This is hardly my first write-up about Black Clover's mid-finale milestones prove it's an underappreciated series that fans are finally coming to respect.

The truth is that Black Clover has always played the part of the underdog in the battle shōnen genre. It's also risen to the occasion since its humble beginning with obvious inspiration from the likes of Bleach and Naruto. The surprising outcome of one of Black Clover's most recent battles is just one proof of its unbeatable status as an underdog in its own right. This is just as true for the content covered in its anime; Black Clover is an amazing series—and if you don't agree, you're missing out on the things that make it special.

Black Clover Built An Underdog Story From One Of Shōnen's Best Series

Naruto's Influence Shows Where Black Clover Got Its Foundations

The idea of an underdog who overcomes their circumstances is a long-standing trope in shōnen anime, including Black Clover's aforementioned influence, Naruto. Naruto has countless underdog characters, from its titular jinchuriki to Sasuke and Gaara. Naruto's best underdog is the fan-favorite Rock Lee, who undermines Naruto's power system—and other underdogs—by being a character with a lack of innate chakra or talent for ninjutsu, unlike the other underdogs who, despite being outcasts, nonetheless had immense innate potential.

Black Clover cleverly picked up on this and built it out through Asta's anti-magic powers. Much like Rock Lee had to make up for his lack of talent through physical discipline and mastery of taijutsu, Asta has to use a combination of physical strength and his talent for directly negating Black Clover's main power system. Granted, after a certain point, it's revealed that Asta has demonic powers. Without a doubt, that could be called innate potential in itself. Nonetheless, that only showcases another way that Black Clover is an underdog story.

Black Clover Beat The Copycat Allegations Effortlessly

The Shonen Has Never Earned Appropriate Recognition Among Anime Fans

From the very beginning, Black Clover has caught flak from the animanga community for being derivative. It's a bold enough move on its own to start out with a protagonist who resembles Naruto in personality and behavior, Rock Lee in his growth and struggles. However, Black Clover does something bolder by revealing Asta to have a demonic power worthy of an execution trial. It's a truly clever move where Black Clover showed fans the potential of modern shōnen, growing well beyond the influences it always wore on its sleeve.

The sequence itself was a perfect illustration, too, of how Black Clover set itself apart as an underdog, rather than just a derivative battle shōnen. Fans of the franchise will eagerly the moment when, facing off against the Witch Queen, Asta's arm is engulfed by anti-magic. The sequence is incredibly clutch and, at least for me, it's become one of the most memorable moments of any battle shōnen. The reason for that is simple: it's when Black Clover truly defied my expectations.

As Black Clover's world expanded and its stakes grew higher, it became clear that Black Clover had much more depth than fans ever gave it credit for. Although I could perfectly understand why some people might call Black Clover derivative, I also saw so much more in the series. To provide just one example, Black Clover's world-building is excellent in comparison to its competition.

An obvious choice for a series that can hold a candle to Black Candle's world-building is One Piece: both One Piece and Black Clover show the intricacies of their universes and truly bring their unique worlds to life. These are things that unfold as the series both pan out, though—not things obvious from the get-go. While One Piece started out with a fresh concept that prompted more of a chance from viewers and readers, Black Clover starts off with an uncanny (and perfectly intentional) resemblance to other series that caused would-be fans to disregard it. This is worsened by one key feature of Black Clover's anime that's often underestimated.

Black Clover's Own Anime Was An Underdog From The Start

Black Clover Defies Expectations It Sets For Itself

Like many Black Clover fans, my adventure with the series began with the anime. The show is produced by Studio Pierrot, the studio also behind Bleach and Naruto. As if it weren't enough that Black Clover already draws clear inspiration from these two series, the fact it was animated by the same studio provides a deep unconscious association with those two predecessors. Black Clover can't escape constant comparisons.

Cast aside by the animanga community from the start, Black Clover has never fairly gotten its due. Nonetheless, this just means that Black Clover really is an underdog story all its own. Studio Pierrot is a brilliant studio, and Black Clover is a brilliant manga. These things considered together mean that Black Clover's anime is an enthralling watch that becomes larger than life right before the viewer's eyes.

Black Clover is an underdog tale about underdogs.

Like the aforementioned fight with the Witch Queen, Black Clover's hypest moments are drawn out by gorgeous, thoughtful animation. Its pacing, although imperfect, would create an intoxicating watch-loop, and its realization in of voice actors and soundtrack gave the series a carefully crafted identity. Pierrot keeps flawless lock-step with Black Clover's own growth and development. Much like Asta grows stronger and always pulls out unexpected surprises, Black Clover does the same, and its adaptation follows suit.

Meanwhile, viewers are drawn towards Black Clover's manga when the anime comes to a regrettable conclusion. The manga's exposition of Black Clover's post-anime story makes it perfectly clear that, to its very core, Black Clover is an underdog tale about underdogs. This extends well beyond Asta, as several other characters in the story overcome their circumstances too.

Black Clover has never gotten its due until recently, and perhaps it's just a cruel twist of fate that this is reflected by the fact the manga itself is a brilliant meditation on the same underdog trope mishandled by other shōnen franchises. Why do people love underdogs? Because watching someone rise to the occasion and propel themselves to greatness in the face of terrible turbulence is a satisfaction so all-consuming it's almost perverse.

Now, as Black Clover is more intent than ever on setting itself apart, it's also making it perfectly clear that it was always just modern shōnen's greatest underdog.