Review of Black Butler

I first watched Black Butler back in high school nearly a decade ago, and I was instantly drawn in by its moody Victorian setting, elegant character design, and the unique dynamic between Ciel Phantomhive and his demonic butler, Sebastian. Add in the quirky, clumsy, but endearing household staff, and it was easy to see why the series stuck with me. Having recently rewatched it, I’m happy to say that much of what I enjoyed still holds up, especially the strong visual style, atmospheric soundtrack, and its moments of strong storytelling (Additionally, I forgot just how funny certain scenes were). That said, Black Butler's first season isnot without its issues, most notably in how heavily it deviates from the manga. Roughly nine or ten of its twenty-four episodes closely follow the source material, and those tend to be the strongest in terms of plot and tone, particularly its first 6 episodes are fantastic. The remaining episodes, which are largely non-canon, are a mixed bag. Some, like the Frost Festival episode, are pretty fun. Others, like the dog village arc, just felt like filler.

The anime-original characters also vary in quality. Ash/Angela is a fairly interesting addition, but Pluto is more obnoxious than anything else. As the season progresses, the plot becomes somewhat convoluted, especially in the final stretch. While not enough to derail the experience entirely, it does slightly weaken the momentum built in earlier episodes. It develops a storyline which seems to conclude Ciel's journey but again, the manner in which they do conclude things is odd to say the least, and one note of solace to take is the fact that it isn't a canon ending (Season 2 would build off of this ending but the entirety of Season 2 itself is not canon).

Still, Black Butler endures for me because of its core strengths: the Victorian aesthetic, memorable characters, stylish art direction, and a beautiful soundtrack. When it follows the manga, the storytelling is honestly great, and for me, offered an emotional experience. If you're someone who enjoys a blend of mystery, supernatural intrigue, and historical flair, with a heavy dash of Victorian gothic horror, Black Butler is worth your time. Despite its flaws, I still love it, and Ciel remains one of my favorite anime protagonists because of his sharp and magnetic personality.