Black Clover Episode 19 Review: Destruction and Salvation

All conclusions to a story have to be explosive, don’t you agree? With this arc of Black Clover, I can definitely say that it closed the curtains with a bang! Literally! Actually, even my heart exploded multiple times due to the emotions and the shock!

Japanese Original Episode Title: 崩壊と救済

Plot

If you thought that Asta’s powerful attack using his magic-absorbing sword was truly the end of Mars’ comeback, think again! Boss enemies can’t be defeated that easily! With Asta unconscious because of his surprise wound, and the rest of them still immobilized, defeating the human weapon seemed like a long-shot, much less being able to defend themselves from him!

Episode Highlights

Wounded: Asta got everyone worried when he suddenly collapsed from his wound! I love how everyone fretted over him, but goodness, Luck’s was the best one! Even though his kouhai was already dying, he still wanted to fight him! To be honest though, while I’m not happy that Asta got injured, I thought it was good that he was the one getting saved this time. Not only by Mimosa, but all his allies wanted to help him! They established that he won’t always be able to beat the bad guy because he’s not OP! It also showed that his bonds with everyone contrasted Mars’ loner status, especially since his only friend died by his hands.

Mars and Fana: Most adults and the government always seem to ruin everything, even innocent children’s dreams! Fana just wanted to serve her beloved country and the people living in it! Mars just wanted to go outside with Fana! But no! They were forced to fight to the death in order to become the perfect mage warrior! That bloodbath definitely caused Mars’ personality to twist so much, as he seemed like such a soft-hearted boy compared to how he is now! That’s why Fana took the initiative to attack him and catch him by surprise so he’d act in self-defense because she knew he wouldn’t attack her on his own! Even when she was dying, she took the effort to heal his wounds and even continued to encourage him! She wanted him to win, but at what cost! Oh, my heart! No wonder Mars seemed as if he’s so full of anger behind his nonchalant expressions!

Upgrade! I panicked so much when Mars was about to attack Mimosa and Asta, and nobody else could do anything about it! Even when Yuno managed to break free, he knew he was still going to be too late! But then, ta–dah! Suddenly he acquired a new skill, along with a fairy familiar…? I wonder if that was the spirit of the scroll he looked into, or his grimoire’s. She looked cute, but pretty powerful, breaking Mars’ crystal sword and Mars himself with only one breath! Definitely, an awesome new trick for Yuno! The best part was that even Asta’s grimoire got an upgrade, thanks to the new sword becoming a new spell! Guess the two bros really did get the treasures in the dungeon without them knowing: Yuno with the scroll, Asta with the sword! How amazing is it that they’re getting stronger together!

Escape: I knew it! I knew that dungeon wasn’t going to last! It started to crumble before everyone even got a chance to nab their own rewards! Except for Yuno and Asta of course, the latter’s treasure possibly being the trigger to the dungeon’s self-destruction. Well, unless you care more about money or achievements than your own life, anyone would decide to zip out of there right away! However, Asta still wanted to prioritize the guy who almost killed him and everybody else! How selfless and noble can you get? It’s just too bad that the dungeon noped their attempt to save Mars, but it’s fortunate that Lotus happened to be there! I just wish Mars knew that his enemy tried to save his life. In any case, it was so amazing to see the Black Bulls and the Golden Dawn teams finally working together, and for the same goal: not letting Asta die! Friendship game getting stronger!

Outside: More than the close call with their escape, the thing I loved about how this episode ended was the character development! Starting off with Mars, I was even more surprised than Lotus was when the guy thanked him! For someone who only kept on going about destroying everything and killing the weak, he was surprisingly polite! Then again, he did use to be a gentle boy! Maybe finally remembering his past with Fana did him good. Next one was my favorite part: Klaus finally acknowledging both Asta and Yuno, and even apologizing to them! Everyone was shaken! If it was only his teammate, I probably would’ve been only a bit touched. But he even praised the ‘weakest’ member of the ‘weakest’ team! How the tables have turned! I thought the heavens were going to come crashing down! He even hugged them! I totally saw him as a good brother figure in that moment! How heartwarming!

Themes & Trivia

Collapsing Dungeon: These kinds of events are fairly common in stories! I mean, just with Indiana Jones films or whenever they conquer a dungeon in Magi, these places always collapse! Usually, it’s a countermeasure for more people trying to wade into it or to prevent the ‘treasure thief’ from getting away. Plus, it adds to the thrill!

Battle Royal: What the Diamond Kingdom made those children participate in is exactly this. It’s a fight between three or more people, and the last man standing is declared the winner. The film Battle Royale and game-turned-anime Danganronpa follow this same premise.

Comments

Maaaan, that was such a riot of an episode! Not only in terms of suspense and feels, but also the way this dungeon arc was wrapped up! Both protagonists got to strut their stuff and save the day, we got enemies that aren’t totally bad, most characters got some amazing development, and all the prejudice because of status was broken! It was just soooo good! I think this is my favorite arc so far! I am incredibly pleased! The next ones would have to be super amazing to top that, and thinking about it makes me terribly excited too!

Friends are the real treasures!

After the hectic mission, Asta and Yuno finally get to meet their idol and goal, the Wizard King! I hope he has nothing but high praises for them both! However, Noelle seems like she’s going to have a hard time with her relatives…

Jot down your thoughts and opinions over in the comments! I look forward to reading them! Please keep on reading our other Winter 2018 series reviews, too!

NEXT TIME: Assembly at the Royal Capital (王都集結)