Exciting news for anime enthusiasts: VIZ Media has officially announced that the popular manga series, *Black Torch*, is being adapted into an anime. The announcement came during their panel at Emerald City Comic Con, and IGN is thrilled to exclusively reveal the first trailer of the upcoming series. In the trailer, fans get a glimpse of the protagonist, Jiro Azuma, clad in his stealth uniform, accompanied by his powerful mononoke, Rago, perched on his shoulder. The trailer also teases a mysterious dark figure reflected in the cityscape, hinting at the thrilling dangers that lie ahead.
For those new to the *Black Torch* universe, the series was crafted by the talented Tsuyoshi Takaki and was initially serialized in Jump SQ. and Shonen Jump+ from 2017 to 2018. To bring everyone up to speed, here's the official synopsis of the upcoming anime:
"A new era of ninja battles begins," the official synopsis reads. "Hailing from a long line of ninja, Jiro has been brought up by his grandfather in the ancient warrior art of the shinobi. Jiro also happens to be a particularly skilled communicator able to converse with the animal world. But life takes an abrupt turn thanks to a mysterious encounter in the forest with an injured black cat named Rago. Only, Rago's feline appearance is deceiving...
"It turns out the 'ordinary' cat is the stuff of mononoke legend—the Black Star of Doom! Swarming in the shadows are more mononoke, eager to exploit Rago’s uniquely immense powers. To fight back against the tide of dark spirits, the undercover Bureau of Espionage is poised to seek and destroy. Of course, everyone has their motives when it comes to Rago’s powers. But Jiro and Rago are ready. A shinobi clash between boy and mononoke is about to ignite!"
To celebrate this monumental step for *Black Torch*, Tsuyoshi Takaki shared a special drawing from the panel. (We will update this article with the link once it becomes available.)
Tsuyoshi Takaki, deeply involved in the anime's production, expressed his excitement, stating, "I’ve been supervising the settings and storyboards, and I feel it’s been recreated into something even better, while still fully respecting the original story. A new *BLACK TORCH* has been brought to life, now with voices, sounds, movement, and color."
As we eagerly await more updates on *Black Torch*, don't forget to explore our lists of favorite anime from 2024, the most anticipated anime coming in 2025, and our top 25 anime of all time.
