Reviews

If you had told me last year that one of my favorite Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler story arcs would have involved Ciel infiltrating an elite boarding school and playing cricket, I probably would not have believed you. Several volumes of prefects and fags and Unexpected Soma! later, and the Weston College arc has become a personal favorite of mine, up there with Ripper arc, Soma's introduction, and the Circus arc. Not only does it do a good job switching between school hijinks and drama, but it expands upon the existing background of the Phantomhive clan, something I've been waiting for for a while.

You can read my complete review of BLACK BUTLER volume sixteen here at my blog.

ladywren890's review

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

We have reached the last few days before the schools cricket tournament and have completed the first round of games between houses. The finals have begun and the school head master may make an appearance during the tournament.

diamondperfume's review against another edition

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adventurous funny

4.25

lizicle's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

heyjudy's review against another edition

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4.0

~4/5

[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]

This school arch feels different from the previous storylines. I’m not sure why. I think it might be because we’re getting so much Ciel. Ciel is one of the main characters and always has been, but I think previously there was more focus on Sebastian. But now Ciel is taking the lead, interacting with a lot of other people his age, deciding what to do and doing it himself, and commanding Sebastian only when he can't do something himself.

Being at school feels a little weird, too, I think. There are so many other kids, students, in uniforms and doing activities together. I see a lot of that in other series, but this one usually has focus in other places. It’s neat.

It’s a whole new side of Ciel, and I like it. I especially like all the character exploration we’re getting for Ciel and Sebastian; we're seeing so much more of them! I also really like how Toboso can give a minor and temporary character depth in such a short time. Similarly to with the Circus arch, all the prefects and students are pretty easy to tell apart, even though they’ve only been around a short while. And the way we can get to know certain things about the characters, and find such humor in them, so quickly, is so well done. For example, there's this high-up professor at the school, and we've seen him about three times now, and each time he's ended his conversations by walking away and tripping, sometimes down several stairs. It's hilarious, particularly the look on the surrounding characters' faces.

Oh! We also got a glimpse of Ciel’s father, and that was lovely. His father is definitely a character, and I can see the resemblance. There was also more of Elizabeth and her family. I like getting to know them.

There was some focus on Cricket, a sport that I knew nothing about, and still know very little. It’s a weird sport.

We got some more development on the case, although I think there’s still a ways to go. I’m definitely intrigued. There’s at least one more volume with this arch, although I’d guess two. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

I love this series. It’s gorgeous, which really showed with the team outfits shown in this volume. The storylines are so good, and surprising and I love the character development. The humor is fantastic, too. I’m excited for the next volume.

hopefullucifer's review against another edition

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4.0

Vincent Phantomhive haciendo su aparición cada muerte de obispo is my favorite trope

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