BLACK TORCH – Episode 1

What’s it about? Jiro Azuma was born with the ability to speak to animals and he’s also a descendant of a shinobi family. He was always made fun of for being an outcast, but that all changed when he saved a mononoke called Rago who was severely beaten. When Jiro nearly dies saving Rago a second time, Rago combines his powers with Jiro so to save his life. Both captured by the Ministry of Espionage, Jiro must figure out why they were chasing Rago in the first place.

I’m not sure what to make of this premiere. Aside from having all the markings of a typical shonen series, Jiro’s love for animals is the only thing that makes him a really endearing protagonist. He purposefully gets into fights with other people whenever he finds out an animal is being abused. Jiro doesn’t care about being treated as an outsider and thanks to his sweet elderly dog he never saw his abilities as a bad thing. The fact that he’s also a shinobi feels tacked on and it’s almost as if the story didn’t have enough confidence that his ability to speak animals could carry the show on its own.  

Jiro’s entire upbringing feels like a checklist. He was raised by his grandfather, he’s bullied by other kids and he’s a bratty teenager. There’s nothing original about this premise and even though the show teases that he’ll be a part of a trio, it didn’t really garner much of a reaction out of me. Especially since the camera kept lingering on the thighs and breasts of one the major female characters in the show. The fanservice, honestly, felt so forced, which further makes me believe how little faith the production has for the source material (which only has five volumes since it was cancelled).  

Since the source material is so limited, I’m left to wonder what the overarching plot is going to be. Will the series have a conclusion where both the manga creator and the viewers are satisfied? I think it’s always great when a cancelled work gets a second chance to shine, but if the protagonist is the usual cliché seen in this genre, it’s hard for me to feel invested in Jiro’s journey without having more to chew on.  I’m grateful that the animation looks great and the action sequences were fun to watch.  But that alone can’t carry the story if there isn’t anything else that stands out. A better story would’ve created some intrigue as to why the Ministry of Espionage are after Rago, but it just sort of hopes that fans of shonen anime will just be satisfied with the usual template.  

To be frank, this premiere wasn’t for me. I do love that Jiro cares about protecting animals, but that alone can’t be the only winning factor. I hope fans of the original manga get a proper conclusion to the series, but I don’t think I’ll be sticking around to find out.