Friday, November 24, 2017

FIF#42-Black Clover

Asta and Yuno are orphans raised as brothers since they were abandoned at a church.  As the two begin to come of age, the impulsive Asta dares to declare he will become the Wizard King.  The only problem is…in a world where magic is everything, Asta is unable to use magic.  While Yuno is the prime candidate for a number of powerful wizard guilds, leaving Asta in the cold.  But when Asta discovers a rare artifact that gives him an unexpected power, his dreams could very well become reality.  How far is Asta willing to go to become the greatest wizard of all time and is the world ready for his unstoppable fury?

Black Clover has been hailed as one of the big titles to watch out for in 2017, yet I hadn’t heard about it til just recently.  Barely five minutes into the first episode…why is this the title that holds the most promise, I ask?  Not only is Black Clover a miss mash of various Shonen and Magical titles from…well forever, it also boasts probably the most obnoxious and irritable Shonen lead.  So much so, hating Asta could maybe drive me to actually like Naruto (and I CANNOT STAND Naruto…the character, the show and manga aren’t bad).

Let’s just cut to the chase.  Asta is basically a fusion of Hinata from Hakiyuu (the hair), Monkey D. Luffy (the dreamer), and Naruto (the indomitable spirit).  On their own, those aforementioned characters do their best to lead their respective shows and give us a hero to root for.  Asta…makes you want to slaughter him thirty seconds after the fifteen year time skip where we meet him properly.  It’s his mother…freaking…VOICE!!!  Yes, whether or not Asta can actually kick ass is beyond me because as I write this, the time code of which I have paused Black Clover and have opted NOT to look back…is 8 minutes and 14 seconds.  Seriously, this is the character meant to lead a show that’s supposed to stand alongside the likes of Naruto, One Piece, Bleach and Dragon Ball Z?  Asta’s voice is so gratting.  Why does he need to yell at the end of every sentence?  I have no idea.  Does he have any other settings besides obnoxious and borderline creepy?  I cant answer that either.  Do I even remotely care if he becomes the next Hokage…no wait…Pirate King…wait im close umm…Super Saiyan…no im way off…WIZARD KING THAT”S IT…no I don’t care.  Asta can fail as much as this series is going to if it is solely relying on him to carry everything.

I have seen bits and pieces of Black Clover past its first episode but this was the first time ive tried to watch an episode in full.  And if I cant make it past the 10 minute mark, I know something is very wrong.  I’ve seen hints of Guilds that look like the Squads that make up Bleach’s Soul Society.  I’ve seen magic techniques that look no different from Fairy Tail or Slayers.  Asta’s “brother” Yuno, is basically Sasuke from Naruto (possibly even with a tragic backstory that will drive him to become Asta’s ultimate rival).  Hell, Asta’s main weapon is basically a riff on Guts’ sword from Berserk…FREAKING BERSERK.  I suppose it’s too much to ask the little brat stole it from the guy and Guts will hunt him down and show Asta some of the unspeakable horrors that happen in that dark neck of the Anime universe.  In short, there is hardly a lick of originality invested in Black Clover and it’s more a mix of…well everything else that’s come before it.  None of it sticks and, besides it still being an ongoing manga, I cant see why this show will last past its first season.

Asta’s screaming is going to be burned into my mind for the rest of the day probably and im not even certain watching Black Clover on mute is going to be worth investing my time in.  If you want to get into a really good Shonen Anime, I’d recommend My Hero Academia (cause it lives up to the hype…even though I haven’t fully caught up) or heck even Fairy Tail, which has a way more likeable lead and supporting cast…and Erza Scarlett.  As for Black Clover…if you can make it past the first five minutes and Asta’s voice that refuses to go below a ear tearing yell, then you are either the King of Patience or a glutton for punishment.  Either way, this series is a no go for me and I am not sorry.

8 minutes 14 seconds…that’s gotta be a record for me.


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