Feature of the Week: Black Butler

Apr 9, 20136 min read

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FANSERVICExCRITIQUE

kondouyumi-tan

Published: Apr 9, 2013

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Hi there!

Switiching it up a bit, this weeks feature is on Black Butler by Yana Toboso.

Opening

Monochrome Kiss by SID

Rating: 5/5

’s : The overall musical composition for Black Butler is really fantastic! the creators managed to combine fast paced alternative with soft orchestral music to encompass the vibe of the show perfectly.

General/Technical Information

Volumes: 16 (ongoing)

Episodes: 36 (2 seasons worth! )

General Demographic: boys (shonen) pg 13

Themes: Action, mystery, fantasy, cult/ black magic type stuff...

Summary
Shrouded in mystery, Black Butler follows the story of young Ciel Phantomhive and his intriguing new butler. We learn that his parents died in a tragic fire, and that, after disappearing for a month, the young Ciel returned with his new butler, with the sole intent of getting revenge for his beloved parents. Through sometimes silly and sometimes serious situations, you follow our young protagonist on the treacherous path he sets out for himself. (my summary doesn’t really do it justice, i hope you’ll forgive me.

Rating: 4/5

’s: Although the plot of Black Butler is unique enough, it can still be a bit stereotypical at times (in character schematics,etc. ), although i can say that it does a rather nice job of keeping the viewer in suspense until the very last moments. (I mean, the ending of season 2?!! mind blown, haha.

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Characters

Ciel Phantomhive: a 13 year old boy who holds himself with pride, bent on revenge for the death of his parents, who will occasionally display some touching weakness... but not often. Works as the ‘Queen’s Guard dog’, rooting out perceived threats to the throne while also seeking out information on the people responsible for his misery.

Sebastian Michaelis: ‘One hell of a butler’, a mysterious servant whose ridiculously extravagant skills fail to make others question whether or not he’s human. XD The viewer later finds out that he is in fact a demon who has formed a contract with the young Ciel so that he may extract revenge on his tormentors.

Finnian: A phantomhive gardner who's not very good at his job; posesses ridiculous strength that he’s rarely able to control

Mey-Rin: A phantomhive maid who’s extremely uncoordinated, (with her glasses on, and has a crush on Sebastian.

Bardroy: A phantomhive chef who can’t cook, and thinks blow torches are accpetable cooking utensils.... also, there are literally zero deviantart icons for him.

Tanaka: Phantomhive Steward, who sits around drinking tea 98% of the time.

Madame Red: Ciel’s Aunt, the sister of his mother, who adores him.

Elizabeth: Ciel’s fiance, who adores him and is extremely happy most of the time.

Lau: A sketchy chinese merchant who is close friends with ciel, and runs an illegal opium den on the ‘side’.

Ran-Mao: Lau’s personal assassin, who rarely leaves his side and possesses incredible strength.

Grell: a flamboyant grim reaper with a thing for Sebastian, often gets in trouble for failing to do his job properly.

The Undertaker: Funeral Director with a love of jokes, a mysterious and eccentric character who often helps Ciel with his cases.

Rating: 4/5

’s: Overall, the cast list of Black Butler is very intriguing, and Toboso does a nice job of creating characters that leave an impression on the viewer.

Recommendation?

Definitely worth checking out! It is a very intriguing story that will keep you guessing until the end, with a loveable set of characters and a strong grasp on the audience’s emotions!

Hope you liked this weekly feature, if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to drop a comment!

And now, fanart from our very own group!