Fire Force—Anime Review
An Emerging Shounen With a lot of Potential
Fire Force is definitely among some of the best shounen that has come out in recent years. It is based on a manga by Atsushi Ōkubo, who is also the creator of Soul Eater and is being animated by David Production of all Studios.
The anime currently has just two seasons, so in this review, we will be taking a look at both of these seasons and see if Fire Force is worth it or if the shounen hype is driving it into the spotlight.
Plot & Story Progression
Now, the name of the anime, Fire Force, pretty much gives away the premise that the show is set in.
Fire Force is about a world where a phenomenon known as Spontaneous Human Combustion is running rampant. This mysterious affliction would transform people into these blazing fiery creatures called infernals.
While the first generation account of these cases had people bursting into flames, the second and third generation of humans with this affliction started to develop abilities that allowed them to develop the ability to control fire.
Amidst all this, Shinra, also known as Devils footprint because of his ability to ignite his feet at will, joins the Fire Force Squad, which is a group of specialized individuals that have the power to control fire and have been trained to take down the infernals in the most humane manner possible.
Shinra dreams of saving as many people as possible as a member of the Fire Force Brigade 8. But unbeknownst to him, Fire Force is not all about saving innocent lives.
The different Brigades in Fire Force are engaged in conflict with one another. Because of the emerging cases of abnormal Infernals appearing all over, Shinra might have gotten into something more serious than he ever imagined.
So, the plot of Fire Force is incredibly simple and relatively straightforward. But, the way the author Atsushi Ōkubo has structured the story makes it quite an exciting read with a lot of classic Shounen troupes that have been ignored by other, emerging shounen coming out right now.
Animation & Art Style
David Productions are interestingly doing the animation and art style of Fire Force. Now, for those who don't know, David Productions is the animation studio behind the genius animation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Cells at Work, and some other anime that are just eye candy to look at.
Their production quality is one of the best in the anime industry. In Fire Force, we see the care, quality, and length the studio has gone through to make the anime mimic the manga’s art style while also keeping up the integrity of animation to give the franchise a proper adaptation, the best one at that.
If you were to watch the anime and read the manga of Fire Force, side by side, then aside from a few minor problems that are a letdown in the anime, the overall animation does much better in setting up the tone and progressing through the story with good pacing.
Fire Force is a rare case where the anime, primarily because of the production quality, is better than the manga.
The studio, David Production, has outdone themselves in making the anime stand out, with epic fight scenes, excellent character designs, and more so, just good animation throughout, which is hard to come by in shounen these days.
Characters
Aside from the production quality, the Fire Force characters are fascinating and quite diverse.
Shinra "Devil" Kusakabe:
Starting things off with the show’s main focus; Shinra Kusakabe, also known as the Devil, is a second class officer and a Third Generation Pyrokinetic ability user who dreams of saving everyone.
He lost all his family at the age of 12, and he joined the 8th Fire Force Brigade to prevent these tragedies from happening ever again.
Iris:
Iris is a Sister from the Sol Temple who is tasked with making prayers to help the afflicted Infernals pass on to the afterlife peacefully.
Although she started as a character with no powers, she has developed peculiar abilities that make her special.
Tamaki Kotatsu:
Tamaki Kotatsu was a member of the First Brigade, but she has joined the 8th Brigade as another Nun like Iris due to some circumstances.
Tamaki is a Third Generation Pyrokinetic user whose flames give her a cat-like appearance, and she is incredibly clumsy.
Maki Oze:
Maki Oze is an ex-soldier who is a 2nd generation Pyrokinetic ability user who left the military to Join Fire Force. She would instead save people than fight against them.
What Makes Fire Force a Hot Topic?
David Production has made Fire Force into one of the best looking and fluid shounen out right now. The animation is just breathtaking, but what makes Fire Force stands out even further is its story.
The anime takes a lot of time and long montages to explain the rules and unique quirks of the world that it is set in. The author, Ookubo, has brought some old troupes from his previous work, Soul Eater to Fire Force, and has put together an even more compelling story with his quirky jokes that make the series somewhat light-hearted in the face of its solemn atmosphere.
It is a unique approach to the Shounen genre with a somewhat classic premise that is worth checking out if you love your Shounen and are looking for something new to cleanse your palette.
Conclusion
Fire Force is an emerging Shounen that has shown a lot of promise in its two seasons and has pulled itself apart from the Shounen crowd with its extraordinary animation and incredible world-building.
It is a solid 6/10, where the anime does have some awkward moments and a somewhat thick atmosphere that seems to be going nowhere at times.
