Black Clover is a shonen anime from the same studio that's brought us Naruto, Bleach, Tokyo Ghoul and Yona of the Dawn. It follows a list of world-renowned shows so I had high hopes going into the first episode.
As this is a first impression review, I'm only going to comment on the setup and plot of the first episode because let's face it, if the first episode doesn't grab you, you're going to ditch it.
Black Clover follows two orphans, Asta and Yuno, as they come of age in a world of magic. They attend a ceremony to receive their grimoires, a ceremony that every child goes through at the age of 15. Yuno, the gifted, obtains a rare grimoire that promises power and great luck, whereas Asta comes up disappointed.
The first thing that stands out for me in Black Clover is how similar it is to the biggest mainstream animes. Its plot seems to be a culmination of One Piece, Naruto, Bleach and Sword Art Online to name a few. Asta is a loud, hyperactive underdog with determination that goes beyond normal. He shows little talent when it comes to magic but his outer appearance hides a great mystery that even Asta is unaware of.
Okay, so Black Clover is a little too similar for Naruto for my liking. Perhaps the studio saw the success of Naruto, Shippuden and Boruto and assumed the elements were a sure-way to success in other shows. The main protagonist wants to become the highest position in the kingdom, The Wizard King (Hokage) so that everyone around him will finally accept and recognise him. There is a silent, slightly offhanded rival with great talent - Yuno - who the main protagonist sees as a best friend (Sasuke). Something, potentially big and evil, resides in the main protagonist. It's Naruto without the ninjas, basically.
But this is only the first episode. I have high hopes that the plot will alter drastically the further on the series progresses.
A big plus to me is the detail in the animations. It's very beautifully drawn, with high attention to detail in its background artwork. There's also a much darker tone to Black Clover, more along the lines of Tokyo Ghoul, even from the second image. A statue of a man stood atop the skull of a colossal monster, hidden in the deep mist. The surrounding areas are barren of foliage but a small community live in a village at the foot of the skull.
Unfortunately, for all of its positive visual aspects, including the way in which it sets up the world without the use of heavy dialogue, I found the episode was very slow to start. Once past the initial world building there's too much focus on how maladapted Asta is to the magical world and not enough narrative progression to keep me hooked. It does, however, pick up pace near to the end and cuts off at a seemingly plot-altering cliff-hanger, making you want to watch the next episode. (A shame then, really, that the first half of episode two is pretty much a summary of episode one).
I think, also, that I could look at Black Clover far more favourably if the directors had chosen to tone down Asta's hyperactivity just a little. In the context of the show, his actions are acceptable from his insane training regime to his over the top excitement at being in the grimoire ceremony. However, from the moment he opens his mouth you almost plead that he'll stop talking.
I don't know if the directors made him do it, or if it was the voice actors decision but Asta screams or yells practically every line. Sometimes it makes sense, but most of the time it's just excessive and annoying. It makes it difficult for him to be likeable as a character; I found myself liking Yuno far more, or even the children extras at the orphanage.
The real plot becomes evident in the last few moments of episode one, where a thief steals Yuno's grimoire and Asta comes to his rescue, only to be told the worst news. After an epiphany, he unlocks, as all main characters seem to do these days, rare and predictably over the top powers that come with a catch.
This setup definitely brings more intrigue onto Asta's character, in particular which was along the good-evil scale his personality will eventually fall.
I think, overall, Black Clover is worth watching. There is enough setup to keep you going through the slow times with much of the lore of the world still shrouded in mystery. I'm a big fantasy fan; a world that runs on magic is one I want to explore so I look forward to seeing what happens in the future. I only hope Asta's voice tones itself down later on, and hope the plot diverges from the typical Studio Pierrot tropes found in their earlier shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment