The most important struggle in Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 lasts a whole episode. It is nearly exhausting to observe, so full of over-the-top animation that you may put it on repeat for hours and nonetheless catch new particulars every time. That motion blowout is essentially the most thrilling a part of an uneven season, however the second I hold fascinated with truly got here a number of episodes earlier. It is lighter on motion, however nonetheless essentially the most violent second of a present that options frequent beheadings and fountains of blood. You may realize it once you get there—which Castlevania animation administrators Sam & Adam Deats credit score to animator Tam Lu.
“Our prime tier, greatest animators right here within the US tackle an important stuff, and a few animators will come to us with ideas on how one can spice the shot or sequence up,” Adam Deats stated in an interview with PC Gamer. “Typically they’re simply nuts and do their very own factor with it.”
With Season 2 of Nocturne nonetheless contemporary, I will not spoil what I might name the season’s first “holy shit” second intimately—I will simply say that it is about younger vampire hunter Maria Renard working by way of some emotions. As Maria’s anger bubbles over in episode 4, a rougher, sharper model creeps into the animation, with extra dramatic digital camera angles additional exaggerating the depth of the scene.
“In that half, Tam Lu, who’s been on the collection since Season 3 of the unique, got here to me and stated ‘Hey, I wish to do this factor with it,” Sam Deats added. “And I used to be like, ‘that is gonna be superior.’ He went nuts and did one thing actually cool and fascinating, and that is one of many beauties of getting this crew of animators we’ve got a close-knit relationship with you possibly can belief. You possibly can hand one thing to them and they will perceive how one can deliver it to life in a method that’s particular and goes past your unique imaginative and prescient in some instances. That is a fantastic lightning in a bottle second.”
When you like 2D animation however do not know Tam Lu’s title, it is best to—here is a montage of his work in earlier seasons of Castlevania, together with another initiatives, like Hyper Mild Breaker’s announcement trailer.
Lu additionally collaborated with former Castlevania animator Spencer Wan on the Hades 2 reveal trailer, which is one other incredible-looking couple minutes of motion animation. I will depart you with an unfinished shot that allow you to see the uncooked element in one in all his greatest Castlevania scenes:
Castlevania Season 3 Animation by Tam Lu (@tml096) 🦇 pic.twitter.com/hkoCeWVnANJuly 12, 2024