Where It All Began: A Review of Kuroshitsuji The Musical, His Butler: Friendship

Kuroshitsuji The Musical, His Butler: Friendship

Above: Shougo Sakamoto as Ciel Phantomhive (left) and YuYa Matsushita as Sebastian Michaelis (right)

I have finally seen the complete set!

First came musical three, Kuroshituji - The Lycrois That Blazes the Earth

Then came the second installment, Kuroshitsuji 2: The Most Beautiful Death in the World & The Thousand Souls and a Fallen Shinigami

And today I finally got around to watching Kuroshitsuji The Musical, His Butler: Friendship, the original musical inspired by the still growing Kuroshitsuji franchise and the final musical to complete the Black Butler Musical Set. While I may have seen the musicals in reverse order, I am glad to have finally seen all the musicals that have thus far been produced in Japan and review the final one in this amazing trio of shows.  

Synopsis:

Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor! Phantomhive servants Baldroy, Mey-Rin, Finny and Tanaka keep watch over the manor and serve Ciel, the young Earl of Phantomhive. But there's another servant who keeps a watchful eye on Ciel, Sebastian Michaelis, who is simply one hell of a butler. 

  Above: YuYa Matsushita as Sebastian Michaelis

A more than perfect butler never failing at any task, Sebastian is always by Ciel's side and protects Ciel with his very life - even at the cost of his own. As Sebastian, Ciel and the servant busily prepare for a ball that will soon to be held at the manor, three guests from a Japanese toy company arrive and are invited to the ball to show the best of English hospitality. Yuuki, the president of the company, and his older brother Kai reside at the manor with their servant Kirito who anxiously wait to attend the ball.

 Above (left to right): Yuya Miyashita as Kirito, Aoyagi Ruito as Yuuki and Daichi Oshino as Kai

When Sebastian makes an unexpected blunder at the ball and requests that Yuuki and Kai to provide entertainment for the guests, Kai suggests that Yuuki play his flute. The reluctant Yuuki agrees, but as he begins playing ghost-like creatures appear and wreak havoc on the balls guests and the manor. In an attempt to save his master, Kirito pulls Yuuki out of the commotion followed by Kai, leaving the servants to fight the creatures and Sebastian along with Ciel in hot pursuit of the strangers. 

Above: YuYa Matsushita as Sebastian (left) and Uehara Takuya as Grell Sutcliff (right)

As the servants continue to fight in the manor Sebastian runs into fellow butler Grell Sutcliff, who in actuality is no butler at all. A Shinigami, more commonly known as a Grim Reaper, Grell tries to detain Sebastian as long as he can and professes his love for Sebastian until he is ultimately defeated and lets slip the fact that Kirito is not human. His suspicions now confirmed, Sebastian leaves Grell and runs off after Kirito, Yuuki and Kai.

Having returned to the manor, Kai arrives to find Kirito who has vanquished the creatures and Yuuki passed out on the nearby staircase. Out of fear and panic, Kai kills Kirito only to then be joined by Ciel and Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Aberline. Just as Kai is about the explain what happened, Kirito stands up only to reveal that it was Sebastian in disguise and not Kirito at all. Backed into a corner, Kai unknowingly confesses to others murders committed throughout the city and the fact that Kirito was the one responsible for the death of his and Yuuki's parents. With truths coming out left and right, Kirito is revealed to be a demon known as a Keishan who upon killing Yuuki and Kai's parents ate their eyes as a reward and the flute that Yuuki obtained has the power to call back dead spirits. As Yuuki stands in awe of his brother, Kirito tries to explain that while he is only an accomplice in these murders he does not condone what Kai has done.

Above: Yuya Miyashita as the Keishan Demon, Kirito

Before any further moves can be made, the group runs from the manor that once again has swarmed with the creatures. With Sebastian struggling to decide between orders from Ciel to apprehend Kai and his duty as a butler to protect the manor friends Prince Soma and his faithful butler Agni return to the manor and offer their help in defeating the creatures, allowing Sebastian and Ciel to peruse Kai and Kirito. Kirito finds himself alone recalling the murder of the brothers parents and how he also killed all his fellow demons as instructed by his master Kai. To hide the dark side of Kai, Kirito reveals to Ciel and Sebastian that he had hidden these facts from Yuuki and will stay by his side no matter what. As Kai returns to confront Ciel about his path of revenge, Yuuki returns and suddenly begins to play his flute, once again summoning the spirits. Terrified, Kai attempts to run from the scene where Kirito is finally defeated by the spirits once and for all. With Kirito now dead, Kai is left defenseless against Sebastian who does not waste a single moment in killing himright in front of Yuuki and ending the evenings terror at the manor.

With this night of terror over, Yuuki recounts his attitude towards life and promises Ciel to continue forward before he heads back, alone to his home. To solidify this promise Ciel suggests that Yuuki exchange his cursed flute for Ciel's walking stick, which Yuuki does before departing England for Japan. Alone once more, Ciel and Sebastian revel in the fact that they have confiscated the flute as per the orders of The Queen and that they have succeeded in solving another case. The curtain closes as Sebastian swears his undying loyalty to Ciel until his revenge is accomplished and the two part ways, for eternity.        

REVIEW:

After watching this musical, it was very apparent that this was Japans first attempt at any kind of musical adaptation to Kuroshitsuji. While this musical may have been the weakest of the three, its performances and other production values still give it enough edge to be a successfully executed Kuroshitsuji musical.

The Cast:

Sebastian Michaelis - YuYa Matsushita

Ciel Phantomhive - Shougo Sakamoto

Baldroy - Tsuyoshi Koyama

Finnian - Shouta Minami

Mey-Rin - Atsuko Igari

Grell Sutclif - Uehara Takuya

Yuuki - Aoyagi Ruito

Kirito - Yuya Miyashita

Kai - Daichi Oshino

Other roles include The Undertaker, Aberline, Lau, Ran-Mao, Agni, Prince Soma & Tanaka

Performances:

Let's start with Yuya - having seen him in musicals 2 and three I was expecting utter perfection from him in his debut performance as Sebastian, but that ultimately wasn't the case. Matsushita's performance was admirable but it was apparent that this was his first attempt at acting, let alone a musical. Since he is a singer by trade his vocals, which were oddly limited in this first adaption, were wonderful and sounded easy from start to finish. Alongside his vocal performance, his physical abilities to perform stunts, especially in scenes pairing with Uehara Takuya as Grell, was quite impressive. Matsushita's downfall however can be seen in his limited acting abilities, as his first attempts at acting can be seen in various scenes that feel disjointed and somewhat out of place. While this obviously was Matsushita's first acting role and musical experience, his original performance as Sebastian was still very well done and overall a huge achievement and success.

Equally as impressive was Shougo Sakamoto's performance as Ciel Phantomhive, the Queens Guard Dog. As the original Ciel Sakamoto had a lot to live up to, especially from fans of of Kuroshitsuji manga and anime series. On the whole, Sakamoto pulled off Ciel very well, portraying his hard, quasi-evil personality as depicted in the original manga. With Sakamoto's performance I only have two qualms, the first being that Sakamoto was almost too old for the role of Ciel. Ciel is meant to be thirteen years old and after seeing various actors play the role throughout all the musicals I have mixed feelings on the proper age of the actor to play the part. The other aspect that didn't sit well with me was the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian. Had I not read the manga, seen the various anime series or watched the other two musicals, I would have no idea on the concept of Ciel and Sebastians relationship, how that relationship drives both their actions and why Ciel acts and is the way he is. While this fault is not entirely Sakamoto's, his portrayal of Ciel was not enough to show the weakness, strength and complexity of this relationship and it hurt Sakamoto more than it helped.

Alongside the musicals main leads, a few other performances stood out in an obvious and forthcoming way. The first is that of Uehara Takuya as Grell, who as always, never disappoints. In every single musical Takuya's performance has been one of the best and most consistent, never making me question why he was chosen for Grell in the first place. Uehara Takuya IS Grell and his origin performance as Grell was both inspired and so true to the manga and series, it was a little scary. Takuya has literally nailed Grell, from his appearance to his tone of voice and especially his personality, making Takuya one of my favorite Japanese actors of all time. The other set of performances that rang with me were those of the actors playing Inspector Fred Aberline and the Undertaker. Like Takuya, they've been on the Kuroshitsuji musical wagon since the beginning and they continue to give performances that both impress me and always make me laugh, as their characters serve as Kuroshitsuji's comedy relief.  

Set, Costumes and Score:

The set for the first Kuroshitsuji musical though quite basic, served its purpose. With how the musical was staged, the set had to be limited to allow the actors a majority of space to move around due to the various stunts and fight scenes it used. Almost too intricate however were the costumes. Each characters costume was almost an exact, live replication of those worn by the originally drawn characters and the characters costumes greatly enhanced the eerie and dark Kuroshitsuji tones. Of all the shows production values, the costumes were this musicals main star. The final, and somewhat most important element of this show, was its score. While most of the musicals score was boring and quite unimpressive, two musical numbers stood out:

Red Or Black (Sebastian & Grell Duet)

This duet was not only well written and catchy, but it also played on Grell's fun personality against Sebastians dark, cold edge. A perfect match of characters and actors!

 

Recollection By The Window (Ciel & Yuuki Duet)

This song was hands down the best song in the entire musical. So well written, beautifully sung by both actors and incredibly moving with such simplistic music and powerful lyrics made this song the first one I looked up after seeing the whole musical. This song is easily the musicals shining star. 

Final Thoughts:

Kuroshitsuji The Musical, His Butler: Friendship was a very, very good first attempt at adapting Kutroshitsuji for the stage. With the mangas original story and amazing characters I wasn't surprised that it was developed into a musical, and honestly, I think it was the best thing to happen with the franchise since developing the manga into two anime television series. All three of the Kuroshitsuji musicals are something incredibly special, creative and wonderful to watch over and over again, and to this day I am so glad and thankful that I stumbled across them. God bless Japan!!

The entirety of Kuroshitsuji The Musical, His Butler: Friendship, as well as the shows songs can be found on YouTube. If you enjoyed this review, please continue following my blog for future reviews and posts or check me out on Twitter @Musicald0rk. Until next time! 

2015: The Summer of Animes - Part VI: A Part of Everyday Life

I feel I've sufficiently watched enough anime to say that I am a true anime fan, and that anime has become a part of my everyday life. While I'm not able to watch it everyday, most days I find myself laying in bed watching another series or squeezing in an episode whenever I can. Due to this I am now powering through more and more series than ever and keep stumbling across both famous, impressive animes as well as hidden gems.

UPDATES:

Black Butler: Book of Circus - English Subtitled (2014)
Video - Black Butler: Book of Circus Original Opening

Ciel Phantomhive, The Queen's Guard Dog, has been given new orders: solve a case regarding a recent string of kidnapped children, eliminate the culprits and bring the children safely back to their families. Upon receiving his orders Ciel does not know where to begin, except that the missing children were abducted at the time a traveling circus arrived in London. As per the Queen's request Ciel and Sebastian must investigate the circus and do all they can to solve the case, but in the process will Ciel's painful past come back to haunt him and will Sebastian be able to serve and protect his master from both the impending danger and the painful memories which joined the two into contract?

Why I began the series: I originally had watched Book of Circus over the summer, but didn't review it as it was only available subtitled and at the time I wasn't huge into watched "subbed" anime. Book of Circus became the exception however, after finishing season two of Black Butler and learning that more Black Butler anime was out there, I just had to continue

What I loved about the series: Unlike Black Butler II, Book of Circus took the original series of Black Butler and continued the story explicitly as depicted in the manga. By going back to the manga, the story of Black Butler continued as if nothing had changed and gave new insight to many of its returning characters, in addition to introducing exciting new faces. Alongside its brilliant characters, Book of Circus was filled with an exciting plot line, beautiful animation and a lovely soundtrack which added much to the series. What I loved most about Book of Circus however, is that we were able to see more of Ciel's back story and when he first summoned and made his contract with Sebastian. While we still never see Sebastian in his full, true form we see how Ciel's traumatic past influenced his personality, his decisions and his life three years later. By seeing this, we are also given new insight into Sebastian, the depth of his devotion to his master from the moment their contract began and maybe even a feeling that this demon has become friends with his pray.

What I didn't like about the series: I only have two dislikes for Book of Circus: the first, while not so much a "dislike", is the hope that FUNimation will obtain the rights and English dub it with its previous cast. The other negative is more of a personal opinion, in the fact one can never have enough Grell. The more *red* the better!

Black Butler: Book of Circus was wonderful in continuing the popular and still in the process Black Butler story. It's characters are so remarkable, the plot was excellent and the overall feel of the next chapter fit the enterprise of Black Butler perfectly. I hesitate to say that Black Butler is my favorite anime, but it is definitely the one I find watching the most and talking about whenever I can.

Black Butler: Book of Murder - English Subtitled (2014)
Video - Black Butler: Book of Murder Original Opening

After solving the kidnapping case, Ciel and Sebastian return to their normal lives at the Phantomhive Manor. Shortly thereafter however, when the Queens butlers commonly known as "Double Charles" invade and tell Ciel that he is to hold a party and entertain a businessman from Germany, Ciel is reluctant to do so. Not wishing to go against her Majesty's orders, Ciel agrees to host the gathering and see that his guests are given the finest Phantomhive hospitality. But as the party begins and a storm rages throughout the night, strange things begin happening in the Manor and the lives of all the guests are put into question - along with the servants, Ciel and Sebastian himself.

Why I began the series: More and more Black Butler! I had made it through the Circus, and now it was onto Murder...

What I liked about the series: Book of Murder was just as successful as its previous series Book of Circus. Following the manga specifically, Book of Murder took the next section of Black Butler and was turned into another round of beautiful animation and anime. Like the circus, Book of Murder showed us more about the relationship of Ciel and Sebastian as well as Sebastian's demonic side. This series took some turns I was not quite expecting and was incredibly smart especially in its plot. All in all, Book of Murder was a very well done continuation of everything that comprises and is Kuroshitsuji.

What I didn't like about the series: My only complaint with this next set of Black Butler anime is its length. Squeezed down into two almost two hour episodes each, Book of Murder at times felt a little slow and rushed at various points. Had this section been broken down into more complex, deeper episodes it may have been more enjoyable as a whole.

As I simultaneously read the manga and watched these new Kuroshitsuji anime adaptations, I became very excited for more Black Butler. Having now seen everything there is at this point, I can only hope everything will soon be Dubbed and more Black Butler arcs will be adopted into fantastic anime adaptations.

Mirai Nikki - The Future Diary (2011)
Video: Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary) Original Opening

Yukkito Amano is your typical high school student: shy, quiet and always writing down his daily activities in a diary he keeps of his cell phone. When not at school Yukki converses with Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space and his faithful servant Murmur who at first glance seem to be nothing but imaginary beings, helping Yukki to get through his every day life. But Yukki's peaceful existence comes to a halt when he discovers that his phone can now predict the near future and he learns that he has been thrown into a new game by Deus Ex Machina along with eleven others and the rules are simple: kill everyone. And the last one standing will become the new God of Time and Space. The peaceful days are over and when Yukki discovers one of his fellow classmates is also in the running, will he choose to run or murder?

Why I began this series: I had seen other anime fans online say that they cried at Mirai Nikki and it was a series loved by so many, so I decided to see for myself.

What I liked about the series: This series was so "Hunger Games" I couldn't believe it. The concept of having a game where the characters fight to the death to become the new God was a pretty incredible and insane, but the more I got into the series the more I found it fascinating. The main thing that resonated with me and this series was its impression - sure the characters were memorable (some a little too much) and the plot was intense from beginning to end, but the feeling I was left with after completing Mirai Nikki was indescribable. Not knowing what to do next is one of the greatest feelings to experience with an anime, and Mirai Nikki now joins that list alongside a few other favorites, including Code Geass, Ouran High School Host Club and Your Lie in April (which is reviewed below)

What I didn't like about the series: It took me quite some time to warm up to this series. Between Yuno's special brand of crazy, her philosophy of killing and a few extremely creepy scenes involving Yukki and Yuno, I didn't know what to think about Mirai Nikki until I was closer to the end. This uncertainty really bothered me for a while, and while in the long run I was happy with that feeling I found it incredibly frustrating originally.

As I finish this review I still don't know what to think about this series. I didn't hate it, I liked it a lot, some of it was incredibly creepy and off putting but that's what made it stand out, it had some absolutely beautiful moments and I didn't know who to root for in the end. All in all, Mirai Nikki is an anime completely worth the watching, at least to experience the hype.

Your Lie in April (2014)
Video: Your Lie in April Original Opening

Once a famous child piano prodigy, Kousei Arima is no longer able to play the piano due to a mental breakdown during a competition that left him "unable to hear the piano". After "losing" his hearing and his mother shortly thereafter to illness, Kousei vows to never again play the piano and goes about life in a gray state. When his childhood friend Tsubaki one day asks Kousei if he will be a wing man for his best friend Watari, Kousei reluctantly agrees and meets the one girl who changes everything - Kaori, a free spirit and violinist. Seeing that Kousei is in constant pain, Kaori does all she can to bring Kousei back to the world of music and realize that music is much more than memorizing notes on the page and can mean so much more to both those who listen and perform.

Why I began this series: I had just finished Mirai Nikki and was looking for a change of pace. I had recently said on Twitter that Your Lie in April was a series that I wanted to watch but hadn't gotten around to yet, and with that in mind I decided to finally sit down and watch this music anime I had heard so many wonderful things about.

What I liked about the series: I find it particularly hard to review this series, as its entirety can be summed up in just a few words: beautiful, stunning, painful, moving - worth it. As a musician myself, I took much of everything in Your Lie in April to heart. Music is a struggle, it is something that can both put you on top of the world and tear you back down in an instant, but without this struggle nothing beautiful can be made. With this in mind, the way Your Lie in April dealt with the aspect of musicians lives and music was incredible and perhaps the most accurate representation of music as a career, a dream and a love. But to show this the series had to have molds which can be found in its main set of characters Kousei, Kaori, Tsubaki and Watari - each providing a different aspect and take on the ways of music. Kousei represents everyone who is in or desires to live within the realm of music: he is a prime example of what musicians go through to be happy and how we struggle daily to find and create things that are beautiful. Kaori represents those choice few musicians who are not afraid to put themselves out there for all to see: in many ways I see her as Your Lie in Aprils 'Muse of Music' proving that even when a performance does not go as planned or you do not place in a competition, its simply making the music, giving your entire being to it and making an irreplaceable impression on those who choose to listen. Tsubaki represents those who at times sees music as a hindrance: while in itself it is a beautiful art, music not only gives but just as equally takes away. And finally, Watari represents the patrons of music: those who choose to support the arts and those who are always there when music calls. Alongside its characters and heartfelt sentiments, the animation of this series is stunning as is its soundtrack which had be in tears many times over.

What I didn't like about the series: I have no complaints about this series whatsoever - it is perfection

Now having seen this series, it easily makes my Top 10 Anime list and probably would be in my Top 5 of All Time. Maybe it's because I'm a musician myself that I found this anime to be so much more - a beautiful story of how music moves us in life, makes us who we are, brings us both joy and sorrow but at the end of the day makes us happy.

When we're happy, we turn to music.
When we're sad, we turn to music.
When we don't know where else to turn, we turn to music - it's always there.
For me music is so much more:
Joy, struggle, pain, love, emotion - limitless.
I will always make music, just as music had made me, me.

Death Parade (2015)
Video: Death Parade Original Opening

When certain humans leave the land of the living they go to be judged, not before God or a divine being but instead at a bar known as Quin Decim. Run by bartender Decim, the pair of humans are told they must now play a game of which the stakes are their very lives. After picking a game at random the pair must play to determine who amongst them is the winner and loser before being sent to either heaven or hell. But the games are not as they seem, and as the humans face off against one another memories of their deaths will return, pain will become real and the humans will be judged - not from the game itself but from their true natures that are revealed, ultimately deciding whether they will be reincarnated or sent into the void.

Why  I began the series: I had finished Your Lie in April and somehow remembered Death Parade. Knowing that it was a short series that was highly talked of, I decided to watch it and completed it in a single night.

What I liked about the series: I tend to give shorter series a more critical review as I find that most short series seriously lack in character development and undeveloped story that isn't shown in so short a time. Death Parade however is a whole other story and blew my "short series" theories and overall mind in every way possible. The concept of Death Parade seems silly at first but the more I understood its premise and how the games are nothing more than a ruse for drawing out a humans true nature, I came to appreciate and become more impressed with the animes story arc. The plot took a few unexpected turns that left me wanting more and more, which ultimately helped me to complete the anime in just a few hours time. Alongside its very well done story, the characters of Death Parade are equally as remarkable. From the bartender Decim to the Black Haired Woman and the other Arbiters the characters of Death Parade were memorable and very individualized, making it easy to remember most names along with faces. Similarly, the animes use of character development through such a short show was incredible and we were able to see and learn something about each character that relates to their current situation and position. I love a good back story, so to learn in such detail the back stories of almost every character in such a short series was extra impressive and appreciated. The other major strength of this series was its effortless ability to balance the dark theoretical tones and the romance between certain characters. It is not strictly a horror or romance anime, but something in between that left me feeling both satisfied and dissatisfied with the series ending. Those feelings aside other strengths of Death Parade include its dark toned, mysterious animation style, the success of the English dub cast and the soundtrack which fit the tone of Death Parade perfectly.

What I didn't like about the series: The one thing I didn't like about Death Parade was the lack of information regarding one single character. What I would call the series "villain", Oculus gives a lot of resistance against other characters and gives off a "bad" vibe though he does not appear to be inherently evil. If I could fix one thing with Death Parade it would be to have more information about Oculus and know why he does the things he does throughout the series.

I honestly didn't think I would like Death Parade, but after watching two episodes I was hooked and knew I had to blast through it in one go. It was so much more than I ever would have expected, and though I stayed up until two in the morning to finish it I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Just like Your Lie in April I would rank Death Parade in my Top 10 Anime and maybe even Top 5 of All Time, and it goes without saying that I would highly recommend Death Parade to any and every anime or non anime fan.

SERIES STILL IN PROGRESS:

• Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Season 2 (Subtitled - Currently Airing) (2015)
• Bleach (2004-Present)
• Durarara x2
• Gurren Lagann (2007)
• Hyouka (Subtitled) (2012)
• Kimi no Todoke (Subtitled) (2009-2011)
• Sakurasou no pet Nakanono (Subtitled) (2012-2013)

Until we meet again, good luck on your journey.