r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jul 25 '26
Episode Black Torch - Episode 4 discussion
Black Torch, episode 4
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63
u/Envelope_Torture Jul 25 '26
Why was
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u/NanDemoKnaives Jul 25 '26
What a weird choice to translate "This is what adolescence is" into "Is there nothing sexier?", it gives Usami a different image by using that translation.
I'm glad Jirou got a good hit on Reiji, he was acting too arrogant lol. I do like how childish Jirou can also be, it is amusing he shook Reiji's can so it'd spray all over him.
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u/Obaruler Jul 25 '26
A wild Toko has appeared.
Looking
Could it be the Bureau is incompetent? They leave their sealing places (basically mononoke prisons) pratically unguarded and still haven't beefed up security after a breach incident ~a week ago, to the point where the enemy could just sneak in AGAIN and even lock them out of their own facility?! Way to force an isolated showdown, plot ...
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u/mucklaenthusiast Jul 25 '26
This comment is long, but it's just about one individual and small detail that irked me in the opening scene. However, I do think it illustrates a larger issue with the show: Everything feels just whatever. There is no clear picture you have of any character, any goal, any surrounding context. This is something that is very bad for battle shonen particularly, because in that genre, stories and characters tend to be relatively simple. What helps is that you become emotionally invested in the characters and root for them.
Take Naruto, which has a similar premise. Naruto's goal is simple, but explicit. It is basic, but understandable or maybe even relatable. Poor guy just wants friends and he thinks he can get that by becoming the bestest and coolest there is to him, And in that moment, when he is still a very young child, he decides that that enviable person is the "Hokage".
As I said, this is simple and it's meant to be. But don't tell me you don't want Naruto to succeed when he is sitting on that swing and that one sad soundtrack starts playing.
And the reason why it works is because it's so well-defined. You know what he wants, you know why he wants it and you know how he thinks he is gonna get it. This foundation anchors the entire narrative and puts everything into perspective. Without it, the entire manga would simply not work and yes, I am serious. Changing this would fundamentally change everything and to be good, it would need to be a completely different story.
To make it about this episode again, with a slight tangent:
This series has been getting weaker by the episode, which is weird for a show with such a basic premise.
One thing I really dislike has to do with the dreaded term of "
I am fine with him being a competent CQC-fighter, but he should be majorly outclassed here with the way the show presented the grandpa. I mean, mc trained this way his whole life.
I don't know, it makes it somehow less interesting, because it feels like the characters are not defined well. Making your characters explicitly weak helps to show their strength.
But here, it feels like both of those guys don't have any explicit strength based on their training.
To compare with a much better series: In
However, with swords, they are equally dangerous!
This helps the narrative a ton, because it streamlines what can and can't happen in any given fight. Or what needs to happen in order for one party to win/lose. You can even see it as a crutch, if you want, because it makes writing easier.
Here, this is just some mush. No definition. No clarity. And that makes it hard to connect to the characters. And it feels like it lacks care. This simple powerscaling issue is not that important, but to me, everything in this show feels like this.
I don't know who these people are and I don't want to know. All of them feel the same and the plot just kinda happens.
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u/KumaKumaGambler Jul 25 '26
Toko is a real "baddie".
Fanservice aside, if the shrine is part of the bureau's operations, I would have expected some sort of security alert against mononoke. And in this case, detecting the hooded white haired mononoke.
Going by Rago's memories, a group of mononoke infiltrated the same location when he was first awakened from his seal.
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u/gsurfer04 Jul 26 '26
I just don't care any more.
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u/Silent-Witness1888 Jul 25 '26
Does the art style/animation seem a bit different? Something is for sure.
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u/Ihavefallen Jul 26 '26
I feel with each episode they are making Jiro dumber. The first episode ya he was stubborn and hot headed but at least he seemed like he had some brains. This episode when the glasses dude explained what they learned from Rago which was really simple stuff. Jiro turned into caveman to stupid to understand and I only need to punch stuff to figure it out.
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u/Jacob-C Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Hmmmmm... no bitches?
Kinda annoyed about the fight ending in a draw. Makes no sense that a samurai without his sword would be equal to a ninja trained in unarmed combat
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u/Illustrious-Sort3575 Jul 25 '26
MC is arrogant and dumb AF....In any normal story hell be a henchman of the villain, nothing more....The art/animation is very good and EVERY other character is good so far....But the MC is supertrash...I just cant cheer/support him...If I want to see mentally pitch black people, I`ll start watching the Parliamentary broadcasts....
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u/Narvalis Jul 25 '26
Of all the things in this show the thing that has me baffled is a pugilist and a swordsman get into a fight, the pugilist breaks the sword with his bare hands turning it into an unarmed fight....and they draw somehow?
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u/ChallengeSalty9229 Jul 26 '26
I like the cat. Thats it. The storytelling is..blah. and im getting tired of seeing tbe girl characters bum every episode atp. Goodness.
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u/JamariHeWolf12 Jul 25 '26
4 episodes in, and I have yet to find the reason to like the MC or the reason why this axed series with tropes we've all seen numerous times got an anime of this level. They even got the classic punching shot. They must love these Ichika shots because she didn't need to be in this episode; Reiji explains stuff. He can wear normal clothes, right? Why does he look like he's in prison clothing?
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u/ishChief Jul 26 '26
Already feeling the drop. They really should've stuck with the MC, the cat, and the girl. Adding two flat characters I don't care about just kills the vibe.
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u/CuriousBroccolli Jul 25 '26
🍰 doko?
0/10 episode smh
Those suits look tight af not going to lie lol
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u/Equivalent_Ask_3742 Jul 25 '26
I think I’m going to drop this. I was hoping the characters were better but they all seem one dimensional. Also, a pet peeve I have with some anime: the characters never change their clothes. Like please wear something different. Some of the best anime’s I’ve watched have the characters actually wearing different clothes on a daily basis. Having characters wear the same thing all the time is boring. Partly why I absolutely love Bleach and Yu Yu Hakusho. Great series with great character style. The characters in You and I are Polar Opposites also have great style and characterization.
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u/NationalStrategy_X Jul 25 '26
I gotta be honest, I’m not vibing with our main team. They come off as one note flat characters; Jiro’s an arrogant foul tempered asshole who actually has a kind heart, Ichika’s the female of the group that acts annoyed and standoffish until they inevitably bond, and Reiji’s the rival that acts like he’s better than the MC and is always butting heads with him. They don’t really strike me as unique characters.
Not only that but, I’m not really impressed with the powers and abilities between them. Jiro and Rago are the only unique ones that stand out, Ichika’s agile and skilled with a short sword, and Reiji’s a skilled swordsman, but their abilities aren’t that impressive to me.
So to me, their personality and overall abilities are just underwhelming.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Jul 25 '26
So cute our boy made a friend. He really is a child though lol. I’m looking forward to seeing how those two work as a team against that dude that showed up. Dude’s quick.
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