Thank You Yuki Tabata for Not Letting Black Clover Repeat One Piece’s Mistake

The story in One Piece post-time skip took a serious turn, with every development raising the stakes to a higher level. Every arc since Fishman Arc has been full of memorable events and the enjoyment of the adventure is unparalleled. However, the same can’t be said about the anime. The biggest flaw of the One Piece anime was avoided by Yuki Tabata’s Black Clover long ago. It proved to be the right decision for the series. 

One Piece anime is following suit and it’s a great decision for the future arcs, but significant damage has already been done. Given the current progression in the manga, the potential return of One Piece might turn out to be the best surprise for fans. Sadly, that might not be the case for Black Clover anime. 

Black Clover Going on a Hiatus Saved the Anime, Unlike One Piece 

Black Clover anime started its run nearly two years after the manga. It adapted the manga up to chapter 272. With around 20 chapters left, the anime went on a hiatus in 2020. Since then, there have been no updates on the anime’s eventual return. If it hadn’t been for the hiatus, Black Clover anime would’ve been bombarded with filler episodes like every other Shonen anime. It proved to be a good decision in hindsight when one considers and compares the case with One Piece. 

Up until the Marineford Arc, the pacing of One Piece anime was fairly good. From the animation style to the memorable moments from the initial arcs had their unique charm. But, from the Fishman Arc, the quality of the anime dropped significantly. It hit an absolute low with Dressrosa Arc. It wasn’t just about the anime original episodes, but filler content was blended with canon events, making the extra content unavoidable for fans. 

The pacing was abysmal and the chapter-to-episode ratio was shocking. Only a few pages from every chapter were getting adapted per episode. The pacing slightly improved in Whole Cake Island Arc but hit another low with Wano. Finally, the anime is going on a nearly six-month-long hiatus to create some necessary gap between the anime and the manga. This decision should have come years ago, but better late than never. 

Here’s What the Future of Both Anime Looks Like 

While One Piece has a definite date for its potential return, Black Clover fans have been waiting for the anime for what feels like forever. Taking a break before the anime reaches the main events of Egghead is a wise decision. The upcoming fights and one of the best flashbacks deserve great treatment from the makers. They possibly can’t mess up what could be considered some of the best events in the manga up till now.

By the time the anime returns, the pacing will hopefully get better, doing justice to Eiichiro Oda’s exceptional writing in the manga. On the other hand, Yuki Tabata’s shift to Jump Giga might suggest a delayed return for the anime. It would make sense for the anime to return after the manga has ended. The quarterly schedule will extend the manga’s end even further, and the same should be expected from the anime’s return.

What hurts the most is that the anime stopped right before Spade Kingdom Arc, which has some great fights. Hopefully, whenever the anime returns, it will return with a bang! As for One Piece, the hiatus would only make sense if the pacing undergoes an evident change, and that too for the better. 

Black Clover and One Piece are both available to stream on the MangaPlus app and website.