Anime Reviews (2010-2019) Black Clover: Season 1, Part 4 (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2018)

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! In Part 4, we get to see Black Bulls Captain Yami vs. Eye of the Midnight Sun leader, Licht! Another action-packed Blu-ray release!

TITLE: Black Clover: Season 1, Part 4

ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2018

DURATION: Episodes 30-39 (250 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: April 9, 2019

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

What should have been a relaxing vacation turns into a chilling adventure when mysterious magic snow lures the children of Nean into a deadly trap. Joining up with Gauche, Asta will face his toughest challenge yet—trying to work with the stubborn mirror mage! While Gauche is more focused on protecting his beloved little sister, Asta is stuck fighting in the mud. But when members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun show up, this battle goes from dirty to dire! Luckily, an unexpected pair arrives as reinforcements. Will they have what it takes to face the powerful Licht and his elite squad, the Third Eye?

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, the anime series began airing in October 2017 and is currently is at 83 episodes which have been broadcasted.

“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.

And so far, Asta has proven himself to be a reliable teammate but also making others believe in him through his actions that he will one day become the Wizard King.

In Part 4, Gauche Adlai, a member of the Black Bulls has a sister complex and always wants to be the apple of his 10-year-old sister Marie’s life. He goes to visit her at the orphanage but is jealous, shocked and angered that Asta is there and playing with the orphans including his sister and immediately tries to kill him. Fortunately, Sister Theresa Rapual is there to stop him from doing so.

As Gauche tries to attempt to kill Asta for playing with Marie, something happens in the village which is immediately covered with snow during the mid-summer. As the village’s children are missing, as Gauche, Asta and Sister Theresa go to rescue the children, they are attacked by the powerful Licht, the Eye of the Midnight Sun Leader.

As Licht shoes tremendous amount of power, Finral opens a portal in which Black Bulls leader Yami arrives and it’s a battle between Yami (a dark magic user) vs. Licht (a light magic user).

Find out the background story of Gauche and Marie and also learn more about the Black Bulls leader, Yami.

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.

Part 4 continues to go into stories which introduce other members of the Black Bull and with this latest arc, we get to learn more about Gauche and also the Black Bulls leader, Yami.

The story arc focuses on the Eyes of the Midnight Sun back to causing trouble and stealing the children of the village and kidnapping Gauche’s younger sister, Marie. And He, Asta and Sister Theresa trying to rescue them.

But the quickly realize they are over-powered when the Eye of the Midnight Sun leader, Lucht arrives and like Yuno, Licht also has a four-leaf clover grimoire.

The arc also introduces more antagonists, the Third Eye, the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s strongest members: Rhya the Disloyal, Vetto the Despairing and Fana the Hateful. We also get to see Captains Nozel, Charlotte Rosary and Jack the Ripper in battle.

So, if anything, part 4, like the other previous releases is another action-packed volume!

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 33 commentary with Cris George (Narrator/ADR Director), Dave Trosko (voice of Gauche Adlai) and Apphia Yu (voice of Marie). Episode 37 commentary with Anthony Bowling (Assistant Director), Dallas Reid (voice of Asta), Brandon McInnis (voice of Finral). Also, “Inside Studio J: New J City”, a 14-minute with Cris George (ADR Director and Narrator), Rob McCullum, Dallas Reid and Brand McInnis, “Inside the Episode” featuring for episodes 28-39 (featuring interviews with the English dub voice talent), Clover Clips Special Edition and the textless opening and closing themes.

With this latest part 4 (featuring episodes 30-39) of “Black Clover”, the series kind of has that similarity to “Naruto” where a lot of people don’t have that much confidence on the protagonist, but his good heart, determination and will prove to show how much of an awesome teammate he is, but also not to be discounted as the character Asta is seen as inferior because he has no magic ability. But also Asta having to learn from his seniors of how to behave in battle and to know not to jump ahead. It’s a learning process for him and now that he’s met elite nobles who think they are better, it no doubt makes him want to show why he will one day be the Wizard King to be his drive, along for fighting for his friends. And Asta doing what he can to prove himself and how he slowly makes people believe in 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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