The upcoming BLACK TORCH anime has dropped a new main trailer and key visual, confirming its premiere date for July 4, 2026. The series, which adapts Tsuyoshi Takaki’s manga that ended in 2018, will stream on Crunchyroll across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and the CIS region.
The anime’s opening theme song is “FREEZE ME UP” performed by SiM, while I Don‘t Like Mondays. performs the ending theme song “Groooovy.” Both songs make their first appearance in the newly released trailer.
Global Premiere at Anime Expo Before Official Launch
Fans attending Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles can watch the first episode early. Viz Media will hold a BLACK TORCH world premiere panel on Friday, July 3, 2026. The panel will feature English voice actors AJ Beckles (Jiro) and Keith Silverstein (Rago), along with a full episode screening with English subtitles. The anime then officially debuts for everyone on July 4.
Full Voice Cast and Production Staff Revealed
The Japanese voice cast includes:
- Ryota Suzuki as Jiro Azuma
- Yoji Ueda as Rago
- Sayaka Senbongi as Ichika Kishimojin
- Junya Enoki as Reiji Kirihara
- Junichi Suwabe as Ryosuke Shiba
- Reina Ueda as Usami
The production team behind the anime includes:
- Director: Kei Umabiki
- Character Design: Gou Suzuki
- Series Composition & Screenplay: Gigaemon Ichikawa
- Music: Yutaka Yamada
- Studio: One Double-0 studio
The author of the original manga, Tsuyoshi Takaki, is directly involved in the anime production, supervising the settings and storyboards.
New Key Visual Brings Heroes and Villains Together
The second key visual shows main character Jiro Azuma with his mononoke partner Rago. It also features other members of the anti-mononoke special operations unit called Black Torch — Ichika, Reiji, Shiba, and Usami. The visual also includes the main antagonists Koga and Tenki, who stand in the heroes‘ way.
What Is BLACK TORCH? The Manga’s Comeback Story
BLACK TORCH follows Jiro Azuma, a high school student and descendant of ninjas who can talk to animals. One day, he finds an injured black cat named Rago in the forest. But Rago is not an ordinary cat — he is a legendary mononoke once called the “Black Ominous Star.”
The original manga ran in Shueisha’s Jump Square magazine from December 2016 to March 2018. It later moved to the Shonen Jump+ digital platform and wrapped up in July 2018. The story has 19 chapters collected into five volumes. The manga was discontinued after its fifth volume. Viz Media holds the English license, releasing the first volume on August 7, 2018.
The anime adaptation news broke in March 2025 during Viz Media‘s panel at Emerald City Comic Con, surprising many since the manga ended nearly eight years earlier.
Artist Comments on the Theme Songs
“Manga is the universe. There are as many galaxies as there are readers. This is what happens when I express the BLACK TORCH galaxy that spread in my brain with sounds and words as best as I can. Congratulations on the anime start!” — SiM, opening theme artist
“For this project, I wrote a new song called ’Groooovy‘ as the ending theme. I made it while imagining the peaceful daily life scenes behind Jiro and everyone’s days of battle, with the feeling of overcoming hardships and enjoying life. I‘d be happy if this song adds beauty to the work ’BLACK TORCH’ and also supports the lives of those who hear it.” — I Don‘t Like Mondays., ending theme artist
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Where to Watch BLACK TORCH Anime
TOKYO MX will broadcast the show starting July 4, 2026, every Saturday at 10:00 PM JST. Other stations include Sun TV, TV Aichi, RKB Mainichi Broadcasting, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting, and BS11. The anime will also have a simultaneous worldwide broadcast on various streaming platforms.
Crunchyroll confirmed streaming for fans in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and the CIS. The English dub will feature AJ Beckles as Jiro Azuma and Keith Silverstein as Rago.
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