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The one thing amangafan never wants to see is the cancellation of their favorite manga. Whether it’s a new manga that was only just starting to get its footing or something that ran for a year or two and seemed safe, a cancellation is almost always the definitive end of someone’s favorite manga, and that’s always hard to live with.
Cancellation is almost always the end of someone’s favorite manga, but that’s not necessarily the case. It was recently announced thatTsuyoshi Takaki’sBlack Torchis getting an animedespite the manga getting unceremoniously canceled years ago, and as surprising as that is,Black Torchgetting an anime shows that it’s never too late for a manga to get an anime, even if it was canceled years ago. Granted, it’s unknown whyBlack Torchis finally getting an anime, but the fact that it’s happening at all is nonetheless good for anyone who’s ever gotten attached to a canceled manga.
Why Black Torch Is Getting An Anime After Being Canceled Years Ago
The Biggest Reasons Why Black Torch Is Getting An Anime
Before anything else, what needs to be discussed is whyBlack Torch, of all manga, is finally getting an anime. As previously stated,Black Torchwasn’t popular in any regard, with it only running for five volumes and the story’s pacing very clearly being that of a manga that was always struggling to maintain relevancy. Even series creator Tsuyoshi Takaki said he was surprised thatBlack Torchwas getting an anime, and while it’s unclear how serious he was,Black Torchgetting an anime is undeniably confusing when it was an objective failure.
As confusing as that may be, however, it’s not impossible to explain it. For starters, as rare as it may be, it’s not unheard of for it to take years, even decades, for a manga to receive an anime, with manga likeJoJo’s Bizarre AdventureandDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daiboth being decades old before their anime came out. Granted, those examples are for some of the most popular manga of all time, but even so,Black Torchmight simply be another example of a manga simply taking a long time to get an anime.
The biggest reason forBlack Torch’s anime, of course, might be its popularity outside Japan. Tsuyoshi Takaki’s follow-up work,Heart Gear, was allegedly more successful in France and other Western territories than it was in Japan, and the same was likely true ofBlack Torch, despite being far shorter thanHeart Gear.Viz Media, who owns the publishing rights toBlack Torchin English, is even involved in the production to an unspecified degree, so it makes sense to assume thatBlack Torch’s anime is happening to appeal to its cult status with Western fans as opposed to Japanese ones.
Black Torch Getting An Anime Shows That There’s Always Hope For Axed Manga
It’s Never Too Late For A Manga To Get An Anime
As any manga fan old or new will know, there are countless examples of manga rife with potential being canceled before they had the chance to find their footing, especially withinShonen Jump’s highly-competitive manga system, and once they’re gone, that’s almost always the end of them unless the author decides to make a reference or two in their next work. Now, though,Black Torchgetting an anime shows that even the most unsuccessful manga have a chance of getting anime, even if they were outright canceled, and that’s plenty great to think about.
Of course,Black Torchboth has a notable cult following and notable financial success in the West, at least compared to Japan, most of the time, a canceled manga will be lucky to even have a print release outside Japan, so it shouldn’t be assumed that any canceled manga can follow the same path asBlack Torch. Regardless,Black Torchgetting an anime at all still opens up the possibility of other axed manga getting anime, regardless of how popular they may or may not be, and something like that would be great to see.
Which Other Canceled Manga Should Get Anime After Black Torch?
What Other Manga Deserve The Black Torch Treatment?
Black Torch’s anime gives plenty of hope for other canceled manga to get anime, and there are plenty of stories that deserve that chance.Shonen Jump, of course, is infamous for how quick it will be to cancel promising manga, with manga likeGinka & Glüna,The Hunters Guild: Red Hood, andToshiaki Iwashiro’sPsyrenstill having people lamenting their cancellations years after the fact. There are other manga to consider, but regardless,Shonen Jumphas plenty of canceled manga that are plenty deserving of anime afterBlack Torch, and each one would be great to see under the right circumstances.
Of course, there are plenty of great canceled manga outsideShonen Jumpto consider, as well. Between high-quality stories likeCage of Eden,Jagaaan, andAnimal Land, many ofShonen Jump’s competitors have published many noteworthy mangathat had the misfortune of ending without ever getting their due, and they’re all held in just as high regard, if not more so.There are plenty of canceled manga in and out ofShonen Jumpthat are more than deserving of an anime, and it would be great to see that come to fruition one day.
Black Torch’s Anime Needs To Become A Hit For All Canceled Manga To Have A Chance
So Much Is Riding On Black Torch’s Success
As great as it is forBlack Torchto have an anime, at all, it needs to do more than that to spark any sort of change in the medium.Black Torchgetting an anime is nothing but unprecedented, so it can be seen as an experiment of sorts to determine if there’s merit in giving anime to canceled manga, at all. As such,Black Torch’s anime needs to be a success for there to be any chance of other canceled manga receiving anime adaptations, so there’s plenty of pressure on it to be more than just a basic adaptation.
Just from the initial teaser trailer, however,Black Torch’s anime looks to have incredible artwork and animation that more than lives up to the high quality of the manga, and with the original creator also involved in the production,Black Torch’s anime is already poised to be a success which, in turn, could easily pave the way for more canceled manga to receive anime adaptations. Naturally,Black Torchshould be judged primarily on its own merits, but with how many great canceledmangathere are, it would nonetheless be amazing if its success sparked a much-needed change in the industry.
