Reviews for Black Butler

At first this series annoyed me to hell. Not because I'd read it, mind you. But because every time I'm go to check for some freaking updates there would be Kuroshitsuji at the top of the list, taunting me and singing "na-na-na-na you don't read me!". The obvious solution would be to read it but I was stubborn and the title looked like a shounen which i was not in the mood for. Finally I gave in and clicked the link on onemanga, which gave me the most misleading synopsis I'd ever read. It went: "To what extent must a housekeeper do things to be acceptable? Oneof the noble families of England: Phantomhive's butler: Sebastian Michaels has got unquestionably perfect knowledge, manners, talent with materials, martial arts, et cetera: but is also able to serve a 12 year old master. Wearing a grey tailcoat, gracefully brewing the worlds strongest red tea, please read on to see how such a perfect butler copes with such a master..." (directly copy and pasted from onemanga, btw)

I thought "Oh! That sounds funny! A really happy manga!" HAHAHAHA! Yeah RIGHT! This thing ended up being one of the darkest, horrific, deep, and twisted mangas I've ever read! And I STILL loved it!

Even though my initial idea of the manga was totally misconceived I still found enjoyment of the highest degree.

What the story is really about is the pair, Sebastian (the perfect butler) and Ciel (the cold, calculating 12-year-old), living in the underworld of high society. Ciel is an orphan with a fortune, an eyepatch, and a deal with the demon Sebastian. In the manga we don't know the details of this deal (and you do in the anime but I don't trust animes) jut that Sebastian has to protect Ciel at all cost until a certain time at which point Sebastian gets Ciel's soul.

Of course, this is all rather heavy for a twelve-year-old (heck, at the time they made the deal, Ciel was 10!) but Ciel never appears to waver. He is strong, smart, cold, and far from merciful.

At least that's what he tries to be. As the story progresses, it becomes more and more obvious that Ciel is desperate to hide all emotion so as to protect himself from the world. His experiences hardened him and much of the series seems to be about him facing his own innocence and realizing his weaknesses.

But where Ciel is an open book, ready to read by anxious readers, Sebastian is closed off and a mystery. His constant smile and dark manor is menacing and you can't help but suspect he's only caring for Ciel for his tasty, tasty soul. But in the anime there are moments that suggest he may actually care for Ciel.

I would like to note at his time that this series is NOT a shounen ai/yaoi. Since the two main characters are a bishi and a shouta and they have a "unique relationship" it is assumed they are taking part in "inappropriate conduct" (aka they're joining NMBLA). I think this is disgusting. I can't believe people wish to think that. Why must all wholesome reltionships be ruined by people and their filthy minds

The relationship between these two is like a forced trust. Sebastian knows Ciel can't hurt him and Ciel knows Sebastian is bound by a sacred contract that can't be broken. Sebastian is the only person Ciel can trust unconditionally and since Sebastien is so strong he knows that if anyone even tries to cross him, they're dead. It's not love, just a partnership.Now that I'm done with that, I'd like to make note of the story. As opposed to most shoujos this series is divided into lots of mini arcs and stories which usually teach you something knew about these characters. They usually start with Ciel being told by the Queen to go do something for her. Then Ciel has to run off with Sebastian and do her bidding. These stories will usually start of with lots of funny, clever comments partnered with new characters to further the story. Then it plunges into some deep, dark plot line from whence are heroes may never return (they always do anyway).

In a lot of ways this manga reminds me of GodChild. Very dark and set in the same period. The only difference is I actually like the art in Kuroshitsuji. The detail is through the roof with high style, delicious sweets, lovely London town, and wonderful style to boot.

I hope you read this series and enjoy it as much as I do! ^_^

Story (8/10): “Aku made shitsuji desu / I am a butler to the core” Kuroshitsuji takes place in Victorian era London and starts us off in the manor house of Ciel Phantomhive, the twelve year old head of the prominent noble English family. Assisting this young capitalist is Sebastian Michaelis, everyone’s ideal butler, who wishes for nothing more than to fulfill his young master’s every need. Now you may ask – what kind of reader am I, to be so easily marveled by an aristocrat and a merely simple butler? Well, I am obliged to highlight the fact that Sebastian is merely no ordinary butler, and asthe story progresses, we soon come to realize that there is more to young Ciel and cunning Sebastian’s relationship. This fine butler is not simply serving Ciel out of the goodness of his heart or for any wealth, but instead is bound to the Phantomhive head by a rather dark contract – all of which is gradually being unraveled as each chapter passes. The story is fantastic and although at times it may seem that some chapters were a little slow and did not create as much emphasis as the last – each is important and ultimately fun to read. Consequently, the story itself is quite unique and definitely an interesting read. Moreover, albeit it may at times seem devoid of something, it will surely not displease in making you laugh and enjoying it enthusiastically.

Art (10/10):

The artwork in Kuroshitsuji is in my opinion extremely beautiful. Almost right off the top, I’m sure you will be impressed. The backgrounds when shown are marvelous and portray an excellent image. The artwork in Kuroshitsuji is magnificent in how well it depicts the Victorian era. By this, I draw attention to the intricate clothing designs that are worn by our characters, the nineteenth century tea and china sets, as well as the interior of the Phantomhive manor. Furthermore moving onto the character designs themselves – I must conclude that they are one of the best I have seen. Sebastian’s look floods sophistication, complexity and style; whereas upon taking a glance at Ciel’s character you immediately recognize an air of superiority, cleverness, and class. The art I believe is one of the best aspects of this manga.

Character (10/10):

The characters are a definite plus for Kuroshitsuji. Ciel Phantomhive is a twelve year old business savvy prodigy who is now the head of the noble English Phantomhive family. He prides on being a well-mannered, mature and calm young man and takes pleasure in winning, whether it be in a deal to gain material objects or to gain something of more value – hence forth proving his interest and hard to believe proficiency in playing games. Additionally, Ciel is the master of Sebastian whom he sees as his pawn and someone who is meant to endure anything in the name of Phantomhive.

Thus bringing us to the sly yet remarkable character of Sebastian Michaelis as the butler of young master Ciel. Sebastian is without a doubt, the best butler to ever serve nobility as he shows his ability to cook as a professional chef, clean so well that he leaves not a speck of dust, maintain the garden and indubitably perform many other tasks while still finding the time to make his master some tea and cake. Sebastian’s awesomeness is further proven as he is the first butler to be able to fight and fend off his masters’ adversaries with simple eating utensils. Yes, Sebastian is the true embodiment of perfection. However, as the story progresses – Sebastian’s true character becomes more and more clear.

One thing I must accurately say about the two main characters and of all the other supporting characters as well, is that each person has a unique story to tell. Although backgrounds are being revealed gradually – it’s quite understandable each character has quite a lot to offer. What is more is that although the story is often times meant to be dark; there are many characters that are ready to provide comical relief at any moment. As stated once before, each character has quite a lot to present from their personality to the overall story.

Enjoyment (9/10):

I am undeniably enjoying Kuroshitsuji to its fullest potential. Although many questions have been provoked, that is to be expected of a manga that is still publishing and continuing with high hopes. Additionally, as each chapter is being released, questions are being answered yet more questions are being put forth – therefore peaking my curiosity to a greater extent. Kuroshitsuji is a perfect balance of supernatural action, mystery and comedy that is makes an amazing manga. Furthermore – this is especially appealing to the females as it contains many “hot bishes/shotas” ^_^;;

Overall (9/10):

All in all, I would recommend Kuroshitsuji to anyone who is interested in reading a manga with a unique and twisting plot, great characters all whom differ in their personalities and abilities and with awe-inspiring art. I am thoroughly enjoying it and I hope others will come to love it as well :)

---------

I hope my first review on MAL was helpful to you and if you have any advice, I would be glad to hear it. Thanks for reading my review and I look forward to many more Kuroshitsuji fans ^__^

A fair notice to those of you who've completed the anime before ever giving the manga a read: A-1 Pictures hasn't done the best job adapting the manga. If you found the anime rather lacklustre and consider the manga to be more of the same, I encourage you to read through this review first before making any judgements. This review will also be periodically updated every few chapters. Kuroshitsuji is published in North America by Yen Press. Both seasons of the anime, the Book of Circus TV series, and the upcoming Book of Murder OVAs are licensed by Funimation Entertainment in North America, Manga Entertainment inthe United Kingdom, and Madman Entertainment in Australia.

Feedback is always welcome so without further hesitation, let's get on with this review!

***

It isn't often that I catch up with a manga that's still publishing and find myself eagerly waiting for chapters to come out every month. I'm the kind of guy who sticks with mangas that finished publishing or mangas that are still publishing with absurdly high chapter counts. What's more is that I find myself rather surprised that of all the mangas I caught up with, it had to be Kuroshitsuji. I started reading the manga when I was still waiting for episodes of Book of Circus to come out and the next thing I knew, I spent the next few days clearing through manga chapters because I was THAT enamoured with what was going on.

Despite Kuroshitsuji's initial appearance of being some bishonen-ridden, supernatural slice-of-life comedy taking place in Victorian England, Yana Toboso proves herself to be an able writer who's more than capable of bringing well-written stories to the table which are incredibly addictive and will be more than enough to have you despairing over having to wait until the third week of every month to get the next chapter so you can get more of your fix. Well... that's assuming that you can take the bad with the good but let's get into that can of worms a bit later.

The biggest strength that Kuroshitsuji has is the fact that it's for the most part, a supernatural mystery drama with a dark and serious tone throughout much of the narrative. Do you have *ANY* idea how hard it is to find a supernatural story that ISN'T action-oriented? Now hear me out: yes, Kuroshitsuji has a fair deal of action and comedy in it but that's not the primary focus of the story. The focus stays on Ciel Phantomhive and his omnipotent butler, Sebastian investigating the various mysteries that the Queen assigns him to solve. These mysteries he's assigned start off simple enough but then turn into something much darker and more complex than one would've initially thought.

With that said, Yana Toboso is prone to her dry spells much like any mangaka. Over the course of 99 chapters (at the time of writing), there have only been *2* lacklustre arcs out of eight: the Curry Contest arc and the Public School arc. The Curry Contest arc itself was rather boring from the get-go, all things considered and it never really went into anything darker or deeper. The Public School arc however did start off interestingly enough but suffered from being dragged out WAY more than was necessary and genuinely DID feel like shameless fangirl pandering that would make the authors of Hetalia fan fiction blush half the time.

Now keeping that in mind, what makes the arcs of Kuroshitsuji stand out is the fact that Yana Toboso is experimenting with her style. While that might seem like an overall detriment to the story because there's no consistency, it should be noted that Kuroshitsuji's arcs aren't predictable nor do they feel formulaic in the slightest (thus far) BECAUSE Yana Toboso is experimenting with the style of storytelling she uses for every arc. Furthermore, Yana Toboso has yet to repeat any of the mistakes she's made over the course of 99 chapters when it comes down to the story and I highly doubt she will.

There is one thing about Kuroshitsuji that might keep potential readers at bay, and that is the fact that Yana Toboso is a former yaoi mangaka. Why is this relevant? Well... if you didn't know by now, Kuroshitsuji has a reputation for being shameless yaoi fangirl pandering. I'll say this right now: the first season of the anime dials up all of that shit to 11 and Kuroshitsuji II may very well have been adapted from somebody's slash fiction on FanFiction.net or deviantART. The manga BARELY has any of that shit in it. I say barely because the Public School arc was probably just Yana Toboso's way of giving the fangirls what they want... despite the fact that Kuroshitsuji is a shonen series. Thankfully, there's none of that in the other arcs so no need to panic if you've got a deep distaste for that kind of shit.

When it comes down to the characters, I can safely say that they are MUCH more developed in the manga than they EVER were in the anime. For one thing, certain characters end up being much more fleshed out than one would imagine. Look no further than Lizzie, Ciel's betrothed whom many fans of the anime found rather... annoying. The Ship's Voyage arc was more than enough to prove that there was far more to her character than we initially thought was present. Honestly, I can't wait to see more of her in the upcoming arcs because Toboso handled her characterisation THAT well. Other side characters like Mey-Rin, Finni, Baldroy, and Tanaka were handled in a similar fashion, and I'm REALLY glad that the current arc the manga's on (the Green Witch arc) gave us a chance to see these guys shine.

Ciel is also a VERY capable lead. While the anime basically painted him out to be a punk kid who can't do shit without his daemonic butler by his side, the manga actually shows that he's able to handle himself quite well and is more than able to do shit on his own. With that said, Ciel is ultimately a 13-year-old boy who's gone through a rather nasty series of VERY unfortunate events. There are moments where we get to see that traumatised inner child that his haughty exterior masks which is more than enough to make us question what Ciel has become. If you don't get what I mean, hear me out.

Ciel was once an innocent child, but then had his house burned down and his parents murdered. He got abducted and was forced to endure unspeakably brutal torture at the hands of depraved psychopaths. Out of sheer desperation, he pays a VERY hefty price (aka his own soul) just to live. Whenever an arc takes a look at his psyche, you can't help but see a victim of circumstance despite what he's done over the course of the series. He's no longer an innocent child, and yet the fact that we don't know what exactly Ciel is now is the question that haunts much of Kuroshitsuji.

Ciel himself states that the world consists of victims and those who exploit them (and most of the time, it's easy to tell who's who). But when we see Ciel's vulnerability, it's more than enough to remind us that he may very well be the biggest victim of them all. Remember that by the end of it all, Sebastian is only in it for Ciel's soul and doesn't really care about HIM in the slightest (despite what slash fic writers want to believe). With no family and a traumatic past which forced him into the circumstances he's in now and knowledge that his soul will be devoured by a daemon once the contract has been fulfilled, it's hard NOT to see Ciel as a victim from time to time.

As for Sebastian (affectionately referred to as Sebas-chan/Sebby by the fans), well... he's simply one hell of a butler. Okay, that was lame. I like to imagine that Sebastian is related to Alucard from Hellsing in some way, shape, or form because in many ways, Sebastian simply has that aura about him where he's impossible to hate because he's just... awesome! A lot of people rag on Sebastian for being overpowered, but then they forget to realise that he is a DAEMON, not a human and isn't bound to the same rules because of that. He must do everything he can to protect Ciel, lest he lose that soul he's hungering for.

Furthermore, Sebas-chan has a certain charm to him. He's a character who you might think is obligated to be nothing more than a grumbling servant, but he actually likes to toy around with his master to keep things fresh, so-to-speak. The contract remains in effect so long as Ciel lives, and given that he wants to devour Ciel's soul, of course he'll make sure Ciel is alive (but just barely). Furthermore, Ciel must be very careful about what he orders Sebastian to do, otherwise Sebastian will just literally interpret the order and get off on a technicality since Ciel explicitly said from Day 1 that his orders are absolute. When you look at him like that, he's way more than an overpowered servant.

In regards to artwork, Kuroshitsuji has some of the best artwork I've ever seen from a shonen manga. Yana Toboso manages to depict Victorian England almost to a T, anachronisms aside. Settings are beautifully detailed, the clothes everyone wears are befitting of people living in Victorian England with their social standing, etc. One complaint that some people might have when it comes down to the artwork is the fact that Yana Toboso has a penchant for drawing most of the male characters as bishonens, and Sebastian is the most obvious example. Honestly, bishies are part of the course and if you have some sort of deep-seated hatred of bishonens, don't fucking read it. That's the way I see it, anyway.

Would I say that I enjoy Kuroshitsuji? Well if the fact that I'm in despair because Kuroshitsuji is a monthly manga that I've caught up to isn't proof that I enjoyed the series, I have no fucking idea what is. Aside from a few dull spots here and there, I can safely say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the manga. This is bar none, one of the best shonen series I've had the pleasure of reading and despite its reputation, I'm certainly not ashamed to admit that I like it. Hell, I'm more inclined to buy volumes of Kuroshitsuji than I am of One Piece. What does that say about me? That I have shit taste? Eh, possibly but that's beside the point. I guess my point is that if you can put aside your preconceived notions of the franchise as a whole, you're definitely going to love the manga.

Tl;dr version? My lord, my lady, I highly recommend reading this manga. I assure you it's one hell of a good read.

After seeing how many 10 and 9 ratings this manga is getting I decided to write my own review. Don't get me wrong, I love Kuroshitsuji, but I think this manga needs more objective and honest reviews, because let's face it, just because you enjoy something doesn't necessarily mean it's fantastic. Story: 5 Kusoshitsuji has a pretty interesting concept: A young boy (10 at the time) makes a deal with a demon in order to get revenge on the people who destroyed his family. I love dark, twisted plotlines alot, so this manga instantly stood out to me for that reason. However, the way it lays outthe story is detrimental to the overall value. Toboso is not a good storyteller. The main story is told in bits and pieces through individual arcs whose subplots have little to do with the main characters and their objective. And lately it seems that these sub plots are getting more and more cliched. It honestly seems like the author is running out of inspiration. For someone like me, who is dying to find out more about Ciel and Sebastian, it's fairly frustrating to be fed only tidbits each arc. So while I love the main story, it's presentation weighs the score down.

Art: 10

The art in Kuroshitsuji is simply gorgeous. It's very detailed and the artist is good at blending beauty with the macabre. The style is very gothic and suits the setting and atmosphere of the story well. The character designs are all rather interesting and with the amount of bishies to be found, it's every fangirl's dream.

Character: 7

I love morally ambiguous characters. And this series is full of them, Ciel being the prime example. He's a horrible person. He's cold, uncaring, manipulative, and does some pretty despicable things. However, you can't help but sympathize with him, since it's not really his fault. His current personality was shaped by the cruel events that led him to make a contract with a demon. At the age of 12, he took up the duty of leader of the Phantomhive family, and struggles to appear as an adult despite his young age and small stature. And throughout the story, he seems to struggle between his humanity and his objective. Sebastian is a rather flat character, but we don't know much about him and his motivations. Lizzy, whom I initially hated with a passion and still rather dislike, is revealed to have a lot more depth than previously suspected. And many of the side characters have a lot of depth to them as well, although there are those that are flat, such as the servants, which seems to exist for the sole purpose of comic relief and to showcase the extent of Ciel's ability to manipulate people.

Enjoyment: 8

I really love reading this series. Even though the slow pace can be incredibly frustrating, the individual arcs are interesting for the most part. And there are plenty of bishies, so that's an added bonus for the fangirls. Kuroshitsuji is a pretty entertaining read.

Overall, this gets a 7 from me.

...I wish I liked this series better than I do. Aspects of it, and a few entire arcs, are great enough that I want the whole thing to be a masterpiece. But as it stands, there's just too many things I dislike about the series for me to pursue it any further. This is long, so if you want a short version of this review, there's a TL;DR at the bottom. Viewed holistically, it isn't bad by any means; I can understand why it has so many fans. I don't care much for fanservice (as much as I like bishonens), but for those who do, orat least don't mind it, this series would certainly appeal to you. Beyond that, there are aspects of astounding quality here. For one, I can't praise Toboso's art enough. The art style is my favorite of any manga I've seen or read. The costume and character designs are incredible; most impressive to me is that she never falls into the trap of giving every bishounen the same design with a different hairstyle, but rather, they all look like individuals, and you can discern each character's personality and role from their appearance alone. Many of the characters- my favorites being Sebastian, the Noah's Ark Circus crew, and Sieglinde Sullivan- are legitimately unique and interesting. The series also raises interesting moral dilemmas, and by showing characters that are willing to do the worst of the worst, Toboso also manages to showcase the best of the best. That's a difficult balance to strike.

Frankly, the Noah's Ark Circus Arc is the best I've read in any manga (and I read Fullmetal Alchemist). Were I able to rank arcs on their own, I'd rank that one a perfect 10 in every category... and not even just because I love circuses. What I mentioned above about the worst and the best acts and traits of humanity is never pulled off with more pensive elegance than it is in this arc. It's tragic, it's somber, but it definitely makes you think. And Joker, for the record, is one of the most fascinating I've ever come across. He's a firm moral grey zone, but you come to understand exactly what makes him tick. I'd love to see HIM as the main character in something. And, for the record, I'd rank the next two arcs- the murder mystery and the cruise with Elizabeth- an 8 or 9; the former for its mystery, the latter for how well it develops Elizabeth and the Undertaker's characters.

Then why do I only rank the series a 6 out of 10 if I have so many good things to say about it? Well... for me, the things that DON'T work about this series massively hold it back. For one thing, I don't care for many of the characters, or any of the arcs aside from the three I mentioned. In the former respect, the two worst offenders for me are Grell and Ciel. I love Grell's design, but her personality has always *greatly* annoyed me. After her first few appearances, the most interesting aspects of her character (mostly her struggles with gender identity) are underexplored at best and played for cheap gags at worst. Even so, Grell's combat skills are still something to behold; I do like watching her fights, and she's not a major enough presence to ruin the story for me as a whole. Ciel, however, certainly is.

Let me say this. Usually, a tragic backstory- especially one as brutal as Ciel's- will get me pretty far with a character; if I feel for you, I want to watch you, support you, see you overcome and see you succeed. And I'm not against revenge plots; in fact, I rather like them, especially when they play up the vengeance-seeker's emotions. But there's something about Ciel I just can't have any pity for. It's not purely his willingness to do awful things- despite his actions, I thought he was at his best in the Circus arc - but moreso a matter of personality. Sure, *at best* he's cold, impersonal, and entitled, but most of that's understandable given his backstory... it just doesn't create a character I feel compelled to support in any way. The reason I like Ciel in the Circus arc is because you see him struggle with the weight of his actions; he shows a sort of emotional vulnerability that isn't really seen again. But if he doesn't seem to care about anything, why should I?

Ciel aside, it's hard enough to care about some of these plotlines. Aside from the three arcs I mentioned, the stories range from boring to outright annoying. The Red Butler arc has some serious pacing issues; the Indian Butler arc feels pointless (and gives us Agni and Soma who, while I think they're fun, add almost nothing of value to the overall story); the Public School arc feels like straight-up wish fulfillment and rips off the best points of the Circus and Luxury Liner arcs without adding anything new to the table, making it just feel stale; and the Emerald Witch Arc, aside from giving us Sieglinde (who is legitimately great) and some much-needed moments exploring Sebastian's motivation, quickly becomes tedious and overstays its welcome. None of these arcs made me drop the manga, however. That dubious honor goes to the Blue Cult, which gave us the cringe-inducing Victorian 1D equivalent comprised of four characters from the Public School arc. I didn't think anything from the School Arc provided enough story potential to be brought back into things. It just contributed to my feeling that things had gotten stale which, combined with the pacing (yet again), made me abandon ship altogether.

I've heard about some of the major story developments since I dropped the series, but none of it piques my interest enough to return to it. That's not to say I won't ever do so; I simply don't care enough to bother right now.

TL;DR: Great characters and art can't outweigh an unlikable protagonist, weak plotlines, and stale formulas. In my opinion, you can (and should) read the Circus, Murders, and Liner arcs, but nothing else is all that worthwhile. Factoring everything together, I'd have to weigh the average to a 6.

Anyone who bothered to read this review, keep in mind: these are all just my opinions. If you like the series, don't let what I say ruin it for you. I more write this for anyone who's considering picking this up as a newcomer; if any of the details I mentioned would be deal-breakers for you, it's good to keep that in mind.

Story: The idea and concept of Kuroshitsuji is very good and you really don't know what will happen next. The story is a little confusing because we, the readers, do not know quite yet what the whole point of goal of the plot is. However the little arcs are fascinatig and historical and very well made as well telling us important morals. Art: The art is simply BRILLIANT. Everything and I mean everything is amazing. The backgrounds are detailed and the flowers, tea sets, clothes, and the characters are intricately detailed and drawn very well as well. Characters: I love the characters. I cannot help it. 83.Ciel Phantomhive is the 12 year old successor to Phantomhive household and is a selfish adorable brat whom is absolutely loveable. Sebastian is a demon and the butler who serves Ciel. He can do virtually anything and both are characters you wish the author would quickly hurry up and tell more about.

Enjoyment: I thoroughly enjoy this manga. ^^ I look forward to reading it every day when I have time.

Story-The story gets 9. The story gets clearly little by little and the reader can slowly understand about Ciel's past and who is Sebastian. Although it's a bit boring in the start it gets more and more action and becomes to great manga! Art-The art gets 10. What can I say about the art? It's simply amazing! The food, the mansions and the roses... all of these stuff drawn just great! Also the tea sets drawn wonderful.Character-The character gets 9.

I like very much the design of the characters.

Especially: Ciel-The selfish little master, Sebastian-The "one hell of a butler" and Grell because of his real personality.

Enjoyment-My enjoyment gets 9.

I like all the characters, and art and the story is great.

The manga got great bloody parts and has a lot of mysterious parts.

I really like mangas with geners like that and cool characters so I started to read it and guess what?-

I don't have any regrets!

Overall-9.

I have to admit, as someone who's only read shonen manga, I was sceptical about this series at the start. When I saw the volumes at my local bookstore, I couldn't help myself but judge this manga by the cover. By seeing Sebastian repeatedly on the covers of the volumes I thought that this was going to be another shallow pretty-boy manga. Boy, was I wrong. For anybody who likes dark gothic victorian fantasy, this book is the one for you. It is a unique manga in its own way, with well developed characters and a thought-out plot. Now, some people might call Ciel a 'brat' andSebastian a 'cliche', but further on in the plot you find that this is not the case at all. Each character has their own unique personality that distinguishes them from other series.

The plot may seem vague or non-existent at the start, but once the introduction of the characters is over, there will be a quickening of pace in the events, and that's where this series is successful. It manages to fit in original characters (like Grell) to the historical context of the era.

I can name a handful of mangas that are suposedly set in England, but Kuro grasps the Zeltergeist of the Victorian era nicely. While I read it, I could feel the British pride, the ingenuity, the etiquette that made the British Empire renowned. There are many literary references which I enjoyed, including Edgar Alan Poe and Oscar Wilde. You can see that through the details that Toboso puts in, that the author has made great research on British culture.

Some people like to compare Kuro to Count Cain/Godchild. Both series have some similarities, but don't be put off by them, because they are overall very different. Kuro focuses more on the lack of human morals and the alienation from all that is good, but also focuses on the habits of human nature, and how we, as humans, are not too far away from animals. The concept of love is also ignored: the characters that often feel attached to another characters are often seen as the 'fools' and the 'losers' of the series.

Overall, this series is a great one to read, both for the fantastic art and the plot twists. Hats off to you Toboso!

To be honest, I wasn't planning to read to manga at all of this series, after hardly being able to sit through most of the anime past episode eight. Surprisingly though, I enjoyed the manga quite a bit more (may have something to do with being able to flip through at your own pace), though it still does have its share of problems. Starting off, we have the plot (that you can read for yourself elsewhere), which is a good idea overall, but fails to provide too much in terms of developing the storyline. The story itself is seperated in different "arcs", none ofwhich properly explores the main characters (or feel like they are part of the "plot"), but instead focuses on different supporting characters, many of whom don't get much focus onwards. Still, each arc does provide you with some scattered clues about the main characters, and manage to be enjoyable as well (opinions may vary). They usually have powerful endings that are not to be missed, no matter how tedious parts of them can become.

As mentioned before, the main characters aren't exactly what I would call well-developed; characterization is pretty weak in this series. Ciel is alright; he seems to be the self-proclaimed chessmaster of this series, though the reader can see that it's more of his ego than actual ability, per-say. He's a spoiled brat with a cruel past, and you can see how much it made him develop as a character. Sebastian, on the other hand, I absolutely despise. He is the very definition of perfection, and is definitely a God Mode Sue in my eyes. Maybe it's justified, on account of him being a demon, but the way the story plays out makes him more of a Deus ex Machina then anything else, and has not developed his character properly yet; even over sixty chapters in, after a couple of years, we still do not have any backstory on him nor many hints as to his true motivation. Maybe this will change later (and let it CHANGE), maybe it won't. But until it does, I refuse to give him much credit.

With that being said, the supporting characters get a little more development, and all have their unique quirks. Something to remember in this series is that morality here is very dark, and characters usually should not be given a proper alliance (good, evil, neutral) just because of causing harm to a major character, who aren't exactly that nice either.

The art makes up for a lot of the series' faults, though. It's very delicate and attentive to detail, truly making the setting come to life. Only problem here is that it's a bit too delicate, giving little flow to fight sequences (unfortunately for the viewer).

Will you enjoy this manga? It's a bit hard to say. If you are a fangirl, then you might become enamoured with the endless stream of pretty-boys here (That's what most of the fan-discussion seems to consist of, anyways). Otherwise, most people may be turned-off by the slow pace that the author works with a lot of the time, espicially considering the wait for each chapter (a month for around 30 pages).

Overall, this series gets a 7/10 for me.

As a boy, I didn't really have a good impression of Black Butler. As I saw fangirls going wild about Sebastian or whoever it was, I though it was one of those boring and tedious pretty-looking mangas with perfect guys that made the fangirls squeal. I was right. It was a pretty-looking manga with perfect guys, but it wasn't boring nor tedious, it's probably one of the most exciting things I've read in years! Story: 9 The description does a good job describing the story, so I won't say it again. I knew it was during the Victorian Era and I also knew it made references to famousthings like Jack the Ripper, Titanic etc. I just didn't know it was so well done! The story is built in arcs, when one ends another begins, and so on. It may sound like random adventures after another one, but it's a lot more than that. Every arc has some connection with Ciel's past, and each one gives us a little hint to what really happened and to what's going to happen next. There are always amazing twists, all unexpected but planned through the whole way, sometimes I look some pages back to make sure I didn't miss anything. It draws you in like it has its own gravity.

Art: 10/10

PERFECT. There is no other word to describe the art of this manga. Everything has astonishing details, the teacups, the clothing, the furniture, the characters, everything! All those fancy ornaments are drawn flawlessly, the expressions on the character's faces are always clear and show exactly what they mean, all those dresses and hats and stockings look absolutely perfect, not a single mistake in proportions, no mistakes whatsoever! I would offer my soul to a demon to have the skills to draw like this.

Character: 10/10

Such a classy environment requires finesse, class, dignity, nobleness... NOT! The crazy cast of Black Butler extends itself to all the possible boundaries of personality. From the pit of seriousness that is Ciel, to the effeminate queen of divas that is Grell. Sebastian the handsome perfect butler is always confident and nothing will stop him from doing his master's will, except maybe some kitties. The very creepy Undertaker is always a good source of information, as long as you give him a first-rate laugh of course! It is almost impossible to not laugh at the very awkward qualities and fetishes this lovely group has. I could write a book with all the fantastic qualities of all these characters, but that is just a big waste of my time.

Enjoyment: 9/10

Classy, gory, sad, hilarious, addictive, packed with actions, jokes, amazing twists, traumatic situations... Everything a good manga needs is here. Not a single chapter bothered me, interesting from one end to another, that's a very rare quality in my opinion. The only problem is that you have to wait a whole month for a new chapter to come out, which can be slightly annoying, interrupting fights and then pick them up one moth later... but it's all worth it.

Overall: 10

I said all I wanted to say. Despite being more popular among girls, I think any boy would enjoy this manga to it's fullest... I did ;)

So I first saw the anime and was left bitter since I believed the story had more to offer than the show itself and then I picked the manga up. They both get a seven but I honestly believe the manga to 100 times better than the anime or it's lousy sequel which by the way was too horrible to even watch till the end. Though I like the manga better it still lacks and so here I will try to explain why. STORY: quite good, very good actually. The story doesn't have much consistency; the only consistent thing about it is that Ciel sold his souland is now Sebastian's master and they try to find the right people so Ciel can unleash his hateful revenge on. While that is promising and good as an idea for a plot and could perhaps unravel in a sort of mysterious,detective kind of story with the boy being led from one clue to the other so he can find what he's looking for but it actually doesn't do so. Instead it relies on cliches and stories told so many times and in the same ridiculous shonen fashion that I have gotten very sick of.We have different arcs that, while some are enjoyable, eventually lead no where, sure the bad guys are done for and the mystery is solved but what does it have to do with Ciel and the people who killed his parents? Now since this hasn't finished yet and well...as painful as it may be we're not really sure when it's going to be, it may be never, these unrelated arcs might lead to something in the end but by the time we reach the end we've gotten so tired of the constant fillers that you just give up. The last few chapters are just fillers with stuff so unrelated that the story becomes stiff and boring, this plot could be carried out in a much wittier way and I suppose with less chapters but it just drags and tries too much to sell. 7 only for the concept

ART:ok the art is PERFECT! If you like Victorian fashion and generally the whole atmosphere of those times( and the gothic theme of course) then you'll probably enjoy the art very much. Beautiful castles are drawn in much detail and so are the interiors, in general we have a lot of great background( well maybe not as good as Kaori Yukis but close) and it captures the feel of the era perfectly. the clothes are all magnificent, I especially like all of Ciels outfits,they're imaginative and completely stylish. This series is great for the fashion, no let downs here. 9

CHARACTER: ugh, so I felt the characters were flat in the anime, the manga is no different.We have our mains here; Ciel and Sebastian. While I find Ciel's character to be promising and often comes off very interesting even though he is a spoiled son of a bitch. Sebastian is flat, I can't put my head around him, he has no character what so ever, even though he's polished to the bone with all the cool guy traits, with his wits and sharp moves and chilly attitude but still he's really forgettable at the end of the day.He COULD be interesting I mean he's a devil blah blah blah, I've come across interesting creatures of his kind but he fails completely. The servants of Ciels mansion are forgettable while funny but that's all they got,then there's some key characters that come and go like Lau who are enjoyable while they're there. The gay shinigami is awful and it's NOT because he's gay but he's just so...I dunno, he just doesn't fit. Elizabeth, Ciels fiancee, is terrible and annoying and oh my god so familiar! Ciel is promising and so are some others that appear for a little while but eventually he has no growth or in general he really just isn't well written. Boring, boring, boring and most of them just don't fit the script. They're too far fetched! 5

ENJOYMENT/OVERALL: So this manga IS enjoyable even though the characters are a major turn off for me that likes well written characters but it still is fun to read. You really can see that the author did her homework on England 1800s and that you can see very clearly, Kuroshitsuji is an enjoyable manga if you like to look at pretty art. You can get lost in it's era very easily and enjoy the story. Some arcs like I said are very good like the one about the Circus which is really really good. Nothing too heavy, an easy read definitely and it's kind of fun. The tackiness can get to you but it's still worth a look. If you like nice art then take a look at it, if you expect any kind of development aside form one or two hints every 20 chapters than forget it.7

When I initially started the Kuroshitsuji manga at age fourteen, pretty much the only thing that inspired me to read was my massive and probably unhealthy obsession with Sebastian. As you can probably guess, I wasn't very concerned about the plot. Now that I'm older, I'm able to admit that the first couple of arcs were pure agony and completely monotonous to read. Kuroshitsuji is a great example of how an author can improve over time. The art at the beginning of the series was quite frankly rough and ugly(think Junjou Romantica), the story was boring and pointless for the most part, andthe characters super annoying in a failed attempt to be funny.

However, as the manga progresses, the art significantly improves. Significantly, as in sometimes you have to stop reading and stare because the art is just that gorgeous. The story is so good that every time I buy the newest volume I can't put it down, though plot holes are commonplace and super easy to pick out. A majority of the characters are super loveable, Ciel and Sebastian being the Holden Caulfield's of the story (love to hate them).

The one warning I must give if you're thinking of starting the series is: Kuroshitsuji is hard to get into. At first, it's uninteresting and bad to look at, however suffering through it is totally worth it because of how fantastic it becomes later on. New readers, don't give up, because though I absolutely hated reading at the beginning, it became one of my favorite mangas.

I admit, before I began reading it. I was a little curious about it after seeing it at anime-plant. So I read a few fanfictions and I was hooked on the characters slight.. Until finally I went to onemanga..and imagine my delight at finding it there instead of having to go on a search for it on yahoo. The Story diserves a 9/10. The plot is a quite interesting one. I had to say it really had me hooked on the second chapter. The first was a little boring but with some good humor blended into it. It was the second chapter when things begin to getinteresting. I couldn't stop reading it, and when I had to the next time I was on I picked up where I left off. This manga's story is really good, a gothic blend, with a historical feel, and side trips of humor blended in.

The Art Diserves a 10/10.

I love Toboso Yana's work.. and quite honestly after seeing such great art.. I really wish I could draw like her. The art was fantastic it really showed great detailings of how and what the victorians wore, and what it was like back then. I really enjoyed seeing it. I always liked the Victorian era but never found a manga that shows it well quite like this. Yana really worked hard in this I can tell. Especially with the food.

The Characters: 10/10.

Again.. I say I really wish I could draw like her. The character like the art were great. Ciel especially as Sebastian. A butler to the core that serves his master to the fullest. Sebastian really shows off as a butler a bit in my opinion but that's another thing that I love about him. He's strict, and micheavous and if your not carefull he can play you like a harpsy cord, yet with a love for cats. Ciel a cold, genius, spoilt child earl that is just to adorable. I really love his icy stare.

Enjoyment...

Unlike most manga.. I really enjoy reading this. It brings a nice refreshing story style to my taste..

Overall.

This story diserves a 10 out of 10 rate. I do recommend it for those who love a good plot, a refreshing new style of plot, as well as for those looking for a few recipes to try.

To start off, this manga is definelty worth reading. No matter whether you watch the anime or not. Infact, the anime doesn't even begin to compare with the manga. Story- This story is amazing and unique. Mainly focusing around mystery and the supernatural, with a touch of romance and humour, this story is put together brilliantly. You won't want to put the book down. Art- The art in the manga is unbeileveable. The characters are drawn beautifully, and the backgrounds magnificient. Yana Toboso captures the look of 19th century London with every page. Also, the action scenes look as though they are popping off thepage.

Characters- The characters are amazing. From they're gorgeous looks to they're incredible personalties. They truly are a master piece. You'll fall in love with Ciel, his handsome butler, wacky servants, and adorable fiance as soon as you meet them.

Enjoyment- This anime certainly is enjoyable. You'll want to be re-reading the books again and again. The story is excellent,and the humour hilarious. You're eyes will be glued to the page.

If you're checking the reviews to see whether to give Kuroshitsuji a read, you might as well just go ahead and read it. And you probably don't want to hear it from a (very obvious) fan of the manga, but really, I suggest you ignore the reviews and give it a shot---if you can handle drama with a dark twist and elaborate plot. I say elaborate, only for lack of better word. The main plot is consistent with all the events happening in every single arc, and don't expect to try and find any plotholes. I tried. The plot itself is pretty interesting to say theleast, you might want to stick around for a ton of chapters to know what I mean.

The art is top tier, seriously, have you even SEEN Sebastian? The characters-- they're many, very pretty (duh) and pretty complex, at least the characters of most relevance.

What would be considered to be a bit of a damper is that the plot can get a little too twisty and, well, all over the place. In other words, it can be alot to process, especially after the 100th chapter.

Some people like this sort of thing tho, myself included. The kind of thing that will make you want to go back, re-read some and collect bits of information here and there to try and form a comprehensible theory of what is actually going on. It's extremely enjoyable and there's alot to sift through.

So yeah, if you read this far, go ahead and read at least a few ten of chapters before deciding if it's worth the shot. Happy reading!

---Not for long, anyway

If you love mysteries, I would definitely recommend this to all. Though, it maybe hard to understand at some points in the chapters, it is well written and thought through. From all the novel books I've read, this is in fact one of the closest you will get to get the feeling as if you're reading a novel book, except with pictures. There are only two downside that I could come up with this manga. One, it is not complete. Though I prefer completed manga, I will wait for this. Two, characters, such as Elizabeth, can be really obnoxious and irritating, but that's what makesthe story a manga.

Overall, a rating of 9/10. I would make it into a 10 but, since it's still on-going I will wait for it to finish. Once done, I will see if I change my mind.

Until then, this is Usa-chan man (BunnyMafia) waving good-bye.

In the black butler manga's I have only read the first 3 books and i got to say there really good so far. I wanna carry of reading the rest of them as it gets quite addicting, its not the best book to read but its something where you can take your mind of thing and just pop into some else life. The plot of it all and the adventures are something to look out for as for the art and how the story line goes is very thrilling. There's is really nothing to dislike about it or love about it but it is one that youcan just enjoy and that's from my point of view.

I suggest if you want something nice and not to violent or too boring I suggest to read the manga's of black butler.

Anime Kuroshitsuji was first anime I ever seen. So you can easily predict that I had to read manga. And I found it somewhere. Anyway. Art is outstanding and while reading you really feel that they like their job. Drawings are very detailed and even thoug the plot (to which I'll move later) is not at highest level, simple looking at every single page is a great joy. As I mentioned there is a "little" problem with the plot. At first, maybe thoughout first half, it seems quite realistic, if you don't count mistakes connected with time period (Cell phone? Really?). You quickly learn how to ignoreit.

Than, unfortunately, story goes in a very wrong direction. I don't want to spoil the fun of reading, so I'll just tell that you get a very strong feeling of reading a bad fanfiction. Art is still great, of course, but it seems to me that Yana Tobso is sometimes too excited about her own character, Sebastian, and she tries hard to show all his possibilities - ignoring realism and throwing characters into riddiculus situations not matching withe the atmosphere of manga. Also the author's knowlegde of the time period in which action takes place is something she should work on harder (she certainly tries as you can see progress clearly in further chapters. Stupid situation reamin stupid, but you won't see as many futuristic objects).

That's all for objective review, because the rest is strongly affected by my own taste.

The biggest adventage is for me idea of shinigami. Don't ask me why. I just love them. It's not a horror, but they are a great idea in form she presented them. Althoug it also goes with many plot holes, from wihich the biggest one is certainly demon's selective ability to recognise shinigami what results in one recognised immediately, and second one ignored through many chapters. Explanation that is given doesn't stand up.

I had a problem with enjoying charachters. At first author managed to keep banace in their behawior and appearence time, but now things get a little out of control. Main character, Ciel, is getting more childlish and delicate, what is propably a result of letting Sebastian do more thing for him to show his strenght and inteligence. Still they're extremely enjoyable. I'm not sure what to think of quality and complexity of characters, but reading about them can still give you a huge amount of fun. Also not all of them were spoiled - for example Undertaker (my favourite one), appearing more often recently, hasn't lost his ability to interest and his entrance and motive remain mystery.

All in all - I think I'd recommend it. It's not the greatest one but if you look for something ligh-horror manga with many handsome guys in it and art which makes you contemplate the drawing for many hours - that's the one. Just don't expect too much.

Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso.The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, a thirteen-year-old boy head of the Phantomhive household, an aristocratic family known as the Queen's Watchdog. He is tasked with solving crimes in London's underworld. Ciel has formed a contract with Sebastian Michaelis to seek revenge against those who tortured him and murdered his parents. Sebastian is a demon who has taken on the disguise of a butler, and in exchange for his services, he will be allowed to consume Ciel's soul. I personally think that the manga is way better than anime. from around chapter 61, i think??everything is getting so ineresting like fr. i recommend you to read this manga... it's rlly good. btw in chapter 1, the art style is really old, but trust me, the art is getting better and better in every chapter:)

Being the manga for Black Butler, or Kuroshitsuji (if your cool), it is just enough to quench your thirst for more Sebastian. No but seriously, this is just to go through the story for me, as I wanted a little more. It is almost exactly the same (so far) as the anime, with more shenanigans with the servants and such added on, which is exactly what I wanted. If you've seen Black Butler, you'll enjoy the manga. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE ANIME, WATCH THAT FIRST. The anime has this sense of immersion that the manga can't accomplish. In the second episode of the animethere is this thing called a field telephone, this is questionable for the atomsphere (supposted to be 18th century Britian), but since there are demons and stuff, I let it slide. In the manga HE PULLS OUT A FLIP PHONE. This would have really broke the immersion for me, if I hadn't already seen the anime. Anywho, just watch, before you read.