Black Butler (Volume 5) (2008) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

• Sebastian Michaelis: Sebastian Michaelis is the butler of the Phantomhive household and acts as Ciel's bodyguard. Sebastian often describes himself through the phrase "I am one hell of a butler" The phrase plays on the word "demon" and the phrase "to the end". It can also translate to "I am a demon and a butler". Being a butler and a bodyguard are two jobs he is completely devoted to. He follows Ciel's orders faithfully, however, he is not overly concerned about Ciel's well-being as he insults and even harms Ciel to see his reaction. Sebastian is also shown to be a bit obsessed with cats. He is highly skilled in any area, and handles every task, no matter how impossible it is, as well as any problem that arises from the errors of the other staff with ease, stating it is only natural as the butler to the Phantomhive family.
• Ciel Phantomhive: Earl Ciel Phantomhive is the business-savvy, twelve-year-old head of the English Phantomhive noble family, taking over after the deaths of his parents, Lord Vincent and Lady Rachel Phantomhive. He runs Funtom Company, which manufactures toys and sweets. His right eye, which is usually covered with a black eyepatch. He appears to not enjoy physical contact (possibly aphephobic), though he tolerates Sebastian and does not complain when the demon picks him up or holds him. If stressed, he will slap someone touching him away, proclaiming "Don't touch me so easily!" He is portrayed as emotionless, though he occasionally expresses concern for the well-being of the few close to him. He sometimes portrays himself as a happy person, mostly when undercover, but soon turns to his true self. He worries for Sebastian's well-being; but ultimately looks at Sebastian as a pawn. There have been times when he wishes for Sebastian to fail a task or request, for humor's sake. He is close to his cousin and fiancée Elizabeth, seeing her as an important friend and someone he needs to protect. Before the loss of his parents, Ciel seemed to be a happy child. Ciel seems to be highly reliant on Sebastian and does not appear to interact with other staff members as often, though they are all devoted to him.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Edmunds' Empress Currie Powder: "The Empress" was a highly regarded blend of spices created by Joseph Edmunds, a specialist on the subject of curry by all accounts and author of Curries and How to Prepare Them (1903), whose manufacturing headquarters was located in Barnsbury, London. The mixture was awarded a certificate of merit in 1890 by the Royal Sanitary Institute.
• Currie: "Curry" was indeed spelled "currie" in Victorian times.
• Masalchi: The -chi suffic functions to describe occupation, like "-er" or "-ist" in English. Masal means "spice." therefore, a masalchi is a type of kitchen servant or scullion whose sole purpose is to work with spices.
• Murgi'r kari: Murgi means "chicken" in Bengali. Arguably, kari is the Tamil word from which "curry" is derived, but in common Bengali parlance, what is popularly considered a "curry" would probably be called a jhol ("soup" or "gravy").
• Le bomard bleu: This royal blue crustacean is found in the wild in the waters of Brittany and the English Channel. It is highly valued as a delicacy because of its succulence and delicate flavour and is considered an aristocrat of its species by connoisseurs.
• Curry bun: More commonly known as kare pan ("curry bread"). A very common Japanese food that is found in convenience stores and school lunchrooms. It is typically made of Japanese-style curry inside dough, which is then breaded in bread crumbs and deep fried.
• Manor of the Isle of Wight: Probably Osborne House, Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort's country home and summer retreat.
• The Crystal Palace: The epitome of Industrial Revolution thinking, this ill-fated but recognisable glass and iron structure was built in Hyde Park, London to accomodate the Great Exhibition of 1851. The building was moved to a different park in 1854, where it stood until 1936, when it was ruined by fire. The remaining towers of the building were demolished during World War II.
• Barnaby: Barnaby was one of the bloodhounds kept by Sir Charles Warren, who was Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police during the Jack the Ripper murders. Barnaby was being trained to track suspects in the streets of London at the time and was brought in to help with the investigation.
• 96422: The numbers can be read in Japanese in such a way that they sound like Kuroshitsuji, the original title of Black Butler.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by Black Butler (Volume 4), and followed by Black Butler (Volume 6).

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Yana Toboso (Author)
2. Yana Toboso (Illustrator)
3. Yana Toboso (Creator)

Other Contributors:

1. Tomo Kimura (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 741

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Rated OT: Older Teen for language and violence.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Comics & Graphic Novels › Manga › Science Fiction
• Books › Comics & Graphic Novels › Manga › Shonen (Boys)