Kuroshitsuji: Black Butler to be Released as a Live Action Movie
Have you heard the news? I didn’t know about it until very recently so if you haven’t, then rejoice! Especially if you’re a big fan of the series. BUT - and this is a big but - if you’re hardcore fans, you might want to not get your hopes up too high. The very first thing you need to take note of is that the live action movie will be an adaptation that's going to have an original storyline. Which means it’s not going to be the Kuroshitsuji you know and love. Most importantly...
There will be no Ciel.
Wait. Hold up. Don’t kill me, I’m just the messenger. Indeed, there will not be a Ciel in this movie. But Sebastian will be in it! Remember what I said about the movie having an original storyline?
The anime and manga both take place in the 19th century England but in the live action adaptation, it will be set 130 years into the future, in 2020, and will be staged in a city where Asian and Western cultures are seamlessly fused together.
While we still have our favourite demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis (played by Hiro Mizushima), he will be serving an entirely new master.This new master is Shiori Genpo (played by Ayame Goriki). The fascinating thing about Shiori is the fact that she is a girl. Because the head of the aristocratic family Phantomhive and its corporation must be male, to seize the reins, Shiori abandons her life as a woman and don on male clothing as well as go by the alias Kiyoharu.
Here are some of the screenshots I've found floating in the Internet.
Some of you will cry foul, saying that Sebastian doesn't have curly/wavy hair. Eh. Not everyone can look like an anime character, right down to the last strand of hair, without the person looking unnatural. Besides, you shouldn't judge an actor by his hair. Seriously, people.
For those who have never gotten into the whole Kuroshitsuji fandom in the first place might be interested to give this movie a chance. For fans who are open-minded enough to be able to accept divergence in canon plot, you might give this movie a chance, too.
The problem with adaptations of a successful show is that it will always be something of a hit or miss - it could be a hit because it has managed to triumph over the original version, giving the old story a freshness in some great way that people will barely care about the differences in the two. Or it could be a miss because the adaptation turns out mediocre at best which fails to distract the fans, leading to a lot of comparisons being made and why the original was waaaaaaay better.
Comparing, comparing, comparing...
Here is Ciel, aww~
Here is Ci- wait. No. That's a SHE!
This must be Ciel's twin! Or something. The horror!
Since it's going to be an original storyline, what about Grell and the Undertaker, and all the rest of the cast we know in the anime? There is no word on that yet but you can always get updates on the official website for the movie. Even if you don't read Japanese, the site will post up the pics of confirmed cast.
I understand that the whole draw of the original series has a lot to do with the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel.
If you take away Ciel, what do you have left? That's a very tough question to answer. Especially when people are going to expect a follow-up to the series, they will wonder what happened to the boy when the last we saw him in the anime was being turned into a demon and thus Sebastian was forced to serve him forever.
130 years is definitely not forever. And since it's an original storyline, I'm doubting that they will give a reasonable explanation about Ciel's disappearance.
For example, he got tired of Sebastian's demon ass and willingly broke their contract so Sebastian can happily go pursue a new master. But that won't answer the question about why the new master dresses just like Ciel. Hmm... maybe Sebastian is secretly missing his old master and since he's the butler, dressed Shiori up as Ciel?
Now I'm just tossing crazy ideas. Another one that I have is, it would have been better if they brought back Ciel in place of Sebastian, and Ciel is now all grown up (don't ask me how, it's magic) and becomes the servant, having to serve the current head of Phantomhive in the year 2020 (imagine his reaction when he sees Shiori who is dressed up as he was in him young mortal days). And Sebastian is also back in some capacity, wanting revenge and stuff and now I'm rambling. But yeah.
In any case, and here I'm addressing the fans, once the movie is out, try to watch it with an open mind. Or pretend (very, very hard) you've never even heard of Kuroshitsuji before and the film is the first time you're seeing something like this. You may never know how the experience of watching it will be for you. It may surprise you and turn out to be great. But at the very least, give it a chance. I think you owe it to the franchise to do that at least.
Written by Deviliscious
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