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I have to admit, as someone who's only read shonen manga, I was sceptical about this series at the start. When I saw the volumes at my local bookstore, I couldn't help myself but judge this manga by the cover. By seeing Sebastian repeatedly on the covers of the volumes I thought that this was going to be another shallow pretty-boy manga.
Boy, was I wrong.

For anybody who likes dark gothic victorian fantasy, this book is the one for you. It is a unique manga in its own way, with well developed characters and a thought-out plot. Now, some people might call Ciel a 'brat' and ... Sebastian a 'cliche', but further on in the plot you find that this is not the case at all. Each character has their own unique personality that distinguishes them from other series.

The plot may seem vague or non-existent at the start, but once the introduction of the characters is over, there will be a quickening of pace in the events, and that's where this series is successful. It manages to fit in original characters (like Grell) to the historical context of the era.

I can name a handful of mangas that are suposedly set in England, but Kuro grasps the Zeltergeist of the Victorian era nicely. While I read it, I could feel the British pride, the ingenuity, the etiquette that made the British Empire renowned. There are many literary references which I enjoyed, including Edgar Alan Poe and Oscar Wilde. You can see that through the details that Toboso puts in, that the author has made great research on British culture.

Some people like to compare Kuro to Count Cain/Godchild. Both series have some similarities, but don't be put off by them, because they are overall very different. Kuro focuses more on the lack of human morals and the alienation from all that is good, but also focuses on the habits of human nature, and how we, as humans, are not too far away from animals. The concept of love is also ignored: the characters that often feel attached to another characters are often seen as the 'fools' and the 'losers' of the series.

Overall, this series is a great one to read, both for the fantastic art and the plot twists. Hats off to you Toboso!