personally, i enjoyed the second season right up until Alois died. the charachters were interesting and i really didn't know where anything was going and it was exciting. but then it got all weird with Claude acting all pedophile-ish towards Ceil and him freaking out at Sebastian, not to mention Hannah actually being important which was just out of nowhere. i also wish that we couldve identified with the triplets more, i mean, at least let them talk, once? aside from all that, it was just really confusing, and all of the best side charachters from the first season were barely in it (the Undertaker, Lau, Elizabeth). the only new charachter i actually liked was Alois, mostly because i thought he was funny and had an interesting back story (i cant wait to hear him dubbed later). i honestly didnt like Claude from the beginning, he was like Sebastian without a personality and then he was just creepy, and really cruel to Alois, who really didnt deserve that. im just gonna say it, i absolutely HATED the ending. i mean seriously, where did that even come from? i felt bad for Sebastian, and i felt bad for Ceil (his soul was PERFECT, and now its a demon, or nonexistant? i dont even know) but he was acting like a cocky jerk about it, even though sebastian has done so much for him. it made me feel like, ok what now? they live random lives as demons? doing what?? the whole purpose of his life (not to mention the show) is just out of the picture. i wouldve thought that if they werent going to end it with him just straight up eating his soul, they wouldve done something clever that wouldnt necessarily have been a happy ending, but at least give us some closure. regardless of the last few episodes, i look forward to watching it dubbed, mostly because that was how i watched the first season, and maybe some of the charachters will be more consistant than i thought.
personally the second series kind of ruined it for me. It was not as funny as the first one and Sebastian somehow didn't seem like he usually does.
season 2 is 100% anime original they can't do a season 3 now since unlike season 's 1 ending... well it would take A TON of explaining as to how that would work out and I highly doubt ceil would ever want to change after season 2. the anime for BB had gone so far off the rails it is not funny. it would take a BB reboot to actually have it be based of the manga.
I didn't like it for several reasons.
1) The characters seemed really out of character. It felt like they would do anything for fan service.
2) The ending. I don't dislike that Ciel became a demon, (I wouldn't hated it even more if it ended the same as the first season because I wanted something new) I just dislike how it was done. All of a sudden, he switched species. It can't be that easy to change your species, can it? At least to me, it also felt like Ciel cheated and he seems to proud to cheat. I would have liked it a lot more if Ciel had planned a way to escape the contract since the beginning and you could slowly see him become more evil and demonic as the series went on.
3) I didn't like Alois very much. I defiantly pity him, but the impression I got from him gouging out Hannah's eye stuck with me through the whole series. I'd be crazy if I said Ciel wasn't evil (especial after some very evil things he does in the manga) but he's a more refined evil than Alois.
Edit: I forgot to say one thing. I LOVED the music from the second season. Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa was beautiful. Bird, SHIVER, the soundtrack, even the character songs are great.
I havent watched it yet *waiting on the dub ^^* But i know i am going to LOVE it just as much as the first! after all a Black butler fan is a Black butler fan no matter what xD
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anime: Its not about moving pictures.....its about pictures that move you.
I havent watched it yet *waiting on the dub ^^* But i know i am going to LOVE it just as much as the first! after all a Black butler fan is a Black butler fan no matter what xD
oh the optimism of new fans is always nice to see,
I don't dislike BB2 but it removed a lot of my favorite parts of the original and focused on stuff I didn't care for that much a lot of times.
I'm OK with the ending going with what all happened in the second season as a whole. It was a great story line. I'm sure one of the biggest problems though is it all happened so fast. It was one giant storyline in only 12 episodes, where as season one was multiple little storys leading up to the big finale in 24 episodes. I watched all of season two in two sittings. It was wonderfully throughout, but as some said, maybe not so true to season one.
I'm actually happy that Ciel is still alive. I really liked him. It's quite sad that Sebastian can't have his soul, and is stuck as a butler for the rest of who knows, but I always thought I saw some connection beyond the demon/prey relationship those two shared. I'm happy and sad at the same time, but am satisfied with the season as a whole. I think.
I don't see them as being separate, but as a whole...If you judge them separately, your only selling yourself short. Maybe some of the elements do seem a tab bit tacked on, but Black Butler II was never meant to be a different series, it's supposed to be a part of the whole. In my opinion, it was a perfect tie in....They could definitely do way more with it if they wanted to. I could see a reason for a season 3...or maybe even a more true manga adaption like aniplex did with Fullmetal Alchemist....either way, I loved them both...and hunger for more! I can't wait until the second season comes out in Dubbed form!!!! Where's that street date Funimation????!!!!! Anyways....J. Michael Tatum is awesome!!! I have to stick with my Gemini brother from another mother...he has such a wonderful soothing voice...and his best part ever has been Sebastion!!!!! <3 A close second would be Kyoya Otari from Ouran High School Host Club! ;p
I'm in the "love it" camp! Another J. Michael Tatum fan here. I got into Black Butler because I loved Spice and Wolf, and the historical settings of both series are beautifully rendered. (A glass harmonica, even!)
I also love the music and the symbolism in the opening and closing. Not so much the erratic pacing and gory bits, but at least we have a few battles with butter knives to lighten things up.
Season Two seems designed to tease and confuse, but hang on for a few episodes and the conflict emerges.
Now, my take on the ending...
Spoiler: Highlight to view
I think Hannah's contract with Jim stipulated that Ciel's soul would not be devoured and that he would become a demon. I don't think it was Ciel's choice, although he's aware of it during the final butler battle. Now what makes the ending so poignant for me is the conversation where Sebastian seems to lie to Ciel. They both know that Sebastian tried to kill Ciel before he demonized completely, even though Sebastian says he was "just checking." Seems to me that Sebastian loved Ciel's ability to transcend the darkness he lived in, and would rather see his master dead than inhuman.
the anime seasons all end with Mind F's that would normally annoy me to death, but this series actually managed not to.
Tantei's FTW
personally, i enjoyed the second season right up until Alois died. the charachters were interesting and i really didn't know where anything was going and it was exciting. but then it got all weird with Claude acting all pedophile-ish towards Ceil and him freaking out at Sebastian, not to mention Hannah actually being important which was just out of nowhere. i also wish that we couldve identified with the triplets more, i mean, at least let them talk, once? aside from all that, it was just really confusing, and all of the best side charachters from the first season were barely in it (the Undertaker, Lau, Elizabeth). the only new charachter i actually liked was Alois, mostly because i thought he was funny and had an interesting back story (i cant wait to hear him dubbed later). i honestly didnt like Claude from the beginning, he was like Sebastian without a personality and then he was just creepy, and really cruel to Alois, who really didnt deserve that. im just gonna say it, i absolutely HATED the ending. i mean seriously, where did that even come from? i felt bad for Sebastian, and i felt bad for Ceil (his soul was PERFECT, and now its a demon, or nonexistant? i dont even know) but he was acting like a cocky jerk about it, even though sebastian has done so much for him. it made me feel like, ok what now? they live random lives as demons? doing what?? the whole purpose of his life (not to mention the show) is just out of the picture. i wouldve thought that if they werent going to end it with him just straight up eating his soul, they wouldve done something clever that wouldnt necessarily have been a happy ending, but at least give us some closure. regardless of the last few episodes, i look forward to watching it dubbed, mostly because that was how i watched the first season, and maybe some of the charachters will be more consistant than i thought.
personally the second series kind of ruined it for me. It was not as funny as the first one and Sebastian somehow didn't seem like he usually does.
season 2 is 100% anime original they can't do a season 3 now since unlike season 's 1 ending... well it would take A TON of explaining as to how that would work out and I highly doubt ceil would ever want to change after season 2. the anime for BB had gone so far off the rails it is not funny. it would take a BB reboot to actually have it be based of the manga.
Tantei's FTW
I didn't like it for several reasons.
1) The characters seemed really out of character. It felt like they would do anything for fan service.
2) The ending. I don't dislike that Ciel became a demon, (I wouldn't hated it even more if it ended the same as the first season because I wanted something new) I just dislike how it was done. All of a sudden, he switched species. It can't be that easy to change your species, can it? At least to me, it also felt like Ciel cheated and he seems to proud to cheat. I would have liked it a lot more if Ciel had planned a way to escape the contract since the beginning and you could slowly see him become more evil and demonic as the series went on.
3) I didn't like Alois very much. I defiantly pity him, but the impression I got from him gouging out Hannah's eye stuck with me through the whole series. I'd be crazy if I said Ciel wasn't evil (especial after some very evil things he does in the manga) but he's a more refined evil than Alois.
Edit: I forgot to say one thing. I LOVED the music from the second season. Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa was beautiful. Bird, SHIVER, the soundtrack, even the character songs are great.
I havent watched it yet *waiting on the dub ^^* But i know i am going to LOVE it just as much as the first! after all a Black butler fan is a Black butler fan no matter what xD
anime: Its not about moving pictures.....its about pictures that move you.
oh the optimism of new fans is always nice to see,
I don't dislike BB2 but it removed a lot of my favorite parts of the original and focused on stuff I didn't care for that much a lot of times.
Tantei's FTW
I'm OK with the ending going with what all happened in the second season as a whole. It was a great story line. I'm sure one of the biggest problems though is it all happened so fast. It was one giant storyline in only 12 episodes, where as season one was multiple little storys leading up to the big finale in 24 episodes. I watched all of season two in two sittings. It was wonderfully throughout, but as some said, maybe not so true to season one.
I'm actually happy that Ciel is still alive. I really liked him. It's quite sad that Sebastian can't have his soul, and is stuck as a butler for the rest of who knows, but I always thought I saw some connection beyond the demon/prey relationship those two shared. I'm happy and sad at the same time, but am satisfied with the season as a whole. I think.
I don't see them as being separate, but as a whole...If you judge them separately, your only selling yourself short. Maybe some of the elements do seem a tab bit tacked on, but Black Butler II was never meant to be a different series, it's supposed to be a part of the whole. In my opinion, it was a perfect tie in....They could definitely do way more with it if they wanted to. I could see a reason for a season 3...or maybe even a more true manga adaption like aniplex did with Fullmetal Alchemist....either way, I loved them both...and hunger for more! I can't wait until the second season comes out in Dubbed form!!!! Where's that street date Funimation????!!!!! Anyways....J. Michael Tatum is awesome!!! I have to stick with my Gemini brother from another mother...he has such a wonderful soothing voice...and his best part ever has been Sebastion!!!!! <3 A close second would be Kyoya Otari from Ouran High School Host Club! ;p
Pretty pretty red...
I'm in the "love it" camp! Another J. Michael Tatum fan here. I got into Black Butler because I loved Spice and Wolf, and the historical settings of both series are beautifully rendered. (A glass harmonica, even!)
I also love the music and the symbolism in the opening and closing. Not so much the erratic pacing and gory bits, but at least we have a few battles with butter knives to lighten things up.
Season Two seems designed to tease and confuse, but hang on for a few episodes and the conflict emerges.
Now, my take on the ending...
I haven't read the manga.