Kuroshitsuji is by far one of the best mangas in existence. It made a huge impression on me, and I definitely think it's something everyone should at least give a shot.

Plot
It's a wonderfully unique story about a young boy in Victorian England who, after being kidnapped, tortured, and sacrificed, makes a deal with a demon: his soul in exchange for the demon's help with avenging himself. The main storyline takes place 2-3 years after the deal was made, and as the story progresses through the different arcs, you get little forshadowings (i know, not a word) of what's to come.

The greatest part, when reading this dark intense story, is that in the back of your mind, you know eventually that what it's going to come down to is Ciel (the boy) finally getting his revenge (we still don't know who kidnapped him, by the way) and Sebastian (the demon) finally taking his soul.

Or not?

As you read this story, if you are like many fangirls of Kuroshitsuji, you'll find yourself hoping for the alternative ending: Sebastian deciding not to take Ciel's soul. So far, there's no evidence pointing towards that, but it's still possible, and the fact that none of us can be sure of how it will end is part of what makes this manga so intriguing. And just for the record, I don't usually read a manga unless it has a romance in it. I just don't. But this manga doesn't really have a romance in it (unless, arguably, you count the relationship Ciel and Sebastian have-we're not exactly sure what that is, though) and still it is the best manga I have ever read, just because it's so interesting (the plot, the concept, the characters). And if you don't like suggested male relationships, you'll still be able to enjoy this story. Because their relationship can be seen in a whole lot of ways, and there is no proof of romance.

Characters
The main characters are very interesting. Ciel, because you just can't figure out if he's a good person or a bad person. He does a lot of "bad' things, and he won't hesitate to kill someone he thinks deserves it, but at times he'll also show some kind of compassion. You get the feeling that he's the sort of person who's willing to make the tough decisions and be the bad guy, even though it hurts him, just because someone has to. You also get the feeling that, while he shows a very cold adult exterior self, on the inside he's very human.

Sebastian, on the other hand, is just the opposite. On the outside he appears friendly, even warm, but inside he views human beings as stupid, and he's unable to see the good in anyone (save for, arguably, Ciel and Agni-this guy who shows up later). Everyone loves Sebastian. Which is funny, because if he met any one of us readers, he'd probably laugh in our faces. But he's a very awesome character. And he's also interesting, because you're not sure what he thinks of Ciel, other than that he is amused by him. Their relationship is great.

Anime
What I've got to say about this is: watch it. About a third of the way through the first season, it starts to stray from the manga, but that's fine. It develops it's own very well-thought out plot that is very realistic based on the characters. And Sebastian's relationship with Ciel becomes so interesting in the second season. He becomes very possessive of him, even getting jealous at times (and believe me, there's almost nothing better than a jealous Sebastian) and he seems to start to view Ciel as a person rather than just food.

The anime and the manga both offer interesting storylines, and while you should absolutely read the manga, no question, you should also definitely watch the anime. They do a good job of making the episodes fairly light, but making the overall tone extremely dark. There are some really emotional moments, especially towards the end of the first season and around the 9th episode in the second season, which is good.

Art
The art is some of the best, if not the very best, art that I've ever seen in a manga. The author has a very sophisticated clean drawing style that looks very professional.

In conclusion...
If you like dark humor, this is for you. And even if you don't, this is for you. Trust me. It's about the furthest thing away from the manga I normally read, but I loved it. The fact that the storyline is so unique is what makes this manga so special. And god, sometimes you get so envious of the closeness between Ciel and Sebastian, and you just want to get inside their heads to see what's going on in there. But while you can guess as to what they're thinking, you can never really be positive as to what kind of people they are, or why they do the things they do. But you love them anyway, and so you don't really care whether they are actually good or actually evil. Because there's so much more to it than that.

By the way, it's listed as shounen, but that's not very accurate. I think it's put in that category because it's definitely not a shoujo, but I feel like this manga sort of deserves a genre of it's own, because it's not really a shoujo or a shounen.

... Last updated on February 22nd, 2011, 8:28pm

When did this get licensed?! D: when?! I cant believe this >.< I was waiting for this to get completed so I could read it without stopping; but now it's licensed!! Dx NOOOOOOOOO!! T^T and I was so lokkin forward to it ="(

I picked up volume 1 when I saw it it the bookstore because it intrigued me. After volume 2, I was hooked and have since read more. It started out mild, but picked up by the end or volume 2. It's dark and I love dark stuff. Some readers apparently had a problem with the way the story arcs were put together - but i didn't. it's different than other styles, but good. I do agree with previous posters that it is a good read for anyone who likes Godchild or the Cain series. I like the characters, especially Sebastian, and find them refreshing from the common fair. I would definitely recommend this one. My biggest complaint is that Yen Press is so slow putting it out in English. I guess if I really want to read it faster, I'll have to buy the Japanese volumes.

... Last updated on June 21st, 2011, 8:07pm

(Partly in response to beloved828's comment).

The first chapter was light and superficial as the butler Sebastian struggled to keep the mansion staff controlled. The next chapter was a bit of a slap in the face from the suddenness of how serious Ciel's situation is. In reply to beloved828's comment about Kuroshitsuji, I believe the point of the lightness is to really show how different and "soulless" Ciel and Sebastian are from the silly staff.

Kuroshitsuji is really a story about the darkness. That's Ciel's job and his "pastime", and Sebastian is more than happy to oblige to Ciel's sometimes murderous commands. The fluff is to flaunt Sebastian as a fantastic butler rather than what he really is and to characterize Ciel and Sebastian as being untouchable, distant and superior.

I must agree with beloved828 on the fact that there is no development of the plot. It really does seem like Sebastian and Ciel would rather be making curry than really chasing after sick people. The arcs don't seem to have any link to each other or Ciel's real conflict, which is sometimes mildly entertaining, but also irrelevant and sometimes seems like the only point to the arc was to kill someone off in the very end.

Not to dissuade from this manga, though. The story is quite enjoyable.

(The idea of a superhuman creature is rather cliched. It's blended with the rather embarrassing subject of an overly enthusiastic butler, showing off 'loyalty'. Those ideas are almost annoying as they are so common.)

It's impressive how it blends reality with fiction (Victorian era with evil beings), and do enjoy the fashion (a modern Gothic in Victorian style).

The art is beautiful, and the main characters are compelling and curious.

... Last updated on July 2nd, 2010, 10:49pm

this manga is really fun to read, dark but fun with good looking characters. I also enjoyed the first season of the anime, but when i watch the trailer of the second season, the new master disappoints me. The best thing in the anime was: the seiyu of the main charas where really fitting (ono daisuke^^) and they also had romi paku (hitsugaya toushiro, edward, temari) and noriaki sugiyama (sasuke, ishida) as small roles^^

... Last updated on June 21st, 2010, 1:32pm

okay, I have read a good majority of these reviews, and a good majority of them were a little negative saying that the plot is overused or steryotyping, yet, think about it-- isn't EVERY manga or anime gonna have SOME cliques or SOME overused story plots? I say that as long as it is not EXACTLY the same as some other manga/anime, then enjoy the ride. Why not? Life is short, and I am CERTAINLY enjoying the thrill ride of Kuroshitsuji. XD

Sebastian is a demon. He's suppose to be the farthest thing from perfection. Sure he accomplishes everything unbelievably well but he's not the protagonist in the story and he's not a human either so he can get away with it. It's only frustrating when the "hero" or the "villain" of the story is really good at everything. The author picked a good character to be "perfect" -->the servant who obeys everything the master says. So if the master makes a mistake, the servant does too, however outstanding his performance.
And yeah Kuroshitsuji is for FUN and it's pointless, but it's a friken manga. Don't tell me people read manga to find the purpose in life. Manga is entertainment. Their whole purpose is to sell. Sure sometimes manga has some in depth stuff but you can't expect any manga to be life changing or shit. Why do you think your parents freak out when they find out you've been reading manga instead of studying?
And about "curry incident", I think there was a bit of a point. We got introduced to the Queen who hadn't really shown up despite the fact that she's the all powerful monarch commanding Ciel to solve this and that and save piles of people. We got to know what she's like and how she acts towards Ciel.

... Last updated on January 30th, 2010, 10:03pm

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.

... Last updated on November 6th, 2009, 10:02am

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: 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

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.)