Black Torch Ep.04 - Not enough Ichika this week. That's the final boss?

Episode 4 of Black Torch focuses mostly on settling the dynamics between Reiji and Jirou while preparing for the next story arc. The complete absence of Ichika is a bit of a letdown in terms of fanservice, with only a few very short scenes reminding us of events from the first three episodes.

The battle between Jirou and Reiji results in the expected stalemate, even though Jirou realizes he underestimated Reiji and that the outcome would have been quite different in a real battle with weapons rather than a sparring match. This spark should set them on the path to becoming rivals and friends. I still don't really like Reiji much to be honest...

Ichika showing my exact face when I realized we weren't getting enough fanservice this week. Shame really, shame!

This is the final team from the looks of it with Hana acting as the 'operator' kind of girl working in the backline giving support.

Interestingly, Hana was interested in the battle, though in a way I was not expecting. Her reaction to Jirou and Reiji fighting was one of pure excitement, making me wonder if she is a fujoshi; nothing is certain, of course, but everything in her facial expressions seems to point that way.

Next, we have the main world-building event and the first mission: trying to determine what happened in the room where Ragou was sealed. Apparently, multiple entities appeared before Ragou and freed him from his seal. Their leader, speaking through a tablet, requested that Ragou form an alliance to fight against humanity.

Ragou, who had completely lost the memories of his life before the seal, refused and escaped, leading him to meet Jirou and set the story in motion. The way this individual referred to Ragou as the "Black Star of Doom and Devourer of the Sun" suggests he was a powerful figure back then, perhaps the main evil boss of all mononoke.

The episode also introduced Toko Kusumi, the leader of the First Division. She is a stern woman who apparently controls most of the power within the various groups of the Bureau of Espionage. She arrived at the exact moment Jirou became trapped underground. How will she help from the outside? Her butler seems ultra dangerous too...

The scene making me think that Hana might be a fujoshi. You don't make that face unless you're very interested in what's happening...

Toko Kusumi sure looks like a tough woman, but her butler? Having eyes permanently closed is a sign that he's probably as strong as her...

The next episode will focus on the battle between Jirou, Reiji, and the mysterious assailant targeting them. Based on the opening animation, he appears to have a single horn, so I assume he is likely an Oni. However, he has the face of a "recurring villain," so I do not expect him to be defeated that easily.