Black Butler, Vol. 16

黒執事 [Kuroshitsuji] #16

by Yana Toboso, Tomo Kimura (Translator)

Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his invincible butler Sebastian may have succeeded in sneaking their way into the elite Weston College, but their investigation quickly hits a wall. To earn an audience with the headmaster, Ciel's only option is to attend the "Midnight Tea Party," an exclusive gathering hosted by the elusive head of the school. And the only way a lowly first-former like Ciel, earl or no, can land a seat at that table is by being elected the Most Valuable Player in the College's annual storied cricket tournament. Selected from each house, students in the springtime of youth battle it out among the wickets on the spring-green lawn. Will the usually unperturbed young earl be bowled over by this unexpected turn of events?!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, Supernatural, Mystery

178 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2013

About the author

Yana Toboso (枢 やな Toboso Yana) is a female Japanese manga artist born in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan and currently resides in Yokohama. She is best known for Black Butler (黒執事 Kuroshitsuji), a popular shonen manga series.

She has also written yaoi under the pen name Yanao Rock (簗緒ろく).

Appearance
Yana Toboso draws herself as a devil with a black body and horns, a white head, and a pointed tail. She has never uploaded a picture of herself, so her actual appearance is unknown.

Reviews

[Yue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it me, or this arc is similar to Harry Potter? Specially in this volume, it was like reliving the Triwizard Tournament + Quidditch. Rivalry between houses, sports... Even that memory of Ciel's ancestor was like James Potter and Snape.

A positive aspect is that almost all characters are here: the Phantomhive servants (including Tanaka), Lao and his sister, Viscount de Druitt, Soma... The negative aspect is that there are barely Sebastian scenes. A good volume, but not that engaging as the previous ones.

But the art... WOW, beautiful! Specially the covers of each chapter: when Sebastian is helping Ciel with his bath, or Ciel and Soma together... and Sebastian's fanservice...

[wika · Rating 5 out of 5]

no i takim sposobem skończyły mi się tomiki, które posiadam...

[Nea Poulain · Rating 2 out of 5]

De repente se convirtió en un manga de deportes de Cricket y yo me quedé con cara de no entendí. La portada de este volumen, preciosa.

[paula ☁️ ·̩͙✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplemente ✨Vincent Phantomhive✨

[Holly Fetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm okay with the Harry Potter/ cricket arc. I needed a story line that was a little 'calmer' than the last arc with the zombies/Titanic/Undertaker. I thought too much was going on in that story line. This issue dragged a bit, but Soma was truly awesome. I'm glad to see that he finally has some skills and not just an annoying prince. Respect. Overall, nicely done.

[Mahdiye HajiHosseini · Rating 3 out of 5]

اپدیت ۷ شهریور ۴۰۰-
با حضور جابرووکی ⁦/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\⁩
.

.
این حجم از تاثیر تصمیم هدمستر عجیبه و تصویر به شدت مشکوک و کنجکاوی برانگیزی میسازه و متاسفانه اصلا یادم نمیاد کی بود.
من هرگز نخواهم فهمید کریکت چیه XD به زور کمی از بیسبال سر دراوردم تازگیا ولی این خیلی بدتره.
بیشتر جلد نقشه‌های شیطانی شیل برای به دست‌اوردن دعوته با حضور کوتاهی از وینست و دیدریش. با کلی هاگوارتز وایب.
در مجموع معمولی بود.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

[Ash (BooksToAshes)]

I kinda want this school arc to end. I mean it’s fun at times but mostly feels like filler and is a tad boring. Bring back the action!

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 16th volume in the Black Butler series. It was well done but not my favorite of the series.

Ciel and Sebastian have infiltrated Westen College and are trying to figure out the cause behind the mysterious disappearance of some of the students there. However the Headmaster seems to be key in these disappearances and the only way for Ciel to get a meeting with him is to attend the mysterious Midnight Tea Party. Only the most prestigious of students are allowed to attend the Midnight Tea Party, so Ciel contrives a plan to have his house win the annual Cricket match...by whatever means necessary.

While this wasn’t my favorite book of the series, I did enjoy it. I just don’t like the boarding school setting and plot as much as some of the previous ones. That being said there are still a number of things I enjoyed here.

We have a whole new cast of interesting (and handsome) characters which I enjoyed. I also found everyone’s blind obedience to the Headmaster to be intriguing. The mystery surrounding the missing students also remains engaging and interesting.

As with previous books there are some funny bits in there too. For example how Ciel’s house deals with the cricket match is funny and so is the scene where Elizabeth’s mother realizes that Sebastian is present at the boarding school.

The illustration remains absolutely beautiful and top-notch. I really love it.

Overall a great addition to this series. I enjoyed the new characters and the main mystery here. I am not as fond of the boarding school setting and was a bit disappointed we don’t see as much as Sebastian's demonic abilities. However, it was an interesting read and overall I continue to enjoy the series. I would recommend to those who enjoy historical fantasy type graphic novels.

[Yvensong · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Reading: 2014-12-27 --- 3 Stars

Ciel and Sebastian are still attempting to find out what happened to some missing students. It appears the only way that Ciel might be able to find out what is going on is to meet up with the elusive Headmaster, but the only way Ciel may be able to do so is to become the Most Valuable Player in a cricket match.

Lots of humor and some tense scenes fill this volume. The only complaint I have is that in a few panels the dialogue was printed so small that I couldn't read it at all.

Second Reading: 2015-09-23 --- 4 Stars

Re-reading volumes 16 and 17 in preparation for volumes 18, 19 and 20.

I enjoyed this volume more this time around than the first time. In addition to the humor and the tense scenes, I found the time spent explaining the game of Cricket interesting.

I am so happy to be submerged in Sebastian's and Ciel Phantomhive world again!

[Sarv · Rating 4 out of 5]

سیل نشانه هایی از هوش نشون می ده! تعجبی نیست که سباستین براش احترام قائله.
آرک مدرسه هنوز تموم نشده، ولی از اون مهم تر...
الان کاملا درک می کنم چرا مادام رد عاشق وینسنت بوده :|
جدا، وینسنت یا واقعا انقدر فوق العاده بوده که بدون باتلر شیطانی از پس همه این کار ها برمیومده و یا... اونم با یه شیطان قرار داد داشته؟! فکر کنم دارم زیادی دقیق میشم توش، ولی بعید هم نیست با توجه به اینکه وینسنت ظاهرا زیادی پرفکت بوده توی همه چی.

+ برادر الیزابت (ادوارد) چقدر خوبه T_T اصلا فکر نمی کردم انقدر آدم با شعور و شرافت مندی باشه
CX

[Luna Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

TBA

[KSena · Rating 4 out of 5]

And we’ve polished off Black Butler 16!

I had hoped we’d find out more about the missing boys here, but no… Not yet, apparently.

We get some hints though, since all of the missing boys have been moved to a particular one of the four different houses. And as soon as Sebastian (pretending to be staff) or Ciel (pretending to be student) ask their peers they get the same answer: “It’s the headmaster's decision.” Like the words of the headmaster are the words of God. The headmaster that NEVER shows himself.

Not mysterious at all…. *side-eyes*

They got one chance to meet with this headmaster, and that is if they do something spectacular or be an extra gentleman during the cricket tournament…

So yeah, this book is about that. The cricket tournament and how to get in it and how to make sure their team, Team Blue wins. A team that has pretty much never won since Team Blue and House Blue consists of book-nerds…

Impossible odds.

But never say impossible to Ciel and Sebastian! They always beat the odds. So we’re following the preparations and the tournament itself in this book. The Harry Potter references hit me hard in the face when the start of the tournament celebrations was that all four house prefects light a fire… in a big cup or goblet… a goblet of fire… REALLY? REALLY????

Anyway, I have to give props to Toboso though, because gawd damn cricket is complicated!!! And they’ve drawn it and written it as clearly as possible. Even making a little break in the story to go through the various rules of cricket and some of its history. Good going! I had no idea!

And that the Indian prince Soma excels in cricket is not so strange considering the fact that India was a part of the British empire for quite a while, so cricket is very popular in India as well.

So no conclusion to the mystery yet, but how both of them become such an integral part of the school as this book goes on is quite interesting.

(Also, what the hell is wrong with the other staff member, not Sebastian, that keeps falling down stairs head first and then apologizes for it while his head is bleeding???? What’s wrong with this guy???)

[Marc D. ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 estrellas.

Bien, arranquemos por el hecho de que tener a Soma de portada es un mimo al alma 💖

Después, todo lo que acá se desarrolló con el torneo es increíble. No entendí un carajo sobre cricket, pero eso no le restó en nada en que disfrutara de estos partidos nuevamente, y la ansiedad por continuar con el siguiente 💖

También, ver el pasado de Vincent y Die fue DEMASIADO HERMOSO. Vincent es como ver a Ciel de grande, me llenó de cosas lindas, ay.

Luego, las tácticas que han utilizado son fabulosas. Muero porque todo salga ya a la luz 💖

[Hoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this one was a bit too F4 x Harry Potter-ish, but I'll look over it cuz Sebastian and Ciel still managed to make it their own!
Ciel's devilish smile is the best.
I need to read the next volume so I'll just.. Go. XD

[Kris Ritchie · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 rounded down. TBH, I am finding this arc kind of boring compared to the Circus and Zombie Ship arcs and I find myself skipping a lot and reading the wiki synopsis instead. Hoping it will pick up after this arc.

[Laiky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore this series <3

[Dani St-Onge · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews and bookish content: http://literarylion.ca/

Review to come.

[Sibil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought that I would have found a cricket game interesting and yet here I am! The art was amazing as usual, and seeing the competition was fascinating. I am also happy to have waited to have some more volumes to read because that ending was just so bad! Ok, ok, not really bad but... It is a bad cliffhanger! The waiting would have been atrocious! But lucky me, I have the next volume here, waiting for me!

[Amber Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still loving this manga, although this particular volume dragged a little for me, only because it was all about cricket and I have zero clue about the game.

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of the rivalry at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. I love the concept of wholeheartedly supporting one’s team, and I enjoyed seeing the differing qualities of each house ❤️

[meru]

la verdad es que el cricket me la pela una barbaridad

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owwww, Edward!!! 😍😍😍

[Judyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4/5

[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]

This school arch feels different from the previous storylines. I’m not sure why. I think it might be because we’re getting so much Ciel. Ciel is one of the main characters and always has been, but I think previously there was more focus on Sebastian. But now Ciel is taking the lead, interacting with a lot of other people his age, deciding what to do and doing it himself, and commanding Sebastian only when he can't do something himself.

Being at school feels a little weird, too, I think. There are so many other kids, students, in uniforms and doing activities together. I see a lot of that in other series, but this one usually has focus in other places. It’s neat.

It’s a whole new side of Ciel, and I like it. I especially like all the character exploration we’re getting for Ciel and Sebastian; we're seeing so much more of them! I also really like how Toboso can give a minor and temporary character depth in such a short time. Similarly to with the Circus arch, all the prefects and students are pretty easy to tell apart, even though they’ve only been around a short while. And the way we can get to know certain things about the characters, and find such humor in them, so quickly, is so well done. For example, there's this high-up professor at the school, and we've seen him about three times now, and each time he's ended his conversations by walking away and tripping, sometimes down several stairs. It's hilarious, particularly the look on the surrounding characters' faces.

Oh! We also got a glimpse of Ciel’s father, and that was lovely. His father is definitely a character, and I can see the resemblance. There was also more of Elizabeth and her family. I like getting to know them.

There was some focus on Cricket, a sport that I knew nothing about, and still know very little. It’s a weird sport.

We got some more development on the case, although I think there’s still a ways to go. I’m definitely intrigued. There’s at least one more volume with this arch, although I’d guess two. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

I love this series. It’s gorgeous, which really showed with the team outfits shown in this volume. The storylines are so good, and surprising and I love the character development. The humor is fantastic, too. I’m excited for the next volume.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume started off with so much promise. Again we got to see Ciel play dirty, all while being incredibly shrewd about the whole thing. We finally get to see Ciel and Sebastian start making some headway on discovering Derrick's whereabouts or even what has happened to him. The build up of the mystery to the missing boys is getting quite good and suddenly the volume tappers off into one of the longest, drawn out, and incredibly boring plots ever. A cricket game. The four houses are having a cricket tournament and Ciel needs to come out as the 'best' player in order to catch an audience with the headmaster.

I can honestly say that I got quite bored of this aspect of the story. I felt it derailed quite quickly from the initial storyline and it went on frustratingly long. I feel like we had a whole volume wasted on a sporting event and a flashback that really had no real relevance to anything in terms of the overall story.

What I did enjoy with this volume, as I always do, is the art. Even the most boring aspects of this volume at least had lovely, expressive pictures to look at, so when the story fails, there is always the art. I am hoping that with the next volume we finally 'get to it'. I've had enough build up of mystery and after the tedious cricket match, I am ready for answers to the questions surrounding the school and the missing students.

[Lanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg. Just look at that cover. Absolutely stunning. This volume truly showcases the artist's talents with character design. Those outfits! So gorgeous.

Not much of a sports person, but "black butler has manges to take a sport I've never watched or cared about utterly fascinating. It's definitely not the strongest or darkest arch of the series, but it's filled with enough humor and just enough mystery and drama that it's still plenty enjoyable.

Watching Prince Soma (my favorite second character) shine at something was such fun. He's so adorable. XD & Sebastian riding an elephant is fucking hilarious.

& watching Ciel set fire to the purple house. 0_0 that was just cruel. He could have killed innocent children! But it really does display Ciel's single mindedness and determination. & hid loyalty to the queen. When his queen wants something done Earl Phantomhive Delivers, no matter what. :D

Stunning artwork and a more than obviously shout out to "Harry potter and the goblet of fire" what with the four competing houses and the tournament. What's not to love? :D highly recommended.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still not convinced when it comes to the school setting. In a microcosmos like this, the fact that there are some things off would be palpabe in the atmosphere, but there is... nothing. And I don't get why, because Yana Toboso did a great job with the Circus arc, which was following a similar pattern.
The new characters seem kind of flat, the only thing that really got me hooked for a short while was Vincent and Diederich, because they actually had chemistry.
(The 'make out of punch each other in the face, preferably both' kind of chemistry.)
Things are still working out too well for Ciel.

[Apple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this volume! Some were really funny and interesting to read. Especially the part about Elizabeth's brother and how he respects everyone and try to be just like them.



I can't wait to find out who the principle is and if (killing) finding him will indeed solve everything.

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Black Butler, Vol. 16, ch. 73-77

This was a very boring volume. It started good: Ciel burned a house, Ciel and Sebastian discovered that Derrick isn't in the Purple house, the Viscount of Druitt is back and we saw Vincent Phantomhive (Ciel's daddy) in a flashback. And in the lasts chapters guys played cricket. Not so interesting.

[Michelle Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a sports fan, so virtually a whole book dedicated to Cricket was pretty boring to me.

Note: Chapter 76 says that baseball is "not so popular" outside America, which is false, as it's played worldwide, and the most popular spectator team sport in Japan (Wikipedia). Perhaps baseball was not so popular at the time this manga takes place, but it is now.