Is Black Clover Anime Worth Watching?

Black Clover is a Japanese shonen manga series written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata.

The series takes place in a world where everyone is born with the ability to use magic. Young Asta is an exception to the rule as he was born without this ability.

However, he does not let this disadvantage stop him from his goal to be the next Magic Emperor. The series revolves around Asta as he fights against all odds to fulfill his dream.

The anime series adapted by Studio Pierrot premiered on October 3rd, 2017, and has aired up to three seasons. As of April 2020, the  Black Clover manga has 10 million copies in print.

1. Quick Review

The fantasy shounen anime revolves around two orphans Asta and Yuno who were abandoned at the same church on the same day. Having spent their childhood together, they heard stories of the strongest sorcerer in the kingdom known as the “Magic Emperor”.

Asta and Yuno make a vow to compete against each other to become the next Magic Emperor so that they can protect the church and its people who raised them. As the years pass by, they grow into young boys with contrasting personalities.

Yuno becomes the silent and serious type who can wield and control powerful magic. Asta on the other hand hasn’t been able to use a shred of magic. He spends every day physically training his body hoping that it would unleash the magic within him.

The series follows Asta and Yuno as they discover the true strength of their powers and continue to compete with each other by defying the odds to reach their goal.

Black Clover goes above and beyond to create the perfect world for the series. Right from explaining the presence and use of Mana (magical power) to the legendary tale of the Magic Emperor, we are given a good perception of the series’ fictional world.

2. Info Card

3. Is it worth watching?

If you love a story with magic, action, and a memorable underdog as the protagonist, Black Clover will knock your socks off.

Black Clover encompasses all the elements for the makings of a great shonen anime in terms of the character’s personalities, backgrounds, and objectives. As an audience, we get a clear-cut picture of what the series is about and where it is headed. The animation and art enhance the story and the fictional world in which it takes place.

I. Plot

The story focuses on Asta, a young orphan who was raised at a church in Hage Village after being abandoned as a baby. He was raised alongside Yuno, another orphan baby who was left at the church’s doorstep.

In a world where everyone can use Mana, Yuno can wield strong wind magic whereas Asta is born without any magical abilities. Refusing to let this disability get the better of him, Asta puts his body through vigorous physical training hoping to awaken his magical powers.

The series follows the exciting and unpredictable journey of both boys as they work hard towards their goal of becoming the next Magic Emperor.

The characters introduced to us in Black Clover are simply amazing and so is their relationship with one another. The friendly rivalry between Asta and Yuno is a joy to watch as their personalities and abilities develop throughout the series.

II. Characters

Asta

Asta is the main protagonist of the Black Clover series.

He is an orphan who was abandoned at the doorstep of a church in the village of Hage.

Asta is considered an anomaly because he was born without magic in a world where everyone thrives with the ability to use it.

He is a determined and hard-working young boy who puts his body through painstaking physical training hoping that this would unleash the magic power within him. Asta’s lifelong dream is to become Clover Kingdom’s next Magic Emperor and competes against his childhood friend Yuno to accomplish this goal before him.

Yuno

Yuno is one of the main characters in the series.

Like Asta, he was abandoned at the church in Hage Village and they were raised together by the church’s Father Orsi and a nun, Sister Lily. Yuno’s character displays a calm and emotionless personality and speaks only when he thinks it is necessary. Yuno harbors a strong will to become the next Magic Emperor which he developed during his childhood with Asta.

Even though Yuno and Asta appear to be poles apart, their morals and ethics are the same. They were both raised to believe in the power of hard work and determination. Yuno may appear distant but he expresses a surprising level of emotions when it comes to protecting the people he loves like his family at the church, including Asta.

Father Orsi

Father Orsi Orfai is the priest in Hage Village and the foster father of Asta and Yuno.

Orsi treats the orphans at the church as his own children. He is a good, honest, and kind man who works hard to raise his foster children with good morals and virtues as he feels responsible for them.

Father Orsi is proud of the young boys that Asta and Yuno have become as he has seen them grow from the babies that they were when they were left at his church’s doorstep. His character is often seen providing comic relief in scenes involving the church or Hage.

Sister Lily

Sister Lily lives in the church in Hage Village and helped in raising Asta and Yuno.

She is a nun and caretaker at the orphanage in Hage. Sister Lily’s character is strict yet kind as she plays a motherly role in caring for the orphans at the church. She cooks, does laundry, and is seen reprimanding Asta, who has a crush on Sister Lily and continuously asks her to marry him despite being turned down several times since his childhood days.

III. Setting

The series takes place in a world where every individual is born with the ability to use Mana in the form of magical power. The main characters Asta and Yuno are orphans raised in a church in Hage Village, located on the outskirts of the Clover Kingdom.

The animation and artwork in Black Clover complement the visual display of magic in the series. The different emotions portrayed by the characters can be seen due to the intricate details added in the animation.

IV. Theme Songs

The opening theme songs for Black Clover are :

S.No	Title	Original Artist	Episodes
1	“Haruka Mirai”	Kankaku Piero	1-13
2	“Paint It Black”	Bish	14-27
3	“Black Rover”	Vickeblanka	28-39
4	“Guess Who Is Back”	Kumi Koda	40-51
5	“Gamushara”	Miyuna	52-64
6	“Rakugaki Page”	Kankaku Piero	65-76
7	“Justadice”	Seiko Oomori	77-94
8	“sky＆blue”	Girlfriend	95-102
9	“RiGHT NOW”	Empire	103-115
10	“Black Catcher”	Vickeblanka	116-128
11	“Stories”	Snow Man	129- 140
12	“Eien ni Hikare “	TomorrowXTogether	141-Present

The ending theme songs for Black Clover are :

S.No	Title	Artist	Episodes
1	“Aoi Honoo”	Itowokashi	2-13
2	“Amazing Dreams” (eps 14-27)	Swanky Dank	14-27
3	“Black to the Dreamlight”	Empire	28-39
4	“Four”	Faky	40-51
5	“Tenjou Tenge”	Miyuna	52-64
6	“My Song My Days”	Solidemo, Sakura men	65-76
7	“Hana ga Saku Michi”	The Charm Park	77-89
8	“Against The Gods”	M-Flo	90-102
9	“Jinsei wa Senjou Da”	Anzai Karen	103-115
10	“New Page”	Intersection	116-128
11	“Answer”	Kaf	129-140

The opening and ending themes in Black Clover act as a means to introduce the main characters and even summarise the respective story arc. The visuals in the themes beautifully portray the intensity of the fights that take place in the series.

The lyrics and music used in the show not only set the tone but also narrate the character’s struggles and the strength they possess to overcome them.

V. Action Sequences

Needless to say, the best part of the action in Black Clover is the use of different kinds of magic. The magical powers in the series are mostly derived from the elements in nature. The interesting feature of these magical powers is in observing the unique ways in which each character utilizes them in battle.

As the characters face off against different rivals, some life-ending and devastating fights give way to new spells that appear in their grimoires. This phenomenon gives them the strength to cut down their enemies and gives us a chance to see a new spell in action.

4. Grade: 5 out of 5

5. Final Thoughts

Black Clover is praised to the skies because it succeeds in delivering the basic elements that make a show enjoyable. Apart from the sensational story and charismatic characters, the concept of Black Clover is based on the moral that despite the odds, you can accomplish your dreams if you work hard enough for them.