Kuroshitsuji II

Here we have Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler), season 2. What is it, and what is it not? (Please, loyal fans, be kind to me, for voicing my opinion.) And please, all you Black Butler fans under age 18, ask your parents before watching this series. I'll say up front that the content is at an overtly ADULT-ONLY level.

Moving on....

What this series is not: It's not at all related to the manga. It's a continuation from the end of season 1, which had begun to diverge from the manga around halfway through. Even though the first season apparently painted itself into ... a corner, we continue on from that ending. (And eventually get some questions answered regarding that.)

And I hope this isn't a spoiler, but Ciel's back. And so is everyone's favorite butler, Sebastian.

So what IS this series? It's fanfiction. Pure and simple. By fans, for fans. And that means heavy doses of fanservice. You can imagine that its creators took everything they had fantasized about in regards to the first series, and decided, "Let's put it into an anime!" And this fanservice isn't for youngsters. Funimation was right about choosing to rate the series MA (equivalent to an "R" rating). The opening scene is a mere sampling. It shows a naked young boy crawling out of a bed from next to a naked older man.

Fanservice is pervasive, with hints of shotacon, and enough boyxboy and butlerxbutler to make yaoi fangirls melt into squeals.

Synopsis:
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The first episode introduces a new young master, Alois Trancy (a blonde boy of Ciel's age), and his butler, Claude. The next three episodes are similar to the original series: Ciel goes about with Sebastian, running errands for the queen. We reunite with a lot of beloved characters from the first season (the Phantomhive servants, Elizabeth, Prince Soma, Lau, Grell).

But then Alois and Ciel cross paths. And that's when things start getting sticky. Secret arrangements between butlers. Soul transfers. New contracts. A new rule was added to the Black Butler world when the creators came up with the idea of keeping souls in rings. All these ideas and more are pushed to the max, to practically the very final moments of the series.

For some reason, Alois and Claude are after Ciel and Sebastian. It's not until halfway through the series that we find out what for. We also discover why Ciel is still around, despite how the first series ended. Sebastian also has his own personal bone to pick with Claude. Get ready for a butler showdown....

After we get to the middle of the series, we encounter an incredible number of new twists and turns, making things muddier and muddier. They can come off as brilliant plot twists, or tiresome complications, depending on how you liked the series up to that point. Personally, I didn't have a very good opinion of the series by the 5th or 6th episode, so as each of the final episodes unfolded, I kept asking myself, "Can things get more screwed up than they already are?" And yes, they do.

To its credit, the ending is not ambiguous like the first series' was. Although things are still unclear until the final 60 seconds or so. I'm not sure that they could make more series based on an ending like that (or that I would want to see them!). But it's pretty satisfying, and in keeping with the spirit of both series. You do wonder how it's possible within the Black Butler world, since it's sprung on us quite suddenly, and we've not seen anything like it before. Still, it's nice and gothic, and a little creepy; makes you feel good, while giving you a bit of a chill.
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I had always thought of Ciel as being a tad cruel, and rough on his servants. But now he seems a veritable angel compared to Alois. Alois dregs the depths of cruelty, sadism, cunning, and is an utter brat. And creepy. "Ciel," he says, "I want to become One with you." Yep, that's one messed-up kid. Later, we see some of Alois' backstory, and some tragic and difficult things that happened to him. But it still doesn't excuse (or, I think, fully explain) his cruelty and borderline insanity. Fans of creepy characters might like him. But he's rather pathetic. I only felt a twinge of pity when I found out what it was he really wanted from Claude.

There's also one busty maid who's always being required to strip or wear revealing clothing; or sometimes she even rips off her own clothes. If this were a shounen anime, it would be almost ecchi. There's also a character who acts as a sheathe for a demon sword, and gets the sword pulled out of their body in a rather grotesque fashion.


Conclusion:

Season 2 retains the lovely animation and sense of style from the first one. And hot butlers. And, as a bonus, an ending that doesn't leave you hanging like before. However, if you want an intelligent, well-crafted story along the lines of the manga, or even the first season, it's really not here. It's a fanfiction series that tries to see how messy you can make the world of soul/demon contracts. Sure, you need to know the world of season 1 in order to watch this. But its purpose is no more than to be a pleaser for mature fans and yaoi addicts.

Thus, my comparatively low rating.

Kuroshitsuji II embarks with the debut of Alois Trancy, the sadistic, erratic, and creepy-as-hell lord of the Trancy estate. Alois’ backstory is disturbing, though in an incredibly enjoyable way. His character is endearing; a classic anime psycho that you can’t help but be immediately drawn to. His character design is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. He was such a complex character that had so much development potential. He really could have held the series up on his own.

Until he dissipates into a sniveling excuse of a train wreck along with the rest of the cast. Let’s hope all those fanfics ... you read late at night conditioned you to characters acting OOC.

Contrary to all the warnings I was given before viewing Kuroshitsuji II, I began with high hopes. It’s Kuroshitsuji, after all. How can it fail? Surely Alois Trancy’s creepy-as-hell demeanor would get the ball rolling. His juxtaposition to his stoic demon butler, Claude, was promising. But despite all the possibilities Kuroshitsuji II could have embellished upon, it fell flat. The character relationships so intrinsically built up in the first season came crashing way, way, down. It seemed as if Sebastian and Ciel were tossed into the plot just to please the fangirls. Character development for the debuting servants of the Trancy household is stagnant to nonexistent. The season begins with shameless fillers—starting in the second episode, no less—and later thrusts itself into a plot woven flimsier than one of Claude’s spider webs. The romantic 1800s London time-setting of the first season seems to disappear from plot significance. Like the rest of the season, you really don’t know what’s going on anymore.

By the time the plot weaves into a labyrinth game show you could’ve sworn you were watching Kuroshitsuji and not the Kids’ WB.

And don’t even get me started on the amnesia ass-pull.

But don’t let me senselessly bash. The art is still great, but not as flawless as the first season’s. Both versions of the OP, set to the song “SHIVER”, were stunning, with dazzling animation. (Especially Alois’ version—oh my god, can you say impressive?) Needless to say, Kuroshitsuji has THE best anime OST I’ve ever come across. Alois Trancy's theme, "The Slightly Chipped Full Moon", is as beautifully disturbing as he is. But don’t expect to hear the flawless soundtrack of the first season all throughout this sequel. You’ll have to make due with cartoon sound effects tossed behind every “comedic” fast-dash movement.

Comedic. Right.

Hahaha. Aha.

Successful comedy in this season is rare, but its rarities are frequently supplied by Viscount Druitt. His idealistic ravings are hilarious, albeit ill-timed considering they most often arose during what could’ve been considered a more serious fight scene in the anime.

The relationship that Ciel and Sebastian built up season one came tumbling down faster than my expectations for this sequel. (On another note, Daisuke Ono’s voice is like God whispering sweet nothings into your ear. Have you heard Sebastian’s character song, “Aru Shitsuji no Nichijou”? Woah baby. On second, thought, go hear Ronald Knox's character songs. And the entire Kuroshitsuji OST.)

Hinted shotacon is evident, but nothing you can’t endure. Characters you thought were gone are back, characters you thought would show up are nowhere in sight, and the characters present—namely Sebastian, Ciel, Alois, and Claude—surprisingly leave the show unsatisfying.

And if you thought Lady Elizabeth couldn’t get any more annoying, think again.

I know that it’s biased to compare a second season solely to its former, but the only reason I managed to stick it out until the end was…well, it’s Kuroshitsuji for God’s sake. Especially considering that this season didn’t follow the conclusive events of the first season’s at all. It really felt as if this season was expecting to generate success solely by the loyal fanbase built up from the first. I’m a major fan of the first season, but my loyalty can only take me so far. I really didn’t know it was possible to slaughter a series like this. I really didn’t. Creating a sequel is always a risky process. This risk should’ve been left alone. The season quickly became tedious to watch. Season 1 also had a brilliant ending. This season’s ending left a lot less room for interpretation, but it really doesn’t matter how tight an ending is if it stinks. The characters provided this season with so much potential, but just couldn't hold up. But that being said, Alois Trancy is enchanting, and Ronald Knox (though his screen-time is pathetically minuscule) is an epic cutie pie.

I never thought I’d be giving anything of Kuroshitsuji a 5. But a 5 is really all this second season deserves.

In short, Kuroshitsuji II managed to take everything the first season stood for and drive it into the pits of hell. But don’t worry, at least Sebastian will be waiting. Along with the season’s production staff.

Burn, baby. Burn.

I don't know if it's because I already poured my cereal in my bowl this morning and I didn't have any fucking milk, or if it's because this anime truley sucked. What I do know is this anime pissed me off. It introduces a set of new characters, Alios and Clyde, these two domininating the second season.

Story: 4
The story was mediocre at best. It honestly wasn't in the least bit interesting, and was a waste of time to even watch. The storyline of the first one was great, amazing I'm fact. But this one was appealing, and made me think they should've ended it with ... what they had. Alios and Clyde weren't any significance, and seemed like a knock-off of Ciel and Sebestaion. It was long and drawn out, no character whatsoever.

Art : 9
The art was nice, nothing special and kept the Victorian era true to its name. Alios, Clyde, Ciel, and Sebeastian were all drawn nicely, and we're very original. The scenery in the background was nice, overall it was a solid 9

Sound: 10
The voice acting was magnificent , and the voices fit the personalities of characters they represented. The opening and closing weren't very memorable, but the pictures were nice, while the second season lacked in story, the sound made up for it.

Character: 2
The characters pissed me off. Not because they were annoying *cough Alios cough*, But because how two dementional they are. I hate when animators try and use flashbacks as a way to do character development. Some cases it works, others it miserably fails. This of course is the latter. They also love to try to have a depressing past to make us have sympathy for them, using this as an excuse for said character to be a complete asshole to everyone. Alios was an annoying brat, and quite frankly I'm glad what the animators decided to cut his part. Cylde was just overall creepy and delusional, obsessing over Ciel for some odd reason. They are just cookie cutter characters, nothing special.

Enjoyment: 3
I did not enjoy this anime at all. I loved seeing Ciel and Sebeastian again, but this anime was a train wreck. Alios ruined it for me, and I finished it, hoping that it will have a great ending, but it was a disappointment. I recommend that you watch it for the shits and giggles, but don't expect it to be the best thing since toast was invented.

Overall : 5
This anime averaged to about a 4.9, after adding each number I gave it then dividing it by the four categories, giving it a almost solid 5. It looks like shit compared to the first Black Butler, but after having an amazing first season, my expectations weren't set to high. I recommend to watch, but don't make my mistake of thinking it will be good, then being disappointed in the end. If you enjoyed my review, feel free to check out my others! Enjoy!

As a fan of the first season, I was looking forward to the announcement that the second season got a green lit. I disliked the idea of having a new master and butler but as the updates and airing date were moving close, I felt that the new master is indeed interesting and unique. Aside the new butler of course.

The moment I got to watch the first episode of the second season, there were mixed feelings. Confusion, amusement and unsatisfaction. The latter episodes became dull but there were certain ones that just makes me “Okay fine, I’ll finish this. Maybe it would be more interesting ... on the next episode.” I was damn wrong. The second season was full of faults in an overall score. The characters took a sudden landslide the moment Alois declared that he wanted Ciel, Claude lusting for Ciel’s soul and Sebastian being a weak demon whenever Ciel’s soul was on the table. Landslide?More of a catastrophe I guess.

So I’ll start with the first and second most important part, characters and plot.

Ciel Phantomhive is a strong hearted independent noble. Why in the name of the queen of England should he let his emotions of pride and selfishness just because there is someone working for the queen other than himself? This is clearly a point why Ciel is, most of the times, a spoiled brat, only a million fold richer. Ciel’s reincarnation as a demon made the overall season’s score lower than the others. He is Ciel but at the same time not. It’s not confusing. Just imagine Ciel, being himself, only as a empty hollow. Do you get it now? Great. Now you’ll see why Ciel isn’t interesting anymore. I just don’t know for those Sebastian x Ciel fans though, I’ll just leave their imaginations of pedophility love.

Sebastian Michaelis is the famous talk around bishounen town. I’m not a fan of his character but if I could compare his development between the two seasons, I would say that he became more of a lowly and cowardly dog than a humble butler in the present season. He is confident that his possession, Ciel’s soul, wouldn’t be robbed by some other demon. Which lead to a disaster which also lead to another huge failure, particularly the 12th episode. His resistance as declared in the first season was his biggest mistake if I say so myself.

Alois Trancy(please do not remind me of his real name, I prefer this instead) is one of the freshest characters I’ve seen. He is an interesting, pathetic, adorable, slutty, pitiful, devastated, attention-seeking male cinderella. But he became the dullest thing I can see in the 12th episode. He has become weak and easily-controlled soul. Leaving his murder behind, his character, wanting to be loved by Claude is just like those romantic movies I’ve seen a hundred times. It’s unrequited love, master and butler special edition. He became a poorly made character by the moment he said that he wanted Claude despite his failure of finishing the contract. Biggest waste. Period.

Claude Faustus, fuck this butler very much. He is the biggest mistake. And because he is the biggest mistake he is also the culprit of the biggest downfall and biggest waste of the series. He’s too honest, sneaky and is a monkey dressed in a butler suit with glasses. He’s the type that if he wanted something, he would use anyone just to attain his ‘something’ and this something was none other than Ciel Phantomhive. His death was a failure too. I dislike him so much that I wouldn’t even be able to accept comments about my rant about him.

Hannah Anafeloz,with no mistake, has the most development especially in the last two episodes. She has become Alois’ savior and Ciel’s killer. She ignited Alois’ passion of becoming one with Ciel and devoured Alois’ into a new contract after letting him know that she is one with his younger brother, Luca. I’m surprised that she grew feelings with Luca which lead to performing a contract with him which became a bridge to be of service under the Trancy household. Oh, did I say she’s a masochist? Yeah. The hell with it. She rocked the boat herself.

The triplets, the highlight of their existence was their failure of killing Sebastian. Other than that, they’re triplets! And triplets are eyecatching. I prefer them cleaning and doing household chores instead of attacking Sebastian just to hide their idiocy and uselessness.

And of course, who would forget the Ronald Knox appearance? I didn’t see that coming, I doubt that you did too.

The minor characters that were adapted to the second season has a pale presence. The parts where Sebastian was handing over a letter declaring the death date of Ciel were confusing. Their reactions weren’t as lively as before.

Second, art.

The art of the first season was balanced. The background and character quality was well balanced. The second season wasn’t. The background quality was more of an A+ while the character quality was lower, more of a B minus. Maybe it’s just me, but other than that, it was brilliant. The animation was great too especially when it comes to the fighting scenes.

Third, music and character voice.

The CV in the first season had a good score coming from most of the watchers, why wouldn’t the second season have too? It’s better and more fine. The music is more than passable. It’s befitting. Except that in some points it sometimes overpowers the characters.

Kuroshitsuji or in English, Black Butler, is a finely made series. The thing is, it flunked during the second season in very many points. So many that you will be able to point them out even though you haven’t watched the first season.

Third season? No thanks. But if they’ve decided to push another season through, good luck with that. I’ll keep my mouth shut till then.

Kuroshitsuji II
(two stars like this ** means that there is a spoiler coming up, and you should skip to the next set of stars)

And here we come to a sequel. Sequels can be a good thing, if expressed correctly and if it is relevant to the parent story, much like an OVA. And let’s be honest – if a show is THAT good, and it ends in a sort of open ended way, shouldn’t it just stay like that? I mean, I’m pretty sure no one wants to know what happened to Azmaria at the end of Chrono Crusade. And though I used to hope ... for it, I like the way the Code Geass series ended. You were left with either believing he was dead or alive in some other world. Quite honestly, I think that’s the best kind of ending – one that you’ll remember long after finishing the story. And this sequel is just passable. I preferred the way the first season ended, because it was just at the cataclysm that Ciel dies. Or, it was assumed so. I just don’t like the way it all took off. And sadly, it doesn’t look like they’re done. (I'm grading this according to the MAL number ruling - a six is fair, meaning its not great but it isn't bad either.

Art:

The art hasn’t changed much if at all from the first season. If there was a change, then it was so small I couldn’t even notice it. So I’ll give it the same art score I would’ve given the first season.

Sounds:

Nothing to say about the ending and opening soundtracks. They weren’t overly enjoyable or disappointing, they were just ok. The soundtrack in the show, however, is a different story. The sound track of the second season is just as enjoyable as the soundtrack of the first. Beautiful melodies that mask sorrow or that exempt it all together – that’s the kind of music you can hope to hear from this show.

Story:

To make it simply and clear: There really is no story at the beginning. The first episode brings Ciel back, and then it’s just…“what?” until episode 6. Don’t get me wrong, you enjoy this arc, as you reminisce with old characters, but it all seems irrelevant to the story – and that’s a problem. This, to me, is always what can make any viewer drop an anime. If the show flies way out with an idea or its arc is too long and irrelevant, you gotta wonder why you’re still watching it. I can’t tell you how many shows I was excited to watch, that I ended up dropping because the arcs got too boring and I began to question its relevance. But this is not the case, it was a little over played, yes, but it was enjoyable, and that makes up for it. In the end, the reconciliation of the characters, though late and not very deep, is strong, albeit a little more confusing than it should have been.

Characters:

Ciel and Sebastian are old news. Elizabeth has very obviously taken a liking to Ciel, even more so than is noticeable in the first season. And sadly, you don’t get to see much of her after the first few episodes. And then we get to Alois Trancy. A homoerotic, sadistic **(actually gay, as we see in the first scene)** freak. **People may argue that he was forced into it, but he doesn’t seem at all deeply affected by it. Almost like it just doesn’t bother him.** He is utterly disgusting and despicable to say the least. It’s not because he’s gay, but because of the way he acts and the way he treats others. His butler, Claude, is another freaky one. When you meet him, you sort of get the feeling he’s like…Sebastian from wal-mart. Like, Sebastian is a nicely polished Lamborghini or BMW, and Claude is just a cheap knock off, like a 90’s era Toyota Corolla, or Dodge Grand Caravan. They just don’t compare. Maybe I’m being a little biased, perhaps because I already know Sebastian from the first season and have seen just how good he is at what he does. And, his humor has upped its ante from the first season – there was one specific part that I couldn’t stop laughing about midway through the series that I had to watch again and again. You also start to wonder what the hell other characters are even doing in the story. And the truth is, you won’t know until you get to episode 5 or whatever, when the story starts to make sense, as they’re all explaining what has happened thus far. In simpler terms, your favorite characters don’t exactly get enough air time this time around. I was honestly hoping for some more bonding with Lizzy. But that was shot.

Enjoyment:

While I still wouldn’t exactly categorize this show as pure fan service or maybe even partly fan service, it does deliver a lot of what you’re hoping to see. Not because its eye candy, although that is sometimes the case, but because it relates to the story, or helps set up a premise to the next or future setting. I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Even though the first few episodes you’re confused to no end, the last few episodes stick to the main plot and the point it is trying to get across is received clearly. Though, the ending was probably a disappointment simply because it ended, and made you think that the story could honestly have just not even started if it was going to end the way it did. **With Sebastian being trapped into eternal loyalty.**

Faults:

I think the series was a great piece of work, but to be perfectly honest, it almost seems like the creators tried to make something out of nothing. I think that they wanted another season, and to make it possible, they brought Ciel back. He was dead at the end of the first season, and it should have just ended there. If the production team had wanted to do more work, they could’ve just chosen to do an entirely new series. I wanted to watch this sequel because I assumed it would ONLY be based on Alois Trancy and his butler. **Now, however, they’re both dead.** And it only seems like it’ll get worse, as word of a possible 3rd season is going around.

Overall:

This being a direct sequel, you are obligated to watch the first season in order to get this one. I honestly thought this was going to be a standalone show with just Alois, but that was wrong. Way wrong. Anywho, it was a great watch. I have personally been getting pretty bored with all the new anime coming out this season, as they are either too cliché or they haven’t finished (I had a bad experience waiting for Bakemonogatari to finish, since I started watching it a week before the last episode was supposed to come out, only to find out that the last episode was going to be coming out HALF A DAMN YEAR LATER). I’ve started to watch MM! and the new To-LOVE-ru, and hope to finish them soon to write a review.

I enjoyed Kuroshitsuji a lot and that was what got me hooked onto it to begin with. The fact that they made a second season made me leap for joy in a way but I'm utterly disappointed with what I've seen in this season. For the most part it doesn't have anything to do with the manga. The story from the beginning is really confusing and was really hard for me to understand. It was really obvious that the producers were only making a second season to please the fans. I would rather have Kuroshitsuji ending the way it did rather than have this crazy ... plot put together as a dire last method to make us happy.

If you are looking for a consistent storyline this is not the anime to watch. Some episodes I enjoyed and some I thoroughly didn't understand at all. Alois and Claude were newly made characters for this season; first off understanding the two is really confusing. Their personalities are hard to describe. One thing I noticed was that their behaviors were hard to follow but I'm not sure if this is just me or if they're just like that. I'm guessing it's both. From episode 1 to episode 12 it just makes me wonder what the hell happened. The ending was absolutely ridiculous to me but then again I'm sure this might have pleased many other fans out there.

From the moment you begin to love a character you suddenly start to hate them as well towards the end. For some of the fanservice moments I laughed and enjoyed myself, but these moments didn't last too long. I'm not sure how to explain how confused I was by this season, the dialogue and events occurring didn't flow well and you don't get the answers to certain questions until you're at the end of the anime and even then it still leaves you puzzled.

Watching the second season was still great because I got to see Ciel and Sebastian again. Kuroshitsuji fans I'm sure will watch this second season but I am honestly disappointed with the outcome of this season. The fanservice was still enjoyable though but the overall expectations I had for this season were not even close.

Creators have to be extra careful when they create sequels and even series to popular movies/shows. I can name only a few sequels that have been almost or even better than the original, but this...not even close. I don't count this as a 'sequel'.

Plot:

With the story, the first five episodes are clearly fillers, except maybe the first when introducing Alois. But we don't really get a proper story line until the middle of the season. It's a bit disappointing when you reach it and say, "so what was the purpose of the last few episodes?" clearly the writers weren't thinking when they wrote ... it. I do understand this strays far from the manga, but I found many scenes where it...just didn't make a whole lot of sense. Having the random episodes and humour is fun, but does it fit? Probably not.

Now the themes of death and sacrifice were clearly there. Good. Some symbolism with the rings, marks, etc. But I found it repeated some mistakes from the first season. However, I won't hold season II responsible for a cliche plot. They did well to establish something original, creating a darker more gory atmosphere the first one didn't have much of.

There is one thing that bugged me was how Sebastian felt like a supporting character in this. It was all about the new characters and less about developing the character of Sebastian and Ciel. When watching this, don't be surprised when they don't show up in the first episode.

Art:

I have no problems with the art. The same comments apply from my review in the first season. Very clear effects. We had some rain, blood spilling out, shiny spiderwebs we all know and love, and many other things. The castles are well designed and animated, showing the dark-Gothic, 19th century theme in the show, and the characters the same.

Sound:

There is actually natural sound in this. The music fit perfectly with the selected scenes, and added the touches of the mood to the story. There are even the eeriness moans and screams from children and other things in the night. Adds to the horror genre this show wanted to come across as.

Character:

Oh boy...here we go. Let's start with Alois, shall we?

Can someone please get this kid a psychologist? Clearly he has some major mental issues and even sexual issues. Now we do get a backstory on him, but I don't think it went far enough. We never got to see the relationship with his parents. Perhaps his birth father sexually abused him and his brother to make him the way he is. Who knows. But I have a feeling his parents or at least his father are to blame for his behaviour as the Lord and how he comes up with such vile things/ideas. He has no fear, and probably is diagnosed with PTSD or separation anxiety. I can say he is one messed up kid.

The good thing about him is he is not a stereotype. That is a relief right there. The writers created a very dark character though. I was shocked what I saw at the beginning. No child should ever be doing that sort or thing, which is probably one of the reasons why this show is rated R.

Onto Claude. He is another Sebastian except a spider version of him. He doesn't really have a personality of his own. I don't have anything else to say other than that...

Hannah seems to hold a darker secret, which if you read the synopsis you'll know who she is. But she is probably the second darkest character after Alois.

Now Ciel. I actually liked Ciel in this season. He's changed and his character has developed. He turned into a likeable character, something the first season failed to do. But Sebastian is still the same lovable, demon butler. He didn't change as much.

Enjoyment/Overall:

I'll say it again, I didn't enjoy this season as much as the last. The ending was...a bit odd for my taste. Black Butler I and II is it's own series in itself. It doesn't follow the manga plot at all. And remember the cliffhanger ending in the first one? BB II doesn't show what really happens until a little while later. Go ahead and watch it to let go of your tension of wanting to find out after the last one, but don't be surprised if it's not what you expected. I was rather confused at first until I hit the fifth or sixth episode.

Overall, I give Black Butler II a C+ or a 68% on the soul scale.

Black Butler 2 is a sequel that was not needed in the first place. That being said, I did enjoy it, but there are definitely problems.


Story-3
The ending of season one was one of the best endings and needed no continuation. But I would be lying if I said I was not excited for another season. We get more mystery, more demons and just more Black Butler. The plot had an interesting premise even if it seemed like something you could find on fanficiton.net. But the story was done very poorly, hence the score I gave it. It has too many plot holes and even ... more unexplained moments. If you don't mind these things and don't question and look to closely, this shouldn't matter. I did enjoy the parallels between both the demons and their contractors, and it shows how people can react different in similar situations. It was also interesting to see how someone else interacted with a demon and why the made a contract.

Art-7
The art is the same as season one and looks very nice. The animation is fine, though there are a few mistakes, nothing major, and the new characters' art looks nice. Shout out to the both of the openings, both looking very nice. Nothing else much to say.

Sound- 7
The opening music is catchy and I didn't skip it once. While the music is all used at the appropriate times, they are for the most part forgettable.

Character-6
This was actually what carried the show for me, and the character that most fans seem to hate is my favorite this season, Alois. Ciel was a bit of a let down for me- basically all developing he went through was reset, and seems brattier than the first season. Season 2 Ciel I still enjoyed, and he is the only other character I really cared for. Sebastian is very different from season 1. In the first Black Butler fans can decide if Sebastian feels more for Ciel than just another meal-be it romantic or in platonic way. This is definitely answered in this season. Characters from season 1 show up for a small amount of time. The other demon butler we meet is Claude, and he is the most unlikable character in the show, that is all I have to say on it. Alois. So much hate. Many times there will be a horrible character, one who you hate, but is given a tragic past which to the writer means they have an excuse and is justified in their evil actions, which really they are not. I did not hate Alois like everyone did. Sure I found him a bit annoying, but actually very entertaining in his sadistic ways. And he doesn't actually do anything especially evil. He is given a sad past, and I thought it explained his actions and motives. This character does go through a bit development, and I don't mind what he does in the end. The rest of the new characters have nothing I particularly liked or disliked.

Enjoyment-6
Alois I found to be the most enjoying thing in this show, the for many it was the least likeable thing. I can understand why some may not like him, but I feel he gets more hate than deserved. The yaoi (BoyxBoy) undertones that are in the first season is definitely not an undertone in this one. Much of it is fan service, except with Alois.The humor in season 1 is less in season 2, and some of the times it showed up felt unnatural to the scene, but was still good. It was overall enjoyable, but some parts felt like a chore to watch.

Should you watch it? If you liked Black Butler than yes. It isn't as good as the first, but if you enjoyed the first season, odds are you will find at least one thing you will like. It is not a must though, only if you really liked Black Butler. If you thought the first was okay, than just out it away for a rainy day to watch.

A note* If you don't want to hear me blabbering on about Kuro II and stuff then you'll probably want to skip to the end, where I give a little conclusion of what I've said, basically ;D

Today I watched Kuroshitsuji II. Let me tell you it was messed up, at the beginning. Two words for you. No joke. I don't even know how they thought of all this plot, but it was so weird and strange and random and unreal and not following the original story at all! They practically turned it into a fanservice giving perverted anime that knows no tomorrow, unless if you're ... a Ciel x Sebby BL fangirl like me, then you'll probably enjoy it. Seriously.

Okay, other than the fanservice and BL, it was nothing, nothing that the general audience would probably appreciate. Everything was random, off the charts, total wacko if I do say so myself. Not something you would want to watch unless you're an insane madman...who's just really perverted...or if you're a devoted Kuro fan. Trust me there were lots of those perverted times, enough that you could tag it as "ecchi."

At least the ending was good. That was probably the best part of Kuroshitsuji! I enjoyed it thoroughly, which is what made me change the score I gave Kuro II.

Be warned that Kuroshitsuji season two can be described as a chaos of horror, gore, pain, lust, and whatever is in between, if there is even indeed anything left at all between those cracks of inhumanity. However at the end, they prove to explain some of the plot they've twisted, so it makes matters better.

So I won't suggest you to watch it. Unless, you are like me, a devoted fan of Kuroshitsuji who just needs to know what happened at the end, when they end it all, or if you are into blood or lust or BL. Watching this has indeed become a pain at the beginning, somewhat, but eventually at the end of the episode you wonder so badly what's going to happen next, what twisted adventure they will have, what kind of gruesome "dance" they will perform next, and what kind of showdown they will have that will devour everything and all the souls of all the people...

Art and sound were definitely out of the ordinary, not in a bad way. The animation was stunning, as was the sound, a very nice quality.

Definitely one of the most craziest animes that I've watched, since they've mixed up the plot so much and created random scenarios with random new characters, but of course, we're all just watching this for the hot butlers and action scenes between them, speaking of which have very brilliant butlers within themselves, like for example the triplet demons.

It blew my mind away, especially in the end, where it ends off nicely, but I won't tell you what happened. You'll just have to watch it yourself if you're interested enough.

Conclusion: Okay, to sum it all up, for a BL fan, you'll probably enjoy this, as they give lots of "hints" of pairings. But if you're not and you don't like BL, then you probably will find this disgusting, so don't watch it. But if you like gore and lust and the like, then you should consider watching this, even more so if you're a Kuro fan. The plot is very twisted and weird, but at least they have awesome art and music, and at the end they even explain everything, finishing off with a nice touch of a sort of "cliff hanger" kind of ending.

What do you do when you have a huge fan-base filled of fan-girls who want more out of your Anime's twelve-episode-long first season which had an incredibly confusing messed up finale? Give them a sequel, of course!

Kuroshitsuji II introduces new and fairly interesting characters: Alois Trancy, a sadistic and bipolar fourteen-year-old who you will either love or hate, no in between. Claude Faustus, the butler of said boy, who gets a lot of hate from fans through the season for just, you know, being a demon and wanting to eat human souls and such. The triplets, who do not speak a word but still manage ... to be cute. And, of course, Hannah, who we will classify as "just a maid" in order to avoid spoilers.

Well, first things first: the producers present you with an interesting story. We are reminded that Ciel is not the first and certainly not the last boy to have contracted a demon, by introducing us to Alois and his troubled past. Then, we get to see the differences between the two of them and stand by while it slowly morphs into a rivalry, which is what everyone wants to see, of course. It makes you question how much can a simple human change a demon and how much a demon can change a simple human.

Art is as beautiful as ever, only failing in one or two episodes, but noticeable enough for fans to care. They manage to get the whole "18th century" atmosphere, though in this season we rarely see anyone who's not on the main five: Ciel, Sebastian, Alois, Claude and Hannah. Elizabeth and the servants have been relegated to extras and only appear to save/help the plot.

The seiyuus do a great job capturing each character's personalities and transforming them into a single voice. I specially liked the fact that you could sense Alois's constant struggle with himself and his own personality only through his laugh — that was quite creepy, may I add. The Opening got me singing aloud but the Ending was just too slow for me, though I didn't "dislike" it.

Do I even have to talk about characters here? The old ones I still loved. The new ones I learned to like and eventually love some of them. Ah, that's a warning: you ARE going to hate at least one character by the time you reach the end of Kuroshitsuji II. Maybe the one you've hated through the whole season or maybe the one you though was going to be your favorite when it all started. Either way, you will have conflicting feelings.

"So, you're saying Kuroshitsuji II had an interesting story, good art and sound and great characters; why are you rating it with a six?" You might be asking yourself right now. The answer is easy: it got boring. I know many people would disagree with me and many more would agree, but I just couldn't, for the life of me, get into it. It disappointed me to the point where I don't think I want to see a third season.

Yes, I'm aware it doesn't follow the manga and it's an entirely original story, but that doesn't make it absolutely good (or bad). The fact is that this sequel could have been great but couldn't and instead failed embarrassingly. Maybe it was because expectations were so high for it or maybe because it just was bad.

My advice is this: if you've got time and patience, watch it. If not, don't. You'll certainly not be missing anything big.

Criteria
Story: 7
The story does not leave from where Season 1 left off however it does eventually get to that point, Black Butler S2 thrown us in with a brand new ‘Highness’ and Butler; their names being Alois and Claud. After the first few minutes however we finally get to see Sebastian and then eventually Ciel, which leaves us with a thousand and one question….’what the hell happened at the end of Season 1??’
However these questions and more are eventually answered.

Ending: 8
I found the ending of S2 to be a lot better than that of S1, were S1 leaves us asking ‘WHAT THE HELL ... JUST HAPPENED!!’ S2 is a solid and conclusive ending yet also has possibilities of opening it up for a Season 3. If they did make a season 3 I reckon it would me majorly epic due to the final events of S2.

Solid Plot: 8
With 12 episodes only it would be hard if the plot wasn’t solid. Black butler S2 basically follows the 2 ‘Masters’ on the brand new quests for revenge, but Ciel already got his revenge…….or did he? The plot does not waver too much and stays on course for most of the 12 episodes; except for when the mission for the queen except even they are related in some way.. Also in season 2 the plot is a lot more solid as he doesn’t take up that many missions any more from his majesty the Queen.
And lastly there are also the plot twists that I don’t think anyone including myself ever saw coming, so that was a good new addition to the plot of Black butler S2.

Moral: 0
I honestly do find the moral of any anime should be one of its high points; one of the main criteria’s to be essentially ranked any judged after finishing an anime or on the completion of reading a manga. We see how important it was to the Second Season of Black Butler as Black Butler S2 did not have one, they focused too much on action scenes, fighting scenes and comedic scenes that I failed to see any real moral to this story. There were no themes such as forgiveness as the whole anime was basically about deception. Due to this and the fact it clearly did not want to teach its audience anything, it did not want to leave the audience with a scene of ‘enlightenment’ it scores a perfect 0.

Sense: 5
Oh where do I begin with the sense of this anime, even though our questions are answered and the answers do make sense, the answers also sometimes bring arise to new and more questions which then don’t make any sense. It also stays too much to its clichéd butler choice of weaponry being a knife and fork. And then there’s the fact that getting skewered in the head won’t kill you…..but hey you’re a demon so whatever.
And then there are the first 5 episodes which are just in some scenes make absolutely no sense at all, for example one scene where Claud throws a table into the air and is able to set the table with dress cloths plates knifes, spoons and forks etc. whilst the table is still into the air and then when the table hits the floor everything is glistening clean and the table is set……yer I call BS.

Music: 8
Not a lot changed with the music from Black Butler S1 to S2 except for the opening and endings and I actually liked the opening and ending of S2 better than that of S1. The music was very complimentary to the mood of the scene, the pitch and tone would rise and fall depending on the pace of the scene which was very nice to see.

Art: 8
Also the same as S1 of Black Butler, that being I really liked it. The characters where drawn exceptionally well and so were all the different types of scenery. Also things like water and fire where drawn really well.

Characters: 6
For some reason the characters of Season 2 felt duller than that of Season 1, like they were missing their backbone, they just didn’t have that essence that a character needed. Everyone just felt too comedic like everything was a joke; even Ceal has a sense of comedy to him. But the thing I hated most was how much Sebastian and Claud looked alike. In some scenes I didn’t know if it was Sebastian or Claud until somebody addressed them. Also we didn’t get that much of a back story on each of the new characters from season 2 like we did in season 1. There was also no ‘Old’ Tanaka and ‘New’ Tanaka had a screen time of like 30 seconds. (Tanaka was basically my favorite of the servants)
And then the uncharacteristically behavior of a demon who fell in a love with a child she knew for like 20 seconds because he said thank you to the demon before she consumed his soul.

Boredom/Captivation Scale: 7
Due to the fact that the anime was jam packed with both comedic and action scenes I rarely felt bored and for the most part I quite enjoyed watching it.

Personal Score: 5
The biggest let down of Black Butler Season 2 in my own opinion were the characters, even though there was no moral and that got a 0 the characters just didn’t do it for me. Not only where the uncharacteristic there was also the problem of two butlers looking exactly the same. Then the was the obvious problem with it having no moral and basically saying that it doesn’t want to teach its audience anything, and lastly there was the sense of the anime which was just pure average, because at times it made sense and then and times in made utter nonsense.
However I won’t say I hated the anime yet I obviously didn’t love it. I simply enjoyed it, it was 4 hours of my day that I don’t feel I wasted, however if it was 24 episodes then that would be a different story entirely and instead of getting an average of 6 I probably would have given it a 1.
Lastly would I recommend this anime: if you watched season 1 then yes watch season 2 to answer the questions who had from season 1, however if you haven’t watched season 1……..then don’t watch this anime, because combining season 1 and 2 then I feel this anime would be a waste of time because season 2 doesn’t completely do season 1 justice

Genres
Comedy: 8
For 12 episodes and only 4 hours I found that were a lot of comedic references in Season 2 of Black Butler which made it quite enjoying to watch.

Action: 8
When there where action scenes they were always over the top and exuberant, with maids pulling tommy guns out of dresses and butlers skewering three enemies at the same time, really a nice watch.

Mystery: 7
Well nobody saw that ending coming that’s for sure and just because of that I gave it a 7. There were also quite a lot of other plot twists and mysteries a lot of which you won’t see coming and other are just clear as day

it was good at the start we know from the title we're continuing from the first season it starts off like any other sequal with alot of confusion and questions to be answered.. more into the story the questions get answered but not fully and then it creates a big conflict and we all know conflict is good but when there is too much and everything is over dramatized you get tired.. also the characters i was very sad with this ciel and sebastian's personality changed drastically from the first season and not in a good way and the new characters didnt have that much ... of a background story and when they did give them one it wasn't good and didnt make sense.. lastly there was ALOT OF FANSERVICE!! im not complaining but the fanservice sort of took away from the story.. and then the ending was another negative factor but i'll eave that for you to decide.. anyway i liked some parts that were really exciting but the
- fanservice
-over drama
-lack of background info
-ending

took away from the series so i had to rate it 5/10

I'm really split after watching Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler II. After watching the first few episodes, I was really pleased with the story, not understanding how anyone could be unhappy with the sequel. But now, after watching all of it, I'm not so sure...
Lets get it straight, the art is just as perfectly beautiful as the original, the sound a little less interesting, yet fitting. All the technical stuff is just as the first season. But I am unhappy with the ending. My first thought after watching the last episode was: "I wish I hadn't watched it". Because as joyful as it was to get to ... watch more of the anime, just as unsatisfied it left me feeling. When I had watched the first season, I was ecstatic. The ending had my heart racing. It was surprisingly creepy, exactly as I wanted it. I felt some kind of pleasant unease. But now, having watched season 2 as well, I don't even feel like watching more (In a bad way - I think a good anime should leave you hungering for more, yet without any unanswered questions). So I guess my advise is: If you are satisfied with the ending of the first season, don't watch the second. Let the satisfaction settle and be pleased with that ending. You can always watch the second season later. I'm going to watch the last episode of season one again - maybe I'll forget the confusing sequel.

Okay I'm just gonna jump right into it:

As much as I enjoyed the first season, with its flaws and plotholes this season was confusing. There's plot elements that don't get discussed or explained until well into the season (e.g. episode 6/7) Now I haven't read the manga so all my opinions are purely based on the anime.

The setting, the art and the commitment to the victorian gothic feel are just as good as they were in season one. The atmosphere is dark and creepy and I loved it.

The new character are frankly gross, Alois Trancy is a sadistic child who gives off the impression of... ... wanting to be Ciel? wanting to be like Ciel? I still don't know. But he was genuinely so vulgar and overall unpleasant I was just disturbed by him.
The new butler? acceptable, but he does feel like a Sebastian 2.0 in every sense of the word

One thing I had enjoyed about season one is that it didn't use the typical anime version of women, big breasts, tiny waist, zero personality. Season two somehow.... it almost seems like they're trying to make up for the lack of nudity from season one??? Which is something that I didn't really need. It would have stood and been just as if not more enjoyable (for me) if there wasn't.
Alois Trancy's maid suffers constant abuse from him and is basically just an excuse for thinly veiled extremely disturbing porn.

in conclusion, I am so disturbed by this season and I don't even know what to think anymore.

Story:
Truth be told, I felt that the storyline was not good. I’d have much rather preferred the ending of the 1st season to have been the ultimate finale. It would have left a better impression. This second season is more for very loyal fans than the odd viewer. The plot puts an unexpected twist to the 1st season’s ending, and has an unexpected ending itself! Though I didn’t like the main story, the ending was not so bad. Another disappointing feature of this season is the minimal appearance of some of characters from the 1st season (i.e. the Phantomhive servants – man, they were awesome!).

Characters:
New ... character designs were impeccably done as per usual. By far, the stand-out character for me was Hanna. Not only was she hot, but her role in the story was surprisingly unpredictable. And the new butler, Claude Faustus?…not so much. It might just be me, but I think his looks are fairly similar to the shinigami, William T. Spears, thus lacks originality. I didn’t really like Alois Trancy. Yes, he is a pretty boy, but Ciel’s still better. The personas were developed well enough for a 12ep season.

Animation:
Animation was per usual as well (when I say this, I mean it has the same standard as season 1′s = i.e. as good). Apart from some pretty cool all-out battle scenes (that occurred at a disappointingly fast pace), there was really nothing out-there or extraordinary to note.

Sound:
Same-same, though I reckon I liked the EP of season 1 more. Kalafina also sings one of the EPs for this season (they are awesome!).

Enjoyment:
The first episode wasn’t too bad, but everything went downhill from there, until the last episode where, though slightly confusing, things become resolved with a likable ending. I found some scenes particularly disturbing (and unexpected…). Bit of a pity really, because season 1 was so awesome and all.

Do not watch this season. Do your research on Black Butler, maybe read the manga, and only watch the canon episodes of the anime. The rest is simply a waste of your time. The storyline made no sense at all, and all it will do is confuse you.

The reason I haven't rated this season as a 1 is because I do still love Sebastian and Ciel as characters, Alois and Claude were interesting for a while, and the ending was poetic in a way. Had Claude and Alois been a part of the manga, I think their addition to the anime would've been stunning. ... For people thinking that these two are just a rewrite of Sebastian and Ciel's characters, that is not the case. They have a completely different relationship, and each of the characters have their own, interesting backstories. That is one of the few things I enjoyed about this season.

Besides those few things, this season just made me sour towards the whole series. The plot didn't make sense, to me. The ending of the previous season, in my opinion, was not adequately explained in this season. Even if it was explained properly, that still wouldn't make sense of the plot for this season. Alois's motives for entering Ciel's life just didn't feel thought through to me, as is the case many times with anime and that diverge from the manga.

Of course, the third season will probably change my opinion (or so I hope) since it is canon material, unlike this second season. For now, though, I'm quite unhappy with the direction this anime took.

My final advice for you would be: stick with the canon. It'll save you a lot of headaches.

Let me be frank - I don't like to think of this as a sequel to the original.

What I liked was basically just the return of my favorite characters from the first season (other than our MC, but I'll discuss that later).

[kind of spoiler territory]

At the beginning, I thought every season would simply be the antics of a new master and butler, with the previous season intertwining within the narrative. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as good as I expected. Our new pair wasn't nearly as dynamic as the original and the ending was...something.

If this was a standalone series, I might have liked it slightly better, ... but not after such an interesting first season.

There's my two cents.

Happy Watching!

We return to the world of Black Butler, to see what adventures may be continue among Sebastian and Ciel and…..wait, what? Season 2 isn’t just about them? They have some new characters? Alois Trancy and Claude Faustus?

OK. They may not seem so bad. A good change of characters could help the show.

*after watching a few episodes*

Or not.

In late-nineteenth century England, one year and three months after the dramatic conclusion of the original series, Kuroshitsuji II introduces a new butler and young master. The sadistic yet cheerful Alois Trancy has faced some harsh times. He was kidnapped as a baby, and was forced to work in ... a village as a slave. Gradually, he lost his parents, his best friend, and everyone he knew. Alois eventually returned home and became the head of his mansion, but seemed to exhibit some strange behavior ever since. Even more curiously, he returned with Claude Faustus, an enigmatic, emotionless butler with unfathomable talent….


OK…..I want to get this out of the way as soon as possible. I hate Alois Trancy. I hate him and his guts. If I was in that show, I’d be the first one to kill him because he is that insufferable of a character, he’s basically who I thought Ciel would’ve been in the first season: A spoiled, sadistic, bratty, creepy-ass little boy and while they explain his backstory and how messed up he is, it doesn’t excuse the bullshit insanity he causes throughout the series. Hell, in the first episode, he gauges Hannah’s (his demon maid) eye out and he keeps torturing her throughout the series. I really felt bad for that character (Yes, I felt bad for the demon maid!!) yet she stills shows compassion for the little shit. Oh, and Claude…..I take him as ‘meh’. I’m not calling him the proto-Sebastian but they are sometimes I think they are match evenly, even though Claude can be a bit creepy sometimes (and that’s toward Ciel). Also, I felt like the chemistry between Ciel and Sebastian lessened here than the first season, saying “he’s nothing more than a butler”. That could be him masking his true feelings but I thought we were over that already when Season 1 concluded.

As for the story, not really that interesting but it does stick to one narrative being that Alois and Claude wants Ciel’s soul and to kill Sebastian and I couldn’t really care less about the story as into the 2nd episode, I was mostly like, “What the hell happened? I thought you two weren’t around anymore?” but then again, after seeing Alois in the first episode, I was relieved that those two were back again and the plot doesn’t linger on to those other two.

I haven’t got much to say about animation except that it is quite the same as the first season, which isn’t a bad thing because the animation and art A-1 Pictures provided was stunning but I will say for character design, did they even try to not make Claude look like a clone of Sebastian? I would sometimes get confused with those two when they are on screen together or even separate.


Musically, the only opening theme for the show, “Shiver” by The Gazette was actually quite good once going into the show and I never once skipped the theme or opening sequence. The ending song, “Bird” by Yuya Matsushita was also just okay, too and if you want to know if the Kalafina song was my favorite, then you’re right because it actually was my favorite. Yes, I happen to like the group Kalafina. The music score overall was fine.


As for the dub performances, they were quite the same as the first season as J. Michael Tatum does shine again as Sebastian and Brina Palencia as Ciel but enter the two new players, Luci Christian as Alois Trancy and she does play the role of a despicable little brat very well and Jason Douglas as Claude was also very decent in his part. It does remind me of Tatum’s performance but everything about Claude reminds me of Sebastian.


FINAL VERDICT: Black Butler II is……very much of a step down from the first season. I can see why some people did not like this season but I don’t completely hate it. The writing just seems more fan fiction-like while some of the rest did stay the same and that could be for the best. It also seems for fans, this season is quite 50/50 for some of them. Some like it, others don’t. Would I recommend it though? Well….maybe as a standalone or alternate universe of Black Butler maybe but not a continuation from Season 1.

Sequels are always a gamble. I can name 2 bad ones for every good one. I can name far fewer great ones. Being a huge fan of the first season of "Black Butler" I was more than curious to see what was in store next. After finishing, I now ask why did I- and more importantly- the creators even bother?

We are introduced to two new characters. The new demon butler Claude Faustus and his young master, Alois Trancy. Had the series been entirely about them and their story, I think I would have enjoyed it more. But when the cast of the first season shows ... up, not only does it take away from this second season, but the first as well. A double play of disappointment!

That's not to say this season is terrible- it's not. It dives into the nature of the demon butler and the contracts they make. Alois is an interesting and despicable little *bleep*. But, watching his story arch and motivations was the most interesting thing about this season. All the rest just needlessly complicated things and took away what was a great ending to Season 1.

The art and music are just as nice as Season 1, the other characters that are introduced are pretty forgettable minus Alois. The biggest fail is Claude, the new butler, who should have been the draw of the show. He is boring. Predictable. And just dull as dishwater. Sub vs. Dub is a win for Sub. J. Michael Tatum was the loan bright spot for the English cast. Alois' English actor, Luci Christian, seemed to be imitating Jack Wild in the film "Oliver!". It was effective however, the voice was like nails on a chalkboard!

I was really, really disappointed in this season. It was unnecessary to drag in the cast from the first season and they really missed a chance to tell a new story with new characters and take a different road. The only reason I can recommend to watch this season is if you're really hungry for more "Black Butler" and don't care how you get it. I really wish I could make a deal with a demon to make Season 1 stand alone... Actually, after watching this season, scratch that idea. Cheers!

I don't know what the deal is with sequels.There is just this weird habit of making a continuation of a story that was fine by itself with no request of it whatsoever. It may not be the case with this show,but like most other sequels,it taints the actual resolution and continues with a story that comes out of nowhere and doesn't live up at all to the original.This is the case with Kuroshitsuji II or Black Butler II

The first season of Black Butler was actually one of the first works of anime that I have watched and it was a fun journey overall. I liked ... seeing the Queen's loyal guard dog walking around with his Butler solving crimes and doing jobs.The show was epic, dramatic,funny,and chaotic at times.And then this huge scale ending comes along in which almost all of London is destroyed thus wrapping up everything and ending the story there...UNTIL season II came along reopening a wound that should've stayed closed.This story follows around a bunch of Kuroshitsuji wannabes called Elois Trancy and his butler, Claude who is also a demon and for most of the story when the Phantomhives and Trancys collide, you can't help but wonder why is this happening anyway.You can tell that this second season really did not need to happen since they put in this whole thing about Ciel losing his memory instead of ...something happening to him if you watched the end of Season one.Also, this show will definitely go down for having one of the most insufferable antagonists I have ever seen in anime,PERIOD.


I didn't pay attention to the art style too much because there was nothing to pay attention to.This was made by the same studio who did the first one so their styles and animation are similar.There are times when things are colorful and pretty much the rest of the show is really grey or just plain black(get it?).The animation is good though but its not the best that A1-Pictures had to offer.

I'm kinda torn between the two opening themes.The first season had a really good opening theme with visuals that fit with the whole gothic aspect of the show, and the second doesn't do that but still has nice visuals and a really catchy opening.But when it came to enjoyment , I think the first opening trumped over the second manly because I looked forward to watching the episode after the opening played, but there were many times in this season where the opening was the only thing I looked forward to.The OST wasn't bad either since it sounded the same in both seasons.

Holy Crap,okay so remember when I said that this show to me had one of the most insufferable characters in an anime PERIOD?Well, I meant it! Elois Trancy is such an ass of a person.He is such a spoiled brat who thinks the whole world revolves around him.It's like he was born just to be a tribute act to Ciel.He has tragic backstory that is nothing compared to what Ciel faced as a child and somehow Ciel is more wise and clever than Elois would ever be. He is so cruel for no reason at all and takes his anger out on things when they don't go his way.There is like this duel scene between him and Ciel at a part in the show that proves he is all talk and absolutely no walk at all.When he is on the verge of death he acts like such a baby that deserves to die and it doesn't make up for all the crap that he has done.In the whole Trancy household, the only character that I like was his butler ,Claude. Claude is cool and all but he is just an offbrand version of the Sebastian that we all know in love.I mean, that will be the day when a man with glasses who can tap dance like crazy will surpass that guy who introduced Curry bread and broke up a fight with a literal deer head on him.
There are also the other servants in the show,BUT they are not as interesting as the servants of the Phantomhive manor,Not by a long shot.I liked the characters from the first season though, but when these two different groups clash , things get way too unnecessary and confusing.


And then the ending came along and sotomized the story so hard that my mind tried to reject that such an ending happened and I came to a conclusion that this story DOES NOT EXIST.I feel like someone would like this show only if they want more Kuroshitsuji, but thats what Book of Circus, Book of Murder, and that other movie I haven't seen yet are there for.These extra seasons/OVA's are exactly what you need if you can't get enough of Black Butler.These stories have other stories but they don't interfere with the core story of the Phantomhives at all.They're kind of just parts in the show that did not appear in the first season because they're wasn't enough room i think.But really there is no point in watching this show since it screws up everything that was planned in the first season(as in its ending) and just adds extra screen time to the characters just to put them in the spotlight when their story was supposed to already be finished.

Overall-5
THIS SHOW DOESN'T EXIST!