Black Butler (2014) User Reviews

A review by someone who never saw the TV series nor read the manga.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 25 June 2014]

Although I love Japanese movies, I haven't seen a lot of anime (i.e., animated Japanese TV shows and movies). That doesn't mean I am not familiar with it--it just isn't something I watch very often. A few years ago, when my oldest daughter was in high school, she drug me to some anime conventions and got me to watch a few series with her, such as "Death Note", "Azumanga Daioh" and "Sergeant Frog"--but I am certainly no expert on these shows nor the printed version, manga. So, when you read my review, it is NOT coming from a rabid fan--and from what I read, rabid fans of the original TV series and manga "Black Butler" were not especially pleased by this movie version. So, for you lovers of the original "Black Butler", this review might not at all be very helpful--I'm just a guy watching a movie who has no basis for comparing it to the original.

From what I've read and learned from my daughter, the original show featured a 12 year-old boy as the protagonist. However, here he is now 17 and a girl--and, oddly, posing as a boy in order to maintain the family title and estates. Additionally, instead of being set in Victorian times, the movie is set today. I am pretty sure these are not the only changes, but these are a few of the obvious ones.

The back story is that years ago, someone murdered Genpou Shiori's parents. Genpou serves the Queen of the West and is one of her secret force, The Queen's Watchdog. Their job is to serve their queen and ruthlessly pursue anyone who threatens her or her kingdom. As I mentioned above, she is posing as a young man and goes by the title 'Earl'. Assisting the Earl is his/her faithful servant, Sebastian. However, Sebastian is no ordinary fellow...he's a demon who does anything she wants--including killing the Queen's enemies. It seems that when Genpou Shiori's parents died, the boy sold his soul to the Devil in order to gain the services of this demon in order to assist in his quest for revenge--an obvious variation on the old Faustian tales.

The film begins with the pair on a mission to infiltrate a gang involved in the sex slave industry. Not surprisingly, Sebastian uses his amazing powers to wipe out the entire gang...but armed with only a butter knife!! ?? This and several other fight sequences within the film are insane--full of incredible action and which will keep you on the seat of your pants. However, what follows is not all action--in fact, in places the film can be quite talky and full of unnecessarily dull and complicated exposition by the baddies. When the film is in high gear, it is clever and intense. But, when folks start explaining things, then I felt as if I should take a shot of No-Doze! The plot that follows is amazingly cool and disgusting. It seems that there is some serial murderer who has so far made eight ambassadors turn into mummies!! One moment, they seem normal and the next they are bleeding from their orifices and the next they look like beef jerky! Obviously something horrible is afoot and it's up to the Earl and Sebastian (as well as the clumsy yet amazing maid) to save the day.

So is it worth seeing? Well, it's not bad and I mildly enjoyed the film. As I mentioned above, the show did have portions that were just too talky and I also disliked how many times the film backed up to show you what REALLY happened--this seemed like bad writing because it was used so much. But, it's tough not to like Sebastian and the process by which folks became mummified and how is amazingly original. Not a must-see film but worth your time.

Lacklustre anime adaptation

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 3 January 2017]

I should point out at the outset of this review that I've never seen the anime or read the manga version of BLACK BUTLER; I only watch live action movies as a rule (although I make an exception for Studio Ghibli) so I came to this completely new. I suppose the film it most resembled for me was DEATH NOTE, another live action adaptation of a popular anime, but compared to DEATH NOTE, BLACK BUTLER is a huge disappointment.

I suppose this isn't a bad film per se; rather, it's simply not very good. It's a predictable tale about a young girl fighting crime with a demon butler at her side. There's a whole Faustian thing going on here (again), but the story line is so slow and mannered that I was twiddling my thumbs and waiting for something interesting to happen. In addition, I found the leading characters unremarkable and unlikeable, and the efforts to depict the butler as some kind of 'cool' guy fall flat; I thought he was a posturing ponce.

The plot takes a long time to get going and involves the usual stereotypes about betrayals and twists and an evil megamind planning to unleash a deadly virus on the public. The story is augmented with average CGI effects, neither particularly good nor particularly bad. There's a teen/young adult feel to the whole thing that made me feel like I was too old to be watching it at times. As for the action, it's slick and heavily stylised, incorporating way too much slow motion for my liking. BLACK BUTLER is certainly an inventive and fresh-looking film, but one I felt distinctly 'meh' about.

Confused and Convoluted

[3xHCCH · 5/10 · 28 July 2014]

"Black Butler" is a beloved manga that my daughter and friends liked very much. So when a movie version came out, they were all excited to go see it. I have not read the manga "Kuroshitsuji" yet, so I felt I needed to see the film first myself before she does to see if it is okay for her age group. The local film classification board had rated it R- 13, but they had not been entirely consistent the way they classify films per appropriate age.

The beginning narration sets the film in a near future time, when the world was divided into East and West. The West was headed by a Queen who sent her "watchdogs" to keep her enemies at check.

In such a world, a "Demon's Curse" killer is going around killing diplomats by some sort of gruesome instant mummification process. Alarmed, the Queen chooses an orphaned aristocrat, Earl Genpo Kiyoharu, as her "watchdog" to get to the bottom of this matter.

The young Earl has under his service a butler of many skills, Sebastian, who does whatever his young master wills him to. It turns out that Sebastian's talents are because of his demonic nature, for which the Earl will have to pay for with his soul.

I believe that this film deviates much from the book by making Kiyoharu to be actually a girl Shiori pretending to be a boy in order to secretly exact revenge on her parents' killers. This also made it possible for a love angle to develop between master and servant, which of course was not in the original manga. The original setting in the manga was Victorian England, but here we only get the Victorian-looking grand manor and colorful gardens of the Genpo family instead.

The opening sequence alone where Sebastian takes on an entire warehouse full of gangsters only with his butter knife sets the incredible whimsical tone for the whole film. There would be violent fight scenes, murder scenes, death scenes, as well as scenes of drug abuse, and the disturbing demonic subplot, which would automatically make this film rated R-16 in my book. In between these violent scenes though, the film's momentum dips a lot with long talky explanatory scenes.

The acting department is on the campy side. The lead actors playing Sebastian and Kiyoharu are both androgynous-looking which seems to be the current rage among the younger generation. There was even more campy acting from the actors playing the clumsy maid Lynn and Kiyoharu's guardian, his Auntie Hanae. All the one-dimensional villains they faced also come from the same school of exaggerated campy acting.

Overall, this is a confused film with a rather convoluted plot which did not have a clear direction that it wanted to take. If we were to only judge it with this film, it does make me wonder what those fans of the original manga loved in it. This film alone is occasionally entertaining anyway but it most probably could have been done or adapted much better than what came out now.

Fairly good acting can't save an awful story

[ganymedes1985 · 6/10 · 24 March 2019]

Overly modernized in various ways, it only meets expectations when Sebastian takes out the dinner knives.

Don't expect a faithful adaptation

[deideiblueeyez · 6/10 · 10 September 2016]

I have seen Black Butler's multiple seasons and am a faithful reader of the manga, but I am not the die hard fan that some reviewers on this website are, so I think that I can look at the film more objectively than they can in this brief run-through of the film:

Black Butler is based on a manga of the same name by Yana Tsuboso. The original story is set in c. 1880s London revolving around a young earl named Ciel Phantomhive strikes a bargain with a demon so that, in exchange for his soul, the creature will act as his right-hand man as he tries to figure out who murdered his parents and sold him into slavery. The demon's name is Sebastian Michaelis and his capabilities far exceed that of a normal human being, naturally.

The film twists all this into something that is half n half of "then and now". Instead of a young man, it is Ayame Goriki playing Shiori Genpou who nonetheless poses as a "young earl" as Kiyoharu Genpou in order to remain the head of her family's company (when it comes to realism, it makes sense she would do that). Her butler is Sebastian Michaelis, played by Hiro Mizushima, who isn't too hard on the eyes. Really, my eyes were drawn to Goriki and her honestly pretty well done acting. I could have been distracted by the fact that she had a really, really cute haircut, though.

For all of my fellow Japanophiles, you're well aware of the fascination that Japan's fashion district has with European Victorian-era clothing, and the actors certainly seemed to have walked straight out of Shinjuku during a Lolita meet up. Very fashionable period pieces are featured by the actors, and the mansions and scenery is all very proper and European in nature, so much so that you forget the film is set in the present until you see a car or a cell phone in a new scene.

The balance between past and present tips a bit in either's favor, sometimes becoming a bit unbalanced, sometimes just right so that I didn't feel too out of it while watching. The acting is fine and for the spin they put on the story it isn't too bad.

The special effects are easy to see through (that fire in the opening scene was a bit laughable), and everyone's attempts to appear very proper and serious sometimes feel a bit over the top, but maybe that's because anime and manga is so dependent on extreme emotion that seeing it in live action just makes it hammy and melodramatic.

Info-dumping and chatter is a problem this film has. When action is happening, it's all fun and entertaining. When the characters stop to stare moodily at each other an inform the viewer about what the deal is with everything, not even pretty actors can make the scenes that enjoyable...

Don't listen to people who give this less than 5 stars. Simply judge it for yourself how it is. And if you don't feel satisfied with the story, think of the film as an overly long music video. It's certainly pretty and convoluted enough to act like one.

6.5 Stars From Me

[Foutainoflife · 6/10 · 23 March 2019]

I think this film is based on an anime series. I don't know because I'm not into anime. However, I like Asian films and thought I'd give it a watch.

This film is about a girl who watched her parents be murdered. I don't really know how she came to do this but in some way she was assumed dead but had actually sold her soul to the devil in return for her ability to seek revenge. Her family were wealthy due to a toy empire but they are also in service to the Queen as her watchdogs. Being as how a woman was not going to be allowed to run the family, the girl returns to her home posing as a boy and takes on the family empire and the responsibility of the Queen's watchdog while also seeking her revenge. She is guarded by a butler who happens to be a demon who, upon achieving her vengeance, will devour her soul. She has to figure out the cause of a series of murders that are in some way linked to the death of her parents. That's all I'm gonna say about the plot.

I thought the film was a bit overloaded with information but it ended up being a good watch for me. There are some decent action scenes and there is a fairly decent storyline. I think it would've been better to have broke it up into two films so that everything could have been explained a bit better or with a bit more depth.

Not being a fan of anime, I didn't find this to be a bad film but it seems like fans of the anime story were disappointed. I dunno. I guess folks will have to draw their own conclusions. I found it to be interesting though.

This film was a waste of everything

[Digitalpimp004 · 1/10 · 9 June 2014]

I don't even consider this a review,I would say that its more of a warning. Anyone who is a fan of the anime series or the graphic novels shouldn't even think about viewing this movie.Because you are going to be very disappointed.As the fella who had written the review before mine said,and I quote "Its not a part of the story" This movie never happened as far as i'm concerned.Here is just a small sample of some of the stupidity that is this film.I don't consider this a spoiler but just in case then be warned.They changed the sex of the protagonist from a male to a female.Also,I don't remember there being any love in the series.The anime series or the manga was never a love story.But if your not a fan of the series then you might just like it.

Not a Romance (Minor Spoiler at the Bottom)

[irelishpickles · 10/10 · 12 January 2016]

I tried to watch the anime version, and was never able to get into it. I was really not expecting much from this movie. Boy was I surprised!

I loved this movie. I watched it twice, and loved it more the second time. The directing was incredible! Everything from eye movements to the silences was planned out to perfection. The fight scenes were interesting to watch. The choreography looked like dancing. That is high praise from me. I generally don't like fight scenes. The actor cast as Sebastien didn't just play the part, he became Sebastien. He really was perfect for the roll.

However, I am really disappointed by all the people who didn't understand the final scenes of this movie. This movie was not a romance! Sebastien is a demon for heaven's sake! He does not love. I think a lot of fans of the manga/anime are just looking for anything to gripe about, and not looking at this movie for what it really is.

Minor Spoilers Below:

How did so many of these reviewers miss the symbolism of Shiori's struggle up the stairs as Sebastien watched from below? I guess none of you are familiar with Stairway to Heaven? Did you also not notice that at that the exact moment she made it to the top, the music cut to the sound of the people praying in the Cathedral?

The reason why Sebastien saved Shiori was purely selfish. It had nothing to do with love. He saved her because at that moment in time her soul was pure. She willingly sacrificed herself to save thousands. If you take the prayers at the cathedral into account, you might even say that she was acting on God's behalf. He couldn't eat her soul, so he saved her knowing that in the future her soul would be darker.

He even says as much. He doesn't try to hide the fact at all. Yet for some reason a lot of you still think this movie was a romance. Even my teenagers got it...

Honestly I'm very disappointed

[Almightea · 6/10 · 22 July 2017]

First of all I really loved and a big fan of the anime and manga.

When I heard one of my favorite anime and manga will be made into live-action. I am so thrilled. I can not wait to see it. Even I know mostly whatever it is being adapted not as good as the original one. But I'm still so thrilled by that announcement.

Then another announcement came out Ciel Phantomhive is played by a girl. and I'm like "what the...??" "NO F WAY!!" (Yeah I know in the anime Ciel is voiced by a woman)

When the movie came out, me and my friends, my fellow Kuroshitsuji fans, were so excited. We watched it together. Then TADA!! We were so disappointed.

Turn out the announcement is true. Film changes the setting and the character. The setting of the original manga which was set in 19th-century London to an unnamed Eastern nation in the year 2020. The character Ciel Phantomhive is replaced by Ayame Goriki play as Shiori Genpo, a descendant of the prestigious aristocratic family Phantomhive. She'll be playing a girl who assumes a male disguise named Kiyoharu.

AND that is my biggest disappointment. Earl Kiyohara Genpu replacing Earl Ciel Phantomhive. I mean, WHY???? I know it's kind of silly but COME ON I just want to see Ciel in a live-action version because he's my second favorite (anime and or manga) character after Sebby of course.

There is something that feels off too. I can't explain what it is, maybe the story or maybe the character or something else I don't know. Well at least my friends is agreed with me.

Rating: 6/10 (Well, because Kuroshitsuji still my favorite anime and manga and Mizushima Hiro is one of my favorite actor)

Total disappointment 3/10 just for the effort

[labikkina · 3/10 · 22 August 2014]

Oh...so many faillures that I don't know where to begin.... Well, I just couldn't even bring myself to watch the whole thing. I wasn't expecting the movie to be the exact representation of the anime version, but I did was expecting it to have the feel and look of it. For starters, the casting of the main characters was quite unfortunate.There is no chemistry between them and the girl doesn't have the fragile image needed to make the butler presence more powerful which is a key element since that goes with the balance of the character's psychology that plays with the irony that, while the Butler is the servant of the Master, the Master is totally dependant on the Butler and somehow slaved to him by contract. In the movie case he looks just a servant. The acting was even more cartoonish than the anime itself. The actor portraying Sebastian, did somewhat nicely but lacked the character's distinction and charm, not to speak the sensuality.This guy looks more like a hairdresser than a butler. He constantly reminded me of one of those old commercials that tries too hard to sell cheap bath soap to illiterate housewives. The girl doing Ciel's "impression" is kind of cute but nothing more, lacking just the same attributes as the guy playing Sebastian, but adding the even less forgivable sin of not looking stylished at all. Not even like a hairdresser. It is obvious that the movie budget couldn't afford much in costumes desing either. That top hat looks horrendous on her, not to mention the terrifiying ugliness of the gigantic, stiff bow she wears in one of the first scenes. I mean, in the anime /manga, Ciel's style is absolutely exquisite and precisely his impeccable style is part of how the character is perceived so, the fact that the costumes didn't match that takes away a lot. As for the soundtrack, it didn't do much for me either. The whole thing is an effing school play.

Judge yourself, but I liked it...

[skipper_de_best · 10/10 · 1 July 2014]

Now a review by someone who has read the manga and has seem the anime series.

It is a good and exciting movies. most scenes are retrieved from the anime, but have also given a new spin on each scene.the main character is different from the anime and the time-line is in the present.

I have heard some people say, that they find this a bad movie and it gives the anime a bad name. But I disagreed with them. I watch the whole movie and i wasn't disappointment.

I say, judge this movie in your own way and don't listen to others. I did like it and i gonna watch it maybe 2 a 3 times again in the future.

Greetz, Skipper P.s. Sorry for my bad Engish...

this is kinda funny

[ladysviguu · 6/10 · 13 March 2023]

I created a whole acc just 4 this review; sebastian looks like his name should be james

pls go watch the anime or the movies or read the manga bc i swear this haunted me for the past few days i cannot make this up

like why does ciels haircut look like it was cut by someone who was submitting their thesis of why lemon juice could be used as lubricant while cutting his hair

if u want a good cackle i recommend u watch this bc it was kinda funny to me idk

absolutely no hate to the actors and actresses bc mey rin carried this entire horrendous movie

i genuinely want to know what the producers were on while making this.

It's not worth it

[beattakeshi-03856 · 1/10 · 5 April 2015]

Have you noticed that no one who actually enjoyed the series has enjoyed this pitiful excuse for a movie? There's a reason for that. It's a drastic change from everything about Black Butler that we know and love. For example, the female main character was originally a 12 year old boy. And to be honest, that 12 year old boy had more chemistry with Sebastian than this knock-off chick. Do you know how boring she is? I don't remember her name. That's how boring she is.

And even though Sebastian somehow managed to not get replaced (even though Ciel is the main character and is no where to be found.) he didn't make it through unscathed. He's a poor reflection of himself. He's got none of the charm, none of the draw, and none of the appeal. Hell, he's barely even attractive. While that may seem like nitpicking, one of Sebastian's traits in canon is being attractive. Multiple people point it out and it's even used to get information out of a nun at one point. This guy is honestly average at best.

This is Dragonball Evolution. That's what this is. There's no getting around it. This is The Last Airbender but with Black Butler. It's only enjoyable if you have no idea what it's supposed to be. Any actual fans of Black Butler are going to be very very disappointed. If you like diluted adaptations of wonderful things where they alienate the original audience and instead make the movie a sub-par generic mess, go right ahead.

Okay.

[aer71367-313-155069 · 6/10 · 29 October 2020]

I was new to the animated series which I loved so when I saw a live action version I was totally on board. And as usual film makers always think they can fix what isn't broken. Why on earth would they make Ceil a girl is beyond me and it was totally unnecessary! The charm of the animated series was the interplay between Sebastian and Ceil and changing Ceil into a girl changed the entire dynamic of the series! The actor playing Sebastian was good but the actress was horrible. This is an amazing series and they took all that was fantastic about it and made a mediocre film. BB deserved better!

Good adaptation of impossible material

[cvnickles · 7/10 · 3 February 2023]

Considering the original material includes a lot of sexual predators and age inappropriate sexual vibes involving a 12 year old, changes were going to be made. I am familiar enough with various forms of the original material and consider the changes to be easy to tune out. This is as close an adaptation as can exist in an international market. Besides, given the original material, why shouldn't the Butler have a new job? He's gotta eat.

Good effects and enjoyable live versions of classic set pieces from the original material. Sebastian still knows how to work a butter knife. The plot is goofy but not inconsistently goofy compared to the original. I'd watch more of these.

I'm a big fan of the anime and the manga and I did like it

[luzpat · 7/10 · 7 August 2015]

Kuroshitsuji is one my favorites anime and manga and I did like the movie. It is obviously not even nearly as great as the manga and the anime are but I think it wasn't a truly bad movie; tough I have to say the reason for me not to be disappointed was that I wasn't expecting much... In fact I was expecting to totally hate it. I think if you're not a fan of the anime and/or the manga you're going to like it; if you are, then you have to watch it with an open mind. In my opinion it's nearly impossible to pay tribute to such a great story, as Kuroshitsuji is, in a single movie but the people involved in the creation of this one made a good try. I specially enjoyed the effort of the actor who played Sebastian and most of the action scenes; specially the Rin's one (OK, OK, I loved that scene... please don't judge me). Judge for yourself but I think you're not going to regret giving it a chance... Just don't expect the awesomeness of the original story and of all of the characters... the manga is so good it sets the bar too damn high, be reasonable before judging. PS: Pardon my English.

why i hate this movie

[jeremy92288-908-513119 · 1/10 · 9 March 2014]

why in the hell did they make this story of black butler into a damn dark romance why for the love of god why i wanted to see her die but No he had to fall in love with her damn it just damn it all why could this not just have Ciel in it that was the story why change it and people would have liked it more as a gay story anyway why did she change it i like the story i like the anime even season 2 i like but this movie as far as it goes for me is not a part of the story its not dead this movie never happen as far for me this movie did not happen making it into a damn romance is SO damn stupid i wish it was like the book not this please for the love of god not this

Very cool West-East near future action movie

[the_wolf_imdb · 8/10 · 5 January 2015]

Please forget the opinions of manga fundamentalists. To quote the Black Butler, "their opinions slightly fuel my wish for killing". They are not alone on this world and these movies are made for more general public who do not have encyclopedic knowledge of the respective fictive universes. So their fundamentalist dismissals of movies based on this argument are totally off the mark.

I have seen the Black Butler movie for the very first time and I have kinda liked it. Of course, there is an incredibly complex storyline that makes the Japanese stories hard to follow for us, the plain West village folks. It might be a hard thing to swallow for some but it is worth it.

The story is actually a near future sci-fi fantasy crime movie. Even though this might seem to be bizarre, it is actually very cool. The plot is somewhat familiar for the Westerners as it builds on the West culture. The uneasy relationship between the "master" and "servant", that is somewhere between the love and the hate is also very interesting. The "master" might seem spoiled and much more powerful "servant" might seem cold and cynical, but the ending is really powerful.

Forget the critics. This is very "above average" drama, a crime movie and a somewhat bizarre love story. Pretty much unforgettable experience. And yes, the opening sequence is one of the most amazing combat scenes I have seen: If you meet a well dressed butler with a butter knife asking politely for something, you should not laugh at him. You should not!

Black Butler anime lovers beware!

[ravenclawapollochild · 4/10 · 25 August 2016]

Oh dear, where do I start with this one... I know! I shall first give it the title of "So bad it's good", to a Black Butler fan at least (Not knowing the Anime will make the film a little bit more interesting). As Black Butler fans my cousin and I did indeed get a few laughs out of it, though i doubt most of the laughs were meant by the director.

To tell the truth the characters are boring although i did find myself having one favorite, and that would be the reincarnation of Madam Red, and it's only really because she at least was not bound by the original character too much, unlike the unoriginal copies of Ciel and May Rin.

Fans of the show might also be a bit surprised to find that instead of being in the Victorian era (which suited the show wonderfully) the film is set in a (semi-)modern world. Then again anime live actions aren't known for being the best.

But I digress, it's not too bad if you haven't seen the anime and if you have prepare yourself for the funniest yet cringiest retelling of the first couple episodes with a weird twist.

Enjoyable Near-Future Action Film

[alisonc-1 · 8/10 · 2 August 2014]

After witnessing the murder of her parents, Shiori Genpo sells her soul to a demon, Sebastian, in return for his help in avenging their deaths. Since only boys can inherit the large company her family owned, she quickly assumes the identity of a boy, Kiyoharu, pretending to be her father's illegitimate son, and grows up in the magnificent grounds of her family estate, aided by her now-butler, Sebastian, a rather clumsy maid and other household help; as Kiyoharu, she takes on the family title of Count and is the head of the family's toy business empire by the age of 17. But she has never given up her search for the killer of her parents. In her other role, as a "guard dog of the Queen" (who rules the Western world), she is investigating a series of mysterious deaths-by-sudden-mummification. With Sebastian's help, she narrows the search to an invitation-only night club, but when she herself receives such an invitation, more than her own life might be on the line....

This is apparently based on a famous manga, also called Black Butler, which has received a number of treatments in the past, but this is the first big-screen, big-budget version. I'm not familiar with the manga, so I can't say whether the film is faithful to its source material, but as a film, it stands up well on its own. There's lots of action (both martial arts style and gun play), some very funny moments and, at the end, a quite reasonable set-up for a sequel. I don't know how well it's done in Japan, but at Montreal's Fantasia Festival, it was definitely a crowd-pleaser!

Broke My Expectations

[azenyaan · 3/10 · 23 September 2021]

As a fan of Black Butler, my expectations were crushed when I watch the live action. It's really inappropriate, especially since the main character's gender is changed to a woman. My sebastian is really not handsome anymore.

Could have been better

[patchescat · 4/10 · 29 January 2022]

As a standalone movie, I'd give it 5/10.

Plot is typical for the genre. Great choreography and camera work. Digital effects are dated and the editing is generally questionable.

As a manga/anime adaptation, 2/10.

If you're a fan of the anime, I highly recommend pretending that this movie takes place far after the anime and the human characters are unrelated.

Loved it!.

[twinkleshinne · 10/10 · 12 October 2014]

Okay so I'm not going to spoil the plot but I'll recommend to watch this movie it's very epic and dynamic in some way the actors acted very well truly I was quiet surprised with the genuinity of their acting since it was a imitation oh well it left a nice impression especially if you watch it in a blu-ray haha I've liked kuroshitsuji since it first started and even till now, if there were to be made other movies or few more anime seasons I'd be very delighted to watch them because I love this black butler once again about the movie i'll definitely say that I recommend it though some might not really like it but if you appreciate the plot and the actors and the work they went through to create it I'd say that I'm grateful to them.

Just..meh

[d-50121 · 5/10 · 23 June 2020]

I love black butler, I've watched the anime and read the manga for 5 years now, and when I discovered that a live action movie was made I was psyched to say the least! Honestly I went into to the movie with high hopes and I honestly felt pretty let down. The movie visually is stunning and sticks to the source material's gothic Victorian aesthetic nicely. But the movie was just pretty bland compared to the anime, the story was just average and the characters acting was subpar. It just seemed like a quick cash grab from the Black Butler brand. If you like Black Butler like myself you will get some enjoyment by seeing the characters in real life (minus Ciel) and seeing a fairly adequate interpretation of the anime. If you aren't a fan of the anime I doubt you'll like it as much.

Much better than expected

[Moonmessegeme · 9/10 · 21 September 2014]

I went into this movie with somewhat low expeditions. I was, personally, never a big fan of wither the many a or anime. I gave it plenty of chances, but it just never did it for me. Now this movie, on the other hand... I first caught wind of it when I stumbled apon the trailer. The setting immidiatly caught my interest; rather than being set In Victorian England, it seem to take place in some alternate universe victorean-esque Japan, which is cool enough an idea in it's own right. The anime was set in Victorian England, however, not everything in the series made sense in the context of the time period. Every now and then, something would pop up that just didn't fit, or wouldn't be invented for many years to come. The movie works to rectify this in that they can get away with just about anything they want because the setting is purely fictional, rather than historical. In fact, I think just about every change they made was ultimately for the better. I actually like Ceil better as Kiyojara Genpoue/shiori. The whole cross dressing as a man in order to inherit her familie's assets in order to achieve her goals just added another level of complexity to an already admittedly interesting character. Ceil was my favorite part of the anime and many a both, and I was more than satisfied with the somewhat liberal selection of his character portrayed in this movie. The only problem Ihad with her was how swhen started off the movie, in the beginning, seemingly not carrying about anything but herself and her revenge, being perfectly fine to leave those girls behind in that burning building. Then, at the end, she just up and decided to sacrifice her life for a bunch of strangers. Unless I missed something, I can see no real reason for this change of heart. Indeed, at some ambiguous point during the film she seemed to permantly loose her previously cool demeanor and transition into constant worry mode. I liked my first immpresions of her better, so I was just a tad disappointed. But, as I said, that's really my only complaint. There's just so much to like about this movie. The cinematography is stunning, the atmosphere just right. A truly wonder full movie, all things considered.