Black Butler: Book of Murder
by Hiroyuki Yoshino; dir. Noriyuki Abe (2014)
Black Butler’s feature-length take on the classic British manor house murder mystery shoehorns in a young Arthur Conan Doyle. The plot is suitably intriguing—and sufficiently artful that a full quarter of the running time is devoted to the detective’s summing up!
Black Butler: Book of Circus
(JNN, 2014)
Gratuitously gory in parts, and the adult motivations are weak. However, the new young characters (Joker and his circus troupe) are well developed and their story not only stands in its own right but adds some depth to Ciel’s otherwise unwavering persona.
Black Butler, Season 2
dir. Hirofumi Ogura (2010)
This slick, shadowy anime retains the gothic (often rather visceral) horror vibes of the first season while expunging many of the cutesy annoyances. At half the number of episodes, the story is artfully arranged and more coherently focussed on the main characters.
Black Butler
dir. Kentarō Ōtani & Keiichi Satō (2014) [Subtitled]
A live action re-imagining of the original manga (and anime series) with stilted dialogue but oddly compelling characters. The production is sufficiently dark that the violence remains stylised and the period fashions carry over to a modern setting without appearing too outrageous.
Black Butler, Season 1
dir. Toshiya Shinohara (2008-2009)
Japanese anime set in late 19th century England and adding a supernatural overlay to the already gruesome underbelly of Victorian society. Singularly compelling when sticking to the dark, uncanny shadows, yet prone also to cutesy outbursts and the furtherance of irksome catchphrases.