Honestly, Black Clover stumbled a bit in the beginning. Screeching seiyuu have really soured the viewing experience (just kidding, it’s 100% Asta’s Seiyuu (Gakuto Kajiwara), but the story has steadily made improvement, and it is finding its place in the Shounen Anime world. This is almost 90% because Asta is getting less time to speak as more characters appear, but still, the story is moving forward at an excellent pace for a shounen anime.

Now that they have beaten creepy smoke old man, Asta, Yuno, and their respective guild members have been fighting Mars from the Diamond Kingdom who, ironically or not, uses what looks like Diamond magic. We see more of his really tragic backstory and learn that his grimore is more or less fused with his childhood friend’s whom he had to kill.

In the moment that Asta is about to get a fatal blow, Yuno searches deep within and tries to conjure something would save Asta’s life. However, instead of getting the magic that he thought he would get… he summons Pixie from the Persona series!? I bursted out laughing when I saw this because honestly, I was just like… “oh okay. So this is something where magic manifests in beings? Mmk, I saw this in Persona 4.” Though it is funny and enjoyable.

Anyway Mars is beat, the members escape as the dungeon collapses. Honestly, Black Clover is a great watch and I am enjoying it greatly!

Gosh, I was struck by this in the last episode and this episode of Killing Bites was even worse. I just cannot hold my tongue. While I’m not a fan of getting political with my online persona, I just wanted to point out the use of rape as a plot point (or really just a filler moment). This week’s episode of Killing Bites features Cobra about to rape our main character, Ratel with his Cobra Cannons (like what?!). Then they show rather fallic, bumpy looking something rather that might remind people of a hentai or two. I just had to pause right after Ratel chopped them off and start writing this moment.

I will never understand the use of rape for a plot point for many stories, but what is even worse is the use of rape for an unnecessary filler in any series. I’ve seen it in young adult fiction where the plot is completely forgotten and for Killing Bites, I guess it’s just a characteristic for Cobra, of course they did explain that Cobra is some sort of ne’er-do-well who was put through that operation that made him a Cobra (who knows if he was a rapist before his powers, really). And this is not some middle of the night hentai anime, so I’m astonished they showed his Cobra Cannons. While I love ecchi anime for the most part, this just really got to me

I’m not really a fan of magical girls, but I always give anime with a full-girl cast an opportunity. With Märchen Mädchen I’ve been skipping some episodes, true, but at least now I have an idea of what is this all about. Cinderella has finally transformed! As you may or may not know, this anime is about girls with magic powers, based on famous books or oral stories, studying in an academy to dominate their powers. The main character, Hazuki, is related to Charles Perrault’s Cinderella, but this 6th episode is when she finally is able to use her powers.

Aside of cute girls and a silly plot, what I like about this anime is how every character embodies the story they are related to, and it’s fun to guess a book just by looking at a girl’s outfit or powers. Hazuki, however, has a motto she’s been repeating a lot: “make your own story”. Yeah, kinda cheesy, but it makes sense now: she’s a doushinji princess! Well, not officially, but she’s been able to rewrite Cinderella’s story to her benefit, and use it to defeat her rival. Imagine you represent a Shakespearean story, but somehow you give it a happy ending where nobody dies. Blasphemy! According to Hazuki, Cinderella’s magic doesn’t disappear at midnight, and she doesn’t even need or want a prince to begin with. Maybe that’s a hint for you, Shoujo-Ai lovers! Maybe Märchen Mädchen is not the greatest anime ever, but the meta-story here is cool enough. Can you imagine a spin-off where girls use magic based on Shakespeare, Lovecraft, Poe or Faulkner?!

In this episode of Grancrest Senki, Theo continues to sweet-talk lords left and right and charming them to join his side. After getting Lord Ladvan to not only surrender but pledge his allegiance to him, Theo and Siluca attend a banquet with Lord Villar. There, their lord introduces them to important members of royalty and influencers. Marquis Dawson threatens Villar for going against the supposed agreement to leave the Alliance alone, while Villar’s friend, Lord Klute Gallas, sides with VIllar and tells him many lords don’t agree with the stance he’s taken against Marrine; all the while, Villar’s new mage wonders where Lord Alexis is. But who is this guy? We wonder. Villar is there to meet and convince the other lords, including this Alexis person, that Marrine is evil and the only way to win is to deploy a full-scale war.

Everyone looks gorgeous in their high society garb, and finally, they announce the arrival of the Marquis of Jalucia, Lord Alexis. Immediately, all the women in the room blush, sigh, squeal, and moan in awe at the Marquis’ beauty. Alexis is the epitome of bishounen; he’s blond, has purple eyes, beautiful -almost feminine- features, and carries himself with poise. Of course… he’s royalty! And he’s absolutely beautiful! It’s hard not to feel like they do when he comes down the stairs.

The best part of meeting Alexis are the female reactions in the room, as well as VIllar’s mage blushing and giggling when she gets to dance with him later. But what caught my attention the most, was that Alexis is a shota character! He has all the distinguishing features; pretty, blond, feminine, soft-spoken, shy, well-mannered (ok, some shotas don’t follow this last one, but most do!). Alexis has to be the most grown-up and mature shota-like character I’ve ever seen, and -dare I say it- my favorite one. I’m really not a shota fan, in fact, I’m usually annoyed by them, but boy did Alexis change my mind! Is this the new type of shota?? Can’t wait to see more of this blond cutie!