Kuroshitsuji

Description

From Yen Press:
Just a stone´s throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom and its master, one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria’s faithful servant and a slip of a twelve-year-old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler Sebastian is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master’s wishes. And whether Sebastian is called to save a dinner party gone awry or probe the dark secrets of London’s underbelly, there apparently is nothing Sebastian cannot do. In fact, one might even say Sebastian is too good to be true or at least, too good to be human.

Official English

Type

Manga

Related Series

Kuroshitsuji Anthology Comic (Spin-Off)

Kuroshitsuji Character Guide (Spin-Off)

Associated Names

Black Butler

Black Butler - Il maggiordomo cattivo

Black Butler คน(ลึก)ไขปริศนา(ลับ) (SIC)

Fekete komornyik

Hắc Quản Gia

Kara Kâhya

Kuroshitsuji – Piru hovimestariksi

Kurosicudzsi

Kurošicudži

Majordome noir

Mayordomo negro

Mroczny kamerdyner

O mordomo negro

O mordomo sombrio

Piru hovimestariksi

Куросицудзи

Тĕттĕм керменçĕ

Темний дворецький

Темный дворецкий

Тёмный дворецкий

Черният иконом

Чёрный дворецкий

الخادم الأسود

خادم سیاه

کوروشیتسوجی

黑執事

黒執事

검은 집사

흑집사

Groups Scanlating

atashi

Black Asylum

Bleach Asylum

her-majestys-watchdog

More...

Latest Release(s)

c.189-190 by Little Miss and Good Sir Scanlations 2 years ago

c.187-188 by Little Miss and Good Sir Scanlations 3 years ago

c.186 by Little Miss and Good Sir Scanlations 3 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

34 Volumes (Ongoing)

Completely Scanlated?

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 (S1) / Vol 5, Chap 23 (Circus) / Vol 8, Chap 38 (Murder) / Vol 11, Chap 51 (Movie) / Vol 14, Chap 67 (School) / Vol 18, Chap 86 (Emerald)

Ends at Vol 5,Ch 22 (S1) / Vol 8,Ch 36 (Circus) / Vol 11,Ch 50 (Murder) / Vol 14, Ch 65 (Movie) / Vol 18, Ch 86 (School) / Vol 22, Ch 108 (Emerald) Skips Chap 5, 14, 37, 66

User Reviews

Kuroshitsuji by Akari

Forum

36 topics, 292 posts

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User Rating

Average: 8.7 / 10.0 (1438 votes)

Bayesian Average: 8.65 / 10.0

44%

21%

16%

10%

Last Updated

June 17th, 2025 9:52am PDT - 3 days ago

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Genre

Action Comedy Drama Historical Mystery Shounen Supernatural
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Categories

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Kuroshitsuji dj - Hakoniwa

Recommendations

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Noblesse

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Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Square Enix

Serialized In (magazine)

GFantasy (Square Enix)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

Manga UP!

Yen Press (32 Vols - Ongoing | Simulpub)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #556

(-74)

Monthly Pos #803

(-205)

3 Month Pos #710

(+121)

6 Month Pos #697

(+83)

Year Pos #690

(-25)

List Stats

On 5992 reading lists

On 2021 wish lists

On 214 completed lists

On 365 unfinished lists

On 888 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Is Ceil evil

6 years ago

Black Butler references for gift?

8 years ago

Get anime movie

10 years ago

Black Butler end of the first season

11 years ago

Which (if any!) is the best Kuroshitsuji pairing?(based off of the manga - does NOT include anime only characters)

11 years ago

User Comments [ Order by time added ]

@blackmokona

by doki-doki-kimochi
14 years ago

Rating: N/A

I agree with the person below me. The first chapter, even though it may seem, random-ish actually adds to the story. It's kind of like an introduction or lead in a book. It introduces all the characters and their personalities, and show you how their life normally leads. Manga is kind of like books (in my opinion.) There are great books out their with not-so-great leads. However, I think this manga had a great lead. If the mangaka just smacked a problem right into the first chapter, it would seem sort of abrupt and there really wouldn't be any way to introduce all of the characters and the situations they normally live, in my opinion, because the characters are actually well-rounded and have unique personalities. It's kind of hard to explain. Oh well. 😀 I just defend things that deserve it.

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Must Read

by jupanuma
13 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Blood, mystery, supernatural, and/or action you ideal type for a book, then you should read Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler).
If you don't like mystery because it is hard for you to understand, then fear not, Kuroshitsuji is an easy to understand mystery, but not to easy that you figure it out right away. They explain everything that happeneds, in somewhat good detail, but you can only put so much detail in telling a story.
Is the blood what stopping you from reading it, then don't worry, they don't have as much blood as they do in any horrors book, but just enough to show that they are really like any scenario would be in the real world even if you don't beleive that.
If supernatural hard for you to get into, then you are in luck. Kuroshitsuji doesn't have much in the supernatural world. Just telling you that there is a demon, some grim reapers, and ... well I don't want to spoil it for you. It is a older teens book, but I would recommened it to any teenager, but I WOULDN"T recommened this book to ANYONE under 12, just because of the horrible scenes that happen sometime.
Now the charaters are what makes the book good. The characters are well developed, and you know exactly who they are when someone says something about them. So you wont have to look through the book and say "Now who are they talking about?"
Ciel Phantomhive - Is the main charater. He is like a detective in any mystery book, but in Kuroshitsuji he is more of a "dog" then a detective. He is about 12 maybe 14 years old, but is really smart.
Sebastian - The main side charater. The demon butler!? Yep. He is a demon, but Ciel is his master. If you want to know why, then you have to read the book to find out.

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Refreshinghly different

by souani143
14 years ago

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

This manga series is very different from the rest. the artwork is beautiful and the fight scenes are crisp.. unlike some others with garbled fight scenes(you know.. like lines and stuff)
the storyline is very gripping and a lot of research seems to have been done for this manga. the biggest cliche of everything happening in japan is avoided. thats a huge plus point, i think. the Victorian era setting is definitely good.

the charecters are good.. some of them could have been avoided, though. i think the true identities of the other Phantomhive servants should have been revealed a bit sooner.and althogh we might find Ciel's attitude all high-and-mighty and aloof, it is totally justified after his past is revealed. anyone would be devoid of feelings if they were ever to be exposed to all that he has been through. and we really do get to see the kind-heartedness of ciel when he takes in his servants(Finny,Bard and Snake, especially). and yeah, if you wear your heart on your sleeve, being a nobleman, you'll totally get eaten alive(figure of speech..). so Ciel's aloofness is ok i guess. and Sebastian's charecter is also good. his perfectness,i think is just to please the fans and probably to sell and give a hype to the series.

the lizzy twist is just frikkin great!!

the arcs are interesting.. the murder arc is the best and the credit also goes to the translators for thier work.. they make it seem like a part of a typical mystery novel.. all arcs bit by bit give a hint of the bigger picture.

another thing i liked about this is the curry arc... being an Indian, i really loved the way Yana Toboso has depicted the prince and Agni(the word Agni means fire in our language). and also the whole curry cooking process and the importance of the combination of spices has been really well put forth. the reseach about lord Shiva and the caste system(now totally non-existant) too is good. this is the first series with India part of the storyline.
all in all, a very interesting series...

Rating:10/10

... Last updated 14 years ago

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Shounen Ai?

by lightxl
17 years ago

Rating: N/A

Shounen Ai? I wish. Although there's enough hints for me to work with, I'd hardly categorize it as shounen ai from what I've seen so far (including raws up to vol3). Great art. Great Action Very promising storyline. HOT HOT HOT butler (check out the cover for volume 3. drools) What more can I say.

... Last updated 17 years ago

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Awesome

by Kishu
14 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I love this manga. It is suspenseful, has a variety of quirky characters (Love Grell XD), an amusing plot, and clean/beautiful artwork. The anime was okay up until episode 6. The rest of the 1st season was horrible, and I wish that the 2nd season never existed in the first place. So, if you are curious about this series, I would suggest reading the manga and don't waste your time with the anime.

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Artistic

by PerfectVincent
15 years ago

Rating: 8.1 / 10.0

(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 15 years ago

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Not too sure about this one....

by beloved828
16 years ago

Rating: N/A

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:

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 16 years ago

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out side of my inner fangirl..

by Dragoness57
16 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

yes, i can recognize that the plot isn't as 'deep' or 'astounding' as one would hope.

but then again, there are very few manga that could claim to do such and back it up as of late.

Kuroshitsuji at least presents a way for the mangaka to express tragedy / comedy / characterization in the form of a beautiful story all wrapped up and tied with a victorian bow. i personally think that it was done effectively.

and as for the plot, this seems like it would be one of the series where it ties up everything well up at the end and makes you go 'holy crap. that's what it was all along no way aldjf;lasdjfl;asdjfdas' and etc.. so it's pretty hard to judge at this point.

as for the random plot deviations such as the curry cook off.. since when is it frowned upon to have a moment of crack? many other shounen series incorporate it as well. just because the outlook of the first couple chapters looked serious/tragic doesn't mean it has to carry that dark mood throughout. (and it was very reminiscent of Yakitate Japan... which had a bit of nostalgic value for me.)

i love that the mangaka actually took the time to do SOME research. i love that it is set in a different time period that isn't as elaborated as others. i love that the art style is great enough to portray the elegant and stylish couture of the british fashion as well.

not to mention, the central characters have decent flaws as well as exceptional traits that leave me wondering how they actually came to be and how they will be further developed for the rest of the series..

as for the moments of fanservice- yes it hints at homoerotic action. but is it really a crime to appeal to the masses? as in yaoi fangirls? this one doesn't think so. especially since it's never a crime when other shounen series are never blamed for having yuri moments incorporated.. (doesn't really matter for me, i appreciate both ahaha.) the situations presented are also very comical and easy to make light of.

there's very little to complain about if you step back and really take a look at it. but if it's not your cup of tea, then well, whatever. to each his own.

as for me, i love it. <3

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pity

by namu76
13 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

I would have given this 10 if only it would progress more in the main plot, that is, Ciel's revenge. But as far as I've seen, it goes nowhere near it. If it continues like this, I figure Sebastian would never eat Ciel's soul. Really.

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The Pheonix!!

by blublaise
14 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Lulz, this series is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! At first, I was like, "Ohhh this is going to be boring..." but as a Yen Press published manga, it came up to it's expectations. I swear, I've become a fan of Yen Press/ Square Enix. I'm now torn between Pandora Hearts and Black Butler.

The art is magnificent. Truly is great. I love the character designs, though it can be a bit consistent in facial structure sometimes. But anyway, I love the beautifully drawn clothing and settings that perfectly depict Victorian England. It's gorgeous. Especially Sebastian who is a total hottie XD

The storyline consists of a few plots, due to the fact Ciel and Sebastian take on different mystery cases that leave you aching for more. It can be best described as... Juicy? Haha, anyway, I enjoy the perfect balance between humorous, bloody, and serious moments. Toboso-sensei really knows how to get a story going. It's a nicely woven series.

The characters are awesome. Like Mochizuki-sensei, the story would not have been successful if not for the nicely made characters. Toboso-sensei's characters are intense, amusing, and have truly twisted backgrounds that will surprise and entertain you. The characters are best described as "badass". Yes, excuse my foul language, but that is the best way to describe them. I could say my most favorite character development is Lizzy. Why? Read to find out... ^_-

In general, it's a very much recommended series, though not for the young audience/weak hearted. There are a lot of intense scenes and themes unsuitable for some people. So beware.

... Last updated 14 years ago

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