Rate this book

Black Butler, Vol. 1 (2014)

by Yana Toboso(Favorite Author)

4.34 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Yen Press World

series

Black Butler

review 1: 4 1/2 Stars(Dang! My whole review just disappeared! I'll try to duplicate as best as possible.)I've watched the anime and was looking forward to reading the manga. I had to wait over a month for the Interlibrary Loan to come through, but it was worth the wait. I really like the character of Sebastian Michaelis (the Butler). He is enigmatic, spooky, and sexy. The characterization of Ciel is a bit weak, but I know there will be quite a bit of character information of the young master coming through the future story arcs. I hope I don't have to wait quite so long for the 2nd book!
review 2: A clever unique series dripping with dry humor and wit. A supernatural butler who fights villains with butter knives? What can be more tongue-in-cheek than that? The main ... morecharacters are deep and complex (as is their relationship to each other.) You never quite know what's going on Sebastian's head, and that's what has sustained my interest: how much does he really care about Ciel? Hopefully we'll find out someday.Much of the comic relief is provided by a trio of incompetent servants and Sebastian's weariness in dealing with them, much to hilarious results. (Their incompetence is explained later in the manga.) Having to work with incompetent people, I can relate to Sebastian's constant exasperation at being surrounded by idiots. (Although Finny is quite adorable--who can say no to him?) Sebastian will then step in and work his magic, even though there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. The rest of the comic relief is in the realm centers on Sebastian's almost fanatical devotion to the butler aesthetic; in one scene, he is more upset about his tailcoat being torn than he is with getting shot.For those complaining that Sebastian is a Mary Sue, this is the whole point of the manga--the twist is, he's a perfect, devoted butler with superpowers who can fix anything but who who is also going to take Ciel's soul when all is said and done, and this is what adds that extra dimension to the story. Because we don't spend a lot of time in Sebastian's head, we don't know how much he is playing a part and how much he is being genuine, but that's the tension that underpins the whole story. For every sinister thing he does, there are measures taken to humanize him (like his love cats,) and it's this dichotomy that I find so endearingly complex; there are a few hints that Sebastian likes the human world better than where he "comes from," making us think that perhaps he's striving to change his nature. (Or maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.)As for those objecting to the idea that the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian is creepy, there are fans who don't see it that way. I interpret Sebastian's motivations as wanting his young master's soul and nothing else; his devotion sometimes goes to far because he's not always sure how to act human. (Also, he is named after the family dog, which makes for an interesting parallel.) Hopefully later volumes won't prove me wrong. If there's any subtext there, I think it's actually satirizing fans' tendency to look into things too much. (The corset scene in Volume 2 comes to mind as as a good example of this kind of Rorshach test.) And, yes, Sebastian is a demon, so you're never quite sure what he's thinking under that glamorous exterior. I'm a bit new to manga, but I think what's humorous in Japan is sometimes taken as offensive here in the U.S. because our culture is different; some things may just be lost in translation.The series isn't without its faults; I wish there weren't anachronisms because it takes you out of the story. (I heard it takes place in an alternate world?) There are some things that just don't add up: the mafia wouldn't have been running drugs at this time in history, there's mention of television, and characters have cell phones! One thing the anime got right was getting rid of most of this.The translation in the U.S. version isn't always great and sometimes misses the mark when expressing certain ideas; I prefer a more literal translation. Whoever translated the U.S. edition also decided to add in some pretty strong language, which seems out of place with the rest of the story. Some other things lost in translation are Sebastian's catchphrase that he's "a devil of a butler;" the original Japanese is a play on words that gets lost in English. The English dub of the anime chose "one hell of a butler" instead, which I think works a little bit better.Oh, and I can't forget to mention the art, which is so elegant, dynamic, and clean. Characters' expressions are drawn so skillfully, as are their clothing and the scenery of Victorian London. less

Download links for: Black Butler, Vol. 1

Advertising