Theres even a slavishly faithful Phoenix Wright movie directed by Takashi Miike of all people.
Thing is, after a string of successful adaptations, its becoming clear that reverence isnt enough.
you’re able to just play the game again if you want reverence.
Something else, an x-factor, has to carry a property into a new medium.
For Sonic, its ultimately the ongoing story of a lonely kid trying to build a chosen family.
Detective Pikachu had a surprisingly well-done mystery angle involving Pokemon/human segregation.
Netflixs adaptation of Castlevania is a creative full circle situation.
Netflixs Castlevania represents a logical endpoint.
On paper, its hitting the correct plot beats from the games.
Its fairly archetypical stuff, but Ellis scripts are certainly not.
At the heart of it all, however, is Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard.
None of them were particularly rich characters in their respective games.
Even Alucard becoming the lead in Symphony of the Night didnt add a whole lot.
This is an excellent moment, but its not the moment the series becomes truly special.
Its what happens after.
At the end of that very episodethe end of the second seasonour trio fights Dracula.
The bloodlust leaves Draculas eyes, the enormity of what hes done crashes down.
Theres no big demon climax here.
Theres no game moment of Draculas castle sinking into the sea.
Its Dracula quietly realizing what hes doing: Lisa… Im killing our boy.
Alucard does the deed.
As gentle as a stake through the heart can be, with remorse and with pity.
Its incredibly powerful, and not even remotely what anyone wanted or expected from a show based on Castlevania.
Right then, the show truly transcended its source material.
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