thellian

I'm 33 episodes in to the series, and I have some mixed feelings but generally think that Black Clover is worth watching.

There is a lot to like about the show, so I'll just give my take on some of the things which I think it falls short on:

The story is built upon common tropes, such as "the power of friendship". It has some unique qualities, but I struggle to get over how it feels like if Naruto and Harry Potter had a baby. The antagonists are also rarely developed beyond "is crazy" or "is evil just because" which gets old pretty fast. It also gets a bit frustrating how uninspired characters' motivations and their dialogues can be. It's as if everyone in the show, except for the protagonist, are massive narcissists - "You care about more than yourself? That's so stupid!" "You refuse to give up at the slightest inconvenience? WHY!?" "You put yourself in harm's way to save others? Are you insane??" and on and on, rehashed with every new encounter so the protagonist can defy their expectations and show everyone what a hero looks like...It grew old by episode 10.

Then there's the animation. For an anime about a character who fights primarily with swords in close combat, the fight choreography is shockingly bad at times. The majority of action sequences are poorly-animated in general, with the exception of one or two. I really hope this improves as I continue watching.

Those are my main criticisms of the show so far. Otherwise, it's been enjoyable, especially after the first ~20 episodes it seems to get at least a little bit better. The plot is interesting, the characters can be endearing, and the comedic elements are worth watching through the imperfections.

Edit: After only a few more episodes I can attest that the show does indeed get better.

I'm 67 episodes into the series, and it rates a solid 7/10 for me so far. The main story develops at a slow pace, but it does steadily develop and climax with beautifully animated battles and emotionally-touching interactions. Some of the episodes drag on too long or focus on side-stories that aren't very interesting, but it all adds up in the end. However, I understand the criticisms about the story.

I don't understand much of the other criticisms though. Some complain that Boruto doesn't embody the same spirit as Naruto, while others complain that it's too similar. Without giving spoilers, the story that's told is one where the older generation of ninja deal with protecting a world at peace, and the younger generation try to live up to their parents despite maturing in a very different environment. Each character, old and young, grapples with the path they choose to follow. In this way, it is very similar to the original series. And yes, a lot of the old jutsus are passed down, but there are also improvements and totally new ones. In a lot of ways it feels like a continuation of Naruto, but in other ways it is a completely different show, and I think that has some people confused.

If you want Naruto 2.0, Boruto isn't it. If you want a completely new experience, Boruto isn't it either. If you go into the show without expecting it to be one way or the other, you may enjoy its carefully-crafted story like I have.

It is very much like Baki, if you've seen it, but better. Like Baki, Kengan Ashura is a story of martial arts told through contests between varying styles and ideologies. The fights are well-animated and the choreography is enthralling. It's bloody, violent, and visceral.

Unlike Baki, however, Kengan Ashura is slightly more grounded when it comes to anatomy and human limits, yet it still manages to capture the same intensity in every fight. The struggles, emotions, and pain in the fighters is more believable as well. Kengan Ashura also has a comparatively-decent subplot.

Overall, I rate the series 9/10. My only criticism is that the 3D animations sometimes look weird and remind me of Berserk 2016.