Television series

Black Clover

Name: Black Clover
Genre: Action, Anime, Fantasy
Released: 2017
Cast: Gakuto Kajiwara, Kana Yūki, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Junichi Suwabe, Takuma Terashima

A shounen action series about an orphan born without magic in a magic-obsessed world, determined to become Emperor Magus through sheer will and training. It's a bombastic, earnest adventure with constant escalation, great character dynamics, and the kind of relentless optimism that either lifts you up or exhausts you. For anyone who loves underdog stories and doesn't mind sustained, over-the-top spectacle.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love shonen built on a rivalry between best friends, and an underdog who trains harder than anyone to close a gap that talent alone never will, so the stubborn heart of the story wins you over.

Skip it if you want tight plotting or quick payoffs, since this is a long, episodic shonen that takes its time between battles and asks you to stick with it.

What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes stacked into a long run that is still growing, with a loud, sunny tone and big, bright battles you settle into week after week.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

My Hero Academia2016

Same core DNA: a protagonist without innate power in a world where everyone else has it, fighting his way up through determination and a secret ability. Excellent character development across a sprawling ensemble cast.

But The middle sections sag with filler and repetitive tournament arcs. Season quality varies sharply depending on which studio is animating.

Jujutsu Kaisen2020

Supernatural action with the same propulsive energy, gorgeous animation, and a protagonist learning to harness a dangerous power he didn't ask for. Tighter plotting and faster pacing than Black Clover's early run.

But Darker and more violent in tone. If you want the infectious cheerfulness and camaraderie, this leans harder into suffering and moral compromise.

Naruto2002

The spiritual grandfather of this exact template: an outcast ninja training relentlessly to earn respect in a world that doubted him. Generational world-building and some genuinely moving character arcs.

But It's 720 episodes. The filler is overwhelming in places, and the power scaling eventually becomes absurd even by anime standards.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Black Clover

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Haikyuu!!2014

Both find transcendence through total commitment to a discipline in front of a hostile world. Both let the underdog win through preparation and will, not plot armor.

Also about an underdog with no natural gifts entering a world where he's outmatched, but it's volleyball, not magic. Same emotional architecture—determination, teamwork, earned victories—but expressed through sport instead of fantasy, making it oddly more grounded and harder to dismiss as power fantasy.

But If you want grand magical stakes and world-ending threats, this is intimate and small-scale. Its climaxes come from perfectly-executed spikes, not spell combinations.

Demon Slayer2019

Stunning animation and fight choreography that makes every action sequence feel like an event. A tighter narrative than Black Clover, with emotional weight that lands hard.

But Much shorter and plot-driven rather than character-driven. If you love the sprawling ensemble and long-form relationships, this might feel too lean.

Fire Force2019

Another scrappy underdog in a dangerous profession, building a crew and discovering hidden powers. High-energy action with genuine weirdness in its world-building that keeps things fresh.

But Tonal whiplash between serious arcs and gag comedy. Some character designs and comedic moments won't age well for modern audiences.

Fairy Tail2009

A guild of misfits doing impossible things together, with the same emphasis on friendship and loyalty that Black Clover loves. Warmth and humor between the big battles.

But Even looser than Black Clover with its plotting. Relies heavily on power-of-friendship solutions and reuses the same story beats.

Bleach2004

A normal boy suddenly given a massive power and responsibility, learning to master it while protecting those around him. Iconic art design and some spectacular battle sequences.

But The anime drags badly in the middle sections. The character development gets uneven once the cast expands.

Soul Eater2008

Students at a combat academy learning to work as teams, mixing action with character growth and a darkly comedic sensibility. Visual style is genuinely distinctive.

But The anime diverges sharply from the manga and has a weaker ending. Tonal shifts between silly and serious can feel jarring.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho A Story that leads to the Antarctica2018

Same architecture of loyalty and determination, but inverted: Black Clover asks 'how far will you go to change yourself?' This asks the same question without magic as the escape hatch.

Four ordinary girls decide to walk to Antarctica. It looks like a cute comedy but it's actually about ambition, friendship, and becoming the person you need to be—the exact emotional core of Black Clover, but grounded in reality and consequence rather than battles.

But No action, no powers, no stakes beyond the personal. If you're watching for the fights and spectacle, you'll be disappointed.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho A Story that leads to the Antarctica poster

Carole & Tuesday2019

Both are about outsiders refusing to accept that the system knows their limits. Both pair a relentless protagonist with someone blessed with effortless talent, forcing them to understand each other.

Two musicians on Mars trying to make it in a world where AI creates most music. It has Black Clover's earnest belief that passion and friendship can accomplish the impossible, but in a science-fiction setting, through art instead of combat, and with a genuinely melancholic edge.

But Slow and meditative compared to Black Clover's velocity. The ending divides audiences sharply. If you need constant momentum and clear victories, this will feel frustratingly ambiguous.