黒執事 - Black Butler
I just happened across this title last week and it looked fairly interesting so I looked it up. And lo and behold a new series obsession was born. I fell in love with this series FAST. Like BAM. I went out and bought the first four tankoubons at the bookstore (luckily they were on sale or I wouldn't have been able to afford them!)
(Bottom: Sebastian Michaelis; Top: Ciel Phantomhive -copyright Yana Toboso)
hooray for matching icon :D
This series is amazing. The art is gorgeous, the story is deep and provoking, tragic yet powerful, etc, etc.....everything I love about a good manga. It's a really dark story but I feel like the darker parts of me identify with it or something...LOL hooray for vagueness. The other thing that really tickles me is that one of the main characters (and my favorite <3, pictured above) Ciel, his name is pretty much the male version of my name, Celia (they both are derived from the same Latin origin). BEST COINCIDENCE EVER.
The story centers around the young president of the Funtom Corporation, Ciel Phantomhive, which is a leader in the toy and game industry of Victorian Britain in the late 19th century. Ciel, the head of the Phantomhive family at the age of 12, also works as the "Queen's watchdog", a position his family has held for generations in which he and his subordinates handle dirty work for the Royals and assist in investigating crime cases involving the Underworld, or the dark side of society. Ciel is always accompanied by his mysterious butler, Sebastian, who is perfect in everything that he does and will always do as Ciel orders. He is bound to Ciel by a special contract, about which you should read the series to find out more.....
I've noticed there are a LOT of fans who ship Sebastian/Ciel as a pairing. I have to note that I don't support this pairing, even though the series itself has arguably some fanservice hinting in that general direction. LOL it also doesn't help that the author draws yaoi as well (under the name Yanao Rock). But I just don't see it in this series. I have nothing against shounen-ai or yaoi, I just don't think it works here. But that's my opinion. I don't think romantic relationships of any sort are of high priority or emphasis in this series, although I do think Ciel/Lizzie is cute :D I recommend this manga to anyone who likes these sort of darker, gothic shonen series. It reminds me a bit of D. Gray-Man, actually, before DGM's art changed to a less gothic, more action-oriented shonen style (;__;)
Separate, albeit related, note: Kalafina, who was founded and performs music written by the goddess Kajiura Yuki, does some of the theme music for the corresponding anime series (both seasons), and they are AMAZING. Like the Japanese Evanescence, or more accurately, a female reincarnation of Malice Mizer. :D Check them out as well!
(Bottom: Sebastian Michaelis; Top: Ciel Phantomhive -copyright Yana Toboso)
hooray for matching icon :D
This series is amazing. The art is gorgeous, the story is deep and provoking, tragic yet powerful, etc, etc.....everything I love about a good manga. It's a really dark story but I feel like the darker parts of me identify with it or something...LOL hooray for vagueness. The other thing that really tickles me is that one of the main characters (and my favorite <3, pictured above) Ciel, his name is pretty much the male version of my name, Celia (they both are derived from the same Latin origin). BEST COINCIDENCE EVER.
The story centers around the young president of the Funtom Corporation, Ciel Phantomhive, which is a leader in the toy and game industry of Victorian Britain in the late 19th century. Ciel, the head of the Phantomhive family at the age of 12, also works as the "Queen's watchdog", a position his family has held for generations in which he and his subordinates handle dirty work for the Royals and assist in investigating crime cases involving the Underworld, or the dark side of society. Ciel is always accompanied by his mysterious butler, Sebastian, who is perfect in everything that he does and will always do as Ciel orders. He is bound to Ciel by a special contract, about which you should read the series to find out more.....
I've noticed there are a LOT of fans who ship Sebastian/Ciel as a pairing. I have to note that I don't support this pairing, even though the series itself has arguably some fanservice hinting in that general direction. LOL it also doesn't help that the author draws yaoi as well (under the name Yanao Rock). But I just don't see it in this series. I have nothing against shounen-ai or yaoi, I just don't think it works here. But that's my opinion. I don't think romantic relationships of any sort are of high priority or emphasis in this series, although I do think Ciel/Lizzie is cute :D I recommend this manga to anyone who likes these sort of darker, gothic shonen series. It reminds me a bit of D. Gray-Man, actually, before DGM's art changed to a less gothic, more action-oriented shonen style (;__;)
Separate, albeit related, note: Kalafina, who was founded and performs music written by the goddess Kajiura Yuki, does some of the theme music for the corresponding anime series (both seasons), and they are AMAZING. Like the Japanese Evanescence, or more accurately, a female reincarnation of Malice Mizer. :D Check them out as well!