You know that feeling when you're searching for something new to watch—something dark, elegant, and thrilling, but with a touch of style that makes it unforgettable? That’s exactly what led me to Black Butler. I was scrolling through anime suggestions late one evening, craving something gothic with a twist, when I stumbled upon that iconic image: a demonic butler in a black suit, crimson eyes gleaming, and a boy with an eye patch, dressed like royalty. I clicked, half-curious, not knowing I was about to descend into a world that would blur the lines between loyalty and vengeance, life and death, humanity and the supernatural.
Black Butler, in its essence, is a revenge story, of a boy called Ciel Phantomhive, who loses everything, and then forms a contract with a demon, Sebastian Michaelis, in order to seek revenge on those who had wronged him. However, the genius of Black Butler is that it gracefully balances the boundaries of horror, historical fiction and dark, sarcastic humor.
I was instantly attracted by the setting, which was Victorian England, carefully constructed with streets that have fog all over, the use of horse-drawn carriages, huge mansions, and cobbled streets with secrets that are yet to be uncovered. The style is chef kiss ideal in a story about demons, murder mysteries, and perverse aristocracy. But the characters are the ones to give life, and unholy fire, to the story.
Sebastian is the personification of the ideal butler, suave, poised, frighteningly competent and inhumanly impeccable. Each time he says, I am just one hell of a butler, it gives you a shock, not just because of the play of words, but because he is not kidding. He is not a servant, he is a predator in disguise, a devil in a tailored suit and he is always playing the long game.
And then there is Ciel, oh, Ciel. A boy bound up in trauma and a boy bound up more in pride. Hurt in the most gruesome manner he ever experienced and dumped in a world, which will devour most children, Ciel is forced to grow colder, calculating and extremely hurt. You cheer him on when he does morally ambivalent things, because he is not a good guy trying to be a hero. He is simply attempting to win.
The arcs range between grotesque (Jack the Ripper) and heartbreaking (Circus Arc), and every single one of them reveals another layer of Victorian society and further exposes Ciel psychologically. The Circus Arc particularly impressed me, not only due to the well-drawn fight scenes and sad backstories, but also because it goes to the point of showing that the villains are not always evil, sometimes, they are simply victims as well. and that, to me, is the spooky thing about Black Butler, everyone is damaged somehow and justice is never clean
The secondary characters are not less interesting. The dedicated, but painfully incompetent, Phantomhive household staff to Grell Sutcliff, the flamboyant, chainsaw-wielding reaper who merrily causes chaos and charisma wherever he goes, they all contribute to the depth, humour and even heartbreak to the story. The story with Tanaka taking tea in the background, the clumsy scenes of Mey-Rin, the fiery cooking calamities of Bardroy all contribute a lightness to the story which counterbalances the heavy subjects.
In terms of animation, the first seasons are rather good, but subsequent arcs (such as Book of Circus) demonstrate a noticeable improvement in the quality, with more detailed, light-wise and expressive. The music? Sublime. The spooky orchestra work of Yuki Kajiura combined with the gothic nature of the visuals makes you feel like you are in an opera of blood and secrets. And the initial themes, especially the one that goes like, Monochrome no Kiss, continue resonating in my head even after the last episode.
Of course, I’d be lying if I said Black Butler is perfect. The first season deviates significantly from the manga’s storyline, especially after Episode 15. The anime-original ending in Season 1 was… polarizing, to say the least. But here’s the thing: even with its narrative flaws, Black Butler keeps you enthralled. The charm isn’t just in the story—it’s in the vibe, the themes, the stylish execution. When the reboot (Book of Circus and Book of Murder) came around, staying true to the manga, it felt like a triumphant return to form.
In my case, Black Butler was my reflection on vengeance and trauma and identity. To what extent are we ready to sacrifice ourselves to get revenge? The experience of Ciel is tragic since he never gets to be a child. His existence is an act of control with Sebastian his saviour and executioner. I thought and thought--how many of us do the same thing in life? Not with demons perhaps, but with our own shadow, with our own defense-mechanisms?
I was no longer a viewer by the end of the series. I was a visitor of the magnificent home of the Phantomhives. I had trod the misty streets of London, had sipped the tea of disappointment and of sweetness of revenge. Black Butler is not only a fun show, it drags you into its custom-made black coat, speaks secrets into your ear and makes you wonder what a neat tie and a polite smile hide.
If you’re new to the anime world, Black Butler is a stylish, dark, and emotionally gripping place to start. And if you’re already an anime veteran and haven’t yet delved into its world—what are you waiting for?
After all, as Sebastian would say, "I am one hell of a recommendation.”
Thumbnail is designed by me on pixelLab and other images are screenshot from the movie