Black Butler (Season 2 + extras)

Genre: Drama/Action/BlackButler
Age Appropriate: Older Teens
Emotional Response: really? and LOL
Notable Features: Victorian England, butlers, reapers, demons
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes; extra episodes
Overall Recommendation: Pretty Good

"You surprised me." - Ciel

Black Butler's second season follows a strange turn of events. Alois and Claude are the new lord/demon duo of the story. Alois is a strange, twisted young man who made a contract with Claude and it includes kidnapping Ciel Phantomhive and causing Sebastian excruciating pain. Shockingly, the original pair return to the story with a few extra twists and turns. Apparently, Sebastian has lost Ciel's soul due to a mishap and now must find a way to retrieve it. Ciel returns without his memory intact, due to his lost soul, and finds himself in a twisted battle with Alois, whose jealousy over the demons' desire for Ciel know no bounds. There are duels between the butlers, and the masters, over misunderstandings and deceit between everyone that end in a very interesting manner. As the season is much shorter, and preceded by enough back story, there isn't much to add to the synopsis.

There were a few extras available to me for the series. In the first series, there was an extra that was commentary-style, starring the three servants. There is a filler episode which included the cast doing a play for children. After the second season, there were new extras which included a version of Alice in Wonderland, but with Ciel as Alice.

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The second season doesn't much do the first justice, but that is the way of most sequels. I actually found moments where I wished that they had originally ended it with the first, but I did enjoy the extra time with Sebastian quite a bit. I have no love for either Claude or Alois, and also wanted to punch either of them in the face on multiple occasions. An additional twist in the emotional feel was my complete sympathy for Sebastian. In the first season, I felt more connection to Ciel, but Sebastian really dominated the second for me. It had nothing to do with my love for him in general, but more about how he got screwed.

The extras were definitely worth a look. For the first season, there were more of a diversion after a few intense episodes. They certainly weren't necessary to the story, but why not? After the second season, I really enjoyed the adaptation of Alice in Wonderland with Ciel as Alice. After the second season, which really was quite good, the Alice episodes tickled me enough to forget any real complaints I might have had about the continuation of the series. On the hilarious side of things, there is nothing better than watching the ever popular Black Butler running around as the White Rabbit. Don't miss it. Still, there is no better extra then The Making of Black Butler 2. Seriously. Druitt is such a drama queen.

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Sadly, we must move on: Gravitation

Black Butler (Season 1)

Genre: Drama/Action/BlackButler
Age Appropriate: Older Teens
Emotional Response: laugher, tears, moving
Notable Features: Victorian England, butlers, reapers, demons
Language: English
Length: 1 season, 25 episodes
Overall Recommendation: TOP 1

"I'm simply on hell of a butler." - Sebastian Michaelis

Two years ago, the Phantomhive manor burned to the ground, taking the lord and lady of the estate with them, and leaving behind their young son, Ciel. Ciel suddenly reappears after those two years with a new butler in tow and no smiles to be had. This is the beginning of Black Butler. Ciel's mysterious butler, Sebastian, has an uncanny ability to breeze through any obstacles, magically fix any problems, and act as an ideal butler. These curious abilities come from the fact that Sebastian is Ciel's demon servant, held by a contract that is visible in Ciel's eye, and on Sebastian's hand. The other staff in the mansion seem to have no actual abilities other than screwing things up, leaving Sebastian to clean up after them, and providing comic relief in each episode.

Ciel's duties as the Earl of Phantomhive include running the family business of Funtom Toys, along with other ventures, and acting as the "Queen's Guard Dog." These duties include maintaining a relationship within the London underground, and looking into strange happenings that, in the end, are only solvable with the hidden help of Sebastian. Other allies appear with The Undertaker, a reaper named Grell, and a dog. The series progresses through many trials and tribulations with these players by Ciel's side in his quest for vengeance against those who caused his parents' deaths. Sebastian's only goal is to meet this need for Ciel in exchange for his soul - and his methods are often a mix of creepy and/or humorous.

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Can you tell that this is my most favorite series? I was actually going to wait on doing this review. I wanted to save a little bit for myself to savor re-watching Black Butler, but I was having a bad day and so it began. I even have a little Sebastian plushy doll toy, now. We watched it together. I am splitting the two seasons, again. I know it didn't really work with Vampire Knight, but these two seasons are long enough, and different enough, that there is no way to get around it. I'm not even sure that I will be doing Season 2 right away. We'll see how far I get.

Sebastian is awesome. If it weren't for that whole losing your soul into endless darkness and torment bit, I might be willing to get myself a sexy demon butler. Part of me is saddened for Ciel throughout the series, especially when I remember that he's around 12 years old. Despite the stupidity of the goofy three staff members with no skills, I don't think I ever wanted to punch them - which is amazing. Tanaka is a big favorite, ho ho ho. I don't know how to describe the series. It's dark but funny, shocking but moving, and full of "Yeah! Kick his ass! Go demon, go! Those jerks!" It was the end, though, that tore at my heart a little. It wasn't a surprise ending, so to speak, but the emotion it rbought up in me was startling - both the first time and the second. I wasn't surprised that I was moved watching it a second time, but more the level of emotion that I still had being equal to the first. I mean, I already knew what was going to happen, right?

I didn't really rate this as Older Teens because of any impropriety, as much as it's dark enough that I wouldn't sit a middle schooler in front of it and just go about my business. I was a little bit dark in my teen years, and this would've been right up my alley then. Clearly, I've changed a lot in the past 10 years or so. It's my favorite so I have to recommend it. I wouldn't be offended if it's not really someone's cup of tea, although I can't see an anime fan running away. So, I recommend. Really. You should see it. If you don't like it, lie to me, because it's amazing.

Um, yeah. Sorry.

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As you wish: Black Butler 2, plus extras