Hiro Mizushima: The Gary Oldman of Japan

This winter, I watched the Black Butler live-action movie. It was something of a surprise since it is set in a steampunk future rather than a steampunk past, and not in England. (The manga series is rather like the Victorian version of Torchwood.)

There are other changes, and I know that many reviewers were unhappy with the changes. I thought the plot was kind of dumb. I would have liked to have seen the manga story line in which villains attack the estate--unfortunately, the movie only gives us one of the fighting servants, discounting Sebastian, of course.

The one fighting servant is very cool. But the lack of an "origin" story complicates the already convoluted plot. 

I do think the movie captured the aura of the series as well as the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel (or Earl Kiyohara Genpou in the movie). 

Truthfully, though, I watched it for Hiro Mizushima. 

I encountered Hiro Mizushima in the live-action television series Hana-Kimi (which came out several years ago). He plays Nanba in that series. And I had exactly the same reaction to him in Hana-Kimi as I had to him as Sebastian. My initial reaction was, But he doesn't look right for the part. 

And then, in both cases, I didn't care because he so entirely inhabits the part. 

As Sebastian, he doesn't have the height (quite) or the haughty features. His mien is more Elvin mischievous than above-it-all butler. (Likewise, Nanba in the manga volumes is more good-student-who-breaks-the-rules than Mizushima's Nanba, who comes across as guy-who-already-looks-like-he-broke-the-rules.)

Yet Mizushima entirely captures everything about Sebastian: the hauteur, when necessary; the sardonic edge; the faint (not at all heavy-handed) thread/sense of regret (or bemusement); the cool patience. 

The love of cats. 

It's an impressive performance. 

There hasn't been a sequel, and I can see why--the chosen story line just isn't that interesting and although I didn't mind the creative license taken with Ciel, it would be rather fun to watch a version with the intended Ciel. The 2014 film version comes across as a tad Repo:The Genetic Opera while the manga series is something closer to Empire of the Sun (in terms of the boy's survival amongst helpers and rogues).

I would keep Hiro Mizushima as Sebastian.