Black Clover

Black Clover

Monday, October 4, 2021

MSR September 2021

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy this monthly blog, I also put out bi-weekly animated film reviews among other content. Check out my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/kyoukasuigetsu) and Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/kyoukasuigetsu) to support my endeavors. Any contribution is appreciated, even sharing to friends.

 

 

 

 

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Candy Flurry concluded this month, but immediately a replacement came in, PPPPPP by Mapollo 3. Septuplets are born, but one named Lucky, has no talent and feels responsible for his parents’ divorce. His mother is sickly and supposedly may die in a few years, but she encourages him to pursue piano, which he does, managing to get into a music school in part because his playing seems to have a visual effect on people experiencing it. That mediocrity that he was criticized for allows him to actually stand out by the effort he puts in.

 

 

 

World Trigger 212-213

 

Kodera’s concerns are about the A rank evaluation points, which seem to not contribute much. But he theorizes that they’ll be calculated into the final score with a formula instead, so he asks some of the other squads about their scores, which are higher than his. The cooking situation is variable, only a few squads having people that are especially skilled, including Ikoma, surprisingly. But Hyuse has to deal with the fact that he needs to keep his horned body a secret from the others, negotiating the single room or the capsule bed.  Osamu is going to bed and Suwa wants to tell him something before they sleep

 



 

 

It turns out the battle portion with have simulation units that reflect the stats, but not necessarily the creativity of the individuals as seen in the Rank Wars. Suwa assures Osamu that even if they fall behind, they’ll make do, especially with the initiative that Osamu took with the Trion issue. And the next day, preparations are already starting for the simulation, factoring in some rules established.

 

 

 

Neru Way of the Martial Artist 8-11

 

Neruma learns more about the girl, Kaname Nozomiya, after she beats him up for suggesting she wear a less flashy bra. She’s from an elite warrior family, her brothers all having great accomplishments. We see the dorms, converted from the temple sleeping quarters, and meet Kaname’s older brother Natsume. He tells her she should drop out, not thinking a girl should be there, but she says she will be the top of the class. Natsume then looses an arrow, issuing a challenge for anyone trying to enter the dorm to get an arrow within 30 minutes and for Kaname and Neruma to get a red arrow from his quiver.

 





 

 

Kaname manages to find the arrow, but Neruma arrives right after and moves to get it. She jumps to get it, Neruma having to save her when she falls down the precipice. We learn Kaname was discouraged by her family in general to study martial arts, since she was the only girl of the children, even though she wanted to. Neruma offers her the arrow and notes how she trained hard with a bow, but Kaname decides to break the arrow (which will let both of them pass, since Natsume only shot one red arrow)

 

With Kaname’s help, Neruma shoots an arrow through a bamboo groove to maximize the distance and force of the smaller arrow. And it seems like they’re both allowed in, but when Natsume confirms Neruma did see Kaname’s underwear (though it was her showing it partly), he kicks him out.

 

Neruma is allowed to stay in a shed with another problem student, Ryuzen (and another roommate mentioned), who finds it silly to keep trying to improve oneself, something Neruma has as a goal (to be the top ranked). Akebi tells Neruma that Jokuro won’t fight him until he wins 10 official matches or beats a top rank holder. But when she learns Ryuzen is his roommate, she notes he got the highest score ever on the entrance exam, his crude attitude hiding great talent as the Fallen Dragon.

 

 

 

 

Red Hood 9-12

 

With the game set, many participants flee, but Velou and several others stay behind, thinking there’s a trick to how the rules have been established. And with some teamwork, the strategy becomes clear: they have to acquire the handcuffs so they can capture the cops, turning the tables so they’re the hunters rather than the prey.

 





 

 

The plan Velou’s group forms to ensure that no one fails means that one of their 2 trios has to get captured in order to verify how the handcuffs are replaced. They also continue to plan while the other group tries recruiting others. But Tylty rejects their offer, since his failure in the last test was due to betrayals within the testers.  And Velou sends a message through some kind of plant to initiate Plan A, cutting off the supply route from the other staff besides Debonair and Grimm

 

Merrio defeats Mosko, a businessman who wants to take over the guild and use their secrets to create military might. We learn that Merrio’s techniques utilize various slime molds that throw Mosko’s combat abilities off. Velou and the others are freed by Merrio and the group of 15 now mobilizes to turn the tables in their favor.

 

Bonkers tries to take on Grimm alone, since she’s willing to be more direct and harsh versus Debonair in the test. But we learn Bonkers has just been exploiting the Hunter’s Guild (since it’s free room and board for 6 months as long as he endures the training), thinking he doesn’t deserve to be a Hunter himself after an incident where his family name was ruined by a mistake that led to him being branded a murderer. Velou insists Bonkers can be a Hunter and that his story isn’t over.

 

 

 

4 Knights of the Apocalypse 29-32

 

We discover the baby dragon has been born, but is weak without its parent, Nasiens worried it’ll die soon.  Donny helps Edlin after he nearly falls, saying that he’s going to start his Holy Knight training again, willing to risk his life for the sake of Percival and his friends. And the dragon’s flame is absorbed by Percival’s magic, turned back on it and now standing against the beast

 





 

 

Percival’s group isn’t able to do much to harm the dragon, even Percival’s attacks ineffective and they start to flee. Howzer, realizing how he’s been blaming himself thanks to Sin bringing up how deflecting onto Donny or Edlin is avoiding responsibility, gets the alcohol out of him with Nasiens’ help and fights back against the dragon with the power befitting a Holy Knight Captain

 

The dragon and child are reunited, Howzer holding back enough to not kill the parent and Percival is astounded at the Holy Knight’s power. Donny explains that he wants to be a Holy Knight after Howzer apologizes for how he treated his nephew, saying he’ll train Edlin up since he sees good in him. Howzer emphasizes that keeping the hilt linked to the Coffin of Eternal Darkness is dangerous, Percival taking it after Howzer forges a blade onto it.

 

Everyone starts travelling through the Danflare Range, Sin mentioning all kinds of rumors. As they rest that night, Sin sees a mysterious woman in what seems to be a bridal gown. The next day, as they continue further, Percival and Donny spot a village, Sin going after them, but the three are trapped inside a barrier, a hunter warning Anne and Nasiens that it’s home to monsters

 

 

 

 

 

Candy Flurry 18-19 (END)

 

Tsumugi refuses to accept Amato’s plan to revive the candy factory and make more people Sweets Users. And she has a burst of inspiration, making a massive mech that’s technically still candy and specifically lollipops. Misaki is entrusted with Irie’s confeito to give to Tsumugi, since she really started wanting to help because of the trust he put in her. 

 



 

 

Misaki manages to get the confeito to Tsumugi, who uses its power up to defeat Amato. We flash forward 2 years, Tsumugi now a Recette captain and still helping people. The ending was unfortunate, but not unexpected with Shounen Jump’s cutthroat practices for popularity. There were some lacking aspects, particularly characterization, but the comedy and action were both done very well and presenting a narrative that only suffered because of serialization pressures that aren’t easy to overcome for a first project

 

 

 

 

Dr. Stone 209-212

The construction of the rocket itself begins when Senkuu’s group arrives in Australia to mine bauxite. But the big reveal is that those who go on the mission will have to use the one working Medusa device brought by Ukyo and Yoh, along with supplies to revive workers and feed them, to petrify themselves, no time to make a return vessel because of Why-Man’s imminent threat. 

 





 

 

Senkuu established a road map for making aluminum and the rocket ship, one important step involving a hydroelectric plant to produce the aluminum. But Chrome refuses to accept that it should be a one way trip, working with Suika and Sai to try and make a return vessel.

 

The group stops in Indonesia to take advantage of the climate and plant rice crops so they can make rice dishes for the villagers back in Ishigami when they revive them to start production on the rocket ship.

 

Senkuu’s group stops by Treasure Island, where Soyuz is tasked with continuing a project that they were assigned before the re petrification. At Ishigami Village, everyone is revived and fed. We learn that Chalk and Sagara built a wall to keep Ruri and the others safe during the time when everyone was petrified. And at Ishigami Village, they were building a dam for hydroelectric power, all of these projects eventually culminating at Treasure Island where the launch site is being built, the final arc starting soon

 

 

 

My Hero Academia 325-327

 

The bystanders are convinced by a guy that was actually present in the 1st chapter with Deku observing Heroes in action to let Deku stay there and that they should stop being mere spectators in this, treating the Heroes like mere actors before and not people. 

 




 

 

All Might is approached by Stain, who refuses to recognize him as the #1 Hero, but seems to be convinced in a way, also acknowledging that All Might’s influence has spread and continues to keep the spirit of heroism alive even in these difficult times. The last woman he saved before the power of One For All nearly burned out cleans the statue every day after people deface it, Stain telling All Might to come for him, admitting he has killed 40 heroes.

 

Deku and All Might reconcile, agreeing to help each other and Class 1-A is thinking of a way to encourage people to not be so untrusting of Deku and Shoto’s presence, both seen as risks for different reasons. We learn there’s only about a month before Shigaraki is fully incorporated with All For One and Stain’s info given to All Might before was security records from Tartarus, likely a big help in the planning for the final battle

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Force 280-283

 

Tamaki continues to be mocked for her lucky lecher lure by Assault’s doppelganger and the crowd, though Vulcan and Licht try to figure out her pertinence to things. And the real Assault arrives, but is seemingly beaten as well, Tamaki getting fed up with the shaming of her for something she can’t control 

 




 

 

As the woman continues to shame Tamaki, she lashes out and tells her to stop the complaining. Even the woman’s son, Tatsuto, points out the hypocrisy and how she seems to just have insecurities she’s projecting onto Tamaki, causing the lady to disappear, her “role” finished, while Tamaki is a symbol of hope for life. Assault and the doppelganger continue clashing about the relevance and importance of sex appeal to the world 

 


 

 

Tamaki manages to inspire people, along with Assault’s encouragement of lewdness as important for the future, able to counter the Cataclysm’s despair and defeat Assault’s doppelganger. 

 

Joker is fighting his doppelganger elsewhere, who’s too strong. But Burns, merged with his doppelganger after he was sucked into Adolla, defeats Joker’s doppelganger, saying there are still 2 out there, 1 moving to attack Kurono, which is clearly meant to be Shinmon’s

 

 

One Piece 1024-1026

While everyone is scrambling to escape the palace as fires start spreading and fights continue inside, Kaidou and Yamato fight, their clash unclear as to who is winning. We even see a flashback, Kaidou leaving Yamato to die unless he swears allegiance to his father, the daimyo of Wano saving him when he shows them Oden’s journal, aspiring to be a samurai as well. 

 




 

 

Momonosuke manages to fly with Luffy’s encouragement, crashing into Onigashima palace briefly and then arriving where Yamato and Kaidou are fighting, offering support to Kaidou’s son, the trio going up against the Yonkou.

 

Luffy manages to encourage Momo to fight and he does so, Luffy letting him go to stop Onigashima from landing in the Flower Capital while he faces Kaidou. And the clash of the two splits the clouds so that Dogstorm and Catviper can finish off Jack and Perospero with their Sulong form.

 

 

 

 

Black Clover 305-307

 

Yuno and Langris team up, Langris managing to use Mana Zone to counter Zenon’s Absolute Spatial Magic domination, but he can’t fight back. He persists, even taking blows to allow Yuno to build up his energy and summon the Spirit of Euros to attack

 




 

 

Zenon is wounded by Yuno’s attack and he remembers how he first became a devil host, accepted into the Mage Defense Squad and reluctantly killing his rival while they fight a devil together, culminating with his perspective that power is more important than tenacity.


While it seems like Yuno has potentially won, we see that Zenon’s contract with Beelzebub involved gaining a devil’s heart and the power correspondent to it. Yuno is beaten back, Langris aided by the sudden appearance of Finral, the brothers teaming up to face Zenon’s new form

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