23.4.12

Black Butler, Season I: Simply One Hell of a Review

Grell told me to tell you that he loved you.

 

 

Scale: (1 Impure – 10 Pure)

The anime.


There comes a time in my life that I have to facepalm and facepalm ever so epically. This is one of those times, as I take upon myself the arduous task of reviewing a manga-turned anime. It’s rather popular with the yaoi fandoms (you people stay the hell away from me; I have a fire poker and not afraid to use it) and the rabid fangirls of certain demon butlers or shinigamis (ladies, you may have them, for I don’t want them). Dear lord, I’m afraid to even touch this anime with a stick without getting pounced on for slandering “the best anime of all time” (which, in my book, is reserved for an anime that is completely awesome; I haven’t found that one yet). However, I have decided to resign myself to such a task, and I will do it; let’s just hope that the fandom doesn’t slaughter me for it. Well, here goes. Cheers.

Kuroshitsuji, or rather, Black Butler in English, and I have to say this:

What. The. Fuck.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love anything Victorian Era (I’m a sucker for British things, can’t you tell?), mysterious, or supernatural. Mix in all three and you get a lovely blend of mindfuckery, murder cases, demon butlers… What.

Yup, in Black Butler, there are demons. Well, precisely, demon butlers.

Even more precisely, demon butlers who fight with freaking silverware

Tell me you’re joking.

Nope, the anime does not lie, sadly. Let’s see what lovemyanime.net has to say about the series:

“In Victorian-era Europe, a young boy loses everything he once held near and dear to a vicious plot. In his moment of death, he strikes a deal with a demon: his soul, in exchange for revenge. Ciel Phantomhive is now the head of the Phantomhive Corporation, handling all business affairs as well as the underground work for the Queen of England. His new partner is a demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, whose powers as a butler is only surpassed by his strength as a demon. The story follows the two along with their other servants, as they work to unravel the plot behind Ciel’s parents’ murder, and the horrendous tragedies that befell Ciel in the month directly after.”

Granted, that’s not an accurate description (lovemyanime.net, why must you fail me in my time of need?!), but pretty much, this review is going to be hell…

… And that wasn’t supposed to be a pun.

Let’s put the cast under the spyglass, and see if any of them are worthy to be “simply one hell of a character.”

The Cast:


Phantomhive Household:


The "Cook" must be a code word for "Explosion"
Bardroy: the “cook” of the Phantomhive household. Granted, all he’s worth is blowing the food up with dynamite, or decided to use a military flame on it. Of course, I think he is just here to give us comedy relief from the serious business from the show. However, isn’t he supposed to be American…? My sources (Kuroshitsuji.wikia.com) tell me that I am correct; he is supposed to be American. So why the bloody hell does he has an accent that clearly isn’t American? Did the dubbing company (Funimation) get it wrong? Meh, whatever; but he does seem to light the mood on filler episodes. Not exactly a favourite, but when there’s Bardroy, there’s Finni.
Score: 4.5 out of 10



Bitch, get out of here. I'm a Phantomhive.
Ciel Phantomhive the head of the household. Oh, guess, what, he’s freaking 12 and is the Queen’s Watchdog to boot. “Why aren’t his parents doing that? Isn’t that like, the father’s job?” Yeah, he has no parents. They died in a fire when he was about eight…? (I’m too lazy to look it up, and the wiki site isn’t being helpful. :T) so he’s the head of the family. The reason why he’s still alive and not some sacrifice for a cult is because he made a contract with a demon (look at Sebastian Michaelis for more information) and thus wears the eye patch. No, he hasn’t lost an eye in a war or anything, that’s where the contract of their agreement is placed. The closer the contract, the deeper the bond. Or so I heard. For personal tastes, he’s a flat out jerk. He’s cruel to everyone around him, and constantly attempts to pick fights; a little brat with too much wealth and power. He’s way too serious for his age (don’t blame him, with that bloody demon and such…), and could be knocked back down a peg or two. Ciel is a brat with a top hat to boot. Nothing special about him from what I gather, and apparently he isn’t really the smartest when it comes to following orders from his demon butler to stay put and not get himself in deeper shit than he already is in.
Score: 3.5 out of 10



"Sir yes sir!"
Finnian or just plain Finni is the “gardener” of the Phantomhive household. Finni is freakin adorable with that messy blonde hair, and always willing to give a smile and a big, bone-crushing hug. Finni is freaking awesome. I mean, he has super-strength. Who wouldn’t want to be his friend? Granted, I think my opinion is just a -little- biased, but Finni, to me, is simply “one hell of a character.” I mean, comon… it’s Finni! He just wants friends! So cute… >w<
Score: 10 out of 10



Forgot my glasses, brb.
Mey-Rin is the “clumsy maid” of the Phantomhive manor. She’s a red head who fantasizes a lot with the idea that Sebastian is in love with her (the other way around) and goes all floaty when Sebastian talks to her. However, don’t let that cute clumsiness fool you. She’s a sniper who has very, very good eyesight. Did you forget where Hyde Park is? Just ask Mey-Rin to take off her glasses (if you can convince her) and she’d most likely be able to point it out to you, without ever leaving the manor. Granted, she’s ‘clumsy’ and that knocked her down a few points, but for a human, Mey-Rin’s pretty bad-ass. I think it has to do with the fact that she’s freaking sniper.
Score: 5.5 out of 10




"Snack time!"
Sebastian Michaelis is the demon butler for the Phantomhive family. Oh god, this guy. This guy alone scares the hell out of me from the entire Phantomhive household. You fangirls can go gaga over him for all I care, just leave me the hell out of it. Sebastian is the demon who shares the contract with Ciel, with the mark placed on his left hand. This guy may have the dark hair and red eyes, but he ain’t fooling me. I mean… who likes this guy? What is so “cool looking” about him? Yeah, he can do everything and anything, but… but for Cripes’ sake he’s a bloody demon you stupid fangirls! He wants to eat Ciel’s soul, so in a sense, his master is his “snack,” “food,” or in looser terms, “dinner.” Just pretend he’s a dog (he hates them, by the way, Bassie here prefers cats) and shake a Ciel shaped bone at him and play “fetch”… only he wouldn’t give the bone back. Bloody demon; I would trust him as far as I can throw him… which isn’t far. So yeah, I don’t trust him at all. Oh, and his motto? “I am simply one hell of a butler.” You can tell why I get annoyed easily by this character; he says it in nearly every flipping episode. … And those who know the series, you’re gonna read the rest of this review in Sebastian’s voice, because I am. Damn it. 

Score: 2.5 out of 10



 
Ho, ho, ho.

Tanaka, is just… well, he’s Taknaka! Actually, to be more precise, he is the steward of the house, and apparently even Sebastian of all people likes him. He’s normally in chibi form, sipping tea and going “Ho, ho, ho,” but whenever he is in ‘Life mode’ let’s just safely assume that shit is about to go down. He keeps record of the Phantomhive Estates and is normally the ‘head’ of the Funtom company (which in actuality, it’s Ciel who is the one in charge of the company). Tanaka is the only one who survived the attack on the original Phantomhive estate, and often lends advice to the ones (i.e. Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Finni) who are asking for it. He doesn’t serve any other purpose than that, sadly. What a waste of a good character.
Score: 9.5 out of 10

Overall Score: 6.6 out of 10

Not bad for the Phantomhives, but then again, they are the Queen’s Guard dogs. :T

The Shinigamis:


I simply love you to Death!
Grell Sutcliff, or rather known as: “The Blood Red Reaper” (to me, anyways). Grell is a psychopathic, redhead who has a thing for Sebastian. He’s constantly seen through the series (after Episode 2, where he’s first shown in human form) as an annoying (almost comedic person) pest to Sebastian and Co. With red hair, fake eyelashes, a chainsaw, and Madame Red’s coat, Grell is a complete Reaper of Death I have to admit, Grell is actually a favourite. If only because of his personality – and the fact that he’s a… well, I think he’s hot, but I have a friend who would murder me if I even mentioned such a thing, so yeah. -sigh- All the hot ones are already taken in this series… Unfair. :< However, since he also killed Madame Red, who kinda was asking for it, it knocked him down a peg or too. That and he could’ve picked a better person to torment than Sebastian of all people.
Score: 9.5 out of 10

Under that hair is a load of badassery.
Undertaker is the kookiest of all Shinigamis out there. Literally, his name is Undertaker, and he works in a little shop making coffins. It’s shown in a bonus episode that he’s prone to laughter easily (ticklish) and that the price for information is laughter (seen in Episode 4, His Butler, Capricious). The wiki even states that the Undertaker seems to take joy in frightening others, as he seems to act creepy intentionally to provoke a reaction. I’m not spoiling the manga (as this review is for the anime, thank you), but let’s just say this: If you were a fan of the Undertaker before the bangs went up (sadly, they never do in the anime), then you just gained +5 awesome points from me. He’s an insane guy, but he’s funny. I think that’s why he’s a favourite. However, they should’ve shown the eyes in the anime, and that knocked him down a peg.
Score: 9.5 out of 10



Don't stare at me like that you...
William T. Spears, aka Mr Overtime. Meet William T. Spears, the strictest Shinigami you’d ever meet in your life. He may not seem like much, but William sticks to the rules because he knows that Grell wouldn’t. He’s mostly seen as a way to make Grell disappear, and nothing else. He berates Grell for making him “work overtime” (numerous episodes), and shows up in Episode 6, His Butler, At the Funeral introducing himself. He has a hatred for demons (FINALLY, A SHINIGAMI WITH A SENSE OF REALITY) and states that “Having to bow my head to vermin like you... really does smear mud across the reaper name” (episode 6). It’s also speculated that his name is referring to William Shakespeare (That’s what I thought as well), but the author has not confirmed such rumour. For a Shinigami who has enough sense, he’s actually quite interesting. Not bad.
Score: 9 out of 10

Overall Score: 9.3 out of 10

Not bad Shinigamis, perhaps you could teach the Phantomhive household a thing or two.

Minor Cast:



Angi, why are you so awesome?
Agni, the butler to the 26th child of the King of Bengal, Prince Soma. Agni was part of the caste system where he was a Brahman. However, he indulged in sin, and was about to be executed until Soma appears and saves him. Since then, Agni has had a new outlook on life, and reveres Prince Soma as a god himself. Agni’s hand that is always seen bandaged was blessed by Kali, which means he’s more than an equal match for Sebastian. Hey, guys, we found the opposite of Sebastian; does that mean he’s the “White” butler? (ok, ok, I’m sorry.) He also makes some awesome curry and eventually gains the trust of Sebastian (which is… shocking).
Score: 8.5 out of 10




Creeper No. 1
Angela/Ash, is like this for a reason. Why; you readers are probably wondering. Well, let’s just say that Ash and Angela is the same person… a hermaphrodite fallen angel, if you will. However, there are distinct differences between “Angela” and “Ash”. For instance, “Angela” seems to be more… out there. The wiki states that “Angela” “seems to enjoy the role of dominatrix, as seen from her change in outfit and overzealous attitude when she tortures Sebastian” (Kuroshitsuji wiki) where as “Ash” “finds fighting to be exciting, becoming almost maniacal about it, and easily becomes angry when any attention is diverted away from him during a fight” (Kuroshitsuji wiki). This… he-she-it-thing is pretty much a wacko job well done, and I think it was a good idea to throw them out of heaven. They’re a scary bunch. 
Creeper No. 2.
Score: 1.5 out of 10











"It's... so... CUUUUUUTTTTEEEEE!!!!!"
Elizabeth Midford is Ciel Phantomhive’s cousin and fiancée, because back then, marrying into families was a common thing with nobles, since they didn’t want their precious money to be wasted on an outsider. She’s the typical noble girl, wanting cute things and colour and frills and ribbons. She’s the sun to Ciel’s ever moody night, but it looks like he seems more annoyed with her than anything. Gee, I wonder why. However, she’s known to be caring, even though she ended up as a damsel in distress in one story arc. Yet, she still holds a good spot in my standing.  
Score: 7.5 out of 10

I am plotting something devious... and I just forgot it.
Lau is an Chinese nobleman who deals with opium (a famous drug back then and today, and still illegal for those who want to get their hands on it), and head of the Kon Ron Chinese importing business in Britain. He is often seen as a laidback, carefree character, always pretending to know what’s going on, up until the point where he goes, “What’s going on?” which ends up annoying everyone around him. He may seem laid back, but Lau can be quite a vicious character when threatened, and isn’t above sending Ran Mao after someone if he’s decided that it’s time to move. Lau is also part of the Shanghai Mafia. Normally, his eyes are kept closed, but during some tense moments (when Queen Victoria shows up at the curry contest, or if he feels threatened) he opens his eyes; and when he opens his eyes, usually that means that shit is going to go down.
Score: 8.5 out of 10

I bet you can guess her favourite colour.
Madam Red, or known by her title as Baroness Angelina Durless-Barnett, aunt to Ciel Phantomhive. She’s known as Madame Red for well… she loves the colour red, something that she and a certain Shinigami –coughGrellcough- have in common. She’s a loud, gossip doctor, but there’s a reason why she does that. You see, Madame Red lost her first love, Ciel’s Father, to her sister Rachel. She then lost her husband and unborn child in a carriage accident. Then, to put the icing on the cake, on the day she was released from the hospital, the Phantomhive family house went up in smoke, and she lost both her sister and loved one. She also thought she lost Ciel too, until he showed up with Sebastian in tow. Since then, she’s been trying to be the motherly aunt and checks up on Ciel. However, the rage that she felt that it was her sister who died, and the pain of losing everyone close to her, it took its toll on her. Basically, when prostitutes went to her to get their womb removed, she grew envious and started attacking them, thus attracting Grell, and they became “Jack the Ripper.” Madame Red may be a killer, but she had a compassionate heart in the end, which led to her downfall.
Score: 8.5 out of 10



If this is the 26th ruler, we're in trouble.
Prince Soma is the 26th son of the current king of Bengal. He’s a whiny brat who doesn’t know when to give up, and has disillusions that everyone around him loved him. Unfortunately for him, Prince Soma learned the hard way that not everyone loved him, and they only used him to get higher in the caste system of India. He has a nice heart, and eventually ends up permanently staying in Britain with Agni (not that way, you idiots) to help feed the poor with hot curry buns (I want one now…). He’s usually around for a couple of episodes and never seen again, but one can safely assume that he sticks around.

Score: 7.5 out of 10



Is she even human...?
Queen Victoria is downright scary. And this isn’t your normal Queen Victoria… oh no, that fallen angel thing completely… eaaaah creepy; downright creepy. In the anime, Queen Victoria is the reason for Ciel Phantomhive’s family being wiped out. She felt that it was time to cleanse the world from impurity. In fact, this Queen Victoria is a mere puppet for Ash/Angela’s goal: To have only the pure; but… seriously. Why would you want to have your husband’s dead body attached to yours? That’s just… ew. 
Score: 1 out of 10

Every fanboy's dream... Ran Mao.
Ran Mao is the personal assassin (read: fanservice) for Lau. Considered to be his sister, Ran Mao never, if at all, talks. I think the only time she ever talks is towards the arc where she and Lau go poof due to the Lady Blanc incident. Ran Mao is pretty much a badass, but she’s also mainly used for fanservice. I like her as a character… but when the fanservice gets into the way, she kinda plummets to the bottom of the barrel. There’s really nothing else about her that I can particularly note. 
Score: 6.5 out of 10

The ancestor of Tamaki Souh.
Viscount of Druitt, or known to the High end of London as Lord Aleister Chamber. I’ll call him Viscount, it’s easier. So, Viscount is a nobleman, but is also comedic; if that’s possible. With his blonde hair, purple eyes, and dramatic flair, I wondered if he’s related to Tamaki (stay in tune for the Ouran High School Host Club review to learn about this character, but if you already know him, that’s ok too. ;D). Viscount here tends to go over-the-top and be over-exaggerated at times. Also, he used to be a criminal. What. Yup, in Episode 4, His Butler, Capricious, he auctions young women off to the highest bidder, for the occult, I think. Not sure on that. Anyways, he’s an interesting character, but it’s a shame that not many people like this character. I think he’s quite funny, actually. The only problem is that he reminds me too much of Tamaki Souh…
Score: 9.5 out of 10

Overall Score: 6.6 out of 10

Huh, not bad minor cast of Black Butler. You did quite well, even though there was a 1.5 and a 1 amongst your rankings.


Animation:


            For Black Butler, the animation is flawless. With a mixture of watercolour, 2D animation, and 3D animation (mainly background and CGI images) blends together to create an interesting series. Black Butler had been created as a manga, and then turned into an anime. The studio, A-1 Pictures made a brilliant show of it; and gave the Black Butler universe a life of its own. It’s set in Victorian times, of course, and it reflects that in the anime. There are some moderations, but they stick pretty close the original setting of that time period. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that the entire anime depended on CGI (Computer Generated Image) and that took it down a notch. It’s good, but not simply one hell of an anime, in my opinion.
Overall Score: 9.5 out of 10

Plot:


The plot is… well… it’s something. To reiterate lovemyanime.net, it’s set in
“Victorian-era Europe, a young boy loses everything he once held near and dear to a vicious plot. In his moment of death, he strikes a deal with a demon: his soul, in exchange for revenge. Ciel Phantomhive is now the head of the Phantomhive Corporation, handling all business affairs as well as the underground work for the Queen of England. His new partner is a demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, whose powers as a butler is only surpassed by his strength as a demon. The story follows the two along with their other servants, as they work to unravel the plot behind Ciel’s parents’ murder, and the horrendous tragedies that befell Ciel in the month directly after.”

Ooook, I think that pretty much sums up the plot. There’s of course, an unexpected twist somewhere in the show, but it’s not bad for a plot base. In fact, I think it’s the only kind I’ve ever stumbled upon (haha, internet). AT first, I will be honest: I was completely 100% unsure of this anime. From the fanart and the fanfiction that was roaming the internet, I was pretty sure that the entire thing was porn. But it’s not, and for once, I was glad. Here was an anime that was a mystery/supernatural/historical fiction that I could sink my teeth into (not… like a vampire into a throat but… Jesus this is sounding worse by the minute) and it didn’t have any of the sexual hints that many people claimed to be in there. So, to clarify this for the people reading this:
1)      Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler is not yaoi. Don’t know what yaoi is? Good. You don’t want too.

2)      The only ‘official’ pairing that I actually see in the anime is Ciel and Lizzie, and even then, they’re kinda stuck together. So there.

3)      It’s worth spending the time to watch it. If you don’t want to watch it in Japanese with nifty subtitles, wander over to Funimation.com and I’m pretty sure they’ll have the episodes up for people to watch. Be warned: Implied fan-service.

Overall Score: 10 out of 10

Setting:


            It’s Victorian Era, with supernatural beings in it; could’ve been better. That’s all I have to say.

Overall Score: 5 out of 10

Sources:

lovemyanime.net
Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
Kuroshitsuji Wiki
Wikipedia.org


Shadow's Notes:

FINALLY; I’M DONE WITH THIS SERIES NOW, ONTO… wait a minute…

There’s… there’s a second season?

And OVAs?!

(°□° ┻━┻

-sigh- Damn it…

──(° -°)

2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed Kuroshitsuji. I think Sebastian is an epic character who has his creepy moments. :3

    What anime are you reviewing next? :)

    ReplyDelete