"VIZ Media Confirms Black Torch Anime Production"

Exciting news for fans of the manga world: VIZ Media has officially announced that the popular series Black Torch is being adapted into an anime, and IGN has the exclusive first look at its trailer. The announcement was made during VIZ Media's panel at Emerald City Comic Con, where fans were treated to a glimpse of Jiro Azuma donning his stealth uniform. Accompanying him is his formidable mononoke companion, Rago, perched on his shoulder. The trailer teases a dark figure reflected in the cityscape, hinting at the looming threats Jiro will face.

For those new to the series, Black Torch was crafted by Tsuyoshi Takaki and first serialized in Jump SQ. and Shonen Jump+ from 2017 to 2018. To give you a quick rundown of the plot, 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 (link will be added when available). Takaki expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “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.”

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