From time to time I am asked to write a review of this or that anime, and, as a rule, I try to satisfy such requests. The requests came in very different, but one title was mentioned most often, and, in the end, I decided to get acquainted with it - I was very interested in what was so special about it, because even my friends, far from the world of anime, had heard about it . Therefore, without further ado, I present to your attention a review of the anime Kuroshitsuji (“Demon Butler”, “Black Butler”, “Black Butler”) .
Brief information
Kuroshitsuji is a parody comedy-psychological anime set in Victorian England. It was created by the studio A-1 Pictures , at the time of writing this review three seasons were shown. The script is based on the manga , although the plotline of parts of the first and entire second season diverges from it. The first season consists of twenty-four episodes and was shown in 2008-2009. The second season consists of twelve episodes and was broadcast in 2010. The third season consists of ten episodes and was shown in 2014. In addition, there are a large number of OVAs and special episodes. In this review, I will tell you about my impressions of watching the first season of Kuroshitsuji .
The life of twelve-year-old aristocrat Ciel Phantomhive has never been easy: in childhood, as a result of an accident, he became an orphan, and from then on, the responsibilities of managing the family business fell on the shoulders of the immature youth. Foggy Albion of the 19th century is a place filled with dangers and secrets, and who, if not the representative of the Phantomhive family, must deal with them in order to protect the prestige of the country and the queen. Fortunately, Ciel has an irreplaceable assistant in the person of the butler Sebastian Michaelis , ready to carry out any order: be it preparing exquisite tea for a guest or fighting several dozen mafiosi. It's good to have a demon butler with you after all!
First appearance
Initially, in Black Butler, Grell Sutcliffe appears as the butler Angelina Durless, better known as Madame Red, the aunt of the main character Ciel Phantomhive. He behaves modestly, clumsily, cowardly, does not cope well with his direct responsibilities, is careless, but at the same time he admires everyone, especially Ciel’s butler Sebastian. He tried to commit suicide several times due to incompetence, but Sebastian saved him every time.
He looks befitting his modest character - dark brown hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon and bow, and round glasses.
However, in reality he turns out to be a reaper who kills young girls together with Madame Red, the “second part” of the maniac Jack the Ripper.
Characters
In “Black Butler,” the main characters are chosen in an original way: young Ciel and his butler Sebastian form a tandem that is not very often seen in anime. Let's start with Ciel . At first glance, few people will be pleased to watch an arrogant young man throwing pretentious phrases left and right. Ciel is a twelve-year-old boy who imagines himself to be the king of the chessboard. But this is the beauty of the image created - after all, if you think about it, this is what a child should be like, who was suddenly given powers and responsibility against his will. This is exactly what the scions of aristocratic families are like, who have not received a proper upbringing and do whatever they want. You may not like Ciel, you may not agree with him, but it is stupid to deny the fact that such a person could exist in reality. Ciel's character is unpleasant, but realistic, and therefore I found it interesting to watch him. You just need to get used to it a little.
In the case of Sebastian, everything is much more straightforward - he is a typical super-strong character, whose abilities are a level higher than the rest of the characters. A violin player, a killer of enemies, a farm manager. But, unlike other overbuffed brothers like Saitama, Sebastian never shows his full potential, even if at first glance it is clear that he is unrealistically mysterious and cool. Episode after episode, you expect that he will finally turn into a monster and scatter his enemies with a wave of his hand. But no. Sebastian fully lives up to his title as the mysterious demon hiding behind the butler's mask. A suitable character, with his calm and confident character softening the negative impression from his arrogant owner.
The situation with minor characters is much more interesting. Almost every hero encountered in anime hides some kind of secret , the revelation of which sounds like a bolt from the blue. You see a modest, awkward butler in front of you - and a minute later he’s running around with a chainsaw at the ready, taking away human souls. You see an elegant count holding a gala reception - and he is selling girls on the black market. You see a nice girl reading books - and she kills church parishioners without hesitation. Hell, even the constantly noisy servants in the Phantomhive mansion turn out to be not as simple as they seem. Surprises like these occur in every story arc. Some of them are predictable, and some are extremely difficult to predict. Giving characters a “double bottom” is an important detail of psychological anime, forcing the viewer to look at the characters with double attention in an attempt to unravel their true essence. It’s like a win-win mini-game: if you guess right, you feel proud of your attentiveness; I didn’t guess right - a pleasant surprise from the unexpected turn of events.
The real Sebastian Michaelis: facts about the character
The biography of Black Butler has repeatedly become the subject of controversy. The anime and manga differ in their storylines. The way Sebastian Michaelis himself behaves is also different. The anime shows him as an inherently evil character who was even involved in the famous plague epidemic in medieval Europe. As the plot develops, his personality also changes, acquiring more and more human traits. But the owner of Michaelis, according to the plot of the anime, loses his soul and becomes a demon. This doesn't happen in the manga.
Photo: youtube.com/Lisa Kovalenko: UGC
Other interesting facts about Sebastian Michaelis include the following:
- According to the plot, the butler of the Phantomhive house received the name Sebastian in honor of his owner’s favorite dog. But in fact, Sebastian Michaelis is the name of the Dominican friar who in 1612 wrote the Book of the Conversion of the Penitent. It contained a detailed classification of demons.
- Sebastian Michaelis, whose age no one can say for sure, only looks like a 25-year-old young man. In fact, its true age is more than 500 years.
- Sebastian knows many languages - English, Latin, French and German, including the East German dialect.
- Michaelis hates dogs. In his opinion, they follow orders too unquestioningly. But she loves cats and keeps at least thirteen favorite animals in her closet. Sebastian hides them from his master, who does not share the butler's passion for cats.
- Sleep for the Black Butler is an unaffordable luxury. His demonic nature does not allow him to sleep even in human form. Therefore, Sebastian Michaelis carries out part of Phantomgrave’s orders at night.
Plot
Kuroshitsuji can be safely divided into two components - black and white, which, like Yin and Yang, unite into a single whole in a frantic dance. The white part is a comedy, the representatives of which are the servants in the mansion. The black part is the psychology and cruelty that is represented by Sebastian and his master. Just as day and night change, so does the emotional background of Kuroshitsuji , and the change happens very quickly. A second ago, Sebastian broke the mafioso’s arm, and now he’s arguing nicely with his owner. A second ago, a psychopath with a chainsaw killed a girl, and now he’s flirting with his opponent. Villagers with fanatical faces sing chants in the name of salvation from the devil dog, and after a while they run around in swimsuits with funny screams. Such abrupt transitions can be called one of the main features of Kuroshitsuji, and whether it is good or bad - everyone must decide for themselves. The abrupt change in the emotional background seemed original to me, but too chaotic . I prefer to be completely immersed in the atmosphere of what is happening, but with such sudden changes in mood, this is hardly possible.
The first impression of Kuroshitsuji leaves a mixed one. On the one hand, the anime is not bad, and at times even interesting. On the other hand, for a long time I could not understand why Black Butler is praised by so many people, because there is absolutely nothing outstanding about it . It seems to be a comedy, but there isn’t an abundance of good jokes in it; it seems to be action, but fight scenes are rare, and they are drawn mediocrely; It seems to be psychology, but it is presented through a twelve-year-old child. Such uncertainty led to the fact that somewhere around the fourth episode I wanted to stop watching, but the promise of writing a review and the high ratings on MAL made me change my mind. And gradually anime began to change.
I don't know what exactly plays the biggest role in Kuroshitsuji's transformation. There are likely a number of factors involved. First of all, it’s getting used to the characters with whom you gradually begin to empathize. Over time, Ciel stops annoying with his behavior, and there are fewer crazy characters added solely for comedic purposes. In addition, the plot becomes deeper and more interesting . An arc about a village based on the Hound of the Baskervilles; arc about Jack the Ripper; an arc about a cult or about the murdered King Edward and his brother - they all bring variety and a dark atmosphere to the anime. And there are fewer sharp differences between comedy and psychology, although they still do not completely disappear. Kuroshitsuji gets better over time, but I'm afraid not every viewer will be as patient as I am, and this is one of the most serious shortcomings of this anime.
Black Butler
Now let's talk a little about the plot and characters:3
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Plot
Events take place in Victorian-era England. A child who has lost all his loved ones is on the verge of death. At this moment, a demon appears to him and offers to make a deal: his soul in exchange for the opportunity to take revenge.
Several years pass, now Ciel Phantomhive, nicknamed “the queen’s chain dog,” is the head of the successful Phantomhive corporation, he is involved in all the affairs of the company, and secretly works for the Queen of England.
His main partner and support is the butler Sebastian Michaelis, part-time demon, to whom Ciel sold his soul.
The story follows Ciel's adventures with his butler and their servants as he searches for the cause of the death of Ciel's family and his thirst for revenge on those responsible.
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Characters
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Sebastian Michaelis
