Fire Force Season 3

Episode 16

Is it just me, or should Shinra embracing his destiny as the literal Christ-like savior of humanity so he can take on the resurrected god-emperor of his entire culture feel like more of a big deal? In the comments for these reviews, folks have mentioned the incredibly rapid pace at which this second cour of Fire Force's final season is adapting the remaining chapters of the manga. While I've definitely noticed the clipped speed of events in recent weeks, “Savior” is the first time I think it has significantly impacted my enjoyment of the story. There are still plenty of redeeming elements to be found here, but it's a shame that the execution of this epic, ambitious climax is already beginning to feel compromised.

All of the pieces of a hit episode are right where they should be, too. In the first act, all of our supporting characters are on the ground, trying to save civilians and hit back against the White Clad, when suddenly an avatar of Raffles I appears from the Adolla void. The big guy arrives floating in the center of what looks like a corrupted wheel of dharma, with his signature facial hair looking to be made of a lot more terrifying — which makes for interesting symbolism that I'm not entirely sure has much deeper meaning beyond its aesthetic value — and he's sporting facial hair that looks to be made of much more terrifying, ethereal fire than from when he was a mortal man.

As the regular folks of the world begin bowing down in fear and Raffles I starts blowing shit up left and right, there's a lot of interesting potential in the running theme of human imagination shaping the nature of Adolla's entities, but this is Fire Force we're talking about. Any deeper layers of social commentary or philosophical analysis are, at best, incidental to the real purpose of this development: Giving Shinra the chance to punch God right in his giant, stupid face. Again, this should be an incredibly badass culmination of years' worth of lore and worldbuilding, but everything is just moving so damned fast that there's no time for us to stop and take in everything that's happening.

After being mostly MIA for the last few episodes, Shinra shows up knowing that it is his holy mission to destroy this abominable deity. While he does eventually get a more organic entry into the scene thanks to his little brother, I cannot help but feel like most of “Savior” comes across as another box to be checked on its list of Important Plot Points That Absolutely Cannot Be Skipped. Maybe this sense of disconnect would be lessened if we were watching this whole season in one straight run, rather than having such a huge gap in time between the cours. Either way, it's not Fire Force's finest hour.

Still, it's not an utter waste, or anything. I still love the way that reality is being warped to increasingly resemble the art style and setting of a certain other Atsushi Ohkubo project, and I really dig the way that Shinra and Iris' big powerups arrive in tandem during such a pivotal moment in the story. Shinra's glow-up is especially goofy (in a good way), given that he is embodying what is essentially the cartoon caricature of a super-awesome Hero Guy. Is Shinra the world's new Jesus Christ, or its store-brand Monkey D. Luffy? Fire Force dares to ask, “What's the difference?”

Rating:

Fire Force is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Fridays.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.