Kuroshitsuji

Young Ciel Phantomhive is known as "the Queen's Guard Dog," taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England for Her Majesty. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities, Ciel uses whatever means necessary to get the job done. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye?

In Ciel's past lies a secret tragedy that enveloped him in perennial darkness—during one of his bleakest moments, he formed a contract with Sebastian, a demon, bargaining his soul in exchange for vengeance upon those who wronged him. Today, not only is Sebastian one hell of a butler, but he is also the perfect servant to carry out his master's orders—all the while anticipating the delicious meal he will eventually make of Ciel's soul. As the two work to unravel the mystery behind Ciel's chain of misfortunes, a bond forms between them that neither heaven nor hell can tear apart.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Michaelis, Sebastian Main

Ono, Daisuke Japanese

Phantomhive, Ciel Main

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Sutcliff, Grell ing

Fukuyama, Jun Japanese

Undertaker ing

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Mey-Rin ing

Katou, Emiri Japanese

Finnian ing

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Midford, Elizabeth ing

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Spears, William T. ing

Sugiyama, Noriaki Japanese

Cainz, Drocell ing

Katsu, Anri Japanese

Kadar, Soma Asman ing

Tachibana, Shinnosuke Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo Producer

Shimizu, Hiroyuki Producer

Maeda, Toshihiro Assistant Producer

Reviews

Jun 2, 2025

CyberDawg

Recommended

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 is ... not 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 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.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by CyberDawg (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Apr 24, 2025

deijiplays

Mixed Feelings

It piqued my interest why this anime had been quite the trend back then. I didn't have much expectation about its graphics in comparison to today's anime, but the story flow made me feel somewhat bored. Throughout its season, the investigation scenario was short and mostly filled with Sebastian solving little problems caused by their household . It didn't show much detail about the mystery they were uncovering, and sometimes, it included scenes connected to Ciel that just made me even more confused. Despite that, I was still amazed at Sebastian and how he handled everything, making him a perfect butler.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by deijiplays (8)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jun 13, 2024

KKAJ

Not Recommended

Informative

When I initially watched Black Butler my view on it was a lot more positive, though far from something I would have even then called great. After having read the manga though, it has become very apparent to me just how much the studio fumbled with this adaption. They basically only adapted the first few episodes out of the manga and the entire rest is all anime only plot. Characters like Ash, Angela and Pluto have never appeared even once in the source material and the storyline portrayed there does not hold a candle to what the manga was doing. I got at times uncomfortable ... with the suggestive vibes Sebastian gave to Ciel and whilst I know that he is a demon, you do not want to get in with the Ciel x Sebastian shippers who are genuinely a few of the weirdest people I have ever met. The entire ending of the anime only gave birth to the abdomination that is the second season of Black Butler which is even worse and which I'm probably going to review later on. If you want the real Black Butler experience, watch the first few episodes and then immediately go to Book of Circus since for whatever reason the studio picked years later up where the manga story line was meant to go.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by KKAJ (12)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Anime Set In Great Britain 1

by Nightflower

50 Entries · 42 Restacks

Beyond Gender Binaries 1

by Nightflower

50 Entries · 178 Restacks

ISTP Anime

by keyboardroll

30 Entries · 8 Restacks

North American Anime & Manga Releases for January

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for January Week 1: January 1 - 7 Manga Releases Ao no Exorcist Vol.21 Dr. Stone Vol.3 Dragon Ball Super Vol.4...read more

Jan 1, 2019 5:11 AM by Discuss (3 comments)

'Kuroshitsuji' Gets New Animated Film

It has been announced via Twitter that the Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) franchise will receive a new animated film. The official site also lists Daisuke Ono and Maaya...read more

Oct 10, 2015 9:29 AM by Discuss (85 comments)

	Poll: noteDhero - Feb 16, 2009	93 replies	by »» Jun 3, 9:51 PM
	Poll: removed- - Nov 29, 2008	105 replies	by »» Jun 3, 8:17 PM
	Poll: Bloodshot-Shanks - Nov 23, 2008	119 replies	by »» Jun 3, 6:25 AM
	Poll: removed- - Nov 6, 2008	111 replies	by »» Jun 2, 4:56 AM
	Poll: MaxwellLily - Oct 30, 2008	119 replies	by »» Jun 1, 5:20 PM

Black, White, and Gray: What Makes an Antihero Work

Antiheroes are often some of the most beloved and most talked about characters in their stories. The appeal of these characters can be high and their character brilliant, but what actually makes an antihero work?

by MAL_Articles

58,964 views

Spoiler

Top 16 Hottest Anime Butlers of All Time

Sometimes butlers are depicted as graying old men named Jeeves. Other times, they're the kind of butler we can only dream about. These anime butlers will make you wish you had your very own impeccably-dressed servant.

by Littoface

117,157 views

Hot