The Astonishing Black Clover Movie: A Masterpiece that Redefines the Manga's Storyline

Warning: Spoilers for Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King

The standalone movie, Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King, finally realizes the untapped potential of a storyline from the Black Clover manga. Set immediately after Asta's execution is suspended by Wizard King Julius, the film showcases the treatment this plotline always deserved. In a departure from the manga, only Asta is exiled while the rest of the Black Bulls squad remains unaffected. To participate in a coinciding tournament, Asta adopts a pseudonym and wears a mask to conceal his identity. Meanwhile, the other Black Bulls members can freely observe from the stands without fear of being recognized. The result is a movie that effectively rectifies the shortcomings of the original storyline in the manga.

Black Clover's Manga Made Everything Too Easy For Asta

Seeing Asta sneak around the Clover Kingdom during his exile would have greatly benefited the manga, but unfortunately, this aspect couldn't be explored due to the punishment starting in chapter #219 of Black Clover by mangaka Yuki Tabata. Despite being exiled, Asta and the Black Bulls are given the freedom to move about the kingdom by Julius, with no further consequences to face, allowing them to prepare for their assigned mission. However, it would have been much more captivating if Asta and the Black Bulls had to actually infiltrate their own kingdom and operate covertly like criminals.

The whole narrative of Asta's exile and potential capital punishment in the manga came to a swift resolution. This is partly because Asta and the Black Bulls only remained in the kingdom for a short period of time before disappearing into the Heart Kingdom, where they underwent extensive, yet conveniently skipped, training. When Asta returned to save the Clover Kingdom from devils, his charges were understandably forgotten. Additionally, the death of Damnation, the main orchestrator of Asta's execution, further decreased the chance of any unpleasant consequences resurfacing, ultimately removing the conflict that the movie explored.

Black Clover's Manga Has one Thing Over The Movie

The film's adherence to the manga's original storyline, where Asta is given time to prepare before his exile takes effect, still wouldn't make the film work canonically. This is because Asta wouldn't have had the opportunity to return after his mission began, as it took place deep within the Heart Kingdom. The movie suggests that Asta was always nearby during his banishment, allowing him to participate in a tournament illegally. However, this contradicts the manga where the Black Bulls, including Mimosa who serves as the tournament's announcer in the film, accompany Asta into the Heart Kingdom. This discrepancy showcases the flaw in Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King's retconning of the original storyline. The manga's decision to banish the Black Bulls was significant as it broke away from the typical stagnant shonen formula, highlighting Magna Swing's growth through his training during his exile.

Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King is streaming on Netflix.