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Kuroshitsuji
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Description
To what extent must a housekeeper do things to be acceptable?
One of the noble families of England, Phantomhive's butler, Sebastian Michaels, has unquestionably perfect knowledge, manners, talent with materials, martial arts, et cetera: but is also able to serve a 12 year-old master.
Wearing a grey tailcoat, gracefully brewing the world's strongest black tea, please read on to see how such a perfect butler copes with such a master...
Type
Manga
Related Series
N/A
Associated Names
黑執事
黑管家
黒執事
Black Butler
Dark Butler
Kuro Shitsuji
Groups Scanlating
Latest Release(s)
Status in Country of Origin
8 Volumes (Ongoing)
Completely Scanlated?
No
Anime Start/End Chapter
Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1
Ends at Vol 5, Chap 21
User Reviews
User Rating
Average: 8.8 / 10.0 (354 votes) Bayesian Average: 8.7 / 10.0
| 10 |
47% (168 votes) |
| 9+ |
21% (74 votes) |
| 8+ |
14% (51 votes) |
| 7+ |
7% (26 votes) |
| 6+ |
3% (12 votes) |
| 5+ |
3% (9 votes) |
| 4+ |
1% (3 votes) |
| 3+ |
1% (3 votes) |
| 2+ |
0% (1 votes) |
| 1+ |
2% (7 votes) |
Last Updated
November 17th 2009, 11:56pm PST
Image
Genre
Recommendations
Forum
Author(s)
Artist(s)
Year
2006
Original Publisher
Serialized In (magazine)
GFantasy (Square Enix)
Yen Plus (Yen Press)
Licensed (in English)
Yes
English Publisher
Activity Stats (vs. other series)
Weekly Pos # 317  (+59) Monthly Pos # 490  (-234) 3 Month Pos # 215 (-17) 6 Month Pos # 182 (-66)
List Stats
On 1493 reading lists On 626 wish lists On 54 unfinished lists On 78 custom lists
Note: You must be logged in to update information on this page.
| Forum Posts |
|---|
| Dream Cast for Live Action Kuroshitsuji? |
114 days, 14 hours, 6 minutes ago |
| Silly question from a n00b - plz help! |
118 days, 16 hours, 11 minutes ago |
| chapter 34 (CONTAINS SPOILERS) |
151 days, 12 hours, 7 minutes ago |
| chapter 33 |
182 days, 22 hours, 36 minutes ago |
| Chapter 31 (SPOILER ALERT) |
242 days, 2 hours, 39 minutes ago |
Click to view the forum |
| User Comments [ Order by usefulness ] | | |
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| Loved it by daniyagami on October 27th, 2009, 3:08pm |
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I loved the manga and the anime, they are different from each other but both are really good. I din't know why this serie is marked as shonen and not shonen-ai, it's filled with shonen-ai insinuations.
Some readers says that the story makes no sense but this is not true. Doen't have a linear plot but it makes perfect sense. Anyway, I recommend, you are not wasting your time in read (and also watch the anime, is really eye candy).
Count Cain and Kuroshitsuji have nothing in common, they are completely different. Both are great series.
Rating: 10 / 10.0
... Last updated on November 6th, 2009, 11:02am |
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| Not too sure about this one.... by beloved828 on September 20th, 2009, 8:15pm |
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I'm rather confused when it comes to Black Butler. On the one hand, I find the art to be absolutely beautiful, many of the characters engaging, and the setting to be interesting. On the other hand, the story arcs make the plot feel incoherent and they take away from the gravity of what's befallen Ciel. The plot rarely if ever makes sense, and Ciel needs work as a character.
The story arcs are disjointed and they ruin the feel of the story. For instance:Spoiler (highlight to view) one arc is about "Jack the Ripper" brutally murdering women in the city and whom Ciel must stop because the killer is a family member, the next arc is about a curry contest with much joking and silliness.The next arc is about a circus that steals and murders kids for spare parts. The arc after that is about Ciel playing dress-up with his betrothed after his servants blow up part of the house. What the heck?!
It jumps around so much. It makes me wonder : Is this a horror manga? Suspense? Comedy? Shota-con? What the heck is going on?! It goes back and forth between being cutesy- comedy and gory murder. I'm not sure how to feel about that. It makes all the death feel cheap and unrealistic. No one seems to care that people are dying left and right as long as they can make curry and play with dolls. The author could be trying to show a parallel between what Ciel is doing (fighting evil and trying to get revenge for himself and his family while being the sole heir to the Phantomhive family and doing all that it entails)and what he should be doing (playing with his betrothed, eating sweets, going to parties, and doing little-boy things), but she doesn't do a good job of letting us know that. We never get to know how Ciel really feels about anything that's happened, other than his near-death experience, or if he has any feelings left at all.
Ciel is literally and figuratively soulless. He doesn't seem to care much about anyone other than those who've wronged him. He seems to have no feelings at all, at least in the manga. It's rather unrealistic, and very disturbing to watch him do things like play dress-up and eat cake while he is barely a human being. He's much like a zombie bent on revenge on those that killed him. The hints of shonen-ai creep me out because Ciel is only 12 years old. If he was older, fine. But he's a little kid, and it's gross. He also dresses in outfits that a Victorian boy wouldn't be caught dead in, and tends to look more like a 12 year old girl, but I get that the artist is going for a certain style and not Victorian realism. It's a cute style, but when coupled with all the murder, demons, and BL hints, it becomes a bad kind of creepy.
So all in all, I'm still not sure if I like this manga. I loved the Count Cain series, and at first glance, Black Butler looks similar, but it's not. Count Cain made sense. Black Butler does anything but. The settings and premise are similar, but that similarity ends very, very quickly. Black Butler can be very good at times, but I wish that it would make up its mind as to what genre it wanted to be, or at least was able to blend genres together a bit better.
... Last updated on September 20th, 2009, 8:18pm |
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| Refreshing by Terpsichore on September 6th, 2009, 7:38pm |
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This is a great series for a good story which entirely avoids cliches and comes with it's own unique feel. Classy, gothic, full of twisted characters and macabre events, with beautiful artwork and fast-paced action scenes. There really isn't anything quite like it.
I disagree with this being shounen-ai. The author makes jokes about it, but there isn't anything here that makes me think "this is BL". Not at all...
(This really isn't that similar to Count Cain, btw, once you get past the surface. But if you like one you might like the other.)
Rating: 9 / 10.0 |
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| A Solid 9 by iitzHans on July 26th, 2009, 12:00am |
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The plot is interesting. The characters designs are quite crisp and clean. Ciel Phantomhive is a tortured little boy who sadly matures well beyond his years after undergoing abuse from adults in an occult group. Frankly, I admire the name choices that were made. Sebastian LOOKS like a "Sebastian", and Ciel sounds like a girl's name. However, the last name "Phantomhive" makes him very impressive. Fanatastic manga, although in some scenes it is quite dark and grim. Then again, the servants who serve under Ciel occasionally give comic relief.
The anime itself is pretty decent too. I encourage those who like manga to watch the anime as well. Supposedly there will be a season 2. |
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| Just a thought. by punkerpixy on June 2nd, 2009, 1:52am |
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| I was just introduced to this anime and one reason why it appeals to me is because... its almost EXACTLY like the Count Cain manga series. If this one can be made into an anime, Count Cain should be made one too, in my opinion. I believe that the Count Cain plot (well, so far) is far more intrigueing. |
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| A++ by roxslide on April 10th, 2009, 9:11pm |
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man do I have to say, a lot of people say that this manga is cliche, and I agree, it may have started out that way, but man after it picks up, I really don't think there's any way to classify this manga other than corrupt, and it's absolutely perfect that way.
Rating: 9 / 10.0
... Last updated on June 21st, 2009, 12:15am |
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| - by sakirol on March 21st, 2009, 11:44pm |
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Contrary to some people's thoughts, I believe Kuroshitsuji has an amazing plot. The fact that Sebastion is so utterly perfect in the area of physical abilities might be a turn-off for some, but keep in mind that this manga isn't an action/fighting one. It has an underlying tone of drama that occurs less in the beginning but starts to become more prominent later on. Also, the negativity shown so often towards Ciel's position in terms with the Queen gives me the joy of anticipating a complete character break-down with lots of angst.
I do admit though, the curry arc was pointless, other than to introduce two characters of whom I feel like will never play much part into the plot except to be nuances.
But, this mangaka is a great story-teller. It may not be favorable to people who haven't read millions upon millions of stories yet, but for those who have, a story where the plot is entirely focused upon exactly one thing is appealing. SUBPLOTS ARE AWESOME!!! The way Toboso Yana gradually shows the past is one of my favorite story-telling methods. She really knows how to end on cliffhangers too. >.>
Well, all in all, the reason I like this manga is probably because of the tragedy. I can imagine it wouldn't appeal to many people who didn't like the element of tragedy.
This just might be me starving for more tragedy.
And the art is hot, and I think it looks so much better in the black and white state that it's in than in a colored form. This again, might be just feeding my black and white addiction, and probably doesn't appeal to other people like that. |
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| In defense of the pointlessness.... by dezin19 on March 17th, 2009, 11:16pm |
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Spoiler (highlight to view) I noticed some people mentioning "pointless chapters/arcs", so I'll just put this in:
In regards to the cury arc, I believe the main idea was to introduce Souma and Agni, who are pretty much main characters. It has yet to be seen, but the fact the Ciel obtained the trade liscense (or whatever it was called), the introduction of the queen's butler (the anime anyone? <------although the manga might have nothing to do with the anime.... however, did anyone else notice the uncanny resemblance to the doll arc in the anime and the circus arc currently in the manga?), or the fact that Ciel wants to "expand" his company. All of these could play a part in the plot sometime in the future. But besides that, I would have to agree the cury arc does seem a little pointless at present :p
Next, the crossdressing chapter...lol. Well I would say it establish a piece of Ciel's past, not much mind you, but a tad. Also whats-his-face pretty-boy aristrocrat (the blonde), might show up in future chapters (like he did in the anime). That's all I figured for that one....
I have to agree alot with Karmaseth, though. Everything he/she said is pretty darn spot-on. And @Helaine: Reborn has a plot, it's just a little slow on the up-taking lol I forced myself to get through the first 6 volumes, I think it picked up a little after that. Anyway that's has nothing to do with Kuroshitsuji XD
For me personally, I really like Kuroshitsuji ^^
Rating: 10 / 10.0
... Last updated on March 17th, 2009, 11:19pm |
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| Always depends what you are looking for by Karmaseth on March 15th, 2009, 5:27pm |
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Seeing the array of reviews here, I realized most of them are biased, so I'm going to be frank. Instead of going on about how much I love or hate this manga, I'm going to give the things that stuck out the most.
Gorgeous artwork: There is a level of detail to this manga that I don't usually see in of shonen works. You have textures, variations in coloring, facial details on close up... the list goes on.
Humor tinged with dark undertones: Anyone that reads the manga will say that it starts off dark. However, a common tool in writing is to introduce static characters as comic relief. Kuro Shitsuji does this. While the initial chapters are dark, spots of light peak through in the form of Ciel's staff, the infamous butler included.
Seemingly pointless plot arcs: Ah, the curry arc... was there really a point to that? It was hilarious, but it didn't seem to add to the plot. Of course, since the series is not finished, we really have no way of knowing whether or not this arc pertinent. Recall the second season of Ghost in the Shell. Seemingly pointless episodes played a part later on.
Plot isn't immediately obvious/ character motivation: Many mangas introduce the goal of the character in the first five minutes and then spend forty plus volumes having the character complete this goal. Not Kuro Shitsuji (Naruto anyone?). You know Ciel has a goal at the beginning, that much is clear, but the finer details of the goal remain obscure. We know he is hunting someone, and that he was humiliated. The rest of the details are given in snippets throughout the manga. This is good story telling. A good author never reveals all his/her cards at the beginning, ^_~ In addition to this, there is depth to Ciel's goal. It is emotionally driven and passionate in a believable fashion. Even though we don't know what it is, we see how it influences him. To see a counter example, consider the Inuyasha series. The main character, Kagome, has a very simple goal and there is nothing left for the reader to discover. Inuyasha's character is a bit better, but still easy to figure out. Ciel's mind is a maze of idea's that we have weed through to figure out why he behaves the way he does.
Ciel Phantomhive: A flaw in many manga/ anime is the lack of a strong BELIEVABLE main character. Ciel fulfills this role. He is not a sweet little angel, but manipulative and conniving, wanting to do whatever it takes to get is goal, but this creates faults. In addition, he doesn't change. A lot of characters have 'major revelations' and change for the better for it. Not Ciel. He has revelations, but continues on with achieving his goals in the same manner as before.
Sebastian: Oh, the butler, so many references to a Gary Stu. He's perfect at everything. It's exaggerated, however, so it's humorous. In addition, you don't know HIS motivation either, though it is clear that he has a reason for serving Ciel. With Ciel at least you get an idea of why he acts the way he does, not Sebastian. Subtle hints, like well placed glares, shrewd glances and such indicate that there is more to it that the author and artist reveal on the surface.
Shonen-ai hints: There are hints of romance between Ciel and Sebastian. No need for elaboration here, the manga speaks for itself. However, it is possible to ignore this aspect as it is not a huge focus and is only subtly hinted at.
Now that I gave the highlights, it is up to you, dear reader, to interpret them and see if you are interested in reading the manga or not.
Rating: 9 / 10.0
... Last updated on March 15th, 2009, 5:34pm |
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| Interesting by CuthienSilmeriel on February 19th, 2009, 4:25pm |
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I really like this manga. Aside for the great art this has what a lot of other mangas lack, fantastic character development! The realism put into the characters is refreshing and it really helps you connect with the characters. The relationships are well thought out and they are really the corner stone of this manga. What little action it has is done to perfection, enough to get across the cut-throat world Ciel must survive in but not too much to draw attention away from what is really important. In this the perfetion of Sebastian is an absolute neccessary.
The comedy and light-hearted arcs are a refreshing change from the dark drama and, pointless as they may be, are entertaining to read nevertheless. The dark theme is well captured to contrast this light heartedness with a great use of shading to potray mood and danger. The slow revelations into Ciel's tragic past are enticing and each chapter's cliffhanger ending leaves you practically begging for more.
All in all a very captivting and well thought-out manga. I agree that Count Cain is darker and less comic but Kuroshitsuji isn't exactly light-hearted. A very interesting read but a slow plot line. If lots of action and the entire plot revealed within the first chapter is your thing then this won't appeal but if character development is your thing then this is a must-read.
Rating: 9 / 10.0
... Last updated on March 22nd, 2009, 12:58pm |
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