WeekendOtaku Archives | 100 Word Anime

As we move onto week 2 Weekend Otaku and I are sharing our thoughts on the second episode of Black Clover. It kind of seems at the moment like we are both feeling the same way about this show, and that is that Black Clover is still a ‘wait and see’. If you missed it, here is our post on episode 1.

Karandi’s Review:

I have three things I want to say about this episode. Firstly, that fight sequence was dragged out way to long. It is a five minute fight and it was nearly the nearly the end of the episode before it was resolved. It isn’t Bleach level dragged out, because at least we didn’t get a whole filler season mid-sword-swing, but it was still unnecessarily dragged out.

Secondly, Asta’s motivation is more or less that Asta wants to be strong (which I guess cuts through all the usual bull that shounen protagonists cover their self- interest over with, but leaves him somewhat lacking as a character). It might seem touching that Asta wants the orphanage to have nice food, but basically he wants to be strong so he can declare himself strong. (Yeah, I know there are hints of a more meaningful story but it hasn’t eventuated yet.)

Finally, Yuno and Asta’s relationship makes more sense after this episode. Particularly as it became clear that even Yuno isn’t immune from the idiocy that hits some of us when we are around our childhood friend. It made him more human, and I kind of liked this aspect of the episode.

Honestly, as an individual episode, this is not great. The overly long flashback sequence, the repetition of dialogue both from last episode and in the flashback, the stylised look as we finally get to see Asta do something with the fancy sword he gained last episode, it all just seems really unpolished. But… I kind of like Asta a little more this week than last week. I’m curious about the Wizard King. I kind of like Yuno and Asta’s relationship and would like to see more. So while I’m not going to sing the praises of this show just yet, I think it is laying the foundation of something that could be quite entertaining. Whether it gets there or not remains to be seen.

Weekend Otaku’s Review:

On the one hand I’m glad we got a little insight into Asta and Yuno’s relationship after the brief glances we saw in the first episode. As hinted, Asta’s refusal to ever give up was a source of inspiration for Yuno, whose meeker portrayal in the scenes depicting their youth adds some definition to his character. Far from the haughty genius that Asta always struggled against, Yuno is very much a product of the hope Asta instilled in him when they were young.

On the other hand, this episode didn’t do much to sell Asta’s motivations. Wanting to become the wizard king simply because it sounds cool and strong, based on the simple story that was read to him, is as childish as his incessant shouting. I expect his understanding of his place in the world will mature as time goes on, but for now his aims are rather simplistic.

This mirrors what I think is the main issue with the series so far, in that it hasn’t given the viewer anything to really be invested in. I realize it’s still early, but it feels like we’re asked to keep watching with little more than some cool powers to tide us over until the show provides something more. I am interested in Asta’s new anti-magic abilities and just what the Magic Knights are about, but I hope there’s more to this than just that surface story.

So if you missed it, you should definitely check out our first thoughts on The Ancient Magus’ Bride over on WeekendOtaku’s blog and keep your eye out for episode 2.

Thanks for reading.

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Thanks,

Karandi James.

Welcome to the first 200 Word Anime post where Weekend Otaku and I will be sharing our thoughts on the episode. Be sure to check out Weekend’s blog as we’ll be reviewing The Ancient Magus’ Bride over there (hopefully – assuming we both get access and have time).

Overview:

In a world where magic is everything, Asta and Yuno are both found abandoned at a church on the same day. While Yuno is gifted with exceptional magical powers, Asta is the only one in this world without any. At the age of fifteen, both receive grimoires, magic books that amplify their holder’s magic. Asta’s is a rare Grimoire of Anti-Magic that negates and repels his opponent’s spells. Being opposite but good rivals, Yuno and Asta are ready for the hardest of challenges to achieve their common dream: to be the Wizard King. Giving up is never an option!

– from Crunchyroll

Karandi’s Review:

I knew before I started this (from the thousand promotions around the internet) that I was about to watch a standard shounen which meant I was expecting characters who shouted a lot and the whole never giving up thing because being gritty and determined apparently makes you stronger. What I wasn’t expecting was that to be all this first episode delivered. I’m pretty sure Asta doesn’t actually speak until the 18th minute in this episode because nearly every line of dialogue prior to that (and there’s a lot) is shouted. Kind of made me want the chain guy just to pull the chain around his middle a little bit tighter and call it a day (okay, I shouldn’t wish death on the protagonist in episode 1, and he isn’t actually that bad).

However, if I ignore Asta for a moment and focus on the other characters and the story set up, while it still isn’t exactly winning points for originality, by the end of the episode it has actually set up what should be a pretty interesting if obvious fantasy story. More importantly, it made me really want to learn more about Yuno, his relationship with Asta and the world as a whole. It kind of reminded me of Attack on Titan where Eren drove me absolutely crazy for a lot of the first season because I cannot stand him as a character but I really liked the concept, the world, and some of the support cast so I stuck with it and now I really like Attack on Titan even though I still can’t stand the main character.

So I am on the fence with this one. This episode improved as it went and the episode climax was pretty on point and I’m kind of hoping now that we’ve gotten over the super generic introduction it can show us something interesting next episode.

Weekend Otaku’s Review:

As Karandi mentioned, this show doesn’t deviate much from other shounen fantasy stories. The characters are actually quite reminiscent of Naruto, leading to an introductory act that plays out in much the same way: the spirited underdog (Asta) feels overshadowed by the gifted savant (Yuno), with Asta’s ambition checked by his severe lack of talent while his rival effortlessly outshines him. It sounds formulaic, but the setting of Black Clover gives it some potential.

While there has been sparse world building thus far, what little we learn about the clovers hints that Asta may be privy to a power that is unique even in a world rife with magic. Though it’s a given that his dogged attitude will see him through his initial setbacks, the nature of the grimoires offers some possibilities. To become a more compelling series that distinguishes itself from other shounen stories, I would like to see how the “black” clover influences Asta’s journey apart from his goal of becoming the Wizard King and some more depth to the characters through their shared backstory.