Fire Force – 9/10 [Spreading Malice/Promise]

Fire Force is an anime that shows more than it tells.  For that reason, I’ve saved up two episodes to have something more to talk about than a simple recap.  Let’s go!

Episode 9 concludes the Rekka fight…you didn’t think he actually went down just from a surprise kick, right?

Bear with me for some minor gripes – once again, we’re plagued by bizarre fight choreography. I think even without trying to incorporate Tamaki, this fight would have been a bit disjointed. Shinra jumps up to the roof, and then…jumps back down? Just a bit of an awkward sequence overall. There – I’m done complaining.

The rest of this episode was outstanding. The crystallization, the snipes, even smoking out the snipers. A minor character received a non-fatal wound to give a real sense of danger without hurting anyone important…perfect. The 8th even got a new ally (at the cost of bringing aboard the cat). I have to give this episode immense props for keeping the plot simple and the animation (mostly) crisp.

Episode 10 is a plot development episode. Now, this is going to sound crazy, but I really think Fire Force is better at lower action episodes. Episodes like this get to showcase the amazing art and scenery, but don’t suffer from the fight issues. Here we’re introduced to the emperor and all the captains/stereotypes they embody. Also, we get a bit more explanation about Shinra and why he’s central to the plot…fair enough.

The second quarter for Episode 10 has a surprise meeting of the Joker. (Shinra, did you JUST miss the part where people are coming after you? Then wander off by yourself in a giant industrial complex? Okay, good thinking). The plot has definitely thickened here, and I honestly thought this rendition of the Joker was orders of magnitude better than the first introduction. Interesting quirk with the timer teleport – that’s a nice twist.

Second half is some feel-good team bonding, which I think is a wonderful touch. Despite complaints, I think Yuki Yase is doing an excellent job with the direction here (I blame the fight scenes on the composer, to be honest). I really get the professional setting vibe from the 8th – something that I think is often lacking in anime (where things like classroom settings have been mastered ad nauseam).  Also, the mascots are low-key some of my favorite throw-away characters…sitting on the roof, eating their old man convenience store dinner – that’s hilarious juxtaposition right there.

And we meet….Shiro Shinra!

Coming into the final stretch of this season for Fire Force, I have to say I’m pretty happy overall. There have been a few stinkers of episodes, and my ongoing complaints with choreography not withstanding, I think this is as good an introduction season as you can have. All of the characters (yes, that includes Tamaki) have won me over and I’m genuinely excited to keep unraveling the mystery of spontaneous human combustion week by week. It also helps that I haven’t read the manga, but I think a lot of the hate for this show is unfair – I’m having a great time!

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