‘Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King’ Review: A Nice Meal for a Starving Fandom
Black Clover belongs to the new generation of Shonen series that follow the steps of famous predecessors such as Dragon Ball, Yuyu Hakusho, Hunter X Hunter, Naruto, and Bleach. This is fundamental because as you start watching Black Clover, you discover that there is just a ton of influences from those past titles in the Shōnen Jump library. Especially Naruto. It seems that Yuki Tabata, Black Clover’s author, took Naruto as a template to create its own world, filled with wizards instead of ninjas. This fact has followed the series since its inception, and yet, it still works. Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King is just another proof of that.
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King is a film directed by Ayataka Tanemura and starring Dallas Reid, Micah Solusod, Jill Harris, Christopher Sabat, and Robert McCollum on the English dub cast. The film takes place after the anime’s fourth season, which is currently on hiatus. So, the film is a way for fans to have a good time inside the Black Clover universe while we wait for the next anime season to arrive. In this film, we follow our heroes as they face a new danger, a group of ancient Wizard Kings who have returned to life and plan to create a new world on top of the one that currently exists. Our heroes will unite to defeat this dangerous threat.
Black Clover might be almost an exact copy of Naruto and many other Shōnen manga regarding characters, structure, and world-building. However, it would be a lie to say that the framework that Tabata has used to build his world is flawed. On the contrary, if you need to copy, copy from the best, and Naruto was at one point the biggest and most popular anime outside of Japan. So, for those unfamiliar with the series, you will find many similarities with Naruto and other shows. However, Tabata can still add his flavor and make Black Clover a unique experience that still feels somewhat like what we all expect from a Shōnen Battle series.
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King serves very much like an excellent taste of what the show is. Of course, going into this film without knowing anything about the show wouldn’t be recommended. At the point the movie is set within the story, the characters have gone through a lot together, and the dynamics between them are very much defined. So, I would recommend starting with the anime and working toward this movie. However, if you are just curious about the movie, this might be the Black Clover sample that will win you over, and go back and experience the rest of the story for yourself.
The film’s premise fits very well with what I previously talked about regarding Black Clover’s influences. In Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King, the villains are no other than previous Wizard Kings. The title of Wizard King is given to the most powerful wizard in the land. This person is then responsible for further protecting, teaching, and developing the magical world. It is not an easy job, and only the most exceptional wizards can achieve that title. So, when a series of old Wizard Kings reappears to challenge the new generation’s conviction, you can feel that there is a commentary here regarding Tabata and his own work.
The current king of manga is One Piece. There is no doubt about it. This has been the reality for new authors since the manga debuted a quarter of a century ago. However, One Piece is finally reaching the end of its story. We know this because author Eiichiro Oda has told us so and because you can feel it in each new chapter he releases. We are facing the end, and once One Piece is over, it will be the opportunity for a new manga and a new author to rise to the top and take the mantle. Would that be Tabata and Black Clover?
We can only wait and see what happens, but in this story, you can feel that Tabata is happy with his current position in the manga universe. He might not be the king, but he will not stop until he achieves the title. Asta, the protagonist of Black Clover, tells us in the movie that his magical power is that of never giving up. He knows he is still not the best, but it doesn’t matter. He won’t give up until he finally reaches the top on his own accord. It is quite a beautiful sentiment that works not only for mangakas trying to reach the top but also for everyone else living their lives right now.
Studio Pierrot does a fantastic job animating the movie. It is not their best job, we have seen them do amazing work in many opportunities, but the work is still quite solid. Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King might not have as many impressive animation sequences as we would hope for, but the battles are still engaging, and the characters’ powers are still so well realized that it is just fun to watch the battles unfold. Of course, that last stretch of the movie is completely insane, and Pierrot goes all out in that final battle, spotlighting several other characters besides Asta.
When it comes to storytelling, Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King follows the same framework that most Shōnen films follow by introducing the villain of the moment and then facing the villain against the characters. It is very simple, and you might want to see the film if you miss the characters. There is not a lot of character development here; this is not the moment for that. We have to wait for the story to continue properly in the anime to get those powerful characters moments.
However, it is sad that for a character that will only appear in this movie, the villain of the hour also receives almost no character development. We are told his backstory in passing, but their reasons for doing what they do are so vague that you might not really connect with him as a threat. He is still quite amazing when displaying his powers, so at least there is that, but you feel there was a missing opportunity, especially when considering that he is so similar to Asta and yet, sees the world so differently.
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King is a fun anime film that could bring new people into the fold, but it is probably the best to go and watch the anime and then come back to this. The battles are great, and the animation is solid, but there is still too much redundancy when the characters speak about their philosophies. Arguing the same point over and over doesn’t make it better. The film will satisfy fans looking to spend more time with the characters until the anime comes back in the near future.
