Black Torch Anime Adaptation Announced, Breaks Shonen Adaptation Mold
Viz Media, during their panel at Emerald City Comic-Con, surprised many with the announcement of an anime adaptation for Tsuyoshi Takaki’s shonen manga, Black Torch. The adaptation, handled by 100studio with Kei Umabiki (known for Quality Assurance in Another World) at the helm as director, promises to bring Takaki’s unique vision to the animated screen. However, what makes this announcement particularly noteworthy is the manga’s relatively short run and conclusion back in 2018, a stark contrast to the current trend of adapting ongoing, massively popular shonen series.
Black Torch centers around Jiro Azuma, a teenage ninja with the extraordinary ability to communicate with animals. His life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters and rescues a seemingly ordinary cat. This cat, however, is far from ordinary; it’s Rago, a powerful and malevolent spirit known as a mononoke, specifically of the "Black Star of Doom." This act of kindness inadvertently throws Jiro into a world of danger and supernatural conflict.
The twist arrives swiftly. Rago is targeted by other hostile entities, and Jiro is fatally wounded in the ensuing conflict. In a desperate act to save Jiro’s life, Rago merges his soul with Jiro’s, effectively resurrecting him and granting him incredible, yet unstable, powers. This fusion creates a bond between the two, forcing them to co-exist and navigate the complexities of their intertwined existence.
Before they can fully grasp the implications of their newfound bond, Jiro and Rago are conscripted by the Bureau of Espionage. This shadowy organization is dedicated to eliminating the increasing number of mononoke that are emerging throughout the city. Armed with their combined abilities and the uneasy alliance they’ve forged, Jiro and Rago are thrust into the front lines of a hidden war against the supernatural, forced to confront dangerous enemies and navigate a world teeming with ancient spirits and hidden agendas.
The premise of Black Torch is compelling, blending elements of traditional ninja lore with supernatural horror and the classic shonen formula of character growth through combat. The dynamic between Jiro and Rago, a reluctant hero forced to rely on a morally ambiguous spirit, offers a compelling narrative hook with plenty of room for character development and exploration of themes such as trust, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between good and evil.
However, what truly sets this anime adaptation apart is the source material’s history. Black Torch concluded its run in 2018 after only 19 chapters, collected into five volumes. This is a significant departure from the norm in the contemporary shonen anime landscape. Over the past decade, the trend has been to adapt manga series that are currently enjoying immense popularity, often with hundreds of chapters already published and ongoing serialization in magazines like Weekly Shonen Jump. Alternatively, anime adaptations are frequently greenlit for works by established and highly acclaimed manga creators, regardless of the series’ length.
The decision to adapt Black Torch, a relatively short and completed series, represents a curious and potentially significant shift in the adaptation formula. While Viz Media hasn’t explicitly stated the reasoning behind this choice, it could be attributed to a number of factors. The story’s concise nature might allow for a tighter, more focused anime adaptation, avoiding the pacing issues that can sometimes plague adaptations of long-running series. It could also be a calculated risk, an attempt to test the waters and gauge audience interest in lesser-known manga properties.
Regardless of the motivations, the adaptation of Black Torch presents a welcome opportunity for a wider range of manga to receive the anime treatment. It opens the door for other short-lived but compelling stories to gain exposure and potentially find a new audience through animation. This could lead to a more diverse and experimental anime landscape, where series aren’t solely judged on their popularity or the creator’s name, but on the strength of their narrative and characters.
The anime adaptation of Black Torch doesn’t yet have a release date. Fans eager to see Jiro and Rago in action will have to remain patient. However, to commemorate the announcement, Tsuyoshi Takaki created a special illustration featuring Jiro and Rago together, a visual testament to the series’ enduring appeal and the anticipation surrounding its animated debut.
The Black Torch anime adaptation is a noteworthy event in the world of shonen anime. Its existence challenges the established norms of adaptation and suggests a willingness to explore stories outside the mainstream. Whether it proves to be a successful gamble or a harbinger of a new era in anime adaptations remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Black Torch has ignited a spark of hope for fans of underappreciated manga and a desire for more diverse storytelling in the world of anime. This provides the possibility that more completed series will get adaptations instead of just those which are popular currently. The success of this anime could change the landscape for other short series and help bring them the attention they deserve.
