BLACK TORCHのイラスト
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ANIME COMING SOON!! ANIME COMING SOON!!
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INTRODUCTION

Jiro Azuma is not your average high schooler. 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!

CHARACTER

・LIST

Jiro Azuma

・NAME

Jiro Azuma

・CV

Ryota Suzuki

・DETAIL

A high school student raised by his grandfather as a descendant of ninjas.
He has a mysterious ability to communicate with animals from birth and has the warmth to extend his hand to neighborhood dogs and cats.
He is rough and quick to fight, but at heart he is caring and loyal.
Through his encounter with Rago, he gets involved in battles with "Mononoke" and becomes a member of the Bureau of Espionage "Black Torch."

・BIRTHDAY

May 19

・HEIGHT

175cm

・AFFILIATION

Bureau of Espionage, Special Operations Division 2

Jiro Azuma Face

STAFF & CAST

STAFF

  • Original Work

    Tsuyoshi Takaki (Published by SHUEISHA)

    Original Work

    Tsuyoshi Takaki

    Congratulations on the anime adaptation of BLACK TORCH!

    I don't think there's anyone more excited and surprised than me.
    This is all thanks to everyone who has loved the manga, both in Japan and overseas.

    As for the production, 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.
    There are battles, cats, and thighs!
    We hope you enjoy it!

  • Director

    Kei Umabiki

    Director

    Kei Umabiki

    I'm Kei Umabiki, Director for the BLACK TORCH anime.

    A story of friendship between the protagonist and his friends! Charming characters with great visuals! Cool action sprinkled with humor! Brash villains! Elements of Japanese culture like ninja and Mononoke! A militaristic setting with a sci-fi twist! It's all there, plus it's a classic that proudly inherits the lineage of Shonen Jump, packed with everything shonen fans love!

    These were my first impressions when I read the BLACK TORCH manga, and I remember feeling very excited.

    In creating the anime, we've made full use of elements that are unique to the medium like color, movement, music, and a brilliant cast. The entire staff is working hard to bring the excitement and charm of the original work to this production!

    We can't wait to share the complete story with you! Please look forward to it and thank you very much.

  • Character Design

    Gou Suzuki

  • Series Composition &
    Screenplay

    Gigaemon Ichikawa

    Series Composition & Screenplay

    Gigaemon Ichikawa

    With a lot of care and passion, I did my best to adapt the fiery, cool, heartrending and heartwarming world of ""BLACK TORCH"" created by Tsuyoshi Takaki Sensei, into the screenplay.

    I can't stop being excited, imagining how Jiro and Rago, the members of Black Torch, and the Mononoke will be running all over the screen!

    Let's enjoy it together, everyone!!

  • Sub Character Design

    Yumi Nakamura
    Masahiko Suzuki
    Mariko Kinoshita

  • Design Works

    Toshiya Kikuchi

  • Art Directors

    Sachi Takahashi Seiko Imaizumi

    Art Directors

    Sachi Takahashi

    If I can know that I’ve been even a small help in bringing to life the world of the manga in our anime, I will be utterly delighted.

    Art Directors

    Seiko Imaizumi

    It was a collaborative design effort working on creating spaces to fit the imagery of the story. If our efforts help create a more cohesive, immersive world for our viewers, I’ll be thrilled.

  • Color Design

    Haruko Nobori

    Color Design

    Haruko Nobori

    I’m Haruko Nobori, and I oversee color design in BLACK TORCH the anime.
    I love cats! So I was careful not to turn the black cat Rago into a kind of dark and foreboding oni. Instead I tried to make color choices that would give Rago’s appearance a sort of sweetness and charming quality, but I also wanted him to be charismatic, with piercing eyes and a determination that you could feel. With these characters there is so much to see and experience–friendship, camaraderie, mononoke. To be entrusted with their color design has been a total honor!

    I hope you will watch and, most of all, enjoy the ride!

  • CG Director

    Hirotaka Naito

    CG Director

    Hirotaka Naito

    The 3DCG work in BLACK TORCH is truly the product of many, many hands. The CG and animation staff from 100studio’s offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Taiwan, and Korea all contributed, as well as staff from 100studio’ sister studio, Infinity1. BLACK TORCH features more action and CG elements than any of 100studio’s previous CG-animation hybrid anime works. We really hope you enjoy the final product. We think it’s packed with our passion and the charm of the original manga.

  • Director of
    Cinematography

    Hijiri Yamamoto

    Director of Cinematography

    Hijiri Yamamoto

    Director of Cinematography, Hijiri Yamamoto, here.

    Put simply, Tsuyoshi Takaki Sensei’s drawings, the way he expresses emotion, the atmospheres he creates, it all just oozes cool! So I wrestled with, sort of by trial and error, how I could best express the coolness of the monochrome effects we see in the manga through the unique medium that is anime. I tried to capture the unique vibe of each and every scene with basic colors like black, white, and grey. I hope you love the effect as much as I do!

  • Editor

    Masato Yoshitake

  • Sound Director

    Takeshi Takadera

    Sound Director

    Takeshi Takadera

    I’m the Sound Director of BLACK TORCH, Takeshi Takadera.

    First a chance encounter with a legendary mononoke, then comes battle after fierce shinobi battle against lethal mononoke… Sounds exciting, right?
    I really think BLACK TORCH is something viewers in Japan and beyond will enjoy. Plus, the cast is stellar, as is Yamada-san’s amazing and totally original background music.
    Don’t miss it!

  • Sound Effects

    Naoto Yamaya

    Sound Effects

    Naoto Yamaya

    It all starts the moment this animal whisperer high schooler meets this very strange and unusual cat. As it turns out, the high schooler is also refreshingly direct and honest. He doesn’t hold back his emotions. This emotion, I think, also comes out in the way he fights–or his fighting style. Stay tuned!

  • Music by

    Yutaka Yamada

    Music by

    Yutaka Yamada

    To bring the world of BLACK TORCH to life with music, we've created a unique soundscape with our own original tones and beats.

    We're putting our all into making sure we embody the charm of the original work.
    Please look forward to it!

  • Animation Production

    One Double-O studio

CAST

  • Jiro Azuma

    Ryota Suzuki

    鈴木崚汰

    Jiro Azuma

    Ryota Suzuki

    The characters in BLACK TORCH are just so cool.
    That, along with Takaki Sensei's amazing drawings and the emotional rollercoaster of a story, it's all totally pulled me in. It's an honor to be a part of something so loved, not just in Japan but all over the world. I'm giving it my all to be the best Jiro Azuma I can be. Stay tuned!

  • Rago

    Yoji Ueda

    上田燿司

    Rago

    Yoji Ueda

    When I found out I got this major role, I remember being so happy and excited, but also feeling this tremendous pressure.
    But acting out the action scenes ended up being a sort of catharsis for me—there's this great chemistry you feel, the lines sound so good alongside those of my fellow actors. Then when I get to listen to the recording, the effect is really satisfying. I'm telling ya, you gotta watch this show—meow!

  • Ichika Kishimojin

    Sayaka Sembongi

    千本木彩花

    Ichika Kishimojin

    Sayaka Sembongi

    I've been going into recording with the hope that I'm conveying Ichika's unique mix of resolve and nonchalance, but also that loveable charm that she gives us a glimpse of every once in a while. All of us have come together on this project as a great team, a true collaboration with Takaki Sensei and our director.
    I hope you're as excited as we are for the broadcast!!

  • Reiji Kirihara

    Junya Enoki

    榎木淳弥

    Reiji Kirihara

    Junya Enoki

    Enoki Junya here, voice of Reiji Kirihara. I remember thinking, when I first read the manga, wow this manga just bursts with kinetic life.
    I would look at the drawings, at the sheer movement they convey, and would see them spring to life in my mind. I really think this is going to turn out to be something really cool. Get excited!

  • Ryosuke Shiba

    Junichi Suwabe

    諏訪部順一

    Ryosuke Shiba

    Junichi Suwabe

    Get ready for a high-octane anime adaptation filled with intense battles and totally eccentric characters! You won’twant to miss seeing how they fight at every twist and turn, learning how to combine their weird and wonderful innate abilities with time-honored martial arts training! Stay tuned, everyone!

  • Hana Usami

    Reina Ueda

    上田麗奈

    Hana Usami

    Reina Ueda

    Usami has a unique talent for making everyone feel at ease. You can sense in how she communicates with Shiba that they’ve built up a genuine connection, something that’s really heartwarming to watch. I hope she can be a source of relief for you, too, throughout all the intensity and excitement of BLACK TORCH!

  • Amagi

    Toshiyuki Morikawa

    森川智之

    Amagi

    Toshiyuki Morikawa

    Voice actor Toshiyuki Morikawa, here. I play Amagi in BLACK TORCH the anime. Staying true to the spirit and blistering intensity of the manga has always been in the back of my mind when I get to play Amagi, so I’ve really put everything I’ve got into portraying his unrelenting determination and that sort of quiet fury we so often get from him. I hope my performance helps transport you into the world of BLACK TORCH. Get psyched!

  • Koga

    Nobuhiko Okamoto

    岡本信彦

    Koga

    Nobuhiko Okamoto

    "Hi, I’m Nobuhiko Okamoto, Koga’s VA. It’s interesting. Koga’s this character who, on the one hand, tells everyone his ambition of becoming the strongest of all mononoke, and yet essentially he also I think has this quirky childlike innocence and mischievousness to him. Jiro better get ready for a wild ride!"

  • Toshimasa Azuma

    Shinpachi Tsuji

    辻 親八

    Toshimasa Azuma

    Shinpachi Tsuji

    I’m Shinpachi Tsuji, voice actor for Toshimasa Azuma, Jiro’s grandfather. As everyone knows, I’m the one who teaches Jiro the family martial arts, albeit incredibly harshly. Needless to say, this kind of severe training wouldn’t fly in the real world. But of course, on the flip side, Toshimasa has this deep love for his grandson. BLACK TORCH is filled with unique characters. Enjoy!

  • Toko Kusumi

    Yuhko Kaida

    甲斐田裕子

    Toko Kusumi

    Yuhko Kaida

    I play BLACK TORCH’s icy diva, Toko Kusumi. As if the scar across her face wasn’t evidence enough, the head of Special Operations Division 1 is a chilly and hard-headed leader. But despite all that, and the obviously strained working relationship she has with Shiba, deep down she also has this really genuine kindness to her. I hope that comes across in my performances, too. I’m loving the tempo of this series and can’t wait to see the finished product!

  • Banjuro Tokieda

    Hochu Otsuka

    大塚芳忠

    Banjuro Tokieda

    Hochu Otsuka

    I was really moved to learn I’d been cast to play in this work that has such a passionate following world wide. My character, Tokieda, is on the one hand quiet, meek, that sort of person. But he’s also this flawless fighter. I hope my voice acting captures that unusual contrast.

BOOKS