Black Clover received a multitude of mixed reviews, to say the least, and the discussion of whether the story is worth watching or not has gone on for quite some time. While the story has many dedicated fans, others have voiced their doubts about the series and questioned whether the show is actually any good, claiming that it lacks originality or that it's too slow in pace.
The Black Clover manga made its debut in 2015 while the anime adaption first aired in 2017; however, the anime announced in 2021 that it will be going on a hiatus.
10 Is Black Clover Any Good? Its Success Speaks For Itself
Black Clover has been dubbed by the masses as having both the highs and lows of a typical shonen series. Yes, there is filler, the show can sometimes take a while to get to the point, and at times certain characters' development can leave fans yearning for more. Despite this, the pace is more often than not worth the wait for what's to come, and while some characters feel like filler, Black Clover overall does character development really well.
The series certainly fell short at the start, but the story's progression has propelled the franchise to tremendous success and Black Clover, as a whole, is extremely popular, globally recognized, and regularly features on the 'most watched' or 'popular' lists on the majority of anime streaming services.
9 There Were Complaints Of Asta's Voice Acting To Begin With, But He Calms Down Later On In The Series
A common complaint surrounding Black Clover is that viewers found Asta's voice to be too loud and annoying at the beginning, to the point where some said they stopped watching the show altogether because they couldn't handle his persistent screaming. But as the show goes on, his abrasive tone is far less frequent than it is at the start.
It's also important to note that Asta is an eager and hugely motivated character who constantly thrives to do well in order to achieve his dream of one day becoming the Wizard King. So it could be argued that his character was supposed to be somewhat annoying, to begin with.
8 Some Claim That Black Clover Is Too Similar To Other Popular Shonen Series, But It's Definitely Orgininal In Its Own Way
People often refer to Black Clover as a magical Naruto and claim that Asta displays too many of the same qualities as Naruto himself, such as his initial loudness, the fact he also has a creature living inside him, and a dream of becoming a leader. More so, as Asta is born without magic, some say that the premise of the story is too similar to My Hero Academia, as Izuku Midoriya was born without a Quirk.
Though there are obvious comparisons, Black Clover doesn't lack complete uniqueness. First and foremost, the series has a compelling power system where mages, throughout the series, possess an abundance of unique magical prowess. The series has also been praised for its many lovable characters, with the majority of the Black Bulls dominating the popularity polls.
7 The Animation Was Questioned At Times, But The Series Has Many Beautifully Animated Scenes
Black Clover has received some backlash for its animation quality, however, this is not entirely true nor is it a fair statement to make about the series as a whole.
During the Elf Reincartion arc, Dorothy Unsworth, the Magic Knight captain of the Coral Peakcocks, was used as an elf reincarnate. As her overtaken body and her Clover Kingdom comrades battled, fans were able to see her Dream Magic: Glamour World technique. This beautifully animated scene showed fans Dorothy's enchanting, unique, and fun ability in all its glory.
6 The Pace Was Considered Slow, But The Wait Is Worth It
It's true that Black Clover takes some time to get to the point, but it's worth sticking it out.
Although the Elf Reincartion arc is widely considered as one of the best parts of the entire story, the build-up to this point is vastly underestimated, and both the Royal Captain arc and the Eye of the Midnight Sun arc do a great job of setting the scene for what's to come.
5 People Think Yuno's Personality Is Bland, But His Backstory Is Anything But
Yuno is often emotionless and monotone in his general demeanor unless he's arguing with Asta about who will become the Wizard King, and even then he's still considerably quiet.
However, Yuno's backstory has developed drastically since the Heart Kingdom Joint Struggle arc began. During this arc, it was revealed that Yuno is in fact a former royal family member of the Spade Kingdom and finally made sense of why Yuno has incredibly powerful mana and Wind Magic.
4 Noelle's Crush On Asta dampened Her Characterization, But Overtime She Becomes More Commited To Honing Her Skills
Noelle's infatuation with Asta almost came out of nowhere and the focus placed on her obsession with him has hindered her characterization throughout the progression of the show.
As time went on, the noblewoman of the Silva household has gone from having virtually no control over her water magic to obtaining incredible battle abilities through sheer hard work and commitment. She also focuses more on finding out the truth about her mother rather than pining over Asta.
3 Black Clover Was Considered Predictable At Times, But There are Also Plenty Of Surprises
Some argue that Black Clover is too predictable, claiming that the series doesn't offer much in terms of surprises. On the contrary, the story has plenty of unexpected surprises throughout, and one particular moment which shocked fans was the scene where Licht seemingly killed the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono.
As Licht launches a powerful and almost fatal Light Magic attack on the entire Clover Kingdom, Julius manages to stop it before everyone is crushed, but at the cost of letting his guard down and being stabbed. As fans made peace with the lovable Wizard King's demise, a shocking revelation showed that Julius had in fact survived by coming back to life using mana he had stored in the Swallowtail, a magic item that is compatible with his Time Magic.
2 Some Side Characters Felt Forgettable, But Memorable Ones Eventually Make Their Debut
Thinking back to the pace of Black Clover, the story took its time to introduce some of the best characters of the entire series. Notable characters like Mereoleona Vermillion, Henry Legolant, and Nacht Faust were brought in much later on, yet they manage to give far more to the show than other consistent side characters.
Despite the late arrivals, their first appearances were well executed and well worth the wait.
1 Asta & Yuno's Rivalry Felt Dull At Times, But The Joint Battles Are Everything
The structure of Asta and Yuno's rivalry isn't exactly show-stopping, and while it falls flat in many ways, their joint battles are undoubtedly some of the best parts of their dynamic.
The power of Asta and Yuno's rivalry was portrayed at its finest when they teamed up to take down the actual reincarnation of Licht and not phony Patolli Licht, in order to save the Clover Kingdom from total destruction. As Asta and Yuno worked together to land a seemingly finishing blow on Licht, Rhya watched in dismay, pointing out how perfectly in-sync their techniques were with one another.
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