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In chapter 3 or 4 of _Black Butler_ , Sebastian is using a mobile phone when
talking to those guys who are holding Ciel captive.

Is this a mistake by the author or something else? Isn't _Black Butler_ in the
1800s?


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When does Black Butler take place?


In the manga chapter 27 page 41, it was shown that Ciel Phantomhive was born
in 1875. Googling with the key phrase "the first cell phone" tells us that the
first mobile-phone was created in 1973 by Motorola, which is 100 years after
Ciel was born.

Since Ciel was 13 (12 during the first 14 chapters) in the story, mobile
phones should not have existed. Thus, like [lentinant said in his
comment](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/33884/when-does-black-
butler-take-place#comment46621_33884), it is likely that the story takes place
in an alternate reality.


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As [lentinant has commented
above](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/33884/when-does-black-butler-
take-place#comment46621_33884), _Black Butler_ does not have a set time. The
place is established as England and the era is clearly Victorian due to the
architecture, theme, clothes and general behavior. But as it is a fantasy
genre manga/anime, there are several inconsistencies such as chainsaws, cell-
phones and semiautomatic weapons that are incorporated.

In most fantasy themed works, history is paid homage and is eluded to rather
than portrayed accurately.


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_Black Butler_ does take place as it says. Searching up "When was the first
phone invented?" will return March 10, 1876.

I remember in the second episode of the anime, they had one of the phones that
are shown in the images, but it wasn't a cell phone. I just had it in a bag to
help transport it.


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I haven't read the manga, but as mentioned in [another
answer](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/40210/2516), it couldn't have been a
cellphone. As shown in the anime, it isn't a cellphone and they quite can't
change the plot that much.

If I'm right, this all was when Ciel was captured.


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While searching up "cell phones" will come up with 1973, Sebastian was not
using a cell phone. Cell phones and the phone he used is different, and cell
phones were not invented back then. However, the did have phones and it was
invented in 1876.


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It's 1888 since Ciel is 13 years old (12 in the first 14 chapters) and born in
1875. 1875+13=1888.


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  * In episode 10, they go to a Frost Fair on the Thames, the last of which was in 1814.
  * Jack the Ripper's murders were in 1888.
  * Queen Victoria reigned from 1839-1901.

Presumably, some research either wasn't done, or 100% historical accuracy was
ignored in favor of including all the elements the author wanted in the
series.

It's a pretty silly series too, so what does it matter? Can't complain about
dates not lining up when people run through stone walls and get consumed by
fire for several seconds without lasting burns.


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They say that the two brothers in the tower were imprisoned in 1483, and when
Ciel talks about it, he refers to this event as having taken place 400 years
ago, so it must've been in the 1850s and plus.


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