The "Pitch Black Butler Emerald Witch" arc is a storyline in the popular manga and anime series "Black Butler" by Yana Toboso. This arc focuses on the character of Sebastian Michaelis, a demon butler, and his partnership with Ciel Phantomhive, a young earl and the Queen's Guard Dog. In this arc, they encounter a new powerful enemy, the Emerald Witch, who seeks revenge on Sebastian for a past betrayal. Throughout the arc, the main characters face significant challenges and uncover dark secrets from their past. The arc delves deeper into Sebastian's mysterious history and explores the complexities of his character. The Emerald Witch arc is known for its intense action, emotional depth, and intricate plot twists that keep readers and viewers hooked.
Main Article: Chapter 86
Chlaus comes to the Phantomhive Manor for dinner, jokingly telling Ciel that his butler is rather elusive and suddenly appeared while he was at a sauna in Finland. Being that it seems to be nowhere near the end, not only with the main story but also this current story arc, I honestly don t think it will ever be completed, and if it is, it will take a long LONG time.
The Emerald Witch arc is known for its intense action, emotional depth, and intricate plot twists that keep readers and viewers hooked..
Manga Review: Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Black Butler. I picked up this series since I enjoyed the anime, and it was worth it!
To begin, let’s talk a little about canon manga material vs. the anime adaptation. The anime series uses canon material for the first half of the first season, the third season (Book of Circus), and the ovas Book of the Atlantic and Book of Murder. In season one, the story pivots after episode 6 or so into a different storyline (Regarding the missing girls and the puppeteer). This is not manga related. The second season is not canon in any form, and I thought it was terrible. I’ll be focusing mostly on canon material and the differences and similarities in the manga and anime (which both were very enjoyable, despite straying from original material.)
First of all, the manga begins as more of a comedy then anything else. It is very lighthearted and funny as you settle into the Phantomhive manor and get to know the main characters. As the story arcs continue the the show does get gradually darker as the overarching story begins to weave itself through. It seems unbalanced at times, with strange pacing, humor to darkness to humor again, they don’t lace together as well as I would have hoped.
In any event, its an easy read. Its interesting and fun and the art is great. As I always say for manga, I like clean lines and easy to understand panels, and this does not disappoint.
The story arcs run like so:
1. Black Butler Arc- Chapter 1 to 5
2 – Red Butler Arc- Chapter 6 to 14
3 – Indian Butler Arc- Chapter 15 to 23
4 – Circus Arc- Chapter 24 to 37
5 -Phanomhive Manor Murders Arc- Chapter 38 to 50
6 – Ship Voyage Arc- Chapter 51 to 66
7 – Public School Arc- Chapter 66 to 85
8 – Emerald Witch Arc- Chapter 86 to 107
9 – Blue Cult Arc- Chapter 108-present
Arcs 1- 6 are more or less covered in season one, season three, and the ‘Book of the Atlantic’ and ‘Book of Murder’ OVAs. The way that they divided up two important arcs and gave them their own movies was absolutely brilliant.
My favorite thing about the anime was fun characters randomly showing up together. You didn’t have to miss the servants, the reapers, or any of the other cast for too long, because they would always be back for one reason or another, popping up where unexpected. This was very enjoyable.
In the anime Grell, Sebastian and Ciel are what I would describe as “frienimies”, their actions and reactions to one another are always comical and it adds so much humor to the show. In the manga, Grell (and the reapers in general) are background characters and Grell, Ciel and Sebastian are primarily adversaries. I really missed the relationship between these three characters, as strange as it was.
A couple complaints about the anime: continuity errors, due to the overlapping canon/non-canon material. (People being suprised at a big reveal regarding a character when they had already been privy to this information, etc.) Also, let’s be honest. In the anime Ciel is really an asshole. He is rude to Sebastian, bossy, snotty, and doesn’t care about anyone around him. In the manga he and Sebastian have more comradery and he is never particularly rude or demanding. He does not carry an obsession about his parent’s murder, which is the theme of the anime, instead his main focus is always on his duties as the Queen’s guard dog, with the loss and past in the background.
The Emerald Witch arc was very good. The illustration, art and events were suspenseful and interesting, with the great art that would be excellent in anime form. The main, overarching story arc begins in the ‘Book of the Atlantic’ and continues throughout the upcoming chapters. Its interesting and continues to be more mysterious, dark and suspenseful.
As the manga carries on there are more lovable characters added.We see a lot more of Prince Soma, Snake, and Lizzy’s older brother, who becomes a heartwarming, recurring character. Finnian becomes one of my favorite characters, and the first thing I noticed about him was how his entire personality, skill set and overall attitude was exactly the same as Kenji in Bungo Stray Dogs. They have to be the same person. Or at least brothers? They even have the same hat!
Is the Manga worth reading? Absolutely. Its funny, it’s interesting, and if you liked the other animated material, pick it up- however begin at chapter one, since the anime vs manga can vary wildly at times.
In a disappointing turn of events, Black Butler just had its 15 year annerversery and it is still continuing in publication. It publishes an episode every month. Being that it seems to be nowhere near the end, not only with the main story but also this current story arc, I honestly don’t think it will ever be completed, and if it is, it will take a long LONG time. Even though it is far from finished, it is worth reading with some great visuals and events. This current arc isn’t particularly one of my favorite, it felt like it was a jerky, unexpected pivot and something that hadn’t been expected at the beginning of the series (no foreshadowing) so it kind of just came out of the blue. I’m sure it will all come together in the end, if I am alive long enough to see it come to an end.
What about you? Did you read the manga? What did you think?
I really liked this panels from this chapter of the ‘Emerald Witch arc’. It showed what we suspected: Ciel is not a innocent boy or a hero. He knows about his own darkness and his own sins. He’s a greedy person and will move for his own interest. However, this scene also discards the possibility that Ciel is a sociopath. A sociopath wouldn’t have this internal conflict about what he’d done in the past. What I really see is a severe case of PTSD, which is what caused this event.
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Reviews for "Deception and Magic: The Butler's Battle with the Emerald Witch in the Arc"
1. Sandra - 2/5
I was really disappointed with the "Pitch Black Butler Emerald Witch Arc". The storyline felt forced and lacked depth. The characters' motivations were unclear, and they seemed to make decisions that didn't align with their previous development. The arc tried to introduce new elements and expand the world of the show, but it all felt rushed and poorly executed. The animation quality also took a dip in this arc, with many scenes looking hastily drawn and lacking the attention to detail that was present in previous episodes. Overall, I felt like this arc was a letdown and didn't live up to the quality of the previous arcs in the series.
2. Mark - 1/5
"Pitch Black Butler Emerald Witch Arc" was a complete mess. I couldn't follow the plot at all, and it seemed like the writers were trying to cram too much into a few episodes. The dialogue was confusing and didn't flow naturally, making it hard to connect with the characters and their motivations. The animation was also subpar, with characters looking off-model and the action sequences lacking in excitement. I was hoping for a thrilling and engaging arc, but instead, I got a convoluted and poorly executed storyline. I would not recommend wasting your time on this particular arc of the series.
3. Jessica - 2/5
I have been a fan of "Pitch Black Butler" for a long time and eagerly awaited the "Emerald Witch Arc." Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing felt off, with some scenes dragging on while others were rushed. The storyline had potential but failed to deliver on its promise. The new characters introduced in this arc lacked depth and were forgettable. The animation quality was also subpar, with noticeable inconsistencies throughout the episodes. Overall, this arc was a disappointment, and I hope the series improves in the future.
4. Ryan - 3/5
While "Pitch Black Butler Emerald Witch Arc" wasn't terrible, it definitely didn't live up to the previous arcs. The plot felt disjointed and at times confusing. Some character actions and decisions were questionable and didn't seem to make much sense. However, there were a few redeeming qualities. The animation, while not top-notch, still had its moments of beauty. Some action sequences were decently animated and enjoyable to watch. Despite its flaws, I still found some enjoyment in this arc, but it fell short of the high standards set by the previous arcs.