The plot thickens!
In our previous review, we made some predictions with regard to possible scenarios that might happen in this particular episode. Well, looks like we nailed it. Episode 160 of Black Clover entitled “The Messenger from The Spade Kingdom” covered chapters 234-235 of the manga.
Spoilers ahead!
Quick Recap
Before we dive into the review, here’s a quick recap of what happened in the previous episode:
Asta and the chosen Magic Knights, along with Undine and Princess Loropechika, successfully reclaimed Tolon, a former base of the Spade Kingdom.
Charmy and Rill gave a glimpse of their much improved power
The mysterious man from the Spade Kingdom revealed Yuno is the Prince of the Spade Kingdom
Fluid Illustration
Unlike the previous episode, this had a more fluid illustration of the plot even though it covered the same number of chapters from the manga. Do note, however, that Studio Pierrot also added some scenes on the episode which helped the audience to appreciate the origin of the Dark Triad and its connection to the Spade Kingdom. This was commendable since it gave more than what the source material had.
The perfect example for this would be the illustration for the background story of Yuno’s past. In the manga, it was only said that the Zogratis siblings have committed treason but in the anime, it was actually shown that those siblings were recruited by the King of the Spade Kingdom to be part of its army. Showing that sequence allowed the audience to further understand the context of why there was treason and why it’s considered so as opposed to just reading the word itself. That’s a difference that actually played in favor of the anime.
Over the course of the show, Asta and Yuno’s origins have never been mentioned since they were left as orphans back when they were just little babies. While the plot twist of episode 159 was definitely a shocker for everyone, it most definitely thickens with what was shown in this episode.
From someone who used to live out in the boonies, to Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn, and now the Prince of the Spade Kingdom? We can only imagine the identity crisis it’s going to entail. Ever thought about how a person would turn out if they were brought up in a completely different environment than what they’re supposed to? Well that’s Yuno for you and something tells me that’s the same for Asta too.
Opening Act
The battle sequence in this episode wasn’t really exciting. It was more of an introduction of how the Dark Disciples and the supposedly best squad of the Clover Kingdom fared against each other. But since we all know that they are only the supporting cast, it caused a sense of anticipation as to what kind of epic battle we’re going to see when the main characters arrive.
Despite a short display, however, the audience was treated with the sight of the first member from the Dark Triad and the kind of magic he’s using. As the action builds up, we hope to see a better battle sequence between Zenon and Captain Vangeance. Sadly, this still feels like a part of the opening act of what’s to come with the Spade Kingdom vs. the Clover Kingdom.
The episode felt full as a whole even though it only covered limited chapters from its source material. Thanks to the animation studio that did wonders with Yuno’s backstory, it gave its narration smooth fluidity while also giving introductions to the origins of the Dark Triad and their connection to the Spade Kingdom. Viewers were left with a feeling of anticipation with that budding face-off between Zenon and Captain Vangeance, not to mention rage mode Yuno, to compensate for the lackluster battle sequence of the Dark Disciples and the Magic Knights.
The show might have been able to shed some light on Yuno’s past but there’s still a lot more ground to cover. For next week’s episode, here are some things we hope to see:
More information on the Dark Triad, Zenon would probably be first.
The outcome of Zenon and Captain Vangeance’s encounter
Rage mode Yuno’s attempt to fight back for his comrades
Black Clover Episode 161 entitled “Zenon’s Power” comes out on January 26, 2021 at 6:25PM (JST).
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Studio Pierrot gave more fluidity to the narration and illustration of Yuno’s backstory and introduction of the Dark Triad compared to what was shown in Chapters 234-235 of the manga.
The plot thickens for Yuno as he goes from an orphan in the boonies, to a Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn, and now the Prince of the Spade Kingdom.
The battle scenes caused very little excitement for the audience and only stirred anticipation of what’s to come.
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