Crunchyroll’s 1-Season Wonder Hit With No Manga Continuation Still Deserves a Revival

Black Torch has finally concluded its 12-episode run on Crunchyroll, and its unexpected success has left fans craving more. But the problem is that Tsuyoshi Takaki’s manga got canceled after only 19 chapters. Also, the anime has already adapted all the manga chapters, so there’s no source material for a Season 2.

However, that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for the anime’s revival, and Black Torch clearly deserves it. In fact, following the incredible reception of the anime adaptation, Takaki took to social media and expressed interest in continuing the story with an anime-original Season 2.

Black Torch Is Crunchyroll’s Surprise Shonen Hit of 2026

Honestly, the anime fandom had every reason to overlook Black Torch before its release on Crunchyroll. The original manga by Tsuyoshi Takaki ran from 2017 to 2018 and ended after only five volumes and 19 chapters. And it didn’t end after finishing its story; instead, it was canceled during the original run.

So, picking up the anime adaptation of a canceled manga series was a risky, unpredictable move. But much to everyone’s surprise, the anime caught everyone’s attention when it started streaming on Crunchyroll. The gamble paid off, and the anime quickly became a major talking point of the Summer 2026 lineup.

The premise of the manga alone gave the anime a lot to work with. We have Jiro, who comes from a ninja family and can communicate with animals. His life completely changes after coming across Rago, a black cat who is actually a very powerful mononoke. Soon after that encounter, Jiro gets pulled into a hidden conflict involving supernatural creatures. Of course, the incredible animation from 100studio has a huge part to play in the success. But apart from that, fans really loved Black Torch’s ninja action, supernatural battles, and, last but not least, the unusual relationship dynamic between Jiro and Rago.

Sure, we have seen several anime successes over the past few years, but Black Torch is actually special. It didn’t have a long-running manga franchise backing it up. It didn’t have dozens of volumes or an existing fan base. But even then, the anime knocked it out of the park and took the number 1 spot on Crunchyroll.

Thanks to the success of Black Torch, ending it so quickly doesn’t feel like the end of a conventional anime. Instead, it feels like a missed opportunity to create something truly extraordinary that can someday be compared with anime-only titles like Cowboy Bebop.

Could Black Torch Continue With an Anime-Original Season 2?

Well, an anime-original Season 2 of Black Torch is very much possible. Of course, there’s no source material for a second season at this point. Also, Takaki has confirmed in a recent social media post that he has no plans to draw a continuation of the story himself.

However, if another miracle were to happen and we got an anime-original second season…that would be wonderful.

However, in the same post, Takaki has opened the door to another possibility by saying it would be wonderful to get a second anime-original season. Not only that, but Takaki also confirmed that he will give it his all and collaborate on everything from the Season 2 script to the world-building.

Black Torch is one of the rare anime titles that doesn’t deserve to die just after one season. It already got a second chance with an anime adaptation almost eight years after its manga was canceled. And now, after the anime’s success, it would no longer be a gamble for Crunchyroll and 100studio to invest in a second season.

Obviously, the possibility of Black Torch getting another season is exciting. However, Takaki’s interest in the anime’s revival shouldn’t be mistaken for an official announcement. His statement simply expresses willingness to participate if the opportunity arises. For now, we have no choice but to wait for any official announcement or statement from Crunchyroll and 100studio.

Would you like to see a Season 2 of Black Torch? Do let us know in the comments!

Black Torch is currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll.