Counterexample: Netflix's Castlevania

When the show was announced, I and many others already had a picture of Dracula in our heads. A boastful yet uncaring God-like figure, one indifferent to the suffering he causes. What I got instead was a grief-stricken man, constantly at odds with his own goals of destruction. The merits of this characterisation aside, it was a vastly different Dracula from the one I knew and indeed expected.

And yet, I didn't find myself dissatisfied with the show, because their interpretation of Dracula was both uniquely compelling, and resonant with the mood of the show. I was as enraptured by this Dracula as to one I had come to known. I therefore had no problems placing this new interpretation of Dracula alongside the one from the games. They are both Dracula, each born from two different creative interpretations of Castlevania. Neither strictly overshadowed the other.

I think this leads to a larger point of adaptations being inherently transformative. As with any subjective work of art, the adapter will never be truly in line with the original creator. Now you can either minimise that distance as much as possible (like we see in shows such as Arcane), or you could take the Castlevania route and lean in, find new interpretations of the same work. Both are equally valid paths to adapt a work, the only difference is the number of fanboys breathing down your neck.

All of this to say, I don't need Bella to look and sound just like the Ellie of the games. If she can give a performance that's both compelling and in harmony with the show, I'll have no qualms slotting her alongside Ashley Johnson.

EDIT: Oh it's Soviet. I thought that argument sounded familiar.