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Why William took his own life: a fan theory

In Kuroshitsuji, the grim reapers (or shinigami) are former humans who committed suicide. This begs the question of what the current reapers were like as humans, as well as what led them to take their own lives to begin with. I’m going to take a look at William T. Spears and what his reasons for it might have been.

William’s personality

To hypothesise about the circumstances of Will’s death, we first have to consider his personality. To me, his most striking characteristics are extreme distaste for demons and unusual dedication to his work. Almost everything Will ever says or does is related to his job:

The first time he appears in the manga, he introduces himself as “William T. Spears of the Dispatch Management Division”. He emphasizes his identity as a representative of his organization instead of just giving his name (as Grelle and Ronald do).

His most commonly-stated concern is not being able to finish work on time.

He’s very strict about following Dispatch’s rules himself, as well as harshly policing any  subordinates who disobey them.

He constantly complains about working overtime, the Dispatch being understaffed, and the incompetence of his co-workers.

He believes a shinigami’s duty should be placed above everything else, including one’s own needs and feelings.

His repulsion towards Sebastian may not be a personal thing so much as a job-driven attitude: after all, demons devour the souls which shinigami are supposed to collect, making the latter group’s job significantly more difficult. It’s no wonder, then, that Will despises Sebastian and his ilk.

As you can see, Will’s whole (after)life is reduced to fulfilling his duties; in contrast to others (Grelle, Ronald, Undertaker), he doesn’t seem to think of himself as an individual as much he does an employee of the Dispatch.

Another of Will’s notable features is the limited range of emotions he expresses. Every time we see Suit, he’s either irritated or expressionless; strong positive emotions (such as excitement, joy, or love) are foreign to him. Other reapers enjoy the company of others (including humans), and are often seen enjoying their duties, but Will isn’t like that at all. All that matters to him is his job, but even fulfilling his duties doesn’t seem to make William happy. Quite the contrary in fact, as his job is the main source of his problems. It’s quite possible he doesn’t like being a shinigami one bit,  and yet – unlike the Undertaker – he has never deserted, trying to do his best for the sake of his organization, dealing with its demands and performing tasks way beyond the scope of his assigned duties, never reaching satisfaction. This whole situation must be very stressful; no wonder Will’s so anxious and frustrated all the time...

William’s hypothetical past

The way William the shinigami thinks and acts can’t be too different from how he thought and acted as a human, therefore it’s probable that his current obsession with work and work-related problems started even before he joined the Dispatch, and could even have been a significant factor in his suicide.

This idea occurred to me when I came across a phenomenon called “karojisatsu”, a Japanese term for suicide induced by stress from overwork. Alongside with karoshi (death from overwork), karojisatsu has been a big social issue in Japan ever since the economic crisis in the late 1980s/early 1990s, which forced people to work much harder and longer than before. By the end of the 1990s, the suicide rate among the working-age population had increased dramatically. Researchers have pointed out that the enormous pressure placed on the employees, including extremely long working hours and low social support at work, likely influences these salarymen to  commit suicide. According to government figures cited in the Washington Post, Japan had 2,207 work-related suicides in 2007, and 672 of these caused by stress from work. Also, despite a recent decline in suicide rates for Japan’s general population, statistics still show alarmingly high suicide rates among young men that correlate strongly with extreme stress and fatigue from overwork.

William as karojisatsu victim

Toboso-sensei, being Japanese herself, would be familiar with this concept, and it seems she used it as inspiration for Will’s character, seeing how well he fits the image of a Japanese salaryman (although he is more impolite than one would expect of such an individual). One paper examining the characteristics of people who committed karojisatsu  lists traits that match William’s character very well:

„Eleven of the victims (50%) wrote suicide notes … [with] a tone of self-reproach for their poor performance at work. Work was so central to these people’s self-esteem that their inability to cope with career-related demands was the biggest cause of their suicide”. William is concerned about his work performance, he wants everything to be done by the book, and he becomes irritated if things go wrong. Although he doesn’t hesitate to blame others for delays, he still feels responsible for his tasks and worries about not completing them on time. He might’ve been in a similar situation before he died – due to his previous employer’s inhumane demands, his physical and mental health decreased over time and eventually led him to suicide.   

Another large-scale effect influencing the work-related suicide epidemic in Japan is what could be called a culturally-enforced strong work ethic. “Japanese workers work very hard, even when suffering from poor physical or mental health due to overwork, and many workers will say, ‘If I fail now, I will burden my co-workers. Therefore, I cannot avoid work.” Similarly, William places duty above all else, including his own thoughts and feelings (and demands the same from others). He has completely devoted himself to his role as a shinigami. According to him, being a perfect reaper means completing one’s assignments without fail, at any time, and in any state. Having similarly strict attitudes in his previous life as a human could be another factor in his untimely demise.

Low social support (at work) is another common trait of karojisatsu victims. Although we don’t know what Will was like when he was a human, I doubt he had many friends. He seems to be a loner, limiting his interactions with others to work-related business, and doesn’t appear to enjoy any kind of company. If he was like that back when he was among the living, it’s unlikely that he had any friends or companions to support him emotionally, exacerbating the strain on his mental health.

“Individuals might have indicated that they were tired or exhausted or that they wanted to retire”. Will constantly complains about being too busy and unable to finish work on time, and refers to his side tasks as being bothersome and unpleasant. He isn’t emotionally motivated to do what he does, he’s simply following orders because he’s obliged to do so and has a strong sense of the weight of his responsibilities. So although Will’s never directly stated he wants out, his whole attitude screams “This whole shinigami thing is a pain, I’m doing it only because I have to”. It’s clearly exhausting for him. What’s even worse, it might be the second time he’s been in a situation like this,  if we assume his current state even vaguely reflects that of his pre-suicide self, he might have been tired of his “human” job, but was unable to quit (due to a strong work ethic/financial reasons/worsening mental health/etc.) and forced himself to stick with it until the very literal end. This would make working as a shinigami a doubly-cruel punishment for him, as it would be like reliving that ‘work hell’ he (could have) already experienced as a human.

“Overwork might not have been a direct cause of suicide; however, mental health problems, especially depression, may have contributed to the factors that led up to suicide”. William doesn’t seem depressed, you might say, but for men, depression is often masked by non-obvious symptoms, such as physical exhaustion, aggression, irritability and addictions, and thus remain undiagnosed. As the authors of the article themselves note, “Japanese male workers tend to show physical symptoms rather than depressive feelings due to unfavorable cultural attitudes toward depression”. Therefore, the possibility of William suffering from depression (obviously a strong risk factor for suicide), cannot be excluded. This would also explain his behaviour pretty well (constant exhaustion, negativity, being harsh and violent towards others…).

In conclusion: Work-related stress almost undoubtedly caused Will’s suicide, or at least contributed to it significantly. Although I have no direct proof, and indeed there might never be any (unless sensei eventually decides to reveal Suit’s past), I think this theory works well with Will’s personality and adds much more depth to him, making him something more than just “tight-assed guy who’s always angry at Grelle and complains a lot”. After all, there was a time when the Undertaker was a purely comedic character, and later that turned out to be only one piece of his complex personality (and/or a coping mechanism he developed to deal with the loss of his loved ones). So why would William be different...?

*** Proofreading: @baroness-caffeine (Thank you soooo much for taking care of that despite being busy, you did a great job!)

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Black Butler but everyone drinks out of Undertaker’s special mugs [part 3]

Following the idea started by @thecoffindealer92 and @abybweisse​ in their posts (x, x), which led me to create a few silly edits of some panels from chapter 6, I decided to change the whole story accordingly. So, here it is. Enjoy!

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Now the story is complete. I'm so proud of us.

@bone-shaped-cookie and @thecoffindealer92 imagine this scene:

If our earl had been handed this mug:

Because we know:

….

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“That Undertaker, Sipping His Tea With Pride”

Thanks for the inspiration, @thecoffindealer92 and @abybweisse

Black Butler but Undertaker only drinks out of this mug the entire time.

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The process of creating my recent PH fanart.

I like watching videos and animations that document creating all kinds of stuff (especially art), so I decided to make one myself. I think it’s cool to watch things evolve from rough sketch to something pretty nice, and see the progress as well as all the mistakes you’ve made, even if it’s just a simple fanart like this one.

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black fineliner + black marker + fancy decorative duct tape + lots of mistakes and corrections made in the process = this pic

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Ginko (the main character of Mushi-shi) using one of the most iconic Slavic swear words made my day. This is so hilariously surreal to hear from such a genuinely Japanese character that he is.

Now all I can think of is the possibility that there is a Russian edition of this manga which has him saying even more iconic ‘CYKA BLYAT’...

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Kuro drawings #2

This time I present to you the Undertaker, everyone’s most hated favourite reaper. If you ever see this guy around, expect troubles lots of fun!

 Although not everything went "just according to keikaku” while drawing this one, I’m glad I eventually managed to complete it. Given my extremely slow pace and a bad habit of leaving my work unfinished, it’s quite an achievement. I still have a lot to learn, though.

The picture was based on Yana Toboso’s gift drawing for Izumi Shuuhei.

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Break’s family tree REVEALED! [SHOCKING]

Ever wondered who Break’s parents actually were....? 

...well, now you know the truth.

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Break vs. the Undertaker: a very serious character comparison

...So I finished reading Pandora Hearts yesterday and I’m trying to deal with all the feelings elicited by that experience by making memes. It seems Kuro/Pandora shitposting (alongside with actually serious analysis posts and, hopefully, more of my drawings) is gonna take over this blog for quite some time... hope you don’t mind.

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The symbolism in Yana’s 2017 Halloween drawing

As noticed by the author of this post, Yana Toboso’s drawing from Halloween of 2017 gains a new level of meaning now that we know about R!Ciel and how Undertaker resurrected him. I believe the objects in the picture are symbols of the twin’s past and current state, personality, and possible motivations.

The vampire. Real Ciel is depicted as a vampire, which has multiple meanings:

According to folk tales and legends, vampires do not begin as undead beings – they were once humans, but became vampires after death. The same can be said about RC himself, who Undertaker transformed into an advanced bizarre doll after his death.

Vampires are famous for their lust for blood. Therefore, RC’s vampire fangs could be a reminder that he used to rely on blood transfusions, and indeed that he is probably still dependent on them. His lust for blood could also be metaphorical. He isn't fond of Sebastian and wants to get rid of him, as he already did with Agni. RC’s return into the narrative is already accompanied with bloodshed, and it’s likely that his presence will cause even more people/supernatural beings to be injured or killed.

As entities that feed on blood, vampires steal vitality from their victims; this is comparable to what’s happening to Our Ciel right now: he’s shocked and unable to act, and his previous strength and confidence seem to have evaporated. Let’s just hope he won’t end up like the traditional vampire victim and will instead recover his past strength.

Finally, vampires “often visit loved ones and cause mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods they inhabited when they were alive” (Wikipedia). Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The cross & the coffin.

Both signify death, something RC experienced firsthand. The cross itself even shows the way he was killed – it’s embedded in his stomach.

The cross is also a symbol of resurrection (or the promise of resurrection): according to Christian tradition, three days after Jesus’ death by crucifixion, his followers found his grave empty and saw their master alive & well. Similarly, RC – who died – has now come back to life (in a sense).

The coffin shown in the picture is opened, predicting RC’s resurrection and return. As we know now, he left his coffin both metaphorically (he’s no longer dead, but undead) and literally, as he was in Undertaker’s Coffin-Shaped Bizarre Doll Maker™ until now.

Halloween. The twin appears in a Halloween-themed illustration. Coincidence? I think not. If you consider Halloween’s origins and traditions, it makes a lot of sense:

A bridge between two worlds. Halloween is believed to originate from pagan and Christian traditions related to remembering the deceased. A common belief was that, during Halloween, the veil between our world and the afterlife temporarily thinned, allowing spirits of the dead to more easily cross over it and visit their past homes. So, like a spirit on All Hallow’s Eve, the dead Phantomhive also came by to say hello. He doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, though...   

Dressing in costumes.  Hiding one’s identity by wearing a mask and costume is possibly the most recognizable Halloween tradition. In a way, this is what OC was doing until RC exposed him: hiding his true identity and posing as his brother.

Trick-or-treating. Since OC stole the “candy,” he deserved to be “tricked”- and he eventually was. As we saw in chapter 142, RC accused OC of stealing his identity (and the role of the watchdog) in front of everyone, even though he previously claimed he wasn’t angry at OC. What a prankster!

So, that’s basically it. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but considering Yana’s penchant for foreshadowing, there’s almost certainly more to this particular picture than initially meets the eye.

Thank you all for reading, and special thanks to @baroness-caffeine for proofreading!

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This could be a spoiler for next Kuroshitsuji chapter, it suits the current situation so well:

The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Kansas, July 16, 1897

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Undertaker and the Midfords: why no interaction...?

Lizzie’s return in the latest chapter was one of the rare moments when we could see Undertaker and the Midfords in the same panel... 

Come to think of it, it’s pretty strange that up until then they had never been shown together in the manga (with one exception from chapter 107.5*), let alone allowed to interact with each other, even though they had enough opportunities to do so in the past. They could have bumped into each other on the Campania, at Weston**, or simply in the Phantomhive manor (especially when Vincent was still alive). And although I realize the Akuma Six chapter was a spin-off and therefore isn’t canon, the fact that nothing happened there really surprises me. Knowing Francis’ disgust with slovenly hairstyles and handsome male faces, UT (who was in the same room as her the whole time!) was extremely lucky not to get targeted by the Marchioness…

I think it’s quite significant that even in such irrelevant, non-canonical chapter Yana kept preventing those characters from interacting with each other. She seems to be doing it on purpose, and I believe this purpose is to protect us from getting the information which may be revealed during such confrontation. The way UT and Francis would react to one another (familiarity versus no recognition) could tell us a lot about the nature of UT’s relationship with Claudia (Francis’ mother) and the whole Phantomhive family. Revealing all this too soon would make the mystery gone and spoil the fun, hence the whole avoiding game; at least that’s the way I see it.  

I think that for the very same reason Francis didn’t appear in the recent chapter, despite her husband and children making a comeback: Yana’s saving her return for later, as she wants to keep us in suspense for a little longer. Judging by their reaction, Edward and Alexis aren’t familiar with UT, so they can’t reveal his secrets to us. Lizzie - who’s been directly involved in this Blue Sect mess - must know the man at least a bit, but I’m not sure whether she’s aware of  UT’s true identity and his connection to her ancestors. Also, even if Lizzie really knows more, all that matters to her right now seems to be RC’s return and OC’s lie, so I doubt we will receive this information from her. Therefore, I’m afraid the mystery surrounding the reaper won’t be solved until Francis joins the party.

Her prolonged absence adds even more to the long list of questions that need to be answered: 

Why is she gone? 

Where is she? Has she been with Lizzie the whole time? 

How much does she know about the Blue Sect and UT’s plans?  What’s her role in all this?

Is she aware of OC’s true identity? If so, when did she find out? Did she know that from the start? 

Hopefully, when Francis eventually comes back, we will find out.  

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* - I’m talking about this panel showing both UT and Lizzie (there’s no interaction between them in the whole chapter, though):

** - OK, Weston might not be the best example, as UT was hiding himself well back then and even Sebastian couldn’t catch him; however, remember how easily Francis found Seb in that huge crowd of people, despite his disguise and demonic abilities…?

This is why I believe she should have been able to detect UT’s presence, too (if only Yana allowed her to).

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Kuro Drawings #1

My drawing of our beloved diva reaper, inspired by Ms. Toboso’s gift for Takuya Uehara - the guy who plays Grelle in the musicals:

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Oh, it’s definitely not just you!  I too have noticed the similarity between those two. Here are the results of my own research, transformed into an animated comparison:

Conclusion? Give this lady a proper wig and some makeup, and she will make a perfect Undertaker!

Undertaker in disguise