Black butler

Review of Black Butler

Alright let’s talk honestly about Black Butler like we’re sitting in a cafe and tearing apart our favorite show

Main strength that deal with a demon is actually heavy

What makes Black Butler stand out from tons of other supernatural anime is that deal itself Ciel Phantomhive makes a trade with Sebastian his soul in exchange for revenge but here’s the thing this deal never feels sweet or poetic Sebastian constantly reminds him that this servant is only temporary until the final hunt is over Even in the OVA Book of Circus we see Sebastian holding nothing back when it comes to devouring a kid’s soul that bitterness behind every tea drinking scene haunts the whole story

Dual personality writing the author’s real skill

The main character Ciel is no classic victim he’s a twelve thirteen year old kid running the Queen’s spy network and controlling a demon butler this contradiction makes you wonder sometimes which one is hurting the other more

On the other hand Sebastian isn’t just a cool butler every now and then like when he gets hungry or gets hurt by blessed weapons you see his real face show up this constant tension between acting human and being a demon makes the character believable even when he’s slicing a carpet to shreds with a broom

Main weakness season one and two drop in quality

Now let’s get serious with the criticism Black Butler anime has one big problem season one and two except for the first few episodes completely drift away from the manga and fall into a weak messy storyline especially season two with that weird blue haired character Alois it felt more like a confusing fanfiction than a gothic tale thankfully Studio A 1 Pictures rebooted the story from Book of Circus onward and stayed faithful to the manga if someone only watches season one and two they’ll probably think Black Butler is a regular shonen anime with too much focus on fanservice yes I’m pointing at those weirdly long scenes of tying ties and buckling shoes which honestly could have been shorter

Weird but interesting mix Victorian style with technology

The biggest winning card in the atmosphere is mixing Victorian white lace with industrial shadows Phantomhive manor looks like a fancy museum during the day but at night the same house turns into a playground for demons and victims the clever part is that the technology of that era trains factories early telephones stands not just for progress but also for corruption and modern slavery like the circus factory arc shows

Reverse criticism Sebastian isn’t that overpowered

Believe it or not there’s another weak point the rule that says a demon cannot harm a soul who hasn’t made a deal with another demon sometimes ties the story’s hands in the Book of the Atlantic arc we see Sebastian struggling even against normal zombies not because he’s weak but because of these clunky rules this makes the power balance a bit strange one moment he can tear a demon apart the next he says I’m not allowed to hurt this regular human

Final words who would like this show

I would recommend Black Butler to someone who enjoys calm before the storm more than pure action someone who likes watching a demon make tea with the precision of a surgeon while knowing that in five minutes he’ll eat a soul alive if you’re a fan of Death Note or Hellsing with a difference in dark humor this anime could be a good pick just please be patient with season one and two or skip straight to Book of Circus

My score

Atmosphere and music nine out of ten

Manga faithfulness after reboot eight out of ten

Philosophical depth of the deal eight out of ten

Non canon seasons one and two four out of ten

The amazing proverbs Sebastian drops while cooking ten out of ten I mean it

Let me know if you want the title translated into English as well or if you need a shorter social media friendly version.