Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King

Four former Wizard Kings, removed from the history of the Clover Kingdom, return. They mean to bring the kingdom down and install their own order. Asta has no magic; all he has are swords that cut magic, and the people opposite him are the strongest mages in the kingdom's history. The subject is not combat but the question of whose the crown is. The old kings are people who served the kingdom and were then set aside; the film does not show their claim as entirely unjustified and refuses to reduce the matter to revenge. The form is markedly more ambitious than the television episodes. The fights are large in scale, the camera moves freely and the colour is denser. Visually the film goes past its source series. It was made after the show's television run finished and released directly on Netflix. The narrative does not connect to the main story, and a short introductory section was added for those who do not know the series. Ayataka Tanemura directs. Gakuto Kajiwara voices Asta. Who it is for: viewers following the series who like large-scale animated combat. Who it is not for: anyone expecting character development; the film is built entirely on conflict.