I waited for more than a decade for Black Butler’s Public School Arc to be animated. After the anime ended in 2014, I thought that none of the events in the manga would ever make it onscreen. But I was wrong, and we’re all going to school with Ciel!
Not to study, of course, because we all know that Ciel Phantomhive isn’t a normal fifteen-year-old. The seventh arc of the manga will take us to Weston College, the most prestigious public school in Britain. It’s practically where all the sons of noblemen are educated. Even Ciel’s father was a student at Weston College in his youth.
In an alternate universe where Ciel’s family wasn’t brutally murdered, he would be at Weston College just for his education. But as the Queen’s Watchdog, Ciel is sent here to investigate the disappearance of a fifth-year student named Derek.
The missing student is also the son of Queen Victoria’s cousin, Duke Clemens. They wouldn’t care for a regular student, but the plot runs deeper than what meets the eye. Derek was once a passenger on the Campania cruise ship. I’ll jog your memory a bit: that ship full of Bizarre Dolls (zombies) that Ciel had to investigate from the Luxury Liner Arc.
Investigations wouldn’t be so easy because the school isn’t affiliated with the government. The Prefect Four (P4) will also be watching his every move, and they have rules in place to preserve the order and traditions of this elite college. Additionally, Weston College has four dorms, and not everybody can move around freely without purpose. It’s as if there’s some kind of Hogwarts house rivalry going on in there.
But Ciel won’t let rules get in the way of his mission, and he has his trusted butler Sebastian to help him out. Many are excited to see the P4 get animated, and aside from their charming looks, they’ll also play a huge part in this story arc. Edgar Redmond, Lawrence Bluewer, Herman Greenhill, and Gregory Violet are involved in this case, but I’m not spoiling how. That’s for you to find out in the coming season of Black Butler.
(featured image: Cloverworks)
