Video | Thursday, 28th September 2023

Manchester Writing School lecturer pens cult Netflix anime show

'Castlevania: Nocturne' episode written by Manchester Met lecturer.

A scriptwriting lecturer at Manchester Met’s Manchester Writing School has joined an illustrious writers’ room to create an episode of cult Netflix anime series Castlevania: Nocturne.

Zodwa Nyoni was commissioned to write episode three of the animated sci-fi series, a spin-off of original anime show Castlevania which took Netflix by storm in 2017.

Nyoni joined acclaimed showrunner Clive Bradley (Trapped) and screenwriters Temi Oh and Testament to collaborate on the eight-episode series, which launches today (28 September).

Episode three (titled Freedom was Sweeter) was written by Nyoni and charts what drives one character, Annette, to fight for liberation during the French revolution.

Nyoni said: “Writing this episode and taking part in the creative writers’ room process was both thrilling and a huge learning curve. As a genre, anime was new to me, but I was able to bring in my experience of writing for TV, radio, film and theatre, as well as undertaking fascinating research into West African spirituality and Haiti.

“As this series has such a cult following, I felt a sense of responsibility towards the existing audience, but also wanted to make it accessible to those who’ve never watched the show, while maintaining the style, tone and trademark darkness that the show’s fans have come to love.”

The series, aimed at adults, follows the runaway success of Castlevania, an animated sci-fi fantasy which includes action and elements of horror. Castlevania: Nocturne follows the story of Richter Belmont (voiced by Edward Bluemel, Killing Eve) who fights to uphold his family’s legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry vampire ruler.

Nyoni’s episode three is Annette’s origin story. It looks at the birth of her powers, love for her mother, and pivotal friendships.

Nyoni added: “Amongst all of this in my episode, there are some very cool fight sequences with swords, which I enjoyed writing! Each episode lasts just 25 minutes but it’s jam-packed with combat scenes, which were almost like writing stage directions in theatre.

“I very much enjoyed the creative freedom I was given with my episode, which was balanced with valuable collaboration opportunities. It was also interesting to blend the style of Japanese anime with issues of colonial rule in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) and West African folklore.”

An award-winning Zimbabwean-born playwright, screenwriter and director, Nyoni has scriptwriting credits including Love Again (BBC Radio Three), The Darkest Part of the Night (Kiln Theatre) and The Ancestors (BBC Films/BFI Film Hub North). She is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Met’s Manchester Writing School.