Black Butler II Specials
黒執事II: シエル・イン・ワンダーランド (Kuroshitsuji II Specials)
- Comedy
- Supernatural
- Parody
- Episodes
- 6
- Duration
- 25 min per ep
- Aired
- Oct 27, 2010 to May 25, 2011
- Status
- Finished Airing
Synopsis
*Black Butler II Specials* collects six OVAs released across the DVD volumes, offering playful side stories and offbeat extras that lean into comedy, the supernatural, and parody. Two entries, “Ciel in Wonderland (Part 1)” and “Ciel in Wonderland (Part 2),” recast the *Kuroshitsuji II* lineup within Lewis Carroll’s *Alice in Wonderland*.
Other shorts experiment with format: “Welcome to the Phantomhive’s” frames a ball at the Phantomhive mansion like a simulation game as Elizabeth invites a visiting lady—possibly the viewer—to join in. “The Making of Kuroshitsuji II” presents a Hollywood-style behind-the-scenes mock documentary featuring interview segments with Sebastian, Ciel, Claude, Alois, and more. “The Tale of William the Shinigami” follows William and Grell as they train new shinigami while looking back on their own days as training partners, and “The Spider’s Intention” focuses on daily life in the Trancy household and the care shown to Alois by those who serve him.
Otaku Consensus
Black Butler II Specials lands as a bonus-disc curiosity rather than a franchise pillar, strongest when A-1 Pictures uses the OVA format for brisk parody, POV gimmicks, and the meta showbiz spoof of The Making of Kuroshitsuji II. Its most common criticism is also its clearest limitation: viewers looking for meaningful continuation or the tighter appeal of the original Black Butler cast dynamic often find these six extras skippable, especially given Season II’s already divisive reputation.
Why You Should Watch
Watch these specials if you want Black Butler with the handbrake off: less gothic plotting, more cast-as-toys experimentation. The appeal is for viewers who already know Season II’s divisive personalities and want payoff in formats the television run could not justify, from otome-game POV staging to a faux Hollywood press kit and shinigami workplace comedy. It scratches the same itch as Gintama’s self-parody or Ouran High School Host Club’s genre spoofing, but with demon-butler etiquette and Victorian melodrama still in the room. Skip it if you need canon momentum; choose it if you want the franchise’s supernatural aristocrats turned into sketch-comedy instruments without committing to another full arc.
Key Characters
- SSebastian
His demonic composure makes him the ideal straight man when the specials push Black Butler into parody, mock interviews, and theatrical roleplay.
- CCiel
Ciel’s controlled aristocratic image becomes funnier here because the OVAs keep placing him inside formats that undermine dignity rather than reinforce it.
- AAlois
Alois remains the Season II fault line: compelling for viewers interested in the Trancy side of the anime-original material, less inviting for fans attached to the earlier series’ core dynamic.
- CClaude
Claude’s colder butler persona gives the specials a useful contrast point, especially in sketches that frame the cast as performers aware of their own roles.
What Makes It Stand Out
- 1
The six OVAs were released across the Kuroshitsuji II DVD volumes from October 27, 2010 to May 25, 2011, so the structure is closer to premium home-video extras than a conventional televised sequel.
- 2
A-1 Pictures uses the OVA space for format changes rather than a single sustained narrative, including parody, POV presentation, mock documentary material, and shinigami-centered workplace comedy.
- 3
The two Ciel in Wonderland entries make the Classic Literature and Fairy Tale tags literal by filtering the Season II cast through Lewis Carroll iconography instead of using the franchise’s usual revenge-and-contract framework.
- 4
Welcome to the Phantomhive’s is unusually direct in its viewer-facing setup, which lines up with AniList’s POV tag at 60% and makes it one of the franchise’s most game-like anime installments.
- 5
The music credits connect the specials to major anisong and rock acts: Yuuya Matsushita, the GazettE, and Kalafina are listed for theme song performance, with Yuki Kajiura credited for theme song composition.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Fun fact 1
- On MyAnimeList, the specials hold a 7.39 score from 68,063 votes, with a rank of #2663 and popularity placement of #1960; AniList’s score is lower at 70/100, with 234 favourites.
- Fun fact 2
- AniList’s highest tag is Demons at 73%, but the next most telling labels are POV at 60% and Meta at 53%, which reflects how much of the appeal comes from presentation tricks rather than plot importance.
- Fun fact 3
- The web reception around these OVAs is tied to the broader Black Butler II debate: fans often call them less essential than the main series, and criticism frequently centers on wanting the original characters and storyline back in focus.
- Fun fact 4
- The Making of Kuroshitsuji II is notable because the staff data includes an Acting tag at 20%, and the episode turns the cast into interview subjects inside a faux entertainment-industry framework.
- Fun fact 5
- The international production footprint includes Gen Fukunaga as English executive producer and Bernardo Berro as ADR director for the Brazilian Portuguese version.
Studios
- A-1 Pictures
