Black Clover Proves Shonen Manga Never Needed Decade-Spanning Mysteries

Warning: spoilers ahead for Black Clover chapter 328!

Fans of Black Clover are currently experiencing something relatively unique for manga fans, as the series’ avoidance of decade-spanning mysteries sets it apart from other, similar stories. Readers are already aware of the truth behind many of the manga’s secrets, focusing speculation not on what’s coming next, but on how the story’s hero will react when they finally put the pieces together for themselves.

Many heavy hitters in the manga industry have made a reputation for themselves by keeping fans guessing for years on end. And although this tactic definitely captures reader attention – especially when the mystery is incredibly intriguing – it can introduce a degree of fatigue when even the smallest thing like a character’s middle name is set up as a profound and world-shattering secret. Although Black Clover dabbles in this sort of dynamic, mostly in regard to who Asta and Yuno’s true parents are, the manga gave up leading readers on in both instances by chapter 268. Instead, mangaka Yūki Tabata recently switched this dynamic entirely by leaving Asta in the dark and readers in the know.

In Black Clover‘s 328th chapter, the King of the Devils Lucifero realizes that Asta is somehow related to the woman Licita he killed long ago, saying, “That blasted, worthless woman. The one who got in my way. She’s your–!!!” Because readers have known for quite some time that Licita is Asta’s mother, their experience is very different than what would have happened if Tabata decided to withhold this information like other manga would have undoubtedly done. Instead of wracking their brains trying to understand what Lucifero means and who this “her” is, readers are hoping that Asta puts two-and-two together. In the previous chapter, Liebe’s memories of Licita had just entered Asta’s mind. But instead of learning that Licita is his mother, what Asta came to understand from the experience was that Liebe, who considered Licita like family, wanted revenge on Lucifero for killing her.

Instead of getting fans to theorize about what these words mean in the practical sense, Black Clover fans get to anticipate their impact on the characters. Could Lucifero’s random comment later cause Asta to realize the truth? And when he does, how will this affect his relationship with Liebe, who readers know has been hiding the truth about Licita from him? Readers wouldn’t be able to ask these questions or anticipate the potential falling out between Asta and Liebe had Tabata decided to hide all this from readers like most other mangakas would have done.

It’s interesting being on the other side of Lucifero’s comment, despite the fact it’s phrased perfectly to be used in the usual sort of information-withholding fashion. If readers weren’t in the know, Tabata could have had fans approach this chapter either never having seen Liebe’s flashback at all, leaving them puzzling over what Lucifero could be talking about, or having only partially seen the full flashback, not knowing that the woman Licita was actually Asta’s mother, giving readers the ability to connect the dots.

But rather than relying on an increasingly stagnant shonen formula, Tabata gives Black Clover readers the chance to experience a mystery plot from a position where they’re not engrossed in what are, ultimately, fan theories about what the story could mean, but rather speculation on how characters will deal with the facts once they become clear. It’s not the only way to tell an engrossing, emotionally rich story, but it is uncommon in current shonen manga, making Black Clover a special experience for readers.

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