Black Butler II Review

The first season of Kuroshitsuji consisted of 24 episodes, primarily filler arcs, mere padding for the main storyline which turned out to be somewhat of a flop. It was unambitious and tenuously held together, yet there is a slight eerie charm to the vibrant exhibition of characters that overall makes the series enjoyable. Kuroshitsuji II attempts to rectify some of the shortcomings of its predecessor while remaining on par in terms of entertainment. Bottom line, its a complete success. Season two is much shorter, more direct and feels more fluid. In all, a welcomed improvement.

Initially I thought season two was going to feature a brand new master/demon butler couple, which I had high hopes for considering I genuinely do not like Ciel Phantomhive. There's something about his character that I've always found just too convenient for the plot, granted there wouldn't be much of a plot without him, this becomes disappointing clear during the course of Kuroshitsuji II. Nevertheless it was interesting to watch the dynamics of Alois Trancy and Claude Fauste unfold. While equally as damaged as Ciel, Alois is mentally the polar opposite, ever on the verge of a breakdown and psychotically dependant on his butler. Sure this means that his position as a flamboyant villain is short lived and untimely overshadowed by Claude's master scheme. To be honest, its a tad obvious what Claude is up to, not a particularly deep motive either. Then again, I don't suppose it has to be for type of anime.

Once again, its the supporting cast that truly brings Kuroshitsuji to life. Satisfactory amounts of homo reaper, Grell Sutcliffe are more than enough to meet my seal of approval. Observing his infatuation with Sebastian progress into a potential friendship, based on Grell's inclusion in the goodbye ceremony at the end of episode 12 would seem to imply that he is no longer considered just a nuisance, was simply hilarious. Sometimes all it takes is one well crafted comic relief character to break up an otherwise starchy show.

The finale delivered a wonderfully fiendish twist, executed superbly against the ever present foreboding peril of which Ciel places himself in. Much more captivating and consistent than its predecessor and nicely leaves the door wide open for a third season. I'm sold on this show so fingers crossed there will be one.

6.5/10