Musician Megan Thee Stallion is famous for her incredible music and her love for Shonen manga, and apparently, her current favorite is Black Clover. More than just a series that she loves though, the critically acclaimed musician revealed in a recent interview that Black Clover's protagonist Asta serves as continued inspiration for her.
Originally from Houston Texas, Megan Pete broke onto the hip-hop scene through homemade videos released on social media. After a few years of gaining traction, this led the young artist to more mainstream success when she released her first single, fittingly named "Like a Stallion" in 2016. Since then, she has gone on to see tremendous success. Just last year she broke charts and headlines with her and Cardi B's massive hit "WAP". In addition to being a successful musician, Megan Thee Stallion is also a self-proclaimed fan of video games, horror movies, and manga/anime. That last one, in particular, is so famous that it's even a popular topic for interviews with the acclaimed rapper.
In a recently released episode of the interview show Hot Ones, host Sean Evans asks Pete what anime she reaches for when she needs a laugh. Pete responds by talking about the most recent anime she's been watching, Black Clover. She describes how much she admires the series' protagonist, Asta, because of how he overcomes his limitations. As someone born without magic in a world full of magic people, Asta faces significant barriers in his dream of becoming the Wizard King. Pete explains that Asta's positive attitude and his unique power of anti-magic are things that she admires about him. She goes on to say that protagonists like Asta are one of the reasons she loves anime so much, as it's all about character achieving their dreams.
Though it may seem like an odd comparison on the outside, it actually makes a lot of sense for her to bridge the worlds of anime and hip hop. The world of hip hop and pop music is incredibly competitive, with individual musicians using their talents to try and reach the top of the charts. This is not unlike the worlds of something like Naruto, My Hero Academia, or Black Clover where characters try to use their unique powers to achieve their dreams. Many musicians also face significant barriers and have a long journey to fame, similar to the growth seen with manga heroes such as Luffy and Naruto.
Megan Thee Stallion might be one of the most famous anime fans working in music at the moment. More than just this interview, she has also cosplayed done a photoshoot as My Hero Academia's Todoroki and has even partnered with Crunchyroll for a release of a line of Anime apparel. Megan Thee Stallion's success shows just how much Shonen anime and manga have influenced the west as her love of Black Clover continues to inspire her both in music and in life.