As the Summer 2026 season continues to heat up, the new anime premiering on Crunchyroll are also developing their narratives and emerging as compelling series. This year has seen a wave of new anime releases on the platform, especially during the Summer 2026 season. The lineup includes arguably the darkest anime of the year with a near-perfect premise, while several adult-oriented series are helping broaden the industry’s range of genres. However, there is no doubt that the anime fans look forward to the most are those from the shonen genre.
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While this season continues Daemons of the Shadow Realm from the previous cour and marks the return of The Elusive Samuraiwith Season 2, a new shonen anime, Black Torch, adapted from the canceled manga, is emerging as arguably the standout shonen series of the season. From its very first episode, Black Torch establishes itself as a shonen anime while arguably challenging the formula popularized by Jujutsu Kaisen. However, as new episodes continue to be released, it further cements itself as a standout shonen series, and the latest episode has already introduced a major element that positions its protagonist, Jiro Azuma, as the ideal new shonen hero who perfectly fits the mold.
Black Torch Perfectly Positions Its Protagonist as the Ideal Shonen Hero
From its very first episode, Black Torch established that it would follow the classic shonen mold by giving its protagonist, Jiro Azuma, an inner demon power. As the series progresses, it also reveals that Jiro possesses the reckless, brawler mentality that many iconic shonen heroes are known for. That alone was enough for him to fit the mold of a well-crafted shonen protagonist. However, Black Torch Episode 5 introduces another defining shonen hero element. In many shonen series, the protagonist grows up knowing little or nothing about their father, only for it to be revealed later that he plays a major role in the story.
This element can be found in One Piece and Naruto, while Hunter x Hunter centers on Gon’s journey to find his father. In Episode 5, Black Torch already hints that Jiro’s father was deeply connected to both the Mononoke and those who fought against them, as a powerful villain strongly implies his importance. Jiro himself states that he never knew who his father was, further aligning him with many classic shonen protagonists. However, what sets Black Torch apart is how quickly it incorporates these familiar shonen elements instead of waiting until much later in the story.
The same can be said for the compelling bond between Rago and Jiro, which is established in the very first episode instead of taking multiple seasons to develop, as is often the case in other shonen series. What makes these developments work in Black Torch is that they naturally fit the series’ fast-paced narrative without feeling rushed. That is exactly why the anime is emerging as one of the best shonen series of 2026 airing on Crunchyroll, and hopefully it will make up for the manga’s cancellation by finally giving the story the recognition it deserves.
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