Fire Force has officially concluded its premiere season and it has left a trailblazing mark in the anime industry. While some Shonen fans have mixed emotions about the series, the majority of the anime world has received the series for what it is and have basked in the flames that Fire Force has started back in July.
Fire Force manga is written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo and follows the story of Shinra Kusakabe, a third-generation pyrokinetic who has lived his life as a loner, marked as the Devil for “killing” both his mother and his baby brother in a house fire. Being the sole survivor of said fire, Shinra is determined to find the culprit who started the fire, who from his memory is an Infernal. For those wondering who Infernals are, they’re humans who suddenly burst into flames, essentially becoming a somewhat, mindless fire demon.
Shinra ends up joining the ranks of Tokyo’s 8th Fire Force Company. Fire soldiers who spend their lives hunting down Infernals and laying them to rest. Some Infernals are more dangerous than others but that’s something we can touch upon later. Shinra’s mission is to keep the promise he made to his mother when he was a young boy, to always protect his baby brother Sho. Here’s when his quest to find his brother Sho and the Infernal who killed them both begins.
Throughout his training and journey to right his name, Shinra meets a slew of great characters. From Arthur to Maki, from Benimaru and Princess Hibana. All these secondary characters felt more like main characters, which essentially they are, other than their immense power sets (Benimaru, Princess Hibana) they help steer Shinra in the right direction to keep him focused on his end goal.
As the story develops we get the revelation that Shinra’s brother Sho is indeed alive but is one of the Commanders of the White Clad group. A group of villainous pyrokinetics who work for The Evangelist. We learn that the White Clads are the reason behind sudden human combustion, which is what causes the Infernals. Why? They were in search of humans who contained the Adolla Burst and the Adolla Link, a link that connects them to the Adolla Underworld, where The Evangelist rules.
Shinra and Sho are both wielders of the Adolla Burst thus giving them a deeper connection via the Adolla Link. Shinra tries with all his might to bring Sho back into the light. To show him that he and Sho are indeed brothers and that their mother was killed in that fire when they were young children. Just as Shinra succeeds in bringing Sho back into the light, he is immediately brought back to the darkness.
While on the brink of death, Shinra is rescued by his fellow fire soldiers and is saved by Fire Force Company 6. While there, Shinra is visited by Captain Burns who he met earlier in the season. Captain Burns is there to tell Shinra the truth about the fire that “killed” both his mother and his brother Sho.
After showing Captain Burns he is strong enough to handle the truth, Captain Burns fulfills his deed and reveals everything that went down during the fire. The cause of the fire was not Shinra as he was led to believe throughout his life, despite him knowing he did not cause that fire. Instead, it is revealed that his younger brother Sho was the cause of the fire. In doing so, Sho unwillingly turns his mother into an Infernal Demon and evokes the manifestation of Shinra’s powers. The Evangelist is summoned and takes baby Sho. Shinra’s mother, now an Infernal Demon, submits herself to The Evangelist.
While it is not revealed what Shinra’s mother’s servitude to The Evangelist is or will be. All we know is that she is captive in the Adolla Underworld, and has seen Shinra in the flesh when he visited the Adolla Underworld during his battles with Sho. A truly heartbreaking revelation that is set to change the entire trajectory of the series going into its second season.
The first season overall was a literal slow burn, which is something many viewers complained about when watching the series. I personally didn’t have an issue with it as much as the other viewers, but I did find myself taking short breaks and letting episodes accumulate in order to have nice little binge sessions every few weeks. But the story is great and what really keeps you attentive and watching this anime series is the animation and the fight sequences. It is beautifully animated and the sound mixing while the powers were on full display added an extra layer of epicness that kept me at the edge of my seat.
This a series I highly recommend for everyone who loves those coming of age stories. Fans of those anime series that focus on family bonds and how to keep that literal flame alive. If you like all of that, this anime is for you! If I have any gripes with the series overall was the misuse of the fan-service. There were a lot of moments where the fan service was extremely forced and unnecessary. Other than that, the series holds up and its a must-watch.
Definitely one of the top anime shows of 2019!
Fire Force is streaming now on Crunchyroll and Funimation. Season 2 of Fire Force will debut in Summer 2020.