Anime Reviews (2010-2019) Black Clover: Season 1, Part 5 (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2018)

Featuring the final episodes of season 1 and an amazing battle against the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s Vetto. 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 an anime series that I highly recommended!

TITLE: Black Clover: Season 1, Part 5

ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2018

DURATION: Episodes 40-51 (300 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: July 2, 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

A trip to the beach isn’t fun in the sun for Asta and the Black Bulls—they’re on a mission to recover a magic stone! Deep in the Underwater Temple lies new danger and mages with extraordinary powers. But getting in is the first challenge! Luckily, Noelle receives help from a mysterious girl with song magic to master a new spell to help her team. But real danger makes a splash when, Vetto of the Third Eye, storms the temple! He takes out Asta’s friends and allies, with unimaginable strength, like they’re nothing. Can the magicless mage face all odds and take on the beastly villain?

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

Serialized in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump”, with a total of 21 volumes published in Japan (as of July 2019), the manga series, an anime adaptation is currently ongoing and is currently is at 93 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 5, we have the final episodes of season 1.

The Black Bull Squad head to the Underwater Temple to find a magic stone but in order to do that, they must take on the temple magicians. But out of nowhere, Vetto the Despair and four Midnight Sun magicians arrive to steal the magic stone.

Now it becomes an important battle as the Black Bull Squad and the temple magicians must work together in order to defeat a very powerful enemy.

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 5 begins the Underwater Temple arc and the Black Bull Squad must go to the temple to retrieve a magic stone before the Eye of the Midnight Sun are able to get their hands on it.

As the squad arrives, the temple’s High Priest, Gifso wants to play a game in which he wants the Black Bull Squad members (with the exception of Yami) to compete and if they win, they get the stone. In addition, he will allow his grandchildren Kahono and Kiato to visit the above ground (which they are not allowed to venture out to).

But as the game (a battle) is taking place, the Eye of the Midnight Sun arrive as the deadly Vetto (a sadistic and power psychopath) and other magicians have come to take the stone.

Now the Black Bull Squad and the Temple’s magicians must work together to take on Vetto, but when they find out his intense power, will they be strong enough to defeat them?

It’s no doubt one of the coolest battles and season 1 definitely ends with a bang!

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:

Episode 45 Audio Commentary with Sarah Wiedenheft (voice of Charmy), David Wald (voice of Vetto), Megan Shipman (voice of Gray)
Inside Studio J: The Art of Acting – (17:32) Video interview with ADR Director Cris George, Barry Andel (voice of High Priest of Underwater Temple), Lydia Mackay (voice of Vanessa Enoteca) and David Matranga (voice of Kiato).
Inside the Episode – Highlights – Funimation English dub cast answer tweets from “Black Clover” fans.
Episode 51 Audio Commentary – Dallas Reid (voice of Asta), Christopher R. Sabat (voice of Yami) and Rob McCollum (voice of Wizard King)
Clover Clips Special Edition – (7:06) ending episode omake
Textless opening and closing themes

With this latest part 5, we get to see how Asta has made everyone strong in their own way. From the cowardly Finral, the often drunk Vanessa and we also finally get to see Noelle Silva really go all out. But if anything, I really enjoyed how they show the Black Bull Squad as this team of misfits, growing stronger together.

But this season ended with a bang! And I can’t wait to watch season 2!

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 an anime series that I highly recommended!

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