Fire Force – 8 [Infernal Insects]

Well then! Fire Force is moving along at a brisk pace. Most other shows draw out the suspense of “whodunit” for at least a few episodes. Fire Force? Nope, it took like one and a half. Also this episode included the cat girl – and…it was well done. I found myself actually cheering for her character, despite absolutely loathing her for the past 7 episodes.

Shinra and Arthur continue their investigation and gain an unexpected ally. Also, the comic relief with Arthur was top notch this episode. Sometimes his idiot persona is too much but this episode felt just right in terms of balancing his utility and idiocy. Also, I do feel bad for Tamaki – she is an idiot of the highest magnitude (which this show seems to have an abundance of). Even so, she was played by someone she respected and who used her to commit a few murders then planned for her to take the fall.

The second half of this episode is top notch. Shinra’s entrance plus Tamaki’s reaction? That’s well done right there.  The rescue scene is intentionally held a tad longer to make the viewer feel the deluge of emotions and a bit uncomfortable. Most shows would have cut away a few seconds earlier – holding that shot is masterful. I really think Fire Force’s direction is quietly top notch; just the choreography is sometimes odd and the characters are dumber than rocks.

In terms of the larger story, we hear of the larger villain – the Evangelist. Not sure if he was one of the mediocre bad guys previously shown, but I’m really hoping for a baddie with some plausible motivation.

Most of this episode’s highlights were visual – just like its characters, Fire Force should stick to looking pretty and not using its head too much.  And you know what…that’s just fine, as this turned out as one of the best episodes so far.