Kuroshitsuji Manga vs Anime

[Alina Corde]

I reread the manga for Kuroshitsuji to catch up to where the story is now and I was again struck by how much better the manga is (as a personal opinion of mine). The arcs that followed the storyline in the manga were much more impactful (Book of Circus was amazing!), so I'm wondering if there's anyone who agrees with me? Or even disagrees and thinks that the anime is better (like the whole Alois mess)?

In my opinion, the manga is more subtle and dark and the characters are exhibiting much better character development as it is right now - the characters seem much more fleshed out and even Ciel's motives in general are brought to attention through his past.

[C_C_S]

I’ve never read the manga series, but have watched all current seasons of the anime, which I really enjoyed!

[Ranicor]

I just finished the anime and started on the manga. I really enjoyed the anime, but there were a few things that bugged me. I wasn't a huge fan of Alois Trancy and his arc, and the fact that Ciel was turned into a demon at the end (which was apparently retconned in Book of Circus) kinda annoyed me. However, I am really enjoying the manga (though I do imagine each of the lines being said in the character's voice in my head). I don't think I've gotten far enough to make a concrete decision about whether I like the anime or the manga more, but I'm starting to lean towards the manga.

That being said, I'm still excited for Book of Atlantic to come out on DVD! Hopefully they continue the anime afterwards, I'm still a huge fan!

[ssjup81]

For me, it's the same as Fruits Basket.  The anime was made while the manga was going and stuff was changed for the anime because the manga wasn't at that point and with FB, they even changed something they really shouldn't have regarding Akito because the reveal hadn't been made in the manga yet.  Same with the 1999 Hunter x Hunter series. It had to stop after the Greed Island arc.

For the first Kuroshitsuji anime, it started going off in its own direction after the arc with Prince from India, iirc. The second anime series was its own anime original thing.  I liked both for what they were.

Now, the movies are good because they actually adapt actual stories from the manga. 

Now my preference...probably the manga.  There's more story and I'm more into story-based things and where the manga is now...it's just crazy!  I would like the anime more, if it had started more after the manga so that more of it could be adapted into anime form....but even with that, I'd probably still prefer the manga to it.

10 hours ago, Ranicor said:

I just finished the anime and started on the manga. I really enjoyed the anime, but there were a few things that bugged me. I wasn't a huge fan of Alois Trancy and his arc, and the fact that Ciel was turned into a demon at the end (which was apparently retconned in Book of Circus) kinda annoyed me.

That's because the manga probably wasn't there at that point and the anime had to come up with something to complete its episode quota.  That's the problem with adapting an ongoing series...liberties have to be taken because the source material isn't ahead enough to do anything with. It was an odd choice to make a full anime series in general for Kuroshitsuji since the manga itself is published monthly as opposed to weekly. Seems the series would've gotten OVAs instead, which would've been more plausible, imo, or just stick to theatrical releases which are stories adapted straight from the manga. I finally saw one Kuroshitsuji movie in theaters last year...the Book of Atlantic. It was great and I really wanted to see it because of Elizabeth as she was awesome during that arc! Sucks there wasn't a theatrical release for this year. Seems Book of Atlantic is my first, and last, Kuroshitsuji movie here in Japan as I'm moving home May 1.

Edited March 22, 2018 by ssjup81