This dark anime series set in 19th-century London follows the unlikely pairing of 12-year-old aristocrat Ciel Phantomhive, who traded his soul to enact vengeance on his parents' murderers, and Sebastian, the demon who engaged Ciel in this transaction. Sebastian serves double duty as Ciel's butler and protector, while Ciel carries a distinctive demonic mark. Things get off to a violent start with revenge against a dishonest factory owner—Sebastian breaks the character's leg and incinerates him—but the series calms down considerably as Ciel and Sebastian engage in a lengthy pursuit of Jack the Ripper that concludes with a surprise. Less successful is a would-be love story between a young lady and the emotionally damaged Ciel and an encounter with a mysterious dog that plays like a parody of Hound of the Baskervilles. The crux of the series is the Ciel-Sebastian bond, a warped relationship that will strike some as icky and others as weirdly charming. Unfortunately, Black Butler struggles to find its groove—vacillating between being too outrageous and too benign. But the animators deserve credit for doing a wonderful job of recreating the décor and costuming of Victorian England, and the character design for Sebastian epitomizes the notion of the butler from hell. Compiling the first 12 episodes of the 2008 season in a two-disc, dual-language set, rated TV-14, DVD extras include audio commentaries. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Black Butler: Season One, Part Two is also newly available.] (P. Hall)
Black Butler: Season One, Part One
(2008) 2 discs. 300 min. DVD: $64.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4210-2237-0. Volume 26, Issue 3
Black Butler: Season One, Part One
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