Summary
Since it first premiered,Black Cloverhas always been compared to other franchises. While not all of these comparisons are negative, many fans point toits similarity to series likeNarutoas a sign ofBlack Cloverbeing derivative and lacking originality. However, I think that people who accuseBlack Cloverand characters like Asta and Noelle of being trope-laden ripoffsmiss the reason the series is so enjoyable to begin with. Worse yet, I worry that they perpetuate a big problem in discussions surrounding anime/manga.
Not everybody has to love every series. It’s okay to be turned off by the fact thatBlack Cloverisn’t striving to break new ground. It’s also true thatBlack Cloveris still a run-of-the-mill battle shōnen: there’s a rivalry between Asta and Yuno; a grand aspiration of becoming Wizard King; training, tournaments, unexpected alliances, and even a beach episode. But withBlack Clover’s fifth seasonon the horizon and people considering picking up the long-running shōnen, I’ll admit it’s not the most original series ever —but that’s what makes it so good.
Black Clover Finally Fixed Shonen Manga’s Most Boring Cliché
Rather than waste time with a training arc, Black Clover instead uses an effective literary device that has been ongoing since chapter 228.
Black CloverPokes Holes In The Concept Of Originality
Focusing On Originality Is The Wrong Move For Fans
While it’s easy to find the derivative elements in Yuki Tabata’s series, it’s also true thatBlack Cloverbuilds on ideas fromNarutoin a way that is arguably “original”. However, I don’t think these two points contradict each other, becauseI think the concept of “originality” is a red herring.
Black Clover, in many ways, isn’t “original” since it openly borrows shōnen tropes. However, when it comes to “originality”, there are nuanced changes that a series can makewhich would still be left unconsidered— because the conversation had already ended with the idea of pure “originality”. This is unfortunate, becauseBlack Cloverfinds countless ways to set itself apart.
ConsiderJujutsu Kaisen’s intentions of being an anti-Naruto. While a series likeJujutsu Kaisentakes a more oppositional view to shōnen tropes,Black Clovermakes those tropes its own - with subtle, but still worthwhile, tweaks.Black Clover’s anti-magic is a cool concept, even if it’s not “innovative”. Instead of a protagonist with innate potential for one reason or another, Asta’s lack of magic also breaks the mold for shōnen protagonists in a fascinating way by impeding his big dream of becoming Wizard King.
On another level, while it’s as character-driven asNaruto,Black Cloveralso arguably corrects some ofNaruto’s mistakes in world-building.Black Cloveris one of the first battle shōnen to reach its level of popularity whereclass distinctions play a major part, with the pejorative “commoner” constantly thrown around. The home village of Hage also reframes how protagonists' hometowns are normally presented byshowing it to be a place that people want to leave, run-down and forgotten by the Clover Kingdom.
Black Clover Just Trolled Anyone Who Thought It’s a Naruto Ripoff
After critics have said that Black Clover is a Naruto ripoff, creator Yūki Tabata just amusingly stole a name from another one of the Big Three manga.
However, because these are all subtle changes based on well-defined shōnen norms and inspirations, the discourse of originality conveniently forgets them. They’re not flashy, and they don’t stick out like the more obvious shōnen subversion in series likeAttack On TitanorJujutsu Kaisen. Still,I don’t think that makes them any less valuable. The point here is simple. If the value of “originality” comes down to the contribution of new ideas, then it’s actually harder to define what makes a creative work game-changing than many fans believe.
That’s especially critical since anime tends to be prone to what you could call therat-race of innovation. There’s a constant evaluation of how “innovative” or “derivative” works are, and measuring their quality by that. The end result is not just a pathological obsession with novelty or the confusion of novelty with quality, but a very fixed idea of what “novelty” and “quality” even mean.
Black CloverShows The Value Of Simple Engagement
When You Forget About Innovation, You See Things Differently
Black Clover is an “underrated shōnen"that wears its influences on its sleeve.Black Cloverremains one of my favorite anime todaybecauseof how it wears its influences, andit remains underrated for the same reason. What I think lies at the core of being an anime fan is to have all kinds of experiences with anime and manga thatscratch as close to “authentic” as they can. One of the conditions for authentic enjoyment of anime and manga is undermining (or at least being suspicious of) the default discourses for evaluation and comparison.
When I started with anime, my favorites were the random isekai with names like “I Got Reincarnated As A Toilet In The Silly Dimension” or series likeRosario + Vampirethat aren’t always taken seriously. As I became more involved in anime and the surrounding discourses (or in other words, as my “tastes matured”, whatever that means),there were a few ideas I started to unknowingly smuggle:
Although these ideas weren’t true to my experience, they were the stances I adopted after participating in anime discourse uncritically. I never questioned the core assumptions or the ideas they were based on. As a result, those became the lens through which I analyzed anime. Ultimately, though, these evaluations are bound by a context and subculture, sothey’re subject to change - and to intervention.
Black CloverIs My Anime “Comfort Food”
It’s Okay To Simply Enjoy An Anime
I can watchBlack Cloverand, in a lot of ways, know what I’m getting. That makes it a cozy watch, which is a perfect reason to love it on its own.
Black Cloveris fantastic for a simple reason. There’s something to be said for a series that acknowledges and takes advantage of its context without pretense. Shōnen, taken as a broad genre, has developed its norms for many reasons. Mostly, because they reflect the changing attitudes, cultures, and priorities of viewers/readers.Black Cloverisinevitably going to be similar toNaruto, toDragon Ball, and others. Because it’s effectively a love letter to its genre, like withitsDragon Ballhomage, that’s unavoidable.
This isn’t toBlack Clover’s detriment. The emphasis on always “pushing boundaries” in ways that (apparently) must be obvious has produced franchises that can be emotionally exhausting because of how seriously they take themselves. That doesn’t mean they’re bad at all,it just means they don’t make for great comfort watches. When I watchBlack Clover, there’s just hype and intrigue, excitement, and, at times, sadness or anger. It produces these reactionswithout any aspirations except being an enjoyable story.
I can watchBlack Cloverand, in a lot of ways, know what I’m getting. That makes it a cozy watch, which is a perfect reason to love it on its own. At the same time, the fact thatit’s a separate story with different priorities also makes it fresh. Yes, Asta is similar to Naruto. But he’snotNaruto, nor is Yuno Sasuke. These are their own characters, with unique qualities and deliberate choices that are only deeply undervalued by calling them rip-offs or copies.
Black Cloverisn’t bad because it’s derivative. It’s a showcase of the fact that a work can’tnotbe derivative, but that the choices made in deriving from other works are what makes any work unique. It’s thoroughly lovable, even if it’s not trying to be the next big game-changer. I don’t watchBlack Cloverto contemplate ambiguous themes or be challenged,I watchBlack Cloverto smile. That’s undeniably valuable in itself. If a person loves battle shōnen, I think they’ll enjoy — if not love —Black Cloverjust like I do.
Black Clover
Cast
Black Clover, released in 2017, follows orphans Asta and Yuno who aspire to become the Wizard King in a world where magic is paramount. Despite Asta’s lack of powers, their journey unfolds as they receive their grimoires and embark on individual paths towards their ultimate goal.
