Back in 2008, Black Butler was one of the most popular anime alongside Soul Eater, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s, and Code Geass. After the non-canon second season, most fans would rather forget, the show disappeared for a few years before coming back with the canon third season and an OVA. 10 years have passed since then, and 6 years since the only film installment in the series.
There have been multiple stage adaptations of the series throughout the years. Only three out of the five are based on the manga. The manga itself is ongoing with 210 chapters as of writing this piece.
Black Butler: A TL;DR
Black Butler follows Ciel Phantomhive, a twelve-year-old Earl who inherited the title after his parents’ sudden deaths. After a series of horrific events, Ciel forms a contract with a demon, Sebastian Michaelis, and swears revenge against those who wronged him. In exchange, Sebastian will consume Ciel’s soul once his objective is complete. With Sebastian’s help, Ciel takes the mantle of the Queen’s Watchdog and investigates crimes in London’s underworld.
After an ocean voyage that led Ciel and company into a depraved den of illegal human experimentation, they find themselves at Weston College. On behalf of Queen Victoria, Ciel must go undercover to investigate a series of disappearances on campus, including the disappearance of her relative, Derrick. At Weston, Ciel learns of the horrors of school and sports as he tries to earn the trust of the 4 prefects to learn more about the odd disappearances and what is causing them.
Do I Need to Watch from the Beginning?
This season is insular. Most newcomers can jump in at this point and understand the premise. However, characters and organizations introduced in earlier productions will be mentioned. If you want to understand the world and why it has led Ciel to Weston, I suggest watching the canon series.
What’s Changed?
For a series that hasn’t been updated in almost a decade, it would seem unlikely if a lot of the original cast and crew returned. Luckily, the original voice actors for Ciel and Sebastian will reprise their roles alongside new additions to the cast.
SID, the band that has performed songs for the series in the past will also be performing this season’s ending song, Atonement. This season’s opening, Parade of the Battlers, will be performed by 音羽-otoha-.
The return of many people from the original team and the newest additions to the cast set a new, but familiar stage welcoming back fans from 2008 and opening the door for new ones to jump in.
With a new studio at the helm, the visuals have been upgraded to a level not seen in past seasons. This also means a new art style. While it translated well for most characters in the series, it didn’t work so much for one character.
The updated style focuses on the character’s eyelashes, giving them a much cuter look. However, when those lashes are applied to Sebastian, a menacing character, he loses a bit of that edge. This paired with the loss of his piercing red eyes from the previous seasons had fans disheartened by the changes. However, he’s still one hell of a butler and fans are excited to see Professor Michaelis in action.
English Dub When?
It is unknown when the English dub will be available. However, J. Michael Tatum has hinted interest in reprising his role as Sebastian. More news on the English dub will likely come after the show airs.
It is also unknown if a fifth season will come soon after this. Regardless, fans of the series appreciate the latest addition. Black Butler: Public School Arc will stream on Crunchyroll starting April 13.
