I've never been much of a fan of this series. I became aware of it through word mouth and strange sayings of it being compared to a great like Naruto. So I watched the anime, and it wasn't anywhere near Naruto's level in terms of depth, fights, or even concept. The rivalry itself is incredibly boring. If I could, I would write a long review on why Yuno is the most disappointing rival in Jump's late 2010s line up of a series spanning over 200 chapters. I never really became a fan of the entire series after reading the manga as well. The story is cliché as hell. I found the magical knights meh when compared to other stories Iike Seven Deadly Sins, the antagonists are pathetic in their longevity, depth, and overall "weight", and other characters are enjoyable but were never really given as much spotlight as I would've liked. Especially when it came to the magic captains. I never warmed up to the Clover Kingdom. The corruption, the Nobles, and the king were just too disgusting and lame to root for. I know that no kingdom is without their fair share of bloody history, but I just never saw anything that was worth fighting for.
The one saving grace this series had, though, was Yami Sukehiro.
I love everything regarding this man. His attitude, his demeanor, his design, his mindset, his fighting style, the way he would steal the show, his very character! He was everything that was great in unexpected surprises. The wonderful voice talents of Junichi Suwabe also really helped me become a dead hard fan. Which in turn made me a bigger fan of Junichi-san as well. I could see I wasn't alone in my judgment as Yami-san won the popular vote twice as second place in the chara popularity poll.
In their recent Arc, it made sense to me why Yuki Tabata made him a huge piece of the spade war. I LOVED the focus on him, his relationships, and the lonely aspects he faced in his youth, and how he eventually built a "family.
But...I have to say...I am extremely disappointed with recent developments regarding Yami-san's history. Turning him into Itachi Uchiha does not and will not end well.
I don't know how many Naruto fans read this or if Tabata himself is a fan of the series, but I condemn him as one. He not only ruined his one saving grace, but he shows himself to be disrespectful to any fans of a far greater series with this blatant insult.
I condemned him for his writing that took a new level in Heck and fraudulent rip off. I always found his writing to be weak and predictable, but I tolerated it. But this? Is this in your final Arc for your first hit as a mangaka?
It's absolutely shameful.