I had my problems with Netflix's first attempt at bringing the Castlevania franchise to life on the small screen, but regardless of how much I chafed at some of its awkward pacing and often cringe-worthy dialogue, it would be hard for me to deny that it still stands as one of the most successful video game adaptations that we've yet seen. When it hit, it hit, so it comes as no surprise that Netflix and Powerhouse Animation Studios would try to build on that success by adapting some of the more beloved titles from the franchise's canon into a brand new sequel series: Castlevania: Nocturne. What's more, Warren Ellis' recent brush with the consequences of his allegedly inappropriate conduct with his fans means that his time with the series ended after Castlevania's fourth season. With a brand new team of writers working with the Deats Brothers (Sam and Adam) and the rest of the Powerhouse crew, the big question going into Castlevania: Nocturne was whether or not it would live up to the standards of its predecessor.

Here's the good news, first: Castlevania: Nocturne isn't just every bit as good as the original Castlevania was in its best moments; I think it is often better. A big part of this, I think, comes down to the new team of writers that have taken Ellis' place this time around, including Clive Bradley, Zodwa Nyoni, Temi Oh, and Andy "Testament" Brooks. Before any of the naysayers of the first season get too excited, you should know that the show's dialogue still features plenty of colorful, profanity-laden screeds and modern-sounding quips. Still, they've been toned way down compared to some of the stuff Ellis put out when left to his own devices. More importantly, the new cast of characters can all be exceptionally authentic and engaging, even when the plot sometimes rushes through key moments of development or revelation to get us all to the endgame.

I think a lot of praise, especially, should go to the unique perspectives that Nocturne can include thanks to its more diverse approach both behind the scenes and on the screen. I've seen a lot of bad-faith whining going on because the show decided to transform the once completely anonymous damsel-in-distress Annette (Thuso Mbedu) into a powerful Black warrior who participated in the violent slave uprisings in Haiti. These concerns are all ridiculous, of course, because, if nothing else, it makes Annette an infinitely more interesting character than she was in the original games, and the parallels between the Haitian Revolution and France's uprising make for some poignant thematic storytelling.

Anyone concerned that she is somehow "stealing" the spotlight from the "real" heroes should also stop fretting because Richter (Edward Bluemel) and Maria (Pixie Davies) both get plenty of cool and compelling moments across the season, too. Maria might be a bit sassier and more politically minded than expected. Still, she makes for a great partner to Richter, and seeing her adorable (and vicious) spirit animals come to life is a fans' dream come true. Richter has a suitably tragic and heroic arc of his own. His story culminates in one stupendously satisfying action sequence in an episode that also features my single favorite deep-cut reference to the games that we've gotten so far (GBA Castlevania fans, rejoice!), along with a needle-drop that rivals the original show's epic "Bloody Tears" scene. It's incredible stuff.

This is a Castlevania story, though, and that means that the forces of darkness and destruction have to be able to live up to all of the ass-kickings that our heroes can dish out. On this level, too, Castlevania: Nocturne lives up to its predecessor, even with Count Dracula being off the table due to the events of the original show. The side villains, especially, are so goddamned delightful in how much you hate them. The mysterious Aztec vampire known as Olrox (voiced perfectly by Zahn McClarnon) haunts Richter's nightmares even when he's making his power plays amongst the other villains. Abbot Emmanuel (Richard Dormer) is this season's stand-in for clerical villains like Rondo of Blood's Shaft, though he's given much more depth, which makes his choices that much more despicable as the series continues. Drolta Tzuentes (Elarica Johnson) also makes for a great recurring villainess, serving as the smarmy, but still incredibly deadly, second-in-command to the season's Big Bad: Erzsébet Báthory.

The show's most egregious faults would be the ones that have always cropped up in these Castlevania series, like the occasionally awkward-looking cut of animation or line delivery from the voice actors that sometimes sounds so off-the-cuff and muted that you wonder if they used a rehearsal take by mistake. Other than that, the only real gripe I have with the show is its use of Erzsébet Báthory herself, or rather, the lack thereof. She's not a terrible villain, by any means, but her "I am a god!" shtick is a bit flat when you compare her to the likes of Dracula and the other baddies from Castlevania. She does get the chance to grow into a more imposing and memorable threat at the very end of the season, which only serves to further the impression that the best of this story is still yet to come.

I don't want to hear any of those complaints about this not being a "faithful" adaptation of the games because that would have involved a lot of crappy voice acting and about a dozen hours of Richter and Maria running endlessly to the right while flailing their weapons about in every which direction. Castlevania: Nocturne knows that it must succeed as good television above all else and that changes made to the source material can be a good thing when done properly. In that respect, this new generation of Netflix's Castlevania is an astounding success. It takes everything the original show did right, jettisons much of what it did wrong, and brings some much-needed fresh blood to the proceedings. I cannot wait to see more of it