Black Clover Review: Is It Worth Watching Before Season 2?

With Season 2 officially airing this October, is Black Clover worth catching up on? Read our honest anime review to see if it lives up to the hype.

In the upcoming Fall Season, a world-famous Shounen title is coming back to us, Black Clover Season 2. This is definitely exciting news for every fan, but for those who aren't fans yet, you might start to wonder: is it an anime worth starting? Or is it an anime worth investing in and looking forward to for Season 2?

Like most Shounen titles, Black Clover Season 2 is directly connected to Season 1. If you haven't watched it, you can't really start your Season 2 journey. Plus, Season 2 will start at a climax, and I don't think it will have a lot of explanations, so Season 1 is a must for anyone who wants to give Season 2 a try.

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】 Official X account

Black Clover: The Anime That Received Polarized Reviews

Black Clover is a world-famous Shounen title. Although it hasn't reached the level of the "Big Three", One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, it is still as popular as series like Fairy Tail and Mashle. Just how famous is Black Clover? If you're an anime fan, you've almost certainly heard of it at least once.

It is unquestionable that Black Clover is a famous title, but did you know that it actually receives polarized reviews? Ever since the earlier stages of the anime, opinions have been deeply divided. Those who love it, praise it and love it very much; on the other hand, a lot of people actually refuse to give it a try. Why is this happening?

For better or worse, Black Clover is a pure Shounen work. It is so pure that almost everything about it is textbook Shounen. Unlike Naruto, which explores realistic pain, One Piece, which reveals dark political reality, or Bleach, which features stylish character development, Black Clover stays pure Shounen. From Episode 1 all the way to the end, it just feels familiar.

This is an important point for everyone because the decision to give Black Clover a try is actually extremely simple: if you love Shounen, then you'll definitely want to give it a shot. On the other hand, if you're someone who isn't into Shounen, or you've grown tired of the genre, you probably won't enjoy it, you'll just find it incredibly boring.

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】 Official X account

Black Clover and "Black Rover": The Great Opening Everyone Loves

Whether you should give Black Clover a try, or whether it suits your taste, is a simple question with an obvious answer. But there is a funny phenomenon with Black Clover: regardless of whether people actually like the anime or not, almost everyone loves its third opening, "Black Rover" by Vickeblanka.

Vickeblanka is a very talented solo singer-songwriter and composer from Japan, and he actually created two "Black" songs for the Black Clover anime. The third opening, "Black Rover," is one of them, and the tenth opening, "Black Catcher," is the other. Both songs have high ratings, and no matter how you feel about the anime itself, everyone just loves these tracks.

It isn't a rare phenomenon for an anime to have a great opening, Mashle Season 2 had the iconic "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born," Dandadan had the amazing "Otonoke," and plenty of other shows have legendary opening tracks too. Having a standout theme song isn't unique to Black Clover, but I still want to talk about why "Black Rover" and "Black Catcher" hit so differently.

The reason I want to talk about "Black Rover" and "Black Catcher" is that both of them share the word "Black." You might ask: what's so special about that word? Since both titles feature fast-paced pronunciation, the phrase "Black Rover" actually sounds really similar to Black Clover, and its lyrics capture the whole vibe of the show. "Black Rover" is truly a great track that embodies the energy of the series, so if you want to get a feel for Black Clover without committing to watching it yet, give "Black Rover" a listen. Believe me, you'll love the song!

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】 Official X account

AnimeOshi — Be the Main Character

Some fans watch anime. AnimeOshi fans never watch alone. Lists track everything you're watching in real time; one tap logs the episode, and your list always knows where you are. But the real magic is everyone else's: see what your friends and thousands of fans are watching right now, what's blowing up this season, and what deserves your next binge.

Stop guessing what's good. Open Lists and watch with the world.

The Story of Black Clover: The Shounen Flavor You Know and Love

Now that we've covered the hype and music, let's talk about the story itself. Although the first season of Black Clover spans a massive 170 episodes, which can feel like a long journey to get through, the core plot is actually quite simple, it's all about the main character, Asta, working to fulfill his dream.

Of course, the journey isn't straightforward, and plenty of difficult situations pop up along the way, but at its core, that's really what the story is about. The simplicity of the plot goes back to what I shared earlier: it's a pure Shounen work that doesn't really dive into other themes or subgenres.

As someone born with no mana (also known as maryoku) in a world where everyone has it, Asta is an underdog from the very beginning. He gets bullied, mocked, and laughed at by others, but he never gives up. Instead, he tries everything to fight for his dream, again, again, and again. This is the main draw of Black Clover, and the biggest reason why people fall in love with the show.

While you might think a straightforward Shounen plot is full of drawbacks with nothing unique to offer, its simplicity is actually a strength. Because the story stays simple, it can really focus on our main character, Asta. Black Clover dives deep into his journey, and if you can get behind that journey, you'll actually find the anime really enjoyable.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Black Clover and Fillers: The Common Problem Long-Running Anime Face

Just like almost every iconic long-running series, Black Clover faces a familiar issue: filler episodes. Since the anime spans a total of 170 episodes, it's almost inevitable that filler content gets mixed in. If you haven't read the manga, you might actually enjoy these extra episodes; however, if you're someone who has already read ahead in the manga, you'll probably want to skip a lot of them.

Unlike Bleach, where filler episodes usually have their own self-contained arcs, Black Clover is more like One Piece, it weaves filler directly into canonical moments, making it hard to know exactly which episodes to skip. If you're someone who hates or gets frustrated by filler content, this can definitely be a headache. But luckily, as someone who has rewatched Black Clover multiple times, I have a few tips to share with you in this post.

For the Black Clover anime, you just need to remember one golden rule: after every major event or story arc, there are filler episodes. Once a filler stretch begins, it usually lasts for at least five episodes. So, every time you finish an important story arc, you can prepare yourself to start skipping!

In terms of filler, Black Clover is very similar to One Piece: the fillers are anime-exclusive original episodes. What does this mean? It means these filler episodes aren't tied to the main story at all, so you can skip them without worrying about missing key plot points. But of course, if you're new to Black Clover, watching every single episode is always an option too!

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading! Black Clover Season 2 is right around the corner, and judging from the official trailers, it looks absolutely amazing. Although the animation in Season 1 was, to be completely honest, a bit hit-or-miss, I truly believe Season 2 is going to be something special. It might sound surprising, but this time, Black Clover actually has a real shot at becoming the dark horse of Fall 2026!

If you're deciding whether to give Black Clover a try, or just trying to get your homework done before the new season airs, I hope this post was helpful! Black Clover is a pure Shounen story through and through. While it might not be for everyone, if you love the Shounen genre or simply want to follow an epic journey, Black Clover is definitely a great choice.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.