#black butler 138

[plague-of-insomnia]

Ciel does not see Sebastian as his father.

He is actively repulsed by the idea and Yana has shown this explicitly at least twice: once in the Circus Arc and again in the Murder Arc.

I know there’s a significant segment of the fandom who genuinely believes that Ciel wanted to have Sebastian to replace his dead father, but I disagree strongly, not only because of the above, but also because Yana has shown us that OC was much closer with Tanaka than Vincent.

Besides, if you look at the revisited contract scene from ch 138, it almost seems as if Ciel is not thinking of replacing Vincent when he makes the decision to accept Sebastian’s offer, but in fact is looking for a new protector to replace RC, his dead twin.

It’s impossible to talk about this moment without the gorgeous full-page series from the chapter.

Sebastian offers the contract. Ciel recalls his brother promising to protect him. He gazes out at his brother’s corpse and realizes that his only way forward now is through making a pact with the demon. His brother’s soul is gone already, as is his life.

So Ciel becomes his twin. He takes Sebastian on as his new shield for his revenge. Sebastian may be someone that Ciel relies on, but he is absolutely not his new father figure.

[luvcliffs]

“Command of me anything you wish… my little lord.” (Black Butler, Ch. 138)

I haven’t colored a manga page in ages (maybe 2 years?), so it was about time. I went through hell and back to finish this, but it was so worth it.

The highlights on the hair turned out more orange than I anticipated –I had another idea in mind for the background– but because at some point I merged all the layers into one, I knew I would ruin the whole thing if I tried to fix it, so I left it as it was.

I love how the background looks, a true definition of trust the process.

(I know I keep coloring Sebastian, but I can’t help it, he’s a fav of mine. I promise my next coloring will be of someone else!)

[casasupernovas]

im re-reading chapter 138 of black butler and i need to physically fight that demon.

[theanimeview]

[Analysis] Black Butler & Aestheticism

Source: Chapter 138

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

To be honest, after completing my Master’s thesis on Oscar Wilde and aestheticism, I never thought I’d revisit the concept of aestheticism again in my life. Yet, here I am—drawn back into it and overlapping it (much to my dismay) with the world of Black Butler, a series I’ve loved since middle school. With another arc now adapted into an anime this season, I’m excited to discuss the latest installment of this gothic tale, this time with a bit on aestheticism, the gothic, and academia.

Black Butler: Public School Edition is a distinctive arc. While each arc in the series has its unique qualities, this one is perhaps the most interesting to me because it is the first time we really get to see Ciel work independently and prove himself apart from Sebastian for a prolonged period. Sure, Sebastian is there and working too, but Ciel is powering through this particular arc solo more than we’ve seen before and since. So while the series has always told us Ciel is smart, this time we actually get to see him in action. 

Moreover, in this arc we get to see the role of aestheticism and gothic literary form wrapped in a dark academia theme—a match made in my dark academia aesthetic soul. 

Of course, Black Butler fans have probably noticed how the series consistently embraces various aspects of the gothic aesthetic, but what is aestheticism and how is that different?

Aestheticism is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the late 19th century, with Oscar Wilde being a known proponent of the movement, the setting in particular being in the second half of the Victorian era. It emphasizes the importance of beauty and the pursuit of refined sensory experiences as the highest ideals in life and is often associated with a rejection of the notion that art and beauty should be valued for its moral or political utilization rather than for its own sake. To quote, badly I might add, my own thesis: 

“the literature on the subject of Aestheticism highlights four consistent tenets of the movement (and the art within said movement),… These four principles are the pursuit of beauty for the sake of beauty, the elevation of art or the pursuit of beauty alone, the celebration of individualism, and the idea that art is separate from life, meaning that while art should not have limits, life should” (Wood, pages 4-5 I think). 

Meaning:

The pursuit of beauty for the sake of beauty = We should like things simply because we like them and appreciate that sometimes things are just beautiful without meaning behind it.

The elevation of art or the pursuit of beauty alone = We should champion the autonomy of artistic expression, rejecting external moral or utilitarian purposes in expression.

The celebration of individualism = An encouragement of individuals to seek and appreciate beauty in all aspects of life.

The idea that art is separate from life = While we should pursue a beautiful life and not always try to apply morals or ethics or utility to art, we should not confuse that with reality. Reality has rules and should, but art can and should be free for expression of any and all forms. This rule extends to several things. For example, a morally and ethically horrible story about doctors killing patients might be a well-written thriller that people love, but that doesn’t mean the reader likes murderers. If they like the book, it doesn’t mean that they should become a murderer either. It means that life does and should have moral and ethical limitations, but art should be free of those and that we can like art while being free of those same moral and ethical limitations.

On the other hand, an “aesthetic” is a broader term that refers to the appreciation and study of beauty, whether in nature or art. It encompasses a wide range of styles, tastes, and artistic preferences, without necessarily subscribing to the specific principles of the Aesthetic movement. 

With that said, I always viewed Black Butler as a largely aesthetic piece, not applying aestheticism. The aesthetic of the work is gothicism, and you can see this in every arc, which contains some aesthetic focus within the realm of the gothic. We see it in a wide range of themes from the circus to J-pop imagery, but with different forms of the gothic theme based on the setting/frame. These aesthetics also fit within the realm of the gothic novel. Paraphrasing here, ”The gothic novel is defined by its emphasis on mystery, horror, and the supernatural. It frequently features elements such as haunted castles, concealed passageways, spectral visions, and various artifacts that contribute to the overall atmosphere of terror within the narrative (NTC’s Dictionary of Literary Terms by Kathleen Morner and Ralph Rausch).

When we think of the gothic, we often think of the architecture or clothing styles, but there is a lot more variation to this aesthetic than you might think and we see how the creator is applying these variations of the aesthetic throughout the series as we trace some pivotal parts of late-Victorian era history.

So, broken down, we have the Black Butler Arc & Red Butler Arc, which present a basic gothic tale. We have the Indian Butler Arc, which focuses less on the gothic, but more broadly sets us in late Victorian England to match the Red Butler Arc’s Jack the Ripper narrative, based on the socio-political context. 

Then we have the Circus Arc, which presents a new, dark meaning to the freak shows of England’s history and returns us to the gothic novel themes. We have the Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc, which I’ve discussed already as being true to the gothic form for the inclusion of the sublime. Next is the The Luxury Liner Arc, which coincides with the Titanic that sank just as the Victorian era was coming to an end. The Public School Arc, which we’re discussing here, followed by Emerald Witch Arc and the Blue Arc(s) that I will not discuss at the moment, but probably will in a later post. 

Now, all of these arcs are–in some way–gothic. They all feature the supernatural, they all include a bit of horror, and they all contain some mystery that the Queen’s watchdog must solve. In the Public School arc, the story unfolds within the chaotic halls of academia, weaving a prolonged and intricate narrative involving demon contracts, soul reapers, and other unearthly mysteries. The aesthetic is still gothic, this time as a dark academia vibe, and though I started to notice this turn to the aesthetic during the circus arc, really all of BB has spent a significant amount of time overlapping history, image, and the gothic to build us up to the aesthetic notion. 

However—when thinking of the latest arc to be animated, something clicked. In this arc it really started to click for me that, actually, this work is both a gothic novel and a follower of aestheticism, much like Dorian Gray or Wuthering Heights.

In Chapter 138, Sebastian makes references to following the aesthetic–and that does not seem unintentional. He could have said it was against a code, or policy, or moral or ethic–but he doesn’t. He says it’s against his “aesthetic” and all throughout the series Sebastian has a very hard time letting go of beautiful things. The mansion must be clean, the staff must be well dressed (so too should their lord), the cats are “beautiful” creatures, he doesn’t do “dirty” things to the best of his ability and will give up on what is natural in appearance or progress for a human with his human image to maintain his aesthetics. 

So too does our story. 

Ciel is rejecting external morals by maintaining his contract with Sebastian. We’re told in the anime and the manga that he doesn’t care what is “right” and he’s not getting revenge for anyone else but himself–others be damned. 

What I pull from this is that Sebastian is representative of the art for art’s sake and Ciel is the elevation of art, and their approach is that of celebration of individualism. As Sebastian encourages Ciel’s individuals to seek and appreciate “beauty” in all aspects of life on the road to hell because, as mentioned, art is separate from life. The consequences of following the aesthetic, in this case revenge, are there and Ciel is actively moving towards them because his “art” is not separated from his life.  

If I am right about this, then it adds some new meaning to the work as a whole. The gothic novel element still stands, but it adds additional meaning to the end and makes the use of Hamlet in the “His Butler, Performer” so much more reflective of the tale. Ciel is chasing revenge for revenge’s sake, for his own sake and it is a costly journey. One that, like Dorian Gray, will capture Ciel’s soul not because of the revenge itself, but because of the inability to separate life from art.

To me, it is an absolutely fascinating idea! I look forward to seeing how aestheticism works its way further into the work. What about you all? Do you agree or disagree with this idea?

Copyedited by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow

[vinora-nyghtshayde]

List of anime, a majority of them dubbed, I've watched over the years

1 .Hack//Legend of the Twilight

2 .Hack//Roots

3 .Hack//Sign

4 A centaur's life

5 A lull in the sea

6 A Whisker Away

7 Accel World

8 Ah! My Goddess

9 Akame Ga Kill

10 Amnesia

11 Android Kikaider the animation

12 Angel Sanctuary

13 Angels of Death

14 Armitage III

15 Arrietty

16 Assassination Classroom

17 Attack on Titan

18 Attack on Titan Junior High

19 B: The Beginning

20 Baccano

21 Banner of the stars

22 Basilisk

23 Bastard

24 Battle B-Daman

25 Beastars

26 Betterman

27 Beyblade

28 Beyond the Boundary

29 Big Fish & Begonia

30 Black Blood Brothers

31 Black Butler

32 Black Clover

33 Black Lagoon

34 Bleach

35 Blood Blockade Battlefront

36 Blood+

37 Blue Exorcist

38 Blue Seed

39 BNA: Brand New Animal

40 Boogiepop Phantom

41 Boruto

42 Bungo Stray Dogs

43 Cardcaptor Sakura

44 Carole & Tuesday

45 Case Closed

46 Casshern Sins

47 Castlevania

48 Castle in the Sky

49 Cells at work

50 Ceres, Celestial Legend

51 Charlotte

52 Cheer Boys

53 Chobits

54 Chrono Crusade

55 Code Geass: Lelouch of the rebellion

56 Code Geass: Akito the exiled

57 Code: Realize

58 Code: Breaker

59 Coppelion

60 Cowboy Bebop

61 Crest of the stars

62 Cyborg 009

63 D.Gray-Man

64 D.N.Angel

65 Dance with Devils

66 Deadman Wonderland

67 Death Note

68 Diabolik Lovers

69 Digimon

70 Dr. Stone

71 Dragon Ball Z

72 Dragon Ball GT

73 Dramatical Murder

74 Durarara

75 Erased

76 Ergo Proxy

77 Fooly Cooly

78 Fafner

79 Fairy Tail

80 Fire Force

81 Fist of the North Star

82 Flint the Time Detective

83 Free

84 From the new world

85 From up on Poppy Hill

86 Fruits Basket

87 Fullmetal Alchemist

88 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

89 Fushigi Yugi

90 Gad Guard

91 Gate Keepers

92 Gate Keepers 21

93 Ghost Hunt

94 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

95 Ginga Densetsu Weed

96 Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin

97 Gravitation

98 Gungrave

99 Gunslinger Girl

100 Gurren Lagann

101 Haikyu

102 Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East

103 Hakuoki

104 Hamtaro

105 Hell Girl

106 Hellsing

107 Hellsing Ultimate

108 Hetalia

109 Hitorijime My Hero

110 Howl's Moving Castle

111 Hyperdimension Neptunia

112 IGPX Immortal Grand Prix

113 Inuyasha

114 Isekai Quartet

115 Izetta: The Last Witch

116 Japan Sinks

117 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

118 K

119 K-On

120 Kamigami no Asobi

121 Kamisama Kiss

122 Karas

123 Karneval

124 Kekkaishi

125 Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple

126 Kiki's Delivery Service

127 Kill La Kill

128 Kiss him, not me

129 Kiznaiver

130 Knight's & Magic

131 Konosuba

132 Kuroko's Basketball

133 Kyo Kara Maoh

134 Laughing Under the Clouds

135 Last Exile

136 Little Nemo

137 Little Witch Academia

138 Love Stage

139 Lupin III

140 Medabots

141 Megaman

142 Megaman NT Warrior

143 Mekakucity Actors

144 Mirage of Blaze

145 Mirai

146 Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

147 Mobile Fighter G Gundam

148 Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

149 Mobile Suit Gundam 00

150 Mobile Suit Gundam Seed

151 Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny

152 Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

153 Monster Rancher

154 Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

155 My Hero Academia

156 My Neighbor Totoro

157 My Love Story

158 My roommate is a cat

159 Nanbaka

160 Naruto

161 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

162 Nekopara

163 No. 6

164 Noein To your other self

165 Noragami

166 Noragami Aragoto

167 Oban Star-Racers

168 One Piece

169 One-Punch Man

170 Ouran High School Host Club

171 Outlaw Star

172 Paranoia Agent

173 Peacemaker Kurogane

174 Please Teacher

175 Please Twins

176 Pom Poko

177 Ponyo

178 Porco Rosso

179 Pretear

180 Prince of Stride Alternative

181 Princess Mononoke

182 Prison School

183 Promare

184 RaXephon

185 Re:Zero

186 R.O.D the TV

187 Ronin Warriors

188 Rosario + Vampire

189 Rurouni Kenshin

190 RWBY: Ice Queendom

191 Servamp

192 Sk♾️ The Infinity

193 Sailor Moon R

194 Sailor Moon

195 Saint Seiya

196 Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas

197 Saiyuki

198 Samurai 7

199 Samurai Champloo

200 Samurai Deeper Kyo

201 Sankarea

202 Say I Love You

203 s-CRY-ed

204 Sensitive Pornograph

205 Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign

206 Serial Experiments Lain

207 Servamp

208 Shaman King

209 Shinzo

210 Shonen Maid

211 Show By Rock

212 Silent Mobius

213 Sirius the Jaeger

214 Snow White with the Red Hair

215 Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

216 Soul Eater

217 Soul Eater Not

218 Spice and Wolf

219 Spirited Away

220 Stars Align

221 Sukisho

222 Sword Art Online

223 Tactics

224 Tales of Zestiria the X

225 Tenchi Muyo

226 Tenjou Tenge

227 The Ancient Magus's Bride

228 The Boy and the Beast

229 The Cat Returns

230 The Devil is a Part-Timer

231 The Morose Mononokean

232 The Prince of Tennis

233 The Promised Neverland

234 The Rising of the Shield Hero

235 The Royal Tutor

236 The Seven Deadly Sins

237 The Vision of Escaflowne

238 The Way of the Househusband

239 The Wind Rises

240 Tiger & Bunny

241 Tokko

242 Tokyo Ghoul

243 Toradora

244 Trigun

245 Trinity Blood

246 Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

247 Uta No Prince-sama

248 Vampire Hunter D

249 Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust

250 Vandread

251 Violet Evergarden

252 When Marnie Was There

253 Whisper of the Heart

254 Wise Man's Grandchild

255 Witchblade

256 Witch Hunter Robin

257 Wolf Children

258 Wolf's Rain

259 X

260 Yamada & the Seven Witches

261 Yami No Matsuei

262 Yashahime

263 Yona of the Dawn

264 Your Name

265 Your lie in April

266 Yu-Gi-Oh

267 Yu Yu Hakusho

268 Yuri!! On Ice

269 Zatch Bell

270 Zoids

[namisiaa]

Demon Butler master post

Soooo, I’m sure you already noticed that all of my demonic Sebby colorings (except one with him eating star like a black hole) were made in red and black color palette. I was planning to make a post like this for a long time, but was waiting for more great pieces of him to color. Now I have some of them and I guess it’s time to make it a proper demonic masterpost. I’ll be reblogging it after adding here any new coloring, so you (and also me xD) won’t loose it :D. Hope you like the idea. I have another similar one, but it will have to wait at least few months :P. Work tooks too much of time time these days, but I have to say, I love working!

PS One of the colorings isn’t included there for some reasons. If you know which one I’m talking about, you probably know why :).

Edit: Sorry, guys. It looks like my phone dubeled the post xD. So I deleted the one without comments. Sorry for that, idk hownit happened xD.

[lovelylittlewordsmith]

Don’t let all of these flashbacks distract you from the fact that

AGNI’S

STILL

DEAD

[bang-mica]

Read/Leer Parte 1.

[sunshine-rue]

Okay, so I know that I don’t post stuff like this but.....guys.

Some people seem to be confused... Sebastian absolutely said that he was summoned by sacrificing Real!Ciel’s soul and that he was going to take Our!Ciels soul when the contract was completed. He never tricked Our!Ciel into giving up his soul, he was upfront about it. so....yeah.

[clarithmoved]

Why is Sebastian suggesting he should vore Ciel? Black Butler is cancelled.

[sara3502]

.

.

.

Conclusion?

Ciel Phantomhive left his world to join a Literature Club.

[chibimyumi]

That Butler, Chonk

An abridged redraw of Kuro chapters 137 and 138.

╮ (* ^ω^ *) ╭ Sorry not sorry

[sadlyanne]

my version of this trash of a demon. sigh, but my trash of a demon.

[blackbootyler]

PREDICTION:

So Our Ciel says that he will take care of illness when the time comes since Sebastian cannot protect against it (that’s the terms in their contract) so I believe Yana will wrap up the series eventually with Our Ciel dying from his illness so that Sebastian cannot eat his soul. If you think about this, this could be the best ending because our Ciel is allowed to escape the devil with his soul.

[flangobear]

[namisiaa]

Demon’s Contract

Lineart and coloring: Nami (namisiaa.deviantart.com) Original art: Toboso Yana, Kurohsitsuji: Chapter 138

This is the best flashback chapter ever! <3 <3 <3 <3 I’m going to color soooo many pages from it as soon as it will be released and I would have a time. Thank you for this, Toboso-sensei <3.