Anime Reviews (2010-2019) Black Clover: Season 1, Part 2 (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2017)

If you love action, humor and and an anime series that features a good number of characters (similar to “Shonen Jump” titles such as “Bleach”, “Naruto”, “Dragon Ball Z” and “One Piece”), “Black Clover” is highly recommended!

TITLE: Black Clover: Season 1, Part 2

ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2017

DURATION: Episodes 11-19 (225 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 4×3, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: November 6, 2018

Originally Created by Tabata Yuki

Directed by Yoshihara Tatsuya

Series Composition: Fudeyasu Kazuyuki

Music by Seki Minako

Character Design by Takeda Itsuko

Anime Production: Pierrot

Featuring the following voice talent:

Kajiwara Gakuto/Dallas Reid as Asta

Yūki Kana/Jill Harris as Noelle Silva

Shimazaki Nobunaga/Micah Solusod as Yuno

Nishi Asuka/Bryn Apprill as Mimosa Vermilion

Uchida Aya/Tia Ballard as Sylph

Murase Ayumu/Justin Briner as Luck Voltia

Hamano Daiki/Chris Guerrero as Valtos

Namikawa Daisuke/Justin Cook as Jack the Ripper

Ono Daisuke/Josh Grelle as William Vangeance

Genki Muro as Baro/Magna Swing

Okawa Genki/Matt Shipman as Alecdora Sandler

Kakiage Haruna/Morgan Garrett as Sol Marron

Hirofumi Arai/Brandon Potter as Rhya

Hitomi Sasaki/Monica Rial as Nero

Jun Fukuyama/Brandon McInnis as Finral Roulacase

Jun Miyamoto as Augustus Kira Clover XIII/Geork

Junichi Suwabe/Christopher R. Sabat as Yami Sukehiro

Konishi Katsuyuki/J. Michael Tatum as Fuegoreon Vermilion

Matsuda Kenichirou/Mike McFarland as Gordon Agrippa

Kenn/Austin Tindle as Leopold Vermillion

Horiuchi Kenyuu/Brad Hawkins as Lotus Whomalt

Jitsukawa Kimiko/Caitlinn as Catherine

Yasuno Kiyono/Sarah Wiedenheft as Charmy Pappitson

Amasaki Kōhei as Neige

Toriumi Kousuke/Ricco Fajardo as Nozel Silva

M.A.O/Jeannie Tirado as Fana

Takatsuka Masaya/David Wald as Vetto

Asta’s hard work is gaining him recognition from the Wizard King and he’s given a new task—investigate a magical dungeon! Together with Noelle and Luck, he’ll learn they weren’t the only ones sent to explore. Yuno and his Golden Dawn teammates are also after the secrets. But their race to the treasure takes a dangerous turn when they come up against mages from the Diamond Kingdom.

In 2015, Tabata Yuki made his debut with the manga series “Black Clover”.

Serialized in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump”, with a total of seven volumes published in Japan (as of August 2016), the manga series was released in the US in 2016. And an anime series began airing. in Japan in October 2017 and currently is at 51 episodes.

The anime series will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Funimation and the first season, part 1 will feature the first ten episodes.

“Black Clover” revolves around two orphans, Asta and Yuno. Yuno is the wielder of the four-leaf grimoire and has the power of wind-based magic and has great potential.

Meanwhile, no one sees Asta as one with potential as he has no magic powers at all and he talks about one day becoming the Wizard King, which makes many people laugh.

But Asta uses his fighting prowess and physical strength in order to make him stronger and he is determined. One day, a grimoire shows up for Asta during a battle and he immediately becomes the wielder of the five-leaf clover grimoire.

But because he is not a magic wielder, he is seen as the lowest of the magic knights.

As Yuno becomes a member of the Golden Dawn Squad, Asta is assigned to Sukehiro Yami’s Black Bull Squad, known as the worst squad of the Magic Knights.

How will Asta do on missions with his team of misfits? And can each of them work as a team?

While watching “Black Clover”, you can’t help but make comparisons to Kishimoto Masashi’s “Naruto”.

As “Naruto” revolves around ninja, Black Clover revolves around magicians and its main character, an orphan named Asta who is a hot-headed individual, who doesn’t have any magical powers, but is determined to show people that he will one day become the “Magic Wizard”.

While everyone looks down on Asta, only his good friend Yuno knows his true potential and Yuno wants Asta to succeed and because they push each other to become better.

As Yuno becomes a member of the Golden Dawn Squad, Asta is assigned to Yami Sukehiro’s Black Bull Squad, known as the worst squad of the Magic Knights.

We get to meet each of the members such as the cold captain, Yami Sukehiro who treats his team like trash but tries to motivate them to become better.

We see Asta teaming up with the other hot head, the fire-based magic wielder named Magna Swing who embraces Asta on the team and also teammate, Noelle Silva, who is the second daughter of the Clover Kingdom’s royal family but is looked down upon because she is unable to control her water-based magic. So, she’s a person that’s closed off because she is royalty and is always wanting to learn how to do better in wielding her power, and she is welcomed with open arms by Asta.

Asta must take part in his first dungeon competition as a Black Bull member and he must take on Yuno’s team, the Golden Dawn. But what becomes a friendly competition ends up to be a bit deadly as the two teams must confront powerful members from the Diamond Kingdom.

As Golden Dawn has arrived first into the dungeon, they come across the powerful being known as Mars, who nearly destroys Golden Dawn if it wasn’t for the Black Bulls coming in time to save them.

Now Asta and friends must prepare to fight against Mars. But in the process, Asta may discover another special ability that he has to deal with Mars.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to the current Wizard King and the Intermediate Magic Knights and also the capital is attacked by mysterious individuals and the Magic Knights must protect everyone from the attacks.

The Blu-ray release looks great for an anime series on Blu-ray and the voice acting is well-done for both Japanese and English soundtracks.

As for special features, included are episodes 12 commentary Aaron Roberts (voice of Klaus) and Robert McCallum and Garret Storms and episode 15 commentary with Cris George (ADR director) Dallas Reid (voice of Asta) and Justin Briner (voice of Luck), “Black Clover: Inside the NEW Studio J” (17:43) featuring Cris George, Josh Grelle (voice of William Vangeance), Bryn Apprill (voice of Mimosa) and Aaron Roberts (voice of Klaus) discussing the series and their new Studio J, “Inside the Episodes” (for episodes 10-18), Clover Clips Special Edition and Textless Opening and Closing song.

While everyone looks down on Asta, only his good friend Yuno knows his true potential and Yuno wants Asta to succeed and because they push each other to become better.

While Yuno and Asta are not assigned on the same team, Asta is put in a team of misfits known as the Black Bull Squad and we get to meet each of the members such as the cold captain, Yami Sukehiro who treats his team like trash but tries to motivate them to become better.

With the episodes featured in this second part of season 1, Asta and the Black Bulls have come in time to save Golden Dawn from the powerful multiple magic user known as Mars. But can Asta and team defeat him?

Overall, if you love action, humor and and an anime series that features a good number of characters (similar to “Shonen Jump” titles such as “Bleach”, “Naruto”, “Dragon Ball Z” and “One Piece”), “Black Clover” is highly recommended!

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