A special Kuroshitsuji anime interview and my own review about Kuroshitsuji series

This is the amv of the opening in Kuroshitsuji anime version that is NOT made by me. I do not own this.
There is also another video that has the 2nd Ending at the END of this post so you have to scroll down to the very end of this page...
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Kuroshitsuji is a manga/anime my friend recommended me to read. At first I wasn't really interested, all I knew was that someone called Sebastian was a demon that was intending to eat some random person's soul. However when I really read it, i realized the series was not that simple, it had horror(sort of), comedy, mystery, drama, a bit of true history, and of course, fantasy.
I was pretty surprised that setting of this series had such a deep historical background. This is a fantasy based on a strong reality. The Victorian Era was the period of time that England was flourishing the most, and also the proudest time. The tremendous amount of history during that time was outstanding and extremely dinstinct, which made creating a "fantasy" much harder. I was impressed because the author was doing a good job. I mean the clothes, the style, the relationship of the fantasy and the history...It was all wove together in a delicate way.
But the most important thing in this anime/manga is the chemistry between Sebastian and Ciel. A demon was intrigued by the power of Ciel's soul-his will to survive, regardless to anybody else but himself. On the other side, this 10 year-old boy who had just experienced through the absolute human hell, had to make the sacrifice his soul to a hungry yet forceful demon in order to take vengeance on everyone who had done this to him. They were both selfish and stubborn, but that was the whole reason that brought them together. They never had any feelings for each other, it was like the employee and the employer, which was not supposed to be interesting. Nevertheless, their atmosphere around each other somehow fascinated me in an ineffable way. Maybe it was the absolute loyalty, maybe it was the thin omnious aura, maybe it was the telepathy between the two or maybe it was the tension of knowing their inevitable ending. Who was the predetor? Who was the prey? Who won in the end? The questions kept the audience there.
My personal favourite character is not Sebastian, though.Sebastian, in my opinion, was too perfect, too perfect that he left no conspicuous impression except that he was perfect. I do not favor in perfection, I am repulsive towards it. It was the imperfections that made "humans" attractive. So my favourite is actually Ciel. I admire his strength within. Even though he may be an annoying little brat who thinks he is all that, I loved him. He did not collapse after destiny deceived him. And he was only 10 years old. I felt the connection with him, and I suppose that everyone else did as well. I would've done the same thing as him if I was in his situation. If you are going to die, would you rather die out of hatred and regret instead of leaving no regret and die with the feeling of accomplishment and victory? I guess even "little kids in the slums know that". He is not afraid to show his true self, his ugliness, his sins, in order to live in this world. He held neither shame nor repentance against himself. He did not make himself as an obstacle to overcome in his life, which not a lot people in this world are able to do. Oh~don't pretend and say that I'm wrong and comment that Ciel is a horrible person full of resentment. Nobody is ever a saint, that is just how humans are.
My favourite episode of Ciel would be the last episode. He died with dignity. The moonlight shone on his face, filling his existance with grace. When he closed his eyes, my heart prickled. Although I wished he wouldn't die, I respect him for keeping his words.
Even though none of this is pratically REAL, but it sets examples and concepts for the audience.
This series inspired me a lot, and I have high expectation for its continuing work.
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Now, here is the interview for the anime directory I translated in a magazine. Hope you can enjoy it.
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The series had ended smoothly. I would like to talk to you while looking back at the old episodes. Firstly, what did you think is the most important thing during the makings of Kuroshitsuji?

Director: I think it's the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian. It was the kind of relationship that was fun to make.

------How did you intend to express the relationship between the two?

Director: I don't really know how to say it......um. Like "not talking directly face to face". Because their relationship is the butler and his master, so when we were drawing the images of the two, there were not a lot of pictures when they are facing each other. Mostly they're standing side by side. And that kind of atmosphere really expressed the whole story well. Drawing pictures like this was new to me, the variations were interesting.

---------Not facing each other?

Director: For example, during the Opening from Episode 14 where the singing was like "Yasashikute~Atsukute~", Ciel and Sebastian were both on the screen instead of Sebastian alone. We made the scene to be like "They're back to back, and they will not look at each other no matter what." and "Although Sebastian is looking at Ciel, Ciel is not looking at him." The chemistry is greatly conveyed by this kind of vision.

-----------The organizer of this series said that the final episode was inspired by the 1st Opening and 2nd Ending.

Director: The first Opening was basically what happened in the final episode. Where Ciel was drowning and Sebastian was trying save him. Sebastian protects Ciel. But in the end Ciel's body dissapears. It's like that.

------------So you are saying that the ending was implied in the very beginning.

Director:Yes. Actually, the bench Ciel was sitting on at the end of the 1st Opening was the same one that Ciel "died" on during the final episode. That bench was modeled from the broken bench in a haunted England mansion. The bench was very realistic, so we joked that we should let Ciel die in that bench. But somehow we really made it like that(laughs).This scene had a very strong impact.

--------------Where is that final place in Kuroshitsuji?

Director: I'll let the fans talk about where that is.

---------------Did you consider the storyline from the start?

Director: Although there were a lot of manga authors who wanted the anime to "follow the original story", but Yana-sensei said that she was fine with everything we do to this anime. We all thought that maybe it was because she had so much confidence in her work so she did not mind. Because Sebastian and Ciel's relationship is based on a contract, so we have to end it in the anime, otherwise the ending would be extremely unsatisfying for the audience. Sensei really saved us a lot of work.

--------------Who is your favourite character in the series?

Director: I like Ciel the best. I was called hentai by the other staff because i wrote something like "Ciel young master's cute ears" on the commentary.(laughs) Ciel was very adorable when he was small.

---------------Both physically, and mentally?

Director: I think-just based on the surface here-Ciel's personality has the most complexity. Even though he is a child he deliberately abandoned the things that a child should have and carried the heavy tasks. I found this part of him really intriguing.

---------------What do you think of Sebastian?

Director: So difficult to draw!(laughs) It is hard to make him cool in the anime. Not only he has a slim body figure, he is also tall like a model. Though a lot of mangas are able to reveal the length and details by drawing it horizontally, but on TV it's always vertical so some of the details might be missing. But in my opinion, the character designer drew Sebastian very well.

--------------Grell was popular as well.

Director: Because he held a strong self-image, especially in Kuroshitsuji. The motion editor had a lot of fun making him move.
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Here is the other video..i was supposed to put the 2nd Ending song into it but I can't find any good ones...but this song is by the same vocal group, the 2nd Ending and this song were packaged together in a single CD, so it corresponds with the 2nd Ending "Lacrimosa". It is called "Gloria". Enjoy