Kuroshitsuji Midori no Majo-hen – Episode 09 Review

「その執事、遭逢」 (Sono Shitsuji, Sōhō)
“His Butler, Crossing Paths”

Well, it’s clear how they’re stretching the material out into the episode count. With that long refresher course (almost 5 minutes!), plus factoring in the OP and ED time, half the episode was finished before we got any new material. I wish they’d opted for a shorter episode count rather than extended recaps- this is my Sunday viewing pleasure, but it feels more like cramming in review sessions before an exam.

Ciel and Sullivan are not quite out of the woods yet- they have some pretty tenacious fighters on their tail, including Wolfram. Who, like Sebby and the other Phantomhive staff, were hired based on their combat techniques more than domestic service abilities (which explains Wolfram’s horrendously inefficient meal prep). Throughout this arc, Sebby and Wolfram (and Sullivan and Ciel for that matter), have been paralleled to each other, and even more so now that the truth is out. Both are menaces serving under the butler guise in defense of their master/mistress.

That was a pretty close call when Wolfram caught up to them, but a clever disguise reveals that Ciel and Sullivan swapped places (pretty sure some certain groups in the fan base were having a field day there). The look of joy on Ciel’s face when shooting at Wolfram was striking to me- this is, in a small way, pay back for the abuses the adults inflicted on the children- a release of his pent up trauma. Wolfram’s beastlike reflexes are too good for Ciel’s aim, but luck is on Ciel’s side when an unexpected supporter shows up. Yes, the same man we glimpsed previously researching into the village- Dietrich, Ciel’s father’s friend (I think he was also referenced during the public school arc as his father’s schoolmate, but don’t quote me on that). Ciel remembers him from childhood, when dad asked Dietrich to look after “the two of them” in case something happened to him. The Japanese is a little different- literally the plural form of you, not specifying any particular number. That could be interpreted in any number of ways, take that as you will (without spoiling anything). I’m not sure why Ciel dislikes him- maybe the same reason he dislikes most adults. Dietrich likewise views him as a pain in the ass, but with some begrudging fondness mixed in. “I’m too old to be cleaning up your messes”- that sounds like something that could have come straight out of the mouth of my mother.

This could be considered Finny’s arc as much as Sullivan’s, Ciel’s, or anybody else’s. Throughout it, we’ve gotten a glimpse into his past and how far he’s come from then- a weapon to gardener makeover worthy of any reality TV show. Finny’s past and present come full circle as he uses his weapon, his hyperspeed, to serve his beloved master in getting Sullivan out of the forest. He’s come to terms with who he was vs. who he is now and embraced all parts of himself. The expression on his face as he used his ability for Ciel, leaping with Sullivan high into the air under the moon was a poetic moment that screamed “freedom!”.

The usually quiet Tanaka gets his moment to shine too- using some super cool action moves to slice a bullet with his sword (where did that come from- I never remember seeing him carry one?). There’s so much about Tanaka we don’t know, he’s always the happy old man in the background. It’s clear that whatever his story, he must have been a former samurai or ronin. I don’t know that I want to find out, to be honest. I like the air of mystery surrounding him, it somehow suits him.

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