Review of Black Butler

The major draw of Black Butler is without a doubt the relationship between the wonderfully overpowered Sebastian and hopeless Ciel being. This dynamic remains strong no matter the myriad of situations our two main characters find themselves in, be it the darker ones the show sometimes revels in, or the more lighthearted moments that bring out the best of the show’s fun and absurdness. Black Butler presents itself with a confidence that knows exactly who this show is intended for, but definitely does not restrict itself to a very specific section of potential viewers, if like me that was what you were worried about goinginto the show.

Black Butlers strongest point is not only Seb and Ciel’s relationship, but how their relationship manages to evolve over the whole 24 episodes. Starting as little more than a master-servant relationship, it becomes obvious how Sebastian cares little for success if Ciel is harmed in the process. Most episodes, in the first half especially, are one-off stories, and often the excitement in the episodes can arise as a result of the conflicting objectives between Seb and Ciel – Ciel wants the job done, and Seb will only follow Ciel’s orders if there is no possible end result where Ciel is killed. It really serves to tone down how obviously powerful Sebastian is, and how easily he is able to deal with Ciel’s obstacles. Over the course of the anime however, Sebastian’s devilishness becomes more pronounced and Ciel seemingly becomes more and more human and caring as a result – much to Sebastian’s chagrin. This strong ying-yang nature of the relationship between the two main characters gives them fantastic depth, without a doubt being the most enjoyable aspect of the show.

Countering this unfortunately, the majority of the remaining characters receive very little character development, often existing as a means of comedy delivery. Whilst in certain shows this is not necessarily a bad thing (anime like Gintama do these comedy characters very well) it is when these characters then become crucial to the plot of the shows that their lack of actual character becomes painfully obvious. Black Butler is at its best when it is Seb and Ciel vs this episode’s Big Bad. I would have appreciated fewer of the occasional 2 episodes arcs which try to bring in surrounding characters I have no emotions for, other than anger for stealing the wonderful Ciel x Sebastian screen time. Even the show’s antagonist, without going into too much detail, receives disappointingly little explanation for the motivations behind their actions. Acting only as a threat really to Ciel’s safety (and an excuse for an epic final battle) the antagonist reinforces the impression that the side characters exist as a means to in some way affect the relationship between Seb and Ciel, without really standing on their own two legs.

This issue I forgive however when some of the aforementioned characters are given the chance to do what they were created for: creating comedic scenarios. When it wants to be, the show can be very funny, especially in comparison with other shounen anime. Sebastian’s teasing personality and sometimes deadpan wit is great fun to watch, and the fact I enjoyed the show a lot is largely down to the comic scenes interspersed between the show’s more serious attempts at plot. Even the antagonist is given the opportunity to have a little fun, delivering classic lines such as: ‘As a man I will become a ray of light to penetrate you to your core’. If that doesn’t make your nose bleed I don’t know what will.

The comedy is noticeably toned down in darker the second half of the series. While this causes the middle of the second half to suffer, the end, as any shounen series with any attempts at a plot should, has a suitably epic conclusion that justifies the weaker middle. For Gen Urobuchi fans out there, when I mean dark, I actually mean pretty bloody dark – even in the first half, Ciel is taking no prisoners.

The show’s animation is not bad by any means but simply mediocre. Fight scenes suffer as Sebastian seems content to spend his time flying through the air mostly - although it does help to emphasise the overwhelming battle advantage he has, it does make for repetitive viewing. All this I am willing to forgive however in simple appreciation for the obvious effort that went into replicating the 19th century London (writing as a Londoner of course). This attention to detail in the landscape extends to points such as the Tower Bridge depicted as half-finished during the late Victorian era presented in the show, or sentences from English news articles actually being grammatically correct (!). These little details definitely help to make my impression of the show that much better.

The OP and ED serve their roles as well, my favourite being the second ED by kalafina, also responsible for the Madoka Magica ED. The use of Kalafina music, as was the case with Madoka Magica, does well to indicate the more plot-driven darker direction of the second half of series. The show’s only op is pretty good as well, but unfortunately does not change much over the course of the 24 episodes. On a side note, the animation quality and repeated op give me the impression that the animation studio either didn’t have much money to start with, or spent all their money conducting visits to London for ‘research purposes’…

Black Butler tries to be something more than a standard shounen (apart from appealing to fangirls the world over) and while being suitably dark and brooding, it ultimately falls short. I do not think this is necessarily a large stain to the show, as the entertaining finale and good comedy of the show overall still make it one of the better shows the genre has to offer. If shota is without a doubt not the thing for you, you should probably look away now, but for anyone else, Black Butler definitely isn’t just some Boku no Pico with plot.

Recommendation:
K-On for the sheer amount of tea being drunk in both shows…
Jk, Code Geass actually for the similar sometimes serious, sometimes dark storyline with some epic battles, and main characters both with a strange power bestowed upon them.