Black Clover is an anime based upon the manga series. The first season is 51 episodes long. It is set in a world where magic is an important part of life. Everyone can use magic to a degree and it is used to make everyday tasks easier. Once a person comes of age, they are granted a grimoire, which helps boost their magic even further. The story follows Asta, a young boy who has absolutely no magic at all but he is determined to join the Magic Knights and eventually become the Wizard King. The Wizard King was originally a legendary figure that helped save the world from a demon, but is now a title and the leader of the Magic Knights, which are like the protective authority of the Clover Kingdom.
Asta is loud and brash. His voice and constant loudness can be annoying. He tends to punch first and never ask questions. To compensate for the fact that he has no magic, he had been doing extensive physical training, to the point where it can be said that he is peerless in physical strength. Asta’s childhood friend is Yuno, who is the complete opposite. Yuno is more reserved and is brimming with magic. Despite the pair being from a very rural village, Yuno is a magical prodigy. The anime follows the pair’s progress as they come of age and attempt to joint the Magic Knights, both in the hope of becoming the Wizard King.
Asta and Yuno are like the pair of protagonists, rather than just Asta alone, although as the season goes on, a bit more focus is on Asta himself. The anime is not too episodic in that each episode isn’t rigidly structured to have a beginning and ending of a story of the week kind of thing, so the season flows along better than you would expect of such a long running anime. The world itself isn’t too bad at first but the politics and in-world prejudice do come into play later on given that there is a hierarchy and nobility, especially within the ranks of the Magic Knights. However, there are always good apples and bad apples, and there are several characters who genuinely want to make the world a better place.
However, it is not all sunshine with the anime. Unfortunately, the plot developments are predictable. From the coming of age ceremony where Asta hopes to get a grimoire, to the trials to enter the Magic Knights. Every story beat has been done before and there are no attempts to betray your expectations. There is a lot of dialogue that’s cringy. A lot of the supporting characters are one-dimensional upon their introduction. They have one distinct element that dictates their behavior and when that one aspect keeps on being repeated and shown multiple times within the one scene, it’s grating and annoying.
The fight scenes are average although granted, they could have been a lot worse. For what it is, it is decent. It lacks fluidity but thankfully isn’t just a slideshow with a lot of yelling and background streak marks. There are some movements and spells usually have enough visual flair to help distract from the lower quality of the scene choreography. This is a typical feel good anime though, so no matter how bad things turn out, it will always work out. Asta and his values will always triumph but the problem is how quickly and easily his values win people over. His teammates will have doubts about him but then their comradeship just blossoms after one event. A little bit more time for development would not have hurt.
While Asta does not have any magical ability to start off with has him being the weakest of the weakest, once his abilities awaken, he’s swung to the other end. There are times where he feels too overpowered, especially against enemies who have no clue about his powers. Once the opponent gets a grasp on what Asta’s ability is, then he becomes disadvantaged again and it is up to him to break through that. Asta must learn and use new skills in unexpected ways in order to fulfil his potential. The same goes with Yuno, as he too has unique powers that set him apart.
Since this is one of the anime with a long season, there are undoubtedly several episodes of filler, as well as a recap episode, the most annoying of them all. The filler episodes are actually not that bad and they don’t show up too much in the second half. Naturally, there are the never-ending chain of enemies that escalate in power. In the second half of the season, villains with crazy amounts of power will show up. Each arc also takes the predictable approach of teaming Asta up with a fellow teammate, just so their backstories can be told.
The second half of the season is where the anime actually starts throwing off some of its baggage and becomes enjoyable. The anime is not going to win any awards for its storytelling or visuals, but it does enough to keep your interest. The characters end up being endearing, since every one of them is an underdog. When the team gets together and properly acts like a team for the first time, it is a good feeling. The final arc of the season is a strong finish as it is filled with emotion and some of the best fight scenes in the season. It was an exciting and engrossing arc to watch but weirdly, the season ends at the beginning of another arc, so it can feel truncated as a result.
Overall, Black Clover is surprisingly good and exceeds your expectations. The beginning and for most of the first half is kind of predictable with Asta being exceedingly annoying. The supporting characters lacks depth and are one-note as they are dominated by one certain quirk. However, as the season goes on and it starts to focus on each character, they become much more developed and fun as a character. The anime never gets too serious or lighthearted as it strikes a good balance between to two, and so it is enjoyable for a wide variety of audiences.
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