I have a mix opinion on this. In some ways, I think the mangaka is SMART. He did all his research, the manga is 'well-formulated' with EVERY SINGLE TROPE that a generic shounen has to offer. "Smart!", yes it smart but where's the originality? The lack of originality in Black Clover is what makes the manga lackluster. Had this manga been produced before all the big shounens, it would have been a great hit. But overall, it is still an enjoyable read for me. But it doesnt leave a big impression on the readers.

Black Clover is dumb. It has not a single original idea to offer. You've seen every single character before. It plays all of its tropes straight. It's got a loud and dumb underdog protagonist who has an inexplicable hidden power. It's got a silent broody type rival character. There is a tsundere love interest. It has a band of misfits who the protagonist joins to go on adventures with. It's got big bombastic fights with magic powers that amount to dong measuring contests rather than any acts of strategy and skill. It's got plenty of asspulls and deus ex machina. I quickly forget the names and faces of most of the characters because of how unimportant they all feel. There is basically no character development even after a hundred chapters. The writing is basic at best and asinine at worst. And to top it off, it's got pointless slapstick comedy that is not funny in the slightest. It's a cliche storm is what I am trying to say. I am honestly not sure what the author is going for here, there is nothing Black Clover does that its contemporaries don't do much better.

But, all that being said Black Clover is still a fun read. This is mostly due to the pacing. Black Clover never dwells on anything. Unlike Naruto for example which had so much filler that most of the chapters felt completely pointless, Black Clover has not a single chapter that can be accurately called filler. While the story has nothing interesting to offer, it doesn't wallow in its own rampant mediocrity or pretend to be better than it is. It's undeniably dumb, but it's a light and quick read that you can breeze through in no time at all mostly thanks to the excellent art and panel composition.

UPDATE: I take back my second paragraph. Having re-read all available chapters out of boredom, I came to the realization that Black Clover has absolutely nothing going for it in the slightest beyond the art and panel composition.

... Last updated on December 30th, 2017, 7:09pm

as my title says, what you want from shounen manga are there in Black Clover, and its really good but if you want some serious reading, something fresh this manga aint for you just get the f**k off from here because shonen manga are always fun and enjoy to read with straight plot not something like berserk or monster when come to critical thinking read, so if you dont like it just leave it be, just enjoy the freaking manga YOU NERDS!

... Last updated on October 3rd, 2017, 10:54pm

If you've read a shounen manga, you've read this before.
Every battle is won through power-ups and the plot is super hackneyed.

But the art is good and (other than the main character) the characters are full of potential. Unfortunately the author either doesn't realize this or they don't understand how to develop characters. Main character is literally Naruto. His rival was born without a personality but is attractive so people won't comment on him. The love interest... I don't even want to go here because she could be so much more than a love interest.

I like the settings and abilities though. The artist is super talented and comes up with great concepts. But unfortunately they're juicing tiddies for that token shounen jump appeal, not that I blame them.

Read it if you like Magi or Boku no Hero Academia (although it isn't as good).

Change hokage for magic empreror put naruto in a Fairy Tail kinda universe and done... oh and give the main char the same power from index... really, not an ounce of originality. Still to be honest shounen manga as a general rule ain't seeking to be original and they simply ain't. So if you like Naruto, Fairy Tail, Bleach, etc. you'll probably like this.
That said, the artstyle is great, there is a lot of attention to detail when intended and the action is fluid, that alone puts it above many similar mangas.
Other than that there is not much more to tell, if you are looking for an action shounen manga this one is good, chars are dumb but funny at times (mc is a one line pony thou), story is generic yet not terrible and Yami story was a fun spice, the fights are good and it's naive to the core.

Berserk and One Piece. They are entirely different manga but they can be regarded as the best in their genre. They come in my mind with one basic similarity. Both mangakas have a certain approach in their work.

Black Clover is similar in that aspect. The approach is positive similar to One Piece. The main character naturally influences people around him. He encourages hope through his tenacity, competitive spirit through his hard work(and positive motives) and companionship through his trust towards his comrades. Villains are also righteous and that is why there is no overly negative portrayal and the central characters are interesting. I will take Yami Sukehiro (the leader of the black bulls where Asta is a part of) as an example. He is a dark, humorous, aggressive and irritable fellow who makes light of difficult situation and naturally shows his colors. I meant to say that although the approach is positive but the manga is not painted completely in white. Apart from that this manga has good humor, fast-paced action and a clear, smooth and fun art style. That is why if this manga ranks higher in WSJ rankings and manga hosting websites and continue to do so then many of us won't be surprised. One thing I would like to point out is, the initial chapters might seem a little off but mangaka grows very quickly.

... Last updated on February 23rd, 2017, 10:20am

I love that the protagonist ACTUALLY has no magic at all, and the author found a way to make it work instead of magically giving him a magic power halfway through

Despite the predictable plot for those who read too many of the genre, the fast paced action sucks you right in. The butt-kickings are v satisfying and totally worth it. I like that it's light and not emotionally taxing.

"Cookie cutter shounens" have their charms too, haters need to move on. New generations aren't going to be watching your reruns every morning.

... Last updated on June 29th, 2016, 9:54pm

Not much to say about Black Clover it's shounen with all typical shounen things like power of friendship etc , so if you like shounens it's okay for you . f you have read plenty of them and you are looking for something fresh it's not here .

UPDATE

So, I've given it another chance and force myself to got through because I got too much free time and out of manga to read. At this point I've reached chapter 96. My conclusion. It's bad. Like real bad. The author recycle plot from other top shounen manga's. Not even an ounce of originality. The MC use of his power is so crude. It's like a cavemen waving a katana around. There's no attempt to figure out a creative way other than jumping straight into enemies and poke 'em. And he stay that way until somehow he "awakens". Also there's a monster inside him (think naruto). This manga was written to squeeze the money out of fans of fairy tails and naruto. That's it. I bet the author just put a list of popular mangas in front of his and throw dice to pick which plot to copy.

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Another cookie cutter shounen. I guess this kind of manga make tons of money in Japan. The MC is pretty much another hard working, dumb and get through everything through the power of his kind heart and FRIENDSHIP!

He have a hidden potential but he's not going to get it by being smart about it but he'll get it when the author decide to bless him with godlike luck.

In this kind of novel the smart one always get all kind of shiz thrown at them and had to use their own brain to get stronger while the dumb MC just plough through everything with his HEART POWAAAAAAAAAA! and get OP shiz.

... Last updated on April 5th, 2017, 1:47pm

I had a hard time deciding to drop this. It's not bad but it's not great either.
The characters are just not different enough from what I am currently reading. At one point I expected one of the characters to accidentally call the MC Naruto because that is what he mostly reminds me of, Naruto with a sword instead of his jutsu.
Those reading this are probably thinking that I am paying this MC a high compliment, so let me set the record straight. I already have Naruto, I don't need to waste my time on a wannabe copy.
So I say goodbye to this until I am desperate enough to return, because like I said, it's not bad, it's just not good enough to compete with what I am currently reading.