It’s perfect even without it.
Summary:
- Fans have noticed some CGI in the new season.
- Soma’s elephant looked too weird.
- There’ve been a couple more moments that caught the viewers’ attention.
Black Butler: Public School Arc (Kuroshitsuji: Kishuku Gakkou-hen) is a true celebration for anime veterans, as many older otaku think of this series with a warm sense of nostalgia.
The old-school-styled OP for the new season is also something fans cherish because it reminds them of the first Black Butler seasons that were so dear to them. But there’s one more thing that can take you back in time, and this time it’s not a positive one. We’re talking about poorly-done CGI.
It’s important to point out that there isn’t that much CGI in Black Butler, you won’t find weird action scenes or ugly demons in the series, but the rare moments that feature it stand out so much that it’s impossible to stay silent.
Elephant Ruined the Scene
In Episode 3 that aired on April 27, Soma made a great appearance. He wouldn’t be himself if he just walked in like a regular person, of course there had to be something grandiose.
Soma entered the scene riding a huge elephant, and it could have been such a majestic moment, if not for one small detail ― the elephant was created with CGI.
Anime tend to use CGI for intense action sequences or giant creatures (like in Attack on Titan, for example), and the elephant was huge indeed. But the scene wasn’t really long and didn’t require that much motion, so there wasn’t much need in using the CGI.
It’s not just about the mere fact of CGI existence in the series, but about the way it’s done. And the elephant looked so weird compared to its surroundings and 2D background that even a person who doesn’t usually notice such things may be put off by this.
Live-Action Footage?
There have been a couple more weird-looking scenes in Black Butler ever since. In the same episode, there was a candle that looked like it wasn’t even drawn and animated but was taken from some live-action footage. Fans are still unsure if that was a real candle or if it was another example of the series’ CGI.
And a similar thing happened again in Episode 4 when Sebastian was pouring some tea for Ciel. The tea looked so real that it couldn’t be left unnoticed. Fans thought the studio used a real-life scene of someone pouring tea and added an anime overlay to that.
All these little moments are part of Black Butler’s style, and we understand that. But they stand out so much that they distract the viewers from what’s going on in the series. Black Butler has already got an unmatched vibe and style, it doesn’t need to add all those weird scenes to seem more interesting.