[RECAP / REVIEW] Castlevania: S01E01 Witchbottle

I know, I was late to the Castlevania party but I liked it so much I wanted to break it down and give my reaction. The animation was at par with other animés I’ve seen before. I am aware that this is based on a game. I haven’t played the game at all so this is coming from a pure viewer’s perspective.

The plot hasn’t really developed yet but it did lay the groundwork on the past and the present of the show. This made me anticipate the season 2. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I’ve seen seasons one to three.

Let me summarize the plot the shortest way I could.

Recap

Lisa wanted to learn science and actually heal people. She then knocks on Dracula’s door with a bargain. “Teach me science. I’ll teach you how to tolerate people.” We all know that kinda line is the initial line for a love story about to happen. She had guts. He got interested. So, he agreed. I mean, look at the way he welcomed Lisa. Not only that. We also got a glimpse of Dracula’s castle and technology running in it and that the castle teleports. Fast forward to 20 years, they were already married for a quite a long time. Lisa was accused of witchcraft and was burned alive by the clergy. People were cheering, too.

Of course, Dracula wasn’t happy. His face emerged from the flames on the very spot where they burned his wife. He gave 1 year for the people and the church time to do these 2 things:

1. Make their peace for mudering his wife
2. Remove their marks upon Dracula’s land

Because in a year, he will wipe out all human life in Wallachia.

Meanwhile, he went back to his castle, looked at his floating magic mirror, ordered his army from hell and was angry because the shipping would take one year. I mean, what do you expect? This is not Amazon prime.
One year later, instead of doing all these 2 things, he found them celebrating. This is how they learn the hard way that they just signed a death wish for themselves… not just the bishop and the clergymen…  the entire Wallachia. Because genocide is the solution to a mad man’s broken heart. Please don’t do that. That’s wrong.

And so  that was how a legendary vampire he made it rain blood and demons. See the first signs below:

If that was me (in one of the bystanders / commoners), though? I would drink a glass of holy water, bathe in holy water, roll in salt and ditch Wallachia immediately.

Review:

Dracula lived for a very long time. Upon being exposed to humans, it would’ve been easy to imagine for anyone on why someone would rather live as a recluse than interact with the world. It would be believable on why he would find a brave and kind woman interesting and perhaps, trustworthy.

Lisa was such a gutsy character. I wish the viewers got to know her better. She was just the token character, the woman who started it all. Too Mary Sue for my taste. There could’ve been a development to her character, her relationship to the people dear to her, her influence. I want the good, the bad and the ugly but she’s dead.

In this world, magic was viewed as witchcraft by humans and technology by vampires. The people were deeply religious, too. This is a great recipe for disaster and an even greater way to set the stage for the story. I remember watching this and thinking. “I might have to ditch sleep tonight”. And I did.