Review of Black Clover

TLDR: The shonenest shonen I have ever watched. If you're not a fan of shonen, this probably won't change your mind. But if you are, it's a guaranteed good time in a (relatively) small package. Give all the openings a listen, though, they all slap so hard. STORY (7): It's a conglomerate of every shonen plot you've seen before. There's a seemingly impossible goal, a rival, a cast of found family idiot misfits, and endlessly increasing stakes. Black Clover has not burned itself yet and has kept its scaling pretty consistent, which is great. It's also *so* shonen that what is often deemed as problematictropes have been incorporated into the universe. For example, shonen power-ups have been incorporated into the magic system and characters purposefully put themselves in situations to activate said power-ups.

Each arc gains steam very quickly and there is little to no time to stop. The show sometimes moves too fast to feel the weight of emotional moments, but progression is the theme of Black Clover so it fast pacing ultimately serves it well.

CHARACTERS (8): Asta is an *excellent* shonen protagonist for being a lovable, hardworking, wholesome, and ideologically charged idiot. If you can get over his yelling, which does mellow out, he is very easy to like. Meanwhile, Yuno can die in a flaming dumpster and I would celebrate. The women of Black Clover are all incredible. Noelle is everything Sakura or Lucy could have been.

The other characters are often simple, but they work. At the very least, they will have a distinctive trait or quirk and most of them are very enjoyable. Each character does have a role to play and a backstory to explore. In this case, Black Clover's simplicity prevents information overload when dealing with such a huge cast.

PRESENTATION (8): Every single opening (and ending) in this show is absolute fire. By far the most consistent opening quality I've seen for a long running show. The sound design adds to the action and drama very well. The soundtrack isn't the most amazing thing ever, but it does have its standout tracks and it serves the atmosphere very well. Animation is sometimes a little clunky, but it's always awesome when it counts.

ENJOYMENT (9): I had a really great time with this show. I've laughed a lot, cried maybe twice, and have been endlessly hyped. Characters get their deserved moments, which makes for a very satisfying watch. Black Clover is also ridiculously bingeable. I don't know what it is about the show, but it's very easy to just hit that next episode button.

CONCLUSION: I started Black Clover after hearing a lot of bad things about it, and I was worried I would dislike the show. Thankfully, such a thing did not happen and it is one of the main shows that got me through the pandemic. It's a fun, action-packed ride that has few lows and a lot of highs that just keep on coming. It's the shonen present that keeps giving.