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<\/a>As good as Midori no Majo-hen<\/em> has been, it\u2019s notable that we haven\u2019t had \u201creal\u201d Ciel for a good chunk of it. That the show has managed to remain compelling is a testament to the rest of the cast, and the writing generally. But Ciel being Ciel is really at the core of Kuroshitsuji<\/em>, so it\u2019s good to have him back. In addition to restoring normal service, though, this episode also served as a refresher course on what Black Butler<\/em> is essentially about, a side of it that\u2019s all too easy to forget sometimes.<\/p>\n<\/a>As we rejoin the action, John Brown is delivering Queen Victoria\u2019s letter to Sebastian. It\u2019s supposed to be for Ciel\u2019s eyes only, but under the circumstances Brown has no choice but to let Sebby take a gander. What he sees clearly tells Sebastian that the time for dilly-dallying is over and done with. But truthfully, it was already pretty clear that his patience with Ciel\u2019s act was starting to wear thin. This wasn\u2019t the deal he signed on for, and while he\u2019s patient as only an immortal can be, there are limits. Between the letter and the fact that the group is to be evicted the next morning, Seb has license to take matters into his own hands.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>He\u2019s certainly hard on poor Finny<\/a>, but not as hard as he could have been. Ciel cowers, terrified, taking refuge in the fantasy world in his head, as his butler cites him for breach of contract and declares his intention to take his payment immediately. This pushes Ciel to a final reckoning with the others in his subconscious \u2013 and thus ultimately himself. \u201cOther\u201d Ciel, his parents, various casualties to his deal with the devil<\/a> \u2013 all have their say. But ultimately Ciel has to confess the truth, he did this for himself. Not to avenge any of them, but the affront against his own dignity.<\/p>\n<\/a>I won\u2019t beat a dead horse (or John Brown\u2019s live one) with it, but again \u2013 this all ties in to what I\u2019ve long seen as Black Butler\u2019s<\/em> central theme. The world is composed of victims and victimizers, and Ciel\u2019s deal was an attempt to do something almost impossible \u2013 cross from the first group to the second. Perhaps the most fascinating question here is this: was Sebastian doing all this merely to force Ciel to \u201cwake up\u201d, or was he willing to genuinely cash in his invoice right then and there and have an end to it? As always we can\u2019t say for sure, but my gut says it\u2019s the second \u2013 but with a fervent hope he wouldn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n<\/a>Ciel is nothing if not extraordinarily strong of will, of that there can be no doubt. Interestingly he remembers everything from his dark patch in excruciating detail (he orders the staff to forget it, but they make no attempt to comply). This is about as humble as we\u2019ve ever seen Ciel, in fact. His apology to his servants seems totally genuine \u2013 especially to Finny, who he knows stayed by his side through his darkest moments. He didn\u2019t have to offer them his contrition \u2013 their loyalty is pretty much unconditional<\/a>. But doing so is, ironically, tied in again to pride. Ciel knows what he\u2019s been for the last few days, and his honor can\u2019t allow him to shirk responsibility for it.<\/p>\n<\/a>Now, as to Vic\u2019s letter<\/a>, the contents are still unknown. Sebby has shrewdly sent back samples for Buckingham Palace to analyze, and Ciel\u2019s reaction suggests they\u2019ve found a mundane cause for \u201cthe curse\u201d (my suspicion is some sort of biological warfare agent, with the werewolf angle a cover story). The letter also contains a request for Ciel to bring \u201cthe little witch\u201d to London for tea with the Queen \u2013 a seeming impossibility given the restraints on her existence, yet something that would grant her fondest wish. Kuroshitshuji<\/em> is not about happy endings and the arc is only half-over to begin with, but that request surely can\u2019t be granted without much tragedy paving the road.<\/p>\n