A unique premise that compelled audiences with its eccentric characters and mystifying plot, Black Butler is a highly recognizable title despite no longer being part of the mainstream anime community. Even so, 15 years since its initial publication in Monthly GFantasy, the supernatural-shonen series has managed to sustain its cult following. Generating an anime adaptation, a musical and a Nintendo DS game, there's no denying its massive success or the impact it's had on the community.

With an ongoing manga garnering huge numbers in sales and an anime series with plenty of installments that make the canonical timeline difficult to follow, here's how to read and watch every Black Butler adaptation.

The Plot of Black Butler

Written and illustrated by Yana Toboso, the story takes place in Victorian-era London, England, following 13-year-old Ciel Phantomhive, Earl to the Phantomhive manor. However, the backstory begins at the age of 10 when Ciel finds his parents murdered as the manor is attacked and set aflame by an unknown group. Ciel is then kidnapped and sold into slavery, where he endures physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a demon-worshipping cult. The torture is excruciating until, one fateful night, Ciel successfully summons a demon -- who he later names Sebastian Michaelis -- during a sacrificial ceremony.

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The two form a contract stating that Sebastian will assist Ciel in delivering revenge on those who brought death and anguish to the Phantomhives and their manor. In exchange, Sebastian will devour Ciel's soul once he has completed his quest. Ciel also takes over his father's previous role of being the Queen's watchdog. The job is issued by Queen Victoria and entails investigating dangerous cases that threaten either England or the Crown. Along their journey, Sebastian holds the role of Ciel's butler as they work together to uncover the truth of that horrifying night that robbed Ciel of both his family and childhood.

Where to Read the Black Butler Manga

Black Butler Ciel

Black Butler began serialization in September 2006 and is still going strong. As of this writing, 30 out of 31 volumes of the manga have been officially translated and are available to read in English. These volumes can be read digitally on Kindle and Comixology. If you're looking for physical copies, these are surprisingly easy to come by and can be found through Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Books-A-Million, Wal-Mart and other local bookstores/retailers.

An official Black Butler anthology titled Kuroshitsuji Anthology Comic: Nijishitsuji was released from March 2009 to August 2010. It features several one-shots by various manga authors and a short comic by Yana Toboso. Unfortunately, it never received an English translation and is only available to read in Japanese.

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How to Watch the Black Butler Anime

Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic

The anime consists of three TV seasons, two OVA's and one movie, and as mentioned earlier, the watch order is confusing. To the disappointment of manga readers, much of Season 1 and the entirety of Season 2 feature anime-only content. Seemingly to make up for this, Season 3, both OVAs and the film faithfully adapt different manga arcs, although each takes place following Season 1's Indian Butler arc.

All three seasons can be streamed in both subbed and dubbed on Netflix, while the first two seasons can also be found on Funimation and Hulu. The Black Butler: Book of Murder OVAs are only available to rent or buy from the Microsoft store. Meanwhile, the movie -- Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic -- is available to rent on Google Play, YouTube and the Microsoft Store. It can also be purchased on Google Play, YouTube, the Microsoft Store, Amazon and Vudu. DVD and Blu-ray versions of each of these adaptations are available for purchase on Amazon.

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