The popular manga series Black Clover had been on hiatus, but it was recently revealed that it would be resuming serialization in Jump GIGA’s 2024 winter issue.
This initial announcement generated enthusiasm and anticipation among the devoted Black Clover fandom, as readers had been eagerly awaiting the return of their beloved series.
However, additional details soon emerged that tampered the initial excitement. It was shared that despite the return, the next chapter would only be 28 pages long when color pages were accounted for.
Given Black Clover’s typical dense, plot-driven chapters, this page count was viewed as quite short.
As a result, some fans became disappointed or apprehensive, worried that the next installment would feel abbreviated or rushed.
After waiting through a long break, they had hoped for a meaty, satisfying chapter to dive back into.
So while fans remain thrilled Black Clover is returning, the brief length of the upcoming entry has created mixed feelings and a bit of concern around how events will unfold when this magical shonen series picks back up.
Black Clover Fans Express Disappointment Over New Chapter Announcement, Concerned About Series’ Future
Enthusiastic readers of the fantasy manga series Black Clover have been passionately anticipating the release of a new chapter, as the comic has been on a nearly 3-month hiatus.
Devoted fans had been yearning for the story to pick back up with a meaty, text-dense chapter that would reward their patience over this prolonged break.
Black Clover’s Controversial Return
However, when it was recently announced that Black Clover would finally be returning in an upcoming issue, the stated chapter length sparked controversy and significant backlash across online forums and platforms.
Rather than receiving a full-length, packed entry of around 40+ pages as hoped after such a long absence, it was revealed the next chapter would clock in at a mere 28 pages including color inserts.
Many fans have voiced intense disappointment at this unexpectedly short page count, given the built-up eagerness and desire for a chunky, exciting chapter to make up for lost time.
Some feel severely let down that the content seems rushed and condensed after enduring an agonizing creative hiatus.
The capped page length is seen as an underwhelming way to restart the thrilling supernatural narrative that followers have sorely missed.
So the restricted chapter has prompted major criticism and debate amidst a patient, passionate reader base ready to dive back into the series’ enchanting world.
From Hiatus to Hesitation
Back in August, the popular supernatural fantasy manga Black Clover made the major announcement that it would no longer be serializing chapters in the famous Weekly Shonen Jump magazine as it had done for years. Instead, the series would be taking an extended publishing break of undetermined length.
This news came after creator Yuki Tabata had already taken several shorter hiatuses sporadically over the life of the manga in order to adequately rest and maintain his health.
With Black Clover’s conclusion also in sight, many loyal fans actually feel having an open-ended break from rigid weekly deadlines is ultimately for the better.
They believe Tabata drawing the remaining story arcs at his own more reasonable pace with less strain will enable him to deliver the best, most epic finale possible for the beloved comic.
After supporting Black Clover for so long, devotees are happy to wait as long as needed if it means the mangaka can properly wrap up lingering plot threads and fully realize his creative vision to satisfaction in the final climactic chapters.
They have faith the extra production flexibility will only heighten the quality of content still to come.
More About Black Clover
The manga series Black Clover first began its serialization run in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine back in February 2015, with manga artist Yuki Tabata serving as the creator.
Over the years, various publishers have handled printing and distributing the popular dark fantasy comic globally.
Viz Media secured the license early on to digitally publish and physically print Black Clover volumes in English for international audiences.
Shueisha’s MANGA Plus platform also hosts the full manga online in multiple languages. Then in October 2017, the animated adaptation of Tabata’s supernatural action opus premiered and aired 170 episodes before concluding in March 2021.
A new full-length anime film called Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King also recently landed on Netflix this past June.
In terms of the anime’s availability, Crunchyroll has been streaming the subtitled Japanese series on its service.
While Funimation managed the English dub release that features an alternate voice cast. So with both manga and anime content, Black Clover has cemented itself as an influential contemporary shonen franchise with wide multimedia distribution and exposure worldwide for the past 8+ years and counting.
