A miscomprehension of Yuki Tabata's latest comment brings back "Black Clover is Inspired by Naruto" debate

During a fan meetup at Manga Barcelona Festival 2024, the Black Clover author answered fan questions that ranged from personal experiences to the creative inspirations behind his magnum opus. Notably, the author claimed that inspiration is taken from anything a person reads, hinting that the author's acclaimed work might be inspired by a variety of manga series.

However, one of the author's comments during this interview wasn't taken up by the fans as anticipated, given how the fans were seemingly trying to prove that the author's magnum opus wasn't a unique concept.

After the author included Naruto as one of the series he liked, an X user (@HokageNiNaruuu) took this opportunity to reignite the debate of how Naruto inspired Yuki Tabata's magnum opus.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

What is the latest interview of the Black Clover author?

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During a recent Manga event in Spain, held from December 5-8, Yuki Tabata, and his editor, took the spotlight as the Shonen fans cornered them to ask their burning questions. While there weren't any controversial questions, some became controversial over the internet. The interview commenced with the usual greetings between the author and the fans.

The main question of the interview was about the inspirations behind Black Clover and which series the author liked. Just like the majority of the fans, the first manga Yuki Tabata read was Dragon Ball and it might also be what inspired the author to become a manga artist.

Asta as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Moreover, the author also stated that his current interests were the same as the fans (mentioning series like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, Slam Dunk, etc). However, the author also added the name of Masashi Kishimoto's magnum opus, Naruto, to this list which had some fans excited (but not in the right direction).

The fans perhaps misunderstood the author's comments and stated that Black Clover was inspired by Naruto (while citing the author's comments from the interview). While this might be correct (and wrong at the same time, given the direction the fans were taking it into), the internet relived the debate that originated a few years ago.

Reaction from the fans

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The fans were divided, to say the least. One side of the fandom believed the X user (@HokageNiNaruuu), stating that the inspiration was obvious from the start because Black Clover and Naruto show protagonists with similar goals (both becoming the leaders of their nations). Meanwhile, one fan was overwhelmed with joy as the X user confirmed the alleged inspiration.

On the other hand, some fans questioned the X user's miscomprehension because the author said he read Naruto and didn't explicitly state that the manga inspired his work (while also affirming that Naruto might be one of the inspirations).

"The inspiration was kinda obvious from the beginning no? Literally equivalent goals for the MCs," a fan said.

"Naruto was so obvious I'm so happy its finally confirmed for people lmao," another person said.

"He didn’t say that but since he already has read it we can assume Naruto is one of his inspiration," another fan said.

"So liking something is inspiration, I'm confused," another person questioned.

Final thoughts

The Black Bull Squad as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As Yuki Tabata's editor stated in the interview, the author wasn't surprised with his manga's worldwide success because he knew the elements present in Black Clover were unique. This should be enough to state that the author's magnum opus didn't copy Naruto (as this was the narrative fans were going after while stating that Yuki Tabata's series was inspired by Masashi Kishimoto's).

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About the author

Umer is an anime and manga expert at Sportskeeda with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Biotechnology. He chose to deviate from his original career path due to his love for anime, and wishes to encourage more people to experience the genre through his work. He has previously worked at niche anime-centered media website Anime Senpai for around 1.5 years.

Umer believes in cross-checking facts with official sources and strives to produce well-rounded articles through thorough research. He is a fan of anime series like 'Made in Abyss,' 'One Piece,' and 'Clannad,' and also loves indulging in manga including 'Monster,' 'Yotsubato!,' and any series by Junji Ito. He admires 'One Piece' author Eiichiro Oda and is inspired by how he intricately weaves a narrative and seamlessly connects loose links.

Apart from immersing himself in a wide array of anime and manga, Umer also collects physical copies of manga series to support his favorite authors. When he's not working, he enjoys reading classic literature and watching soccer.

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Edited by Ameen Fatima