Surpass Your Limits: The Underwater Temple!
- Episodes : 57+
- Genre : Comedy, Action, Fantasy, Shounen, Magic
- Airing Date : October 2017 – ongoing
- Studios : Studio Pierrot
Contains Spoilers
Black Clover Introduction
Black Clover has been steadily getting better as the series goes on and these latest episodes are no exception! The shounen tropes are prevalent throughout. Yet somehow, these characters are able to make the same shounen tropes enjoyable and worth watching. Asta has gotten much less annoying as he continues to grow up a bit, though he does still have his moments of repetitive shouting. In the main arc of this cours, the Black Bulls travel to an underwater temple and are thrust into a fight for their lives with Vetto, a member of the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s Third Eye.
This arc in Black Clover includes all of the members of the Black Bulls, giving each crazy character a chance in the spotlight. Though many of them fall during their long battle with Vetto, through strategic teamwork Asta, Vanessa and Finral are able to deal a powerful blow on their enemy. Unlike many shounen anime, Black Clover has realistic consequences in battle, as seen when new friends Kahono and Kiato lose the chance at their dreams thanks to the outcome. But we can see the growth in Asta, Noelle and each member of the Black Bulls as they follow their leader Yami’s command to go beyond their limits! This leaves us excited for what the future holds for these characters…
1. Yami = Best Character
We saw this a bit as Yami has become more involved in Black Clover, particularly in the fight against Licht. He ends up taking out Vetto for good after he rises a final time and we see his most powerful ability, allowing him to cut through dimensions! Yami is not only powerful, but his sense of humor and apathetic appearance have quickly cemented him as one of the most entertaining characters from this show thus far. Despite threatening to off his companions whenever they do something to irritate him, Yami fulfills his role as a leader well in this arc, allowing each member of his team to grow in their own way and then stepping in when they find themselves in dire straits.
2. Entire Fight Scene With Vetto
Black Clover has been steadily amping up each fight scene, and this giant battle against Vetto is no exception, stretching out for almost half of the cours. Of course, in the back of our minds, we know that Asta and his team have to win somehow, but that in no way lessens our enjoyment of watching the characters keep standing back up to fight. This fight feels like a desperate struggle, with each of the Black Bulls standing up to Vetto at some point. This is a fight that could rival many of the best in other shounen anime and shows that Black Clover really has gotten so much better.
3. Every Character Gets Development
Even though the Black Bulls may be known as the worst squad of Magic Knights, they each prove themselves in this arc! The characters all learn something new and surpass their limits in a unique way, from Gauche learning to work alongside others’ strengths to Finral finding confidence in himself to even Noelle standing up for her friends for the first time. It is through its characters that an anime truly shines, and Black Clover’s attention to detail in this regard is easy to see! As the Black Bulls are cheered on after winning their fight, we see just how far these misfits have come.
1. Poor Animation
As with many lengthy anime, Black Clover suffers from stretches of poor animation quality. Throughout the fight, characters may look disproportionate or bizarre, especially if they aren’t the main focus of a scene. It’s sad really, because the quality in content is there, but for many people, the animation is a turn-off for the anime. Especially for important arcs like this one, you would think that animation would be given first priority.
2. Long-winded Recaps
Longer shounen anime will often have recaps at the beginning of the episodes to remind their viewers of what happened last week. Fans of shounen will be expecting this from Black Clover. Yet this series goes over the top with its recaps, at one point exacting seven minutes of time with only replayed scenes! It seems a byproduct of the genre, but we wish there was a way to stop these recaps from impacting the amount of new content we get each week.
Final Thoughts
Black Clover’s latest cours may suffer from the same problems that have plagued the anime throughout its episodes, but the content and characters are definitely improving! Our emotional attachment to the characters and their visible growth makes it worth all the poorly drawn scenes or long-winded recaps. And with this latest epic fight, we have the promise of an even better story to come!
What did you think of the latest season of Black Clover? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Author: Meghan May Dellinger
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