List of Black Butler episodes
The cover of the first DVD compilation released by Aniplex; the characters featured are Sebastian Michaelis (left) and Ciel Phantomhive (right)
Black Butler is an anime series adapted from the manga series of the same title by Yana Toboso. Directed by Toshiya Shinohara and produced by A-1 Pictures, Black Butler follows the adventures of Sebastian Michaelis, a demon butler who is obligated to serve Ciel Phantomhive, the thirteen-year-old (13 years old as of chapter 14) head of the Phantomhive noble family, due to a contract he made with Ciel. The episodes started airing on October 3, 2008, on Mainichi Broadcasting System and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. Other stations that aired the episodes at later dates include Hokkaido Broadcasting, Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting, RCC Broadcasting, Shizuoka Broadcasting System, Tokyo Broadcasting System, and Animax. The anime adaptation of the manga was confirmed on July 11, 2008 by Gakken's Animedia magazine,[1] and the official website of the anime began to stream a trailer of the anime on July 26, 2008.[2] Two DVD compilations are planned for release by Aniplex; the first compilation is to be released on January 21, 2009 and the second on February 25, 2009.[3]
Three pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: one opening theme and two closing themes. The opening theme is "Monochrome no Kiss" (though written as Monochrome Kiss) by the Japanese rock band Sid, while the first ending theme is "I'm Alive!" by the American singer Rebecca Hollcraft, commonly known as Becca. The second ending, which began airing with episode 14, is "Lacrimosa" by Kalafina. Two singles containing the theme music and other tracks have been released; the single containing tracks from Sid was released on October 29, 2008 and the single from Becca was released on October 22, 2008.[3] The third single containing tracks from Kalafina has a release date of March 4, 2009.
For the second season, the opening song is "Shiver" by The Gazette and the ending song "Bird" is sung by Yuya Matsushita, and the single was released on August 2010. The ending for episode 8 is "Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa" by Kalafina. Just like the second half of the first season, it features an all new story not seen in the manga. Animax Asia Started airing an English dubbed version of the anime from January 11, 2011.[4]
Another 10-episode season of Black Butler aired between July and September 2014. Entitled 'Black Butler: Book of Circus' (黒執事・サーカスの書, Kuroshitsuji: Sākasu no Sho), it disconsiders the original content of the previous seasons and follows the source material more faithfully, covering the "Noah Ark Circus" arc from the manga. The opening song is "ENAMEL" by Sid and the ending song is "Aoki Tsuki Michite" by AKIRA.
In addition, the storyline of the following arc in the manga, the Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc, was released in the form of a two-episode OVA, entitled 'Black Butler: Book of Murder'.[5] The first OVA was released in Japanese cinemas on October 25, and the second on November 15, 2014.[6]
Episode list
Season 1
| No. | Title | Original Airdate | English Airdate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "His Butler, Able" "Sono Shitsuji, Yūno" (その執事、有能) | October 3, 2008 | January 11, 2011[7] |
| Earl Ciel Phantomhive is awakened by his butler, Sebastian Michaelis, who informs him that Damian, the head of Funtom Company, which is Ciel's confectionery toy manufacturing company, is coming for a visit. Sebastian orders the household staff, Baldroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin—the cook, the gardener, and the maid, respectively—to prepare for Damian's arrival. Their attempts result in disaster, as Baldroy scorches the food, Finnian kills the garden by spraying herbicides on it, and Mey-Rin breaks all of the china dishware. To resolve the situation, Sebastian orders them to rearrange the yard into a Japanese rock garden and has Bardroy make beef donburi. Damian, impressed with the staff's preparations, plays a board game with Ciel in which his character loses one of his legs and is ultimately incinerated. Following the dinner, Damian calls his associate, commenting that the factory he owns has been sold and he is attempting to fraudulently acquire more money from Ciel. When Damian attempts to return to the lounge, the scenario in the board game occurs. Damian breaks one of his legs, and Sebastian locks him in the oven, to be cooked with the dessert; he later limps away from the mansion as Ciel and Sebastian laugh in amusement. | |||
| 2 | "His Butler, Strongest" "Sono Shitsuji, Saikyō" (その執事、最強) | October 10, 2008 | January 12, 2011[8] |
| After a visit from Madame Red and Lau, Ciel is chloroformed and kidnapped for ransom by Azzurro Vanel, a drug dealer and leader of an Italian mafia. Sebastian is first targeted by a sniper and driver in a forest, yet he ends up tilting them off a cliff. He then easily defeats a mob of underlings who are guarding the mansion, all with using various dining supplies. When approaching to retrieve his master, Sebastian is shot several times, however he instantly recovers. Ciel calls for Sebastian's help, which enables the latter to save the former from Azzurro. | |||
| 3 | "His Butler, Omnipotent" "Sono Shitsuji, Bannō" (その執事、万能) | October 17, 2008 | January 13, 2011 |
| Grell Sutcliff is requested by Madame Red to train under Sebastian. It is later revealed by Tanaka that the Phantomhive estate was previously burned down three years ago, in which Ciel's parents died in the fire. Elizabeth Midford, Ciel's fiancée, arrives at the estate for a visit. Although Ciel does not wish to dance with her, Sebastian convinces him to learn to dance for the sake of preserving his social reputation, and teaches him the simple Viennese waltz. Elizabeth later unhappily shatters Ciel's family ring on the floor, since she had already chosen a ring for him, though she is absentminded when realizing its value to him. Nonetheless, Ciel throws the family ring out the window, declaring his status as head of the family, with or without it. Ciel then asks a teary-eyed Elizabeth to dance with him. Later that night, Sebastian finds Ciel depressed in bed and restores the family ring undamaged. Ciel wonders how many generations have died wearing the ring. He tells Sebastian to stay by his side until he falls asleep, amusing Sebastian, who comments on Ciel showing his weaknesses to him. | |||
| 4 | "His Butler, Capricious" "Sono Shitsuji, Suikyō" (その執事、酔狂) | October 24, 2008 | January 14, 2011 |
| The news of Jack the Ripper terrorizes the city of London. After receiving information from the Undertaker, Sebastian narrows the suspects down to a man known as the Viscount of Druitt. Madame Red creates a plan for Sebastian, Ciel, and Lau to attend a ball to catch the culprit, which involves Ciel, in a dress and wig, posing as her young niece and Sebastian in the role of his tutor. They realize that Elizabeth is attending the ball and must avoid her, lest she blow their cover. The Viscount takes a liking to Ciel, who flirts with him hoping to learn his plans. Sebastian distracts Elizabeth and the other guests by pretending to be a magician. Alone in a room with the Viscount, Ciel loses consciousness, later awaking to find himself being sold in a large underground auction, bound and blindfolded. When the Viscount removes the blindfold in order to display Ciel's eyes, Ciel keeps them closed, then opens them and calls for Sebastian. The lights go out, cries are heard, and the candles are suddenly relighted to reveal Sebastian, who takes Ciel home as the police arrive at the scene. | |||
| 5 | "His Butler, Chance Encounter" "Sono Shitsuji, Kaikō" (その執事、邂逅) | October 31, 2008 | January 17, 2011 |
| Ciel and Sebastian continue to pursue Jack the Ripper and come to a confrontation at the house of the latest victim, Mary Jane Kelly. They discover that the murderer is a combination of Madame Red and Grell, with the latter being a Grim Reaper. While Sebastian is busy fighting Grell, Madame Red attempts to kill Ciel but hesitates and refuses to kill him. Grell kills Madame Red because of this and her life is played back before her eyes, as Grim Reapers can see a person's memories as they die. She had always been jealous of her elder sister, who married the Earl of Phantomhive, whom she loved for being kind to her. Even after her elder sister married the Earl, Madam Red still loved him. She decided to move on, and ended up marrying another man and conceiving a child. An accident killed her husband, and internal injuries caused medical staff to abort her child in order to save her. The following month she visited her sister, only to see the once great mansion in flames; colored with that red color she had hated for so long. When one of her patients approached her for an abortion, claiming children were a nuisance, Madame Red decided to kill those who would throw such a precious thing away. Later that night, she followed and killed her patient in crazed desperation. It was then that she met Grell, and the two of them murdered prostitutes that have had abortions as Jack the Ripper since then. Sebastian is then ordered by Ciel to kill Grell. | |||
| 6 | "His Butler, At the Funeral" "Sono Shitsuji, Sōsō" (その執事、葬送) | November 7, 2008 | January 18, 2011 |
| Sebastian, cleverly using his tailcoat to jam Grell's chainsaw scythe, is suddenly interrupted by William T. Spears, the administrator of the Grim Reapers. Spears takes a defeated Grell back to his headquarters, ending Jack the Ripper's reign of terror. The following day, Ciel and Sebastian attend Madame Red's funeral. In the funeral, Madame Red was dressed in the traditional white gown. As she was lying lifeless in her coffin, Ciel appears with a red dress claiming that somber colors like white did not suit her and said the same words as her beloved Earl of Phantomhive. After the funeral, they tend to Mary Jane Kelly's tombstone. Sebastian mentions to Ciel that his nobleness is a sign of weakness, seeing as he was afraid of killing his own aunt. Ciel responds by analogizing the manipulation of chess pieces must not be hesitated. Sebastian promises to Ciel that he will stay by his side no matter the circumstances. | |||
| 7 | "His Butler, Merrymaking" "Sono Shitsuji, Yūkyō" (その執事、遊興) | November 14, 2008 | January 19, 2011 |
| By the command of Queen Victoria, Ciel is to secure Houndsworth, a village controlled by a nobleman Henry Barrymore. The supposed resort is, in fact, a dark and dreary place inhabited by a demon hound. Angela Blanc, Henry's servant, warns Ciel and Sebastian to leave the resort at once, only for them to witness a death caused by the demon hound. Finnian intervenes when a bad dog is sentenced to punishment, forcing him along with Bardroy, Mey-rin and Tanaka to be tied to a post, while Ciel is chained to a wall. Sebastian unveils that Henry used a silhouetted projection of a dog's face and thereby proves his guiltiness. | |||
| 8 | "His Butler, Training" "Sono Shitsuji, Chōkyō" (その執事、調教) | November 21, 2008 | January 20, 2011 |
| Henry is soon found dead, with an arm missing and blood coming from his head. Ciel becomes more and more interested in this case, trying to figure out who is responsible for Henry's death. Finnian and Mey-Rin discover Angela's dominatrix personality, much to Finnian's dismay. When Angela goes missing, Ciel's servant venture outside to search for her. However, they encounter the real demon hound. Sebastian arrives in confrontation, alternating his tactics between reward and punishment. It is soon found out that the demon hound is named Pluto and can take human form. Angela asks Ciel to take Pluto in as a member of the Phantomhive estate, as Sebastian is ordered to train him. | |||
| 9 | "His Butler, Phantom Image" "Sono Shitsuji, Genzō" (その執事、幻像) | November 28, 2008 | January 21, 2011 |
| Ciel assigns his servants to take a photo of Sebastian with a camera that reveals what is most precious to the subject that is not of this world. Sebastian evades their efforts over and over again effortlessly, while keeping them busy with Pluto to take care of. Sebastian welcomes a businessman named Paul Jones into the estate, ending up exhausting him with the expansion of confectionery toy manufacturing. Ciel risks his own life for Sebastian to save him in an attempt to capture a photograph. In the end, Sebastian takes a photo of Ciel, who had fallen asleep at his desk, with Pluto behind him at the back window which leads to an amusing photograph that confuses the rest of the servants at the mansion. Sebastian later comments that it was an honor to learn that the thing Ciel most treasures that is not of this world is Sebastian himself. | |||
| 10 | "His Butler, on Ice" "Sono Shitsuji, Hyōjō" (その執事、氷上) | December 5, 2008 | January 24, 2011 |
| Ciel and Sebastian visit a festival held on the frozen River Thames. They enter an ice-sculpting contest for the prize, a ring with a slice of blue diamond called the Hope Piece, which is important evidence in an investigation by Scotland Yard into the kidnappings of several young girls. Sebastian creates an ice model of Noah's Ark, complete with animals inside, but the Hope Piece is apparently lost in the river following a bombing incident. Meanwhile, Elizabeth desperately looks for a present for Ciel's birthday. She later discovers the Hope Piece in a toy ship she buys. | |||
| 11 | "His Butler, However You Please" "Sono Shitsuji, Ikayō" (その執事、如何様) | December 12, 2008 | January 25, 2011 |
| Ciel recalls of when his parents died in a fire when the Phantomhive estate burned down two years ago, remembering it was the night of his eleventh birthday. Elizabeth becomes distraught and goes missing. It is reported that a series of kidnappings of young girls are occurring in London. While Sebastian is ordered to come up with a list of suspects, Ciel encounters Grell in the streets, learning from him that a puppeteer named Drocell Keinz is behind the kidnappings. Once the two enter a tower, Grell is occupied with an army of dolls while Ciel tries to escape from Drocell. Ciel finds Sebastian at the top of the tower. | |||
| 12 | "His Butler, Forlorn" "Sono Shitsuji, Sekiryō" (その執事、寂寥) | December 19, 2008 | January 26, 2011 |
| Sebsatian saves Ciel from Drocell, though Ciel is upset that Elizabeth is still endangered. He soon finds her in the storage room of the tower, but it turns out that Drocell is controlling her like a marionette, forcing her to attack Ciel. Sebastian and Grell manage to release Elizabeth from manipulation, later being able to defeat Drocell . After finding the master of the tower, Ciel is dismayed once exposed of his desecrated existence. Nevertheless, the master himself is also being controlled by a puppeteer, in which Sebastian refuse to pursue. Later, Elizabeth celebrates Ciel's thirteenth birthday with a party orchestrated at the Phantomhive estate, wishing to see him happy again. The owner of the tower who wants to kill Ciel is revealed to be Angela. | |||
| 13 | "His Butler, Freeloader" "Sono Shitsuji, Isōrō" (その執事、居候) | December 26, 2008 | January 27, 2011 |
| While walking in the London streets, Ciel and Sebastian find themselves in the presence of Prince Soma and his servant, Agni, who are searching for an unknown Indian woman. Prince Soma orders Agni to attack Ciel, and Sebastian is stunned by his agility. Unfortunately, Ciel later begrudgingly lets the two take up temporary residence at the Phantomhive estate. The story of Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, is explained. Ciel and Prince Soma tells Sebastian and Agni to duel in a fencing match, only for it to end in a draw. Agni convinces Bardroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin to help prepare supper together. He then reveals that he is searching for his former nursemaid, Mina, who had left him for an unknown wealthy Englishman, much to his despair. | |||
| 14 | "His Butler, Supremely Talented" "Sono Shitsuji, Inō" (その執事、異能) | January 16, 2009 | January 28, 2011 |
| Harold West, a wealthy businessman and a merchant of Indian goods, is responsible for Agni's betrayal and Mina's wedlock. Sebastian intervenes when West orders Agni to attack Prince Soma. Sebastian tells Prince Soma to face the truth, in that Agni would abandon him someday. Ciel preaches to Prince Soma to never give up on finding reaching one's goals, using the death of his parents as an example. A curry festival competition sponsored by the Queen Victoria is mentioned, and West's plans involving Agni and Meena are revealed. It is said that Agni is talented at preparing curry, making it seemingly impossible for any competition. Agni recalls his past, remembering his hopeless life until he met a godly Prince Soma. At the curry exhibition, Prince Soma finds Mina, who confesses that she had escape from India in order to free herself from the caste system. Queen Victoria, escorted by her butler, Ashe Landers, makes a grand entrance before the start of the curry festival competition. | |||
| 15 | "His Butler, Competing" "Sono Shitsuji, Kyōsō" (その執事、競争) | January 23, 2009 | January 31, 2011 |
| Sebastian creates his curry with chocolate, Agni uses blue lobster, and another chef uses a mysterious spice that was given to him by Angela. Ciel sympathizes for Agni's loyalty, while Agni weeps for Mina's arrogance. Sebastian ends up winning with his curry buns, but the people who ate the curry with the mysterious spice become possessed and start attacking others. Sebastian and Agni fight them off and they are cured after a taste of Sebastian's curry buns. With the competition over, Prince Soma and Agni bid farewell to Ciel and Sebastian and return to their homeland. | |||
| 16 | "His Butler, in an Isolated Castle" "Sono Shitsuji, Kojō" (その執事、孤城) | January 30, 2009 | February 1, 2011 |
| Ciel is informed that the abandoned Ludlow Castle that his estate owns is haunted by ghosts and the workers are too spooked to continue remodeling it into a hotel. He and Sebastian head to the castle to investigate. There they encounter the ghosts of two princes who were assassinated four centuries ago, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Ciel plays a game of chess against Edward V to pass the night, but the former loses and the latter claims Sebastian as his winnings. Sebastian must serve as butler for both Edward and Richard, an order made by Ciel himself. Come nightfall, Ciel and Sebastian find a secret passageway inside the library of the castle. Edward shows them the skulls of his family on a chessboard, revealing that Richard has the missing knight chess piece. After a struggle to obtain the skull from the clutches of Richard, it is unveiled that Edward was holding a grudge against the very man who assassinated the two princes. Once the mystery is solved, the princes thank Ciel and Sebastian before departing for the afterlife, and Ciel says he will leave the castle as is with no new renovations just before they depart. The two princes however, did actually disappear from the Tower of London. | |||
| 17 | "His Butler, Offering" "Sono Shitsuji, Hōnō" (その執事、奉納) | February 6, 2009 | February 2, 2011 |
| Ashe informs Ciel that an abandoned monastery in Preston, Lancashire has been taken over by a cult that is possibly planning to overthrow the government. Ciel and Sebastian meet up with Grell and the Undertaker, finding out that the cinematic records were stolen. The four head to the monastery to investigate. Sebastian seduces a nun named Mathilda Simmons, in order to soon learn that the cult uses a strange doomsday book to recruit new members and expose their pasts. Ciel, Sebastian, and Grell witness a cleansing ceremony in the cathedral. Ciel is later summoned that night, and he gets taken away by Angela, who reveals herself to be an angel. | |||
| 18 | "His Butler, Transmitted" "Sono Shitsuji, Tensō" (その執事、転送) | February 13, 2009 | February 3, 2011 |
| Angela uses the cinematic record to force Ciel recall his painful past, including the events surrounding his parents' murder. but Ciel eventually rejects her attempt to rewrite his past. Meanwhile, Sebastian and Grell go the Grim Reaper library to see Spears, who tells them that an Angel cannot change the past but rather change the impression of the past. Angela then uses the cinematic record to trap Ciel in a meadow face-to-face with his parents, all in order to achieve purification. Ciel's overwhelming hatred enables him to overcome the angel and re-enter the present world. She later escapes and locks Ciel, Sebastian, Grell, the Undertaker, and Spears in the library. While Angela attempts to purify the members of the cult at the cathedral, the Undertaker uses a death bookmark on the cinematic record of Matilda to transport Sebastian, Grell, and Spears to incapacitate Angela. It is then that Angela destroys the monastery - causing all of the monks and nuns to evacuate, which leads to her evasion. | |||
| 19 | "His Butler, Imprisoned" "Sono Shitsuji, Nyūrō" (その執事、入牢) | February 20, 2009 | February 4, 2011 |
| The body of John Stanley, a man who worked under Queen Victoria, is found murdered in the River Thames. Ash wants Ciel to retrieve an item from Stanley's body. Ciel goes to Lau, who controls the area where Stanley's body was discovered, for information. Lau does not recognize the name, but mentions a new drug, Lady Blanc, the name of which reminds Ciel of Angela. A large amount of the illicit drug is later found in one of Ciel's warehouses. Lau and Ciel are charged with drug trafficking, but Lau escapes. Ciel is separated from Sebastian, who is taken to the Tower of London. It is revealed that orders for the arrest were given by Ashe with the drugs planted as a pretext. | |||
| 20 | "His Butler, Escaping" "Sono Shitsuji, Dassō" (その執事、脱走) | February 27, 2009 | February 7, 2011 |
| Sebastian is tortured in the Tower of London by Angela herself. Ciel continues to pursue Stanley's case on his own, though Fred Abberline, inspector of the Scotland Yard, declares his allegiance with Ciel. Ciel frees Sebastian by summoning him through their contract, and together they manage to get onto Lau's junk. Sebastian duels against Ran-Mao as Ciel confronts Lau, who turns his dao on Ciel. Abberline intercepts in time to take a fatal blow for Ciel and subsequently dies from the wound before Ciel's eyes. Sebastian strikes a blow at Lau to prevent him from continuing to fight, and escapes from the sinking junk with his master. | |||
| 21 | "His Butler, Recruiting" "Sono Shitsuji, Koyō" (その執事、雇傭) | March 6, 2009 | February 8, 2011 |
| Ciel's servants want to impress their master, though the three seem to cause chaos instead. Ciel ponders on the Lady Blanc case, especially recounting Abberline's sacrificial death and Lau's schematic plot. The servants turn to Elizabeth about what the estate was like before they were hired, as she responded that the place was a happy environment. So they show off their hidden talents in an effort to cheer up their master and protect the Phantomhive estate. Elizabeth asks Ciel to teach her how to play chess until sundown. The backgrounds of Mey-Rin, Bardroy, and Finnian are revealed in a series of flashbacks. Mey-Rin was a sniper for hire, being asked to assassinate politicians. Bardroy was a soldier in the military, being the only survivor in his unit. Finnian was an imprisoned human test subject, being given superhuman strength. In the end, Ciel is much amused when he sees his servants covered in filth. | |||
| 22 | "His Butler, Dissolution" "Sono Shitsuji, Kaishō" (その執事、解消) | March 13, 2009 | February 9, 2011 |
| Ciel and Sebastian head off to the Exposition Universelle in Paris to meet Queen Victoria and become wrapped up in the festivities. A taxidermy monkey suddenly springs to life and destroys the lighting equipment, so Sebastian makes Ciel escape ahead to an elevator in the Eiffel Tower. Inside he finds Queen Victoria waiting for him. The two arrive at the top of the tower, where she reveals that Ashe granted her youth. Sebastian and Ashe engage in a duel, raining debris down onto people below, so Ciel calls Sebastian off to prevent from hurting them, which angers Sebastian. The next morning Ciel realizes that Sebastian has left him alone at the hotel and is non-responsive to his summoning, so Ciel attempts to make his way back to London on his own. He barely makes it to the port, where he spends the night sleeping cold and hungry on the docks. Meanwhile at the Phantomhive estate, Ashe takes control of Pluto and sets the property around the mansion on fire. | |||
| 23 | "His Butler, Up In Flames" "Sono Shitsuji, Enjō" (その執事、炎上) | March 20, 2009 | February 10, 2011 |
| The Phantomhive estate is burnt to the ground and Tanaka is seen writing in his diary alone in the debris. Ciel stows away in the cargo hold of a London-bound steamship, where he meets the Undertaker, who informs Ciel that he is about to die. The great fire in London has taken many lives yet it remains unabated, turning the once-beautiful city into a literal "hell on earth". Ciel wanders through the streets and eventually finds his servants trying to tranquilize a rampaging Pluto. He comes to a decision and gives the servants the order to kill Pluto. It is seen that Angela and Ashe are merged together as one angel, as they try to convince Sebastian to join forces with them, but to no avail. Ciel then makes his way to Windsor Castle on horseback, where he discovers Queen Victoria dead. The palace guards believe that Ciel murdered her, as they shoot him. When the guards try to shoot him again, Sebastian appears and saves Ciel. The pair takes off toward the heart of London. | |||
| 24 | "His Butler, Fluent" "Sono Shitsuji, Tōtō" (その執事、滔滔) | March 27, 2009 | February 11, 2011 |
| Ciel heads to the Tower Bridge that is still in mid-construction with Sebastian, where he finds a merged Angela and Ashe. Ciel commands Sebastian to kill the angel. Ciel's servants have taken down Pluto. Grell, the Undertaker, and Spears cut off the supply of souls that fuel the strength of Angela and Ashe. And Sebastian reverts to his true demonic form to defeat them. In the aftermath, a false Queen Victoria emerges and urges London to begin rebuilding. Ciel wakes up being ferried by Sebastian on an ominous river to an unknown location. Sebastian hands Ciel Tanaka's diary, in which Tanaka details the former Earl Phantomhive's knowledge of his impending death. Sebastian and Ciel land at the rubble of a mansion, where Ciel calmly waits for Sebastian to take his soul. Ciel's final order to Sebastian is to make the process as painful as possible, so as to carve the pain of his life into his soul, to which Sebastian agrees. | |||
| OVA | "His Butler, On Stage" "Sono Shitsuji, Kōgyō" (その執事、興行) | —— [nb 1] | February 14, 2011 |
| Ciel and Sebastian celebrate the third anniversary of Funtom Company by hosting Hamlet as the play for an orphan charity. However, all the actors hired to perform in the play cannot arrive in town for another week due to a shipwreck. Since the play cannot be postponed, Sebastian is ordered by Ciel to make the play a success regardless. Sebastian rallies up the whole group together to be in the play, and they are visited by mostly every character in the series in this episode. Though the plot was ultimately altered, the play turns out, for the most part, a success. | |||
Season 2
| No. | Episode title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (25) | "Clawed Butler" "Kuro Shitsuji" (クロ執事) | July 2, 2010 |
| Earl Alois Trancy is awakened by his butler, Claude Faustus, who announces to him that his uncle Arnold Trancy, the Viscount of Druitt, and a priest are coming for a visit. Although the mansion has already been redecorated, Alois orders Claude to return it to the original state because his uncle suspects Alois's legitimacy as the former head's son. Alois tells the three of his traumatic childhood, when he was kidnapped at birth and sent to a village into slavery, that is until he realized he was the only survivor of a plague that later spread throughout the village. Alois amusingly gives Arnold a large sum of money as a parting gift. A storm soon breaks out, and a cloaked man appears asking for shelter. In return for revealing the contents of his luggage, the cloaked man requests entry into the mansions basement. Alois shows him a special black tea box, said to help undergo an aromatherapy of darkness. However, a suspicious Claude attacks him, revealing his identity as Sebastian Michaelis, hiding the lifeless body of Earl Ciel Phantomhive in his suitcase. Surprised to see Ciel in the suitcase, Alois orders Claude to capture Sebastian, as the two make their way to the main hall of the mansion. Sebastian shatters the chandelier, revealing Alois to have nyctophobia, begging Claude not to leave his side. Sebastian escapes by breaking through the window as he runs through the forest in the storm. As the storm clears, Sebastian opens the tea box which contains a blue ring. Once it has been placed on Ciel's finger, Sebastian tells him to wake up. | ||
| 2 (26) | "Solo Butler" "Soroshitsuji" (単執事) | July 9, 2010 |
| Ciel, now reawakened, is taken to newly built bridge, where he gives his speech upon its grand opening. Ciel then runs into Elizabeth Midford, who wishes to seek a rare white stag that lives in the forest. Ciel promptly refuses but eventually agrees once Elizabeth starts crying. In the meantime, Lau and Ran-Mao hold bets on whether or not they will find the stag. When a downpour occurs, Ciel tries to convince Elizabeth to stop the search for now and resume at another time. However, this only upsets her, as she runs away saying that he does not understand how she feels about this. It is later found out that Elizabeth is trapped on a boat in the fast river currents. Lau points out that the old dam is about to burst. Ciel orders Sebastian to stop the flood and vows to save Elizabeth by himself. Surprisingly, Sebastian breaks the dam upriver, causing a huge amount of water to rush in. The boat is flipped over but Ciel manages to grab hold of Elizabeth. Ciel wakes up in Sebastian's arms and Elizabeth hugs him, apologizing in tears. Ciel yells at Sebastian for not stopping the flood, which prompts Sebastian to say that he changed the shape of the river to prevent future floods. Elizabeth is still upset that they were unable to find the white stag, but Sebastian replies that the white stag is just over the hill. The group runs over to look and discover that the white stag is a hill figure. While Ciel and Elizabeth hold hands, Elizabeth explains that if they find the white stag, their life will be filled with happiness. Back at the Phantomhive estate, Sebastian delivers a plate of letters that are invitations and interviews regarding the discovery of the white stag hill figure. | ||
| 3 (27) | "Wench Butler" "Merōshitsuji" (女郎執事) | July 16, 2010 |
| Ciel is asked to investigate a recurring case, all involving a young bride who has been burned alive in front of her groom during the night in the streets of London. Ciel and Sebastian approach the Scotland Yard for any records, but it is to no help, as they remain classified. Ciel and Sebastian then turn to the Undertaker for information. He shows them a pile of sparkling ashes in a tiny vial. At the funeral, the photographer and his overweight wife, Turner and Margaret, present the groom with the last photograph the couple took together moments before the death of his bride, however the groom drops the frame due to his bandaged hands. Upon further investigation, Ciel and Sebastian find out that all the victims were newlywed women and had gone to the photographer's studio for their wedding picture. Also, the pair discover that the sparkling substance in the ashes of the most recent victim is magnesium powder that is likened to the powder used in flash pans for photography. It is also mentioned that Lau recently sold his largest shipment of magnesium to Turner. When the two arrive at the studio, Margaret destroys the studio by sprinkling powdered magnesium everywhere and ignites it with her camera flash. She has become completely insane because Turner made her life miserable without any passionate love toward her. The Grim Reaper, Grell Sutcliff, then appears and reveals to Ciel and Sebastian that his current assignment is to collect Margaret's soul. Ciel pursues Margaret and finds her atop Big Ben Clock Tower dumping barrels of magnesium powder out the window and into the streets of London. She begins attacking Ciel, but is stopped by Sebastian and Grell before she can do any more damage. When Ciel tries to interrogate her, she suddenly bursts into flames, stating that the man with golden eyes told her to do this in order to find passion. Later, Ciel discovers that the records of the previous cases were classified because the Trancy estate had investigated them. Sebastian explains to Ciel that three years ago, the head of the Trancy family died, leaving his son, Alois Trancy, to take over as Earl and head of the family. | ||
| 4 (28) | "Terrorist Butler" "Teroshitsuji" (テロ執事) | July 23, 2010 |
| As Ciel and Sebastian boards a train, they see a crate being carried onto the train. It is revealed that inside the crate is an extremely valuable mummy in a sarcophagus. The two are sent on a case involving kidnapping for ransom. After the two meet a group of strange passengers, a policeman resembling Fred Aberline causes mass hysteria when he reveals there is a murderer held by police on the train. He later reveals himself as Aberline's twin brother in the dining car, but Ciel has no recollection of him. Afterwards, Ciel encounters the porter from the station who carried the crate onto the train, recognizing him by the scratches on his hand, and concludes that he is the kidnapper. The porter flees to caboose lounge car, disconnects the cable, and demands the money from a nobleman, whose son is held hostage. Sebastian stops this from happening, but is soon distraught when the kidnapper explains that he implanted a bomb inside the train that will detonate once the train stops, urging him to pursue the train. Meanwhile, Ciel finds the kidnapped boy in the sarcophagus, but is taken hostage by an aforementioned murderer who demands the train be stopped. However, not only is it revealed to all that the train cannot be stopped due to the bomb, but the train is headed for a broken bridge, and there may be an outbreak of cholera. Many of the strange passengers rise to aid the situation, but Sebastian denies their offer and insists on taking care of everything himself. He amends the crisis by getting rid of the murderer, tearing off the dining car roof containing the explosives, and halting the train just before it reaches the broken bridge. Claude, who had been in the dining car the entire time, confronts Sebastian, presenting him with an invitation to a costume ball at the Trancy estate and claiming it would resolve Ciel's revenge. | ||
| 5 (29) | "Beacon Butler" "Noroshitsuji" (狼煙執事) | July 30, 2010 |
| Sebastian warns Prince Soma and Agni that Ciel has lost his memory, telling them to pretend nothing is wrong in order to not cause any trouble. However, Soma bursts into tears around Ciel when he arrives at the Trancy estate for the costume ball, but thanks to the effort of Agni, Ciel has no real suspicions concerning his memory. Ciel warns Sebastian to be on his guard, because he feels uneasy in the mansion. During the costume ball, a passing maid spills red wine all over Ciel's costume, so she takes Ciel to a private location to clean the mess before it stains. After Ciel notices the spill has not been thoroughly cleaned, the maid begins acting strangely, commenting on his blue eye. She licks his ear before ultimately running off with his eye patch. Ciel chases after her, eventually reaching the cellar, where Ciel begins to hallucinate, hearing and seeing of when Sebastian was first there for the special black tea box. The visions cause Ciel to become frantic, so much that he vomits before fleeing to the woods outside. Ciel already figures out that the maid was really Alois all along. Claude and the servant triplets join Alois as Sebastian returns to Ciel. Confident his butler is superior to Ciel's, Alois threatens to slaughter everyone attending the costume ball if Ciel does not willingly give himself up. To Alois's surprise, Ciel refuses. Alois then orders Claude to capture Ciel, while Ciel commands Sebastian to protect him, no matter the cost. | ||
| 6 (30) | "Bedewed Butler" "Yoroshitsuji" (夜露執事) | August 6, 2010 |
| Sebastian, with Ciel in his arms, manage to defeat and evade the servant triplets. Nonetheless, the three does not give up, as another fight erupts between them and Sebastian. Meanwhile at the estate, Hannah Annafellows plays the armonica for the guests, but the glassy sound soon becomes painful to hear. Hannah has taken control of the majority of the guests with her music, having turned them into hostile zombies. While Lau and Ran-Mao have corks in their ears, Agni assists Prince Soma and his friends to retain control of themselves while fending off the controlled guests. Sebastian fights off the servant triplets, and rushes to the mansion with Ciel, after the two heard the haunting tune from outside. Sebastian arrives to counter Hannah's melody with his harmony, using a glass harp. As the armonica shatters, the guests are freed and applaud Sebastian's performance. Alois and Claude take this chance to make an entrance, and soon after, Sebastian and Claude agree to have a private conversation. On a lake, Sebastian and Claude duke it out. During their squabble, it is revealed that Sebastian could not devour Ciel's soul because he had "become a void". It appears Claude somehow snatched Ciel's soul before Sebastian, but could not use it due to it being "incomplete" without also having his body. Afterward, the two butlers strike a deal in which Alois will be the new target of Ciel's revenge, and form a contract by dripping their blood into the petals of two roses. At the costume ball, Elizabeth is forced into a dance with Alois, so Ciel joins the dance to get closer to her. As Ciel and Alois pass one another, they each make a separate vow, in that they will exact their revenge on each other. | ||
| 7 (31) | "Deathly Butler" "Koroshitsuji" (殺執事) | August 13, 2010 |
| Once again, Sebastian and Ciel are invited to the Trancy estate. Ciel initially rejects the invitation, but after discovering some clues pertaining to the murder of his parents, he decides to pay Alois a visit, though only for the purpose of killing him. At the Trancy estate, Alois has already prepared an enormous chessboard for Sebastian, Claude, Hannah, and the servant triplets to battle on while the two young lords observe from afar. The Viscount of Druitt, showing up a week late for the costume ball, decides to observe as well. The triple servants are easily defeated after Sebastian impales their heads with a spear. Hannah fails to graze Sebastian with her bullets, even to when he mends his jacket. Sebastian and Claude begin a culinary battle during a tea break, dodging the ingredients thrown at each other, surprisingly creating food sculptures. The two serve desserts to their lords, however the Viscount of Druitt fawns over both desserts to the point of indecision. As the battle resume, Claude retrieves a demon sword from Hannah's stomach and begins to attack Sebastian at full throttle, soon trapping him in a spiderweb. Meanwhile, Ciel, tricking Alois into giving him a brief tour of the mansion, challenges him to a duel. Alois soon gains the upper hand after Ciel is unable to decapitate him. However, Ciel manages to grab onto the blade before being pierced in the chest. The two butlers outside hear the clanging of swords, drop the fight, and track down their lords. They see that Ciel has stabbed Alois in the side, causing the latter to writhe on the floor. Ciel prepares to finish Alois despite his claims of also losing his parents and pleas for mercy. Claude stops Ciel, but is slapped in return, as some of Ciel's blood lands onto Claude's cheek. Ironically, Claude is immediately entranced after nonchalantly licking the blood. Sebastian tells Claude that their battle will continue another day, as he leaves with Ciel in his arms. Claude, preoccupied with the blood on his cheek, ignores Alois's plead for help, yet he still does not assist him when he hears Alois vomit blood. Alois then collapses, presumably dead. | ||
| 8 (32) | "Divulging Butler" "Toroshitsuji" (吐露執事) | August 20, 2010 |
| Alois, having survived after his collapse, suffers from a grave injury. When Claude come to change Alois's bandages, he smiles for the first time when he admits his desire to feast on Alois's soul, which somehow disturbs Alois. Later, Hannah is interrupted by a overwhelmed Alois, who begs her to take him to see Ciel. On his way to the Phantomhive estate, it is revealed in a flashback that his real name is Jim Macken, and that he had a younger brother named Luka Macken. Alois confesses to his younger brother that he wishes the villagers would die because of how they were treated after becoming orphans. Later that night, they discover all the inhabitants of the village were dead, which causes Alois to erupt in a delirious joy. After raiding the dead for their personal belongings for a while, Alois searches for his brother only to find him dead, causing him to scream in anguish. Years later, Alois, among a group of male slaves, are brought to the Former Head Trancy, recognized as a pedophile. Although primarily rejected by Trancy, Alois overhears a method to summon a fairy that grants wishes. He encounters Claude in the form of a spider, but is unable to think of a wish. Alois later uses his sex appeal to win over Trancy as well as the inheritance, and he soon makes a contract with Claude some time after that. Claude tells him that it was Sebastian who destroyed the village as an order from a former master. Upon discovering told that Ciel Phantomhive is Sebastian's new master, Alois plans to seek out Ciel and make him suffer, so that he can make Sebastian suffer for killing Luka. In the present, Grell crashes the carriage and arrives to take Alois's soul. Alois starts crawling away as Hannah fends off Grell. He later breaks down on his hands and knees in desperation for Claude, when the latter arrives just in time to rescue him from a hungry wolf. In turn, Claude suddenly crushes his master's head, as he loses his appetite for a soul what would give its love to a mere butler. Taking Alois's ring, Claude states that there is still a use for Alois's soul. Grell appears and shows no hostility towards Claude but has taken interest in the state of affairs. Hannah, who was impaled by Grell, looms over Alois's body, gouges out his left eye, and seemingly absorbs his wish. | ||
| 9 (33) | "Hollow Butler" "Uroshitsuji" (虚執事) | August 27, 2010 |
| At the Trancy estate, Claude has gathered his fellow household demons and informs them that his plan is in motion. He explains that Ciel and Alois are more alike than they appear, which he plans to use to his advantage. At the Phantomhive estate, Ciel is summoned to solve a case involving in which a poor boy had his eyes gouged out by a rich boy. After being attacked out of the blue, Sebastian asks Ciel to remain concealed in a crate. Sebastian encounters and battles both William T. Spears and Ronald Knox, who are still investigating Alois's soul. Meanwhile, Ciel slowly recollects his memories about himself, even when Sebastian had put him in a trunk and told him to stay there. He bursts out from the crate and flees the scene due to this. Ciel is soon framed of the crime he is currently investigating, to which Hannah tells the police that he is a psychopathic Alois. Sebastian is soon being able to evade Spears and Knox. Despite Ciel's protests, he is taken to three psychiatrists, who torture him in order to get rid of his "confusion". Claude, who later killed the psychiatrists, uses the shock induced by torture, hypnosis, and Alois's ring that contains his soul to reveal that Luka had made a contract with Sebastian to burn the village, thereby combining the memories of Ciel and Alois. Then this causes Ciel to believe that it was Sebastian who killed his parents. After Sebastian defeats Hannah, who served as a diversion, he arrives to discover an enraged Ciel. Upon Claude's intervention, Ciel commands Sebastian to disappear from his sight. Claude then takes Ciel back to the Trancy estate as his new young master. In the meantime, Sebastian begins to radiate with demonic energy, indicating the battle for Ciel's soul has escalated to greater heights. | ||
| 10 (34) | "Zero Butler" "Zeroshitsuji" (零執事) | September 3, 2010 |
| Sebastian is forced to watch the Trancy estate from the woods surrounding the mansion. While picnicking, Grell explains that Claude is responsible for murdering Alois and fusing his memories with Ciel. Claude attempts to convince Ciel to break his contract with Sebastian and forge a new one with him as his servant, but Ciel quickly refuses. Ciel wonders why Sebastian supposedly betrayed him, slashing at roses in the garden and finding Hannah there as well. Sebastian persuades Grell to help gather information regarding the village, where Alois and Luka lived, that was destroyed. A former prostitute informs them of the carnage she witnessed at the hands of Luka, saying how she spared due to the kindness she showed him. The servant triplets suddenly snipes the former prostitute in the forehead, in which Sebastian immediately engages in combat against them. The servant triplets are easily defeated when Sebastian hangs them to a tree while Grell finishes them off with her death scythe. The cinematic record of the servant triplets plays, showing they were present during the destruction of the village. The record also shows Ciel and Hannah in the garden as the last scene of events. An aggravated Sebastian sprints back to the Trancy estate in response. Ciel breaks the bathroom mirror under the impression he saw Alois's reflection. He orders Claude to clean the mess, while taking Hannah with him to the bedchamber, much to the former's surprise. Ciel laments to Hannah that he wishes to return to his own mansion. Hannah opens her mouth and reveals a gaping abyss. Inside her mouth, Ciel looks at Alois's eye squirming and staring back at him, seeing a frightening reflection of himself, to the point of fainting from the terror. Outside the mansion, Sebastian confronts Claude, and their rose contract is severed. As they begin to battle one another, Ciel's voice can be heard from a thorn-covered clock tower. As Ciel calls for Sebastian, informing him that he will climb to the top, Claude claims Sebastian is no longer a butler because he violated the order to not be seen by his young master. However, Ciel's voice gradually becomes that of Alois, revealing that Alois's soul has taken charge of Ciel's body. Alois taunts Sebastian from the clock tower's edge, shouting that he will inevitably fall. Before the two can act, Hannah appears before the two butlers and smiles. | ||
| 11 (35) | "Crossroads Butler" "Kiroshitsuji" (岐路執事) | September 10, 2010 |
| After explaining that Alois's soul has taken charge of Ciel's body, Hannah challenges Sebastian and Claude to competitively venture through a hedge maze, collecting trivial stamps along the way, in order to reach the clock tower. Ciel realizes he has been taken over and sifts through the memories in his head to decide which ones are his. The butlers realize that the answers to the questions are altered during their journey. Ciel begins to remember some events of last season, and Alois notes that Ciel is struggling to get back control of his body. As Ciel remembers that his revenge is complete, the labyrinth begins to shift. Ciel begins to question why Sebastian did not eat his soul, so it appears as a question in the labyrinth. Sebastian was unable to eat Ciel's soul because he lost the arm with the seal of the contract on it, which provided a window of opportunity for Claude to steal Ciel's soul. Claude is asked why he killed Alois, and he answers that he killed him because he could ultimately be used as a tool to obtain Ciel. In response, a disappointed Alois sends Claude down a chute back to the beginning of the garden. Claude reveals in his answer to a question that it was actually Hannah, and not Sebastian, who contracted with Luka. Hannah confirms it and said she had grown tired of eating human souls, as they had become boring. She tells him that Luka was different, and that when she fulfilled his wish, he thanked her for killing the townspeople, something no one had ever done. Hannah, very attached to Alois and Luka, asks Alois to make a new contract with her, to be reunited with Luka. Sebastian and Claude reunite at the place of the final question, and Ciel takes over his body, saying that until Sebastian eats his soul, that he is his butler. However, Alois quickly snatches back Ciel's body, saying that he has found those who love him. As the butlers race to him, he makes a contract with Hannah. Alois faints after he tells Claude that he wanted his love, and Hannah informs the butlers that she has contracted with Alois as well as Ciel. | ||
| 12 (36) | "Black Butler" "Kuroshitsuji" (黒執事) | September 17, 2010 |
| Sebastian and Claude row a boat to a remote island, while Hannah holds Ciel's body. Sebastian and Claude are to duel as demons in a grudge match to see which one will have the right to claim Ciel's soul. After having removed the demon sword from her body, Hannah places it on the ceiling in a cave, thus beginning the duel. Neither butler manages to make a fatal blow during the battle, after passing the sword back and forth it appears to be a stalemate. Sebastian uses the sword to split the island in half creating a large fissure in the ground. In limbo, Ciel says Alois would never understand what motivates Sebastian to fight. Claude loses his balance after landing on a rock that gives way under him, and Sebastian plunges the demon sword through Claude's body. Sebastian comments that Claude failed to realize that Alois has been playing with him all along. Claude then replies that Alois was able to make his long life interesting, and consequently Alois's soul was more precious than he thought. Alois concedes to Ciel and apologizes for what he has done before he fades away. Hannah sheds tears of joy and reveals that the contract Alois made with her was for Claude to acknowledge him. Hannah falls into the ocean below with Ciel in her arms, urging Sebastian to dive in and reach Ciel, only to kill him just as he awakens. Meanwhile, Hannah relocates herself back on the island lying down with Claude's body, reuniting them with Alois and Luka altogether again. Some time later, Ciel awakens in bed with Sebastian preparing him "New Moon Drop" tea; however, it's shown that he's only going through the motions, as the teapot and cups are empty. Ciel sends farewell gifts to everyone he knew, dismisses his servants leaving them in charge of the mansion, and leaves with Sebastian. It is revealed that as a condition of Alois's wish being fulfilled, Alois asked that Hannah makes Ciel's soul unattainable by either Sebastain or Claude. She did this by causing Ciel to be reborn as a demon. As a result, Sebastian can not consume Ciel's soul, yet is still bound by their contract. Sebastian later carries Ciel through a field of black and white roses towards a cliff. Ciel says that he's forever blessed to have Sebastian as his butler, as Sebastian responds that he is forever bound to serve "a fellow fiend of Hell". Ciel remarks that the butler has but one answer to give. Sebastian affirms his service to his master while jumping with him from the cliff into the depths of the underworld. | ||
| OVA 1 | "Ciel in Wonderland Part 1" "Shieru in Wandārando (Zenpen)" (シエル・イン・ワンダーランド（前編）) | October 27, 2010 |
| On one particular day at the Phantomhive manor, while jadedly browsing through reports, Ciel catches sight of a white-rabbit-eared Sebastian. Ciel follow him into a hole in the floor, landing him in an alternate dimension of floating doors. He sees Sebastian going through a door, but it becomes locked when Ciel tries to open it. He then encounters a ratlike Elizabeth her maidservant Paula. Elizabeth eats a slice of cake that causes her to grow in size. However, she cries because of this, and her tears become balls of puddles. She is overjoyed when she drinks an elixir that would cause her to shrink again. Out on a lake, the three are approached by Bardroy, Finnian, Mey-Rin, and Tanaka in a boat, saying nonsensical rhymes. They all see Sebastian walking on the water, but they are soon washed away by Pluto. Ciel, being washed ashore, finds the turtle-shelled Viscount of Druitt, who has a dance with him, later in front of a large crowd. Spinning out of control, the Viscount of Druitt sends Ciel into the sky. He lands in a palace, where he meet the duchess Prince Soma, the black pepper enthusiast Agni, and the catlike Grell. After eating a curry bun given by Agni, Ciel expands so much that he destroys the palace. While walking through a forest, he spots a lizard-tailed Aberline, who offers him a piece of hard candy. But it is unknown as to what the side effect will be for Ciel. | ||
| OVA 2 | "Welcome to the Phantomhive's" "Fantomuhaivu-ka e Yōkoso" (ファントムハイヴ家へようこそ) | November 24, 2010 |
| Resembling that of a role-playing game, Elizabeth invites the main character, referred to as the lady, to join her at the ball held at the Phantomhive estate. Ciel welcomes her into the manor, and Sebastian give her hospitality. Sebastian explains in the guest room the origins of the former earl and his wife and their association with society, but he takes leave when the servants cause trouble in the kitchen. Sebastian gives the lady a tour of the estate. First in the recreation room, Lau and Ran-Mao are seen. Then in the library, Prince Soma and Agni are there. The lady later has some tea with some of the others in the courtyard, but she accdentally drops the teacup onto her dress. Sebastian carries her back inside the mansion, receiving a change of clothes. Before the ball starts, Aberline, after hearing about disappearances occurring during evening balls, requests to patrol the estate. It is revealed that the lady is sent to kill Sebastian and capture Ciel. The lady then goes back to the guest room and see Elizabeth and Paula there. However, the Viscount of Druitt sprays the room with sleeping gas, taking her into his yacht. Ciel orders Sebastian to retrieve the lady from the Viscount of Druitt. When Grell also arrives, the Viscount escapes with the lady on the sail of the ship. Grell slices off the sail, plunging the Viscount of Druitt into the water, while Sebastian catches the lady into his arms. When the lady regains consciousness, Spears comes to tell Grell of how he mistaken the lady for someone else, as they are searching for a soul to reap. Upon returning to the mansion, the lady later attempts to capture a sleeping Ciel, using a pocket knife. Sebastian, already knowing her ulterior motive, prevents her from using the knife by puncturing her wrist. As Ciel wakes up, he kindly escorts her to the evening ball to celebrate her birthday. Sebastian has a dance with the lady, telling her that he will not kill her due to his duties as a butler. After the evening ball, Ciel and Sebastian say their farewells to the lady, as she leaves with Elizabeth and Paula. It is shown that the lady later throws out the knife onto the road, displaying her change of heart. | ||
| OVA 3 | "The Making of Kuroshitsuji II" | January 26, 2011 |
| Bardroy narrates the behind-the-scenes look at the legendary debut of "Black Butler", which has premiered all over the world. When Ciel and Sebastian are interviewed about being starred in the sequel, they said that they did not have any interest at first, but they eventually agreed to do it. The supporting characters are excited to be part of the sequel as well. The antagonistic characters have a different view of having a role, however. The use of the green screen effect is explained during the scene with Sebastian and Grell in the streets of London. Angela Blanc and Ashe Landers serve as action directors and stunt doubles for the series. When Claude destroys the set after being disappointed with the script, Ciel is rescued by Sebastian, who fractures his right ankle in the process. Elizabeth films the daily lives of the characters. There is also never-before-seen footage of the series shown, one with surprising twists and parodies. | ||
| OVA 4 | "Ciel in Wonderland Part 2" "Shieru in Wandārando (Kōhen)" (シエル・イン・ワンダーランド（後編）) | February 23, 2011 |
| Ciel, now shrunken, meets a caterpillar-bodied Lau and a mushroom-headed Ran-Mao. Lau quotes that the "right one" will make him bigger, while the left one will make him smaller. However, he was referring to the effect of suckling Ran-Mao's breasts. While Lau comments on the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, Ran-Mao sprouts wings and carries Ciel up into the sky. He is dropped into a forest, where he sees the catlike Grell once more. Grell guides Ciel to a crossroad, where he later parts the trees into a desert, saying that Sebastian lies in that direction. He is reluctant to find the Undertaker with a hat, William T. Spears with hare ears, and Ronald Knox with mouse ears. After Ciel fails to answer the riddle of the similarity between a raven and a writing desk, he is told that real life has no clear answer, and that we tend to sweeten things up to give meaning, in which tea with sugar is used as an example. The four servants arrive and invite Ciel to a castle, where he hopes that he will finally reunite with Sebastian. However, Madame Red gives judgment for the criminal acts he has seemingly done. Many of his acquaintances accused him of all the pain he caused them in real life. He is filed with guilt when he loses his memories of those he wronged. He calls for Sebastian out of fear, and flees from an enraged Madame Red. It is revealed that Sebastian was actually telling a bedtime story to Ciel's soulless body. | ||
| OVA 5 | "Spider's Intention" "Kumo no Ito" (蜘蛛の意図) | May 25, 2011 |
| Alois Trancy frees a butterfly from a spiderweb and breaks off one of its wings, so that it cannot escape him. He orders Claude to fill his bedroom with flowers and an insect cage to keep the butterfly in. The story is shown in the views of the servant triplets, Hannah, and Claude. In the end, the butterfly dies and Alois tries to cremate it, but ends up setting his room alight and begs Claude not to go in, in fear that Claude will burn and leave him. Alois dreams of being trapped in a spiderweb and describing himself as a butterfly with no wings. | ||
| OVA 6 | "The Tale of Will the Shinigami" "Shinigami Wiru no Monogatari" (死神ウィルの物語) | April 27, 2011 |
| William T. Spears and Grell are chosen to train new grim reaper recruits to be admitted into the dispatch association. While touring the building, the two explain the rules of the upcoming exam. The last part of the exam requires all grim students to find a partner and pass the given challenges. Only those who fully complete the exam can become a full-fledged grim reaper. While passing a glance over the nervous students, William recalls back to the time when he was a young rookie grim reapers, back to the time when he ironically challenged the grim reaper exam with Grell as his partner. They were given one month to track down a novelist named Thomas Wallace conclude whether or not he should die. They reveal themselves as grim reapers to Thomas, however he mistakes them for actors. Inspired, Thomas begins to write a fictional novel about the romance between a grim reaper and a maiden. It is realized that the date of publication is the same of the execution. Grell disagrees with William about sentencing Thomas to death, after seeing how successful his novel might become. Thomas is run over a passing carriage, and William arrives to collect his soul. While absorbing the cinematic record into his death scythe, Thomas fights for his life, which causes the cinematic record to flow inside William. Grell saves William from being consumed, and the two work together to absorb the cinematic record. It is then that the two become full-fledged grim reapers. | ||
Book of Circus & Book of Murder
| No. | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (37) | "His Butler, Presenting" "Sono Shitsuji, Teiji" (その執事, 提示) | July 11, 2014 |
| A new day begins at the Phantomhive Estate and guests are expected for a business meeting at night. While making preparations for the meeting, Sebastian must fix the mistakes made by the other servants as usual but proceeds flawlessly nonetheless. Later at night, Lau and Ran-Mao arrive with Cedric Brandel, a businessman who claims that he wants to discuss business with Ciel, but intends to have him killed instead, as Ciel's position as the Queen's watchdog is interfering with his illegal arms trade. However, just when he orders his men to attack, Cedric learns that Sebastian had dealt with all of them previously and is killed by the butler instead. Lau then delivers to Ciel an invitation for the Circus that just arrived at the city. A few hours later, Sebastian puts Ciel to sleep, eagerly awaiting for the day when he will accomplish his part of the bargain with his master and claim his soul in return. | ||
| 2(38) | "His Butler, Taking the Stage" "Sono Shitsuji, Sutēji o to~tsu" (その執事, ステージを取っ) | July 18, 2014 |
| The tickets to the Noah's Ark Circus were sent by the Queen, who orders Ciel to investigate its possible connection with some children who are missing. After obtaining info on the children from Abberline, Ciel and Sebastian inquire Undertaker, who reveals that their bodies have not shown up in the underworld, and thus it is possible that they are still alive. The duo then attends a presentation at the circus itself, but when Joker, the ringleader, asks for a member of the audience take part in the show, Sebastian volunteers, but a commotion is caused when he finds himself enticed by a tiger. After the show, Joker insists that Sebastian must be examined by the doctor in charge and the butler's curiosity is piqued when he finds that many of the performers wear some unusual prosthetic limbs manufactured by him. In the occasion, Sebastian asks Joker for a job, claiming that he is fed up with his current occupation and upon being accepted, takes his leave after agreeing to return in the next day with an "acquaintance" who also intends to join. Sebastian then tries to investigate the circus further. but the snake charmer Snake stops him, claiming that he is in an off-limits area. | ||
| 3 (39) | "His Butler, Employed" "Sono Shitsuji, Saiyō" (その執事、採用) | July 25, 2014 |
| After a brief reunion with Soma and Agni, Sebastian and Ciel return to the circus in the next day in order to become part of it. But while Joker and the others have already got a glimpse of Sebastian's traits, Ciel's abilities are yet to prove, and he is forced to participate in two trials, one of throwing knives and another of tightrope walking, succeeding on both with Sebastian's help. However, once accepted into the circus, the duo discover, much to their surprise, that William T. Spears is also working there undercover and both realize that there is something truly suspicious occurring in Noah's Ark Circus, to the point of having a Grim Reaper personally investigating it. | ||
| 4 (40) | "His Butler, Coworker" "Sono Shitsuji, Dōryō" (その執事、同僚) | August 1, 2014 |
| Ciel and Sebastian begin their undercover job at the circus. Sebastian questions William about his intentions and the Grim Reaper reveals that in the next days, a huge number of souls are to be collected there. While Ciel is paired with another recruit called "Freckles", Sebastian is assigned to sleep in the same tent as William, much to each other's dismay. Later at night, the first-string members of the circus kidnap a young child at the city and the police appears to intervene, but all officers are killed by the members of the troupe. Back at the circus, the life on a different, more rough environment take a toll on Ciel's body, but he renews his vow to figure out the truth behind the circus as soon as possible. | ||
| 5 (41) | "His Butler, Takes Flight" "Sono Shitsuji, Hishō" (その執事、飛翔) | August 8, 2014 |
| It's night and Noah's Ark Circus is about to start their next show, but Ciel and Sebastian intend to look for clues in the first-string members tents while they are performing. However, Ciel is left alone when both Sebastian and William are summoned to replace the trapeze artists. In trouble because William refuses to cooperate with him, Sebastian is forced to improvise and return in a hurry before Ciel is caught by Beast, who returns to the tent to replace some damaged garments. After Sebastian returns to the stage, Ciel finds more clues including a letter to Joker where he himself is mentioned. Once leaving the tents, Ciel is saved from a snake by Doll, one of the main performers, and learns that she is in fact his roommate Freckles. After fabricating a story to dissuade her, Ciel has a crisis of Asthma and gets himself bedridden. While Ciel sends Sebastian to investigate further in the city based on their newfound info, Snake discovers that the duo is spying on them and informs Joker, who decides to not take any action before consulting with their leader. | ||
| 6 (42) | "His Butler, Liaison" "Sono Shitsuji, Kōshō" (その執事、交渉) | August 15, 2014 |
| While Ciel has a nightmare of the past events, including the death of his parents, his encounter with Sebastian and the confrontation with Madam Red, Sebastian is confronted by William, who refuses to have him wander around without his master. Meanwhile, Beast attempts to convince Joker to flee along the others, but the ringleader claims that they can't run away from their leader, before leaving to see him. Unable to continue the investigation outside the circus, the butler then turns his attention to her, and knowing that her feelings for Joker are unrequited, he seduces her, and convinces her to tell him the name of their leader, while Freckles sleeps beside Ciel in his bed. In the next day, Sebastian picks up Ciel and the two leave the circus, certain that they have all the information they need, but once they return to the town house, Soma and Agni realize that Ciel is sick and convince Sebastian to have him resting until the next day. Meanwhile, the members of the circus realize that Ciel, Sebastian and William are missing, and fear that their plans are compromised. However, Doll leaves to warn Joker while the others prepare themselves for an important, unknown mission. | ||
| 7(43) | "His Butler, Careful Tending" "Sono Shitsuji, Buyō" (その執事、撫養) | August 22, 2014 |
| Joker meets with his adoptive father, Baron Kelvin, and upon telling them about Ciel and Sebastian, the Baron realizes that they are no others than the Earl Phantomhive and his butler and is eager to meet him, ordering Joker to prepare a banquet for the occasion. Meanwhile, some members of the circus take a leave to look for the next town to visit, while Ciel, after recovering, leaves with Sebastian to confront the Baron. Upon arriving at the Kelvin estate, they are welcomed by Joker, who guides them to the banquet, where Ciel and Kelvin finally meet face to face. The Baron then has Joker perform a gruesome show where the brainwashed children are brutally killed, much to Kelvin's excitement, but when one of the missing children from the report are found among them, Ciel has all the proof he needs and proceeds to kill him, but the Baron reveals that he has one more thing to show him. Ciel and Sebastian then accompany Kelvin to the cellar, and Ciel is distraught upon finding a room built exactly like the one where he was tortured after the death of his parents, and where he first met Sebastian years before. | ||
| 8 (44) | "His Butler, Sneering" "Sono Shitsuji, Chōshō" (その執事、嘲笑) | August 29, 2014 |
| Grell Sutcliff has finally completed his suspension and returns to duty, eager to meet Sebastian again. Meanwhile, Kelvin reveals to Ciel that he met him and his father when he was still a small child, years before the tragedy that befell his family. Since then, he became obsessed with the Phantomhives and their handsomeness, and this caused his wife to leave him. Eager to become more like Ciel and his father, Kelvin underwent surgery, but his recovery was hindered when he got agitated with news of their deaths. While still recovering, Kelvin learned that Ciel has survived, and since then he was eager to meet him. After hearing his story and learning that all of his crimes were solely for the purpose of his meeting with him, Ciel shoots the Baron dead, and an angry Joker moves to attack him, just to have his arm cut off by Sebastian. Joker then reveals that some members of the circus were sent to the Phantomhive estate in order to capture Ciel, and will surely kill all residents once they fail to locate him, but the earl replies that he does not fear for the safety of his mansion at all, which was entrusted to his other servants, and just as he predicts, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, Finnian and Tanaka dispose of the invaders one by one, while Elizabeth sleeps inside, oblivious to the battle at all. | ||
| 9 (45) | "His Butler, Serene" "Sono Shitsuji, Shōyō" (その執事、従容) | September 5, 2014 |
| As the other Phantomhive servants dispose of the intruders, Grell appears to collect their souls and becomes disappointed upon not meeting Sebastian there. This later turns to anger after Grell discovers (through watching Beast's cinematic record) that Sebastian seduced her. Back at the Kelvin estate, the doctor from the circus appears before Ciel and Sebastian, revealing that the prosthetic limbs he developed are manufactured using the bones of the children kidnapped by Joker and the others, and Joker himself suffers a mental breakdown when he learns that his artificial limb as well was produced in such way. When the doctor kills another of the children in front of Ciel, the Earl (having painful flashbacks) orders Sebastian to kill him, and (opposing to the queen's orders to rescue the children alive) commands his butler to burn down the entire mansion, killing the captives as well. | ||
| 10 (46) | "His Butler, Fulfilling His Duty" "Sono Shitsuji, Kare No Gimu o Hatasu" (その執事、彼の義務を果たす) | September 12, 2014 |
| As Joker dies from blood loss, he reminisces about how he and his friends were rescued from the slums by the Baron and swore to serve him in retribution to protect the lives of the other orphans under his care. William appears to collect the souls of those who died at the mansion and Ronald Knox arrives to assist him. Doll arrives at the mansion looking for Joker and meets Ciel and Sebastian. Upon learning of their true identities and that they killed Joker and Kelvin, she attacks them, just to be killed by the butler under his master's orders. Some emissaries from the queen watch the whole scene from afar but decide to not report to her about Ciel's decision to sacrifice the captive children. In the next day, Snake, certain that his friends will not return, abandons the circus as well, leaving to parts unknown. On the way to Kelvin's orphanage, Ciel reveals that he ordered the deaths of the children because of pity as he was certain that they would never have their minds restored, and upon arriving there, Ciel and Sebastian learn that the orphanage was abandoned years before, and the circus members were deceived by the Baron into working for him. Ciel then declares how mankind can be so worthless as they lie and kill for their desires, and Sebastian claims that just how they still strive for a better future despite that is what makes them really interesting. | ||
| OVA 1 | "Book of Murder Part 1" "Book of Murder" (黒執事) | October 25, 2014 |
| The Queen decides to test Ciel's loyalty once more after he killed the children, who were kidnapped by Noah's Arc Circus. Her butlers - the Double Charles, come to the Phantomhive manor and orders that a banquet is held at the mansion. The occasion is the arrival of a German banker, Lord Georg von Siemens. The banquet begins and later, Siemens is found murdered in his room at the manor. Everyone among the guests and the staff has an alibi, except for Ciel. He is then confined to one of his guests – Arthur Conan Doyle, a novice writer. Later that night, someone kills Sebastian. He then visits the other servants, giving over his duties to them, and finally, bids Ciel farewell. The guests find his corpse in the morning. Ciel comes to accept his death, after Sebastian refuses to revive. Soon, another guest is found dead and everyone reassesses their alibis. It is discovered that Sebastian had entrusted Mey-Rin with a letter to be sent by an owl in the morning. The mysterious reverend Jeremy Rathborne then suddenly appears. | ||
| OVA 2 | "Book of Murder Part 2" "Book of Murder Part 2" (黒執事) | November 15, 2014 |
| Sebastian had "foreseen" his murder and the letter he had sent was addressed to reverend Jeremy Rathborne, calling him to investigate. Soon, it is found out that one of the murders was mistakenly done by a snake that was trained to go after Ciel's scent, later revealed to be sent by Snake from Noah's Arc Circus in an attempt to avenge his friends. The reverend also deduces that Siemens had jokingly faked his own death, but was killed soon afterwards by another guest – Woodley, who wanted to frame Ciel to prevent him from destroying his diamond business. The case is considered closed, but soon, Arthur Conan Doyle notices the inconsistencies in the theory and reveals the truth. Jeremy Rathborne is Sebastian. Sebastian admits and reveals the culprit's identity was known all along – it was Earl Grey, the Queen's butler, whom she had sent to kill Siemens, in order to disrupt Germany's financial stability, and at the same time, jokingly frame Ciel for the murder as a compensation for the accident with Noah's Arc Circus. Ciel and Sebastian simply made use of this occasion, knowing Siemens would be killed either way, and framed Woodley, who deserved to go to prison. For that, Sebastian managed to orchestrate the entire ordeal - do the Queen's secret task, clear the Phantomhive name of any possible murder accusations, and send a guilty businessman to jail. This experience influences Arthur Conan Doyle and he sets off to his career. At the end, Ciel invites Snake to live in the Phantomhive manor as well. Sebastian is made the Phantomhive main butler yet again and he swears his loyalty to Ciel until the day lies become truth. | ||
Notes
- ↑ Episode 25 did not air and was included on DVD 9.
References
- General
- "List of Black Butler episode titles" (in Japanese). A-1 Pictures. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- Specific
- ↑ "Kuroshitsuji Anime Confirmed to Premiere This Fall". Anime News Network. 2008-07-11. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ↑ "Kuroshitsuji Anime's Promotional Video Streamed". Anime News Network. 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- 1 2 "Goods" (in Japanese). A-1 Pictures. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- 1 2 "Animax India airs Black Butler". Animax India. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ↑ "Black Butler Gets 'Book of Murder' Arc Video Anime".
- ↑ "Black Butler: Book of Murder Original Video Anime Previewed in TV Spot". animenewsnetwork. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Animax India - Black Butler Season 1 Episode 1 Airdate". Animax India. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ↑ "Animax India - Black Butler Season 1 Episode 2 Airdate". Animax India. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
- Black Butler at the Internet Movie Database
- Black Butler II at the Internet Movie Database
- Black Butler: Book of Circus at the Internet Movie Database
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