Black Butler

There are some anime shows that I really try to get into. And I mean really try. When a show gets so much hype and praise, I think to myself "It just has to be good. There's no way it could be bad when it's this popular". Many times, however, when that thought fails me and sometimes I'm so let down and so uninterested in a show that I think that maybe there is something wrong with me. I am very critical when it comes to anime, though. It first peaked my interest in high school when Mike introduced me to Dragon Ball Z. Damn, that show was good. It was good because of the unique cast of characters, the great voice acting and the story as well as the concepts that went along with it. Though it became repetitive over time and I haven't followed it as I once did, I new that it was a new form of entertainment that I enjoyed quite a bit. Since then I have considered myself an anime fan even though there are just a few that I really do enjoy.

My latest love interest: Black Butler.

Don't let the coattails fool you. The Joker is also an evil bastard and his are purple.

Black Butler is set in London in the Victorian era. The main character is Ciel Phantomhive, a twelve-year-old who is head of the family and runs the Funtom company (and surprisingly mature for a prepubescent child) . Sebastian Michaelis is his butler; a demon who has vowed to serve Ciel and help him avenge the death of his parents for the small price of devouring his soul when the task is complete. That relationship is intriguing to watch as they have there adventures that usually involve other supernatural beings.

 I have always been one for Gothic themes and this show satisfies that for me. The voice acting done by J. Michael Tatum for Sebastian is just superb and every episode I watched left me a little angrier than the last because I knew I was closer to the end of season 1. Unfortunately only the first season has been released here in North America. On a positive note, though, you can currently check it out on Netflix instant streaming.

Danny