This series is praised in its anime version, while the manga gets less recognition. But, why? Is the anime really better than the original series? Does it deserve all the hype it's got? Well, I plan to uncover this "mystery". Hell, what am I saying? Cutting this, let's get on to the review, shall we?

Kuroshitsuji, or Black Butler, as it is known by most of the fans, is a shounen manga with seinen and shoujo elements. But well, what the hell is that? Well, I have to say that the genre of this series is hard to pin down. Not only on story model, but art as well. The manga presents lots of cliche elements, stupid comedy (that's actually funny sometimes) and constant action, that categorizes it mainly as shounen. However, the concept is dark, with cruel references, gothic symbolism, and of course the pessimist, melancholic feeling that the main character brings. All those are seinen elements. The design of some characters (specially the male's) looks pretty gothic, with mostly sadistic expressions and smirks, but well, let's leave this to later. However, the "female yaoi loving" origins of the author influence the work making it seem more shoujo-like with all the annoying tendencies. But remember, that isn't something bad, however, as I'm a heterossexual guy, I don't really appreciate the yaoi tendencies presented in the manga.

Well then, after the gigantic explanation about the genre, I shall begin with the story. Well, straight-on, the plot development in Kuroshitsuji disappoints a lot. It had the concept to be the best story I've ever read, however it was crushed by huge simple flaws which could easily be corrected. There are some incoherences in many points in many arcs, and they actually end up ruining big part of the story. The narrative follows on different arcs, which are mainly different crime cases investigated by the main character, Ciel Phantomhive, his butler Sebastian Michaelis and usually more supporting character that'll be mentioned later on. The cases are quite creative at their most, and one of them actually has historical reference. Well, it would be a shame if a manga based off of the Victorian Era with a crime-investigation theme didn't have its own version of the so-famous Jack The Ripper case. This is one of the best arcs on the manga, and the one with the absolute best "conclusion", with a deep message that made me shiver.
Oh, the messages. They are the best thing about the story. Kuroshitsuji is pessimist in every way. The way tragic happenings are treated is amazing, talking about a shounen manga series. The main character ends up being one of the most cruel protagonists I've ever seen in a manga series, and Sebastian only adds to this cruelty of Ciel's with his demonic personality. It's a shame I cannot discuss spoilers here. If I could, I would tell more about the messages and philosophical meanings behind some arcs, such as the Jack the Ripper's and the circus' ones, that are, by far, the best.
However, the messages seem apart of lots of aspects. The story is full of stupid and useless "comic relief" characters that suddenly turn serious and perverse from nothing. That's nuisance and annoyed me many times. And, of course, this a shounen manga. The power of friendship could not be absent. Luckily due to the protagonist's cold and cruel personality, the messages are easily forgotten and it's actually funny to see how people around Ciel seem to consider him as their friend, while the only thing he cares is using lots of them as chess pieces. Still, I don't think Ciel can have friends, and I always ponder if he feels anything for some of the characters.

And as we're getting more into the characters, let's talk about them. As I already commented some about the protagonist, Ciel Phantomhive, there's no reason on going through that all again. Sebastian, I didn't talk much about him. Well, in short, Sebastian is one of the best characters I've ever seen in any story. He's known a lot by fangirls for his looks, and usually fans in general forget just how he really is. We already know his true motives, his true personality, and that he is not playing around. Many people seem to forget just how Sebastian is cruel, but, well, he's a demon. He's pure evil. But... well, aren't humans evil creatures as well? Hey, what is good and evil anyway? This is one of the many questions the manga seems to want you to think about.
As the due Sebastian and Ciel are good, realistic and solid characters, the rest are not as good. Most of them are created only to make comic relief after their main function on an arc is over (main example Prince Soma and Agni, the indian prince and his servant). Some others aren't interesting at all, some are a little bit funny and charismatic, however do not seem to cause much effect on the story (like Grell Sutcliff, the gay/bi shinigami, and Meylin, Finny and Bard, the rest of Phantomhive's Manor's servants). But there are interesting and well developed characters that affect the story, like Ciel's aunt, Madam Red, a very solid and realistic character, and the Undertaker, one of the most interesting supporting ones, and that seems to have a greater role in the future, as the story is likely to, now, get bigger as lots of things are starting to happen.
And, also, there are actual funny characters such as Lau, the Chinese manager of a trading company, and weird ones that have a bizarre charisma, such as Mr. Tanaka, former butler of the Phantomhive family that knew Ciel from long time ago, and also Snake, a servant that appears later on, but that have a interesting personality and ways of facing things.
Kuroshitsuji has some supporting minor characters that appear with equally minor functions in many arcs, and there are the ones that don't do a thing since the beginning. Being, the main example, Ciel's fiancée Elizabeth Midford, or Lizzy. She is the most cliche character and also the most unrealistic one, for reasons that are actually spoilers. But well, Lizzy is completely unnecessary for the plot and storyline, being the most useless supporting major character out of all.

Since the series is currently ongoing, I hope there will be more background development for the servants from the Phantomhive Manor, that hasn't been made until yet. And, of course, I hope for the useless Lizzy to do something that changes the story.

Concluding with the story, it is good, really good. However, the narrative have flaws and the author is not that good at storytelling. She should if her manga is shounen or seinen-focused. And quit with the yaoi tendencies, so that it would please a larger male audience, that I believe should be her target by publishing at a shounen action magazine.
But, well, there are many mysteries to be unsolved on the plot.

The art on Kuroshitsuji isn't good. I don't know what the hell was going on when I saw so many people praising the art as perfect and beautiful. It is not nearly as that. Not in the actual story. I mean this: The covers and full-color illustrations are beautiful and really detailed. The technique she used for the coloring and composition on such covers and special pages are amazing, and I am stunned at every new colored page or double page she draws. However the pages on the actual comic are... Well... Blank. The manga is supposed to present the reader to the Victorian World, where architecture and fashion was everything. There is almost no scenario in the manga, and they are extremely poor and lack "dirt". In case you don't know, in drawing a scene, we call "dirt" the different tones used for different things, or even lesser details, like cracks on a wall, or wall stamps, etc. Kuroshitsuji has few use of gray tones, and even less in this regard. When I see a building, I want to cry to see such the ability of the artist being thrown away by poorly drawn structures. And then I come face-to-face to a double page spread. Beautiful drawings and beautiful use of perspective.
I don't know, but in a monthly manga, I would expect much more of a manga that sometimes has twenty pages. Specially from an artist that CAN draw beautifully.

Well, the scenario is bad, but what about the characters? Are they well-drawn? Yes. Yes, they are. The character design is really good and fits well most of them. Using some examples: we see Ciel, a cold kid. His appearance, often dark and with grey tones resembling the blue give emphasis to that aspect of his personality. Sebastian; an almost perfect butler. Always dressed well in fancy clothing. But he's also cruel and a demon. His usual smirk and grim eyes alongside with the "gothic-ish" hair adds to the feeling of darkness. There are many different character designs, however a lot of the male adult characters look the same. Sometimes you just feel like you're surrounded by Sebastians in the story. Luckily, the hairstyles are distinct and can identify the characters, since the clothing of lots of them are uniformed.
Though they are anatomically realistic, there are little mistakes that can annoy someone that strictly analyzes art like me. For example, hats that do not correspond the actual size of the head, and so forth. And, well, I don't complain much, since I like the character design, however they do not match the Victorian Era theme. As most men wear really long and gracious hair with long bangs, some of them going through their eyes and even reaching the bottom of the chin. However I like this kind of design, and I don't feel the need to complain. It's a stylized manga after all, not an historical movie.

All in all, Kuroshitsuji is a great manga with huge flaws in art and story. A review of it is a bit incomplete without spoilers, but I tried my best to cover it all. I liked the manga and read it through with not a single regret, as I enjoyed through most of it. Even though I'm anxious to know what shall happen next on the story, I'm always afraid the author can screw it over. I feel like the manga has still many arcs to arrive to an end, and I feel like the mystery of Ciel's parents death will be more interesting than I first expected, with revelations coming from many characters.

I recommend Kuroshitsuji to anyone that can stand yaoi tendencies (that DO NOT happen, if it did I wouldn't have kept reading it) and likes a bit of philosophy and darker themes. If you're extremely obsessed with story flaws and art, try it out, however I guarantee that it won't be a perfect work for you.
Oh! Please don't watch the anime. Don't torture yourself doing so.

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My score: 7.9