Black Butler Anime

Hello 

An nyoung 

Konnichiwa 

Ni hao 

Today is the anime for yesterday's manga: Black Butler, as I said yesterday I watched the anime before reading the manga and the anime and manga differ in storyline but the entertainment still remains in both.

To be honest when I first watched the anime I didn't think I would get into it as much as I am now mainly because I couldn't get into the voices, I found the accents annoying but a few episodes in I got used to it and grew to love the characters mainly Sebastian like many other fans of this franchise, he's just utterly badass and swoon worthy. I said yesterday that I'd give more character info so here goes.

Season 1

Season 1 follows the manga to a certain point with a few episodes swapped around and the story told differently, as far as I am aware how season 1 ends doesn't feature in the manga. The first episode opens up with Ciel creating his contract with Sebastian, which then in turn you meet all the characters.

Ciel Phantomhive 

Known as the Earl Ciel Phantomhive he's a 13 year old boy that runs the funtom company and is the head of the Phantomhive house with his mother and father being murdered when their homes was burnt down. Ciel then kidnapped and tortured which makes him create his contract with the demon Sebastian. Ciel is always seem wearing a patch over his right eye that bears the pentagram that shows of his contract with Sebastian. Like previous Earls of the Phantomhive's Ciel is known as the Queen's guard dog and has the job of eliminating criminals of the underworld.

Sebastian Michaelis

Sebastian is a demon that makes contracts with humans with their souls as payment when the contract is completed. Sebastian takes his role as butler seriously and often shows concern for Ciel's safety and well being, he has a weakness and fondness for cats and tends to get distracted easily when he sees one. His choice of weapons is cutlery and he's skilled when it comes to fighting and beating his opponents and true to his demon form he's seen as manipulative, ruthless and sadistic. Sebastian also has a mark on his left hand that bides him to Ciel and whenever Ciel's mark is on show Sebastian is able to find his location. Sebastian's catchphrase is the anime is different from the manga, the manga he says he's one devil of a butler but the anime he says he's one hell of a butler.

The Phantomhive Servants:

Mey-Rin

Mey-Rin is the household maid and has visual acuity but Ciel gave her round spectacles which made her clumsy and prevents her from seeing things properly. She also has a crush on Sebastian with her blushing on occasion and being more clumsy in his presence. Sebastian hired her mainly to protect the Phantomhive estate as she is a professional sniper.

Finnian aka Finny

Finny is the household gardener and like Mey-Rin is rather clumsy and often ends up destroying the garden. Finny chose the job as gardener as he loves being outside after he was kept locked up inside while he was being experimented on, because of these experiments Finny has superhuman strength but tries to keep it at bay for fear of hurting people. Like Mey-Rin he also received a gift from Ciel a straw hat that he's often seen wearing. Finny was also hired to protect the Phantomhive estate with the use of his strength.

Baldroy aka Bard

Bard is the household cook and like Mey-Rin & Finny is not very good at his role as he tries to often rush the cooking process by using weapons like flamethrowers to cook the food and it often ends up inedible making Sebastian to rectify. Even though he's cooking skills are poor he is able to take control of any situation from his past experience being part or the military which led to his employment by Sebastian.

Tanaka

Tanaka is the household steward and is often seen drinking tea and in a super deformed form (bottom picture). Tanaka is an original member of the Phantomhive staff and worked with Ciel's father. He's very knowledgeable and often appears in his normal form when revealing facts etc. 

Grell Sutcliffe

Is a grim reaper and is first introduced as Madam Red's butler, he has a death scythe in the shape of a chainsaw and has a crush on Sebastian to Sebastian's dismay. Grell is cunning, flamboyant, ruthless, bloodthirsty and often sadistic. He's capable of fighting as an equal against Sebastian and he loves the colour Red.

I've seen in many places that Grell has been described as both male and female but to me he's make but likes to be feminine.

The Undertaker

The Undertaker is Ciel's go to person when it concerns corpses and needing information on the underworld, it is later revealed he is a former grim reaper that went rogue. He is also a funeral director and like Sebastian is both interested in humans and cares for Ciel.

Like most anime series' I watch Black Butler has some catchy and good opening and ending songs even the opening and ending credits keep you watching.

Season 1 Opening 

Ending 1

Ending 2

Season 2

Season 2 isn't part of the manga and follows a new storyline with new characters but with characters above returning but starts with a new household with Sebastian appearing to take back something that belongs to him. This series follows the story of Alois Trancy wanting to bring Sebastian by taking away Ciel from him.

Alois Trancy 

Alois takes on the role of the head of the Trancy manor and is led by a lie by his butler that Sebastian was the demon his brother made a contract with which caused his death making Alois wanting to obtain Ciel to make Sebastian suffer. Like Ciel Alois has a horrific past with the opening seen showing him waking up in bed with the real Earl Trancy, he is seen battered and bruised when he makes his contract. His contract mark is located on his tongue.

Claude Faustus

Like Sebastian Claude is a demon butler and it's shown early on that he and Sebastian don't get along with Claude telling Alois that Sebastian was the demon that killed his brother and destroyed his village. Claude is very manipulative and will go to any extreme to get what he wants.

Hannah Annafellows 

Hannah is also a demon and acts as the Trancy maid and at the start is seem having her left eye gouged out by Alois for looking at him directly, she always shoes loyalty to Alois and reveals that she cares deeply for him. She is skilled in battle and is able to pull weapons out of nowhere.

Thompson, Timber & Cantebury 

As you can see they are triplets and also demons and are skilled with household chores. They are always shown to be quiet and only ever seen communicating with each other using gestures and hushed whispering. Even though they obey the orders that Claude gives then they are in fact Hannah's subordinates.

Season 2 also has some catching opening and ending songs with the credits also being eye catching. 

Season 2 opening 

Ending 1

Ending 2

To this day Black Butler is one of my favourite Anime's and is one of the Anime's I can watch on repeat and restart ones it's finished, some girls fantasize about Dracula but for me it's the demon butler Sebastian. I can't recommend this anime enough.

You see it's one hell of an anime.

See you soon! 

An nyoung 

Sayonara 

Zai Jian 

Bye