Exciting news for fans of thrilling ninja battles and supernatural intrigue: VIZ Media has officially announced the production of the Black Torch anime. This announcement came during their panel at Emerald City Comic Con, and IGN is thrilled to exclusively reveal the first trailer for this highly anticipated series.
The trailer introduces us to Jiro Azuma, clad in his stealth uniform and accompanied by his formidable mononoke companion, Rago, perched on his shoulder. A glimpse of a mysterious dark figure reflected against the cityscape hints at the looming dangers that await them. You can watch the trailer below to get a sneak peek into the action-packed world of Black Torch.
For those new to the series, Black Torch is a creation of Tsuyoshi Yakaki, initially serialized in Jump SQ. and Shonen Jump+ from 2017 to 2018. To get you up to speed, here's the official synopsis of the upcoming anime:
"A new era of ninja battles begins," the 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 significant milestone, Tsuyoshi Takaki shared a special drawing from the panel. (We will add the link once it's live.)
Takaki also shared his thoughts on the anime adaptation, 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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