Black Clover

[Darj]

Asta and Yuno were abandoned together at the same church, and have been inseparable since. As children, they promised that they would compete against each other to see who would become the next Emperor Magus. However, as they grew up, some differences between them became plain. Yuno was a genius with magic, with amazing power and control, while Asta could not use magic at all, and tried to make up for his lack by training physically. When they received their Grimoires at age 15, Yuno got a spectacular book with a four-leaf clover (most people receive a three-leaf-clover), while Asta received nothing at all. However, when Yuno was threatened, the truth about Asta's power was revealed, he received a five-leaf clover Grimoire, a "black clover"! Now the two friends are heading out in the world, both seeking the same goal!

(Source: MangaHelpers, edited)

https://myanimelist.net/manga/86337/Black_Clover

 

 

I was surprised to not find any thread on this manga after searching the Subforum. I just found about it but it was released back on 2015, but damn I like it so much. It quickly jumped right into among top 3 favorites, still deciding between 2nd and 3rd.

 

Not sure if a bit spoiler-ish, but If I had to describe it in few words, I would say it borrows elements from One Piece: there is magic instead of "devil fruit powers", you have a protagonist who want to be the "Pirate King" of the series, but he goes all anti-meta against the competition.

 

 

Latest chapter is #103. I'm still catching up with it in Chapter #62 xD

[Blake]

It's amateurish.

 

Enjoyable, but it never takes a break from the action, and it really shows how important a little "filler" in the name of giving characters room to breathe is.

 

It also is very much Bleach/Naruto/OP inspired.

 

It has potential, but the pacing needs work and the cast needs depth. Following it in hopes of it improving, because it IS snjoyable, despite he flaws.

[Nicο]

Enjoyable, but it never takes a break from the action, and it really shows how important a little "filler" in the name of giving characters room to breathe is.

You say that after the most recent chapter. xD

 

Yes, it really showed. 

 

There was a recent interview that shows how the author would rather a slower pace and I quote when asked if he consciously focuses on a fast pace:

"Not really. I actually want it to go slower. My previous story also had a fast pace, so I wanted this one to develop a little slower. But I want to create a satisfying chapter and things just go fast when I try to fill a chapter's worth of content. Eventually I'd like to create a satisfying chapter that can develop at a slower pace. But for now the story is moving at a swift pace."

Assuming he doesn't mean to just stall things out and actually have enough non-action. I guess that's kind of admitting amateurism that you can't do things in the way you want to, but for now I probably prefer it this way with this kind of shounen. I like decent development, I'd just so rather not spend a decade on the anime version no matter how much I like it. Though considering the source's magazine in combination with the anime's studio, there should definitely be "some" filler in that. Here's hoping they use it wisely. 

[Darj]

I'm up to date by now xD

Yeah, I felt it fast-paced, but I for one welcomed that because otherwise you get cases like OP where just reaching the main boss can take 2+ chapters...

Also, I did spot some cliches and tropes here and there, but can't really complain about that since pretty much all series have them nowadays, and for me they kinda work well.

 

I'm not too savvy on manga or anime so I don't fully understand what you mean with "amateurish" but I will take your words on it. Regardless, it is still one of my top favorite series now; the setting, plot, characters, etc. really hit some spots on me. It may be the not-so-underused "prevailing underdog" story, but I guess I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

[asterr259]

To me it felt like more like Naruto with a mix of Zatch Bell (with the idea of character-specific/themed-magic and Spell Books that give you spells based on improvement). But I've also been reading it since it came out. Fast-paced sure, but nothing I can really discredit it for. I don't need a constant barrage of action to keep my interest, but it'll slow down and expand on characters when it gets to it; like it is now.

 

Characters are fun and interesting, only a few meh ones or ones I dislike. The World is something I hope gets expanded on, but definitely something I'll keep reading.

[Darj]

Characters are fun and interesting, only a few meh ones or ones I dislike. The World is something I hope gets expanded on, but definitely something I'll keep reading.

 

Now that you mentioned it, I have yet to find a character that I fully dislike. Well, a couple of "bad guy of the arc" characters were annoying, but that's pretty much their nature, and even those have the chance of changing, like one of them already did, or otherwise being developed more later on.

 

Anyway, thoughts on chapter 105

[spoiler=]

It hasn't jumped into big action yet, which is refreshing because of the breathing room it gives to develop characters a bit more. I really like the pairing of the 2 captains the series has going on. Yami is my favorite character so far, despite Astra's power and quirks, and Charlotte would such a nice partner for him; I'm definitely shipping this one.

Speaking of ships, I enjoy how the series is in a way giving multiple crushes on Asta; even Sally seems to have a yandere-ish thing for him. I don't care if it's a typical "lots of girls falling for the oblivious guy" cliche, I like the approach they are taking on it in this series. If I were to ship a couple, it would be Asta x Noelle; yeah, it may be the most obvious or mainstream one, but damn, they got me charmed. Although I'm open to shifting to Asta x Sally depending on how much we get to know about her later on.

Black Bull jumping to 2nd place was quite the surprise for me. I was expecting up to 5th place or at least to not have negative stars anymore, but straight to 2nd? damn. I wonder how this sudden spike of attention will affect the squad.

And really, maybe it's just me, but all the chapters have felt shorter compared to other mangas; I never feel that I have enough xD

 

[asterr259]

This is actually becoming my favorite manga rn, tied with MHA (also really love the crossover covers they did), so I guess I'll talk about whatever's worth talking about.

 

[spoiler=108]

Ridiculous name aside, Meleoleona pretty much had me laughing pretty hard all chapter the way she snatched up people. It was almost as if she picked up anyone of plot relevance for a training arc. No... that's exactly what she did isn't it?

 

One of the characters on my meh/dislike list was actually Leopold because he felt like a stereotypical hot-head (no pun intended, but that's obviously what the author was going for). Hopefully we get more expansion on him and maybe some Asta/Yuno time as well. Even though they're on different squad, it's nice to see them together so frequently.

 

 

[Darj]

Glad to see the bit of activity in the thread. I can follow up with a reply now xD

[spoiler=Chapter 108]

Yeah, I also found funny how Meleoleona just started grabbing the relevant people who randomly showed up. I'm really curious on how powerful she can be after that explanation on her position and stance.

Her name sounds a bit convoluted yeah, but I guess it's easier to understand if you know spanish since "leona" translates to lioness, and Meleo... this is a stretch but "melena" is mane in spanish so... yeah, maybe that's where her name come from? xD

Was truly glad when she got Charlotte too, because that means there will be at least one bit of development on her, and hopefully there will be development on the Yami X Charlotte pairing they are suggesting, too. Speaking of that, I looked back a bit and I'm pretty sure by now that Yami knows about Charlotte's crush on him, and I have yet to see him fully reject her so I hope something happens between them eventually. Personally, I cannot but compare this series with One Piece, and a thing I like about this series that OP doesn't offer, and one of the reasons this made it to my top favorite series, is precisely these pairings: in OP there really aren't any couple developments, and IIRC that's intentional from the artist; but that's not a thing in this series, as it's hinting at some pairings already.

 

 

 

[asterr259]

A lot of stuff I wanna talk about. Text Wall inbound.

 

[spoiler=OVA]

Great and faithful adaptation of the first chapter(or 2, can't remember), but sometimes the animation really irked me. Faces sometimes looked really rough or jagged compared to the manga which is slightly more smooth. This makes them look older and weird. In the Manga, Mars looks about the same age range as Asta, or rather, Yuno, or at the very least, a few years older. But here he looked  30, and his voice (which was fine), didn't help. Though OVA adaptations tend to not be so accurate. Dunno when/if we're getting an anime, but if we get the same animators, I hope they work on this. VAs were spot on though. Many people were upset that Asta's voice was deep. But honestly, this felt perfect for him! I've always been reading him with a deep voice in mind, and this felt true to his tough, loud character. If we are getting an anime, this is the one thing I think must be kept.

 

 

 

[spoiler=chp110/Asta]

One of the reasons I really like Asta is because he feels more "real" compared to someone like Natsu from Fairy Tail (who was raised by a Dragon but still). His shonen-style "Never-give-up" spirit aside, I feel like his thoughts and reactions to the characters around him aren't just funny, but also feel relatable and overall accurate. When he met the Black Bulls, his reaction felt spot on compared to if someone like Luffy, Goku, or Natsu met them and would just accept it and just go with the flow. Meleona (just gonna shorten it to this) asking him to take off his clothes at the end and his response, made me think of why I like this character so much. I guess it's because of his proper upbringing, compared to the other aforementioned, but they could've just as easily made him "I'm an Orphan, and I'm quirky! I don't understand social norms! What's this? Sounds silly, don't care!".

 

I also like how he's not "dumb" in terms battle/combat. It's good to show his thinking process, similarly to Deku from Academia, and is a warm welcome compared to someone who's just naturally good at something, or does something random and lucks out all the time. Not to say this hasn't happened in some shape or form, but it feels much more mild compared to the manga this series is constantly being compared to. Instincts are great and all, but thinking things through is also very important. Maybe the "Naruto with Magic" comments are just getting to me, but even though it took aspects from other series, I think it has earned its right to its own identity. This chapter, as well as many other previous, even the first 5 or so, chapters illustrates his capacity to think before you leap (which is taken literally here). Honestly I think I'm just so burnt out on DBS's "Everything's gonna work out!" and Fairytail's "Nakama Power over everything!" attitudes, that something simple like this is just appreciated.

 

Meleona seems to be as strong, or stronger than, most captains, which is why they offered little resistance from the previous chapter xD. Can't tell if Asta made a legitimate Power Rangers reference or if the translator was being funny as I can't recall if the japanese power rangers said anything specific before changing. Though screaming "Henshin!" comes to mind, and is reason enough for me lol.

 

 

 

[spoiler= Traitor/Other Theories]Other things I wanted to bring up are the who the traitor(s) is, and Yuno and Asta's Parents. The traitor is someone from Golden Dawn, and they tried to make it seem like it's William, but Langris is a more likely suspect. William however does seem related to Licht in some way. Siblings may be possible since he was born from an illegitimate relationship. These characters aren't really specified and neither is where he's from specifically, he may even be from another Kingdom that Julius just pulled him from. Vangeance may not even be his real family name (hell, it may even be unsubtle foreshadowing), and just a cover he or Julius came up with. And honestly, Emperor Julius is also suspicious, but that's for another day. There's also the character Liar, but I think he's just to derail readers/add an air of untrustworthiness. I hope in the future there is no Liar/Grey mindfuck. Would be interesting though.

 

Also, while I think Asta MAY be just a random orphan (which I would prefer), I think Yuno is obviously of Noble blood, possibly another illegitimate child. One of them, may even be part, or pure, elf. If they're half-elf, it may explain the lack of pointed ears (which elves of this series seemingly do have), or maybe have a birth defect. A birth defect, or maybe some strange curse OR masking magic, may also explain why a certain character has who has no magic was born from the species which has the most magical power? Which maybe might be an excellent way in order to preserve the very last of species being hunted down? Again, just theories. Family blood seems to be a key thing with this series.

 

Still too early in the series for that last one to hold any weight, as we know very little of the elves or the extent of their power. The William theory too as his real family may be revealed sooner than later to clear his name, but we do know transformation magic exists here (Liar and Grey), and if you're an Elf, or know of Elf-type magic (which Licht probably does), long-lasting or permanent transformation magic that affects a target and just the self may exist.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

I'd quote Pendulum Black and say I agree completely, but quoting a two-month old post seems silly. But I do think he hit the nail on the head pretty well, although using the word 'filler' to mean "not action" rather than its actual meaning is playing with linguistic razor-blades. Black Clover is basically a stale Naruto, though there are definitely worse things you could be. A stale Bleach, for example.

 

It is still, unfortunately, one of the better things running in (English) Jump right now, and battle shounens are paradoxically somewhat difficult to come by, so I'll take it, particularly with my beloved child, World Trigger, updating so rarely.

 

Actually I'm 10+ issues behind in Jump. I should probably get back to that sometime...

[asterr259]

It's starting to bother me how Gordon still hasn't been developed. Or has any character traits outside of wanting friends and mumbling.

[Fusion X. Denver]

Just caught up to this series the other day, I'm enjoying it so far! I do think it has a bit of a breakneck pace but I'm also wondering if maybe it should keep its pace going this fast. Slowing down could help it develop its characters some more, which I think would be in the author's best interest. None of them are that deep, although several are interesting in their own right. So that said, I think I'd be fine if it kept going at the pace it is. Never seen pacing that fast before and I kinda want to see what happens if it never stops.

I'd say this series is one of the better examples of style over substance that I've seen so far. I wouldn't put it above some other shonen action manga I've read, but I'm glad it exists.

[Darj]

[spoiler=Chapter 121]

Yeah, Noelle destroying her brother shouldn't be surprising. And Yuno being overpowered as usual. To think he could very well be the strongest wind magic user at the moment... so exciting; at the same time, it's really funny to see him with Sylph/Bell and their contrasting personalities.

What got my interest the most, though, is the mushroom magic from their other teammate, En Ringarde. He may have used it in silly ways, but something that Dorohedoro showed me is that mushroom magic can be crazy strong. Looking forward to finding to what extents he uses the magic. Also this chapter made me appreciate more the diversity on character's facial expressions and how quick they can change, like when mushroom on Noelle's shoulder appeared.

 

[notcleverusername]

Honestly the series is stereotypical as funk, I'd honestly call it more shonen than Naruto and possibly even One Piece

I still enjoy it but it's mostly in the sense that I just enjoy the ride, I don't really have any serious or legitimate expectations for it

Literally every character is defined by a trope, which would be intolerable if they weren't so bloody cute about it

[Fusion X. Denver]

Dude, Asta's voice actor needs to chill out.

Not only does he keep screaming, but his voice rattles for each yell. I hope they direct him differently in future episodes, that'll get annoying quick.

[Darj]

Ah, the first episode is out already? Had no idea, I was expecting it later xD

But I will check it out. While looking around I found an OVA too; may as well watch it, too.

[Eshai]

First episode reminded me of My Hero Academia, where he didn't have magic or anything, but then instead he was a demon protagonist with a giant sword. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it felt a bit typical.

 

Still like My Hero Academia more, but it's kinda hard to get better than My Hero Academia.

[Fusion X. Denver]

First episode reminded me of My Hero Academia, where he didn't have magic or anything, but then instead he was a demon protagonist with a giant sword. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it felt a bit typical.

 

Still like My Hero Academia more, but it's kinda hard to get better than My Hero Academia.

Black Clover is pretty typical through and through, by the books shonen. Not saying it isn't enjoyable or doesn't have great moments, but there's little to nothing new you'll see here. 

[Fusion X. Denver]

I dropped the anime.

Episode 9 ended at the end of chapter 6.

They made a one panel gag from the manga into an extended third of an episode where fire guy and Yami lost in gambling. A panel.

 

There's no excuse for that kind of pacing in the modern anime climate. Food Wars, MHA, Haikyuu, and AssClass are some Shonen Jump titles that have shown that adapting them in cours makes for a much better product than making constant episodes like the Big 3 back in the day.

 

Manga's the best way to go with this one, screw Studio Pierrot.

[Nicο]

Well... they really didn't need to go that slow. I obviously do appreciate fleshing a good number of things out, but I have my worries they're seriously going to adapt less than if it ended up half as long. I still like it, because I can't not see my current SJ waifu in animated form, but I agree, the age of straight long runners is so completely over.

 

I'm also ashamed to admit this has my favorite running gag of the season, I just cannot get over Yami's "Stop breaking stuff!" *cue Yami punching a wall out*

[Darj]

Bumping this up because damn, the last chapters have been a blast:

[spoiler=Chapter 138~140]

Finally we get to see more of Gordon, and actually speak xD And poison magic, huh. Really powerful if you ask me. I have seen poison do nasty stuff in games, other series, and surely its effectiveness won't be an exception in this one. Liked a lot the bit about his doll hobby.

That conversion magic of Grey is hella strong, too! Glad to see she is not hiding her real appearance that much anymore, too.

Then the other big surprise: Henry. Almost speechless on that one. He comes out of nowhere, defends like a champ and turns into a giant bull golem. Impressive.