Title: Black Clover Vol. 16
Author: Yuki Tabata
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 200
Genre: Shounen, Battle
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
The Story
Volume 16 of Black Clover continues the battle with the Eye of the Midnight Sun. While we don’t get much focus on Asta in this volume, it’s rightfully so as one of the biggest and most pivotal moments in the series thus far happens. That makes this volume hard to talk about due to the immense spoilers that this situation brings with it but it is a series-changing event, indeed!
Without going into too much detail, we learn the identity of the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun as he attacks the Clover Kingdom directly. We end up diving deep into the history of the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s leader as well as the past of The Wizard King.
While things are a bit confusing when it comes to the EotMS’s leader, one this is for certain: He has established himself as a major threat and a person who could bring about the apocalypse if he chooses to do so.
We also learn about the truth behind why the Eye of the Midnight Sun wanted to gather the magic stones. Their true plans are unveiled and it’s not as grand of a plan as you would think. I’ll just go on record as saying they were for more selfish desires more than anything but those desires will have a grand impact on the world of Black Clover.
The end to the volume also sets up another grand battle… a battle that could have many, many outcomes!
Characters
Honestly, I have to skip this section because 90% of this volume’s character development contains VERY HEAVY spoilers. I will have to save this section for my Volume 17 review because, by then, people would have had a few months to read this volume. If you end up reading my Vol. 17 review without reading this one, then it’s your own fault at that point for getting spoiled.
I will say that we received some big backstories on Julius Novochrono, the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and how that ties into both Yami and Vangance. It was highly interesting to see how it was all interwoven together!
Final Thoughts
This was probably one of the biggest, most-impactful editions of Black Clover to date. We witnessed not one, not two, but three series-altering events all in the span of 200 manga pages. I felt like the entire series was gearing up for this one volume as it was just a pivotal turning point for everyone. The main story plot moved forward in a HUGE way and sets the stage for certain goals to be fulfilled with a certain character.
One thing is for certain, things were set up for an eventual clash between the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s leader and Asta. Given the level of power showcased here, it’s safe to say that Asta is going to need a serious power up. But first, we need to get through the next battle which will be a tough, yet, emotional battle for the entire cast of the series!
For a shonen manga that has used the paint-by-the-numbers formula since the very beginning, Yuki Tabata pulled out all the stops with this one. Hands down, the best volume of Black Clover to date! Go out of your way to pick up this volume if you haven’t already.
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This item was provided for review by Viz Media
