Black Torch is presented as a lively supernatural shonen anime whose premise strongly resembles Chainsaw Man: teenage delinquent Jiro Azuma dies, fuses with his demon companion Rago and becomes a powerful human-spirit hybrid pursued by demons and a secretive agency. However, the review argues that it is not an imitation, as the original manga predates Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen and Kaiju No. 8, making it an early example of the now-popular monster-fusion formula.

Its main distinguishing feature is Rago, an ancient, sarcastic black-cat spirit who acts as Jiro’s foul-mouthed partner rather than a simple mascot. The story also adds ninja heritage, Jiro’s ability to speak with animals and a more empathetic hero shaped by childhood bullying; the manga began in 2016 but was cancelled after five volumes, while a 12-episode anime adaptation began airing on Crunchyroll on 4 July.