Manga Monthly: Black Torch
March. The month that students across the UK begin getting ready for their A levels or GCSE exams. We all are working very hard to achieve the grades that we want. Just as much as it is important to study, it is also important to remember to take breaks and relax from the brain power. How about I suggest to you my March recommendation – Black Torch.
Black Torch is written and illustrated by Tsuyoshi Takaki and its first initial release day was April 2017. As of right now, it currently has 5 published volumes with plans for the 6th volume coming out on the 6th August, 2019. Despite having quite a few chapters, I would class it as a hidden gem within the mass piles of the manga’s that come out every month.
To begin with the plot follows the main character, Jiro Azuma, who has a special ability to talk to animals. He knows many harmless friendly critters but had a special connection with his old dog Nachi, who was “like a grandmother” to Jiro. Interestingly, his ancestry seems to also hold a long line of ninjas since the Edo period. He’s just a teenager who hears the animals. One day a crow he helped takes him to a mysterious injured black cat. After he patches the cat up and heals it, Jiro finds out he’s actually saved a Mononoke called Rago, who call themselves “an immortal being”. Rago gets chased by some enemies who want his powers since he is hinted at being the strongest, only catching Jiro in the incident. To save him, Rago personally fuses with him to become one and begins their journey to battle powerful monsters in secret from the world.
The characters are simple but likeable. Jiro is supposed to be presented as a caring and kind person who won’t hesitate to help anybody in need, which is a stereotypical trait of these particular action manga. I think Rago is supposed to be a calm character, who’s stoic and cold. He might as a mentor to Jiro, which makes their relationship compatible and perfect. I think their adventures will strengthen their bond as they battle against these demons. However, other characters are also interesting – such as the grandfather, who seems to be hiding something more than he shows. Also, this organisation named ‘The Bureau of Espionage’ tries to catch Jiro due to the powerful Rago fused with him, allowing readers to meet the side characters: Ryosuke Shiba, who seems to be of a higher rank and Ichika Kishimojin, the female lead. Even though she has a cold exterior, she seems to present herself as a strong female character who is able to handle herself.
Personally, I liked the manga because the characters are drawn very suiting to the art style, the obvious signs of detailed lines to really make the character. The plot itself does lack some kind of fast-pace drive for its genre but it can be forgiven as usually volume one mangas help set the main stage that other volumes will build on. It’s a good read for those who like simple stories with simple plots and characters before getting into some hardcore mangas that require attention to hidden details. Picking this book won’t be such a bad choice for someone who’s interested in ninjas and black cat magic!