Here is my greatly unpopular opinion: I PREFER THE 2ND SEASON OVER THE 1st! "Oh no I didn't!?" Oh yes. Yes I did.
However (before you grind your teeth in anger) please note the following; 1. I HAVEN'T read the Manga but I have been made aware that the 2nd season isn't Canon/like the original script in the Manga. And
2. I HAVEN'T (yet) watched "The Book of Circus", though I know that THIS is supposed to be truer to the Manga aswell.
Now before you scroll past, here are my REASONS, why I prefer the 2nd season (even if it ISN'T Canon/like the Manga)
Reason 1. The story line was MUCH EASIER to follow. The 1st season had so many subplots that didn't really make sense..like the curry bun plot...why!? What was the point of that Indian prince!? What was up with the whole Angel thing!? Would God or whoever sent the Angel approve of his/her behaviour?? Why did the Queen turn young, died and then old again? What was the point of the episode with the ghost king-brothers?? And that naked demon hound-human-werewolf!? There were really so many different detours that took away from the main plot; Ciel's revenge. I felt that the plot was written by a 14 year old! (I actually wrote something similar to the curry buns, but instead of the food SAVING the day and CURING people, it was the food that turned people evil. A soda turning people into zombies, once you drank it. And I wrote this WHEN I WAS 14-15! If the curry bun plot is a part of the Manga and the writer of the Manga wrote this when she was 23-24? Then My oh my...I have no words!)
Which brings me to the NEXT reason why I prefer THIS SEASON over the 1st; Reason 2: The unecessary HUMOR in the first season. I get that this is an anime, and some humor is welcome, but with all the blood, gore, big breasts and sexual induendo's one can't help but to ask "Who is the intended audience here? Really? Is this supposed to be for teens? Children? Adults!?" The humor that are used in season 1 reminds of the silly humor used in Pokémon. Yes. You read it right. Pokémon. And so I find it confusing for such silly, clumsy humor to be a part in such a usually dark tone in this type of anime. (Unfortunately I didn't like Hellsin Ultimate for the very same reason. I guess I won't like that Manga either! Such humor is confusing, when there is so much blood and gothic tone/ scenery involved.
Reason 3: The pasing in the 2nd season as well as the plot is more COHESIVE. It is much more well directed and well written (Sorry. Perhaps I WON'T like the Manga then!) Like already mentioned, THIS plot makes more sense. The reason why it makes more sense in the 2nd season is that we are not simply introduced to characters at random and just expected to understand what is going on. (We don't get a bunch of characters thrown into our faces. Like The Undertaker for example...what was the deal with him, really? Why does he need jokes? He was a reaper? Ok? Then why didn't Sebastian understand that, since he seemingly can sense other reapers??)
I am baffled by the ones who say they thing this 2nd season is horrible and less cohesive than the first one. Yes, alright perhaps you should read the Manga first to understand season 1. But that is EXACTLY WHY this 2nd season is SO GOOD! I had acting and drama production as my major. I know what I am talking about! We were THOUGHT to write and direct scripts!! What is a good script, you may ask? Well, a good script is a script that can WORK ON IT'S OWN. You are SUPPOSED to tell the audience as if they are seeing/reading this story FOR THE FIRST TIME, even if it's an adaption of an already existing work! That is where the 1st season FAIL! There are STILL plot holes and things that are left UNEXPLAINED, as if when creating the 1st season was simply to please the Manga readers all along. Alright. Then what about the rest of us!? That does NOT make a good adaptation! A good adaptation is when EVERYONE (reader of the original source material or NOT) can follow the story and it will make sense for EVERYBODY! Even if this 2nd season is not a part of the Manga it had at least a story that even I who have NOT read the Manga or any source material.. could follow and understand it! There were almost NO plot holes or "headscratchers" in the story except for the obvious ones like why Lao and the rest were still alive but...over 80% of the story made sense and left me SATISFIED with more ANSWERS than QUESTIONS. LEt me get you an example; The Harry Potter movies are a good adaptation. Forget about the author and her Trans comments. Just for one second! Think about the movie adaptations. Now, here comes another shocker; I have NEVER read a SINGLE Harry Potter BOOK, and yet I could follow the story in the MOVIES, with nearly NO CONFUSION. Now THAT is what makes a good adaptation/a good script!
Conclusion; Perhaps I WON'T like the original Black Butler Manga then, as I found the 1 st season of the series to be confusing, boring, immature, and all over the place! So yes, perhaps then, this Manga simply isn't for me..
I have to admit, before writing this review, I didn't bother to check the facts of whoever wrote the script for the 2nd season or whoever wrote the adaptation for the 1st season...HOWEVER; if they ARE indeed the same people then I have to say; Well done with THIS season! You made a story (an original that wasn't even a part of the Manga!) that MADE SENSE and that were EASY TO FOLLOW and utterly entertaining, while fit for a more mature audience. Bravo!
P. S just to add more unpopular opinions while I am at it; I prefer Claude over Sebastian and I can't stand the pompous, overly confident Ciel. At least Aloise was evil and a spoiled brat to the core and didn't pretend to be any better, or noble. And that's oddly considering how Ciel acts as if he never wants to be noble and yet that is how he comes across as; A spoiled brat that wants to be a complaining "know it all-hero". Oh well. Don't get me wrong though; I'll STILL watch "The Book of Circus" and that Black Butler full length movie, and everything else that is attached to this universe. Of course I could HOPE they won't be too much alike that horrid 1st season, but I won't have too many high hopes. But don't you worry; I shall write a review about those aswell! Alright. That was all! I know you fans of the original Manga must be quite annoyed now so I bid you Farewell! Ta-ta!
However (before you grind your teeth in anger) please note the following; 1. I HAVEN'T read the Manga but I have been made aware that the 2nd season isn't Canon/like the original script in the Manga. And
2. I HAVEN'T (yet) watched "The Book of Circus", though I know that THIS is supposed to be truer to the Manga aswell.
Now before you scroll past, here are my REASONS, why I prefer the 2nd season (even if it ISN'T Canon/like the Manga)
Reason 1. The story line was MUCH EASIER to follow. The 1st season had so many subplots that didn't really make sense..like the curry bun plot...why!? What was the point of that Indian prince!? What was up with the whole Angel thing!? Would God or whoever sent the Angel approve of his/her behaviour?? Why did the Queen turn young, died and then old again? What was the point of the episode with the ghost king-brothers?? And that naked demon hound-human-werewolf!? There were really so many different detours that took away from the main plot; Ciel's revenge. I felt that the plot was written by a 14 year old! (I actually wrote something similar to the curry buns, but instead of the food SAVING the day and CURING people, it was the food that turned people evil. A soda turning people into zombies, once you drank it. And I wrote this WHEN I WAS 14-15! If the curry bun plot is a part of the Manga and the writer of the Manga wrote this when she was 23-24? Then My oh my...I have no words!)
Which brings me to the NEXT reason why I prefer THIS SEASON over the 1st; Reason 2: The unecessary HUMOR in the first season. I get that this is an anime, and some humor is welcome, but with all the blood, gore, big breasts and sexual induendo's one can't help but to ask "Who is the intended audience here? Really? Is this supposed to be for teens? Children? Adults!?" The humor that are used in season 1 reminds of the silly humor used in Pokémon. Yes. You read it right. Pokémon. And so I find it confusing for such silly, clumsy humor to be a part in such a usually dark tone in this type of anime. (Unfortunately I didn't like Hellsin Ultimate for the very same reason. I guess I won't like that Manga either! Such humor is confusing, when there is so much blood and gothic tone/ scenery involved.
Reason 3: The pasing in the 2nd season as well as the plot is more COHESIVE. It is much more well directed and well written (Sorry. Perhaps I WON'T like the Manga then!) Like already mentioned, THIS plot makes more sense. The reason why it makes more sense in the 2nd season is that we are not simply introduced to characters at random and just expected to understand what is going on. (We don't get a bunch of characters thrown into our faces. Like The Undertaker for example...what was the deal with him, really? Why does he need jokes? He was a reaper? Ok? Then why didn't Sebastian understand that, since he seemingly can sense other reapers??)
I am baffled by the ones who say they thing this 2nd season is horrible and less cohesive than the first one. Yes, alright perhaps you should read the Manga first to understand season 1. But that is EXACTLY WHY this 2nd season is SO GOOD! I had acting and drama production as my major. I know what I am talking about! We were THOUGHT to write and direct scripts!! What is a good script, you may ask? Well, a good script is a script that can WORK ON IT'S OWN. You are SUPPOSED to tell the audience as if they are seeing/reading this story FOR THE FIRST TIME, even if it's an adaption of an already existing work! That is where the 1st season FAIL! There are STILL plot holes and things that are left UNEXPLAINED, as if when creating the 1st season was simply to please the Manga readers all along. Alright. Then what about the rest of us!? That does NOT make a good adaptation! A good adaptation is when EVERYONE (reader of the original source material or NOT) can follow the story and it will make sense for EVERYBODY! Even if this 2nd season is not a part of the Manga it had at least a story that even I who have NOT read the Manga or any source material.. could follow and understand it! There were almost NO plot holes or "headscratchers" in the story except for the obvious ones like why Lao and the rest were still alive but...over 80% of the story made sense and left me SATISFIED with more ANSWERS than QUESTIONS. LEt me get you an example; The Harry Potter movies are a good adaptation. Forget about the author and her Trans comments. Just for one second! Think about the movie adaptations. Now, here comes another shocker; I have NEVER read a SINGLE Harry Potter BOOK, and yet I could follow the story in the MOVIES, with nearly NO CONFUSION. Now THAT is what makes a good adaptation/a good script!
Conclusion; Perhaps I WON'T like the original Black Butler Manga then, as I found the 1 st season of the series to be confusing, boring, immature, and all over the place! So yes, perhaps then, this Manga simply isn't for me..
I have to admit, before writing this review, I didn't bother to check the facts of whoever wrote the script for the 2nd season or whoever wrote the adaptation for the 1st season...HOWEVER; if they ARE indeed the same people then I have to say; Well done with THIS season! You made a story (an original that wasn't even a part of the Manga!) that MADE SENSE and that were EASY TO FOLLOW and utterly entertaining, while fit for a more mature audience. Bravo!
P. S just to add more unpopular opinions while I am at it; I prefer Claude over Sebastian and I can't stand the pompous, overly confident Ciel. At least Aloise was evil and a spoiled brat to the core and didn't pretend to be any better, or noble. And that's oddly considering how Ciel acts as if he never wants to be noble and yet that is how he comes across as; A spoiled brat that wants to be a complaining "know it all-hero". Oh well. Don't get me wrong though; I'll STILL watch "The Book of Circus" and that Black Butler full length movie, and everything else that is attached to this universe. Of course I could HOPE they won't be too much alike that horrid 1st season, but I won't have too many high hopes. But don't you worry; I shall write a review about those aswell! Alright. That was all! I know you fans of the original Manga must be quite annoyed now so I bid you Farewell! Ta-ta!