The defining and most beneficial distinction between Death Note and Black Butler is the sheer amount of feeling put into the latter, even if it does seem at times to be to the expense of the thought behind the former. For me, at least, this difference is what makes Black Butler more memorable, as it paves it's way into your heart, not just your head.
The Phantomhive family are known not just for their wealth and their links to nobility, but also their nurturance of youthful joy in their standing as the most profitable toy industry in Elizabethan England. When the Earl and his wife die in an all consuming fire and their son, Ciel, is kidnapped and tortured by the perpetrators, the Phantomhive estate fell into tragic obscurity. After two years of public absence, Ceil returns to resume the duties of his birthright, accompanied by the charming and seemingly infallible butler Sebastian. Seeking a way to return his family name to proud reverence once again, Ceil takes on London's criminal underworld in an effort to subject them to the same pain and humiliation he suffered at their hands, with Sebastian following him in every endeavour. While waging war to end the darkness plaguing London's streets, Ciel begins decaying from the darkness he himself now harbours, while Sebastian remains, forever, his devoted and deadly servant.
The strengths of the context leap right out at you from the very beginning. This is mostly due to the fantastic effort behind the English dub, neglegted by most other animes I've come across. Each characters accent is representative of their social standing, playing well themeatically with the trap the 1800 social system actually becomes in that Ciel is caught in stasis as an employer and a nobleman as well as a tortured soul to the extent he has little hope of freedom to live his own life. Clashes of culture appearing throughout, such as immigration tensions with caniving Italian businessmen and the growing mafia presence, civility and hedonism between the fiercley dutiful Sebastian and the boarderless and deliriously entertaining Grell contribute such passion in delivering tension you can't help but be sucked in.
Expanding on how well the English dub was constructed, it's also endearing how much the love for English Literature the creators and writers share and how seamlessly they weave in their characterisations that range between the demeaur and uppity Ceil and the farcically loveable house staff, in particular the short sighted and obnoxiously clumsy May Rin. The interactions between the characters is not only enjoyable, but is informed by components of Elizabethan plays, such as Dr Faustus, more than likely the insperation for this story of status and boundaries, ever more present in the supernatural elements such as the demons, angels and grim reapers. Also, easy parrallels can be made into the work of one of my favourite fantasy novelists Neil Gaiman in the precise yet somehow almost satirical construction of a business like and official economy of good and evil and the behaviour of their emissaries. The time and affectionate treatment spent on each of these elements sets Black Butler apart from Death Note, which at times could get monotonus adding to how stale it felt by the end.
While Black Butler flourishes in tone where Death Note fell short, it unfortunatley suffers from doing not enough of what Death Note did too much : exposition. The reveals characters make, principally the revelation of Sebastians true nature, is so poorly timed it's as if the audience knew them already. Not giving weight to such developments is almost a big no-no in the fantasy genre, as it places the convenience of the story over the layers of wonder and interest in the world it's trying to create. While Black Butler's characters are entertaining in their own characteurish way, there are times when we are so quickly demanded to care about them through rushed development, the balance they try to strike to keep the tone even (not too dark, not too silly) is off putting, particularly seen in the fate of my initial favourite characateur Madame Red, who, after having her back story thrown in my face like a wet rag, I was completley indifferent to. Even this failing,though, is not so affecting to reach Death Note levels of inconvenience, as the story elements remain strong enough to bare the brunt of overly modest reveals that don't tend to alienate or draw you out of proceedings.
All things considered, while it may not be as traditionally 'good' as Death Note, being neither as careful or thought provoking, the warmth of emotion behind Black Butler sets it above Death Note in terms of overall entertainment value. Truely, it's a joyful thing to behold.
