Black Clover's Recent Triumph Prompts the Debate on Its Future Renewal
Despite facing significant challenges, Black Clover's recent accomplishments raise doubts about the necessity of the anime's revival
The past few years have been tough for Black Clover franchise fans. The anime adaptation boosted the series' popularity from 2017 to 2021, but things took a turn for the worse afterwards. Despite being highly popular, the anime has faced criticisms, including poor marketing for its console game and nearly canceling its mobile gacha game.
Why the Black Clover series does not require the anime's return to become successful
Despite this, 2023 has been a remarkably prosperous year for the Black Clover franchise. The manga has resumed serialization, and the mobile game generated substantial profits in its inaugural month. With the series achieving success even in the absence of its anime adaptation, fans are starting to question its necessity.
Yuki Tabata's Black Clover has captivated fans with its gripping action scenes and the development of its characters. The anime's 170 episodes have garnered a strong following, drawing viewers into the immersive world of Black Clover.
Every successful anime faces criticism from fans, and Black Clover is no exception. Many fans found fault with the show’s initial pacing and its similarities to other popular anime in the shonen genre. Furthermore, some viewers have criticized the show for its uneven storytelling.
Despite receiving mixed reviews, Black Clover developed a loyal fanbase during its run from October 3, 2017, to March 30, 2021. However, the series experienced declining popularity towards the end of its run, attributed in part to the uneven quality of the anime adaptation.
Moreover, fans were disappointed with the lack of marketing efforts for the console game Black Clover: Quartet Knights. Despite positive reception from franchise fans, the game's profitability suffered due to insufficient promotion. In addition, plans for a mobile gacha game based on the series were in jeopardy of cancellation.
In conclusion, manga sales experienced a sharp decline at the close of 2020. Combined with a lack of notable merchandise, fan engagement with the franchise had been waning for years. The series took a major blow in popularity after the anime adaptation concluded in 2021. To add to the disappointment for fans, the manga went on hiatus after ceasing serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in August 2023 and moving to Jump Giga. Unexpectedly, this change ended up being exactly what the franchise needed for a comeback.
The transition to Jump Giga allowed mangaka Yuki Tabata to embrace a more manageable work schedule, resulting in a significant improvement in his overall health. The manga finally made its highly anticipated comeback on December 25, 2023, reigniting excitement within the entire fanbase. In addition, the newly launched Black Clover mobile gacha game quickly gained immense popularity among fans, generating over $10 million in global revenue within its first month of release.
The movie "Sword of the Wizard King," based on the Black Clover series, was released on June 16, 2023 and quickly became one of the top-viewed releases on Netflix for the year. It's important to mention that the movie was not considered part of the official series storyline.
Additionally, the release of new and thrilling action figures and merchandise reignited fan enthusiasm for the series. It's worth noting that the franchise did not rely on the anime to rejuvenate interest, with many believing that a potential anime comeback was not necessary for the series to continue its success.
Final Thoughts
As of now, it seems that Studio Pierrot may not be considering a season 5 for the series. It would be intriguing to see if an announcement for a follow-up season is made in the near future, especially considering there is ample source material available for another season.
Editor's P/S
As a passionate fan of Black Clover, I am thrilled to see the recent resurgence of the franchise. The manga's return from hiatus, the success of the mobile gacha game, and the release of the "Sword of the Wizard King" movie have all contributed to a renewed interest in the series. While I understand that the anime adaptation faced some challenges, I believe that it played a crucial role in introducing Black Clover to a wider audience and building the loyal fanbase that exists today.
I believe that the future of Black Clover is bright, even without the immediate prospect of a season 5 of the anime. The manga is stronger than ever, and the mobile game has proven to be a lucrative venture. With the franchise continuing to expand and evolve, I am confident that Black Clover will continue to captivate and entertain fans for years to come.
