Black Butler II

For those confused, this specific listing is for the Season 2 OVAs of Black Butler. :)

I sense these were meant to be filler episodes that instead became OVAs, but after finishing S2 they were very refreshing to see. I enjoyed seeing backstories of side characters, and a first-person episode was an interesting experience.

The Alice in Wonderland episodes were cute, but felt too long. I'd recommend taking the time to watch these episodes, though, as they add a bit of depth to some characters, explain more about the Reapers, and give a very fun 4th wall break.

I confess upon finishing the first season and moving onto the second season I was a bit pessimistic- who could compete with Sebastian and Ciel?

Indeed no one, still this season did not fail to disappoint. Now I believe it has been confirmed that there is not going to be anymore seasons after this which is understandable considering this season was truly made to end the series in a heart-breaking end. Nevertheless I would recommend that any Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler fan should watch it so one could appreciate the new and exciting characters and story lines as we go into the history of the Earl Alois Trancy and how he made his contract with the Demon butler Claude Faustus.

Black Butler II is probably one of the most hated sequels in the anime industry. To an extent, I could agree with this hatred. However, I still gave credit points to the improved animations and beautiful soundtrack.

Now, what is the problem with Black Butler II?

As a fellow writer, I get the idea that the director was trying to convey in the series. Sadly, the execution was poorly done and nothing made sense anymore. The lack of explanation did not help my confusion, viewers were forced to accept every single thing that happened until the end. Not to mention the huge amount of fanservice and other disturbing scenes. Things just did not get better in Black Butler II.

Finally, the ending scene that sparked controversy.

Personally, I did not hate the idea of the ending. Perhaps, it was just too unfitting and undesirable for the series. It felt like all the things Sebastian had been through, just to eat Ciel's soul, went straight into the trash bin.

The rushed conclusion where Ciel and Sebastian abandoned everything and left to a new place pissed me off. I think that was the point where I could say I did not like Black Butler II.

One thing that I hate about the Black Butler franchise is that they could've performed so much better if they stayed faithful to the manga. Up to this day, I still do not understand why they strayed away from the original source during season one.

As a non-manga reader, following this franchise could get tedious and confusing. Only half of season one was canon, so watching Black Butler II after that was unnecessary, but I watched it regardless because at that time I did not know if it were not canon. Then, season 3 got me lost. So, Ciel is not a demon anymore? Abberline is alive? So many questions, only to find out that season 2 was not even canon.

Regardless, Black Butler was still a unique anime that deserved its spotlight. Although, I would totally recommend you to skip season 2.