Black Clover, Vol. 9: The Strongest Brigade

ブラッククローバー [Black Clover] #9

by Yūki Tabata

With the battle for the water temple finally over, the Black Bulls return home to the Clover Kingdom as heroes. But more trouble is on the horizon as the Diamond Kingdom launches an invasion! Can Yuno and the Golden Dawn repel the invading mages?

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

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 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

[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 9-10 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.

Black Clover vol 9 is all about Yuno... Well and Asta, of course. Yuno gets his time to shine, there that's better... As one star rises the other falls and unfortunately its the one that keeps on going because that's his super power. Yeah so Asta didn't come out of that battle unscathed. And he doesn't stop for a second but against even Yami's wishes pushes to go see the Golden Dawn squad in action. I really loved the pacing in this volume... so perfect.

Suddenly in Black Clover vol 10 we switch gears and meet some new characters that have a history with Asta and we get to visit the hometown of one of the Black Bulls! This time I didn't doubt for a second but dove right in! The battles, the back history and the back door deals were totally stellar... the twist at the end of the volume was crazy good! And I really loved how Asta showed his naivete here wanting to talk, they claim they have problems that the Clover kingdom won't address but they also won't try diplomacy first.

It's no surprise that the answer to Asta's problem from vol 9 is suddenly answered in vol 10, but I wish that there was a little more development up until the moment the Witch Mother gives in. We needed a touch more and instead the tension totally deflates after all the build up in vol 9. I could tell that this won't be the end of it for the Witch Mother so I think I will hold out for Black Clover vol 11 before I really decide how bad the story stumble is...

I really felt the power of Fanzell, Domina and Mariella's back history with the Diamond kingdom. It's obviously not a nice place to live from what we see coming out of that place... Again this is Yuki Tabata's super power, he can make us feel for characters we just met, he can build on what we know of characters we've met previously and he doesn't choose between good, evil or grey, he shows us a little about them all and it makes the world feel lush and full of life.

We have more group battles in Black Clover vol 9-10 so there are many more group shots that are divine! You get a sense of numbers and scale that is unmatched in this pair of volumes. It's really amazing how I have something more to say about the art every time and don't just say I loved it, I loved it, I loved it! On a side not seeing Vangeance without his mask was so, so cool, and I can't help not being satisfied, and I wouldn't be surprised if Yami still has lingering doubts about him as well (I know I do!)

Black Clover vol 9-10 take Asta's story in a totally different direction and keeps it all fresh by tossing in more characters, back story and unexpected character moments that wow! If you haven't picked up this series then I suggest you do so now... hunt it down at the library, download it digitally or better yet just run to the book store and pick it up!

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

______________________
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[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another okay-ish volume. Nothing outstanding yet entertaining enough.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining romp into the magical realm of the Clover Kingdom. Our heroes once again have defeated the Eye of the Midnight Sun and return to the Clover Kingdom who suddenly finds itself under attack from the rival nation of the Diamond Kingdom. Tabata in this volume of Black Clover gives the Golden Dawn more exposure. We catch up with Yuno who has grown strong enough to take on General level mage. For me the best moment comes when Captain Yami confronts the leader of the Golden Dawn, William Vangeance. William's and Yami's back stories are a little similar and it will be interesting to see how the relationship between the Black Bulls and the Golden Dawn changes as the story moves forward. The big shock at the end of this volume is that we learn that Asta's injuries from his battle with Vetto are not able to heal which means he will have to seek healing in another kingdom. I am looking forward to learning more about Asta's grimoire and the next arc. This book felt more like filler but it had some fun moments.

[Rereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, we got so much Charmy and Yami in this volume I thought my heart would explode with joy!

Yami is seriously such a great character; he's the perfect blend of asshole, caring dad, and badass hero that makes me smile everytime he's present. Not only did he get a power-up (so he could save his kids lolz) but he actually confronted William Vangeance about his suspicious behavior. While I wouldn't say my suspicions of him are clear, Vangeance's story, like so many others, perfectly illustrates the fucked up hierarchy this world has concerning status, magic, and now physical beauty. Speaking of, I love how the one Diamond Kingdom soldier went on and on about beauty and Yuno was just like, "beauty means shit, strength's all that matters" and this yet another reason why I love Yuno so fucking much. And speaking of Yuno...

OMG, Yuno was so fucking awesome this volume! Not only did he have great banter with Bell, annihilate some of the Diamond Kingdom's best, BUT he got to talk to Asta and their interactions were FUCKING PRECIOUS!! Also, him shutting down Langris when he starts smack talking the bulls is amazing. I'm so glad Yuno's character has been consistent this entire series and he hasn't fallen victim to the "I was able to join this elite group of elitists, now I too shall be an elitist and look down on my friend" trope.

One last thing, Asta's diagnosis at the end of the volume kind of came as a surprise, but at the same time didn't seem rushed or occurring too early. Asta has been on brutal mission after brutal mission since he first became a magic knight, it stands to reason that at some point that brutality would come back to bite him. I do love his reaction to it and everyone else's and again just love how supportive this crew is. Once again, #squadgoals.

That's all I've got for now, moving on!

[Petros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuing the battle from the previous volume, the heroes use teamwork so they can create superb tactics to defeat the villain. But what did you know, the unstoppable power of friendship fails to stop the villain. But then, surprise, the captain appears and saves the day. See? I told you the author was just stretching the battle with cheap excuses. How did the captain escape a barrier he couldn’t break? By breaking it, although you were told it’s unbreakable. Just like the previous one was. Yeah, that’s all the depth one can expect in this manga.

And what strategy does he use to stop the villain although he was clearly unable to defeat him the previous time they fought? He doesn’t use any. He just fires an energy beam that is more powerful than the bad guy’s energy beam. That’s it! You expected something more elaborate because he’s not as strong, didn’t you? That’s what you get for reading Black Clover.

After this most disappointing finale, the neighboring kingdom invades with its strongest generals. The heroes go there and defeat them pretty easily. Only two things are worth mentioning in this battle. First, Yuno got his own harem of girls fighting over who gets the D, and Asta’s hands gets smashed beyond repair… for now.

[Dessa Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some random thoughts:
- Captain Yami always has the coolest entrance scenes lol
- The Wizard King/Julius looking like a proud father of Yami... the feels T^T
- the action never stops, and I am here for all of it!!
- Asta and Yuno's relationship is really interesting. They're rivals competing to be the next Wizard King, but their friendship is so strong. If one of them gets stronger, the other one doesn't get jealous or spiteful... rather, it makes the latter proud of his friend and it motivates him to get stronger as well. I think we can learn something from that.
- Charmy crushing on Yuno (her "Meal-Saving Prince" lmao) and giving him after-battle snacks is adorable.
- I dunno why, but Nero's poker face always cracks me up HAHAHA #bestbirb
- Langris is such an asshole.
- The Wizard King caring for Yami and William.... ahhh, he's awesome.
- The last chapter still made me emotional even though I've already watched the anime and I know what's gonna happen next lololol
- Again, the illustrations were AMAZING!!

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing Manga. So much heart!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a step down from the last volume.

We end the last fight with Yumi taking over. I was actually impressed to see the Captain whoop some ass. Then we get a bunch of exposition throughout the next few chapters and learn about what else is happening in the world of Black Clover. Then we see Astra buddy team fight and it's just okay. Then we get to Astra arms and what happened to him.

The ending and start are the best part of this volume. The middle, while not bad, is just okay. It slows down the action and gives us a less than interesting look at the other team. But anything with Yumi or Astra learning about his future was great.

A 3 out of 5.

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

One arc gets wrapped up with surprise stuff that contradicts what happened before, then we move onto another arc that promises to be strong and powerful before who cares what, and then we get some big plot stuff that actually isn't plot stuff and might not matter. If you are reading a chapter, guess what happens next, and you'll likely be correct. Just... throwing characters at a wall, smashing action figures together, nothing exciting.

[✿ Mika ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to hang in there at the moment. I still can't believe how fast I finished the anime and binging the manga. This volume was another great and highly entertaining read, I can't wait to read more of it!

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to say! 😁
- Kiato is the cutest
- Yuno’s hair is hella messy 😂😂
- Yami is the best!
- I’m suspicious of the Golden Dawn Captain, especially with his backstory- but I do feel bad for him 😭
- and I love Asta’s resilience, though I think if I watched the anime, he’d be shouting a lot 😂

[Ulises Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

El arco del templo termina y nos permite ver a los toros negros un poco mas relajados, aunque la accion nunca se termina en el reino del trebol,lo cual nos permite ver al Amancer Dorado en accion.

[Štěpán · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series balances between "its good" to "this was a great moment". I just feel a little bit sad because for some reason I can't just get more pumped for it. It would be better if it had a slower pace, better villains and worldbuilding. But at the same time, I do not want to be nitpicky. Even though I have issues with it I still enjoy it and I am glad that I can say that it is a good shonen.

[Bryan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una aventura emocionante. Me ENCANTA Charmy un montón!

[Camila Lobianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most heartbreaking volume that I've ever read. Really, my heart is sad with this ending, but I know everything will get better.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

آخرین چپترا!🤩

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

Damn this volume was really intense! Really looking forward to seeing how much more insane the battles get from here on out. This was just a skirmish so can’t wait for the war!

[Just · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to love this series, and this manga volume is no different. This one follows the Black Bulls and the Clover Kingdom and their encounter at the border with the Diamond Kingdom. Overall a 5 star easy read, love the series. Will be continuing on, of course.

[Cintya Larasinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

favoritku!!!!

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

3.75 stars

After all of the magic slinging and sword swinging and fisticuffs at the Underwater Temple, the Black Bulls finally get a little bit of down time. Asta hasn’t come through the battle with Vetto unscathed, and he is nursing not one, but two broken arms. He seems to have taken the brunt of the beating, but he’s still gungho and rearing to go on another mission.

Yami reluctantly allows his injured brigade member to accompany him to see Julius and give a mission report. During the debriefing, they are rudely interrupted with news that Kiten has been attacked by the Diamond Kingdom. And not just any soldiers are leading the skirmish, but three of the Diamond Kingdom’s Shining Generals are leading the charge. This is serious stuff! If the Diamond Kingdom is successful in their attempt to grab a toehold into Kiten, Clover’s border defense system will be in serious jeopardy!

We get a little bit of info about the Shining Generals, learn about Finral’s stuck-up and snot-faced younger brother, and finally – FINALLY – meet up with Yuno again. Hooray!! Don’t think that Yuno has been slacking off, either, just because he hasn’t had much page time. He’s been honing his magic skills and been learning how to utilize his little winged companion’s powers. He’s even more bad ass than he was before!

Volume 9 is a nice reprieve from all of the incessant action of the previous three volumes. Yuno and Asta reaffirm their challenge to do their personal best and become the next Wizard King, Finral stands up to his awful brother, and Charmy gets a yummy snack. The big downer, and the lead up to the next story arc, is Asta and the apparent curse he’s under. Will his anti-magic grimoire be able to help him shake it off?

Grade: 3.75 stars

[Meakuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diesmal war wieder ein Hund im Vorwort, also es ist immer der Gleiche, aber hey, dog content!
Tja, Licht war wohl mal anders und hatte sogar Augenbrauen.
ich finde es schön, wie Yami noch den schlimmsten Gegner Respekt erweist.
Die beiden Fangirls die Yuno hat, sind mir nicht derart unsympathisch (wie bei Asta), weil es aus völlig anderen Gründen ist. Sylph ist mehr ein Haustier und Charmy denkt ja trotzdem nur ans Essen.
Rückzug gibt´s im Königreich Diamand nicht, nein, nein!
Williams Geschichte war interessant.
Insgesamt ein wirklich guter, interessanter Band.

[Mert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars (%72/100)

It was good in general. Yami continues to be great and motivates everyone to be better. If not for him, most of the characters would have died in the series. After a while, we also see Yuno and William Vangeance in action. There are of course new characters introduced and they seem like cliche bad guys that are step stones for the main characters. The last few chapters and the ending were good.

[Ashlight Grayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Diamond Kingdom begins an attack on the Clover Kingdom in this volume. Asta, Finral, Charmy, and Yami are sent for backup for the Golden Dawn, who are currently dealing with the problem. As usual, Yuno and Asta were happy to see each other and made some friendly rival conversation. We get to see Finral's condescending and pretentious younger brother, Langris. I really appreciated the contrast shown between Langris and Yuno's attitude and behavior toward the members of the Black Bulls. Langris believes himself to be above the Black Bulls in status and makes his lack of respect for them clear. Yuno on the other hand defends his position as Asta's rival and makes it clear that he respects Asta as an equal. I appreciate that despite his rivalry with Asta, Yuno most of all sees him as a friend and brother and does not feel inferior to anyone just because he is a peasant. There is a recurring theme of classicsm explored here. Yuno is an incredibly talented and powerful wizard, yet he is still looked down upon by people like Langris because of his socioeconomic background. I'm just waiting for Yuno, Noelle and Asta floor the expectations of all of the people in the story that have this attitude over and over.

On another note, Asta was heavily injured in the last battle with Vetto and he will need to deal with the consequences of his injuries going forward. I'm interested in seeing how this is handled story wise. I'm happy to see that Asta remains positive despite more obstacles getting in his way, but I know the journey won't be easy.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an effort to continue this story much quicker in my mind, I'm switching over to manga after watching Season 1 of the anime. And since manga reviews are basically (at least for me) just notes so that I remember what happened for when I go to read the next Volume, I'll be just leaving plot highlights, and then a very brief opinion on the Volume on each of my Black Clover reviews.
Highlights:
- Yami finishes off Vetto in the Underwater Temple and the Black Bulls begin to heal. Asta's arms seem to be beyond healing.
- The action won't stop as the Diamond Kingdom decides to attack and try to invade the Clover Kingdom. The Golden Dawn and Black Bulls rush to their defense.
- Yuno really shines with very powerful attacks (since bonding with Sylph), but the craziest attacks come when Finral and Vanessa slingshot Asta to fight with his sword in his mouth.
- Yami, suspecting William Vangeance of being a member of the Third Eye, gets the leader of the Golden Dawn to remove his helmet, showing his head to be burnt from a curse he was born with.
- The Diamond Kingdom's first attack gets stopped, but it looks as if Asta's arms may never be healed. There is a moment where doubt begins to set in, but he quickly refuses to never give up and he'll keep fighting even without his arms.

Overall, I'm enjoying this story, which is what prompted my switch to manga. Glad I did. All of the action and comedy is still represented very well here.
Recommend.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Well said, Finral! If we manage to deal with this, I'll let you touch my boobs!"

I feel I've been neglecting this series for too long, unintentionally. I spent a week catching up on Mashle before its last chapter, then started catching up to Undead Unluck through Volume 10, then read some Mission: Yozakura Family before I realized I hadn't touched Black Clover in a while....

This volume spent a little too long between action, when generally I think the "power of friendship" battles are more or less the series's strong suit. Well, when we actually get to action in this volume, it's basically against jobbers from a rival kingdom, who exist largely to show off how strong Yuno has become, as well as introducing Finral's brother and showing Vangeance's World Tree Magic. We also see Vangeance's face, so he's probably not the Midnight Sun leader...?

[Andoni Damestoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5
C'était entre "2 gros arc" Donc c'est sur c'est moins bien.

Point positif :

- incroyable quand yami achève vet, qui félicite tout le monde grave bien.

- y'a eu les un peut des petits flashback avec William et yami petit qui ont rencontrer Julius et son devenu mage grave bien à savoir.

- grave touchant quand tout le monde apprend que asta retrouvera pas l'usage des ses bras, et quand on le voit crier je n'abandonnerai pas incroyable !

Point négatif :

- les combats avec les mecs de diamond on comprenais rien au combat c'était nul les dessins était catastrophique !! Vraiment ça enleve facile 1 point à la note.

[Santiago Bueno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este volumen me sorprendió bastante. Realmente se puso bastante interesante, parece que el reino del trebol no puede descansar que siempre aparece una nueva crisis. La cantidad de personajes variopintos de esta historia es un atractivo, pero me gustaría que se desarrollaran mas. La parte que mas me gustó fue el giro del final, me parece que puede aprovecharse muy bien para el desarrollo de Asta. La verdad que espero con ansias el proximo tomo, que no es algo que me haya pasado con muchos de los tomos anteriores.

[M. Ashraf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Clover
The Strongest Squad
Volume#9
Chapter List #72 - #80
Yuki Tabata

Chapters:
72.Beyond One's Limit
73.The End of Battle, the End of Despair
74.Proof of Being Correct
75.The Battle of Kiten
76.The Strongest Squad
77.Whoever's Strongest Wins
78.The Weak's Proclamation
79.Behind the Mask
80.Never Again

End of Despair, Yami new skill
Diamond attack Clover
Battle of Kitten and The Strong Squad enter the action
And we see Vangeance face and get his back story after Yami's suspicion
He is from Lecht clan! right they look the same from the back stories...

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start off this writeup by stating that consequences are felt in this volume. While we hope that some are not permanent, the way that Yuki Tabata keeps things jumping in an almost insanely unimaginable rate, is the reason you cannot sleep on any volume. It is a wonder one can jam as much drama, action, jokes and character building in each volume of the series. There is a lot to love about this volume and the end will have you clamoring for volume 10 as soon as you can get your hands on it!

[Krystal Caloia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, awesome teamwork followed up by Captain Yami kicking ass!

And we get to see Yuno and Crimson Dawn kick ass too! Awesome!

How dare Largis (Finral's brother) just decide it's too challenging to save those people and decide to sacrifice them!

Oh no! Asta's arms won't heal?!?! I don't think he can use his mouth every fight. I'm so glad he isn't giving up!!! And what country might be able to heal him?!