Black Clover

Episode 132

For its last episode before going into a COVID-19 hiatus of unspecified length, Black Clover delivers...another training episode, and one at a familiar locale.

The end of the episode shows that there is actually a bit more going on here, but there is no escaping that this episode is still part of the classic shonen action tradition of devoting time to training sequences. Admittedly, Black Clover has handled this feature better than many other genre titles I could name, as the series has shown a habit of using the training sequences to bring out new truths; for instance, the last time Mereoleona dragged Black Bulls out to the Yultim Volcano Trail, it ended with the first heart-to-heart Noelle had ever had with anyone about her mother, which was an important step in her development. It also introduced the concept of mana skins to the series, which was never explicitly stated as laying the foundation for Noelle later manifesting her Valkyrie Armor but could reasonably be interpreted as such.

And it's not like this episode is going to be an exact repeat of what happened last time in this venue, even if the circumstances (needing to use a mana skin to get to a certain destination) are similar. This time some individuals are included who were not involved last time – luck, Charmy, Gordon, Magna, and Nero – and this time they are going underground instead of overland. The latter does not change the dynamic much, while the former mostly just provides a few extra characters whose antics can be followed. (At least so far, anyway.) However, this time Mereoleona also has a surprisingly devious (for her) ulterior motive: the trainees are also bait to lure out a dangerous critter that she has had trouble pinning down. The spider-creature is not overly powerful but is stealthy and has good enough instinct to avoid fights it has no chance at, which presents a different challenge for Asta and crew. The critter has run off at the end of the episode, but we're sure to see more of it because it also presents a mystery: its mana is not natural, which means it was either enhanced by someone or cursed.

The latter scenario is seeming more likely given the revelation at the end of the episode that there is a dungeon under this volcano. If I recall correctly, this is the first time that a dungeon has come up in the setting since the Diamond Mage arc back in episodes 14-19. I have always found the mechanic on them to be a bit weird – they have a very game-like feel to them when the rest of the setting doesn't – so I am quite curious to see where they go with this one and how much that has to do with our friend the spider. Still, with both Fuegoleon and Mereoleona there, I can't imagine that things will get too hairy.

As a final note, “Petit Clover” (“Clover Clips” in English) is back for the first time in a while and just as silly as ever. Will the series start using them regularly again when it comes back, I wonder?

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Black Clover is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.