Black Clover Episode 3 Review: To the Royal Capital of the Clover Kingdom!

A hero needs to prepare for his big debut, right? Asta and Yuno trained their hearts out in Episode 3 of Black Clover, in preparation for the upcoming Magic Knights entrance exam! Just thinking about how far these two will get from their provincial life as orphans to official Magic Knights and, possibly, the Wizard King, is getting me all thrilled!

Japanese Original Episode Title: クローバー王国, 王都へ!

Plot

After officially getting their grimoires, the two friends and rivals immediately readied themselves to take the Magic Knights exam! However, the ever so supportive people at the orphanage thought Asta’s wasting his time and effort since he’s bound to fail anyway! Gee, thanks guys! At least Yuno didn’t think the same way, since he kept on giving his all in training, supposing that Asta’s doing his very best too! And he’s right! No matter what the others say, Asta still believed he’ll become the Wizard King! So, up until the day of their departure, and even while they’re on their way to the capital, the duo still kept training and competing with each other!

Episode Highlights

The Wizard King and his legacy: More than reveling at the battle between the first Wizard King and that monster, it made me realize that their kingdom really does need protectors if that kind of danger appears often! The situation looked really grave that time, and no one could defend the people from the demon! No wonder the citizens totally look up to the Wizard King and the Magic Knights! And I’m sure they’re also relieved at the fact that there are a lot who want to take up the mantle, despite the danger they will face. Well, at least I’m hoping that most of the ones who join the order do so to protect their kingdom and not just for the perks or the fame it brings. Come to think of it, I hope we get to see the latest renowned heroes face off demons at some point!

Preparation: It’s a good thing Asta’s been training for a long time, because his new sword looked pretty heavy and hard to wield! Well at least, because of that past hard work, he could properly train with it and get even stronger! Of course, Yuno wasn’t one to lose to his friend; he also became even more powerful now that he had a grimoire! I actually quite like the similarities and distinctions between the two’s training. They’re both working really hard, but Asta’s focused on physical training with his sword, while Yuno’s more on the mental side with his magic. Plus, since they know each other pretty well, they can’t slack off because they know that the other won’t too! Having a rival can really keep you on your toes, huh? That race to the church was funny but also showed how close and yet how different they are. I also really admire them because, unlike the two snooty nobles who chickened out from seeing a former Magic Knight that powerful, Asta and Yuno didn’t even think of backing down from the possibility of a challenge in the entrance exam!

Send off: I was especially proud of Asta in this episode but incredibly disappointed in the people around him! They didn’t even have an ounce of belief that he’d pass the exam! The guy already got his own grimoire, but they still thought he’d fail and surely come home quickly. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces once Asta becomes a full-fledged Magic Knight with Yuno! That’ll show them, especially Nash! I get that he’s just probably concerned about his ‘older sibling,’ but he didn’t have to rain on his parade like that! Fortunately, Asta’s an optimistic idiot who believes in himself more than anyone else does, so he wasn’t the least bit unnerved or discouraged! That and the fact that he’s leaving for the exam with Yuno, because I think that if he was going off alone, no one would’ve bothered organizing a great send-off party for him like the one they had together!

More training on the road: Who else was expecting that the two would ride something like a caravan on the way to the capital? Cause I did. I didn’t think they’d walk all the way there! Though, given that their orphanage is already dirt-poor as it is, I guess travel expenses would really be out of the question, huh? Plus, at least they maximized their travel time by training at the same time! Since they were together, it meant giving it their best for the duration of their journey! I quite enjoyed that montage! Another thing I didn’t expect was that the capital city was on top of a mountain! I wonder if it gives the knights a better vantage point of the kingdom.

Themes & Trivia

Self-confidence: If we’re going to be honest, having the amount of confidence in yourself that Asta does is a rare thing! We can actually learn a thing or two from him, even though his belief in himself already seems bordering on silly. Imagine, if he let the opinion of his peers get to him, we wouldn’t have Black Clover! But since his self-confidence and determination are his best assets, though the situation is against him and no one thinks he can succeed, the chances that he will are still high! Remember that if you don’t believe that you can do something, you’ve already failed!

Healthy competition: Aside from having friends who support you through thick and thin, I also think it’s good to have friendly competition with them, especially if you have skills in common! This will keep you aiming for improvement like with Asta and Yuno, who don’t want to be left behind by the other! However, remember that there is a difference between trying to be the best and pulling someone down, okay? That’s why it should be a healthy competition!

Comments

This was quite a peaceful episode, just preparing us for the future events. It was still pretty entertaining, though, and still supported the story well by featuring minor details! I mean, if a story was all plot but not fleshed out, it’d get pretty boring, don’t you think? I feel like we’ll get into high-gear starting with the next episode anyway, so maybe this breather will be our last one for a while?

On a side note, sorry guys, but we’re stuck with Asta’s vibrato yelling. Guess we’ll have to get used to it eventually.

Prove what you can do!

I’m super excited to find out what the exam will be like, as well as seeing the people Asta and Yuno will meet in the exams! Just how powerful and scary are they?

What are your opinions on this week’s episode? Let’s hear them in the comments section! Make sure to take a look at our other Fall 2017 anime reviews too! If you are still having trouble in deciding what else to watch this season, don’t forget to check our first impressions for this season’s titles!

NEXT TIME: The Magic Knights Entrance Exam (魔法騎士団入団試験)