Black Clover

ブラッククローバー

9.0(13)

Otaku Den

8.1(1,010,418)

MAL Score

Ranked #534

Popularity #52

Action
Fantasy
Love Polygon
Super Power

Episodes: 170
Duration: 23 min per ep
Aired: Oct 3, 2017 to Mar 30, 2021
Status: Finished Airing

Synopsis

Asta and Yuno were left at the same church on the same day and grew up side by side, inspired by the legend of the Wizard King—the kingdom’s most powerful mage. They vow to rival each other for the title, but their paths quickly diverge: Yuno’s talent for magic is exceptional, while Asta has none at all and throws himself into relentless physical training to make up the difference.

At fifteen, Yuno is chosen by a rare four-leaf clover grimoire, while Asta receives nothing—until Yuno is attacked by Revchi, who seeks to steal that grimoire. Outmatched as he tries to protect his friend, Asta’s determination erupts at the brink of defeat, and he awakens a five-leaf clover grimoire known as the Black Clover, turning the tide. Soon after, the two set off on their journeys, driven by the same dream of becoming the next Wizard King.

Otaku Consensus

Black Clover earned a sizable, loyal fandom by turning a rough, trope-heavy opening stretch into a consistently hype battle-shounen with strong character growth and an easy-to-love squad dynamic. Fans and critics alike frequently point to its noticeable quality upswing—especially in action animation and ensemble chemistry—while detractors cite early pacing, loud shounen habits, and predictability as persistent hurdles. With 170 episodes and high community engagement (MAL 8.14 from 970,431 votes; Popularity #55), it’s widely viewed as a long-runner that rewards patience.

Why You Should Watch

Watch Black Clover if you want a high-energy fantasy action series that lives and dies on momentum: training, teamwork, and explosive payoffs. Its biggest hook isn’t novelty—it’s escalation done with conviction, where an underdog lead and a stacked ensemble push each other past their limits in a world built on magic, class tension, and guild pride. Studio Pierrot’s long-running production finds its stride as it goes, and when the show is “on,” the swordplay and super-power clashes hit with real punch. If you enjoy shounen rivalry, found-family squads, and a steady drip of new abilities and matchups, Black Clover is built to binge—and to win you over over time.

Key Characters

A
Asta(VA: Kajiwara, Gakuto)
A magicless orphan who compensates with relentless training and sheer willpower, making him a rare shounen lead whose strength is earned the hard way.
S
Silva, Noelle(VA: Yuuki, Kana)
A proud, sharp-edged noble-in-training whose growth is as much about self-control and confidence as it is about raw magical output.
Y
Yuno(VA: Shimazaki, Nobunaga)
Asta’s prodigy rival—cool, gifted, and intensely driven—whose calm competence makes every comparison feel like a challenge.

What Makes It Stand Out

1
A long-form shounen “turnaround” that many viewers highlight: early episodes can feel generic, but the series steadily tightens its character arcs and delivers bigger, cleaner payoffs as it progresses.
2
Ensemble-cast appeal with strong found-family energy—Black Clover thrives when it’s bouncing between personalities, rivalries, and team-based problem solving rather than relying on a single hero moment.
3
Action-forward fantasy staging that leans into swordplay and super-power clashes; when the animation hits, it sells speed, impact, and teamwork with crowd-pleasing clarity.
4
A clear thematic backbone of class struggle and bullying within a medieval-flavored magic society, giving the underdog narrative extra bite beyond simple power scaling.
5
Distinct production craftsmanship visible in the staff lineup—dedicated roles for character design (Itsuko Takeda), prop design (Kousei Takahashi), art direction (Yuki Maeda), and color design (Aiko Shinohara) help the world feel coherent over 170 episodes.

Fun Facts & Trivia

Fun fact 1: Black Clover ran for 170 episodes on TV, airing from Oct 3, 2017 to Mar 30, 2021, making it a true long-running shounen commitment rather than a short seasonal adaptation.
Fun fact 2: The anime is produced by Studio Pierrot, a studio strongly associated with long-form battle shounen production pipelines—part of why the series is often discussed in terms of pacing and later-arc quality gains.
Fun fact 3: Community reception is notably robust: it holds a MyAnimeList score of 8.14/10 from 970,431 votes and sits at Popularity #55, reflecting how widely it’s been watched and debated.
Fun fact 4: AniList tagging heavily emphasizes what the show leans into: Magic (96%), Shounen (95%), Found Family (90%), and an Ensemble Cast (83%), which aligns closely with the way fans describe its strengths.
Fun fact 5: Key visual identity is anchored by credited design leadership—Itsuko Takeda (Character Design) with Kumiko Tokunaga (Sub Character Design)—a crucial factor in keeping a large cast readable across a multi-year run.