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lidotchka's review against another edition
1.0
What a Dramatic Flop!
As I delved into the enigmatic world of "Black Butler," I found myself caught in a whirlwind of disappointment, akin to a tea party without the tea or the party. One star is too generous for this literary catastrophe, but alas, it is the lowest rating available.
Let's speak about the plot, shall we? It's as if the author threw a bunch of Gothic tropes into a blender and hit the "confusing mess" setting. Demonic contracts, Victorian England, and a sprinkle of supernatural nonsense - it's a recipe for disaster, not intrigue. The narrative jumps around like a caffeinated flea, leaving readers more bewildered than a cat in a cucumber patch.
"Black Butler" is a tragicomedy of errors, a masquerade ball where everyone forgot their masks and their manners. Save yourself the agony and spend your time on something more stimulating, like watching paint dry or counting the grains of sand on a beach.
As I delved into the enigmatic world of "Black Butler," I found myself caught in a whirlwind of disappointment, akin to a tea party without the tea or the party. One star is too generous for this literary catastrophe, but alas, it is the lowest rating available.
Let's speak about the plot, shall we? It's as if the author threw a bunch of Gothic tropes into a blender and hit the "confusing mess" setting. Demonic contracts, Victorian England, and a sprinkle of supernatural nonsense - it's a recipe for disaster, not intrigue. The narrative jumps around like a caffeinated flea, leaving readers more bewildered than a cat in a cucumber patch.
"Black Butler" is a tragicomedy of errors, a masquerade ball where everyone forgot their masks and their manners. Save yourself the agony and spend your time on something more stimulating, like watching paint dry or counting the grains of sand on a beach.
mandalor3960's review against another edition
3.0
A decent start to the series. The butler is definitely an interesting character and his interaction with Ciel is intriguing and fun to see. Plot lines may have been rather lacking in substance but I'm sure the rest of the series will be great.
Rating Update 11 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a three star rating is befitting. Having read the synopsis, the first two chapters are mundane but the next two on the butler's rescue of Ciel is superb. A three star rating is a safe estimate.
January 30, 2020
Update
I have read the synopsis of the volume and the synopsis of each chapter on Wikipedia and the Black Butler Wiki site and cannot recall my original reaction to the volume. I do recall loving (four star-rating) the last two chapters of the volume. Coupling this with the previous updates, this volume, at the minimum, can go no lower than a 2.5 star-rating. I am thus also assuming that the other sections in the volume are rated at two stars.
March 7, 2020
Update
A three star-rating is also a good compromise between the four star-rated last two chapters and the previous mediocre, two star-rated chapters (the two star-rating is only an assumption, since I cannot recall how I felt). However, I believe that the two star-rated chapters were referred to in the original review: "Plot lines may have been rather lacking in substance but I'm sure the rest of the series will be great".
I have also felt that the diction used in the original review was modest. When I wrote that it was "a decent start to the series", decent could be referring to a good start. When I wrote that "the butler is definitely an interesting character", that probably meant that I liked the character of the Sebastian. When I wrote that "his interaction with Ciel is intriguing and fun to see", intriguing most likely meant liking as well.
When reading the description of each chapter in the fandom site, I recall the "decent" first two chapters that allow Sebastian to display his skill in three star-rated bursts before the final two chapters deal with Sebastian unleashing his powers and combating all of the Italian henchmen in order to save Ciel. The first two chapters do not exactly reach a three star-rating, despite these three star-rated bursts, and are probably closer to a two star-rating. The three star-rated bursts are merely enjoyments of Sebastian being skillful and witty, but they do not taint the entire two chapters. These final two chapters I would consider four star-rated since I was taken back by Sebastian's skills and power.
There is a division between the decent first two chapters and the four star-rated last two chapters because the stories are separate. A three star-rating is a good compromise but I have left the color of the rating as yellow because I may have forgotten certain details that could disrupt these generalized chapter ratings, but I am mostly comfortable with this three star-rating.
Rating Update 11 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a three star rating is befitting. Having read the synopsis, the first two chapters are mundane but the next two on the butler's rescue of Ciel is superb. A three star rating is a safe estimate.
January 30, 2020
Update
I have read the synopsis of the volume and the synopsis of each chapter on Wikipedia and the Black Butler Wiki site and cannot recall my original reaction to the volume. I do recall loving (four star-rating) the last two chapters of the volume. Coupling this with the previous updates, this volume, at the minimum, can go no lower than a 2.5 star-rating. I am thus also assuming that the other sections in the volume are rated at two stars.
March 7, 2020
Update
A three star-rating is also a good compromise between the four star-rated last two chapters and the previous mediocre, two star-rated chapters (the two star-rating is only an assumption, since I cannot recall how I felt). However, I believe that the two star-rated chapters were referred to in the original review: "Plot lines may have been rather lacking in substance but I'm sure the rest of the series will be great".
I have also felt that the diction used in the original review was modest. When I wrote that it was "a decent start to the series", decent could be referring to a good start. When I wrote that "the butler is definitely an interesting character", that probably meant that I liked the character of the Sebastian. When I wrote that "his interaction with Ciel is intriguing and fun to see", intriguing most likely meant liking as well.
When reading the description of each chapter in the fandom site, I recall the "decent" first two chapters that allow Sebastian to display his skill in three star-rated bursts before the final two chapters deal with Sebastian unleashing his powers and combating all of the Italian henchmen in order to save Ciel. The first two chapters do not exactly reach a three star-rating, despite these three star-rated bursts, and are probably closer to a two star-rating. The three star-rated bursts are merely enjoyments of Sebastian being skillful and witty, but they do not taint the entire two chapters. These final two chapters I would consider four star-rated since I was taken back by Sebastian's skills and power.
There is a division between the decent first two chapters and the four star-rated last two chapters because the stories are separate. A three star-rating is a good compromise but I have left the color of the rating as yellow because I may have forgotten certain details that could disrupt these generalized chapter ratings, but I am mostly comfortable with this three star-rating.
veralupa's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Rating this 5-stars for Sebastian-sama. *squees and dies because Sebastian is way to gorgeous*
Of course the rest of the story is also awesome. :P Though some parts work best in the anime (like the scene with Sebby throwing around cutlery).
I am bit confused by the game consoles and cellphones that sporadically pop up.
Of course the rest of the story is also awesome. :P Though some parts work best in the anime (like the scene with Sebby throwing around cutlery).
I am bit confused by the game consoles and cellphones that sporadically pop up.
luna_mondfell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kaikuno's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
akookieforyou's review against another edition
4.0
I've watched the anime, and people have always told me how different the manga is. So naturally I had to give it a shot. I really liked this first volume, Sebastian is one hell of a butler as always, and Ciel never disappoints with his sass. I'm pretty curious about the rest of the series.
aorzia's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0