Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder 黒執事 Book of Murder

| Episodes: 2 | Score: 8.1 (129587)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: OVA

Synopsis

At the behest of the Queen, Earl Ciel Phantomhive hosts a lavish dinner party attended by several of the finest members of polite society—as well as struggling author, Arthur. But as the party reaches its high, a terrible murder takes place and none other than the Earl himself is suspected of the crime. As a violent storm rages on outside, the death count continues to climb. The Phantomhive household and their eminent guests find they must cooperate in order to solve this mystery before they too fall prey to the mysterious murderer. However, it seems that not even the perfect butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is safe from this horror. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Asanuma, Shintaro

Kimura, Ryouhei

Ono, Daisuke

Sakamoto, Maaya

News

Reviews

colelouch
04/25/2025, 02:08 AM
I was surprised to see some Black Butler fans describe Book of Murder as boring, because I was genuinely curious to see how the series would follow up after Book of Circus, especially with the shift to a movie-style format, and in my view, they absolutely delivered. I approached it with some skepticism and cautious optimism, especially since I’ve read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories and had a general sense of where certain mystery elements might lead. However, it was clear that Yana Toboso anticipated this familiarity from her audience and crafted a plot full of unexpected twists and intricately layered developments. What impressed memost was how the story subverted the typical detective trope of having just "one genius in the room." Instead, Book of Murder kept shifting expectations, using multiple clever minds and interwoven clues to create a much richer, more surprising experience. Even though I paid close attention to all the small details scattered throughout the film, the final reveal still caught me off guard, showing how masterfully all the pieces were connected and used to build on each other. The clever nods to other classic works also added a playful charm, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. I loved every moment of Book of Murder and came away thoroughly impressed by how smartly it was executed.
BerryBlitz
03/30/2025, 01:31 PM
Black Butler: Book of Murder is a two-episode OVA that serves as a direct sequel to Book of Circus, continuing the dark and twisted tale of Ciel Phantomhive and his ever-faithful butler, Sebastian. This arc offers a classic murder mystery setup with a Victorian flair, blending gothic aesthetics with suspense and intrigue. The premise revolves around a murder that takes place during a grand banquet hosted at the Phantomhive estate. As the guests are picked off one by one, the tension steadily rises. The whodunit-style plot keeps you guessing, with plenty of red herrings and misdirection. While the mystery is engaging, the overall executionfeels somewhat predictable, especially for seasoned mystery fans. However, the payoff and reveal are still satisfying, tying into the larger narrative with clever twists. Ciel and Sebastian remain the highlights, with their dynamic as sharp and compelling as ever. Ciel’s cunning and resolve continue to develop, while Sebastian’s cold yet charismatic presence makes every scene he’s in captivating. The supporting cast, including the eccentric guests, adds color to the mystery, though most of them are ultimately forgettable due to their limited screen time. The reappearance of familiar faces is a nice touch, adding continuity to the overarching story. The animation quality remains consistent with Book of Circus, with elegant Victorian-era visuals, detailed costumes, and atmospheric lighting that enhances the murder mystery ambiance. The darker color palette and candlelit settings contribute to the eerie, ominous tone. The character designs are stylish as always, and the animation during the more action-oriented moments is fluid and clean. The soundtrack complements the haunting and mysterious atmosphere effectively. The orchestral pieces and subtle background scores build tension without overpowering the scenes. The voice acting is strong, with Daisuke Ono once again delivering a chilling yet alluring performance as Sebastian. The sound design during key moments, such as the murders, adds a layer of suspense. Book of Murder is an entertaining and stylish murder mystery that provides a nice follow-up to Book of Circus. While it doesn’t reach the same emotional highs or intensity as its predecessor, it offers a satisfying blend of intrigue, gothic horror, and dark humor. The plot is solid, but it plays it a bit safe in terms of mystery tropes. Still, fans of Black Butler will find it a worthy addition to the series, especially for its continued focus on Ciel and Sebastian’s twisted bond.
Nerdodivergent
02/11/2023, 01:45 PM
Black Butler is truly the Forrest Gump of anime. If you're watching this I'm going to assume you've watched all the previous arcs. The idea that this 12 year old and his chaotic group of servants are directly involved with all these historical events is incredible. Every time I see it grow more I lose it laughing. Two episodes. Each an hour long. Fantastic. My jaw was dropping all the time. There's a ton of new characters introduced just for this arc alongside the classics. It's great. I think I felt every single emotion in the 2 hours I spent watching. My heart shattered andwas put back together. All the twists and turns got me so good. It's got the classic gore of all the previous arcs, along with phenomenal humor and heartwarming moments (Finny is and will forever be best boy). If you've enjoyed Black Butler up to this point, you will absolutely love this arc too.
Panda_Roll
09/23/2022, 07:44 AM
The book of murder follows the Cirus arc in the manga (and the finale of the OVA) This one is a simple murder mystery that follows quite a few tropes from Sherlock Holmes down to having Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a dinner guest taking notes and a figure that "inspires" the fictional Sherlock Holmes. The OVA is two episodes each an hour long, sadly it offers nothing new BUT if you watch it after the book of circus you'll notice further character development from Ciel, the kid reaches new levels of low that makes him far more enjoyable than what we got in S1(aka a spoiled brat). Overall a fun OVA but predictable.
BabyGirl06301
07/01/2018, 11:58 PM
Well, this was different. But, like... in a good way. For a hot minute, I thought this would be another piece of Black Butler that made zero sense, but it turned out to be a fun little mystery. It didn't really forward the overall plot of Black Butler that much, but it was still quite entertaining to watch. It reminded me a lot of a dinner party where the guests will play a whodunit game as the entertainment. It's hard to review two episodes, but basically, if you love Black Butler, you'll love Book of Murder. Tanaka is surprisingly badass, plus Ciel's quite the littleactor. So is Sebastian, I suppose. I don't know, if you want a rainy day anime, watch this. It's cool, it's fun, that's all I got. Adios.
saeid_2k
12/12/2017, 01:04 AM
I finished Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler in April, and it was a great show,but I never really got around to book of murder because of high school and forgot about it for a while. Then yesterday my 10Am college class was cancelled so I decide to watch it. Book of murder follows Ciel Phantomhive after the events of book of circus. He is asked to host a party attended by several of the finest members of polite society—as well as struggling author, Arthur. But as the party reaches its high, a terrible murder takes place. As a violent storm rages on outside, the deathcount continues to climb. The Phantomhive household and their eminent guests find they must cooperate in order to solve this mystery before they too fall prey to the mysterious murderer. However, it seems that not even the perfect butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is safe from this horror. Im a big fan of murder mysteries and book of murder had a solid story with an amazing and great build. You could really feel the tension the characters had, and the intensity. There were many twists and turns in the story and each one was thrilling to see unfold. The drama and the comedy blend perfectly together without compromising each other. A1 studios did a fantastic job with the animation just like in the series. The character and location designs were beast. The best part of this two part OVA is the suspense as you don't know whats going to happen next or what's going to unfold. Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis are one of my favourite duos in Anime. The interactions the have and the way they work off each other is fantastic as Ciel is cold and stoic and Sebastian is more cheerful and charming. Brina Palencia and J.Micheal Tatum are fantastic in their roles. I liked that the three servants of the Pantomhive manor got some time to shine in these two episode. Also, I found Arthur the author introduced in these episodes to be a really good character that got a decent amount of screen time and development. The main issues I have with Book of Murder is that the musical score is unmemorable. But more importantly I don't understand why this had to be divided in two parts instead of being released as a two hour movie, and the ending was predictable. However those are minor drawbacks. Overall I really enjoyed book of murder, it was great seeing Sebastian and Ciel in another adventure, the comedy, drama, and mystery elements were brilliant. I had an absolute blast with book of murder and I look forward to rewatching it in the future some day
Springball64
10/21/2017, 04:04 AM
I absolutely love the mystery theme, especially ones that fit the mystery train genre type (there's a killer we are all trapped with and we need to find them before we all die) and Book of Murder delivered this, along with all of my fun favourite characters (except Grell ;-;). Story: This story is very well done. Bringing back characters that fans haven't seen for a while, and it's pacing was done fairly well. Mystery genres are almost always slow, as was this, but they have to be to keep it interesting and make the audience continually guess what's going to happen next. This was definitelya great storyline of Kuroshitsuji and among one of my favourite adaptations, 8/10. Art: The art once again, did not disappoint in this series/OVA of Kuroshitsuji. It did not dip in quality and was always very nicely done with good attention to detail, landing it an 8/10. Sound: The soundtrack to this was good, nothing completely outstanding but definitely not poor, I think it deserves a 7/10. Character: The old characters that have returned were a pleasant surprise, along with all of our regulars throughout the show that I loved (minus one) was good to see as well. All of the new characters introduced seemed to have some potential, but some of them seemed to not be as fleshed out as they could have been, although it was only around 2 hours total. Giving the characters a 9/10. Enjoyment: As I previously stated, I greatly enjoy the mystery genre and this series, so a mixture of the two was something that I really like, thus I am giving it a 9/10 for enjoyment. Overall: In total, factoring in the good and the bad, I think that this deserves an 8/10 as it's overall score, on the cusp of being a 9/10. I would recommend it to fans of the series.
Katrov
07/31/2017, 04:43 PM
I'll start by saying I read this story in the manga before watching this, yet I was not disappointed in the adaptation. (also some spoilers will be mentioned) TL;DR: Worth a watch if you like Black Butler at all. I also like to start ratings at 5/10 and go up or down from there. Story: 8/10 All in all, this mystery was fun, engaging and I didn't not feel like it dragged on despite my initial thinking two one-hour episodes might be a bit long, particularly when the story seemed to be wrapping up halfway through the second episode. However, it still kept me interested but I could seehow the ending might be a bit confusing for people who haven't seen Book of Circus. There were a few scenes that made specific references to Book of Circus, particularly the main villain's "motive" (although it could still make sense, just might seem a bit random) as in Charles Grey acting on the Queen's orders to "punish Ciel for his mischief" and the end with the whole "Snake was there too" bit. For the most part though, anyone who knows the general idea of Black Butler could enjoy this, it's not too short or long, and has an interesting enough storyline to keep you interested for the duration of it's just over two hours runtime. It also had a couple twists that were pretty good although I had read the manga in advance so they weren't really a surprise lol. Art: 8/10 I really like the art style for Black Butler, and it looks the same and high quality for this. Sebastian being as classy looking as ever, although several scenes look a bit lazy. Specifically, where there were a number or people on-screen and you could only tell who was talking by seeing which mouth was moving because everything was static. One other thing that kind of stood out to me was a specific scene; when Arthur comes back to confront Ciel and Sebastian about what really happened. When Ciel is on the staircase laughing, that looked really...fake and jarring to me, like his head didn't move at all but the rest of his body was, just looked rather rough compared to the rest which was pretty good looking. Sound: 7/10 There are a few spots where classical/piano sounding music would play when Sebastian is either doing something really impressive etc and at the start and end. It sounded good, and like always, fit the victorian era theme of the anime. Characters: 7/10 Nothing really remarkable or terrible. You understood the basics of each character and for the most part, their motives. One thing I thought about which is probably due to the shorter runtime was there wasn't as much character interaction throughout, specifically at the beginning. They all had their roles (and some gimmicks) but I felt a few of the guests were just there to die(the quiet blond-haired dude who gets poisoned) and be props as the other characters progressed through the story (Grimsley the...Stage Director? and his lady friend the opera singer). Enjoyment: 9/10 I'm a sucker for Black Butler and seeing my favourite all-powerful butler in action so this was a fun watch. The story was complicated and interesting enough to keep me invested, and wasn't too complicated that I felt lost. Gotta love Sebastian's heels (haha) and butlerisms. Overall: 8/10 Not the best thing I've ever seen or something I would call a "masterpiece", but really good nonetheless. Worth a watch if you like Black Butler at all.
bluecoke_
05/24/2017, 06:01 PM
Well, that was a pleasant surprise! This was much better than I thought it'd be, and I enjoyed it far more than I enjoyed the first season, and the Book of Circus. Story: 7 I expected the plot twist with Sebastian but there were still a few things that caught me off guard, which made the plot even more enjoyable. The story kicked in rather strong, and grabbed my attention from the start, which was something I must say the other seasons that I'd watched didn't really succeed in doing. Pacing was a bit slow in some parts but settled well into a faster pace halfway. Lovedthe ending, from how they dealt with the case to the last minute of the episode. Overall solid plot, albeit a bit predictable in some places. Art: 8 Sound: 8.5 No problems with these either and the sound effects were actually pretty great and created the atmosphere. Character: 7 Sebastian is pretty awesome as always, and even though I never really liked Ciel, I actually did not mind him as a MC this time. In the previous seasons that I'd watched I just couldn't really enjoy watching him, partly because of his spoilt kid personality. I could also enjoy their interaction much better, probably because I'm just no yaoi fan, but in the Book of Murder there was significantly less fan service in that aspect. The three servants are so fun to watch as always, and Tanaka-san really surprised me at some points. The guests were entertaining characters, though only one was set up to be in the spotlight. If there's one thing I have to complain about, it's the non-appearance of Grell and not enough Undertaker but that's going to be just nitpicking Enjoyment: 7 I did enjoy it, far better than the other seasons, but not quite on the level that I'd enjoy some other series. Overall this was a good follow-up to the Book of Circus, with better execution (and less obvious fan service!!!) and seeing that Kuroshitsuji got better and better following the series I'm happy to say that I will be waiting for the Book of Atlantic!
chiapet-IRL
04/27/2016, 10:55 AM
I watched this directly after Book of Circus, and it didn't disappoint. Based on the Murder arc in the manga, these OVAs seem to follow the story very strictly. As with the Book of Circus, the animation is wonderful and the art is beautiful as always. If you were disappointed by the first and second seasons of Kuroshitsuji, I think you'll be pleased with these new seasons. It is still a good blend of humor and friendship as well as darkness and suffering, and shouldn't be taken lightly. That being said, if you like murder mysteries (which Kuroshitsuji is full of) then you will definitely enjoythis one. Even having previously known how this would end, some of the twists are still quite cool and entertaining, not boring in the slightest.
AtticusIzayoi
11/28/2015, 04:37 AM
'' I devote my entire being to you. Until the day ... that lies become truth ! '' After two seasons of mostly non-canon, original material, the Kuroshitsuji series returned to Yana Toboso's manga canon with the famous Book of Circus. After its success, the story of a demon and his young master continued with a next chapter : Book of Murder ! Book of Murder adapts its plot from the Phantomhive Manor Murders arc from the manga. It is a nicely done arc, with an intriguing story, which evolves like a detective story, so that the viewer can participate to its solution. As everygood mystery, it has many nice twists and it also uses the famous pattern of the closed room murders (something that gave me some Umineko no naku koro ni vibes). Except from that, another thing that serves as a homage to the genre of mystery was the many references to Sherlock Holmes. As for the art, it has the same quality of the previous seasons, especially Book of Circus. About the sound, however I was a little disappointed because there wasn't a new opening or ending this time, due to the small number of episodes I suppose. The rest of the soundtrack was ok and it really set the atmosphere, as usual. Next, we have the characters. Many of the old ones returned, like Lau and Ran Mao, but because of the feeling of isolation that this arc tries to give it omits many fan-favourites (but also a bit unrealistic) like Grell or Undertaker. As for the main protagonists, we see once again the competitive side of Ciel and also his more sentimental side. In this arc, Sebastian mainly follows Ciel's orders, while his hunger for his master's soul grows. It's also the first time that we see Charles Grey (who had first made a cameo in Book of Circus), one of the most interesting characters from the manga, in action. There is also a young author, named Arthur, whose real identity is easy to guess, but that doesn't make him less memorable. So, it's a very good addition to the Black Butler series and a successful adaption from the manga. Much like Book of Circus, it's a fun to watch series, that everyone can watch, even if they're Kuroshitsuji fans or not.
Pilar_S
08/30/2015, 11:45 AM
[English and Spanish review] [English] Why you may want to watch this OVA? If you love Sebastian, and you probably do, you will feel the need to watch him every time as possible. But, in my opinion, this is not a really interesting story. A "riddle" quite predictible, with the same structure of an ordinary mistery novel, trying to pay tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... a little bit boring (and I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes) And the worst part is that Sebastian does not appear that much, so, it's not really worth it, even though he is as charming as always. Sorry! but I would not mind not tohave watched this. In one word: expendable. [Spanish] Por qué podrías querer ver este OVA? Si te encanta Sebastian, y probablemente así es, sentirás la necesidad de verlo cuantas veces sea posible. Pero, en mi opinión, esta historia no es interesante, en absoluto. Un "acertijo" bastante predecible, con la misma estructura de una novela de misterio común, tratando de homenajear a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... un poco aburrida. (y soy fanática de Sherlock Holmes) La peor parte es que Sebatian no aparece tanto, entonces, no vale la pena verlo, a pesar de que es tan encantador como siempre. Lo siento! pero no me hubiera importado no haber visto esto. En una palabra: prescindible.
NameWithheld
08/01/2015, 04:50 PM
I think I can say with full conviction that I hate Black Butler now. The first season was repetitive and monotonous, but was at least funny enough to keep me going. The second season was a mess, but was surprisingly much better because it shook things up. The third season was more like season one, but at least was really short, more creative, and had pretty art. Book of Murder was the last straw. Black Butler can officially go fuck itself. Not since Demon King Daimao has an anime pissed me off so much. I think my biggest problem with Black Butler is the Black Butlerhimself. With him, all suspense or concept of telling a story is thrown out the window. I know how everything is going to go. Book of Murder's ending was absolute crap. I was shocked by how stupid it was, and was mad at myself for being so surprised because I really should have seen it coming. I actually thought that the answer was going to be clever. It wasn't clever. It was a middle finger. I think that seasons two and three were more tolerable because they had such big casts. That way, it was easier for me to ignore the fact that I hated the two main characters so much. But this OVA is even worse than season 1 in regards to having to put up with Ciel and Sebastian's bullshit. After this, I think that those two might tie for my least favorite characters in any anime. Pardon my anger, but this show is just one hell of an insult.
ren6
07/16/2015, 09:59 AM
What do you think of being invited to a party and then find yourself trying to solve a murder case? A-1 Pictures bring to us now "Book of Murder", this two-part OVA, after the so commented "Book of Circus", both, the true sequels for the first Kuroshitsuji anime. Book of Murder have a very simple plot: solve a mysterious assassination case in a mansion, in which all the suspects are trapped inside it on a rainy day. Everyone can be the murderer, you can't trust anyone. Strongly inspired in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Book of Murder have everything the fans of policial mystery can ask: suspense,supernatural, awesome tricks and to add a little more, a bit of comedy. STORY After the events of Book of Circus, Ciel is now asked by the Queen to give a party and receive some guests. A succession of events lead to a case of murder in his mansion, and then, him, the remain guests and the servants, will have to solve this case in a stormy night. The story is very interesting and you might even caught yourself trying to solve the mysteries they show in the anime, seems like everything was well planned by the murderer and you keep trying want to know exactly what happened. The way the whole story starts to develop is simply very smart, at the point that when we come to the conclusion, you just feel completely tricked by all the characters and by the own author. CHARACTERS The characters are very interesting itself, of course, we have Ciel and Sebastian, enigmatic as always, as well as the known servants and some other faces we already know; there's new characters introduced then, the "Double Charles", which are the servants of the Queen; they will make part of our story, to be specific, Charles Grey, who might look as a random character but will take an important role in the story; there's Arthur, who is kinda like our "main" character in this arc, since is him who's telling us the story (which can be noted in the beginning of the OVA), and well, other minor characters that go to the party, they don't really have a huge role in the story but are somehow enjoyable. What I liked the most is that you can't read some characters at all, a characteristic of those mystery stories of course, and well, they totally fit for the atmosphere of the story, I personally liked Grey's character the most, he's so funny but at the same time such an enigmatic guy. Arthur is also very smart and he acts like our detective (he's actually a very nice mix of Conan Doyle and his own creation, Sherlock Holmes, and honestly, I think this made the character much more original and enjoyable); well, he's definitely my favorite character of this arc and of course, someone who take an important role in the conclusion of the story. ANIMATION Not really my cup of tea, but I have to say this OVA have a great animation. There's not even comparison between the 2009 Kuroshitsuji and the 2014 Book of Murder. Yet, A1 is not the best when it comes to animate long distance scenes, the characters always seems weird somehow, but they make up when it comes to the rest, especially sceneries, the whole mansion scenery and the outdoor scenery, the details of the tableware, everything is perfectly done. And well, of course, the characters eyes and hair are something, everything is so shining, it's actually stunning and I absolutely loved the new design of them. SOUND The OST's are good, mostly recycled from Book of Circus, but they're actually appropriate to the scenes. We don't have an opening or ending song, but the theme present in the credits is nice, it actually fit the atmosphere of the whole story of the OVA. Overall, Kuroshitsuji Book of Murder was a great sequel for Book of Circus, and definitely the cup of tea of all the Kuroshitsuji fans. It's definitely a must watch if you're already a fan of the series, but I also would recommend to everyone who likes mysteries, murder cases and puzzles. Book of Murder might look very different from the other Kuroshitsuji stuff you have seen so far, or what you already know of the series, but that's what makes it interesting and awesome. Then, what are you waiting to know who the culprit is?
HeartRIF
05/25/2015, 04:10 AM
My thoughts: As a person who is a huge fan of kuroshitsuji franchise I can say I fangirled the living hell out of me while watching this series Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder. If you are watched all of the Kuroshitsuji from the start to the end you will be pleased with this story. I love how they connected Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus and Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder together and did not forget what happend in the last series. I love the mysteriousness and the Detective-Like Censorious which kind of reminded me of the stereo typical Detective novels we all read somewhere in our lives. what bothers methe most is that you could sometimes foresee what will happen but still you would find it interesting enough to continue watching until the end. the story was kinda ok but i think it was a bit of a drag into the episodes. the two episodes are roughly [each] an hour so it's not your typical 23 minutes per episode, and it's good because who the hell won't want some more Sebastian Screen time :) Overall: I really enjoyed Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder and I think it's safe to say that Sabastian never Fails to amuse us [the Fans] At all. The story itself Was very intresting and I can't say the fans of Kuroshitsuji won't enjoy it as much as i did. Though it wasn't all perfect but it did hit the spot all the fans needed.
eskimoseb
04/07/2015, 05:30 AM
In a match made in heaven, the Japanese interpretation of English aristocracy finally meets one of the most English of inventions, the mighty Sherlock Holmes! This is Black Butler’s most serious and mature arc yet. Fear not though, because it’s also one of its best. Book of Murder’s two hour long episodes are a very worthy addition the Black Butler universe. Book of Murder places a stronger focus than is Black Butler’s norm on the details of the storyline, so I am happy to say that story-wise this is one of the strongest entries to the series yet. Chronologically, Murder sits right after the Book ofCircus arc, so you’ll definitely want to watch that first. For people who have watched Circus, Book of Murder nicely references events of the Circus storyline, while tying up a few loose ends to the Circus arc. The story of Murder is unabashedly well trodden, as a cast of characters are invited to a Phantomhive banquet, but find themselves being murdered one by one. The events that unfold though are anything but clichéd however, maintaining suspense and introducing some very nice twists. Unlike previous arcs, Murder’s not action-packed, so whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you though. Don’t mistake this lack of action for being boring though, as Murder’s tense and exciting mystery provide more than enough excitement by way of compensation. It’s a classic Sherlock Holmes-esque scenario, so the cute Sherlock references here and there were more than welcome, and the story definitely takes a very Sherlock-style logical approach to solving its own mystery (although I do think there were a few lapses in logic here and there). A strong logical progression is not really why I came to watch Murder though. I came to see the more of Black Butler fantastical setting and Sebastian’s awesome powers put to full effect. Book of Murder certainly delivers here, in an intensely satisfying way. Sebastian is still ridiculously powerful, of course, but as the mystery unravels I found myself thinking not ‘Oh that was how Seb did it, that’s cheating!’ but ‘Ah, so that’s how it was done! Well that was neat’. They’re fine lines, but I’m glad to say Book of Murder stays on the proper side. With regards to pacing, Murder wraps its murder mystery up a bit quickly in my opinion, but there’s more to this story than meets the eye! Keep watching Murder, and you’ll find yourself surprised I’m sure at its unexpected ending! I’ve talked about Sebastian already since he is no doubt the main focus of your attention (he was mine!). You may be surprised to learn that Sebastian is this arc’s main focus though. No, that honour goes to our narrator Arthur. Arthur’s a struggling doctor and writer, unexpectedly receiving an invitation to the banquet because Ciel is fond of his stories. He’s smart and able to keep a cool head, so naturally becomes heavily involved in identifying the murderer, helping Ciel with some well executed displays of deduction. Arthur’s not just a super sleuth, he’s also a wonderful father figure. Arthur’s paternal instincts bring out a newer side of Ciel that I promise you’ve never seen before. With all Ciel’s confidence and meticulous planning, I sometimes forget how he is, at heart, still a 12 year old boy. Murder’s story is a mystery first and foremost, but if mystery isn’t normally your thing, you might be interested in seeing Ciel’s more vulnerable side exposed during his brief relationship with Arthur. In and of itself, this was a huge leap for Ciel’s character, so Arthur is pretty much a godsend! Apart from Arthur, there’s a mix of old and new faces at Murder’s deadly banquet. Familiar favourite like the Phantomhive staff, Lao and Ran Mao are joined by newer faces, like Grey Charles, the queen’s personal bodyguard – watch this guy, he’s an interesting one. Apart from him though, the newer additions are pretty weak in general if I’m honest. I guess when there’s a murder mystery, someone has to be the victim right? (I’m sorry, that was morbid I know…). Overall though, the focal point of this story is definitely Ciel, Arthur and Sebastian, which is good because in Book of Murder they’re all fantastic. Regarding the animation and sound, there’s not much to say about Murder other than it’s business as usual. It’s not anywhere near as action-packed as other arcs have been, so the animation isn’t quite as extravagant, but I didn’t mind at all. In addition, there’s no OP and EP to talk about, which I haven’t experienced in a while, but it drives the point home that Black Butler isn’t taking any prisoners here: it’s out to show you what it can do when it’s at its most serious and best. So to wrap up, Murder is in a way more of the same, with a familiar cast for the most part and the Ciel and Sebastian still occupying much of the attention. On the other hand Murder offers a new, more mature, sort of Black Butler. Ciel and Sebastian are still kicking underworld ass, and I for one really enjoyed the Black Butler’s take on England’s greatest detective stories. Book of Murder is a definite recommendation to fans of the franchise. Pros: Great mystery story Black Butler + Sherlock-Holmes = Win! More Sebastian! But perhaps not in a way you were expecting… Cons: Uneven pacing with quite a slow start Not very interesting cast of new side characters Not much action (could be a plus though)
Smugdear
03/30/2015, 09:21 PM
There is a truth that not needed to discover for our own good Bringing the old tradition of the classical detective story theme, Book of Murder covers right after Book of Circus arc. The story starts in Phantomhive manor, the queen order Ciel Phantomhive to held a banquet in his manor. The banquet was poisoned by a homicide that quickly turned the banquet into a death zone. Ciel must unravel the truth within the homicide. This OVA actually did their job well. Although there is no "mystery" in the genres, Book of Murder offers the genres. The mystery have both predictable & unpredictable things, but despite ofthat, the anime still managed to allure the audience with its excitement. The characters do their roles pretty well, there is a historical character that can be found here (Arthur Conan Doyle) The animation and the sound settings still the same with previous seasons, it's well matched & nice. Overall, it's just another Kuroshitsuji OVA that does their job well in bringing the intense excitement to the story ranks.
djfred8
03/18/2015, 01:08 PM
As I am a adept of mystery anime and gore stuff I was looking forward a lot to this OVA, especially after this delicious book of Circus. If I gotta say something now, it would be UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT storywise. I like to predict plots and event in anime before they happen and see of things will go how I planned it or they will be innovative. This OVA went perfectly as I planned, nothing too mysterious nor threatening, I predicted the whole thing since I saw the picture on MAL and it happened what did happen. Too many clichés but it was still Kuroshitsuji-style. There wasquite some fanservice for both genders but don't worry, it's not abused like in *hum* FT *hum* Otherwise everything else was good, don't expect anything too fancy from this than from a normal Kuroshitsuji episode. In the end it didn't leave me a bad taste in my mind, but I gotta say this OVA does do its job of "concluding" the Book of Circus Arc in a way. Ladies and Gentlemen, go and see it now if you haven't. -From an 18 y/o detective

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder 黒執事 Book of Murder

| Episodes: 2 | Score: 8.1 (129587)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: OVA

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Asanuma, Shintaro

Kimura, Ryouhei

Ono, Daisuke

Sakamoto, Maaya

News

Reviews

colelouch
04/25/2025, 02:08 AM
I was surprised to see some Black Butler fans describe Book of Murder as boring, because I was genuinely curious to see how the series would follow up after Book of Circus, especially with the shift to a movie-style format, and in my view, they absolutely delivered. I approached it with some skepticism and cautious optimism, especially since I’ve read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories and had a general sense of where certain mystery elements might lead. However, it was clear that Yana Toboso anticipated this familiarity from her audience and crafted a plot full of unexpected twists and intricately layered developments. What impressed memost was how the story subverted the typical detective trope of having just "one genius in the room." Instead, Book of Murder kept shifting expectations, using multiple clever minds and interwoven clues to create a much richer, more surprising experience. Even though I paid close attention to all the small details scattered throughout the film, the final reveal still caught me off guard, showing how masterfully all the pieces were connected and used to build on each other. The clever nods to other classic works also added a playful charm, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. I loved every moment of Book of Murder and came away thoroughly impressed by how smartly it was executed.
BerryBlitz
03/30/2025, 01:31 PM
Black Butler: Book of Murder is a two-episode OVA that serves as a direct sequel to Book of Circus, continuing the dark and twisted tale of Ciel Phantomhive and his ever-faithful butler, Sebastian. This arc offers a classic murder mystery setup with a Victorian flair, blending gothic aesthetics with suspense and intrigue. The premise revolves around a murder that takes place during a grand banquet hosted at the Phantomhive estate. As the guests are picked off one by one, the tension steadily rises. The whodunit-style plot keeps you guessing, with plenty of red herrings and misdirection. While the mystery is engaging, the overall executionfeels somewhat predictable, especially for seasoned mystery fans. However, the payoff and reveal are still satisfying, tying into the larger narrative with clever twists. Ciel and Sebastian remain the highlights, with their dynamic as sharp and compelling as ever. Ciel’s cunning and resolve continue to develop, while Sebastian’s cold yet charismatic presence makes every scene he’s in captivating. The supporting cast, including the eccentric guests, adds color to the mystery, though most of them are ultimately forgettable due to their limited screen time. The reappearance of familiar faces is a nice touch, adding continuity to the overarching story. The animation quality remains consistent with Book of Circus, with elegant Victorian-era visuals, detailed costumes, and atmospheric lighting that enhances the murder mystery ambiance. The darker color palette and candlelit settings contribute to the eerie, ominous tone. The character designs are stylish as always, and the animation during the more action-oriented moments is fluid and clean. The soundtrack complements the haunting and mysterious atmosphere effectively. The orchestral pieces and subtle background scores build tension without overpowering the scenes. The voice acting is strong, with Daisuke Ono once again delivering a chilling yet alluring performance as Sebastian. The sound design during key moments, such as the murders, adds a layer of suspense. Book of Murder is an entertaining and stylish murder mystery that provides a nice follow-up to Book of Circus. While it doesn’t reach the same emotional highs or intensity as its predecessor, it offers a satisfying blend of intrigue, gothic horror, and dark humor. The plot is solid, but it plays it a bit safe in terms of mystery tropes. Still, fans of Black Butler will find it a worthy addition to the series, especially for its continued focus on Ciel and Sebastian’s twisted bond.
Nerdodivergent
02/11/2023, 01:45 PM
Black Butler is truly the Forrest Gump of anime. If you're watching this I'm going to assume you've watched all the previous arcs. The idea that this 12 year old and his chaotic group of servants are directly involved with all these historical events is incredible. Every time I see it grow more I lose it laughing. Two episodes. Each an hour long. Fantastic. My jaw was dropping all the time. There's a ton of new characters introduced just for this arc alongside the classics. It's great. I think I felt every single emotion in the 2 hours I spent watching. My heart shattered andwas put back together. All the twists and turns got me so good. It's got the classic gore of all the previous arcs, along with phenomenal humor and heartwarming moments (Finny is and will forever be best boy). If you've enjoyed Black Butler up to this point, you will absolutely love this arc too.
Panda_Roll
09/23/2022, 07:44 AM
The book of murder follows the Cirus arc in the manga (and the finale of the OVA) This one is a simple murder mystery that follows quite a few tropes from Sherlock Holmes down to having Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a dinner guest taking notes and a figure that "inspires" the fictional Sherlock Holmes. The OVA is two episodes each an hour long, sadly it offers nothing new BUT if you watch it after the book of circus you'll notice further character development from Ciel, the kid reaches new levels of low that makes him far more enjoyable than what we got in S1(aka a spoiled brat). Overall a fun OVA but predictable.
BabyGirl06301
07/01/2018, 11:58 PM
Well, this was different. But, like... in a good way. For a hot minute, I thought this would be another piece of Black Butler that made zero sense, but it turned out to be a fun little mystery. It didn't really forward the overall plot of Black Butler that much, but it was still quite entertaining to watch. It reminded me a lot of a dinner party where the guests will play a whodunit game as the entertainment. It's hard to review two episodes, but basically, if you love Black Butler, you'll love Book of Murder. Tanaka is surprisingly badass, plus Ciel's quite the littleactor. So is Sebastian, I suppose. I don't know, if you want a rainy day anime, watch this. It's cool, it's fun, that's all I got. Adios.
saeid_2k
12/12/2017, 01:04 AM
I finished Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler in April, and it was a great show,but I never really got around to book of murder because of high school and forgot about it for a while. Then yesterday my 10Am college class was cancelled so I decide to watch it. Book of murder follows Ciel Phantomhive after the events of book of circus. He is asked to host a party attended by several of the finest members of polite society—as well as struggling author, Arthur. But as the party reaches its high, a terrible murder takes place. As a violent storm rages on outside, the deathcount continues to climb. The Phantomhive household and their eminent guests find they must cooperate in order to solve this mystery before they too fall prey to the mysterious murderer. However, it seems that not even the perfect butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is safe from this horror. Im a big fan of murder mysteries and book of murder had a solid story with an amazing and great build. You could really feel the tension the characters had, and the intensity. There were many twists and turns in the story and each one was thrilling to see unfold. The drama and the comedy blend perfectly together without compromising each other. A1 studios did a fantastic job with the animation just like in the series. The character and location designs were beast. The best part of this two part OVA is the suspense as you don't know whats going to happen next or what's going to unfold. Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis are one of my favourite duos in Anime. The interactions the have and the way they work off each other is fantastic as Ciel is cold and stoic and Sebastian is more cheerful and charming. Brina Palencia and J.Micheal Tatum are fantastic in their roles. I liked that the three servants of the Pantomhive manor got some time to shine in these two episode. Also, I found Arthur the author introduced in these episodes to be a really good character that got a decent amount of screen time and development. The main issues I have with Book of Murder is that the musical score is unmemorable. But more importantly I don't understand why this had to be divided in two parts instead of being released as a two hour movie, and the ending was predictable. However those are minor drawbacks. Overall I really enjoyed book of murder, it was great seeing Sebastian and Ciel in another adventure, the comedy, drama, and mystery elements were brilliant. I had an absolute blast with book of murder and I look forward to rewatching it in the future some day
Springball64
10/21/2017, 04:04 AM
I absolutely love the mystery theme, especially ones that fit the mystery train genre type (there's a killer we are all trapped with and we need to find them before we all die) and Book of Murder delivered this, along with all of my fun favourite characters (except Grell ;-;). Story: This story is very well done. Bringing back characters that fans haven't seen for a while, and it's pacing was done fairly well. Mystery genres are almost always slow, as was this, but they have to be to keep it interesting and make the audience continually guess what's going to happen next. This was definitelya great storyline of Kuroshitsuji and among one of my favourite adaptations, 8/10. Art: The art once again, did not disappoint in this series/OVA of Kuroshitsuji. It did not dip in quality and was always very nicely done with good attention to detail, landing it an 8/10. Sound: The soundtrack to this was good, nothing completely outstanding but definitely not poor, I think it deserves a 7/10. Character: The old characters that have returned were a pleasant surprise, along with all of our regulars throughout the show that I loved (minus one) was good to see as well. All of the new characters introduced seemed to have some potential, but some of them seemed to not be as fleshed out as they could have been, although it was only around 2 hours total. Giving the characters a 9/10. Enjoyment: As I previously stated, I greatly enjoy the mystery genre and this series, so a mixture of the two was something that I really like, thus I am giving it a 9/10 for enjoyment. Overall: In total, factoring in the good and the bad, I think that this deserves an 8/10 as it's overall score, on the cusp of being a 9/10. I would recommend it to fans of the series.
Katrov
07/31/2017, 04:43 PM
I'll start by saying I read this story in the manga before watching this, yet I was not disappointed in the adaptation. (also some spoilers will be mentioned) TL;DR: Worth a watch if you like Black Butler at all. I also like to start ratings at 5/10 and go up or down from there. Story: 8/10 All in all, this mystery was fun, engaging and I didn't not feel like it dragged on despite my initial thinking two one-hour episodes might be a bit long, particularly when the story seemed to be wrapping up halfway through the second episode. However, it still kept me interested but I could seehow the ending might be a bit confusing for people who haven't seen Book of Circus. There were a few scenes that made specific references to Book of Circus, particularly the main villain's "motive" (although it could still make sense, just might seem a bit random) as in Charles Grey acting on the Queen's orders to "punish Ciel for his mischief" and the end with the whole "Snake was there too" bit. For the most part though, anyone who knows the general idea of Black Butler could enjoy this, it's not too short or long, and has an interesting enough storyline to keep you interested for the duration of it's just over two hours runtime. It also had a couple twists that were pretty good although I had read the manga in advance so they weren't really a surprise lol. Art: 8/10 I really like the art style for Black Butler, and it looks the same and high quality for this. Sebastian being as classy looking as ever, although several scenes look a bit lazy. Specifically, where there were a number or people on-screen and you could only tell who was talking by seeing which mouth was moving because everything was static. One other thing that kind of stood out to me was a specific scene; when Arthur comes back to confront Ciel and Sebastian about what really happened. When Ciel is on the staircase laughing, that looked really...fake and jarring to me, like his head didn't move at all but the rest of his body was, just looked rather rough compared to the rest which was pretty good looking. Sound: 7/10 There are a few spots where classical/piano sounding music would play when Sebastian is either doing something really impressive etc and at the start and end. It sounded good, and like always, fit the victorian era theme of the anime. Characters: 7/10 Nothing really remarkable or terrible. You understood the basics of each character and for the most part, their motives. One thing I thought about which is probably due to the shorter runtime was there wasn't as much character interaction throughout, specifically at the beginning. They all had their roles (and some gimmicks) but I felt a few of the guests were just there to die(the quiet blond-haired dude who gets poisoned) and be props as the other characters progressed through the story (Grimsley the...Stage Director? and his lady friend the opera singer). Enjoyment: 9/10 I'm a sucker for Black Butler and seeing my favourite all-powerful butler in action so this was a fun watch. The story was complicated and interesting enough to keep me invested, and wasn't too complicated that I felt lost. Gotta love Sebastian's heels (haha) and butlerisms. Overall: 8/10 Not the best thing I've ever seen or something I would call a "masterpiece", but really good nonetheless. Worth a watch if you like Black Butler at all.
bluecoke_
05/24/2017, 06:01 PM
Well, that was a pleasant surprise! This was much better than I thought it'd be, and I enjoyed it far more than I enjoyed the first season, and the Book of Circus. Story: 7 I expected the plot twist with Sebastian but there were still a few things that caught me off guard, which made the plot even more enjoyable. The story kicked in rather strong, and grabbed my attention from the start, which was something I must say the other seasons that I'd watched didn't really succeed in doing. Pacing was a bit slow in some parts but settled well into a faster pace halfway. Lovedthe ending, from how they dealt with the case to the last minute of the episode. Overall solid plot, albeit a bit predictable in some places. Art: 8 Sound: 8.5 No problems with these either and the sound effects were actually pretty great and created the atmosphere. Character: 7 Sebastian is pretty awesome as always, and even though I never really liked Ciel, I actually did not mind him as a MC this time. In the previous seasons that I'd watched I just couldn't really enjoy watching him, partly because of his spoilt kid personality. I could also enjoy their interaction much better, probably because I'm just no yaoi fan, but in the Book of Murder there was significantly less fan service in that aspect. The three servants are so fun to watch as always, and Tanaka-san really surprised me at some points. The guests were entertaining characters, though only one was set up to be in the spotlight. If there's one thing I have to complain about, it's the non-appearance of Grell and not enough Undertaker but that's going to be just nitpicking Enjoyment: 7 I did enjoy it, far better than the other seasons, but not quite on the level that I'd enjoy some other series. Overall this was a good follow-up to the Book of Circus, with better execution (and less obvious fan service!!!) and seeing that Kuroshitsuji got better and better following the series I'm happy to say that I will be waiting for the Book of Atlantic!
chiapet-IRL
04/27/2016, 10:55 AM
I watched this directly after Book of Circus, and it didn't disappoint. Based on the Murder arc in the manga, these OVAs seem to follow the story very strictly. As with the Book of Circus, the animation is wonderful and the art is beautiful as always. If you were disappointed by the first and second seasons of Kuroshitsuji, I think you'll be pleased with these new seasons. It is still a good blend of humor and friendship as well as darkness and suffering, and shouldn't be taken lightly. That being said, if you like murder mysteries (which Kuroshitsuji is full of) then you will definitely enjoythis one. Even having previously known how this would end, some of the twists are still quite cool and entertaining, not boring in the slightest.
AtticusIzayoi
11/28/2015, 04:37 AM
'' I devote my entire being to you. Until the day ... that lies become truth ! '' After two seasons of mostly non-canon, original material, the Kuroshitsuji series returned to Yana Toboso's manga canon with the famous Book of Circus. After its success, the story of a demon and his young master continued with a next chapter : Book of Murder ! Book of Murder adapts its plot from the Phantomhive Manor Murders arc from the manga. It is a nicely done arc, with an intriguing story, which evolves like a detective story, so that the viewer can participate to its solution. As everygood mystery, it has many nice twists and it also uses the famous pattern of the closed room murders (something that gave me some Umineko no naku koro ni vibes). Except from that, another thing that serves as a homage to the genre of mystery was the many references to Sherlock Holmes. As for the art, it has the same quality of the previous seasons, especially Book of Circus. About the sound, however I was a little disappointed because there wasn't a new opening or ending this time, due to the small number of episodes I suppose. The rest of the soundtrack was ok and it really set the atmosphere, as usual. Next, we have the characters. Many of the old ones returned, like Lau and Ran Mao, but because of the feeling of isolation that this arc tries to give it omits many fan-favourites (but also a bit unrealistic) like Grell or Undertaker. As for the main protagonists, we see once again the competitive side of Ciel and also his more sentimental side. In this arc, Sebastian mainly follows Ciel's orders, while his hunger for his master's soul grows. It's also the first time that we see Charles Grey (who had first made a cameo in Book of Circus), one of the most interesting characters from the manga, in action. There is also a young author, named Arthur, whose real identity is easy to guess, but that doesn't make him less memorable. So, it's a very good addition to the Black Butler series and a successful adaption from the manga. Much like Book of Circus, it's a fun to watch series, that everyone can watch, even if they're Kuroshitsuji fans or not.
Pilar_S
08/30/2015, 11:45 AM
[English and Spanish review] [English] Why you may want to watch this OVA? If you love Sebastian, and you probably do, you will feel the need to watch him every time as possible. But, in my opinion, this is not a really interesting story. A "riddle" quite predictible, with the same structure of an ordinary mistery novel, trying to pay tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... a little bit boring (and I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes) And the worst part is that Sebastian does not appear that much, so, it's not really worth it, even though he is as charming as always. Sorry! but I would not mind not tohave watched this. In one word: expendable. [Spanish] Por qué podrías querer ver este OVA? Si te encanta Sebastian, y probablemente así es, sentirás la necesidad de verlo cuantas veces sea posible. Pero, en mi opinión, esta historia no es interesante, en absoluto. Un "acertijo" bastante predecible, con la misma estructura de una novela de misterio común, tratando de homenajear a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... un poco aburrida. (y soy fanática de Sherlock Holmes) La peor parte es que Sebatian no aparece tanto, entonces, no vale la pena verlo, a pesar de que es tan encantador como siempre. Lo siento! pero no me hubiera importado no haber visto esto. En una palabra: prescindible.
NameWithheld
08/01/2015, 04:50 PM
I think I can say with full conviction that I hate Black Butler now. The first season was repetitive and monotonous, but was at least funny enough to keep me going. The second season was a mess, but was surprisingly much better because it shook things up. The third season was more like season one, but at least was really short, more creative, and had pretty art. Book of Murder was the last straw. Black Butler can officially go fuck itself. Not since Demon King Daimao has an anime pissed me off so much. I think my biggest problem with Black Butler is the Black Butlerhimself. With him, all suspense or concept of telling a story is thrown out the window. I know how everything is going to go. Book of Murder's ending was absolute crap. I was shocked by how stupid it was, and was mad at myself for being so surprised because I really should have seen it coming. I actually thought that the answer was going to be clever. It wasn't clever. It was a middle finger. I think that seasons two and three were more tolerable because they had such big casts. That way, it was easier for me to ignore the fact that I hated the two main characters so much. But this OVA is even worse than season 1 in regards to having to put up with Ciel and Sebastian's bullshit. After this, I think that those two might tie for my least favorite characters in any anime. Pardon my anger, but this show is just one hell of an insult.
ren6
07/16/2015, 09:59 AM
What do you think of being invited to a party and then find yourself trying to solve a murder case? A-1 Pictures bring to us now "Book of Murder", this two-part OVA, after the so commented "Book of Circus", both, the true sequels for the first Kuroshitsuji anime. Book of Murder have a very simple plot: solve a mysterious assassination case in a mansion, in which all the suspects are trapped inside it on a rainy day. Everyone can be the murderer, you can't trust anyone. Strongly inspired in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Book of Murder have everything the fans of policial mystery can ask: suspense,supernatural, awesome tricks and to add a little more, a bit of comedy. STORY After the events of Book of Circus, Ciel is now asked by the Queen to give a party and receive some guests. A succession of events lead to a case of murder in his mansion, and then, him, the remain guests and the servants, will have to solve this case in a stormy night. The story is very interesting and you might even caught yourself trying to solve the mysteries they show in the anime, seems like everything was well planned by the murderer and you keep trying want to know exactly what happened. The way the whole story starts to develop is simply very smart, at the point that when we come to the conclusion, you just feel completely tricked by all the characters and by the own author. CHARACTERS The characters are very interesting itself, of course, we have Ciel and Sebastian, enigmatic as always, as well as the known servants and some other faces we already know; there's new characters introduced then, the "Double Charles", which are the servants of the Queen; they will make part of our story, to be specific, Charles Grey, who might look as a random character but will take an important role in the story; there's Arthur, who is kinda like our "main" character in this arc, since is him who's telling us the story (which can be noted in the beginning of the OVA), and well, other minor characters that go to the party, they don't really have a huge role in the story but are somehow enjoyable. What I liked the most is that you can't read some characters at all, a characteristic of those mystery stories of course, and well, they totally fit for the atmosphere of the story, I personally liked Grey's character the most, he's so funny but at the same time such an enigmatic guy. Arthur is also very smart and he acts like our detective (he's actually a very nice mix of Conan Doyle and his own creation, Sherlock Holmes, and honestly, I think this made the character much more original and enjoyable); well, he's definitely my favorite character of this arc and of course, someone who take an important role in the conclusion of the story. ANIMATION Not really my cup of tea, but I have to say this OVA have a great animation. There's not even comparison between the 2009 Kuroshitsuji and the 2014 Book of Murder. Yet, A1 is not the best when it comes to animate long distance scenes, the characters always seems weird somehow, but they make up when it comes to the rest, especially sceneries, the whole mansion scenery and the outdoor scenery, the details of the tableware, everything is perfectly done. And well, of course, the characters eyes and hair are something, everything is so shining, it's actually stunning and I absolutely loved the new design of them. SOUND The OST's are good, mostly recycled from Book of Circus, but they're actually appropriate to the scenes. We don't have an opening or ending song, but the theme present in the credits is nice, it actually fit the atmosphere of the whole story of the OVA. Overall, Kuroshitsuji Book of Murder was a great sequel for Book of Circus, and definitely the cup of tea of all the Kuroshitsuji fans. It's definitely a must watch if you're already a fan of the series, but I also would recommend to everyone who likes mysteries, murder cases and puzzles. Book of Murder might look very different from the other Kuroshitsuji stuff you have seen so far, or what you already know of the series, but that's what makes it interesting and awesome. Then, what are you waiting to know who the culprit is?
HeartRIF
05/25/2015, 04:10 AM
My thoughts: As a person who is a huge fan of kuroshitsuji franchise I can say I fangirled the living hell out of me while watching this series Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder. If you are watched all of the Kuroshitsuji from the start to the end you will be pleased with this story. I love how they connected Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus and Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder together and did not forget what happend in the last series. I love the mysteriousness and the Detective-Like Censorious which kind of reminded me of the stereo typical Detective novels we all read somewhere in our lives. what bothers methe most is that you could sometimes foresee what will happen but still you would find it interesting enough to continue watching until the end. the story was kinda ok but i think it was a bit of a drag into the episodes. the two episodes are roughly [each] an hour so it's not your typical 23 minutes per episode, and it's good because who the hell won't want some more Sebastian Screen time :) Overall: I really enjoyed Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder and I think it's safe to say that Sabastian never Fails to amuse us [the Fans] At all. The story itself Was very intresting and I can't say the fans of Kuroshitsuji won't enjoy it as much as i did. Though it wasn't all perfect but it did hit the spot all the fans needed.
eskimoseb
04/07/2015, 05:30 AM
In a match made in heaven, the Japanese interpretation of English aristocracy finally meets one of the most English of inventions, the mighty Sherlock Holmes! This is Black Butler’s most serious and mature arc yet. Fear not though, because it’s also one of its best. Book of Murder’s two hour long episodes are a very worthy addition the Black Butler universe. Book of Murder places a stronger focus than is Black Butler’s norm on the details of the storyline, so I am happy to say that story-wise this is one of the strongest entries to the series yet. Chronologically, Murder sits right after the Book ofCircus arc, so you’ll definitely want to watch that first. For people who have watched Circus, Book of Murder nicely references events of the Circus storyline, while tying up a few loose ends to the Circus arc. The story of Murder is unabashedly well trodden, as a cast of characters are invited to a Phantomhive banquet, but find themselves being murdered one by one. The events that unfold though are anything but clichéd however, maintaining suspense and introducing some very nice twists. Unlike previous arcs, Murder’s not action-packed, so whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you though. Don’t mistake this lack of action for being boring though, as Murder’s tense and exciting mystery provide more than enough excitement by way of compensation. It’s a classic Sherlock Holmes-esque scenario, so the cute Sherlock references here and there were more than welcome, and the story definitely takes a very Sherlock-style logical approach to solving its own mystery (although I do think there were a few lapses in logic here and there). A strong logical progression is not really why I came to watch Murder though. I came to see the more of Black Butler fantastical setting and Sebastian’s awesome powers put to full effect. Book of Murder certainly delivers here, in an intensely satisfying way. Sebastian is still ridiculously powerful, of course, but as the mystery unravels I found myself thinking not ‘Oh that was how Seb did it, that’s cheating!’ but ‘Ah, so that’s how it was done! Well that was neat’. They’re fine lines, but I’m glad to say Book of Murder stays on the proper side. With regards to pacing, Murder wraps its murder mystery up a bit quickly in my opinion, but there’s more to this story than meets the eye! Keep watching Murder, and you’ll find yourself surprised I’m sure at its unexpected ending! I’ve talked about Sebastian already since he is no doubt the main focus of your attention (he was mine!). You may be surprised to learn that Sebastian is this arc’s main focus though. No, that honour goes to our narrator Arthur. Arthur’s a struggling doctor and writer, unexpectedly receiving an invitation to the banquet because Ciel is fond of his stories. He’s smart and able to keep a cool head, so naturally becomes heavily involved in identifying the murderer, helping Ciel with some well executed displays of deduction. Arthur’s not just a super sleuth, he’s also a wonderful father figure. Arthur’s paternal instincts bring out a newer side of Ciel that I promise you’ve never seen before. With all Ciel’s confidence and meticulous planning, I sometimes forget how he is, at heart, still a 12 year old boy. Murder’s story is a mystery first and foremost, but if mystery isn’t normally your thing, you might be interested in seeing Ciel’s more vulnerable side exposed during his brief relationship with Arthur. In and of itself, this was a huge leap for Ciel’s character, so Arthur is pretty much a godsend! Apart from Arthur, there’s a mix of old and new faces at Murder’s deadly banquet. Familiar favourite like the Phantomhive staff, Lao and Ran Mao are joined by newer faces, like Grey Charles, the queen’s personal bodyguard – watch this guy, he’s an interesting one. Apart from him though, the newer additions are pretty weak in general if I’m honest. I guess when there’s a murder mystery, someone has to be the victim right? (I’m sorry, that was morbid I know…). Overall though, the focal point of this story is definitely Ciel, Arthur and Sebastian, which is good because in Book of Murder they’re all fantastic. Regarding the animation and sound, there’s not much to say about Murder other than it’s business as usual. It’s not anywhere near as action-packed as other arcs have been, so the animation isn’t quite as extravagant, but I didn’t mind at all. In addition, there’s no OP and EP to talk about, which I haven’t experienced in a while, but it drives the point home that Black Butler isn’t taking any prisoners here: it’s out to show you what it can do when it’s at its most serious and best. So to wrap up, Murder is in a way more of the same, with a familiar cast for the most part and the Ciel and Sebastian still occupying much of the attention. On the other hand Murder offers a new, more mature, sort of Black Butler. Ciel and Sebastian are still kicking underworld ass, and I for one really enjoyed the Black Butler’s take on England’s greatest detective stories. Book of Murder is a definite recommendation to fans of the franchise. Pros: Great mystery story Black Butler + Sherlock-Holmes = Win! More Sebastian! But perhaps not in a way you were expecting… Cons: Uneven pacing with quite a slow start Not very interesting cast of new side characters Not much action (could be a plus though)
Smugdear
03/30/2015, 09:21 PM
There is a truth that not needed to discover for our own good Bringing the old tradition of the classical detective story theme, Book of Murder covers right after Book of Circus arc. The story starts in Phantomhive manor, the queen order Ciel Phantomhive to held a banquet in his manor. The banquet was poisoned by a homicide that quickly turned the banquet into a death zone. Ciel must unravel the truth within the homicide. This OVA actually did their job well. Although there is no "mystery" in the genres, Book of Murder offers the genres. The mystery have both predictable & unpredictable things, but despite ofthat, the anime still managed to allure the audience with its excitement. The characters do their roles pretty well, there is a historical character that can be found here (Arthur Conan Doyle) The animation and the sound settings still the same with previous seasons, it's well matched & nice. Overall, it's just another Kuroshitsuji OVA that does their job well in bringing the intense excitement to the story ranks.
djfred8
03/18/2015, 01:08 PM
As I am a adept of mystery anime and gore stuff I was looking forward a lot to this OVA, especially after this delicious book of Circus. If I gotta say something now, it would be UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT storywise. I like to predict plots and event in anime before they happen and see of things will go how I planned it or they will be innovative. This OVA went perfectly as I planned, nothing too mysterious nor threatening, I predicted the whole thing since I saw the picture on MAL and it happened what did happen. Too many clichés but it was still Kuroshitsuji-style. There wasquite some fanservice for both genders but don't worry, it's not abused like in *hum* FT *hum* Otherwise everything else was good, don't expect anything too fancy from this than from a normal Kuroshitsuji episode. In the end it didn't leave me a bad taste in my mind, but I gotta say this OVA does do its job of "concluding" the Book of Circus Arc in a way. Ladies and Gentlemen, go and see it now if you haven't. -From an 18 y/o detective

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Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder 黒執事 Book of Murder

North American Anime & Manga Releases for May

News Briefs for Jun 16 - 22

New 'Kuroshitsuji' Anime Series Announced [Update 3/22]