Reviews

May 10, 2020
Mixed Feelings
Preliminary (97/170 eps)
A lot of fun, but for all the wrong reasons. Black Clover is guilty of pretty much every shounen cliche and sin in the book. The cheesily over-the-top "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU BELIEVE AND HAVE FRIENDS!!!!!!!" message, the constant power escalation, being comprised almost entirely of filler, etc. All the attempts at serious or emotional beats just kinda ring hollow, and despite the show's best attempts it never manages to be genuinely compelling. At the end of the day the issue is simple, this show is just too dang long. 50 episode seasons are never a good sign for these types of shows, and Black Clover is no exception. Despite having absolutely no chill and the characters having very little amounts of downtime between major events the story moves at a complete drag. At nearly 100 episodes the main two rival boys are essentially no closer to their end goal than when they started. Of course there is some progress, they get stronger, Asta makes literally everyone he comes into contact with a better person with his protagonist powers, but it still feels like nothing has happened.
Thing is, I don't really mind a lot of the issues with it too much at the end of the day, it's over the top shounen-isms are part what makes it so entertaining.The main characters are likable enough to root for, it's fun enough to just kick back and have a good time watching it, like a good popcorn flick. The fights drag on way too long, but for the most part they're genuinely well animated and exciting to watch. The whole show is cheesy as heck, but I've always had a soft spot for entertainingly cheesy things. There's plenty of effective intentional comedy sprinkled in, and the generally lighthearted tone and antics make it a fun breeze to watch through. That said however, by the time you're nearly 100 episodes in you've pretty much got a handle on Black Clover's playbook. The antics and jokes are fun, but they do get old eventually, and once that half-ironic entertainment value runs out you're left with nothing of substance to keep you there.
If campy fun is up your alley I recommend it, just not the entire show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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