(L) Kuro Shitsuji (Season 1)

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by libba

Let us hope. I would love to see the second season. Not just because of the ridicilous lack of closure

I don't understand what closure you are on about, i mean what closure? The ending we got is the type we expected from such a series with a dark end set out for the main character straight from the beginning of the series.

[libba]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

I don't understand what closure you are on about, i mean what closure? The ending we got is the type we expected from such a series with a dark end set out for the main character straight from the beginning of the series.

ffantasy24 wrote about it about three posts ago, I quoted his\her post in my previous reply. Explaining plot lines and twists, keeping their own mythologie in check, such things.

Yes, the fate of the main character is determined (in a non-specific way, actually, more like a simple answer to "will he or won't he"), but that's all there is.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by libba

Yes, the fate of the main character is determined (in a non-specific way, actually, more like a simple answer to "will he or won't he"), but that's all there is.

& personally, i see it as that's all there needs to be.

[libba]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

& personally, i see it as that's all there needs to be.

Well, I think we'll have to agree to disagree.
Actually, there seems to be four kinds of opinions about the ending:

Spoiler:

1) perfect ending, we got exactly what we were promised we would, so we don't feel cheated
2) boring ending, we got exactly what we were promised we would, so we feel cheated
3) sad ending, but I loved it, and it doesn't matter what was or wasn't promised, the ending has dramatic\emotional value
4) okay ending, but where is the actual plot?

[Kimura sensei]

This series was quite good, but the ending sucked.

[Guido]

Good grief, that I've not done with Kuroshitsuji in order for the suspense and unexpectancy to start building upon me, but at the same time I'm very glad to be just three episodes away from ending this awesome series.

Episode twenty-one basically was the calm before the climactic storm.

Spoiler:

Since the preview for episode twenty-two shows Ciel attending the World's Fair at Eifeel Tower with Sebastian to meet the Queen, which is already stated in this episode.

The rundown is that I finally got to see Finnian, Bard, and Maylenes' pasts all revealed, although a good portion of Finn's past was depicted earlier in the Demon Dog arc.

Spoiler:

It turns out that three of them are not your average manor staff to run chores for a noble, but rather a sort of makeshift family composed a forgotten boy used as lab rat for a superhuman soldier formula, a war veteran whose warnings were scoffed at by his Major General, and a heartless assassin with a heart of gold that becomes into a clumsy maid while her glasses remain on.

All three of them were personally handpicked by Sebastian during their former locations not for doing traditional, servants chores; Sebastian can deal with all by himself.

Spoiler:

But to protect and guard the Phantomhive manor from any undesirable and unpleasant intruders from the outside meant to make harm to the obo-chama of the house.

The fun stuff starts when the three stooges wonder what was life at the Phantomhive's before all arrived in, which asked Lady Elizabeth for clues and information.
The three are resolved to shine through their jobs with smiling faces, literally, so as to fill the young master with happiness.

Spoiler:

While Ciel was teaching Elizabeth chess, Sebastian all along delivered concerto with his violin but to deter the young master from finding out that the three misfits actually were engaged in jobs not suitable for domestic labor.

All ends well, but we have one last hint thrown in this episode...

Spoiler:

While cleaning the chess board and putting the pieces at their proper place, Sebastian takes his moment to observe the pieces belonging to the White Queen and the Black King, which likely echoed the late Laus' words that Ciel should break free from his Queen's grasp, as is likely (speculating) that his Queen might betray him someday.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Yeah i knew i wouldn't be. Just waiting for a few certain people to watch the last episode, so they can agree with me.

I really don't see how anyone could watch that scene and not be left with that impression. The subtext was certainly there all along, so it's not as if that was inconsistent.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

I don't understand what closure you are on about, i mean what closure? The ending we got is the type we expected from such a series with a dark end set out for the main character straight from the beginning of the series.

Spoiler:

I quite agree here. I mean - it's not as though I wasn't hoping for something else to happen. But this seems to be about as closure as closure can get.

Poor, chiisai Ciel. So much courage, so much dignity right to the end. In reflecting back after a little time, the one thing I wish had been different is the absence of some acknowledgment from Sebastian that Ciel was something more than just a meal. That his soul was exceptional, something that even a demon realized was special. Because it certainly was. But in the end, akuma are akuma I suppose.

So oyasumi, sweet Earl. Let it be said that you deserved better in life - better friends, better servants, a better fate. But it was not to be. I'm very interested in seeing if the manga ending is different in a meaningful way.

[libba]

Oh, well, maybe it was't the best choice of words. But I hold by my opinion - the ending might be rather logical, but it robs the story of its dramatic idea. What did I learn? What have I discovered by watching it? What was the change from the first episode, the new experience, the dramatic resolution supposed to give the viewer something to think about?

If I didn't like the characters so much, Ciel especially, I would have said: what was the point of watching it? But I did, so it was time well spent, at least the first twenty three ones.

[vspirit]

It'd be fun to see Sebastian following him all the way to his old age before finally getting to taste his meal (which might taste a little wizen by then but yanno...). It'd make the pact seem more meaningful, somehow. Maybe it's just me. A 70-year old pact, for example, sounds good to me.

Spoiler:

But if that's too much to hope for, and Ciel's fated to die young, I hope he'd at least reach adulthood before he calls it quits in the manga. If he does call it quits during the span of the manga anyway.

[libba]

I can't imagine an old Ciel. It's almost... unnatural. Even a thirty year old Ciel... not looking older than Sebastian looks now, in the very least.

I'll keep hoping for a twist. I don't want him to die, having consummated the contract, but I also don't want to see him simply released into the "civil" everyday life. He's special. I want a special kind of ending.

[Guido]

Oh, my God! Now I'm just two episodes away from the grand finale!

What a ride has been, following Ciel as he's served tea and protected from flying daggers by his only butler, Sebastian.

I've finally reached the last arc to the anime.

Spoiler:

Poor Ciel! Somewhat he represents the archetypal lord of tragic literature like the Count of Montecristo in that he's betrayed, loses everything that meant something for him, and has his innocence stripped off and dirtied by the touch of sin.

The path towards vengeance is mostly promising, and yet leaves a bitter sour since the avenger can do nothing but walk in the darkness, forever.

Now, I don't mean to assume that Ciel was put to test by Sebastian or undergoing any trial. I believe that Ciel is going through a battle of conviction within himself, because he felt Aberlain's loss to personally and deeply.

Of course, he tries to deceive himself on the contrary, but he cannot fool Sebastian. Ciel's resolve is wanning, because he's now having second thoughts about embarking in his personal game for revenge, which is something that struck Sebastian like a cold knife running down the spine.

Spoiler for God Save the Loli-Queen:

I knew that something was so terribly familiar about Queen Victoria's voice and, nonetheless, she's voiced by Ayako Kawasumi (Reina in Queen's Blade) and all time veteran actress.

For those who don't know why Queen Victoria is always seen dressed in black and mourning for his late husband, that's because that portrayal turns out historically a truth.

"After the death of Crown Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, the Queen herself mostly went reclusive and never leave the palace, dressing always in black. In fact, it became a rare event for the Queen to make appearances in public during the last 40 years of her remaining lifetime."

[libba]

Guido, I'm curious what you'll say about the ending then.

[[1]]

Sorry, but they do have no intention of releasing an ost album for this series right ? It's so terrible, since i find the ost is the most epic thing of this one... Does anyone know the name of the used songs at least, i think they're maybe some classical or opera songs... Especially the song played at the early eps, the one with opera harmony and female voice ?

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by [1]

Sorry, but they do have no intention of releasing an ost album for this series right ? It's so terrible, since i find the ost is the most epic thing of this one... Does anyone know the name of the used songs at least, i think they're maybe some classical or opera songs... Especially the song played at the early eps, the one with opera harmony and female voice ?

Nope, no soundtrack release information at all. It's not even being released with the DVD's.

Such a huge, huge shame. I adore the score for this series. So dark and fitting --- easily one of Taku Iwasaki's best works in my opinion.

[libba]

Yes, I loved the score, too. Those were my two favorite things about the show: music and characters. And a lot of people say, "hey those characters are pretty typical, nothing original", yet when I ask them to tell me exactly what types I should be looking for now... silence is the answer. >.<

[Guido]

Good gracious, I'm just only one, one episode away to conclude this wonderful play of tragedy tinged by sin for vengeance.

Ciel strayed off his path on the last episode, and once he hit rock bottom in the deepest bowels of insanity the Earl of Phantomhive at last regained that which he lost.

Spoiler:

The right to have his soul taken none other than by Sebastian.

There are a few subplots that are raising questions in my head:

Spoiler for Tanaka:

Since the previous episode, Tanaka has remained in his true, serious form and lets on the audience that this premonition of doom and tragedy is not big news to him since the first fire at the Phantomhive manor that took the lives of the previous master and his lady.

Maybe Tanaka knows the real reasons as to why the previous Lord was target, but I'll wait for the last episode to give off that revelation.

Spoiler for Ash/Angela:

I suspected all along those two were somehow related, but it comes as a nasty surprise once he/she offers his/her body to Sebastian.

Ew!! I mean both turned out to be an hermaphroditic angel, but I see there's no meaning behind Ash/Angela to set London ablaze in a red sea of fire.

What I can only think of is that the creep has a megalomaniac complex and tries hard to imitate God by staging his/her own version of Noah's Great Flood; flooding the world with fire instead of ice.

That creep has so little creativity and so miniscule ambition in contrast to Sebastian, because demons never stray off the only one thing that fulfills their existence: feasting upon the most pure yet stained soul in tragedy.

[FJ-Kowz]

awww i came here to ask when the ost was going to be released

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by FJ-Kowz

awww i came here to ask when the ost was going to be released

Believe me, i wish i knew.

[Guido]

I decided to allow some time to post my comments for the last episode, which I've finally watched on yesterday.

In regards to Shiroth's comment at the Pandora Hearts thread, I agree as well that for an anime-original ending it was flawlessly executed; a rarity since fillers and anime-only content generally tend to suck.

My only complain was that Ash/Angela's overall goal limited "his" potential only to a megalomaniacal scheme to purify the world in a contrasting manner to Noah's Great Flood (by fire instead of rain).

Spoiler:

Honestly, the angel was a nuts case to begin with, and Sebastian proved right my suspicions that he/she was a fallen angel right from the start.

What intrigued me was that this episode drew a distinction between the demons (Sebastian) and the angel (Ash/Angela) not to their opposing nature and neither to the biblical context of good versus evil, but....

Spoiler:

In that demons (as Sebastian is concerned) inclined or feel the most attraction to pure souls. Pure not as in the context of stainless of sin or kind of heart, but as a soul resolute enough to walk his or her own path of conviction and never be led astray.

Hence, I realized for a demon the more a soul struggles or puts up a fight against his or her accursed fate or wrongdoings of the world commit upon, the more that demons praises that soul in high esteem or pure value.

As opposed to the fallen angel Ash, whom felt ecstatic absorbing the unclean or filthy hearts of those souls which gave in to temptation and despair to look for the easiest way out.

This is an irony and contradiction to the conversation Sebastian had with William T. Spears on episode six, since it's mainly within the demon's nature to offer tortured souls a tiny glint of hope to escape their hell in order for them (the demons) to take advantage of.

But Ciel pledged the contract to Sebastian not for a glimpse of hope but to cast his enemies into eternal death, knowing full well that once resulting victorious in his own game he'll had no choice but to pay the price to Sebastian with his very soul.

The only other complaint, though a minor one, was that Ash after all never posed a real threat to Sebastian. I mean c'mon Sebastian raised the bet....

Spoiler:

By transforming into his true demonic self, and not even once Ash/Angela was able to give off a proper show to put a workout for Sebastian, at the least.

The most he became after Sebastian wasted him/her was dog fodder.

Sebastian deserved a more a foe of higher ranking, refined caliber, and of a taste worthy of Sebastian's own preference not some megalomaniacal, hermaphroditic, winged-pimp.

Anyways, done with that the epilogue that followed right after the climax battle left me in tears.

Spoiler:

It leaves in ambiguity whether the three servant stooges survive or not, although Sebastian informs Ciel that he heard them all breathing with difficulty.

We know that Pluto's dead, because the three servants pledged to the young Lord's order. A thing which Ciel briefly mourned over for another loss, whether needed or unnecessary.

At the end, Tanaka's whereabouts are left ambiguous. The elder butler just vanished off the Earth.

But we know where was Ciel heading, as the second ending video montage depicted.

Over that, I cried for Ciel the most. He had not regretted the decisions he made; the pact with Sebastian; the game he played and became victor; and dying.

But I think that Ciel's eyes giveaway a little of fear and anguish not much about delivering his soul to Sebastian to fulfill the last term of the contract, but because had he survived the game he would likely attempted to reap a little bit of a bright future as the late Aberlain encouraged him to do so. It's just that his time ran out and that path shut off.

However, I liked the way how Sebastian actually displayed kindness to Ciel.

Taking into account his former masters' feelings and the past incident at Eiffel Tower, he offered the young Lord to take his soul gently and with the least pain possible.
Of course, Ciel adamantly refused because he acknowledged that Sebastian fulfill his obligation from beginning to end. The most he could for his former servant was to pay him properly and not denying him his most basic nature's desire.

The irony of it all was that throughout the anime Ciel longed maliciously to witness Sebastian failed just once as a butler, and actually Sebastian admitted on the ride he couldn't become a perfect butler after having his left arm got torn off in the final battle.

And then the ending....

Spoiler:

An anguish ending which concludes in a cliffhanger but performs a good job by directly implying upon the audience that Ciel's fate is definitely sealed, as Sebastian leans closer to the camera to deliver what I think it is the "kiss of death" on his young Master to extract his soul.