MHA or Black Clover?

Alright so I want to get into a new shonen but I’m undecided out of these two. I’ve heard good things about both but also a lot of bad things as well…

Deku from MHA for example, is apparently embarrassing and the way he gets bullied by some guy called Bakugo and does nothing about it makes the show really hard to watch

On the other hand Asta from Black Clover is supposedly annoying as fuck for a large portion of the series making it a pain in the neck trying to get through that period.

I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts. I already accepted anything else I watch won’t live up to the standards the other shonen animangas i’ve consumed.

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AutoModerator2025-12-29 11:18

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MaximalDisguised2025-12-29 11:20

MHA

It's also completed now.

nirvash5302025-12-29 12:46

One last episode airing on May 2026. :D

-Cheebus-2025-12-29 11:21

[deleted]

Ok-Load-5542025-12-29 11:22

How comes you couldn’t get through Black clover? Was it that boring for you?

-Cheebus-2025-12-29 11:24

Just one of those shows that didn’t hook me, I guess bored is accurate

Karshick2025-12-29 11:54

The voice actor for the main character is always, always yelling. At least for the japanese dub.

Calm_Bowl_50752025-12-29 11:21

Black clover 👌

im_eto2025-12-29 11:25

Second this

whowilleverknow2025-12-29 11:24

MHA dips in quality in the middle but starts and ends very strong. Black Clover has little to no redeeming qualities at all.

ripmyselfapart2025-12-29 11:26

Both amazing, but MHA takes it especially since it's finished and the story is written better (IMO) but Black Clover season 2 could change that.

Charming_Figure_90532025-12-29 11:26

I enjoyed MHA more then I though I would, the bullying.....isn't THAT bad and there's a depth to it, it makes sense/drives things so isn't just pointless - has a low point around season 4/5 but manageable and picks up

Black Clover, just didn't ignite anything in me, rule of 3-ed it and moved on.

No contest in my eyes

Traveling_Solo2025-12-29 11:58

Thought. Not to be rude, just in case you confuse them :3 you thought you used the right one, though you didn't. Easy way to remember: though as in although :D and tough as in hard/rough/cocky

Fribbtastic2025-12-29 11:29

> Deku from MHA for example, is apparently embarrassing and the way he gets bullied by some guy called Bakugo and does nothing about it makes the show really hard to watch

Well, yeah, that is a thing but I think if someone says this, they probably haven't watched further than the 4th or 5th season. There is a reason for the bullying.

> On the other hand Asta from Black Clover is supposedly annoying as fuck for a large portion of the series making it a pain in the neck trying to get through that period.

Yes, that is also correct, but might depend on what you are watching (sub or dub). In the original version, Asta yells, quite a lot on every sentence. It was very hard to get through that because this goes on for like 60-80 episodes (which is quite long for a show running 170 episodes).

> I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts. I already accepted anything else I watch won’t live up to the standards the other shonen animangas i’ve consumed.

If you like that sort of setting, MHA would by what I would watch first. The story recently finished (currently rewatching from season 1 so that I remember everything to the final season) so you would definitely see the whole story. Black Clover is also good if you can tune out Asta's yelling and the 2nd season is announced to air in 2026.

nirvash5302025-12-29 11:30

Anybody who calls Deku a crybaby honestly is wack. Reminds me of that [one video](https://youtu.be/J0Zo6OQrSes?si=2_QKV0KCJeFUOlv5).

He was only a crybaby in Season 1. The other times he has cried after that Season was warranted, and it wasn't even like he was crying every damn episode. Anyone would have tears in his eyes if they broke every bone in their arm or witnessed the end of their idol. And even then, he gets shit done!

Bakugou was a bully in the beginning, true. But his character development is really, really good and becomes a really endearing character. He doesn't get rid of his explosive behavior even after all that though.

headphones_J2025-12-29 14:26

My complaint about Deku is he never really masters OFA, but it doesn't stop them from piling on a bunch more unnecessary abilities he can hardly control. I had to cold drop it, but it sounds like it's ending, so I might pick it back up.

Captincorpse2025-12-29 11:34

I would say MHA is better overall, it is finished and there are only a couple bad parts. Black Clover is an odd one for me, the best description I can think of for it is, an anime with absolutely nothing original about it but it just happens to be well made. I didn't think there is anything terrible about it (after Asta calms down and isn't screaming at everything) but I also didn't think anything was great about it

DetectiveFujiwara2025-12-29 11:38

Yes

TheLibrarian752025-12-29 11:42

I couldn't get through Black Clover because of Asta's yelling. I have also watched MHA, so I would say go for MHA.

todorokismom2025-12-29 11:43

Depends on what you are looking for. MHA is safer. It's a pretty standard super hero story, which isn't bad because obviously people love those. Black Clover has some interesting bits to it by having full on different races and having devils and another race (Don't want to say who because pretty sure thats a spoiler) play big parts in it. I'd say Black Clover has more interesting writing and world building while MHA has more consistent quality (especially when it comes to animation).

Ok-Load-5542025-12-29 11:54

More people have been recommending MHA lol i was originally leaning towards Black Clover because I was told it was a LOT like Naruto

nirvash5302025-12-29 12:14

It's too much like Naruto imo. Like too obviously inspired.
Black Clover definitely gets a lot of inspiration from the usual shonen anime tropes.

\- Hokage > Wizard King.
\- Genius rival Sasuke > Genius rival Yuno.
\- "Underdog" Ninja MC > "Underdog" Anti-Wizard MC. Now I put that in "" because they're both secretly overpowered with some kinda super OP demonic entity within them.

You get the gist.

MHA gets inspiration from shounen manga, Marvel/DC comics... and Star Wars. The story is basically Superman giving his powers to a teenager with dreams of becoming a hero.

todorokismom2025-12-29 12:23

It is a lot like Naruto. I loved Black clover personally even though it had some rough spots in the anime since it aired before the age of seasonal anime really took off. Its highs are very high. There are some snoozer parts, but overall I think 99% of anime from that time had some snoozer parts so it's whatever in my book.

The cool thing about MHA is that its done. You can binge the whole series right now.

I also think getting into Black Clover is sick too though because then you can watch the new season of it when it airs and discuss with everyone weekly if you like to get into episode discussions.

Both have their ups. Both have their downs. Pure animation standpoint, MHA has higher consistent quality, but the big moments in both are pretty top tier. Finished series vs new season coming soon has its upside to both so Id say that point is more subjective.

BenchSwarmer2025-12-29 11:48

Okay, both these shows have flaws but to compare MHA and BC is completely unfair. The Bakugo-Deku dynamic is not really annoying because the characters really see a lot of growth over the series. Yes, there is some problematic framing of a bully-victim relationship, but if you're aware of that and put that aside, it's a fairly enjoyable shounen to watch. The characters, especially the villains, are fairly compelling, and the plot has some overall theme and direction.

Black Clover is a mashup of the crappiest and most generic tropes delivered through the flattest characters, and punctuated with the occasional hype-generating scenes. Its action and comedy is what it has going for it, but the action suffers due to a low budget and awful animation.

Go for MHA.

NiaDivineSword2025-12-29 13:05

Black Clover is a lot of fun if you go in with the right mindset, but it lacks the depth and thematic weight MHA has. If you're in the mood for cool fights and friendship, BC is the way to go. If you want more complex characters and a story with something to say, MHA is your best bet.

headphones_J2025-12-29 14:19

Black Clover is a way better story.

Knuckleheaded-beardo2025-12-29 16:41

Neither of the two are.

headphones_J2025-12-29 16:51

Are what?

Knuckleheaded-beardo2025-12-29 17:32

>better story.

headphones_J2025-12-29 17:48

Welp, IMO, I enjoyed BC start to finish. Where as, I thought MHA started strong, then meandered, then focused way too much on side characters, then had the antagonist somehow reach super human heights on their own in a couple months, while Deku could still barely use more than 20% of OFA without crying.

Knuckleheaded-beardo2025-12-29 18:37

For me, both are bottom shelf piss tier series.

IndigoVitare2025-12-29 14:33

As someone that loves Black Clover, over MHA, you should probably go with MHA.

Besides being finished, MHA is... deeper? I guess. It pushes out of the shonen genre more often. In contrast, Black Clover is basically pure, refined shonen. All the tropes you'd expect on full display, with one exception: Black Clover actually has a large cast of excellent female characters. The main female protagonist, Noelle, is the best developed character in the entire series.

MHA is also better produced. Black Clover was released as a weekly anime in an age where everyone was switching to seasonal. I'm not sure if it's been confirmed, but there were rumours that Studio Pierrot simply didn't give it the resources it needed. The production team were clearly very passionate about the project, and when it hits, it hits big, but there are a lot of animation problems throughout. In particular, it had a very rough start, and on top of that a lot of people really don't like the main character's VA in the first few episodes.

So yeah, even I would say that MHA is the safer bet.

Local_Pickle_47172025-12-29 15:17

I prefer Black Clover and there is an upcoming season due soon enough, but BnHA is complete and there's plenty of time to do both by whenever BC S2 drops.

Deku isn't the best protagonist, but he does sort of grow out of "bullied mode" relatively quickly to the series' episode count.

Asta much like Black Clover itself is something that grows on you as the series does. The first episode has horrible voice direction, and his seiyuu was a relative newcomer, but even past that first one he starts to get his shit together and by a few more he's fine. Asta also grows more impressive as he starts to do things as the series goes until you'll find yourself liking him.

BnHA doesn't immediately hit highs, but I do think it starts more strongly than Black Clover does. Heck, I'd go as far as to say it took around 30 episodes for BC to really start hitting its stride, but once it does it keeps getting better while BnHA has its ups and downs and never reaches BC's highs.

If you want a better shounen protagonist just watch Yu Yu Hakusho or something.

Aristhelios2025-12-29 16:15

I'd say MHA, cuz the anime is finished.

Knuckleheaded-beardo2025-12-29 16:42

Neither. Both are mediocre and overrated.

iovercomesadness2025-12-30 08:46

Just watch them both, they are both great Animes with a few flaws but both are worth your time if you are fan of Battle shonens

Full_Method_37102026-01-08 18:52

MHA by long shot you might get thrown off by lousy asta and bad animation from the start.