Review: Black Butler , from Yana Toboso

Probably few people who read manga or veen anime do not know the name kuroshitsuji , either by their multiple adaptations to anime (the two initial seasons, or the most recent ones that adapt arcs, either as a series, set of ova or film), musical , or even LiveAction with original history. To Spain has arrived the original manga of Yana Toboso under its international name, Black Butler , by hand of Editorial Norma .

It is presented as the story of Sebastian Michaelis , the family butler Phantomhive , English nobles at the end of the 19th century at the service of Queen Victoria . Sebastian is perfect in everything : knowledge, culture, good ways, cooking, and martial arts, to name examples. And he serves a whimmer twelve-year-old lord to whom he is united by a contract until the moment he carries out the revenge of him and Sebastian the soul of him is charged. Under that premise begins Black Butler, the history of the hellish butler.

This review covers from the beginning of the story to volume 24, the last published at the time of writing it, and does not contain spoilers of the plot, but of the general nature of history.

However, that is the premise initial of BLACK BUTLER . At first it was planned to be a single volume , for which the first volume , although it has the bases under which the serialization is based, focuses on Sebastian and humor . The last one will remain throughout history, but it will leave much of its place so that the plot can develop. The anachronisms present in the first volume will also disappear most of the rest of the work, where the historical framework is respected. Regarding Sebastian, The following volumes stop focusing on it to focus on the true plot of history : The revenge of Ciel Phantomhive , Lord of Sebastian and true protagonist of Black Butler .

The sleeve has two axes that guide him : the arches, which can be read and enjoyed individually, and the general plot, which follows the search for the revenge of Ciel. The arcs are usually direct managers of the Queen for Ciel (as a guardian dog) or research he must do (as shadow cleaner ) for Avoid that matters from the shadow world interface with ordinary citizens . Of these arches, the second is the only one that could be said that it does not advance too much with the general plot, since it was supposed that Black Butler was going to end up after him. For that same reason it does not have much foreshading , while the use of it becomes recurrent in subsequent volumes.

It may, for not being planned by your continuation or by entering the main plot, which is much darker, it feels quite the change between the first two arches and the rest of history. Before the circus there are murders and a clandestine auction , but the way to treat it is lighter. From the sixth volume, the deaths become increasingly explicit (and, as is in the case of the arc of the campania,, rejoices in the gore ). Also Sale, prostitution, torture and murder of children It is not something that is only mentioned in passing, so those more sensitive readers should be careful .

The characters can be divided into broad features in three groups : Ciel and those who relate to him, arc antagonists, and the shinigami . Which does not mean that these groups are static ; The first contact with the shinigami , to name a case, is when one of them is involved in one of the cases commissioned by the Queen and faces Ciel and Sebastian.

Most of the important characters are well written , with actions that derive from their personality and not of script needs. It is not the case of the most secondary characters , which appear when they are needed to do something and get out of scene (a clear example is the members of scotland yard ). Also, while it is not for the same reason, the fact that it works for arches so marked makes some characters disappear for long periods of time, which makes its development difficult.

Something remarkable of the characters (which can be extrapolated to the work itself) is morality. The antagonists are not usually presented as villains without more or making value judgments about them (as we see with the troupe of the arch of the circus), since the actions of the vast majority of the characters are based on their personal interests and are unjustifiable from the viewer who stops thinking about what those involved do . Maybe why we could measure morality would be for the Middleford , even with its association with the Phantomhive.

A negative aspect in terms of characters is concerned is heaven. Despite being very well built, as expected from the protagonist, his personal circumstances (above all the tasks of him as a guard dog and cleaner of shadows and personality) are not credible if we consider the age of his. Another thing that, although usual in shnen , does not stop being negative, it is lack of female characters in the main cast . The most recurrent important for the plot are Grell Sutcliff, Elizabeth Middleford and Mei-Lin . It can be justified a bit by the historical location, but it still bothered to some extent.

The artistic section is one of the most remarkable of Black Butler , without a doubt, although It takes a few volumes to be able to appreciate it , both for the great evolution that the author had as by the fact of That the story followed after the second arch unlike the provisions of the foregoing. until you reach the room the story is very fast, focusing on the action , so there are pages with a lot of text and the composition of them does not shine everything you can , as yes From volume six . Something extra that should be mentioned is the use of Language of flowers (the Japanese version) on the pages where they appear, as they contribute more to the scene for those who know their meaning.

The funds are as detailed as the characters, and even you do not notice difference in the stroke, which makes it the drawing in general is noticed very uniform . In action scenes are usually dispensed with detailed funds and opting because they are white or kinetic lines in large part of the vignettes, but a balance is maintained , both for the composition and that the reader does not feel lost In the scene.

characters designs are recognizable , even with the great amount there is. And something that does not usually occur in manga is the costume change , what black butler does very well, because not only contributes variety, but helps recognize the socioeconomic position and personality of the character. The counter that has the drawing of the characters is that, although toxic has evolved in a way that the ages are seen, the characters themselves have not aged . This could go unnoticed in adults (and Sebastian or the shinigami should not be changed), but in characters that are in full growth period such as Ciel or Elizabeth, or as Tanaka , who is an elder, should Notice the passage of time , since two years have passed on the temporary line of the story since its inception.

Another Negative point is the FANSERVICE , which abounds above all in the first part of the story. As it progresses in the plot it is more respectably the characters, but their use to attract public at the beginning is a defacement and can often bother the reader . What is generally seen is fanservice bl between sebastian and ciel , which has gained fame of bl to the manga when it is not, as it is about representing Certain female characters ( LAN mao and BEAST are good examples).

Regarding The edition of Standard, roughly is good . The paper is not fine, which is specially appreciated in the case of black Butler , which uses a large number of blacks. The extras of in the Ground Floor of Black Buttler is also good to be included, as well as interior covers, with designs and synopsis on duty. The only thing to mention negatively is that the manga usually has some double pages per volume, and sometimes you do not look good . Also, although it is something that occurred more in the first volumes, Sometimes the sandwiches are too much to the center of the sleeve and it is difficult to read , as well as In some parts the text in a sandwich is too close At the edge of the page .

But L Advances to the next volume are not something that is appreciated. Although it is understood that the fact that you want to generate expectations, do spoiler unnecessarily that in many cases they let themselves be passed, but in others it ruins in some part the reading .

Translation is also good , what is appreciated, since helps to immerse yourself in reading , especially a story with so many historical elements and characters with a social status difference. Translation notes are also a point in favor, as they help contextualize without breaking the reading rhythm . However, the translation of Grell s name in that way instead of how it is official of the author (« grelle ») and the fact that The Translation Note Treat as Man (no matter If the characters do it or not) are negative points .

In general, Black Butler is a manga shnen highly recommended , although having a slow start and that the protagonist is a child can go back to some. Each arc has a different theme so that you can not ensure that everyone is from the reader s taste, but all have action, humor and tracks that guide the core of the plot , to which it leaves Approaching the story as you progress. It remains to see how the story follows and how it ends, since it seems that it does not lack much to see the end.