A Canceled Shonen Jump Manga Got A Killer New Anime, And More Are Already On The Way

2 hours ago 9

Updated Jul 14, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT

An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.

His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.

Now that Black Torch's anime is out, it's crucial to note just how much of a pleasant surprise its announcement truly was. Once a canceled manga from the digital-only Shonen Jump+ lineup, Black Torch quickly released a strong handful of promotional details including trailers, character visuals, and more. But even beyond its initial unveiling last year at Emerald City Comic Con 2025, Black Torch's anime adaptation was a surprise to even its creator, Tsuyoshi Yakaki.

But the best part about Black Torch's sudden return to the spotlight is just how strong its anime actually is, and what it could mean for similar projects. Ill-fated manga that lasted long enough to survive first-wave Shonen Jump cancelations, yet also not enough chapters to secure a proper legacy, could inspire hope for their dedicated fans, with some cases, like Psyren, already proving this isn't a one-off. It's a moment of optimism for audiences worldwide, especially as demand for new animated content continues to rise.

Black Torch's Anime Is A Miracle

Bringing the anime to life is 100Studio, the same producers behind Quality Assurance in Another World. Kei Umabiki will be taking the helm as the director, and Go Suzuki will be in charge of the character designs. Yutaka Yamada, the genius behind the music of Vinland Saga and Tokyo Ghoul, will be in charge of music composition, and Gigaemon Ichikawa will take over the script. The unique and vibrant art style in the trailer as well as the very fluid animation quickly inspired confidence that the anime would not disappoint and, given its debut, any lingering fears were soon dispelled.

The series is about a new era of ninja battles as Jiro, raised by his grandfather in the ancient art of shinobi, possesses the rare ability to communicate with animals. His life takes a turn when he encounters an injured black cat named Rago, who turns out to be the legendary Black Star of Doom, a powerful mononoke. Dark spirits seek to exploit Rago’s abilities, and the Bureau of Espionage is ready to eliminate him. With everyone after Rago for their own reasons, Jiro and Rago prepare for a fierce showdown in a battle between a boy and mononoke.

While anime fans are definitely surprised by this bizarre turn of events, the creator, Tsuyoshi Yakaki, is even more shocked and excited by this. He credited the adaptation to the fans all around the world, and that he is grateful. He was heavily involved in the production, such as supervising and making storyboards, all to make the anime elevate the source material as much as possible while staying true to the manga, much like how Tite Kubo supervised the creation of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. Fans of the original manga can look forward to even more content as the creator promises an even better version.

Black Torch Receiving An Anime Is Not The Norm

One of the big reasons a publisher allows a studio to adapt a manga into anime form is so that the adaptation can bring more attention to the source material and increase the manga sales. Almost all the highest-selling manga ever have a very popular anime, such as Demon Slayer's meteoric rise due to the anime series and movies. As such, it doesn't make sense as to why Black Torch would receive an anime when the manga had been discontinued. Furthermore, it has been 7 years since the manga ended, making the situation even more surprising.

However, it is not the first time a canceled manga has received an anime. Beat and Motion is going to receive an anime despite it being canceled, but this is a special case since the manga won a competition that promised an anime later. The sheer fact it's being adapted by MAPPA will almost certainly also increase demand in its original print run. Romantic Killer is another Shōnen Jump+ manga that was canceled but received an anime, one season, 12-episode ONA, and a good one, at that. While there is definitely a precedent, Black Torch's case is much more unusual and intriguing.

This Could Lead To Other Canceled Manga Receiving An Anime

Custom Image by Ana Nieves

The astonishing aspect of Black Torch's success is that it's already being felt elsewhere. Psyren, another fan-favorite canceled too soon is on the way with a visually striking anime of its own. This could mean second chances for other ill-fated Shonen Jump-branded manga of the past, such as Hell's Paradise creator Yuji Kaku's Ayashimon, or even Masashi Kishimoto's Samurai 8 could reasonably earn a second chance, so their legacies don't go entirely forgotten. It could reasonably open the doors to other short-lived manga under Shueisha's banner and beyond.

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Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?

AVegeta BKakarot CBardock DRaditz

✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.

Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?

AThe Ten-Tails BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox DThe Rinnegan

✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.

In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?

ASacred Gears BZanpakuto CNen Weapons DBankai Blades

✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”

In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?

APlanet Namek BPlanet Vegeta CPlanet Sadala DEarth

✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?

AStands BJutsu CQuirks DCursed Techniques

✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?

AHollows BDemons CCursed Spirits DTitans

✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.

In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?

ASun Breathing BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing

✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.

Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?

ANaruto BDragon Ball COne Piece DDemon Slayer

✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.

✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.

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After all, even longer-running series like The Elusive Samurai were certainly not expected to get as well-received an anime as they have been. Their adaptations can revitalize even underperforming manga, while breathing new life into dormant IPs. While there's currently still high demand for plenty of projects that would certainly make a good deal of sense like Boruto's long-awaited return, Black Torch is a good sign for the industry which, rather than predictably churning out adaptations of the latest hot new thing, is still capable of the odd surprise in the modern day.

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Shonen Jump is one of Japan's most successful manga anthology franchises, published by Shueisha. Launched in 1968, it is the source of some of the most beloved and popular anime and manga series, such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto. The franchise has extended into multiple adaptations across various media, including anime, films, video games, and merchandise.

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