Black Torch anime announced for production with PV

Black Torch anime announced for production (Image via 100Studio)

Black Torch anime has been officially green-lit for production. This was confirmed during a VIZ Media panel at the Emerald City Comic Con on Saturday, March 8, 2025. A promotional video and a key visual accompanied the announcement. Moreover, the details regarding the anime's main staff and production studio were also shared.

Black Torch anime serves as an adaptation of Tsuyoshi Takaki's eponymous manga series. The manga was initially serialized in Shueisha's Jump Square magazine from December 2016 to March 2018. Later, the manga shifted to the Shonen Jump+ digital platform and was serialized from April 2018 to July 2018 before it was canceled.

Black Torch anime adaptation finally gets green-lit

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the official staff opened a new website and social media handles (X and Instagram) to announce the production of Black Torch anime, based on the celebrated manga series by Tsuyoshi Takaki. Along with the announcement, the staff unveiled a promotional video and key visual to share pertinent information regarding the adaptation.

The short video showcases the protagonists, Jiro Azuma, Rago, Ichika Kishimojin, Reiji Kirihara, and other characters in animated form. The promotional clip hypes up the adaptation with sharp and flashy animation quality and an upbeat OST. However, the video doesn't reveal the anime's release date. It will likely be announced in the future.

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In addition to the PV, the official staff unveiled a key visual for the Black Torch anime. The illustration depicts Jiro Azuma in a covert outfit, with Rago riding on his back. Interestingly, the visual shows a mysterious shadow on a building behind Jiro's back.

Notably, a comment from the original author, Tsuyoshi Takaki, has arrived on the anime's official website. Delighted about the anime adaptation, Tsuyoshi Takaki says:

"I'm probably the most surprised person in the world. This is all thanks to everyone, both in Japan and overseas, who loved the originla work. With regards to the production, I have been closely supervising things like the settings and storyboards, and I believe that it has been reconstructed in a better form as an anime while still respecting the original to the utmost extent."

Additionally, Tsuyoshi-san mentions that the Black Torch anime has voices, sounds, movements, and colors, that weren't in the original manga. As such, he urges fans to look forward to the series.

Staff and the plot of the Black Torch anime

Jiro Azuma, as seen in the PV (Image via 100Studio)

Kei Umabiki directs the supernatural anime at 100Studio, with Gigaemon Ichikawa in charge of the series scripts. Go Suzuki, who has contributed to Minami-ke Tadaima anime, is enlisted as the character designer, while Yutaka Yamada is the show's music composer.

According to the synopsis shared on the anime's official site, Black Torch anime follows the story of Jiro Azuma, who descends from a long line of ninjas. Interestingly, he has the unique ability to talk to animals. One day, Jiro encounters an injured black cat named Rago in the forest.

Although Rago appears as a normal black cat, in reality, he's a legendary monster called the Black Evil Star. Jiro gets into major trouble when the suspicious feline's shadow fuses with him and grants him extraordinary powers. Thus, the anime shall explore Jiro's story, as he gets dragged into humanity's battle against menacing spirits.