BLACK TORCH Episode 3 Release Date, Streaming Details and What Happened So Far

7/17/2026 6:45 PM

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The new anime series BLACK TORCH has started its run on Crunchyroll. Episode 3 is arriving this weekend. Here is everything viewers need to know about the release time, where to watch, and what has happened in the story so far.

The anime adaptation of Tsuyoshi Takaki’s manga premiered on July 4, 2026. The show follows Jiro Azuma, a high school student who can talk to animals. His life changes after he saves a wounded black cat named Rago, who turns out to be a powerful mononoke—a supernatural spirit. The first season is set to have 12 episodes.

Episode 3 Release Date and Time

BLACK TORCH Episode 3 comes out on Saturday, July 18, 2026. New episodes release weekly on Saturdays.

The exact streaming time on Crunchyroll varies by region. The show airs on Tokyo MX in Japan at 10:00 PM JST. For international viewers, Crunchyroll streams the episodes at the same time as the Japanese broadcast.

Here are the estimated release times for different regions:

Pacific Time (PT): 6:00 AM
Eastern Time (ET): 9:00 AM
Brazil (Brasília): 10:00 AM
Italy: 3:00 PM
Indonesia (WIB): 8:00 PM

Crunchyroll has not confirmed the exact time for every region. The platform may have a short delay while uploading the episode and subtitles.

Where to Watch BLACK TORCH

Crunchyroll is the main international streaming home for BLACK TORCH. The service offers the show across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

The platform provides both subtitled and dubbed versions in supported languages.

In Japan, the show is also available on these platforms:

Prime Video
Disney+
Hulu

The anime is also streaming on iQIYI, Bstation, and Muse Indonesia’s YouTube channel in some regions.

What Happened in Episode 1

The first episode introduced Jiro Azuma, a teenager raised by his grandfather in the ways of the shinobi. Jiro has a special gift—he can talk to animals. He spends his time helping stray cats and dogs in his neighborhood.

One day, Jiro finds an injured black cat and decides to help it. The cat is actually Rago, a legendary mononoke known as the “Black Star of Doom”. Rago is being hunted by both exorcists and other mononoke.

Jiro and Rago form an unlikely bond. Their meeting pulls Jiro into a hidden war between humans and mononoke. The episode ended with Jiro discovering that Rago is much more than an ordinary cat.

Recap of Episode 2: “The Choice Is Yours”

Episode 2, titled “The Choice Is Yours,” picked up right after the first episode. Jiro wakes up in a hospital room. He had been asleep for a day and a half.

Jiro learns that he is under the watch of the Kogi Onmitsu Bureau—the government’s secret organization that deals with mononoke. The bureau had sealed away Rago for many years. Because Jiro and Rago have fused together, the bureau sees Jiro as a threat.

An agent named Ichika Kishimojin is assigned to guard Jiro. The bureau tells Jiro that he will be treated as a “missing person” and eliminated. This puts Jiro in a life-or-death situation.

Jiro decides to escape from the hospital. He uses his ability to talk to animals. He asks birds from a nearby power line to distract the guards. After escaping, Jiro goes to warn his grandfather, Toshimasa Azuma.

Toshimasa used to be a member of the Bureau of Espionage. Through flashbacks, viewers learn that Toshimasa always expected a lot from Jiro. He does not want Jiro to face the world without proper strength and resolve.

Toshimasa decides that the only way to deal with the situation is to kill Jiro because a mononoke now lives inside him. Jiro tries to prove his strength to his grandfather. He tells Rago not to help him. But when Toshimasa still sees him as unprepared, Jiro remembers his grandfather’s lesson: if you need help, ask for it. Jiro asks Rago for help.

Toshimasa sees that Jiro has learned his lessons well. He stands down and leaves Jiro to his fate. The episode ends with Jiro and Rago together, but their future remains uncertain.

What to Expect in Episode 3

Episode 3 is titled “What’s My Name?”. The episode continues the story after Jiro and Rago’s fusion.

Ichika Kishimojin does not trust mononoke. She and Jiro do not get along well. Episode 3 will show more of their tense relationship as Jiro and Rago travel with Ichika to the bureau’s headquarters.

The episode is expected to clarify the direction of the anime. The relationship between Jiro and Rago remains a key focus. They are not yet a well-matched team. Episode 3 may show how their partnership develops.

The episode will also explore the role of the organization that fights mononoke.