Title: Black Clover Vol. 35
Author: Yuki Tabata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 187
Genre: Shounen, Battle
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
The Story
Volume 35 of Black Clover takes us right into the battlefield with the Ryuzen Seven facing the threat of Sister Lily and the Five-Headed Dragon. The first thing Asta needs to do is take down Sister Lily. Training with the Ryuzen Seven gave him quite the power-up so he was able to subdue her. All that remained was the dragon. Once the battle was over, a celebration broke out; however, it was going to be short-lived.
Lucius is getting awfully close to something he calls Judgment Day… a day where he will descend upon the world and claim all of its magic for himself, therefore, eliminating all life and resurrecting them in his own perfect image. As of the celebration in the Land of the Sun, Judgment Day is coming in three days… or when you flip the page and start the next chapter.
From one battle to the next, a monumental battle on a scale we haven’t yet seen in this series has begun and Yuno stands at the forefront with a brand-new title!
Characters
Once again, the story itself was short and to the point but we did receive some more character development on Ryu’s front. We learned about how he received the Tengentsu Eye and how that led him to become the shogun despite not having any power… which is also explained as well. Coupled with the backstory between himself and Yami, I would say that Ryu’s backstory is quite complete.
There was a tender moment followed by a funny moment between Ichika and Asta. Upon learning the truth about her clan’s past, Ichika has a newfound respect for Atsa… which gets tossed right out the window when he accidentally stumbles into a hot spring which he was told was empty! Ah, got to love those embarrassing mishaps. They never get old.
Asta, as a whole, not only got way stronger but he also gained the respect of Ryu and The Ryuzen Seven. Some were even marveled at how strong he had gotten in such a short amount of time. Of course, Asta is still Asta although he is maturing just a little bit. As Ryu said, he found a way to overcome his self-doubt and that, in turn, led into his increase in power. You would think that he would change because of this but he went back to being the same dimwitted Asta during the celebration… which is a good thing because you can’t toss away a staple quirk of his character like that!
Finally, Yuno. His power has also grown substantially to where he was instantly recognized and promoted on the battlefield. I won’t say to what but it’s a pretty high honor and overdue. No, it’s not The Wizard King simply because it can’t be. He still views Asta as a rival and the two of them still need to settle the score amongst themselves in that rivalry. For now, though, Yuno is shining brightly in this battle to where even Lucius realizes that only he can take him down!
Final Thoughts
Another great action-packed volume. While we are seeing fighting break out in the Clover Kingdom, Ryu states that the Black Bulls are on their way to pick Asta up as it’s his only ticket back to his land. Until then, he is to remain in the Land of the Sun and continue his training. With judgment day happening, the Black Bulls will need to pick up the pace and get Asta back. In classic shonen manga fashion, I expect the next volume to focus on Yuno battling Lucius only to realize that his power, while greatly increased, is still no match to take Lucius down. Just when the chips are about to fall, Asta will return and strike Lucius to let him know a new threat has arrived. I’m even predicting that the next volume will end with Yuno on the ground looking up at Asta and saying “Took you long enough!”
We’ll see if I’m right.
Either way, the gas pedal is stuck to the floor and the action doesn’t seem to want to stop. From the Spade kingdom fight right into the land of the sun and straight into judgment day, this is the longest string of battles in the series yet and with Lucius being the big bad of the story (so far) one has to wonder if we are getting close to the end? It would make sense unless Yuki Tabata has something else up his sleeve because even though Lucius is the greatest foe they have faced, remember, we still have the demon realm to worry about and even greater evil lies within it.
For now, we’ll worry about the size of the unko that’s hit the fan now and worry about the bigger pieces yet to hit. Just keep bringing more action as the series has been on one heck of a wild ride as of late!
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This item was provided for review by Viz Media
