Black Butler, Vol. 20

Volume 20 contains Chapters 93-98; because the chapters are getting shorter, we are given six instead of four or five chapters this time. It continues with the Emerald Witch arc, where the last chapter left off, with Ciel trapped inside his mind as the miasma affects his body, Sebastian losing his patience, and Sieglinde Sullivan under even more pressure to perfect the 'ultimate spell' that will protect the locals of her village. Now, Sebastian is considering resorting to rough measures. This volume might just be one of the best so far, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the story is powerful and interesting. The stakes here are really high, which is exciting for those who like the series for the more serious plotlines. With both the current mystery (the witches, werewolves and deadly spells plotline) and possible suggestions to the overall mystery (Ciel's vengeance) being addressed, it is gripping throughout. Secondly, the characterisation was very strong in this addition to the series. It is fascinating to see the morally ambiguous Ciel being tested on his mental and emotional willpower, which gives him a nice bit of character development. Meanwhile, Sieglinde and Wolfram are shaping up to be multi-dimensional, deep characters, with some of the mystery about them being peeled back. Particularly for Wolfram, who last book mostly gave the impression of being loyal to his mistress and grumpy towards Sebastian, but here we are given deeper insight into him; he's a man under pressure, a man who harbours regrets and a man who seems very much torn between love and duty. Even characters not in such focus in this instalment, such as Finny, Baldo and Snake, got interesting moments - Snake because he is not usually used as a comic relief character, but here he had moments that made me laugh out loud. Thirdly, the storytelling itself is simply beautiful, with surreal and symbolic scenes for when in Ciel's mind. I particularly loved the `fantasy chess board' panels and how they heightened Ciel's questioning and decision-making, as well as the psychological metaphor. Overall, this is excellent quality and my new favourite. I definitely recommend this to anyone following the series, or looking for a new place to dive back into.

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Ich bin ein großer Fan der Serie und hab mehrfach nachgeschaut, bevor ich bestelle. Doch leier wurd emir die Ausgabe in einer anderen Sprache geliefert. Das fand ich sehr schade, da ich sie nun nochmal kaufen muß. Enttäuschend,a ber das erste Mal vorgekommen.

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) is an amazing series. There are no words to describe how much I love it. I am always reading it online and finally getting it in print was such a rewarding experience. Can't wait for volume 22 😍. All hail Sebastian. Peace out. 😄

This might be one of my favorite volumes in the entire series! It's amazing, the revelations are so good, the action that's to come, the underlying theme of war... It's a good read and I can't wait to buy vol. 21 and see what's to come!