Author: Yana Toboso
Yen Press
176 pages
Following
the outcome of the annual cricket tourney and due in no small part to
Sebastian, his uncommon butler, Earl Ciel Phantomhive finally has
earned a seat at the Midnight Tea Party hosted by Weston's enigmatic
headmaster. As moon-pale petals bloom on the lapels of the students
who have been granted a place at his table, the man who holds all
authority at the college reveals himself to his guests. Will his
appearance shed light on the fate of the missing students or conceal
the path to the truth in yet more darkness?
Don't
be fooled by the official synopsis. A good chunk of this
volume—about
half of it, really—is
dedicated to the end of the cricket tourney. It's a ridiculous,
farcical take on the English sport but it's so darn Kuroshitsuji I
can forgive it. The whole book is very Yana Toboso, from the
elaborate outfits to the unexpected plot twists and the cameos from
favorite characters, and it pushes us through into the final act of
the Weston College mystery arc.
Between
the high octane cricket, Sebastian chase of the headmaster, and the
Midnight Tea Party, it's an eventful volume and an engaging read but
it doesn't come together as well as previous books. If you don't get
cricket (and most American readers don't) than the cricket tournament
scenes won't make much sense. If you want definite answers to what
the heck is going on at Weston, the last chapter is only going to
raise more questions.
The
cricket match itself is pretty ridiculous. We have Agni on the
sidelines, distracting players with his female harem's bare legs and
lack of clothing. We have certain players striking poses and wielding
their bats and balls like they're legendary English heroes in sports
gear. And then there's Ciel, quietly pulling the strings of both
sides so he can win a cricket match. Meanwhile, Sebastian is running
around campus looking for the headmaster, but with little luck.
Good
thinf for Ciel and Sebastian that the Blue House aka Sapphire Owl aka
the loser house of Weston wins the cricket challenge, thus granting
young Phantomhive access to the Midnight Tea Party. Although it
should have been expected, since the only way Ciel would ever find
out the truth about the missing students would be by confronting the
council and meeting the headmaster in person.
Naturally,
the revelation of the headmaster's identity is the biggest plot twist
of the whole volume, but you have to wait until the very end to see
the truth. But it is pretty much worth the suspense. I sincerely
doubt that most readers saw this one coming. I certainly didn't.
Toboso did a pretty darn good job keeping this particular plot point
under wraps until the last second.
Speaking
of Toboso, her artwork in this volume is on point. I love how she
brings the cricket scenes to life, making the movements really flow
on the page. She keeps the action nice and exaggerated, adding to the
oddball mood of the match. Plus, as usual, her costumes and her color
art is brimming with delicious details. It's no wonder so many people
cosplay Ciel's costumes; his outfits are the best and are the most
intricate in the series.
A
lot of plot-related things are coming together, from the fate of the
missing students to the revelation of the Weston College headmaster.
It looks like Ciel and Sebastian are going to fight for their lives
if they want to make it off campus alive. This book was a lot of
cricket madness and 'chessboard' arrangement of characters and plot
devices, and I didn't love it as much as I have before. But based on
the last chapter's dark turns, I have high hopes for how volume
eighteen will turn out.
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