Anime fans might remember the air of skepticism when Netflix’s first adaptation ofCastlevaniawas announced ahead of its 2017 premiere. Time and time again, Netflix has proved their capability in handling what’s become one of their hottest original animated series, and the second season ofCastlevania: Nocturneis no exception. In fact, season 2 might makeCastlevania: NocturneNetflix’s best anime yet.
Castlevania: Nocturneis a sequel toCastlevania. Both build on Konami’s classic franchise by the same name, a mainstay of the video game world since the days of the NES. Now spanning more than 25 entries,Castlevaniahas provided ample grounds for a wide worldthe breadth of which has hardly been fully explored. It’s transcended its video game origins to become a series worthy of a hands-off binge-watch.Castlevania: Nocturnehas made that more apparent than ever with its latest season.
Castlevania: Nocturne Is Back, and It’s Amazing
The Second Season Is Receiving Rave Reviews
The second season ofCastlevania: Nocturnepremiered on July 07, 2025. It comes a year and a half after its first season, which premiered in September 2023. Netflix decided to release every episode of the second season concurrently, and it’s all there right now for viewers to enjoy.The first season ofCastlevania: Nocturnereceived a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the second season outdid it, earningan effortless 100% across critical reviews.
FromCastlevania: Nocturne’s animationto the acting to the storyboarding, the second season builds up and out from the first. On every front,Castlevania: Nocturneis a force to be reckoned with, and even fans who might normally be turned off by it for one reason or another should give it a chance.
Castlevania: Nocturne Demands Your Attention
Netflix’s Best New Anime Is a Must-Watch
Castlevania: Nocturneis nominally a horror anime. But much likeBerserkandJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,it transcends the horror label and captures so much more.Berserkis actually a convenient reference; the series has always drawn attention for its clear inspiration from Miura’s classic horror-action manga, andCastlevaniahas frequently made references or allusions toBerserkin its different forms of media. From the first season of the original series,Castlevaniahas only been getting better over time.
Some anime fans are turned off by what can broadly be calledanime-influenced animation: anime-influenced works encompassing as wide of a range asBlue Eye Samurai,Avatar: The Last Airbender, andTheBoondocks. For its entire run, theCastlevaniafranchise has shown that Western animation is capable of convincingly capturing the magic of anime, andCastlevania: Nocturneis the latest testament to that fact.
With clean, gorgeous animation well-worthy of the likes of Ufotable and MAPPA, killer fight choreography, and a beautifully gripping story, anime fans across the board need to tryCastlevania: Nocturne.
