Black Clover Episode 33 Review: To Help Somebody Someday

Black Clover had so many unexpected surprises in store for us in this latest episode! From the reveal on why Gauche became a siscon to the way the battle was resolved, all of them were such a treat to watch. However, the most shocking surprise was the one at the end, which blew me away and left me hanging! This incident is really getting bigger and bigger than what we initially thought it’d be.

Japanese Title: いつか誰かの為になる

Plot

Last week, I thought Asta and Sister Theresa would have a lot of Magic Knight reinforcements coming to their aid, but turns out it was just Gauche. He didn’t even want to come back in the first place but was only persuaded by Marie’s pleas, and the possible praise he’d get from her afterward! So thanks to his back-up, they were able to defeat Baro, the mud monster, and even Sally herself. Eventually, more reinforcements did arrive, but not who we expected.

Episode Highlights

Things Gauche did for love: Discovering Gauche and Marie’s past, immediately made his intense love for her make so much sense! It was also surprising that they actually came from a highly esteemed family. I can no longer blame him for always prioritizing his sister’s safety or for thinking that he’s better off doing things alone. They’ve been backstabbed by people his parents trusted, basically stealing their fortune and kicking them out of their own house without a care for their future. I wouldn’t even be surprised if it turned out those people were the reason their parents died, then just falsified their will, or maybe blackmailed them so their money would end up in the wrong hands. Not a farfetched idea, right? Surely, their parents loved Gauche and Marie very much, and they wouldn’t have dared think of other people inheriting their fortune instead of their beloved children. Too bad they were left behind, and Gauche, being the oldest, had to be the one to keep Marie, his only surviving family, alive, even if it meant sacrificing himself and become a criminal. What a selfless brother!

Half-baked strategy: A bunch of things about when Asta and Gauche partnered up made me love it! Like the fact that Asta’s impact on Gauche was so powerful that it made him consider teaming up with someone for the first time! That led him to create a new spell, which was super convenient for the situation! I was also super glad that we got to see Asta’s magic-absorbing sword again, and that it still absorbed Gauche’s magic even though it wasn’t being used! Knowing that our protagonist once again used friendship power to defeat such a strong opponent, I can’t help but be proud! But, the most interesting part about that team up was Gauche’s eye. I thought his bangs hiding his other eye was just a fashion statement, but it was actually hiding an artificial eye! Is it a magic item? Where and how did he get that, I wonder?

Surprise attack: Aghhh! I knew it! I knew Sister Theresa was too awesome and badass to stay alive or become a regular character! The noble sounding things she’s been saying sounded like death flags, too! It was like Fuegoleon all over again! I’m having war flashbacks! Though maybe it’ll also be like Fuegoleon’s case, and she’ll survive it? Maybe. Let me hope, okay? I’m in denial.

Neige’s resolution: Poor Neige! He was already at the point of character development, but then suddenly, he got stabbed in the back! I was already imagining what it’d be like if he’ll become a Magic Knight and a member of the Black Bulls, just as the escaped convict, Gauche, did! And when Asta said they’ll be friends after he’s done paying for his crimes, I felt so happy for him because he’ll finally get the friend he’s always wanted to have! Alas, he wasn’t given a chance at those things. Though, maybe he’ll also survive this? I really am in the denial stage, okay?

Another four-leaf clover? Honestly, I thought a four-leaf clover grimoire was rare because there’s only one like it at a time. (I don’t know how I got that idea either.) But to think that Licht, the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, has it as well! That means he’s more than just an incredibly powerful enemy! In contrast to that, though, he seems to care a lot for his subordinates because he took the time and effort to rescue Sally out of there, at just the right moment too! Somehow that makes him tons better than the king of Clover Kingdom… Anyway, don’t you think we have a pretty interesting villain on our hands? His magic interests me a lot, too.

Themes & Trivia

Licht: Just like how snow magic user Neige’s name is a literal translation of snow in French, the evil leader’s name means ‘light’ in German.

Comments

As much as I loved the development in this episode and enjoyed the surprise at the end, a certain important aspect made it seem unremarkable overall. You can probably already guess what. the art was bearable, but the fight scenes, which were supposed to be the highlight, were incredibly stiff! Don’t get me wrong, though. I loved a lot of things about this part of the story, as I kept raving about above. However, it just made me feel as if the continuity was dull instead of flowing smoothly, resulting in the whole experience becoming mediocre. I hope and I hope that next week’s fights will be far better, especially since it seems like a highly important part of the plot.

Backstabbing galore

The preview made me all sorts of excited for the next episode! Seems like Yami himself will provide back-up for his subordinates, and so he’ll face off with Licht? It’s gonna be a battle between dark and light! I can’t wait to see how the Black Bulls captain will fare against the leader of the terrorist group!

Did you like this episode? Or did you have complaints about it as well? The comments section is always open for your thoughts, as well as our other Spring 2018 reviews for reading!

NEXT: Light Magic vs Dark Magic (光魔法VS闇魔法)