Anime Review: Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

[juushika]

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
Based on the manga by Yana Toboso
24 episodes
In Victorian-era London, Ciel Phantomhive is the 12-year-old head of the noble Phantomhive family. He runs a toy manufacturing company, investigates mysteries at the behest of the Queen, as is set to revenge his parents's murder—all with the aid of Sebastian Michaelis, a demon who is sworn to serve as Ciel's butler in exchange for Ceil's soul. Kuroshitsuji is a supernatural mystery, a dark comedy, and the perfect excuse to combine Victorian aesthetic, incompetent grim reapers, underage crossdressing, dinnerware used as projectile weaponry, plots inspired by Sherlock Holmes, and gratuitous bondage into a surprisingly enjoyable, intelligent series. It starts off a bit superficial and comedic for my tastes, but Kuroshitsuji matures into a beautiful, intriguing supernatural drama that never takes itself too seriously, and I recommend it.

The first half of the series tends to be episodic, or at least conscribed to short plot arcs. These do a decent job of introducing the wonderful cast, in particular the coldy intelligent yet vulnerably young Ciel, and Sebastian who hides dark humor and an intriguing demonic nature behind the veneer of the perfect butler. It also holds the viewer's attention in a series of kidnapping cases and murder mysteries, but these limit plot progression and are heavy on the humor. I have a narrow sense of humor, so take with a grain of salt that much of the comedy in Kuroshitsuji did nothing for me: I adored the dark humor, but the all-out farcical elements like reaction images and chronically incompetent servants left me cold and clashed with the darker and more serious aspects of the show.

But as Kuroshitsuji continues it builds an overarching plot around the mystery of Ciel's past and the demise of his parents. The plot grows stronger, the story more intriguing, and Ciel and Sebastian become ever more fascinating as the history and nature of their bargain comes to light. There's a certain subtly to the characterization that makes it delicate and believable despite the supernatural setting, with just left unsaid to capture the viewer's imagination. Meanwhile, farce is toned down as secondary characters gain depth. The humor that remains is enjoyable dark comedy mixed with exaggerated characters and just a touch of farce—it actually becomes quite charming and balances out the show's darker elements. I found the first half of Kuroshitsuji entertaining, but the second half was absolutely fascinating: it may not be top-tier entertainment, but the Victorian aesthetic, black comedy, and ambiguous, unusual characters all delighted me and I was sorry to see the show end.

Really, nothing sells Kuroshitsuji better than its concept: if a 12-year-old dandy in a Faustian contract with his battle-butler seems like your kind of show, give Kuroshitsuji a try. It's stylized, exaggerated, supernatural, but also has surprising smarts and subtlety in its characterization, a combination which keeps the reader engaged as well as intrigued. I've never watched anything quite like it, and enjoyed it immensely. (On a similar note, I wish I could find something similar—know of any other anime that might suit? Recommend me! Manga are also welcome for future reference, but for now I'm looking for something to watch.)