Anime Review: 'Black Clover'

Not long ago, I decided to dive head first into yet another anime series. Probably not the best idea considering that I was in the middle of multiple already at the time, but, after a little bit of convincing by my roommate, I decided that I would try watching it.

The anime that my friend recommended to me was the relatively new series titled Black Clover. The story takes place in a world where, in general, everybody possesses magic and was considered a “mage,” and having said magic was necessary in order to survive and thrive. The stronger the magic power, the higher up in society a person would be. Strong mages would end up becoming a part of the Magic Knights, and, depending on their magic knight audition, would end up in one of nine magic knight squads. The highest ranking mage was known as the Wizard King, and becoming the Wizard King was the ultimate achievement a mage could accomplish.

The story follows two boys who grew up in a small village after both being orphaned. One of the boys, Yuno, shows incredible talent in magic from an early age. The other boy, Asta, is not only bad at magic but is actually shown to possess no magic power, an unfortunate anomaly. Despite this, he is extremely determined to become a successful mage and desires to one day become the Wizard King. Yuno, also wishing to become the Wizard King, is Asta’s ultimate rival.

At the age of 15, each mage receives a book called a grimoire, which is specific for each individual and ultimately allows them to strengthen their magic. When Asta receives his grimoire, he learns that, while he is still unable to use magic, he is able to wield anti-magic in the form of a large sword. Unlike normal swords, this sword cancels out magic power.

As the story continues, the boys find themselves in magic knight squads. As they audition for the squads, they are judged by the other mages around them for being “commoners” since most of the mages auditioning come from noble or wealthy families. Rather than allowing the taunting to get the best of them, the two young men continue their auditions.

Yuno becomes a member of the highest ranked squad, after being invited to all nine squads. Asta, on the other hand, becomes a member of the Black Bulls, the lowest ranked squad at the time. The Black Bulls were looked down upon because of their unconventional ways and the strangeness of the members. Ultimately, it's the Black Bull squad that caused me to truly fall in love with this anime. The members of the squad are all unique and are portrayed as being misfits in the world of magic knights.

In my opinion, this show teaches a valuable lesson underneath of the well-drawn animation and interesting plot line that just because you are different doesn’t mean you cannot succeed, and, with hard work, anything can be achieved. Asta, while struggling with magic throughout his life, still made into the magic knights and has become a valuable asset to his squad. His squad, while unconventional, is able to achieve amazing things and does not let the judgment that comes from other squads deter them from accomplishing the missions they are sent on. I think this theme is ultimately the reason why this anime has become one of my all time favorite series. Unlike other series, which often portray characters as being nearly perfect, this story highlights the importance of being true to yourself and being an individual, regardless of how other people feel about you. As more episodes are released, I hope that the show becomes more popular, and, hopefully, it will influence people to be true to themselves and to work hard to accomplish their goals.

If you are looking for another series to begin watching, please give Black Clover a try. I promise that the show will take you on an emotional journey unlike any other.