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A review by cyanide_latte
Black Butler, Vol. 6 by Yana Toboso
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a pretty exciting beginning to the circus arc. The pacing does feel slower here, but given that Ciel and Sebastian are meant to be investigating the numerous disappearances of children and trying to determine if those disappearances are connected in any way with this traveling circus.
A lot of time does seem to be focused on introducing us to several circus members in rapid succession, so there's a lot to keep track of in terms of characters and their roles in the circus and their relationships with one another. I'm not entirely sure this is balanced as well as it could be, because there seems to be more of a lean in the direction of playing these characters and their relationships up for comedic effect, and less for the intrigue and mystery. I think the reappearance of William T. Spears and his behavior and reactions to Sebastian don't exactly help in this regard, as a lot of that is played up for comedic effect too. Still, there are good moments of tension throughout, and I like these moments where Ciel is forced out of his comfort zone and we see his struggles to adapt to working within different class confines and social expectations than what he's been raised in. As far as it goes towards building character growth and evolution, that is probably going to be a slow-burn that pans out over the course of the series, but it's nice to have that foundation being laid out for the audience to see.
A lot of time does seem to be focused on introducing us to several circus members in rapid succession, so there's a lot to keep track of in terms of characters and their roles in the circus and their relationships with one another. I'm not entirely sure this is balanced as well as it could be, because there seems to be more of a lean in the direction of playing these characters and their relationships up for comedic effect, and less for the intrigue and mystery. I think the reappearance of William T. Spears and his behavior and reactions to Sebastian don't exactly help in this regard, as a lot of that is played up for comedic effect too. Still, there are good moments of tension throughout, and I like these moments where Ciel is forced out of his comfort zone and we see his struggles to adapt to working within different class confines and social expectations than what he's been raised in. As far as it goes towards building character growth and evolution, that is probably going to be a slow-burn that pans out over the course of the series, but it's nice to have that foundation being laid out for the audience to see.