In the plethora of shonen coming out of the anime industry, “Black Clover”manages to distinguish itself (to a point at least) by functioning as a tribute to a number of titles in the category. Let us take things from the beginning though.

The story takes place in a kind of medieval world, where every single person is able to practice magic. Asta and Yuno are two orphans who want the same thing: to become the Wizard King. Locked in a friendly rivalry, they work hard towards their goal. While Yuno excels at magic, Asta has a problem uncommon in this world: he has no magic powers, an issue he tries to overcome by training his body excessively. However, on the day they receive their grimoires, they surprise everyone. To reach their goal, they will each find their own path to greatness—with or without magic.

The...