Season 3

#Review

After the incredibly awesome second season ended with a bit of a whimper as it set up what was to come, I became a little worried for this season. However, after watching this I can safely say this is my favourite season yet of a show that keeps getting better and doesn't show any signs of stopping.

This season featured a lot more divergent storylines and characters than the previous one, so I'll quickly talk about my thoughts on each one. The most central of the storylines followed Trevor and Sypha as they arrive in a town with some pretty peculiar people populating it. This I was not expecting, as it was a lot more toned down than the non-stop action I had anticipated, instead opting to craft a detailed and intricate mystery. I thought this was an excellent choice, and every sequence set in this town absolutely gripped me. There were also some great character additions in this storyline. Jason Isaac's The Judge was an intriguing character that continuously got more interesting throughout, while Bill Nighy's Saint Germain is easily the most interesting addition to the cast and I do hope we get to see more of him in future seasons. The other plot I found incredibly engaging was Isaac, who went from being an intriguing yet underdeveloped side character in the second season to being one of the most investing and badass characters in the show. The big climax of his storyline was absolutely incredible, and the voice work for him was stellar. The other storylines were less action-packed, and didn't manage to be as high in quality (though they were also featured less). The stuff with Carmilla and her sisters plotting their schemes was interesting enough, though the entire thing was just set-up for the next season, while the Alucard plotline, though never boring, did seem utterly detached from the rest of the show and ultimately a little pointless.

The animation in this show continues to improve season after season, with this season having some absolutely stunning pieces of animation. There are a bunch of sequences that just made my jaw drop, with a long tracking shot in the penultimate episode and a dream one of the main characters have being the standouts. The landscapes were all gorgeous, especially Carmilla's castle, while the action only improved with incredibly smooth movement and some ridiculously awesome kills.

Overall, Castlevania continues to be one of the best animations out there with a storyline that rivals even shows like Game of Thrones in terms of the number of moving parts, along with continuing the trend of slowly developing its character and providing some of the best action you will see on television at the moment, live-action or animated.

Best Episode: The Harvest
Worst Episode: A Seat Of Civilization And Refinement
Overall Rating: 92%