Hello, everyone!
Welcome back! How are you? I’m as busy as ever. Today, we will start our look at the latest season of Black Butler. I know that I said I would cover Mysterious Disappearances, and I may still cover it, but I could not pass up the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite anime (for the most part). Well, let’s not waste too much time. I will give you a brief history of Black Butler before we get into these latest episodes.
About Black Butler
Ciel Phantomhive is a child earl and owner of a huge toy and confection company in Victorian England. He also acts as a fixer for the Queen, earning the name “The Queen’s Guardog.” Both of his parents died in a horrible fire. In desperation, Ciel makes a deal with a demon, Sebastion Michaelis. Sebastion will help Ciel destroy his enemies, and in return, Sebastion will get his soul. Most of their adventures involve Ciel’s position as the Queen’s Guardog.
The first season includes searching for Jack the Ripper and battling an angel. The second season is stupid and introduces a rival named Alois and his butler Claude for Ciel. In season three, Ciel and Sebastion go undercover at a circus. There are also a few movies, The Book of the Atlantic and The Book of Murder.
Season three finds Ciel enrolled at a prestigious public boys’ school. Of course, Sebastion is there posing as a teacher. Here, Ciel is trying to find out why students are disappearing.
Episode 1
Episode one introduces us to the school and its politics. There are four color-coded houses. Each house has a head student known collectively as the Prefect 4. The leaders and houses have really on-the-nose names. High-born students are in the Scarlett House with Edgar Redmond as its leader. Herman Greenhill is the prefect for Green Lion, the athlete house. Arsty students join Gregory Violet’s house, Violet Wolf. Ciel is a member of Sapphire Owl House. This house is for academically gifted students, with Lawrence Bluewar as its prefect. Associating with other houses is frowned upon.
Each prefect has its own “butler,” called a dredge. This younger student is at the prefect’s beck and call. It is a highly coveted position. Ciel’s goal is to become a dredge to get close to the prefects and, hopefully, the mysterious schoolmaster. Ciel hopes this plan leads to the discovery of the missing boys.
Episode one does a good job of setting up the world for the next two episodes. We have to understand the world and its key players before we move on to episodes two and three.
Episodes 2 & 3
In episode two, Ciel impresses the Prefect Four with his pedigree and the completion of his chores. They are so impressed that they invite him to tea in their exclusive gazebo. A student is honored to enter the gazebo exclusive to the P4 and their dredges. Herman Greenhill’s dredge endorses Ciel. Grenhill’s dredge is related to Ciel’s betrothed, Elizabeth. Edgar Redmond’s dredge Maurice Cole volunteers to deliver the good news to Ciel. But Cole gives Ciel the wrong time, making him late for the meeting. The P4 are furious, and Ciel begins plotting his revenge on Cole.
Ciel begins spying on Cole. He learns that the beloved Cole does not do the chores Redmond gives him. He manipulates others into doing the tasks. Ciel also asks for help from Soma. You meet Soma in season one. He is a prince from India. With Soma’s help, Ciel gets the proof he needs to prove that Cole is a liar. Ciel confronts Cole, but Cole is ready with reinforcements to attack Ciel. But Ciel is saved when three of the P4 burst through the door. Redmond is not there. He is in the gazebo, listening to the wired room from a distance. Cole is exposed, and Ciel is lauded for his bravery. He is now Lawrence Bluewar’s dredge.
Overall
One thing I like about Black Butler is that Ciel does not rely solely on
Sebastian to get things done. Ciel is clever, shrewd, and a master manipulator. He knows when to make a move or wait for the perfect opportunity.
Something this season lacks is dynamic relationships with supporting characters. In season one, he has a complicated relationship with his aunt, Madame Red. In The Book of Circus, Ciel gets close to the circus performers, even though he has to destroy them in the end. These complicated feelings intertwine with the need to complete his mission. But we are in the early days. Maybe they will establish this complex relationship since Ciel is now a dredge. We will see!
Wrapping It Up
Well, that’s it for Black Butler. Next week, we look back at Demon Slayer before the new season premieres. I will see you then!
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