Epiosde 1: Hundreds of years ago a great demon was defeated by a mage who became the Clover Kingdom's first Wizard King. Two babies named Asta and Yuno are abandoned and raised by Father Orgi and Sister Lily. 15 years later the boys have grown up as brothers in the Clover Kingdom where all people are able to perform magic with personal spell books called Grimoire’s. Yuno has become a quiet boy with a strong affinity for wind magic, whereas Asta has become outgoing and competitive but has yet to show any magical ability and has relentlessly trained his body instead. They both desire to become the next Wizard King. Asta and Yuno attend a magic ceremony to receive Grimoire’s suited to their abilities. Each Grimoire has a picture of a 3 leaf clover on the cover symbolising Integrity, Hope and Love but Yuno receives an extremely rare 4 leaf Grimoire which symbolises Luck, angering the nobles who all treat commoners with contempt. Asta is humiliated when he does not receive a Grimoire. Yuno is attacked by a disgraced ex magic knight intent on stealing the 4 leaf Grimoire. Asta is badly beaten by the thief who mocks his lack of magic. Asta’s determination to win summons a black Grimoire with a legendary 5 leaf clover which, supposedly, symbolises the Devil.
Episode 2: Yuno recalls growing up with Asta who always looked after him, despite Yuno being the one with magic powers. Asta spends most of his time trying to convince Sister Lily to marry him but is constantly rejected. They are both inspired by tales of the first Wizard King and Asta declares he will become Wizard King one day. Yuno is asked to deliver an important letter to the chief of the next village but is attacked and beaten by a thief on his way home who takes the necklace he was found holding as a baby. Yuno becomes too scared to fight back with his magic. Asta attacks the thief with his bare hands, receiving many injuries but ultimately getting the necklace back after the thief becomes bored. Yuno decides to become as brave as Asta and announces he will be Asta’s rival and become the Wizard King before Asta does. In the present Asta uses his black Grimoire to summon a giant black sword with which he cuts through the thief’s magic and defeats him with one overpowered slash. Asta and Yuno reaffirm their promise to remain friendly rivals until one of them becomes the Wizard King.
Episode 3: Asta and Yuno both train their new abilities relentlessly in preparation for the Magic Knight Selection exam, hoping to earn a place in one of the Magic Knight squads, nine squads of mages who use magic for combat under the command of the current Wizard King in defence of the Clover Kingdom. Asta and Yuno’s rivalry reaches new heights of childish competitiveness. Father Orgi and Sister Lily hold a going away party, congratulating Yuno on his likely future success and subtly reminding Asta that when he fails he can always return home. One of the orphans, Nash, tells Asta that if he manages to become a Magic Knight it might mean everyone’s dreams can come true, even the dreams of commoners and orphans. Asta and Yuno depart for the Capital City, a journey of several days on foot, continuing to train as they travel and both growing far stronger than they were, though Yuno still manages to outperform Asta using magic to accomplish tasks Asta must use strength and skill for. They arrive at the capital city and the magic knight exam, where success involves proving themselves more powerful than the other magic knight candidates.
Episode 4: Asta and Yuno register for the exam and learn Yuno is already famous for receiving the 4 leaf grimoire. As commoners Asta and Yuno are automatically looked down on by the noble candidates. The exam hall is filled with Anti-birds that are more attracted to a person the less magic they have. Asta is harassed by an entire swarm of Anti-birds while Yuno is ignored by them altogether. Asta is approached by Sekke Bronzazza, an arrogant noble candidate who offers to help Asta with the exam. As the exam progresses Yuno outperforms every other candidate and Asta fails miserably while Sekke shows off his skill at Asta’s expense. The final test is to be one on one duels and Sekke chooses Asta as his opponent, revealing to Asta his total contempt for his lack of magic and his own desire to become a Magic Knight purely for the easy lifestyle. As the duel begins Sekke summons a magic shield hoping Asta will embarrass himself trying to get past it, however Asta summons his sword and cuts the shield in half, knocking Sekke unconscious while repeating his promise to achieve his dream and become the Wizard King.
EPisode 5: Despite his easy victory Asta is mocked by the candidates for his dream to become Wizard King. Yuno is likewise approached by an arrogant noble candidate, Salim de Hapshass, who is confident that his skill and power will be far superior to a commoner. Salim uses his most powerful spell, intending to humiliate Yuno, only for Yuno to defeat him effortlessly. With the duels concluded the squad captains decide which candidates they want. Many candidates fail and are sent home. Yuno is selected by all nine squad captains, which is unheard of, and joins the Golden Dawn, which usually only accepts Royals and nobles. Asta is almost sent home until Yami Sukehiro, the intimidating captain of the Black Bulls, accepts him. Sekke, having only been accepted by a less famous squad, the Green Mantises, decides to get revenge and summons a lizard whose poisonous bite would cripple Asta for life. However, Yuno destroys the lizard and Sekke flees. Asta is taken to the Black Bulls Hideout and rushes inside to introduce himself, only to be struck by a magical explosion. As he is thrown backwards Yami welcomes him to the Black Bulls, the worst magic knight squad in the kingdom.
Epiosde 6: Yuno is taken to Golden Dawn headquarters and is greeted coldly by Klaus Lunette, a Golden Dawn Knight who doubts a commoner like Yuno is worthy of Golden Dawn. Asta finds the explosion was caused by two Black Bull Knights brawling and several other knights exhibiting various odd behaviours. Yami proves his might by bringing them all to heel with a single furious glare. Asta learns that while he has been accepted into the Bulls he has yet to earn his robe. Yami puts him through a series of physical tests, proving that Asta’s physical abilities are way above normal. Finally Asta is ordered to duel with Magna Swing, a young Knight who specialises in casting fireballs with a flaming baseball bat. Asta instinctively strikes the fireball with the flat of his sword, preventing it from exploding and returning it at Magna Swing who is almost blown up by his own spell, impressing him mightily. Asta is enthusiastically welcomed to the Black Bulls and receives his own robe with the Black Bull symbol. Asta is observed throughout by an individual Anti-bird who has been following him and by a young lady who is the Black Bull’s second new recruit.
Episode 7: Asta and Yuno both write letters to the orphanage who are surprised but proud that Asta became a Magic Knight alongside Yuno. Asta meets the other new recruit who turns out to be Noelle Silva, youngest daughter of the Silva royal family and sister to the Silver Eagles captain. She immediately labels Asta “little insect commoner”. Asta stands up to her, causing her to attack him with water magic, only for her spell to miss him completely. She angrily quits the Black Bulls. Later Asta sees her practising and realises she is unable to control her magic at all. Noelle remembers her family calling her a disgrace and refusing her entry to the Silver Eagles, the squad her family has belonged to for generations. When she realises Asta saw her fail to control magic she becomes so upset she accidentally traps herself in a gigantic water bubble and begins drowning. Yami solves the problem by throwing Asta at the bubble, whose sword cuts through the spell, nullifying it and saving Noelle. When Noelle realises Asta admires her power and that the Bulls accept her despite her lack of control she re-joins the squad and begins calling Asta by his name.
Episode 8: As the Bull’s newest recruit Asta is given all their household chores such as cleaning, laundry and waking captain Yami every morning without being murdered. Noelle, despite being the same rank as Asta, does no chores at all. Asta realises he has no idea what Magic Knights actually do and the explanations provided by the Bulls are useless. Yami takes Magna with him on a dangerous mission, which turns out to be their code word for gambling. They lose everything at poker, including their underwear, to the chief of Saussy village who agrees to forgive their debt if they do something for him. Yami gives the task to Magna, Asta and Noelle so they can gain experience, though really he just does not want to do it himself. They are to deal with a pack of boars causing problems for Saussy village, giant bad tempered boars that can shoot fire magic. Magna flies Asta and Noelle to the village, though Noelle pushes Asta off Magna’s modified flying broomstick, Crazy Cyclone, for gripping her around the waist without warning. Meanwhile a group of evil mages arrive at Saussy village, led by the rogue ice mage, Heath Grice.
Episode 9: Grice and his mages enter Saussy village looking for a certain magical stone. After Asta manages to kill the boars they head to Saussy village. Magna reveals that in his youth he was a troublemaker but was always defeated by the Saussy chief who eventually convinced him to join the Magic Knights. They reach Saussy but find it surrounded by a mist barrier. Asta uses his sword, which has the ability to nullify any magic, to dissipate the mist. They reach the villagers just as Grice attempts to execute them. Magna protects the villagers but his friend the chief had already been killed. Grice attempts to crush them with a giant ice ball which Asta then slices in half. Grice attacks with ice spikes from every direction and despite Asta and Magna’s best effort several villagers are injured. Noelle tries to attack Grice but misses her target again forcing Asta and Magna to protect her. Overcome with shame and fear Noelle almost leaves the villagers to die, but when a terrified young girl begs for help, Noelle’s instinct to protect others unlocks a new spell in her Grimoire, a giant water shield that protects the villagers from the ice.
Episode 10: Asta lunges at Grice but his sword only grazes Grice’s ribs instead of impaling him. Asta is repeatedly stabbed with ice pillars. Magna recalls the people from his village being proud when he became a Magic Knight and that the Saussy chief gave him the pouch he uses to carry his Grimoire. Determined to help he uses all his remaining magic to cast fireballs at Grice and his mages. Grice blocks most of them but several fly past him which Asta them strikes with the flat of his sword, the move he used against Magna to earn his Bull’s robe, and the reflected fireballs strike Grice and his mages from behind, defeating them, though one mage manages to escape. Asta falls asleep from exhaustion and Noelle blushes as she admits to herself he is kind of amazing. The Anti-bird, who had been secretly hiding inside Asta’s robe, finds the stone Grice was looking for. Grice kills himself and his mages to avoid interrogation. The Anti-bird keeps the stone and starts living on Asta’s head permanently. Elsewhere Grice’s master decides he can retrieve the stone later as he prepares for “the Resurrection”. It is shown he wears a Golden Dawn robe.
Average Rating: 8/10
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