Disclaimer: This is my personal attempt at translating Yana-sensei’s blog entries. Due to my limited skills and understanding, the translation might not be very accurate. In fact it can be plain incorrect at times. So read at your own risk. You’re welcome to correct me if I'm wrong and any input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
***********************************
すべてはあの方のために
The original entry can be found here.
***********************************
Before you read my crap, The Mighty Nayama has posted a much better translation here
....................
Everything for his sake
Let’s start from beginning.
All the fans, sorry for the uncertainty over the past 6 months.
Since the announcement of Season 2 on 31/01, I have received many, well, impossible amount of messages, and more than half of them were saying
“Sebastian and Ciel are there, that’s the very reason it’s called Kuroshitsuji, right?”
“As the original author, are you deserting the fans waiting to see Sebastian and Ciel?”
“You failed as the original author if you don’t love your own characters.”
Some appeal in earnest, some with angry words. Seriously, that’s a full blown situation. (LOL) As if saying let’s see how much you can take!! Having over 2cm thick of complaints piling up under the Mailor’s scroll bar always made me felt like crying…(wry smile) All those complaints and scolding I received since the announcement equal to the magnitude of your love for Sebastian and Ciel. With this in mind I read all of them one by one. Thank you very much. Sorry that I didn’t reply properly back then. Please allow me to answer your mails here.
As everyone has said, Sebastian and Ciel are necessary and indispensable to Kuroshitsuji.
Nothing can change this fact. I understand it very well.
I’m the original author of the Manga-Kuroshitsuji. My own work is important to me, all of you who love my work are important to me, the well-loved Anime-Kuroshitsuji is important to me. The kinder anime Sebastian, the slightly innocent and cute anime Ciel are important to me.
I believe those who have sent me angry mails must have watched and liked the first season, that why you wanted a second season. There can’t be a Season 2 without a Season 1. That’s why when we received the confirmation of anime Season 2, GF side had requested that “Please do not ignore Season 1 as if it never existed”. Frankly speaking, with that kind of ending, it’s much easier to treat it as if “It never happened” than “It did happen”. But to produce another season under the same title within such a short period of time, and nullify Season 1 just like that to return to manga storyline in Season 2, “It can’t be the same” I believe. Because the one that brought tears to your eyes, the one you wanted to see again, is the anime Ciel in Season 1, who’s supposed to have completed his revenge to the end of his suffering. However, their time stopped in the last episode. Director Shinohara decided on that last scene, I also consented to that ending.
After that because of the loud demand (thanks to all the fans support), the timeline in anime-Kuroshitsuji can once again move forward. In order to set their clock onward, in order to allow Ciel to wake up…and to bring Season 1 they once walked to meet with everyone who was saddened and moved by the end, the staff exchanged ideas and announced Season 2 on 31/01 after half a year’s consideration.
During that time, it must be very depressing for all the fans that had been hoping to see Sebastian and Ciel, and some must have felt bitter or even hated Season 2 staff and the original author. Even the new master/butler, born as the result of six months’ effort and love from the staff, must have faced harsh criticism. With determination everyone carried out the announcement like that, knowing fans would be upset or even mad with us. (wry smile) Everyone had tears in their eyes, since we never meant to make you feel miserable. Claude’s voice actor Sakurai-san also said “It’s going to be tough, but I’ll do my best…!” and prepared himself before he joined the event.
At the end of Season 1, Sebastian’s voice actor Ono-san said “the last episode can't be taken lightly, there's no way you can just say 'Just kidding, he didn’t eat it!'”, and we all felt the same. After airing of the last episode, praise, sorrow, anger, all sort of reactions. A large amount of mails came in, and I pondered while going through all those mails. Given that last episode, if Ciel simply gets revived, then what’s the point of Season 1 and all the pain Ciel has gone through? Ciel can’t be revived easily.
But still we want to see Sebas and Ciel once more no matter what.
All the anime staff and fans so speak. Thank you very much. Thanks to you we can have a Season 2 with Sebastian and Ciel as main characters.
The story that’s going to be told in Season 2, it won’t make sense if we told you in advance whether Sebastian et al would be in the show or not. Also if we told you when Season 2 was confirmed, then it’d be pointless to produce this Season 2 that you all had been looking forward to. At the beginning you might have a lot of questions “???what does it mean???” in mind, the answers will pop up as you follow through the series. I can’t spoil the details, “Who on earth are Alois and Claude?” also “Why do we have to hide the fact that characters from the original work such as Sebastian and Ciel would be in the show until the first episode?”, everything will become clear later, so I hope you enjoy the story as it unfold. The story in Season 2 can’t be broken down into individual episodes. It must be considered as a whole. Hmm, how shall I put it, anyway just watch it till the end! Once you watch it you’ll know everything! I can’t tell you more. (Smile)
However, there is one thing I can tell you for sure. Everything we did over the past 6 month comes down to those words appeared on the band of Vol.7 “Young master, open your eyes”. We did everything to make sure Alois and Claude together with the traveler (Smile) can finally land on the timeline towards a sequel to Season 1.
“The truth is in your hands from the start, a surprisingly easy to find place.”
Such words were written in the Tabloid, as plain as it can be. When the decision to produce the Season 2 was announced, the truth was written on the cover of the comic, “TV Anime Season 2 confirmed! Come on, young master, open your eyes”. Ciel will once again open his eyes. But when the announcement was made on 31/01, everyone was saying “Liar! They said ‘young master, open your eyes’ before” and a lot of complaints came in. I almost couldn’t resist the urge to explain “That’s true! We did say that. We didn’t lie. That’s the answer. Please wait and see!” Of course there were also a few say “I trust those words” that sounded reassuring. Thank you for your trust.
Speaking of the new master/butler pair, as the rival of the original set, who has defeated the Queen and white butler, we all agree that if Alois and Claude show up half way through the series as villains, they would surely be crushed by the main master/butler pair. Therefore, this time Alois and Claude will not appear as “villains”, instead they will make first appearance as the “new black butler pair” before the story starts. In order to convince people that these two are “no ordinary characters!”, we invited Takahiro Sakurai and Nana Mizuki as their voice actors. In this sense, the Season 2 already started on 31/01.
Furthermore, Claude and Alois are not simply “villains” in Kuroshitsuji II. The director has already mentioned that, just like Sebastian and Ciel, they’re “another black butler pair” that’s necessary and indispensable to Kuroshitsuji II. In the NicoLive program, the Director, Editor K, and the Producer have also made it clear, if they’re just dummy characters, they wouldn’t have gone to such extent. (Smile) The OP, the black tabloid, and GF cover, those are all for them. Even Sebastian and Ciel have not received so much attention!? Sebastian and Ciel won’t be the only key visual in Season 2!? (LOL) But Sebastian and Ciel have had many impressive moments in Season 1, so be nice and share the number of opportunities with the new pair. At last two pairs of black butler done by Shiba-san have been unveiled, it’s so nice to have them side by side as the key visual.
To describe these two pairs of black butler in simple words, if Sebastian and Ciel are the protagonists born in Manga Kuroshitsuji, then Claude and Alois have to be the protagonists born in Anime Kuroshitsuji. To me both of them are irreplaceable, precious Kuroshitsuji. Hereafter how will the plot develop between these two pairs of master/butler combination from different media platform, please see for yourselves till the end. Also to the new mater/butler and their voice actors who have been pulling Kuroshitsuji II all the way till the airing, words are not enough to express my gratitude. I look forward to your continued support from now on.
At the moment I can only say, even though Sebastian and Ciel are the original protagonists from the comic, whether they can beat the new pair…is unknown this time!
Well, even I said so, I guess most people would still think “of course Sebas and Ciel will win”. (LOL) Please at least wait until episode 4, nah, episode 8..no, just wait and watch the last episode! You won’t be disappointed.
But still…it’s hard to keep my mouth shut, I feel miserable orz
Ahh, completely exhausted already. (Smile) The king’s ears are donkey’s ears!!! (By Shiba-san)
But for those of you who had been worried that Sebastian and Ciel might not be in the show, it must have been worse. I’m really sorry about it. They’re back now. I want to hug you all one by one. ～I’m here～by your side～I’m not going any where～♪ (ED of Season 2) We have often been told “Whip only is painful, spare some candy”, so we’re going to drop tons of candy from now on! There will be many events to enjoy too, be sure not to miss them! By the way, I’ll also be helping with Kusoshitsuji II with what little I can do. The first thing has to be the OVA included in DVD Vol.2 “Ciel in Wonderland (Part I)”! I designed plenty of dresses and small items. (Smile) Over 100 pieces in full colour for existing characters in Season 2 and OVA alone! The characters are going to change clothes quite often in Season 2! (oops spoiler) Nah, they will do so behind the doors…I might appear skipping work but actually I did a lot of work. (Smile) I hope to show you all the things I have here bit by bit in the near future.
Also on February 3 (31/01 Report)
I wrote “In order to show you the ‘New black butler’ you have not seen before, all the staff is working together aiming for July”…Now that I can finally announce the real meaning of “New Black Butler”.
“It’s not a remake, not a rerun, it’s a series of ‘new black butler’ with new episodes no one has seen before!”
Sorry I tried to sound like Sebastian!!!!!!!!
Sebastian and Ciel, Claude and Alois. Two pairs of Black Butler. No matter the situation, it’s true that many people were upset. We can only make up for it with results. I’m sure the anime staff are working so hard they’re burning themselves out. Of course I’ll be working hard on comic too! Fully packed with contents and action, it’s going to be a superb anime! Please enjoy!!
Fight on! Run till the end Kuroshitsuji II! I’m running too!
Ah, well then…to sum up.
Official HP, Official Twitter, anime magazines, GF, Black Tabloid, GF Blog, Toboso’s Blog…”The official source would never lie to the fans, just like Sebastian to his master.” We have only published the truth, I’d be glad if you go and read them again.
Especially the novel written by Kuma-san in Black Tabloid, please do go and read it again.
Read it again after watching the first episode, you will surely recognize the storyteller in that novel. The one “talking to himself incoherently” inside “the dead forest surrounded by steel walls” is actually “him”. In fact it’s just like Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s incoherent antonym. Personally I think this piece “I’m always alone with someone” is marvelous. “He” is always alone in a dead forest, always “with someone”. You should catch the meaning now. I also come up with some ideas from time to time (in the sense of editing), but this time Kuma-san won. Damnit! (LOL) Also in my illustration, tonchinkan is not the key element, please pay attention to those things in their hands.
Editor K surely has a way with words. I envy his talent. Why did he choose to be an editor? Why is he the editor for my childish manga? It’s a puzzle. (Smile)
Such being the case, the illustration I did for the new master/butler in Season 2, the art I did for the novel, everything is for “his” reappearance.
He’s dozing off while waiting for “someone” to find him in a dead forest. Please go look for him.
Please watch over their fate in anime-Kuroshitsuji to the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment