Black Clover Was Once Considered One of the Worst Series (& Now Fans Can’t Enough)

The widely-acclaimed manga titled Black Clover, penned by Yuki Tabata, is nearing its climax, leaving fans eagerly waiting for Studio Pierrot’s decision regarding a sequel for the anime adaptation. This story unfolds in a world where magic plays a vital role, shaping one’s social standing, living conditions, and overall lifestyle. Despite being a boy devoid of magical abilities, Asta harbors an ambitious dream: to ascend to the position of Wizard King – a title reserved for the most powerful mage within the Clover Kingdom.

Unlike him, his childhood companion and rival excelled early on as a prodigy. Nevertheless, Asta persists in his pursuit of a dream, having obtained a grimoire with a five-leaf clover that negates any magic. We trace his tumultuous journey through adversity, as he joins the Black Bulls Squad and aspires for greatness. The narrative underscores tenacity and refusing to yield even in the face of overwhelming odds. However, while Black Clover is widely cherished today, it initially faced strong criticism at its outset.

At one point in time, Black Clover was deemed the most disliked manga by attendees of San Diego Comic Con, regardless of age. It’s hard to find anything more criticized than that. However, the series has gained a lot of love recently as people gave it a chance, but its popularity wasn’t always so high.

— Ascillios Time| (@ascillios) January 10, 2025

Black Clover Faced Severe Criticism in the Beginning

In February 2015, I witnessed the launch of this manga, but a year later at Comic-Con International, critics deemed it one of the least impressive mangas suitable for any age group. Anime News Network published this list, which also featured Tomodachi x Monster, Guardians of the Louvre, Ninja Slayer Kills, and Servant X Service in the same category. For the initial months following its 2017 anime debut, it garnered a score of 6.51 on MyAnimeList. Generally viewed as below par, many reviews criticized the adaptation for poor animation quality and an unremarkable storyline.

Critics often pointed out issues with the story’s pace, frequent reliance on typical shonen elements, and Asta’s constant shouting, which some found grating. Despite these criticisms, this anime currently holds a score of 8.14 on the same platform, while the manga scores slightly lower at 7.85. The series started to gain popularity around halfway through its first year, particularly during the airing of The Dungeon Exploration Arc, which highlighted Asta and Yuno’s teamwork against Mars, a formidable foe from the enemy kingdom.

Back in 2019-2020, I found myself delving deep into the Eye of the Midnight Sun Arc of Black Clover, a captivating anime series. The studio really stepped up their game with improved animation, and the storyline took a dramatic turn, revealing substantial character growth and development. Battles against the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Zagred the Devil, and subsequent adversaries presented intense, high-stakes conflicts that resonated deeply due to their emotional depth.

The antics of the Dark Triad within the Spade Kingdom Arc sparked even more curiosity about the show, while the Elf Reincarnation Arc in the Clover Kingdom caused further turmoil, thereby reinforcing Black Clover’s standing as one of the top series currently available. As the tale unfolded, audiences grew to admire the anime for its intricate world-building, magical system, supporting characters, and action sequences, among other aspects.

Black Clover’s Anime Is Delayed Far Too Long

1) The animated series ended in March 2021 at Episode 170, but there’s no news about a follow-up yet. It concluded the Spade Kingdom Arc after adapting only some of the source chapters before wrapping up. The final two arcs featured some of the most thrilling battles and unexpected plot turns that fans have experienced thus far. Should there be another anime adaptation, it would certainly heighten the anticipation for those key moments. Moreover, it’s crucial that the series resolves its incomplete narrative and offers closure to eagerly waiting fans.

Should Black Clover anime resurface under Studio Pierrot’s guidance, it seems they might opt for a seasonal release, much like their approach with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. This means that fans may have to endure a bit of a wait as the narrative unfolds, but this extended period allows the team to focus on delivering top-notch animation quality. Meanwhile, the manga itself has entered its final arc. In 2023, Black Clover moved from Weekly Shonen Jump to Jump GIGA, with the series’ run in Weekly Shonen Jump coming to a close on August 21st, 2023.

On December 25th, 2023, the manga resumed its publication in Jump GIGA. Due to personal and family matters, Yuki Tabata found it difficult to meet the weekly deadline. Now, instead of weekly chapters, new instalments are being released every three months. This change has allowed Tabata to achieve a healthier balance between work and life, ensuring the continued high quality of his work. In his apology to readers, Tabata expressed his intention to complete the manga while in better condition.

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2025-01-15 02:09