The action supernatural anime BLACK TORCH debuted on July 4, 2026, bringing Tsuyoshi Takaki’s manga to the screen. The series follows a teenage ninja who can talk to animals and his unexpected bond with a legendary spirit cat. Episode 1 introduced viewers to Jiro Azuma and his strange encounter with Rago, the Black Star of Doom. Now fans are waiting for Episode 2 to continue this supernatural battle story. Here is everything you need to know about the next episode, including when it releases, where to watch it, and what happened in the first episode.
BLACK TORCH Episode 2 Release Date and Time
BLACK TORCH Episode 2 releases on July 11, 2026. The show follows a weekly broadcast schedule on Saturdays.
The episode is titled “The Choice Is Yours”. It airs on Tokyo MX at 10:00 p.m. JST. Other Japanese networks also carry the show at different times:
- Sun TV: July 11, 10:30 p.m. JST
- TV Aichi: July 11, 1:55 a.m. JST
- RKB: July 11, 2:30 a.m. JST
- HTB Hokkaido TV: July 11, 2:35 a.m. JST
- BS11: July 11, 10:30 p.m. JST
For international viewers on Crunchyroll, new episodes arrive at:
- Pacific Time (PDT): 6:00 a.m.
- Mountain Time (MDT): 7:00 a.m.
- Central Time (CDT): 8:00 a.m.
- Eastern Time (EDT): 9:00 a.m.
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 1:00 p.m.
Spanish-speaking viewers can watch at 3:00 p.m. in Spain and 7:00 a.m. in Mexico. The series has a total of 12 episodes.
Where to Stream BLACK TORCH Episode 2
Crunchyroll streams BLACK TORCH exclusively in multiple regions. The platform offers the anime in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and the CIS region.
Crunchyroll provides both the original Japanese version with subtitles and an English dub. The show also has a Spanish simuldub, making it the only anime this summer with a same-day Spanish dub. Viewers can also watch through the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.
Muse Asia has licensed the anime for Asian territories. VIZ Media publishes the original manga in English under the Shonen Jump imprint.
What Happened in BLACK TORCH Episode 1
Episode 1 set up the main conflict and introduced the key characters. The story centers on Jiro Azuma, a high school student from a ninja lineage. His grandfather trained him in shinobi arts. Jiro has a special ability: he can talk to animals. He uses this power to help creatures in need, often getting into fights with people who mistreat them.
One day, a crow calls Jiro to the forest. He finds an injured black cat named Rago and rescues it. When Rago wakes up, he reveals he is not an ordinary cat. He is actually a mononoke (a powerful spirit) known as the legendary Black Star of Doom. Mononoke are dangerous spirits that feed on humans.
Rago tries to leave because enemies are hunting him. Jiro wakes up and tries to stop him. A hostile mononoke attacks them. Rago tells Jiro to run, but Jiro refuses and fights back with a sword. The enemy mononoke delivers a fatal blow, piercing through Jiro’s chest.
Instead of eating Jiro like mononoke normally do, Rago fuses with him. This fusion saves Jiro’s life and gives him incredible power. The episode ends with Jiro gaining new abilities and being pulled into a hidden war between humans and mononoke.
The episode drew comparisons to Bleach and Chainsaw Man for its style and tone. The animation quality was praised for being crisp and fast-paced.
Main Cast and Characters
BLACK TORCH features a strong voice cast in both Japanese and English.
Japanese Voice Cast
- Ryota Suzuki as Jiro Azuma
- Yoji Ueda as Rago
- Sayaka Sembongi as Ichika Kishimojin
- Junya Enoki as Reiji Kirihara
- Reina Ueda as Hana Usami
- Junichi Suwabe as Ryosuke Shiba
- Toshiyuki Morikawa as Amagi
- Nobuhiko Okamoto as Koga
- Shinpachi Tsuji as Toshimasa Azuma
- Yuko Kaida as Toko Kusumi
- Hochu Otsuka as Banjuro Tokieda
English Dub Cast
- AJ Beckles as Jiro Azuma
- Keith Silverstein as Rago
- Erin Yvette as Ichika Kishimojin
- Ryan Colt Levy as Ryosuke Shiba
- Ben Balmaceda as Toshimasa Azuma
- Ben Diskin as Amagi/Crow
- Kellen Goff as Huge Mononoke
The English dub is produced by Studiopolis Inc. with Kirstie Simone as dialogue director.
About the Series
BLACK TORCH is based on the manga by Tsuyoshi Takaki. The manga was serialized in Shueisha’s Jump Square and Shonen Jump+ from 2017 to 2018. VIZ Media publishes the English version.
The anime is directed by Kei Umabiki, known for his work on Gintama and A Certain Scientific Railgun. The series composition and script come from Gigaemon Ichikawa. Go Suzuki handles character design, and Yutaka Yamada composes the music. The animation is produced by 100studio.
The opening theme song “Freeze Me Up” is performed by SiM. The ending theme “Groooovy” comes from I Don’t Like Mondays.
The official synopsis from VIZ Media reads:
Although he may appear rough-and-tumble, Jiro Azuma’s compassionate side emerges when it comes to the furry critters he can communicate with. But Jiro’s soft spot for animals gets him in major trouble when a suspicious stray cat fuses with him, granting him exceptional power but also dragging him into humanity’s hidden battle against powerful Japanese spirits, mononoke.
The anime had its world premiere at Anime Expo 2026.
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Episode 2 Preview: The Choice Is Yours
Episode 2 is titled “The Choice Is Yours”. The preview summary reveals that Jiro wakes up in a hospital room. He is now under surveillance by the Bureau of Espionage, a secret government organization that monitors and eliminates mononoke.
Rago was apparently sealed away by the Bureau for a long time. Jiro is held responsible for fusing with Rago. He is told that he will be “processed as a missing person”. The episode will explore the consequences of Jiro’s fusion with Rago and his introduction to the secret world of mononoke hunters.
Also Read: The Cat and the Dragon Episode 3 Release Date, Streaming Details and Episode 1-2 Recap
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