Black Clover, Vol. 6

ブラッククローバー [Black Clover] #6

by Yūki Tabata

In a world of magic, Asta, a boy with anti-magic powers, will do whatever it takes to become the Wizard King!

Asta is a young boy who dreams of becoming the greatest mage in the kingdom. Only one problem—he can’t use any magic! Luckily for Asta, he receives the incredibly rare five-leaf clover grimoire that gives him the power of anti-magic. Can someone who can’t use magic really become the Wizard King? One thing’s for sure—Asta will never give up!

Asta’s vacation is anything but rest and relaxation when children start disappearing all around him. But in order to take down the kidnappers, Asta will have to team up with Gauche, a mage who hates his guts!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Shonen, Action, Adventure, Graphic Novels, Comics

200 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2016

About the author

Yūki Tabata (Japanese: 田畠裕基, Hepburn: Tabata Yūki) is a Japanese manga artist.

After working as an assistant to Toshiaki Iwashiro, he created the one-shot Hungry Joker, which was later serialized as a full series.
After its conclusion, he launched Black Clover.

Reviews

[Dea꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the character developments in this manga.
There is space and time for everyone to grow up and surpass their limits in a believable way. Magnificent and breathtaking.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

This is a review of volumes 5-6 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.

Asta and Yuno grew up together, abandoned at the same church. They both determined to become Magic Knights... Yuno's abilities soon grew to genius levels of power and control while Asta didn't show even a spark of magic and made up for it by training hard physically. It became apparent to both when they received their grimores, Yuno a coveted 4-leaf clover and Asta an unheard of black 5-leaf clover, that they were each other's biggest competition when it came to achieving their goals of becoming the next sorcerer emperor.

After vol 4 I didn't find Black Clover vol 5 very tense, but it did setup a new situation very quickly and I was compelled by how Asta was such an example to Gauche. This thing is this isn't contrived for a second just to make Asta look good... He really truly acts this way every moment! GAHHHH! As we go into Black Clover vol 6 I found the tension super high as the Black Bulls captain, Yami appears and I find I love him even more than F. Vermilion!! There are so many twists and turns with this series, you can't rest for a moment!

I find the art for Black Clover the best! Yuki Tabata focuses on what matters... the characters! Sure he does great location frames and all but the range and depth of his battle shots. He may have one confusing battle scene when a spell goes off but he gets us back into the fight so we are reminded right away of who we're with and whats happening. I think this is because he's obviously studied other mangaka's work and just doesn't assume he knows the best way... That humble attitude makes his work stellar!

In Black Clover vol 5 we start out with a visit to Gauche's sister Marie (which is hilarious!) with Asta along. When some friends of Asta's get in trouble he and Gauche chase them down... I really loved the juxtaposition of Gauche's selfishness (rightly so in a way) and Asta's selflessness (again it makes sense as he's an orphan!) I really enjoy that about Black Clover... there is always an underlying message in the story that I just relate to and love and think everyone should read!!

Then in Black Clover vol 6 we get a visit from my man YAMI!!!! Asta learns his first lesson from his fearless leader as their battle styles are similar in a way. I just love how Asta is so open to learning from ANYONE! That is an attitude that everyone can learn from who reads this... though its just a part of who Asta is so its quite natural and not overtly emphasized (yeah I emphasized it because I think its badass!) We also learn some of Yami's back history... (I just LOVE how Yuki Tabata incorporates a little about the secondary characters into the plot!) We meet the Third Eye... and I'm all for the villain team as well as the Black Bulls!!

The characters read very genuine to me. Gauche hates everyone but his sister, sure, but that makes so much sense when you learn what his ability is!! And Asta is wowed by anything cool and is willing to learn from anyone... totally realistic as he's a magicless fighter!! Yami is odd and badass at the same time... it makes sense he collects those magic knights who don't fit on any other squad because he didn't fit in the Clover Kingdom either... I won't reveal about the villains but even knowing less about them you feel that there is a whole bunch more going on behind their eyes!! This is some genuine characters here, that I can't help but love and adore!!

Black Clover vol 5-6 take the story of Asta in the Clover Kingdom up a notch! We see that Asta has the ability to inspire others, they may not like him but they can't help respect him and his ability to hang in there no matter what! And we become certain that the Black Bulls in the best squad for Asta with Yami as the leader...


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!

[✿ Mika ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still don't know why others hate this so much. Unlike in Naruto and One Piece and almost any other shonen this manga actually has character development for literally everyone. No one got left behind here and everyone got stronger. They all had the spotlight at least once in the series and were given chances to redeem themselves, unlike in Naruto where only Naruto and Sasuke got stronger and everyone was left in the background. Aside from that I also absolutely love the fact that everyone in the higher ranks was actually strong and showed that Asta is definitely still a really long way from becoming the wizard king. They didn't really sugar coat it and showed that Asta alone definitely couldn't defeat any of the higher leveled opponents yet because he's still new and has a lot to learn so everything was done as a team-- as it should be. The anime doesn't just give away what the fans want to happen, they make the characters work for their goal and even fail at times, making it so much more realistic unlike the others wherein the MC barely puts and effort but suddenly becomes the strongest out there.

Personally really love this anime, the only thing that I find bad about it is the animation in some fight scenes-- which honestly couldn't be helped some times because of the budget so I guess its okay.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This continues the battle for rescuing the children and good team up with Gauche and Asta as they try to defeat Licht and also Yami is there, and the battle is epic! Light vs dark! But then the third eye comes in and the magic knights also get some reinforcements of their own! This volume was awesome and is just back to back fights and holds nothing back! Plus so many revelations with Licht and we might have gotten some clues as to their motives and origin. The art was awesome like some panels are just breath taking.

[Štěpán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love "old mentor" trope. I do not mind it, quite the opposite. And here we have our mentor, the captain of the magical knights show up and do some super cool shit. And it's beautifully drawn, visually stunning and cool as hell. You can't think too much about the story and, yes there is a lot of conveniences - but this is volume is one gigantic fight and it works. My 13-year-old self is so happy right now.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another pretty cool volume. Finally get to see the Bull's captain in action and that guy does not play around. Some badass moves for sure. Some cool big brawls on display here as well.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very satisfied with the action and development from this volume. Many new characters introduced-also a big plus. I’m a big fan of the lanky dude who likes to cut things and always has his tongue out. :p

[Rafa Araujo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusta pero siento que no avanza la trama, puro dar vueltas a lo mismo.

[Kirubhanandan Jothi · Rating 5 out of 5]

becoming a Yami sukihero stan!!

[Nyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

yami my belovedddd 😩🤲
i love this series so much. i didn’t expect to like it but damn it’s really great!

[Rereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT, YAMI FINALLY ENTERS THE RING!!! And he didn't just enter, he made a grand fucking entrance befitting of the captain of the Black Bulls! I have been waiting to see him fight, and let me tell you, IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

But let me make something clear, it's not just the actual fight that made me lose my shit this hard, it's that combined with him mentoring Asta and him being himself that made this one of the best fights in the series thus far. Yami has been described as a "former Shounen Jump protagonist that retired after this arc was completed," and I have never witnessed a more weirdly specific yet accurate description in my life. Yami reeks battle experience that goes beyond training and adventures. I can't explain it too well, but trust me this is basically his character in a nutshell and it is FUCKING HILARIOUS.

I love the fact that he has absolutely zero fucks left and even when it looks like he's going to be defeated, he just doesn't care. Like you can tell he's seen so much shit in his life that this is just another day to him. But I love how he constantly pushes Asta to surpass his limits and become better, like he knows Asta's destined for greatness and he wants to shove him (literally and metaphorically) in that direction. Oh, and his interactions with the other guild captains was fucking hilarious. And speaking of the captains, Nozel keeps winning small brownie points with me, even though he's still a colossal asshole. I really, REALLY want to learn more about his relationship with Fuegoleon, they keep hinting at it and I want to see it!

Finally, something I want to touch on is how Tabata adds a little bit extra in order to elevate his series from average to above average. The example from this volume is when Licht is explaining why the Eye of the Midnight Sun resents the Clover Kingdom. At first, it's the standard "the impoverished struggle to survive while the rich have more than they need," but then he adds that those born with extraordinary abilities are often maligned because of their standing or circumstances. It's such a small detail, but it perfectly explains the Black Bulls existence as well as throwing in a gray area to the standard have vs. have nots narrative. This is what I appreciate about Tabata's writing and why it bothers me that people think this story is as generic as the rest.

Anyway, that's enough ranting. This was an awesome volume full of action, but I'm kind of hoping the next volume's a bit more chill. A little slice-of-life to cool off from the intense hype.

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huhhh...3.8 stars, the action and the characters' settling is still good but I'm having problem with the author's story telling skill. For how many times I must endure the author having to explain his story and his characters' motivation not by *showing*, but by *telling* them through monologues and narration?

[Petros · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite this whole volume being one long epic-level fight, it is very lame if you check the battle choreography. It’s literally, one bad guy teleporting in, attacking, getting blocked by a good guy who also teleports in, powers up, attacks, then another villain teleports in, and so on and so on for a dozen times. It’s literally like the imaginary wars children are playing, where they make up attacks and the one being attacked says why it doesn’t work and how he counters it with more imaginary attacks. As for the end of the battle, the villains just teleport away, aka the exact same ability they have been using for several volumes that allows any battle to begin and end whenever the author feels like it. A complete joke of a battle manga.

[Dessa Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.25

This volume is my favorite so far.
But since I've already watched the anime, I know that it would just keep getting better and better.

Some notes:
- Captain Yami is so yummy awesome! HAHA.
- Asta my boi... I'm so proud of him T^T
- favorite quote from this volume: "Surpass you limits. Right here. Right now."

[DonutKnow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yami is awesome. This manga is awesome. The bad guys are...AWESOME! 😄 Even the kind of creepy guys have this cool edge to them 😍✊ ...gotta love his manga 💪

[Kristian Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Camila Lobianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really awesome, was incredible seeing how they are strong. That was something in this volumn that I actually had forgotten, so I'm thrilling to see how things are going to be from now on.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fight between Yami and Licht was awesome! I love the different uses of magic and the stakes were pretty intense.

[Karen Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.8

[DetectiveGrapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yami es Dios, nada más que decir

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got to see how Yami fights. It is amazing!

[BB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letting the mentor flex is my all time favorite trope and boy did Captain Yami flex.

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle with Sally rages on! Just when Asta’s about to get smooshed, Gauche arrives to save the day! Sort of. Well, not really. Marie shamed Gauche into returning to save Asta, Theresa, and the other kids from the orphanage. I guess the deed is what counts, and not the selfishness behind his initial behavior?

We get a little teaser into Gauche’s background, and how he ended up a member of the bad boy (and bad girl) Black Bulls. Gauche’s entire existence is wrapped around protecting Marie, so I guess it’s a huge character defining moment when he goes back to help Asta take on Sally and her monster. I’m not convinced this tiger has changed his stripes, but he did come up with a nifty new spell that saved the day. Until a new evil villain appears on the scene to rescue Sally!

Okay, we are finally getting some more intel for the Eye of the Midnight Sun! In this volume, we learn about their leader, Licht. He is a creepy, creepy guy, and Asta’s anti-magic grimoire does not work on him! Like Yuno, Licht has a four-leaf clover grimoire, so he’s tough shit, and things are looking mighty gloomy for Asta.

And then Yami arrives to save his wayward charges. The fight was a blast, with lots of action, and the victory changing hands several times in the blink of an eye. Asta is challenged by Yami to be better than he is, to surpass his own skills, especially if he ever hopes to become the Wizard King. After getting smacked around, Asta begins to question his fervor to become the next Wizard King. He can barely hold his own against Licht, Yami is a demon with his magic and his katana, and maybe a guy with no magic really doesn’t have a hope of achieving his dreams.

What?! Asta’s moment of self-doubt lasts only an instant, and his upbeat attitude comes roaring back after he holds his own against all of the next enemies that keep popping up out of the woodwork. This volume probably has the best fight scenes, and the action is intense! Both sides receive reinforcements just in the nick of time, and it’s never a certainty when the tide of the battle will turn, or whose side will win. There are so many powerful opponents trying to get the upper hand, and when the dust settles, I think there is not clear cut victor. So on to Volume 7, where one of my most pressing questions may finally be answered – Is Asta still on vacation, and if so, will he receive hazard pay or have his medical expenses reimbursed.

Grade: 4 stars

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun filled adventure with Asta and the Black bulls. Asta is supposed to be on vacation since his last mission. But things get really rocky when he comes up against members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. This is the rogue wizard fanatical group that attack the Clover Kingdom a few chapters back. Yuki Tabata definitely keeps the action coming and the jokes flying as well. I was a bit surprised by the humor found in this volume despite the stakes. In this volume we do get more focus on two of our supporting characters, Yami & Gauche of the Black Bulls. I really like Yami as a character. Yami has a great design and an interesting fighting style & magic abilities. The ending to this volume was exciting and we learn more about Asta's mysterious sword and grimoire. Black Clover is an underrated shonen series. I admit it does some of the cliche things we are use to seeing in a fighting anime but once you dive deeper into the story there is something new. I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

[Mert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars (%81/100)

It was a really good volume full of nonstop action. The book mainly focuses on the fight between Yami and Licht which was great. Yami is one of the greatest characters in the series not only because of his strength but also he is hilarious. There were other fights as well and I liked it in general. The Eye of the Midnight Sun Arc is almost over but I'm sure we'll see them in the future.

[নাজমুল হাসান · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best volume so far. Lots of action and breathtaking climax. Fight between Yami and Licht was the shining star of this volume. We get some back story on the villains of White Eye group. Aster seems to possess something very precious to the White Eye group, so they will be after him persistently after this.

[Amanda Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I really like this series. I mean the main character is like the main under dog. I think it is awesome.

[Meimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite character: Yami 😍

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happens in this volume. It reminded me a bit of Twin Star Exorcists in which they don’t waste any time with the reveals, and the buildup to the big bad guy is quick. It’s like Shonen on speed, instead of the slow burn endless battle format that the genre is known for typically. It’s almost as if new creators are taking the format, trimming it and planning for the long term better so that they don’t have to introduce a pink version of the same villain that was just fought and defeated.

At any rate, the battle with the mud dude is wrapped up, and there are some twists and turns that are great, but then suddenly, the battle gets a lot bigger when the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun shows up and starts beating ass. It becomes obvious that everyone in the Midnight Sun has broken empathy and it’s the only thing I found annoying about them as antagonists. It’s fairly common in Japanese storytelling, but it’s essentially when the villain is defeated, they’re friend shows up and says, “How dare you hurt my friend, I’m going to have to kill you know because of it.” It’s broken empathy because they’re a villain and only feel empathy for their own people and not the others that they’re inflicting pain upon as well. It’s something that is honestly annoying and one-dimensional, but hopefully, there will be more development to the villains in the future. For an intro, it works.

The other awesome thing we see in this volume is the leader of the Black Bulls fighting. He shows up and pushes Asta to surpass his limits, right there on the battlefield while he’s feeling maxed out. He too looks to surpass his limits on the battlefield as they take on the leader and more of their cronies that continue to show up. It’s a fight you think will be cut short because in a typical manga it would be. This would be the tease of all these characters fighting, and someone would make the call to illogically retreat and “fight another day,” but instead it’s a logical fight. Logically in the sense that when you have the advantage, you don’t run. You don’t wait until more of your plan is complete, you just take out your obstacles when you can, and that was brilliant because it meant that we got to see a lot of battles that maybe we would have waited to see. Now, we can see a bigger and better version later on when the sides meet again.

What stood out to me about this volume was how easily it flowed. It hits its stride and never stops. The battle feels like it just keeps going on and on, which in this case was a great thing because again, typically when this fight occurs in a Shonen story, it’s just a quick bullshit tease. Instead, I kind of wondered if we had reached the point of the first big character death. The writing was very intense, but the dialogue fits the flow and felt natural. Sure, there’s some exposition, but it worked quite well and gave a bit of a breather in the story so that it wasn’t all just fighting.

The artwork continues to be some of my favorite. I love the eyes with the three stars in it. The comedy continues to hit all the right chords when needed and never dominates. The action is easy to follow, looks wonderful and has superb detail. Again, the fight is pretty damn epic, and when this manga finally releases this year as an anime, I expect this to be the season finale, which is weird since it feels like a bump on the road. It’s quite small compared to the big picture that the story is aiming at overall.

If you’re looking for a very Shonen style of story, then you can’t go wrong with Black Clover. If you’d like it to have a Shonen with a modern twist and that doesn’t waste so much time, well then you really can’t go wrong with Black Clover. This series is relatively new, but it’s already leaving a huge mark on the industry. Don’t write it off just because everyone wants to be the Wizard King. If you met the dude, you’d probably want to be him too.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle against Sally leads to a battle against the apparent leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Licht, then the introduction of the "Third Eye," a trio of the strongest Midnight Sun members, then a revelation that Licht himself serves a "master" to whom he believes Asta's grimoire and swords belong. Basically, shit continues to move at lightspeed. Not a bad thing, not really, but I think I'd prefer if Tabata gave the story arcs a bit more time to "breathe"; this gauntlet of fights was a little exhausting, and I feel like taking a bit of a break before moving onward with the manga. I know we'll be getting to longer arcs in due time, so maybe the pacing will let up in its relentlessness, but right now the only thing I'm iffy on with Black Clover is extremely dense "fights per volume" ratio....

What the fuck is "Severing Magic," by the way? Tabata's just making shit up to excuse more physical attackers. I don't mind, but still....

Sally's cleavage when calling Gauche's return "useless"...! Sally getting flushed and panting when Asta uses his Getsuga Tensho Anti-Magic sword-beam thing...! Sally's thighs when she falls down after Asta beats the slime...!!! Sally's hanging boobers and exhausted yandere face on the next page...!!! Sally's thighs and boobs when Licht saves her...!

Yami has a cool "ENTER" moment. But of course Yami must hail from the magical "Land of the Sun," home of the powerful katana, because mangaka love to wank over their country's swords (lol). And they have Ki as well!