#Black Butler is the other manga that I love that had a murder mystery in it...!! 😄

[theanimeview]

[Commentary/Analysis] True Gothic Form & Black Butler: Book of Murder

Source: https://kuroshitsuji.fandom.com/wiki/Kuroshitsuji:_Book_of_Murder?file=Book_of_Murder.png

In school, I quite liked the gothic novel. I like a lot of old literature, but the gothic is something that has always drawn me in despite my abhorrent feelings towards horror. 

As a work, the gothic is characterized by mystery, horror, and the supernatural. Often you find haunted castles or mansions with secret passageways, grisly visions by frightened individuals, or some supernatural paraphernalia seen most often in tales of terror. True to the gothic form, you can find these terrifying places to be shrouded in a mystery. The tone or atmosphere is brooding, and yet–despite that–you may also find a love story, a tragedy, or something equally sublime. Sublime, by the way, in the literary sense meaning that, while it is often associated with grandeur, it could instead refer to the grotesque or another extraordinary experience that takes someone beyond themselves emotionally.

The concept of the “sublime” encompasses the dual themes of beauty and terror that are central to Gothic works. The “sublime” refers to a sense of awe or reverence inspired by something that is grand, majestic, or awe-inspiring but also frightening or even terrifying. This duality of emotions is a key element in Gothic literature, which often explores the dark, mysterious, and supernatural while also highlighting the beauty and wonder of the unknown. The “sublime” helps to create a sense of contrast and tension in Gothic works, as the reader is drawn in by the beauty of the strange and unfamiliar, even as they are repelled by its terror. By incorporating elements of the “sublime,” Gothic writers are able to engage their readers on a deeper emotional level and create a lasting impact that transcends the boundaries of the text.

Rather than the sublime being used too define a gothic, I find that many think of the gothic aesthetic when one mentions it. When thinking of Gothic anime, titles such as Gosick, Rozen Maiden, or The Mystic Archives of Dantalian may come to mind, but I don’t know if I would consider the stories themselves to be gothic tales, despite the settings and character design. Even Kuroshitsuji, or Black Butler, a manga set in Victorian England that incorporates gothic elements into its storytelling by having dark imagery and supernatural elements often fails to meet that quality and necessity of the “sublime” in terms of story. At least, that was until I reached the Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc.

In a quick recap, the arc goes from Volumes 9 – 11 (or, Chapters 38 to 50 if you prefer). It is told from the perspective of a poor and struggling writer whose name, Arthur Conan Doyle, comes from the famous author of Sherlock Holmes. True to the name of its central character, the arc has our young Sherlockian author placed admist a party of potential murders as he, along with the other Phantomhive servants and guests, attempts solve the mysterious deaths happening within the Manor. 

For those new to Black Butler or needing a refresher, the main storyline follows Ciel Phantomhive, a young noble who has made a contract with a demon butler named Sebastian Michaelis to help him exact revenge on those who have wronged him.

Of all the story arcs that the creator(s) behind Kuroshitsuji��have done, this is perhaps the truest to the gothic ideas of literature. It incorporates supernatural elements and gothic aesthetics, but what makes it stand out is the sublime nature of the opposing beauty of the Manor and the grotesqueness of the murders taking place. The gothic atmosphere is further reinforced by the series’ visual style, which includes dark, brooding characters and settings, as well as intricate, macabre costumes. Unlike other arcs, the Phantomhive Manor Murders arc truly captures the essence of the gothic form. This arc gave me chills and had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next volume.

While many works utilize gothic aesthetics, few capture the gothic literary form, as well as the Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc in Kuroshitsuji. It embodies the gothic’s requirement for the “sublime” in storytelling and captures the essence of the genre in a truly haunting way.

[mishy-mashy]

Black Butler (manga) incorrect quotes based on my OC cuz why not

Undercover OC at Weston is "Teddy", a Violet Wolf student and Cheslock's fag

-

Edward: What’s going on?

Cheslock: It’s a lecture. Teddy's gonna tell us everything they know about sex.

Violet, eating bread: It should be an enjoyable 20 seconds

-

Violet: Why does Teddy always do the laundry so loudly?

Cheslock: To remind everyone that no one helps him out on laundry day

Teddy, in the distance: *slams the barrel lid shut*

-

Cole: I'm sorry for being late, I ran into some complications

*Teddy runs in disheveled, with Cheslock cursing a storm behind him*

Teddy: COLE PUSHED ME DOWN THE STAIRS!!!

Cole: *screaming as Cheslock tackles him*

-

Cheslock: I didn't know we had tomato soup today

Violet: It's microwaved ketchup.

-

Teddy, watching street lamps fall down: Cheslock, Violet! The school is burning down and it's very pretty!

-

Teddy: I enjoy reading murder mysteries

Violet, trying to be a cool senior: I've been a suspect for murder once.

-

Bluer: How did you even get in here?

Teddy: Clayton's window! Or, as I like to call it, "Teddy's front door"!

Bluer:

Clayton:

Clayton: I'll go close my window.

-

Teddy: You.. saved me. You're not a bad person. YOU'RE A HERO, AN UGLY UGLY HERO!

Violet: Call me ugly again and I'm kicking you into the street.

-

Edward, sweaty from 5PM cricket: Can I have some water?

Cheslock: *starts chugging their water*

Cheslock: *chokes from drinking too fast*

Cheslock: *spills water all over himself*

Cheslock: *accidentally knocks over the only barrel of water*

Cheslock, coughing: I don't have any water.

-

Redmond: Cole! How's your birthday been going so far?

Cole: Violet gave me a get better soon card.

Redmond: Ah, I'm glad to see you're finally getting along with the Violet House!

Cole: No. He just thinks I should be better.

-

Cheslock: Hello Violet, made anyone cry today?

Violet: No. But it’s only 2:30.

Cheslock:

Violet, now grinning: Where's Cole.

-

Teddy: Hey, Cole. Why did the chicken cross the road?

Cole, sighing and resigned: I don't know. Why?

Teddy: To get to the idiot’s house.

Cole: Okay.

Teddy: Knock knock.

Cole: .. No.

Teddy: “who’s there?”

Cole: Ugh... Who’s there?

Teddy: The chicken.

Cole:

Teddy:

Teddy: *sprinting away*

Cole, taking off his shoe: YOU LITTLE-

-

*after last year's cricket tournament*

Cheslock: I hate the other houses.

Edward: Well according to this picture my sister drew of us together, that's not true.

Cheslock: You drew that.

Edward: It doesn't matter.

-

Teddy: Hello, I'm Teddy. I'm a student at Weston. They gave me a badge with my name on it in case I forget it. Very helpful, as that does happen.

Teddy: Oh no, where'd it go

-

Greenhill: Is Cheslock always like this when he loses?

Violet: Remember what happened last year during June 4th?

Cheslock: It was an out and you know it!

-

*after another Teddy and Cheslock VS Cole incident*

Greenhill: Okay, on the count of three, I want you to apologize to each other. Ready? One.. two.. three!

Cheslock:

Cole:

Teddy:

Bluer, sighing: Now I'm just disappointed in all of you.

Violet, about Cheslock and Teddy: No, I taught them well.

Bluer, now irritated: All of you.

-

Cole, smiling: You were going to what?

Teddy: I was going to say-

Cole: What?

Teddy: Don't-

Cole: Don't interrupt me?

Teddy, about to cry: Stop cutting me off, I-

Cole: Goodness, speak clearly, Teddy!

Edward: Stop that, Cole. You'll get hurt.

Cole, gesturing to Teddy: Hurt? By this? Ahahahaha!

Cheslock, standing behind Cole with Violet, cracking his fists:

-

Greenhill, writing with a bottle of glitter glue: I'm losing it. There's blood on my hands. Dead bodies are at my feet.

-

Teddy: Happy October 32nd!

Cole: That doesn't exist.

Cheslock, with cat ears on: Not with that attitude, it doesn't.

-

Cheslock, finding a note: What’s this?

Edward: Hey, that's mine!

Cheslock: Aww, is it a love letter for your girlfrienddd?

Edward: No-

Cheslock: *opens it*

Cheslock:

Edward:

Cheslock: I can't read this.

-

Cheslock: I have very high standards, you know.

Teddy: I just came to say I made spaghetti?

Cheslock: Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!

Violet, knowing that Cheslock has been in love with Teddy: *angry sighing*

-

Edward: I've been watching for a while now; and I’m afraid you have updog.

Greenhill: What’s updog?

Edward: Ciel! Get in here, I told you I could do it!

-

*The day after the midnight Tea Party*

Violet: Hello. My name is Violet, and you're watching my life crumble into pieces.

Violet: *aggressively zips bag shut*

Teddy: *confused sobbing because he doesn't know what's going on*

[a-tcos]

I have another ask. . . Let's say... we get Black Butler into Cabin In The Woods corner~(which btw is my all time favorite horror movie besides the OG first films of Nightmare, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Wrong Turn) what stereotype would they be? Either from the film or any others that weren't added sadly

YESSSS (I love cabin in the woods!!). I’ll try to add all of the stereotypes from the movie but I’ll also subvert and add others here and there as the black butler characters :

I mentioned in my previous black butler horror AU post that o!Ciel Phantomhive and Hannah Annafellows would be survivors akin to the Final Girl. Hannah is sensible but “pure”, the same goes for Ciel (except the purity thing is weird because I usually write him as a child, you know?). I also see Lizzie Midford falling into this category. Hannah and Lizzie are closer to the OG idea of a Final Girl, but oCiel takes it one step further by being ruthless and cunning, doing whatever it takes to survive and outsmart the horror.

Grell Sutcliff is likely to survive, but she’s definitely the Genre-Savvy Horror Nerd (ie. Randy Meeks from Scream). I see her being into horror and true crime so hardcore that she’ll use what she’s learned to help her survive. I did mention that those skills, in turn, could be used so that she could be a killer, but I don��t see her killing off any of the cast. Even when she directly expresses that she’s thought of murder, I just don’t see her actually acting on it. If he’s included, Othello definitely fits the “Genre-Savvy” type while also being a bit of a geek.

Claude Faustus and Agni are the Smart Guys, but in different ways. Agni is completely kind and compassionate while being knowledgeable and practical. This is his current outward and inner appearance. I do think Claude has the capacity to be truly nice to few, but put an emphasis on few. He has the same skills as Agni, but he is not as sociable or charitable as Agni. He is paranoid and suspicious. In fact, I can see him as someone who is a Big Bad, someone who could kill off the other characters and feel no remorse. Claude is obviously terrible in canon, but he has the somewhat-unique character of stoicism and mysteriousness that lends itself well to portraying him in different ways. I’m also grouping these two together because I can see them getting along (not as well as Agni gets along with Seb, but I see Agni as someone who’s now willing to be friendly with anyone).

The closest characters to the Dumb Jock stereotype are Ronald Knox and Prince Soma. They’re not exactly jocks, but they’re active with strong personalitities and make rash decisions. However, Ronald isn’t dumb and I can never get mad at Soma for not knowing any better.

I don’t really think any characters from Kuro really fit the Stoner stereotype. I definitely have headcanons that a lot of them have at least tried weed or regularly smoke for various reasons, but not anyone who fits that exact stereotype. I’ll quickly say that I see Claude and Undertaker smoking the most out of all of the cast. Undertaker is just a fun guy so of course he would and Claude deserves to feel mellow (perhaps that’s why he’s calm? /j).

I think William T. Spears is a really interesting character in put in a horrror setting because he has a lot of elements from different archetypes (at least in my characterization and headcanons of him based off of what I took from canon). He looks like a Workaholic Dad but has no spouse or children. He seems smart but he hasn’t had the time to exactly show off his skills. He seems like an easy kill, frankly, but I love writing him because I think he deserves more development.

I have to say it: Undertaker screams slasher to me (or maybe even similar to Jigsaw). I don’t always like writing him as a big bad from the get-go, though; i definitely like writing him as just being this Weird Guy. I can’t believe that I have soft spots for Claude and Undertaker. I do see those two getting along despite them literally never meeting in canon (season 2 is canon in MY heart, it’s just that the season 1+2 canon are different from the manga canon, aka the main canon). Either way, he’d fit one of three tropes: Slasher, The Old Guy That Warns the Cast To Get Out, or Goth. These could also go hand in hand, though.

Alois Trancy? I mentioned seeing him as a victim, but not being the first to die; he’s the character that really deserves to survive but you just know won’t because the writers hate him /j. In all seriousness, i would love to say that if I were to write him in this AU he’d survive, but I can’t say that. Alois Trancy will always deserve better, but I think he’s just a character that’s almost always doomed to die, even in most AUs. Not sure if that’s any particular trope or stereotype, but I just think he’s so important and lovable that he has to die (you know, to tug at the heart strings).

I mentioned most of my thoughts on Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin on my other horror AU post, but I’ll add that Mey-Rin is technically final girl material. It’s just that I see all of them surviving or none of them surviving whatsoever. They’re all the Comedic Relief that happen to have survival skills and would 100% survive had it not been for Ciel and Sebastian getting involved.

Did I purposefully put off Sebastian until the very end because I’m a jerk? Yes. Is it because I solely think he’s the perfect slasher victim? Yes. Or maybe I just think he is in this AU. I mean he’s attractive and skilled with very few drawbacks. I do headcanon him as having anger issues and impulsive behavior (as well as being not the smartest man by a long shot), but I digress. He’s very skilled, almost as skilled as his canon counterpart. However, this isn’t exactly a horror trope/stereotype. Sexy characters/characters that partake in vices dying first? Oh, now that’s a trope. I hc human Sebastian as being a sex worker, and unfortunately that isn’t good for him in horror. If I’m writing then he’s not the first corpse to show up, but if he’s grouped with anyone mentioned here EXCEPT for Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard... he’s definitely one of the first - if not the first - to die. When I mean “the first corpse to show up”, I’m talking about minor characters that would kick off the main plot in a similar way to Drew Barrymore’s character in Scream.

That was a lot BUT I’m in love with this AU. I gotta do more with it (writing, drawing, rp, or anything really). Thank you for this ask!! I’ll definitely answer more asks about this as well as start making my own content w/ it.

[chibimyumi]

Do you read other manga? What is your favorite manga that isn't Kuroshit? 🙂

Hello Anon,

I do! In in fact grew up reading manga since the age of six. My attic is filled with so many manga (mostly terrible ones that daughters of relatives or my parents’ friends would pass down to me (probably because they hated it too XD)) that I even lost count. I am old, but before the age of the internet, and especially as a child, you just read whatever there was, so yup... I read all of the mountain of manga in my attic.

As for my current favourite manga that isn’t Black Butler... that is a hard one...

Hmmm... ( ´~｀). 。ｏＯ( 📚 )

I guess these?

Blue Exorcist (Katou Kazue)

The stories are SO compelling and the characters are my children.

Red River (Shinohara Chie)

These were so important to me... these are to this day still my most ‘special’ manga because this series I started on when I was 6, and I re-read these until pages literally fell out well into young adulthood. This series is likewise the reason I started to love manga.

Yes, this series contain rape, plunder, murder, betrayal, human sacrifice and what not... I don’t know why my mother gave me this as a young child. (My mother chose this series for me. These were one of the very few that I did not get because somebody else didn’t want it anymore.) I remember being but 7 or 8 years old or something, going to my father and say “concubine”, “coup d'état,” and “sacrificial virgin,” and he went: “Mom! What has our daughter been reading!?”

Either way, Red River might also be the reason I am so screwed up; It made me love ancient politics, murder and mysteries already when I barely graduated from toddlerhood (*≽▽≼*)

Blue Seal (Shinohara Chie)

After reading Red River I became a HUGE fan of Shinohara, and I binge-read EVERYTHING she had, and still now I consider Blue Seal one of the coolest things I have ever read. Murder, trials, mystery and MYTHOLOGY!!!

Are you starting to notice a pattern of ‘COLOURS’ in the titles of my favourite manga so far? Well here is another one!

PURPLE Eyes in the Dark (Shinohara Chie)

I mean it that I was a crazy Shinohara fan, okay? This is easily one of the best written long-arc mysteries I have read. You thought Kuroshitsuji is dark? Wait till you see this.

Alright, not everything on my list of all faves have a ‘COLOUR’ in the title. I present to you:

Food Wars (Saeki Shun and Tsukuda Yuto)

It’s just... shonen manga, it’s everything you’d expect from a mainstream shonen manga, and yet it also defies all your expectations. I love it, okay ^///^

[bizarre-dollhouse]

My Top 10 Favourite Anime (And Why You Should Watch Them)

This is normally something I would put on my main blog, but I wanted to celebrate a follower milestone and also I know this will reach a significantly wider audience on this blog.

Consider this both a list of recommendations and a *get to know me* thing, I guess.

Honourable Mentions:

Bakemonogatari: A really stylized show about a semi vampire helping people with their supernatural afflictions born from emotional issues. The subsequent seasons get a little questionable, but this is definitely a standalone story with great dialogue and visuals. (15 eps)

Shiki: Creepy story about a small town infested with vampires. Really brutal and sick, but it has fascinating themes. The pacing is a bit slow and it has a kind of bad scene towards the end, but the show is 100% worth it. (24 eps)

Cardcaptor Sakura: Because this is mostly aimed at younger viewers, I would only really recommend this show for either magical girl fans, or people who watched the extremely altered dub as a kid. That being said, its a cute, fun show about magic with a likeable cast and surprisingly creative and original ideas, especially towards the latter half. (70 eps)

Jojos Bizarre Adventure 4: Diamond is Unbreakable: Full disclosure, I have not seen the first 3 jojo series, but its not necessary to enjoy this show. This is a super creative and really fun series about superpowered badasses in a strange city fighting each other and trying to solve a murder mystery in the background. Weird, but in the best way. (39 eps)

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus: This should be higher on the list, but in truth I would recommend the manga way over the show. But, if you want to watch a supernatural horror/comedy without reading a 138+ chapter manga, OR you were a fan of the original Black Butler seasons and want to see something way better, give this a watch. (10 eps)

*drumroll*

10. Trigun

So Trigun takes place is this old west, yet mysterious science fiction-y world where, through a bunch of complicated scenarios, a pacifist is the most wanted criminal known to man. Due to his status as a “natural disaster,” two insurance workers are tasked with reining him in to save their business. It’s an incredibly charming series, and the protagonist is really likeable. It’s extremely creative, funny, and emotional near the end. I do have some problems with the ending because it almost seems like the final conflict just...solves itself, but that’s a nitpick. The first episode is basically a short film, so give that a watch and see how you feel. (26 eps)

9. Paranoia Agent

This was directed by the late and great Satoshi Kon and has his usual themes about the blurring between fiction, dreams, and reality. It’s about a string of mysterious assaults committed by a kid with a baseball bat, and how these assaults seem to solve the problems of the victims. It’s very arthouse and has a twist that makes me ball my eyes out even though it’s not sad it’s just...odd and overwhelming. It drags a bit near the middle, but if you like kind of surreal stuff that’s also just really good, you have to watch this show. (13 eps)

8. Baby Steps

The amazing thing about this show is that its premise is specifically designed to make me hate it. It’s about a nerdy teenager who starts to play a sport for the sole sake of getting fit and having a more well rounded life style, and also he has a crush on this really popular girl. That sounds fucking awful, but the main character is actually really likeable (he reminds me a lot of Deku from BNHA) and I swear to fucking god every time I thought this show was going to do something awful and cliched with its romantic comedy plot, it doesn’t. The beauty and the geek trope is still there, but all of the bullshit that comes with it is omitted in a way I feel was kind of self-aware. The sports aspect is really good too: it’s well paced and there’s lots of tension even though the show as a whole is really upbeat and pleasant. I had a blast watching it, and if you can make it past the fact that is has god awful animation, give it a watch.

7. Higurashi: When They Cry

Yet another great show with absolute garbage animation. Anyways, this show is about a group of teenagers in a small town who are unknowingly trapped in a time loop. In each loop there’s a bunch of new mysteries, as well as some extremely brutal murders and tortures experienced my the main cast. I’ve seen a number of Western shows (Orphan Black, BBC Sherlock, Lost, Supernatural, etc.) fall apart because the writers want a really clever and intricate mystery to play out, but they don’t want to actually put the time into crafting one, so it’s just a bunch of cliffhangers with no answers or pay off. THIS SHOW SUCCEEDS AT WHAT ALL OF THOSE OTHER SHOWS FAIL AT. While not all of the answers are great (the second season isn’t as good) the original author somehow made the world’s most ludicrously complicated mystery story work, with a lot of it relying on the audience to put all of the pieces together even when the characters can’t. Its very clever in doing that: it makes its audience feel smart. It also has themes that don’t really show up in other horror stories, even though they’re incredibly relevant to fear and violence. Great show, go watch it. (50 eps)

6. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Everyone knows about this show, everyone says it’s great, and everyone’s right. If you’ve been living under a rock for ten years: the show is about two brothers who break an alchemy taboo, which destroys their bodies, They’re on the hunt for something to restore them to normal and along the way they meet like 8990354578579 characters with interesting stories. It’s tightly written and really gripping. It’s fun, but also really dramatic and emotional when it needs to be. My only problems with it are that the ending is reaaaallllly convoluted, and there’s a minor plot point earlier on that gets weirdly dropped, but everyone kinda forgets about those things because the show’s so good. Also the brotherly bond makes me cry. (64 eps)

5. FLCL

I honestly don’t even know where to start with this show because it has the unique property of being the only show I have ever seen that I have literally no problems with. Not even nitpicks. There is nothing wrong with this show; it’s perfect. The only reason it’s not number 1 is because some other shows have more ideas or more fleshed out characters. So this arthouse spastic comedy is about a boy who is disappointed with all of the adults in his life, then some chick hits him in the face with a guitar and giant robots from a secret facility start coming out of his head. It’s fucking wild and has like 30 different aesthetics and I love all of them. It’s the best looking show I’ve ever seen and one of the best directed. It feels like someone read a really weird poem and turned it into a 6 episode show. It’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s cartoony, it’s beautiful, it’s raunchy, it’s poetic, it’s silly, it’s creative, and it’s got strong themes. The wtf visuals, the nonsensical plot, and the amazing soundtrack make an aesthetic experience more than anything. (6 eps)

4. Princess Tutu

I already made a post about this show and why it’s good, which you can check out here, but the gist is it’s a meta fairytale about a duck that turns into a girl to help a storybook prince find his emotions. I used to love stories that were “twists on fairytales” or whatever, but after watching this show I realized that the genre is pretty derivative. This show is so amazing it honestly made me reevaluate an entire genre and come to the conclusion that this is the only member of that genre worth watching. It’s truly creative and well crafted with fantastic characters. (26 eps)

3. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

This show is basically a bunch of creative ideas, unique set pieces, and interesting characters stacked on top of each other in a trench coat disguised as a narrative. It’s about a perky shonen protagonist and a child assassin becoming friends while also trying to become hunters (a position involving vast wealth and adventure). It’s in a modern fantasy setting so literally anything can happen. In one arc they have to play life-or-death dodgeball against robots, and another is an insanely epic tale about the intense evil that people are capable of (feat. a 25 episode climax). I can’t even talk about all of the themes or ideas because there are just too many. Because of it’s wild, sprawling story, it has a lot of ass pulls and retcons, but in the grand scheme of things they don’t really matter. It’s long, but super easy to watch in huge chunks. (148 eps)

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion

The most efficient way to describe this show is to say that it’s the most interesting show ever made. It’s about an apocalyptic future in which emotionally disturbed teenagers must pilot giant bio-machines to fight monsters which are referred to as angels. It’s got deep characters, a creative story, and is probably the most well directed show I’ve ever seen. The ending infamously fell apart due to production problems, so there’s a movie called The End of Evangelion to conclude the story. It’s a very disturbing arthouse movie, so watch out for that, but the show as a whole is moooosssstly more straightforward and fascinating, This is an absolute must watch. (26 eps and 1 movie)

1. Baccano!

Baccano! takes place in 1930s New York, and is about thieves, gangsters, criminals, terrorists, alchemists, and immortals interacting in this nonlinear comedy/action thrill ride. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster while watching this show. It’s the perfect blend of action, comedy, romance, drama, horror, and creative storytelling. It’s fantastic to rewatch since the first episodes barely make any sense without context (but are still an absolute joy to watch). It’s got great characters and it’s a great story. Go watch it. And then watch it again. (13 eps and 3 OVAs)

That’s it for this list! Check out my MAL page for more recommendations if you’re interested and have a great night! 

[weebrecs]

Recommended Magical Creature Animes

Black Butler (8/10): This series includes three seasons and a few movies. This series features the young Ceil Phantomhive who is the young master of the Phantomhive manor. He is also the Queen’s guard dog (as in the Queen of England) *I personally recommend watching this in English Dub even though dubs usually make me cringe, but I like the English accents and this one isn’t a terrible dub* Ceil is searching for the culprits behind the murder of his parents and the burning of his estate with the help of a demon that he has contracted with named Sebastian who is disguising himself as ‘one hell of a butler’. Comedy, Action, Action

Blue Exorcist (8/10)- Humans fear satan who is recognizable by his blue flames, but one day he falls in love with a human woman. Together they have children together, but Satan has to return to his own world. The twin boys Yukio and Rin appear to be normal except for the fact that Rin is engulfed in Satan’s blue flames. An exorcist finds the twin’s mother dying and promises to take care of the boys and seal away Rin’s blue flames. However, one day Rin’s blue flames are set free, and now the two sons of Satan are ready for their training as exorcists. (there is also a second season currently airing) Action, Comedy

Bungou Stray Dogs (10/10)- After being thrown out by his orphanage due to a strange tiger that is mysteriously ‘following’ him Atsushi saves a suicide enthusiast and supernatural detective named Dazai. Through a series of events Atsushi meets the rest of the supernatural detectives each with their own powers/gifts that earns them a spot on the detective force, and he learns more about himself and the tiger. Action, Comedy, Mystery

Dance with Devils (7/10)- Uta no Prince-sama meets supernatural is the wild ride that Dance with Devils will take it’s unsuspecting viewers on with singing dogs included. Ritsuka a regular student suddenly is called into the Student Counsel room and instantly befriended by all the hot guys of the student counsel. However, she soon learns that they are all different magical beings and that they are all searching for a mysterious magical book known as the grimoire. Romance, Mystery, Singing

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (9/10)- In order to discover the truth about her death a ghost named Yuuko started a Paranormal Investigations Club in a school that was built over the place where she mysteriously died in the basement. A hope to shed some light on the truth of what really happened to Yuuko occurs when Teiichi joins the club and is able to actually see Yuuko. However, Yuuko isn’t the only spirit stalking the halls of the school, and in order to figure out the truth the Paranormal Investigation Club (which also includes Yuuko’s relative) must get to the bottom of this case in order to help Yuuko move on. Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Tragedy 

Fruits Basket (8/10)- Through a series of unfortunate events Tooru is homeless and refuses to inform her family or friends of her situation. However, after a landslide crushes the tent that she was camped out in she’s invited to live with the most popular boy in school and his family. When she moved in with him she discovered that his family weren’t normal. Instead they were the animals of the zodiac and if they were hugged my someone of the opposite gender than they would transform into their animal form. Comedy, Romance, Mystery

Karin (7/10)- Karin isn’t like other vampires that’s for sure. She enjoys daylight, don’t like drinking blood. In fact she has a problem: her body actually produces too much blood to he point that she will get random nosebleeds. Only through getting rid of her excess blood can she feel better/normal. Romance

Owari no Seraph (10/10)- This consists of two seasons and tells the story of Mika and Yuu who are two orphans that were torn apart by destiny when they were children. Now as teenager they are trying to overcome everything to get back to each other. In this world the vampires rule over the humans, but now the humans have found a way to fight back. Through the use of demon weapons they can counter the vampires. Action, Revenge, Thriller

Sanakarea (8/10)- Rea the daughter of the student director falls to her death one day, but is suddenly resurrected as a zombie. The reason for this is Chihiro who LOVES zombies and is trying to bring his dead cat back to life. However, now he has a real zombie on his hands. Now that she is free from her father, Rea is ready to live her life. Romance, Slice of Life

Sex Pistols (10/10)- This one might be a little confusing without reading some of the manga, but they do a good job reviewing the basic supernatural element framework after the first episode so if you are lost be sure to watch after the credits! This collection of OVAs starts telling the story of Norio who suddenly learns that he is no longer human, but a returner to ancestry. Meaning that his soul is not in the shape of a monkey like most humans. In this sense he is suddenly thrown to the beasts. His high school is full of snakes, bears, and leopards (oh my). Shounen ai, Romance, Comedy, Drama

The Devil is a Part Timer (9/10)- In the heat of battle Satan and The Hero Emilia are thrown through a portal into our world. And of course the only way to survive in this world is to get a job so that you have money. So Satan gets a job at the local fast food joint. His righthand man in battle acts as a house hand and holds down the fort (in a manner of speaking). Meanwhile, magical creatures come to kill satan when they think he is weak in the human world, but Satan is determined to return to his world and conquer all. Comedy, Action

Vampire Knight (9/10)- This has two seasons, but I’m only going to recommend the first season because I don’t know what happened with the second season. It was horrible (4/10). Anyway the first season was very interesting. It stared Yuuki the daughter of the director of the school that had both day and night students. The day students are humans, and the night students are all vampires. Yuuki and Zero help ensure that the day and night students remain separate and safe. Yuuki has a crush on the leader of the vampires Kaname, and he seems to have a strange attachment to her as well. However, like the sun and moon they can only meet for a brief instant. Plus, Zero also has heart set on Yuuki. Romance, Action