Black Butler...
I picked up Black Butler recently...
I've seen the first half of the first season and, so far, I'm quite pleased with the series. The series has a deliciously dark undertone which surfaces from time to time, but, is also peppered with humor and lighter moments. The series is entertaining and moves along at a modest pace. The series is a combination of horror and drama. There is some violence, but, not a lot of gore to speak of. There are no naughty bits. And, of course, the butler, Sebastian, steals the show almost every time he is on screen. All things considered, I give Black Butler a 3 out of 5.
Season 1
Ciel Phantomhive is the most powerful boy in all of England, but he bears the scars of unspeakable suffering. Forced to watch as his beloved parents were brutally murdered, Ciel was subsequently abducted and violently tortured. Desperate to end his suffering, the boy traded his own soul for a chance at vengeance, casting his lot with the one person on whom he could depend: Sebastian, a demon Butler summoned from the very pits of hell.
Together, they'll prowl the darkest alleys of London on a mission to snuff out those who would do evil. They're a rare sight, these two: the Butler who dismembers with dazzling cutlery and the Young Master who carries the devil's marking. Rest assured that wherever they may be headed, it'll be one hell of a ride.
Season 2
When last we saw dear Sebastian, he was poised to feast on the ripened soul of his young master. Unfortunately for the debonair demon, there's a new butler in town...
Enter Claude Faustus, a malevolent manservant uninspired by the drab flavor of his own contracted master, Alois Trancy. This pedestrian lad holds no allure for Claude, so the bespectacled butler sets his sights on a finer delicacy from the menu of the damned: none other than Ciel Phantomhive. And so begins a devilish dance of death starring crow and spider.
The demonic duel rages beyond the limits of good taste, culminating in a debaucherous maze of madness pitting butler against butler. Sebastian and Claude: two ravenous rakehells filled with the power of darkness and locked in a macabre battle for the soiled soul of the young master they so long to savor/devour.
Season 3
Book Of Circus
In Black Butler, Book of Circus, Ciel and the demon butler Sebastian are summoned by the Queen to investigate multiple reports of missing children. When their underworld contacts reveal the disappearances increase when the mysterious Noah’s Ark Circus comes to town the demonic duo must impress an enigmatic ringmaster in order to go undercover as performers-to Sebastian’s delight and Ciel’s disgust. At the core of the circus is a troupe of unique performers from Dagger the knife thrower to Beast, the beautiful tiger tamer. All are connected by someone who changed their lives, someone who raised them from the gutters of London to the heights of the big top - but at a price.
OVA Collection
Book Of Murder
Black Butler Book of Murder follows Ciel and his butler Sebastian as they host an extravagant dinner party for the who’s who of the London underground. But an evening that begins with the promise of unmatched elegance quickly spirals into mayhem when their most distinguished guest is found murdered in his room.
Now, trapped in the Phantomhive Manor by a dark and stormy night, Ciel and Sebastian must work together with their high-class guests, including the legendary author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to find the murderer in their midst before the blame falls on the host and his somewhat suspicious staff. Save the date and don’t be late, the real party is about to begin.
I've seen the first half of the first season and, so far, I'm quite pleased with the series. The series has a deliciously dark undertone which surfaces from time to time, but, is also peppered with humor and lighter moments. The series is entertaining and moves along at a modest pace. The series is a combination of horror and drama. There is some violence, but, not a lot of gore to speak of. There are no naughty bits. And, of course, the butler, Sebastian, steals the show almost every time he is on screen. All things considered, I give Black Butler a 3 out of 5.
