Kuroshitsuji II Specials

These specials are possibly the funniest shit ever. Here's what I thought about each one on it's own.

Ciel in Wonderland(1+2) - Those two were a little strange but still enjoyable to watch. They were funny, enjoyable and most importantly of all BLACK PEPPER!

Welcome to the Phantomhives - Can I say fangirl? This is the ultimate fangirl episode with everyone telling you how pretty you are all the time. Personally, I'd marry Soma before anyone could blink.

The Making of Black Butler II - This is where the funniest shit ever bit comes into play. It also makes me feel better about it since it shows you ... it's all a big act and that everyone who died is alive. All of the little fake scenes at the end are undoubtedly the best part.

Will the Reaper - I liked seeing how the whole reaper process worked. You also got to follow Grell around for an episode, what's better than that?

Spider's Intention - This one was my least favorite because it was all about Alios, who I hate with the fire of a thousand suns. It was interesting though, and made me laugh a few times when the triplets were talking.

I think if you're a big fan of Kuroshitsuji you'll be pleased with these specials. They're done very well and I believe they have a high replay value especially if you like the more comical side of this series.

Ciel in Wonderland (Pt. 1 & 2) - As you may have guessed, this is the Alice in Wonderland story with a Kuroshitsuji twist. Ciel is Alice, Sebastian is the rabbit and... well all of the other Kuroshitsuji characters are included as well. Its good for some laughs and they're definitely not like any normal episodes.

Welcome to the Phantomhives - I didn't really expect much out of ... this episode but it was surprisingly like a typical Kuroshitsuji episode except from a first-person point-of-view. Elizabeth is invited to a ball at Ciel's mansion and invites her friend (presumably, you) along with her. A plot unfolds and without giving anything away, its a pretty satisfying episode.

The Making of Kuroshitsuji II - Like Ciel in Wonderland, this one is good for laughs. This takes you behind the scenes of the show, and presents the whole crew as actors instead of their roles in the show. It seemed a little odd at first but then it got pretty funny and charming.

The Tale of William the Shinigami - In case you wondered about Grell and William's history here is the episode that explains just that. Its a story about Grell and William's first mission as shinigami, as well as introduces you to what goes on behind the scenes of becoming a shinigami. I enjoyed this episode because of how it developed these characters further and expanded on your knowledge of the shinigami world.

The Spider's Intention - Basically an episode introducing the Trancy butlers in more details. This episode was pretty cool since it told a little more about the triplets than what the series showed.

This specials were so funny. Especially the making of. So good. Even better then the second series itself. All of them made me laugh except the story of will the shinigami, and the clade/alois one. But that´s only because I don´t like Claude and Alois.

I suppose the review is for those lucky people that managed to find all the ova episodes since most were tooken down by some sites. This is my 1st review, so i'll try to make this look good as much as I can.

Story & Art ( An Acceptable 8)

As expected, the artwork hasen't changed much just like the series and such. So all is still well. The story is good and all but not on every episode. It probably deserves a 7 instead.... but what brought it to an 8 was how the humor and more scenes with the supporting characters replaced it and brought ... up the score.

Sound & Character (Nice 9)

The Opening (that is brought in 1 or 2 episodes I think) are the same as the second season. Not every episode has an opening though. The ending isn't all that much looking forward to, but it plays pleasant music by Kalafina. The voice of Alois Trancy's Thompson Brothers (Or whatever those triplet butlers are called :\) is kind of annoying but decent. I've never heard them talk before. The music is great. The characters still remain the same of course. And with more Grell xD.

Enjoyment & Overall ( Just A 7)

It was all good, I think they could've done better on the stories in the episodes, (9), I think one of the episodes was just done from running out of ideas, (8), and they should've they should've made a little clip for ending in the last episode since it seemed kinda empty without one. (7). None-the-less, I'd recommend watching it of course. Not everyone's opinion is the same :).

If there was anything good to ever come out of Black Butler's second season, I honestly think this is it.

This is a collection of five different specials (one of them being a two-parter) that all have largely different concepts, and each of them promises to be at the very least interesting. One of the things I like the most about these specials is that the ones that are absolutely ridiculous are given the same amount of effort as the actual series, making for a very interesting ride. And when these specials decide to be serious, they actually give some much needed context for Black Butler ... II, which I think might have made it better if it was actually included as a part of the series and not just a special.

CIEL IN WONDERLAND [MINOR SPOILER FROM BLACK BUTLER II]

This is probably the biggest acid trip Black Butler has ever given us (which makes sense considering what this is based off of). This is exactly what you'd expect, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland with Black Butler characters. A lot of it is just putting Ciel in humiliating situations (which I've always found more entertaining than I probably should), but the most fun you'll have here, is probably just seeing what Black Butler character plays what Alice in Wonderland character, with the highlights being Grell as the Cheshire cat and Undertaker as the Mad Hatter. I mean, you can't get more perfect choices than that!

One thing I definitely appreciate too, is that this special does something that Black Butler II never did, actually explore the idea of Ciel having amnesia. If you read my review of Black Butler II, one of my problems with it was that Ciel's amnesia was used more as an excuse to rob the character of his personality rather than actually developing him further. Here, not only is Ciel still in-character, but the special actually tries to convey what it's like for Ciel to have forgotten such important things, and it does so rather well.

I will say the special is a bit too long, feeling especially stretched out in the first part, but it's all worth it in the end.

WELCOME TO THE PHANTOMHIVES

So... this one is kind of strange. I mean, the last on was was arguably weirder, but this is still a strange concept for a Black Butler special.

This is basically Black Butler simulator where you're meant to insert yourself into a female guest at the Phantomhive manor, where you're given a tour, meeting different characters who all like unrealistically much immediately upon meeting you. This is complete with characters shoving their ears up your face Dora the Explorer style, as I guess you have a very weak voice, and you're apparently expected to say something very specific for them to react to. You even get to meet Grell! Because who doesn't want to meet Grell? Seriously though, I think this woman is having a very weird day.

My only real complaint about this one is that while they never show the blank state character's face, the show just about everything else about her, including her body physique and hear color, which I find a bit counter-productive considering that you're obviously supposed to insert yourself into her, to the point where they don't even give her a name. At the same time, though, I like the fact that this character actually has a bit of an implied backstory and isn't just a normal person. That's actually more interesting than this sort of "simulators" usually gets.

MAKING OF KUROSHITSUJI II

Now, this is just a hilarious concept. It's essentially a fake behind the scenes with the characters from the series being real life people, several of which have additional roles on top of being "actors". One of the most interesting choices here was King Edward and Prince Richard (who were one-off characters in a filler episode from the original series) being brought back as director. Richard made for the cutest little director ever, by the way. He even still carries around that skull.

There's a lot of fun to be had here just seeing what these characters are like on the set, and how seriously or not seriously they take their job, such as Grell refusing to filmed without her make-up on and Claude being far too devoted to his role. And hey, Alois is actually likable now! Kind of.

THE TALE OF WILLIAM THE SHINIGAMI

Will and Grell's backstory! Do I even need say anything more.

This one does a very good of exploring what it's like to be shinigami and gives us more information about their practices. It also gives us a ton of character development for both Will and Grell, showing us how they met and how they ended up being the way they are now. And interestingly Grell apparently used to be the condescending one, while Will used to be more humble. That quickly changed, though.

I don't even really know what more to say about it. It's interesting, it's beautiful, it's gorgeous to look at and it has Grell. Go see it!

SPIDER'S INTENTION

Earlier I said that "Ciel in Wonderland" did something that the actual Black Butler II never did. Well, here we are again with actually making Alois more of a relatable character. Seriously, this episode absolutely SHOULD have been a part of the actual season. It really shows what Alois is going through and how his mind works. Immediately I find him much more interesting and feel a lot more sorry for him. His split personality is still a thing, but it's explained and commented on much better.

We also got more from Alois' servants, even the triplets who are so entertaining that I wish they would have had a bigger role in the series. What I definitely like is how this special gives us context for all of these characters that make them much more interesting than they originally were. Well... Claude being bland is still a problem, but even he is a little less bland than he was before.

My only problem is that they spoil a very big revelation from Black Butler II when it comes to the backstory of one of these characters. I still think it would be worth it to watch this special before watching the second season though, just to get the right context for the characters.

CONCLUSION

While these specials could be very goofy sometimes (except for the last two, they were amazing all the way through,) they all had interesting concepts and explored the world of Black Butler in a way that would have impossible otherwise. They are definitely a must-watch for any Black Butler fan, and in case I didn't already make it obvious enough, I think they ended up being a lot better than the actual Black Butler II.

I seem to be the odd one here, especially because I LOVED season 2 even though it's not canon, but OVAs just for silliness aren't really my thing.. I watched these because Netflix had them tacked onto the second season, and I personally found most of them a tad boring/too ridiculous.. That's just me, but yeah-- if you're wondering if these are just for comedy and silliness, they are. I honestly can't remember the Wonderland episodes much besides one awkward scene and Grell being the Cheshire Cat. I know I wasn't too entertained by them though. "Welcome to the Phantomhive's" puts the viewer in ... the show, like the characters are talking directly to you, which, to me, felt kind of odd and cringy when not actually playing a video game. The "Making Of" episode is in a documentary style, interviewing the characters as if they're just actors playing the roles of the story. I didn't care for it, but it might be amusing for you, if you like that sort of thing. The episode about the reapers ("The Tale of William") was probably the best for me. I always enjoy Grell and if you do too, watch that one at least. :) I know this review is simple; sorry if it's not helpful for you.

It's all of the cringe with none of the plot. I can never recommend Black Butler to someone else, even though I enjoyed it. It's very campy and uncomfortable, made moreso with a surprising amount of crossdressing and *suggestive* scenes involving the main character, a child. But the plot for the show makes it worth watching. These specials, however, were only uncomfortable. It's not objectively bad, though, and I am not claiming it is. It was just too uncomfortable for me.

Because there is a minimum word count for reviews, this is an some extra text that I am typing out. I think I said all ... I wanted to about this lol.

Hey, "Black Butler" fans- love the show but a bit strung out from the dark and heavy plot? Have I got a welcome relief for you!

This set of specials is a treat for all fans of "Black Butler". We get Ciel going to Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, a mostly first-person tour of the Phantomhive Estate, a day in the life of the Trancy Estate, the story of Grell Sutcliff and William T. Spears' first assignment as reapers, and my personal favorite- a HIL-*bleeping*-LARIOUS "making of" Black Butler Season 2.

The art, music, and sound is all up to par with the rest of the series. The Sub ... vs. Dub argument is a moot point here as the silliness of the whole set overwhelms any performance the voice actors deliver. That being said, there is some plot relevant substance, making this a somewhat must-watch. 

End of the day, this is gold for any fan of the show and a great time is guaranteed made even more enjoyable in contrast to the dark nature of the show itself. I highly recommend this. If you haven't seen the first 2 seasons of the show, watch those BEFORE you watch this or it all be over your head. 

Hope you enjoy this show. I did. And if I didn't, what kind of "Black Butler" fan would I be? ;) Cheers! 

If you like Black Butler, you should watch this. But I'm writing review bcs, one of the parts of this Special. It is episode The Spider's Intention.

Other episodes are OK. But if you like Alois Trancy, you need to watch this. The ending of that episodes is fricking amazing, epic quote, followed with epic music. I was literally crying watching this.

The episode is about daily life of Alois, but it gave some new information about him, a gave us an understanding of some of his feelings. I always saw Alois, as a lost soul, trapped in this world, and the ending was beautiful.

"I have a ... dream at last. The butterfly trapped in spiderweb has no wings. That butterfly is... me."

Poetic, Tragic, Beutifull, must watch for Alois fan club heh.

The Kuroshitsuji OVAs are honestly the best anime media of the series. The three best parts are Ciel in Wonderland, The Making of Kuroshitsuji II, and the Tale of William the Shinigami. They are all fun and lighthearted comedy. Do not go into it expecting serious content. They are all great because you can get a deeper look into each character, especially background information on the shinigami. Even if you were not huge on the regular series storylines, I think these are fun to try out if you enjoy the manga. I am not even into Black Butler anymore and still find these to be ... funny.

Probably the best adaptation of the classic 'Alice In Wonderland' in anime. They stick rather close to the book, but they stay in character at the same time. In the English dub, they sneak in a few quotes from the book, even if they tweaked the correct quote. What also works is that they tell the story in a random order. For example, in the first half of the story, they start on chapter 1, then onto chapter 2, then on chapters 9 and 10, then chapter 6, and end on chapter 4. Even though I haven't seen most of Black Butler, this classic adaptation ... gives me an idea.

I have no clue what I just watched...

This whole adaption is not good

The writing of these specials are overall bad.

I couldn't find myself to enjoy any of the specials. I felt as if these specials were just bland and confusing. Honestly, these 6 episodes are not enjoyable nor good.

The plot of these episodes are not worth wasting your time to watch.

... If you want to watch after you complete Black Butler, go ahead. There's no reason to watch this, it's not a fun series of episodes.

This whole span of 6 episodes left me clueless and unhappy, I clearly did not enjoy these specials. These specials are generally a waste of your time, there's no good reason to complete these specials, don't waste your time.