Jujutsu Kaisen Meets Chainsaw Man In The Best 2026 Anime No One Is Talking About

Published Aug 30, 2026, 8:32 PM EDT Umair is a contributor for the ScreenRant anime section. He has always been enthusiastic about pop culture. Whether it's anime, movies, TV shows, manga, manhwa, video games, or pop music, he is always tuned in. From the classic Dragon Ball to the underrated Dororo, he has a broad knowledge of the most. When he's not writing, you may find him editing on his favorite anime, movie, or pop star on his Instagram. Sign in to your ScreenRant account If Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man had a slightly more chaotic ninja cousin, the answer would probably be Black Torch. The 2026 anime follows Jiro Azuma, a teenage ninja whose life takes a wild turn after he is forced to fuse with Rago, a powerful black cat mononoke. The setup might sound familiar to anyone who has watched Yuji Itadori share his body with Sukuna or Denji merge with Pochita, but Black Torch quickly finds its own lane by mixing supernatural battles with fast-paced shinobi action. The strange part is that hardly anyone seems to be talking about it. The anime arrived in a ridiculously crowded 2026 summer lineup, going up against major names like Bleach, Re:Zero, Mushoku Tensei, and One Piece while all of them are delivering some of their biggest storylines. That makes Black Torch one of the year's biggest underdogs. 100studio also took a pretty big chance by adapting Tsuyoshi Takaki's short-lived manga, which ended after just five volumes. On paper, it was an easy series to overlook. In practice, the anime has turned that compact story into one of the year's most fun supernatural action shows, and it deserves way more attention than it is getting. Black Torch Combines Ancient Ninja Combat With Monstrous Supernatural Powers Black Torch wastes no time throwing Jiro Azuma into a world he never knew existed. Hidden among ordinary people are Mononoke, immortal and bloodthirsty spirits that constantly threaten mankind. At the center of it all is Rago, an ancient Mononoke known as the Black Star of Doom. The funny part is that this terrifying spirit is currently stuck inside the body of a stray black cat. Jiro Azuma's connection to Rago begins when the teenage shinobi is fatally injured while trying to save the cat from a rogue spirit. Rather than letting Jiro die, Rago fuses with his body and brings him back to life. That strange reunion immediately catches the attention of the Bureau of Espionage, a secret government organization that recruits Jiro into its anti-Mononoke squad, Black Torch. And suddenly, the teenage troublemaker finds himself fighting the very creatures he never knew were real. Jiro is also far more than a regular teenager who suddenly gets monster powers. Raised by his strict grandfather, he was trained in the ancient shinobi arts from a young age and was already a skilled fighter before Rago entered the picture. He can even communicate with animals, adding another weird but fun part to his character. Once Rago's supernatural abilities are added to Jiro's shinobi skills, Black Torch really starts to come alive. Jiro's fast, technical ninja fighting mixed with Rago's monstrous abilities gives the anime plenty of room to go wild. 100studio has also done a great job bringing Tsuyoshi Takaki's heavy action artwork to life, turning the manga's fast-moving fights into some seriously fun animated battles. Black Torch Redeems A Canceled Manga With Direct Creator Involvement It is a tragedy that Tsuyoshi Takaki's original Black Torch manga was cut short, ending in 2018 after just five volumes. But the 2026 anime gives the series a chance to finally show what it could have become. 100studio is currently bringing the story to life on Crunchyroll, with Takaki himself involved in the adaptation and helping oversee its storyboards and settings. That extra involvement makes this feel like more than a simple attempt to recreate the manga on screen. It is a chance to give Black Torch the time and attention it never got during its original run. At the end of the day, half of the anime’s appeal boils down to the chaotic and begrudging dynamic between Jiro and Rago. Watching a stubborn teenage ninja and an arrogant, ancient demon cat constantly bicker while brutally tearing through other Mononoke is exactly the kind of energy that makes supernatural anime so ridiculously entertaining. For a series that was once cut short after only five volumes, Black Torch is getting a pretty great second chance. For viewers looking for a new supernatural action anime without another massive backlog of episodes to catch up on, this is one hidden gem worth giving a shot. Cast Ryota Suzuki Jiro Azuma (voice) Sayaka Senbongi Ichika Kishimojin (voice) Junya Enoki Reiji Kirihara (voice) Writers Gigaemon Ichikawa, Tsuyoshi Takaki