is a manga drawn and illustrated by Toboso Yana. Since its debut on September 16, 2006, it has been serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga magazine Monthly GFantasy. The series follows Sebastian Michaelis, butler of the twelve-year-old head of an English noble family Ciel Phantomhive, who carries out all of his master's tasks with ease, due to his secret demonic lineage and a contract. It was announced in July 2008 that an anime adaption, directed by Shinohara Toshiya and produced by A-1 Pictures, was expected. It premiered in October 2008.

Plot

Outside Victorian-era London, butler Sebastian Michaelis serves the twelve-year-old head of an English noble family Ciel Phantomhive. He carries out any task required from his master with ease and perfection because of his secret demonic lineage and a contract with his master.

Characters

is the butler of the Phantomhive household and Ciel's bodyguard, two jobs he is completely devoted to. He often describes himself with a pun which reads as "a butler and a demon". He is highly skilled in any area and handles any task as well as any problem that arises from the errors of the other staff with ease. This is due to the fact he is a demon bound by a "contract" to abide by Ciel's will. A sign similar to the one marking Ciel's right eye can be found on his left hand, which has been used on one occasion to twist the arm of a kidnapper without touching him. Ironically, he has a soft spot for cats, and has one that he visits during stressful times. His name is similar to that of Father Sebastien Michaelis, who compiled a hierarchy of demons in Hell. is the business-savvy, twelve-year-old head of the English Phantomhive noble family, taking over after the deaths of his parents. He also runs a company that manufactures toys and sweets. His right eye, which is always covered, bears the "sign of contract" which binds the demon Sebastian Michaelis to his will.

is the household cook, who almost always seems to have a (unlit) cigarette in his mouth. However, he rarely produces anything edible as he uses weaponry such as flamethrowers to cook. Sebastian believes anything he creates is "at least 80% charcoal". is the Phantomhive gardener, but it seems every time he tends to the garden it is killed through an accident caused by his clumsiness. Sebastian views him as an idiot. is a clumsy, bespectacled maid; the fact that her glasses are always cracked certainly does nothing to improve this. She seems to have a crush on Sebastian as she is even clumsier when Sebastian is watching. is the house steward, but he rarely does any work; he is also the shortest of the servants. He is usually seen drinking tea. , the daughter of Marquis Francis Middleford, she is Ciel's fiancée. She and Ciel grew up together.

Media

Manga

Written and drawn by Toboso Yana, the chapters of Kuroshitsuji have been serialized in the shōnen manga magazine Monthly GFantasy since its debut on September 16, 2006. The chapters are also published in collected volumes by Square Enix. The first volume was released on February 27, 2007 and as of September 18, 2008, five volumes have been released.

Anime

In July 2008, it was announced that an anime adaption, directed by Shinohara Toshiya, was expected. It premeired in October 2008 and broadcasts on the Tokyo Broadcasting System as well as the Mainichi Broadcasting System.

Drama CD

On August 10, 2007 a drama CD was released by Frontier Works. It featured many of the characters appearing in volumes one and two.

Reception

During the week of December 18, 2007, the third volume placed third on a ranking of the manga sales in Japan that week. Later, during the week of June 3, 2008, the fourth volume ranked ninth.

References

External links

• Square Enix's official website
• Official Kuroshitsuji anime website