and this divine order even though he works with vampires and makes night creatures (rather slowly might I add). He sees himself as a bastion of holding the faith and fear mongers his parishioners to following his way and his order to keep this order and also keep hold of his faith. which all is rather ironic considering as a priest who is supposed to keep celibate, he ostensibly had and affair with Tera who fled from Russia which resulted in Maria. and for Tera to say she had to lie to Maria that her father died so she wouldn’t be branded a whore, who eked out a life in france, barely paying rent (see episode 1) all the while the Abbot lived in relative privilege is also another nail to his "piety". Now I cannot say whether he might have indirectly supported Maria and Tera, that’s neither here nor there and many clergy had children on the side they supported or not. It was only after Maria found out what the abbot was doing and tera confronted him that he reluctantly revealed he was marias father. He is a hypocrite. Many of us know “men of faith” that do things like this, lie constantly to justify their own view of faith and God, thinking themselves victims and making martyrs of themselves instead of being held accountable. We can see Mizrak who’s more of a believer be disgusted at the Abbot’s actions especially in light of this revelation and at the abbot’s willingness to sacrifice maria to bathory. He is a hypocritical man who makes himself a victim to justify his actions thinking he’s working “for the glory of God”  though he’s made many suffer (Tera, Maria, Edouard, Jaques, etc).

Tera’s sacrifice without a doubt has been the most brutal scene for me in this series. When the abbot is trying to sacrifice Maria, citing the story of Abraham and Isaac, it also heightens the abbot’s self centered view that he is in divine communication with God- by re-enacting the scene by binding maria to the altar as Isaac was, according to the Bible, he wanted to prove how he was a god fearing man, his legitimacy to his actions, however bad, divinely authorized. I think also for a “god fearing man” as he proclaims to be, to have a child on the side presents a thorn to him and in this way, he can prove she played a part in a  divine plan for his redemption for his “mistake” and allying with Bathory. Honestly right now it seems like nonsense what im saying but to be at the point where you’re sacrificing your child and thinking it makes you holy and can wash all you done away is pretty disgusting. I believe in the bible, it was seen as a binding like he had to bind Isaac which suggests (and please im not a biblical scholar) reluctance on the part of Isaac for this. as a muslim for me, we present this differently- ours has Abraham have a dream he has to sacrifice his child as a test of sorts to prove his love for God above everything but we believe he told Ismail about the dream and Ismail said readily “if its God’s will that he wants this, i am willing to do this”; its really remarkable how the one with isaac there’s reluctance but with the islamic perspective,  there’s consent, there’s the readiness to be willing to be sacrificed while having faith in God. Now in both, God stops in the nick of time and offers a ram in their place. When Tera comes and rightfully so confronts the abbot about this and then bathory comes and realizing that there is no other way to save her daughter, she did what any mother would do- take their place. Let’s also backtrack; when she found her sister trapped in Bathory’s prison in russia, she sacrificed her in a sense, not wanting her to live out in that agony and pain and terror. she sacrifice her innocence, being brought to the point of killing her sister to save her from a worse fate and years later, she did the same for her child, sacrifice herself to save Maria, knowingly and with full cognizance of this action and consent to do this righteous holy deed. Tera is the true martyr, the true epitome of divine sacrifice who is willing to suffer and give her life for the holiest thing a mother has- a child. for her to say “I am the ram. God has given you the ram, Emmanuel” shows who truly is the  one who is doing the right thing for the right reasons.  As a muslim, i was always taught that God doesn’t need sacrifices, like its not meant for His consumption or his want or needs, but that these are to represent what we are willing to do and prove that God is our top priority and that also what are we willing to do to help others. As we commememorate the sacrifice of abraham in our festival Eid ul adha by paying for goats and animals to be sacrificed and their meat distributed to our family, neighbors, and the poor, we remind ourselves there that our sacrifices must be for helping others, not for ego or showing off. The abbot wanted to sacrifice for the wrong reasons and Tera did for her child’s life. It’s still gut wrenching to watch and still heart breaking to remember this selflessness that made Tera turn to a creature that has haunted her for 20 or so years. but its castlevania, no one has a totally happy ending lol. and also, Emmanuel is nothing more than other priests and religious leaders who adopt cowardice and cloak it as piety. Tera deserved better. I truly hope it haunts the abbot and that he gets his karma for his actions and his hypocrisy made an innocent woman sacrifice her life to save their child. 

I wonder if , when they asked the abbot if he loves Tera when she offered herself in marias place and he says yes, did he mean that? like truly love her , like if he genuinely has all these years loves tera. or if he loved that she sacrificed herself and . some might say both. He might see that this is part of the sacrifice he had to endure for his “holy mission” and thus “loves her” for that. who knows? it would be nice to see a flashback of them. when I think about it, I think he loved being "god's warrior" a bit more than tera which i obvious given after being with team he didn't disavow his vows and marry her and raised their child. I think he might but it's always in conflict with his view on faith. the love he had for tera once faded as his love for his glory and "divine purpose" overshadowed it all. I do wonder also if Tera might have had lingering feelings for Emmanuel. I imagine especially after this, probably not and I hope Tera gets him as her first “victim”. Honestly she’s suffered too much and I want my Muva back. I wonder that Maria might have to think she might have to do what tera did to her sister to her mother. But we see Edouard still retain his humanity despite being turned to a night creature so one can hope the same for Tera. 🙏

Again piggybacking to the comparison of the different religions views on Abrahams sacrifice, where one is seen to be against the consent of the victim and the other with their consent, i find it also telling that many evangelicals love to paint sacrifice as we have to do this to you to save your soul and save ours- much like the abbot. There’s no choice; there’s their way or no way. Versus Maria choosing to save her daughter. Cause that’s what a good mother does. What any good person would do on those horrifying circumstances. And that at her turning, (and someone on here said the same sort of thing) that reaction was against her will, non consent.

I’m reminded that in Islam there’s this saying that we have of God saying “if you oppose my desire, then I shall run you ragged of your desires” and I hope this very much applies to the abbot who despite professing all he does is for God is much rather for his own ego and inflated sense of worth and I hope it all runs him ragged and beyond all redemption in this life or the hereafter.

Justice for Tera Renard and I hope and pray Tera Renard gets the abbot and Maria gets healing and peace as well as richter and annette.👏🙌🤲🙏

I hope somehow all that I said makes sense as it’s sort of me ranting and me trying to make sense…. Cause Tera’s sacrifice hit me so very much like thank God season 2 is confirmed cause I need Muva Tera to come back hands swinging and good news for her!

[mew-cake]

I've been watching Castlevania Nocturne clips on youtube so more stuff about it gets recommended to me. A lot of those are videos like "castlevania nocturne is terrible!!" and stuff like that and it's baffling to me because I can't really think of any glaring flaws the show had. The only thing I can think of is people getting mad because it is "woke" (IE: has queer and non-white people) so I haven't clicked on those videos

BUT it COULD be genuine criticism about the character writing. Especially since so much of the show has themes of race and racism/slavery. So like, if someone were to make a good faith critique of how that's portrayed, that would be interesting to know and something to keep in mind moving forward.

But again, not wanting to subject myself to "UGH castlevania is WOKE now!!!!"

Side note but I did find one tweet that was like "idk why slavery and racism were brought up as plot points lol" as if the entire story wasn't about the french revolution and every other revolution that took place in the 18th century because SURPRISE! World events have ALWAYS influenced each other

[ariaofsorrows]

My Thoughts On Castlevania: Nocturne’s Richter

So I recently watched the trailer for Castlevania: Nocturne, and I… have a lot of things to say regarding Richter’s characterization in the show. Minor spoilers for Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood. but it’s not like you’ll be playing the games anyways

Since yesterday, I was already worried about the direction Richter’s story would go, and it seems like I was right to be worried. Richter is presented as broken and sad, without much to live for. I believe this is so that the viewer will be more sympathetic towards Richter when he eventually becomes evil, just like how Dracula’s backstory was presented so that you feel bad for him.

However, having Richter be broken from the beginning would actually lessen the impact that his possession will have in the future. Symphony of the Night is all about contrast. Alucard is the main character instead of the Belmont family. Richter, the guy we knew as the hero, is now one of the villains. The reason why this contrast works so well, especially if you played Rondo of Blood beforehand, is because not only do we get to see Richter at is peak career-wise, but he also see him at his peak emotionally.

In Rondo of Blood, which is what Nocturne is adapting, Richter is happy and full of life. He is a sweet boy that’s excited to do what he’s been training for all his life. He also cares so much, maybe too much about the people around him and the job he’s doing. Right after, in Symphony of the Night, Richter is at his worst. He’s broken and desperately clinging on to fame that is fading away. He doesn’t know what to do, now that his life’s purpose has been fulfilled.

I’m definitely biased here, but I do like the games’ execution of Richter’s story a lot more. It gives me a lot to think about instead of leading me by the hand like the show is doing. Now that’s Richter’s already sad in the show, there is now an expectation that he will go bad instead of it being a surprise and a contrast like in the games.

Also, Richter’s eventual villain arc will get him sidelined, opening a spot for Alucard to save the day again because he’s the he- *gunshots*

Anyways, that’s it for the first of many posts I’ll probably make about Nocturne.

[theredqueenandthebloodwyrm]

episode 8 Castlevania Nocturne

Episode eightttt

Like Major Spoilers

Like don't read this if you don't watch spoilers for the season 1 finale type of spoilers

I can't spell the Vampire Messiah's name. I'll admit it. Ezeb...Bathory? Captions to the rescue, it's Erzsebet.

Anyways her Sekhmet Transformation is a total glowup and I can get behind the new hair. Also that gold and black dress? Yes, just yes. And that golden chariot? Loving it!

Did the Abbott fucking forget that Isaac didn't actually kill his son??? Yeah Tera fucking tell him!

Edouard's singing!! Forget the power of love, try the power of music. Well actually they're somewhat intertwined but yknow.

Hahaha get wrecked by a turtle Drolta! Turtle attack! Or uh tortoise. Maria's animal summoning is wonderful. Shoutout to the teleporting cat too.

Olrox saving Mizrak was a nice surprise. Love his green eyed shadow form. Haha go kick their asses Olrox!

Erzsebet / Vampire Messiah's new Sekhmet design is so...so good, that is a god. A goddess who can and will kill you. Then Olrox saved Mizrak from being a suicidal knight, like seriously what were you thinking Mizrak? If Richter Fucking Belmont and his blue flames couldn't touch her, what was your basic ass sword gonna do??

She wasn't gonna kill her? I mean she planned to turn Maria into a vampire so kinda kill her but like everyone totally was thinking she was going to use Maria as a sacrificial lamb of sorts (myself included) imagine my surprise when she was like "no dumbasses, I'm giving her life" albeit vampiric life.

Gasp my heart "I don't want you to die, Mizrak."

No no no not Aunt Tera being the fucking Ram.

Huh you know I wondered how someone became a vampire in the Castlevania universe. Guess the classic drink their blood and then give them vampire blood works. Damn newbie vamps are hungry as fuck it seems.

The Abbott's face is hilarious to me, it's a look of pure terror mixed with the realization he fucked up.

ALUCARD?? ALUCARD?

Bye bye Drolta!

ALUCARD ALUCARD ALUCARD HOLY SHIT IT'S HIM

Oh how have I missed him.

What happened to his pigment though? Is it a vampire thing? Like his hair went from blonde to nearly pure white? Skin too? Has he been sleeping in a coffin for these few hundred years without moonlight? It's probably a vampire thing. Or half-vampire in his case I suppose.

I love all these characters, the animation, the music and soundtrack, the beautiful voice acting, the story and its themes. The character designs, their outfits, their glowups, their magic.

[ben-talks-art]

Having to win vs. Wanting to win, the appeal of Hero vs. Villain interaction, and building a bigger sense of rivalry

Something that I was wondering about for a while now was why between the two Spiderverse movies, the second one appealed to me so much more than the first

The first one is a more complete story, has a very solid beginning, middle, and end, while the second one feels like half of two movies pieced together with the Spot storyline and the Spider Society storyline which even together still don't even make a full movie...

And yet, I just find myself enjoying the second one a lot more and re-watching it a lot more often. 🤔

And the reason for it is probably because I'm just drawn more by the way this movie handles character interaction and banter, particularly between the protagonists and antagonists and how they establish connections with each other.

Spiderverse 1 is a great movie, but when it comes down to it, Miles only really has meaningful interactions with his parents and with Peter.

He doesn't really have a big heart to heart moment with Gwen or the other Spiders that much, and more importantly, he really doesn't have that big of a connection with the villains, Kingpin and Dock Ock. He does get a little with the Prowler, but that's really it, just a little.

Meanwhile, in Spiderverse 2, Miles gets to talk A LOT with everyone. With Gwen, with Pav, with Hobbie, with Miguel, and with Spot. There's just a bigger focus on having these characters not just interact but actually connect with one another.

When Miles fights Kingpin at the end of the first movie, I just don't feel that big of an investment cause these two barely talked with each other, so they have nearly no rivalry. While in the second movie, there's a huge rivalry born between Miles and Miguel because we see that both of them are fighting due to their conflicting ideologies, and we also see their relationship changing as the story progresses, as Miguel goes from being hostile to Miles, to trying to be understanding, to being frustrated, to back to hostile again.

This made me notice how much I rely on characters actually interacting and giving a sense that they're connecting with one another for me to feel invested in their confrontations.

It's one of the reasons why Kung Fu Panda 2 stands out so much compared to the other 2 to me.

The fact that we actually see the hero and the villain meeting each other early on in the story, talking, learning about one another, growing as they get to know one another, comparing their experiences, and giving a true sense of connection... We don't really get that in the first or third movie.

Po doesn't even meet Tai Lung or until the climax of the first movie, and his first conversation with Kai in the third is mostly just done for laughs.

It's also a small problem I had with the Castlevania show in seasons 1 through 4 (haven't seen Nocturnal yet).

In this series, characters don't really talk when they fight, and they don't really meet the people they're going to fight until they're fighting them. So a lot of times you're just watching people with nearly zero history between them trying to tear each other apart.

They feel like soldiers, fighting because they have to, not because they want to.

I think the biggest exceptions are the fight with Dracula at the end of season 2 and Death in season 4, because Dracula does have a history with Alucard since they're father and son, and Trevor does try talk a little with Death since he sees a lot of himself in it as both of them are like entities who only know how to kill things. But aside from that, a lot of the fights feel like Power Rangers battles where the heroes are just fighting the enemies of the week out of duty.

The show does its best to give each character the necessary amount of depth, motivation, conflict, personality, and history, but it kinda sucks in building the sense of rivalry between these people.

I think the biggest rivalry in the show is probably Hector and Camilla, which... are honestly two characters I care very little about since they have so little to do with the actual protagonists.

Frankly, I really wish I could have seen Trevor, Alucard, or Sipha actually talking with these two, or any of the other villains for that matter, to see how their interactions would go, but most of the villains just talk with each other.

Much like Spiderverse 1, and Kung Fu Panda 1, the heroes and the villains just feel like they're so distant from one another and only truly meet when the story is already about to end... And that feels like such a waste.

I wanted to see the main trio talking with Hector, Camilla, Issac, and Lenore. I wanted to see Po talking more with Tai Lung or Kai, trying to learn what makes them tick. I wanted to see Miles talking with Kingpin or Dock Ock, or heck, the Prowler.

Miles and Prowler interact so much in the comics and in the games, but in the movies there is so little of them.

I remember having similar thoughts with the Rick Riordan books.

The heroes in it usually have great banter with the smaller villains, like Ares, Seth, or the giants, but when it comes to the big villains like Chronos, Apophis, or Gaea, the confrontation with them is so brief and the way they're defeated is so simple, and more importantly, the connection between them and the protagonists is so thin, that it kinda feels anticlimactic.

The books try to build up the rivalry by having the characters see each other through dreams or visions, but they don't really talk much during the actual battles, and most of their exchanges prior to these battles are just generic stuff like "I'm gonna kill you! No, You won't! Yes, I will! No, you won't!"

Another example of the importance of interactions, Sonic Frontiers.

You get a ton of chances to talk with Sage as you go through the islands, and by the time you reach the third one, she kinda turns into a viewer excited about seeing how Sonic will defy the odds once again.

She's changing as they exchange words. Imagine how lame it would have been if she hardly ever talked to him, kinda like how it happened with Infinite where they just meet briefly before a fight and have the most generic banter ever.

Similarly, why does everyone love Superman vs. the Elite so much? Because the whole movie is about Supes butting heads with these guys who try to get him to test and provoke his ideals and beliefs.

This isn't just a hero fighting villains of the week to save the day or stop them from conquering the world. These people are trying to prove a point and they're using each other to do it.

Their interactions are causing them to develop an antagonism between each other that makes it even more exciting to see when they do eventually clash in the climax, because we followed their history and know where each is coming from, what they're fighting for.

Same reason people love Batman and Joker. Their interactions are always like that.

And then we have Kingpin in Daredevil.

That whole show's biggest selling point is just these two being constantly at each other's throats because they each represent something the other absolutely hates.

Anytime they're in a room together you just get a goldmine in writing quality because they have such amazing interactions and so much good chemistry.

Same case with Killgrave in Jessica Jones.

A lot of people often ask "Why do Marvel movie villains suck so much?" because they don't actually build this sense of animosity with the heroes. They're just things to be dealt with, not things the heroes personally want to deal with.

Ironman had to deal with Ironmonger, Thor had to deal with the dark elf, Captain America had to deal with Red Skull, but DD wanted to deal with Fisk and Jess wanted to deal with Purple Man.

This contrast of "want to" vs. "have to" does so much to increase the investment in a character for me.

Aquaman did that really well by making you feel like both villains really wanted a piece of the protagonist for very petty and selfish reasons.

It makes them feel more shallow, yes, but it also makes them feel more real, and it makes their fight more personal.

Mind you, I don't necessarily need a Hero X Villain banter all the time. There are many cases where I get really invested even if the characters don't talk.

The best example probably being Rock Lee vs Gaara, which is mostly a silent fight just like the ones from Castlevania, but unlike those where it feels like characters are fighting because they have to win, this one feels like they fight because they want to win.

There is no banter, but you still sense their motivations and ideals clashing through their fighting methods and expressions.

Same thing with Thanos vs. the Avengers. They don't exchange many lines, most of it is just Thanos' monologuing (which I kinda feel it's a wasted opportunity because I think Cap and Thanos could have had some really good exchanges), but you still get the sense that this fight is personal for all of them. They don't just have to win, they want to win.

The final battle of Chainsaw Man part 1. Same deal. Very minimal talk, but just enough talk to let us know that these are people fighting for personal reasons.

Avatar, The Last Airbender, lots of quiet fights, but the heroes do get to meet most of the villains before facing them and do build a rivalry before exchanging punches.

My favorite fight in My Hero Academia is, again, a battle of ideals, a fight of "I want to win", not just "I have to win," a fight where there is a lot of banter with their personalities shining through their words and actions and bouncing well off each other.

They make it more personal, more selfish, and thus, more interesting.

I love feeling this sense of connection when I watch or read heroes fighting villains in stories, and I really wish more series would try harder to develop this feeling so I can enjoy it more often.

I want to get more of this sense of "This fight is personal. I'm fighting for myself! I want to win!" and all that stuff.

[anarcheamor]

Okay, Now I Can Talk About Annette's Vodou

Sike! I have to detour through Maria's summoning first. Spoilers for Nocturne will be said here so please stop reading from here if you haven't finished the show.

I know I watched the trailers and saw her summoning birds and thought it was cool but it still took me aback to see it in the show. And I think it's because, for one, knowing that her mother was a speaker made me question why she didn't know speaker magic and, for two, it was the first set of magic that needed a not-plot-relevant explanation for how it works. In the first show, the only times we got explanations for the magic was when something big was happening and the explanations served as part of the setup such as Doctor Saint Germain in the Multiverse of Madness and The Parent Trap: Alucard's Nightmare Editon. For Maria, there wasn't a plot reason for her powers being explained, it just seemed like the show had to provide one because the question was gonna be asked as we were watching. After all, she was summoning animals from somewhere and no other character we have seen had powers to teleport beings from one place to another so casually. Okay, so we have a daughter of a speaker magician who doesn't use speaker magic and we know that her daddy is definitely not capable of teaching it to her so what gives, right? Thus the show (read writers) felt compelled to break a convention from the first show and give us an explanation so that we could understand Maria's abilities and introduce the existence of other realms- something that was introduced in the first Castlevania via Saint Germain: Into The Germainer-verse. And that's fine, nothing too complicated, her relationship with the animals she summons seems to be something both originating from her magic and also from her using them in every day life. Cool! The alternate realm even has a name: the Other World. Alrighty, so I'm certain that it's that simple and we won't need anything else to be explained.

Except there is... turns out that the Otherworld is part of Celtic/Gaelic/Britonic myth which would explain why Maria's powers are different than her mother's as they most likely stem from her father's side of the family. An odd thing to leave out, no? I almost thought it was like Forgemastery where it was a Castlevania original form of magic. A small dive into the native roots of her magic could have added a bit more to her character and have the double effect of prepping us up mentally for Annette's Vodou especially since the two were directly compared but also to help showcase just how different Vodou is from people's traditional views on faith and magic.

Now I should say that my understanding of Vodou is coming from being an outsider to the faith but still connected to it culturally due to my ancestry, upbringing, hearing stories, etc., and then having to fill in the blanks with some research. This isn't gonna be accurate Vodou info because we're talking about a faith with three major variants that all have been pretty secretive for most of their existence due to religious oppression, demonization, and centuries-long attempts at exploiting and capitalizing on their "exoticness". So with all that said, take what I say with a good amount of salt.

Edouard says that Maria's Otherworld sounds like Annette's ancestral plain which is right in the sense that there is AN ancestral plain similar to the Otherworld. AN as in one because, in Vodou, there's multiple "nations" or families of spirits, with each spirit behaving and acting differently in some accordance to the nation they're in. The first red flage here is that the ancestral plain we see is pretty ambiguous and is just a gaggle of spirits in some ethereal place and the spirits themselves are mostly just diversely colored shadows save for Annette's mambo (teacher), Cecille. The next red flag is that Annette's magic is her own. In Vodou, powers are given by the spirits themselves, there's no level of spiritual genetics that can just imbue you with magical ability. Why? Because a major lesson in Vodou is that our strength comes from those who came before us and we can use them to support us as long as we reach out to them. Removing that aspect of Vodou from the equation just turns Annette's magic in regualr magic but with some Haitian flavor on it. And all of this is made most apparent than the biggest red flag...

THEY BROKE PAPA LEGBA'S NECK!?

So, Papa Legba is one of the most beloved of Lwa. First of all, you can't do much without him being involved as you have to talk to him first. Have you ever lived in a neighborhood and there's this gentle old man always sitting at his porch whose basically everybody's grampa? That's Papa Legba and his "house" is the entirety of the lwa nations (although he's considered to be from the Rada nation, one of the major nations I mentioned earlier). But he ain't no slouch and to cross him is to play one of the biggest FAFO games in your life. He's the head guard of all crossroads, doorways, etc., so him being summoned to deal with a portal to Hell and Forgemastery machine sounds appropriate but who thought it was a good idea to have him die? Is he dead? Just... why? How? Can spirits just die now? Ugh... on top of that, they could have just had him possess her. Usually, when Vodou practitioners want something from a lwa, the lwa can only interact physically through a human body so a rite is performed for the lwa to "dance in the head" of a trained practitioner who personally works with them. I can understand cutting corners in the show so that all Annette has to do is focus and call the name of a lwa but this would have been cool to see, allows greater focus on Annette, and allows you to have Papa Legba there without doing him dirtier than what American Horror Story did to him by having him just stand around until his neck gets turned intoa tetris piece.

You can see why I had to take this long to get to my main point, right? The first Castlevania used the straightforwardness of their magic to great effect but Nocturne introduced two new forms of magic with rocky starts because they don't match the formula established by the first set of magic. I hope that we get to see better representation of both.

[aquadestinyswriting]

People You Want to Get to Know Better

I was tagged for this by the lovely @blind-the-winds. You can find their post here. I don't have a full nine people in my taglist that haven't already done this, I don't think, so I'm sending them out to people I know have interacted with me and that I haven't seen tagged yet.

Current Book I'm Reading: I'm currently making my way through the Wordbearers Omnibus from Games Workshop's Black Library. Even though it's a Warhammer 40k series, it's giving me so much inspiration for the more... questionable clerics in Fangthane's Folly.

Last Song I Listened To: Far From Me by Chase Noseworthy. It popped up in my recommended while I was listening to my Titan playlist and it is an amazing Vox Machina fan song. I've popped it into my Emotional Songs playlist since it's a little too specific to put into the Titan one.

Currently Watching: My husband and I are currently going through our annual re-watch of the Netflix Castlevania series. We're having a bunch of fun pointing out the memes and generally just enjoying all the feels of the early parts of season 3. Also we are both so into Striga, it's unreal ^_^;.

Current Fic I'm Reading: I'm not really into any fandoms currently, so I'm not really reading any fanfic at the moment (not unless you count all of @druidx's Titan stuff, which I am re-reading a bunch of)

Next On My Watch List: Most likely a re-watch of Castlevania: Nocturne directly after the original Castlevania series, but after that I'm hoping hubs will indulge me in going through yet another re-watch of Alfabusa's If The Emporer Had a Text-To-Speech Device, including all the voxcasts and shorts and random segues. It's such a fun series. Even if you're not into Warhammer 40k, it is a really fun satire series. Just be aware that the creator had to abandon the project due to Games Workshop fuckery (if you guys thought the WotC stuff was bad... oof) and currently has no plans to return to it.

Current Obsession: At the moment I'm obsessed with two things: youtube disaster documentaries and my many, many WIPs, which now include a 'what if' AU thing I wrote the week before I took over the Destiny's New Servants campaign way back when that I plan to clean up a bit and possibly share. It's nothing more than a snippet, but , y'know. As for the disaster documentaries, that's just a recurring obsession that's randomly popped back up.

No Pressure tags going out to: @sparrow-orion-writes, @warriorbookworm, @ashirisu, @pluttskutt, @mariahwritesstuff