Black Butler vs Black Clover

 Why am I comparing these two shows? Is it because they both have the color "black" in the title? No! That is merely a coincidence. It's because I started watching them roughly at the same time.

I don't have good things to report, mostly, but one of them I have more good things to say about and am still watching.

Overall, I like the premise of Black Clover--a plucky protagonist wants to show that through hard work and not giving up, he can achieve an impossible goal, even though he's different from everyone else. But I noticed something pretty quickly about the combat. Stop me if you've heard this one: a big bad casts a magic spell, and no matter how difficult or scary the enemy is, Asta cuts through it with his magic-nullifying sword. It gets old. With just a swipe of his arm, he can nullify any and all magic.

I do like Yuno, but like every spellcaster in the show, he doesn't have to work to learn new spells or even gain them. Good shit just happens to him. The nature of them being magic-users might mean that they don't have to work hard in a traditional way, but it means combat a little unexciting for me when it seems everyone's skill and ability is already pre-determined. That's just how fantasy-style/magic-based shows are going to be, so that's not a huge criticism of Black Clover itself. Just a personal preference.

The story and characters of Black Clover do not make up for the lack of an interesting power system, though. In fact, the characters are all very one-note. We get it--Asta is going to be hokage one day, or whatever. Yuno is quiet and brooding and DEFINITELY A PEASANT, totally not a noble that we haven't learned about yet. The sister-complex punk is a weird creep. Charmy loves to eat Gordon can't speak up. The big one can't talk at all. It's incredibly uninspiring, even for side characters that are often relegated to these types of simple roles.

The thing is it's just entertaining enough to keep me coming back. And while the plot doesn't feel groundbreaking overall, there are other smaller threads I'm interested in, like the Eye of the Midnight Sun. I find the Magic Knights fascinating, I think there's some decent humor in the show, and there's some cool spells, even if I'm not a fan of magic systems in shows. At this point, Yami is probably the funniest and coolest character to me, though there are a few others I am fond of. I'd say he's my favorite 40 episodes in.

Sigh. Why did I watch for 18 episodes despite never really getting hooked and being annoyed almost every episode? Is it because of the hot characters (Grell and Undertaker especially)? Yes, partly. But otherwise, I just kept thinking pertinent information would be revealed--about Sebastian's background, about the contract he and Ciel made, that there was a semblance of a plot, instead of just a series of random events happening to the Phantomhive household. 

I'm also going to safely make this unpopular opinion deep in this blog that no one will see. But I have to say it. Sebastian is overrated as hell and not very likable. He's attractive, he perfectly executes every command and has every single skill ever, and he's sometimes funny, and he has that cringey catchphrase. I don't care about specific examples but there were times he was talking to Ciel or someone and I was just like, "really that's his opinion?" It was such a turnoff. He has a superior attitude, and the fact that he's literally perfect at everything (I guess being a demon makes you perfect), it just makes him unlikable to me. There's no charm or wit to him.

Don't get me started on Ciel. Too late, this is my blog. He's the worst. He has never had a likable moment. At least Sebastian has a moment here or there. Oh, your parents died? Get a new thing. You sulk and mope and just order Sebastian around -- rather rudely, I might add. 

Maybe I'll pick up an episode here and there. Or maybe I'll just look up Grell and Undertaker compilations on YouTube to get my fix.