Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

A fun batch of episodes - sure to please die-hard fans of the franchise.

The fourth set in the second season of Black Clover delves into territory that fans of the hit anime franchise won't want to miss. The fan-favorite series impeccably blends together fantasy and action elements while finding new ways to keep the series entertaining. Broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan, Black Clover finds its stateside home on Cartoon Network's Toonami action-anime block (while the home media distribution rights belong to Funimation Entertainment). The series continues to be produced by Maiko Isogai, Naomi Komatsu, and Masahiro Sugasawa. Black Clover is the result of acclaimed animation studio Pierrot (Hikaru no Go, Polar Bear Cafe, Yu Yu Hakusho). No fan of the series will want to miss a beat.

Asta's magic of “never-giving-up” proves successful when the non-magic hero of the story finds himself managing to surpass all odds stacked against him to become one of the heroes chosen to become a new Royal Knight! Despite some disappointing turn of events along the way (such as the inability to duke-it-out with Yuno), Asta is now in a remarkable position of power. As new dangers are around every corner, the Royal Knights must face-down evil in the form of the battle being held at the Eye of the Midnight Sun base! Who will emerge victorious as an all out war is staged?

One of the highlights of the set is a Thanksgiving-themed episode which manages to provide the series with a fun diversion from the action- packed intensity of the ongoing story arcs. This is something that made the set stand-out from the pack. Fans of the franchise will appreciate having special themed story based episodes like this one included in the mix.

A gathering of friends.

Without a doubt, the animation remains one of the central components of the production which pleases fans of the popular franchise. The art work is always top-notch: showcasing the masterful efforts of art director Yuki Maeda (Your Lie in April, Meitantei Conan: Excalibur no Kiseki) and character designer Itsuko Takeda (Mirage Blaze). Though the saga often has a darker color palette that can feel Gothic in tone, the fourth set of episodes in season two blends together some different styles that make it stand out a bit – in comparison to what came before. The end results are unique and satisfactory.

The music score composed by Minako Seki (The Silver Guardian, Masamune Datenicle) also provides the production with fun background themes. The music fits the mood: the action scenes are highlighted with intense orchestrations while the comedic sequences are often laid-back and charming. Fans of the series wouldn't want it any other way.

Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Beyblade, Claymore) provides the scripts to the adaptation (bringing to life the manga by author illustrator Yuki Tabata). The storytelling remains one of the unique qualities of the program that keeps audiences coming back. The saga is rife with exploration of magic and fantasy. There is always something compelling about delving in to these genre elements. Much of the magic inherent in the storytelling results from the magical concept itself.

Director Tatsuya Yoshihara (Yatterman Night, Muromi-san) continues to remind viewers why Black Clover became such a mega-hit production: the action scenes are intense while the characters are a genuine joy. The fourth set of episodes in Season 2 showcases a good blend of drama, action, and comedic wonderment. Black Clover might not be brilliant – but it is consistently good. There is something special about that quality that keeps fans coming back for more.

Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Black Clover, Season 2, Part 4 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The fan-favorite anime series remains a jubilant experience in high- definition and this set is another rock-solid example of how impressive anime can appear with quality encoding. The series action beats are beautifully reproduced: fight scenes never suffer from compression artifacts and the consistency is impressive.

The color reproduction is effective at showcasing the darker, Gothic-like style of the series as well as the lighter color-palette moments which occasionally appear during the collection. There are a few minor moments with some banding to the image, but nothing that is so severe as to significantly manage to detract from the experience. Even in standard-dynamic-range, the image pops and has impressive depth.

Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). Both of the audio options will provide fans with a satisfying lossless audio mix. Dynamics are exceptional. The soundstage is expansive and the experience of viewing the series is heightened by the careful mixing of sound effects. Dialogue consistently sounds crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The action scenes have a decent degree of LFE.

Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One:

Page 64 Audio Commentary

Disc Two:

Black Clover: A Chat Among Kings (HD, 15:32) is a discussion featuring Sonny Strait (voice of King Clover) and Rob McCollum (voice of Julius) as the dynamic duo have a blast delving in to the anime series and the fandom. The voice-actors respond to some fan questions posted via social media platforms (such as Twitter) as well.

Black Clover: Inside the Episode:

Black Clover: Inside the Episode: Episode 64 (HD, 2:40)

Black Clover: Inside the Episode: Episode 67 (HD, 4:45)

Black Clover: Inside the Episode: Episode 69 (HD, 5:04)

Black Clover: Inside the Episode: Episode 72 (HD, 6:42)

Episode 72 Audio Commentary

Clover Clips: Special Edition (HD, 3:29)

Textless Opening Song "Scribbled Pages" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "My Song My Days" (HD, 1:32)

Black Clover: Season 2, Part 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The second set of Black Clover: Season 2 continues the journey in new and surprising ways. The heart of the series remains intact and the action-scenes continue to deliver in spades. The animation is also compelling – as is the fast-and-fun direction. The storytelling remains engaging and fans will find it easy to become absorbed in the fantasy world. The Blu-ray release features a strong video-audio presentation. The set is well worth a pick-up for fans. Recommended.