Black Clover Season 2

Episode 175

1) Were the fights good?

2) Did the plot progress in any meaningful way and/or at least make sense?

The first question is a no-brainer. Of course the fights were good! If you liked 'em before, you'll like 'em here in this brand-spanking new ep. The second question, though... um, sure? I guess? I mean, I didn't think it was bad. As clumsy and flashback-riddled as it was, it made for a decent, passable Black Clover episode. Which at this point is all I can ask for.

The episode's first fight has Asta fighting the combined form of the two demons from the previous one. And it is, as I will say for the umpteenth time, heavy metal. As heck, even. Sweeping, ominous symphonies are played over top of explosions of fire and ice, demonic and anti-magic energies, exaggerated sword slashes, yelling, screaming, a brief yet fleeting flashback (ugh), and tons of menacing pinks, purples, reds, blacks, and greens that wouldn't look too out of place at any given Hot Topic. Nacht even gets to come in to deliver the final blow. Terrific, considering this should have 100% been his fight. Asta need not have intervened. I also like the few flashes of Liebe at Asta's side. Before this arc, Liebe had always been a source of power for Asta, but he always appeared as an otherworldly spirit that served more as a plot device than anything. Now he's an anthropomorphized and humanized character. We see Liebe buddy up with Asta, and after fighting the demon, the two cross arms in a fist-bumping way. What bros. Hell yeah, dudes rock. Cue the title card with its black and red font. How heavy metal.

Meanwhile, Magna continues to fight Dante, and it is great. The duel is filled with awesome lightning, chains, and fire that amp up the show's heavy metal-ness. Plus, you get to see Magna punching Dante like he's a heavyweight boxer trying to take home the title at MSG. Every hook, every jab Magna dishes out is filled to the brim with such explosive detail. I cannot emphasize enough how much of an improvement the animation is over the first season. No corners are cut, and the sakuga is aplenty.

And much like Asta and Liebe, Zora and Magna get to be bros too! Except hang on, because there is...sigh...another flashback that interrupts the action. It's an unseen part of the training session that happened six months before the current arc really kicked off. Apparently Magna needed to learn a thing or two about magic and mana from Zora. I mean, I get that it's there so it can a) show how Magna's gonna Dante's butt in the present, while b) also demonstrating that Magna looks up to Zora so the two can have their moment of bro-ness at the end of the episode. The flashback dump is a flaw for sure, but I'm not surprised Black Clover would do this. I'm not even that upset. It's a short sequence that doesn't take up half the episode (unlike last week's episode's flashback). Still, you know how I feel about flashbacks interrupting fights. It's a forced way to deliver on plot or character development.

But okay, Zora taught Magna a thing or two about mana six months ago, which Magna uses to pulverize this pezzonovante of a demon. Okay. Another problem, though. While Magna's fight against Dante is awesome to watch, Magna doesn't actually land a single dent in Dante's armor. Dante's just too powerful. At least not until the fight suddenly decides that its two fighters have run out of mana. And then Magna does away with Dante. Why? How? Are we doing some deus ex machinbullshit two eps in a row? Blaaaaaaaaaargh. You know what, though? W H A T E V E R. It progresses the plot in a way that makes sense. It's character development; it's something. It meets the criteria. Magna gets to call Zora his “Big Bro.” Power of friendship, found family, bros being bros, huzzah. Not that good, but passable.

Yes, that's the best way I can describe this episode. It's passable. It's doable. It's serviceable. It's the shonenslop that I expect it to be, that I need it to be, that I perversely want it to be. Did I mention how heavy metal this episode is? Because it is. Anyway.

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Black Clover Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.