Review of Black Butler: Book of Circus

I was never really the avid fan of Kuroshitsuji. I watched the first season, and it was satisfying enough, and the second season took a severe dip but was still watchable. Bored, I decided to check out Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus. Upon completion, the best way to describe my feelings towards the series was this: Mind blown. Now, I'll try to keep my review as concise as possible (though really, I'm going to be fawning all over this series). Sound: (10) The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous. The opening song in particular, was so catchy that it was stuck in my head for months and eventually Ilearned to play it on the piano. All the pieces were wonderfully composed, serving to complement and enhance crucial moments the ambiance of the series. The soundtrack is also diverse, ranging from suspense to pleasantries.

The voice actors are stellar as well, and the recurring song, Tom, Tom the Piper's Son, served the overall theme well. The music was haunting and heartwrenching and terrifying and beautiful and just EVERYTHING.

Story: (10)

It's like standing on a very large painting and you look to the floor. You see pretty colours and think "oh, that looks so nice with that blue over there. What's that splatter of black there? The floor is so pretty!" And then you're suddenly lifted off the painting where you can get a bird's eye view of the entirety of it, and you see how all the colours and lines were meant to come together in this one, big, lovely, darkly twisted masterpiece and your breath is just stolen from your lungs.

That's how the story felt to me.

The plot was indescribably, intricately well done. Everything during the first half of the series, every little action or word of the characters, had meaning to it and I loved that. One little phrase from a character that could be so easily overlooked came back to bite in the second half. There was lovely foreshadowing and hints and story building so that when the big reveal was, well, revealed, EVERYTHING made so much sense and everything came together.

I also loved the build up of the plot. The beginning half of the series was more lighthearted and built upon the characters/setting whereas the second half was intense, suspenseful, dark, and action-packed. It was a good balance of comedy, mystery, action and even near horror.

The story basically has everything, from Ciel's backstory to questions of morality and themes of wistfulness and darkness and just, just...EVERYTHING (i'm overusing that word but it's true). And the sad, bittersweet, SHEER IRONY at the end that has Ciel laughing like a maniac was so brilliant.

Art: (10)

Absolutely lovely, and 100% a step up from the seasons 1 and 2 of the series.

Character: (10)

Characters have always been one of the main deciding factors of whether a show is good or not. You only care what happens in a story if you care about the characters. These characters left me speechless.

Unique, distinct, and memorable, there was not one character I disliked. The villains were so twisted and downright terrifying, and the main characters were so complex and lovely. I loved the relationship between the troupe, as well as the little comedic bits between Sebastian, Ciel, and some of the og characters such as prince Soma or the Shinigami.

Each character was introduced as a unique character already, and are likable even before delving more into their personalities. Wonderful, wonderful characters.

Enjoyment: (10)

As an action fan, I definitely enjoyed the second half of the series slightly more than the first. Overall, however, I absolutely was astounded by this series and its sheer brilliance.

Overall: (10)

Definitely recommend.