Black Butler, the demonic pact

Victorian manga? That's the basic idea behind Black Butler, a manga series with an anime adaptation and even a Japanese live-action film. The most famous work by mangaka Yana Toboso plunges us into a supernatural plot set in late 19th-century England, during the reign of Queen Victoria. The French version has been available since 2009, published by Kana.

The demon butler

The story centres on a duo of characters: Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis. The title Black Butler refers to the latter, 'Butler' meaning butler in English.

Ciel Phantomhive comes from an aristocratic background. His father works in the service of Queen Victoria and has to solve dark cases linked to the supernatural that the Queen considers dangerous for the country and her power. Until the day when a demonic sect attacks and murders Ciel's parents, taking him prisoner and torturing him in order to perform a Satanist ritual.

But during the ritual, it is Ciel who manages to summon a demon. The demon offers him a Faustian pact: it will help him survive and take his revenge, and then it will consume his soul. Ciel accepts and the demon eliminates the members of the sect. Ciel then names the demon after his dead dog, Sebastian. It's worth noting that a French inquisitor from the 16th - 17th centuries was called Sébastien Michaëlis, and served as the inspiration for his name. As well as reforming the Dominican order, he had to solve a case involving the possession of a priest and two nuns.

Ciel returned to his former life, inheriting his father's business and his work as an investigator of the supernatural, a sort of bloodhound in the service of the Queen. Sebastian takes on the guise of a butler to accompany him on his adventures, together with false servants who are in reality fearsome killers: May Linn "chambermaid", Finnian "gardener" and Bardroy "cook".

The adventures of the Black Butler continue

The adventures of Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis began in 2006 in Monthly GFantasy, Square Enix's shonen magazine. The first book in tankobon format was published in 2007, while the French version was released in 2009.

The manga books have been a huge success, selling tens of millions of copies from the outset. In April 2024 we can look forward to chapters 186 to 195 in French, in volume 33, while volume 34 is in preparation.

Each chapter has a title in the same format: "The butler... X". In the first volume, the X is an adjective, such as "The clever butler", in the second volume the X becomes a description, such as "The butler is very busy", and then it more often becomes an action verb, such as "The butler goes on a stake-out".

In Japanese, the title of the manga is "Kuroshitsuji", for "the black butler". And each chapter is entitled "Sono Shitsuji, X", where the X is a single word. For example, the Japanese title of chapter 8 in volume 2 is "Sono Shitsuji, Shusho", which in French becomes "Le majordome est digne d'éloges".

Black Butler in anime and film

A1-Pictures is responsible for adapting the manga into anime. Three seasons have already been produced, but they don't follow the manga very logically, and the sequel becomes even more chaotic. Explanations:

Volumes 1 to 5: adaptation in season 1, but also with original episodes, invented just for the anime version. The adaptation is more inspired by the manga than a real animation. Broadcast in France from 2010.
Original storyline: season 2 breaks away completely from the manga and creates an alternative sequel to volumes 1 to 5, with original characters added to the plot, such as Alois Trancy and Claude Faustus, a young count and his demonic servant...
Volumes 6 to 8: this "season" is actually a reboot entitled "Book of Circus", and while it is based on the manga, it also includes original scenes added by Yana Toboso herself.
Volumes 9 to 11: adapted into two OVAs (Original Animation Videos) with the title "Book of Murder".
Volumes 11 to 14: adapted into an animated film entitled 'Book of the Atlantic'.

The live-action film is based on the manga. Released in Japan in 2014, it features a plot set in the 21st century in an imaginary half-Asian, half-Western city. The protagonist is Shiori, a young girl descended from the Phantomhive, who makes a pact with the demon Sebastian to avenge the death of her parents.

Shop for Geek is proud to offer a wide range of manga and volumes of "Black Butler". Each volume of "Black Butler" available on our geek shop is an invitation to plunge into a revisited Victorian era, full of mysteries and twists. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer curious to discover the mysteries of Phantomhive House, complete your collection or start a new exciting adventure.