This weeks episode was quite reminiscent of a zombie series wasn’t t. In many ways, Fire Force does take on a lot of the classic zombie tropes with only a bit of tweaking. Except for all those deep religious undertones. Those are vampire tropes! It’s actually kind of cool how a modern action anime manages to consistently homage to classic European monster tropes.
That may actually be what I’m enjoying so much right now. I think it’s more present this season than it was in the last.
Instead of picking up right where we left off, the episode took a few steps back and started with showing us what everyone else was doing while hinra was getting is behind whooped. This is where the zombie movie parallels where most obvious as a few scenes looked like actual recreations.
To get across the suffocating feeling of all that heat and ash flying around, the alette was tuned way down. Fire Force can be really colourful but despite this being outside n the middle of the day, everything was grey. The series also tends to adjusts it’s colours this way whenever we’re in for some action as this, coupled with the glowing lines on the firemen uniforms (brilliant design choice) makes the characters mouvement easier to follow.
And we certainly did get plenty of action. It was almost non stop except for sister’s prayer. At this point everything seemed to come to a stop. Fire Force has always been very insistent on the religious themes in the series but so for it han’t taken a big place in the narrative yet. I have a feeling that when the church decides to take a role, t’s going to be felt deeply.
Generally speaking, Fire Force is big on primary colours. Not as much as Tower of God bu still you can clearly see that pops of blue, yellow and red are favoured. I actually think one of the major reasons Vulcan was thrown into the fight, rather than any other character, was because f his red hair. And it does really add a lt to the composition of those frames.
The episode was just a romp for the most part. We got to see the return of a lot of season 1 characters, just as we did in the first episode and it was nice to see them. For some time there has been this growing sense of isolation, as if company 8 was all alone against the world, so having all these different fire force units come together to save as many people as they can, well it was srt of heartwarming. It also shifts the narrative a bit. Pieces are falling into place on both sides, this is going to be an all out war rather than a personal battle.
Unfortunately (for me), w also saw the return of fanservice Tamaki. This said it was s brief tha even with my computer taking automatic screencaps every 7 seconds or so, I only got one. I’m not sure what to make of that. What bugged me more was not so much that part though but the fact that it was coupled with completely incompetent Tamaki which always struck me as a bit mean of the show. She’s supposed to be on par with Arthur and Shinra as a firefighter… She is not.
I unfortunately didn’t get a screencap of it bt there’s a short sequence of Shinra and the big Evangelist dude fighting their way through a house by breaking through the walls and stumbling out the other side. The went with a frantic super deformed style of animation for this sequence and if you know me, you know absolutely loved it.
Al in all this episode was pretty much all action so there’s not that much for me to say about it. I did enjoy it quite a bit despite some so so moments But I’m not sure Im digging Inca. I understand what they are going for. A wild card archetype could really be interesting as one of the pillars except the first pillar is already that and Sho could turn at any time.
I just didn’t really like the characterisation here and I guess the motivation escapes me a little. She wants to live free and therefore doesn’t want to go with either of them…o.k. but what the plan here. Why is she attacking? Does she think she can kill everyone? Why not humour Shinra then take him out once they’re alone. Fighting one should be easier than fighting 15… Or why not just quietly slip away while they’re busy fighting each other. I dunno, the character feels like it’s not entirely thought out to me. Like they have an idea of who they want her t be but don’t quite now how to get there. She does sound a lot like a few of the Evangelist agents we’ve seen up until now so she may actually like it there…
‘m looking forward to seeing Sho again. I got curious about what he’s up to! Also, I tried to make a Sinra version of my avatar!
Respectable Shinra hairstyle on the Avatar!
I’m interpreting Inca as a young woman who lived through a traumatic experience coupled with the emergence of her power. Those two events wrecked her sensibilities, and now all she knows is that she won’t be cornered.
I think you were absolutely right saying “She does sound a lot like a few of the Evangelist agents.” Did you see her grin after Charon threatened her? Looked a lot like Charon’s grin after he and Shinra demolished that building! Looked like a thematic pairing to me.
I had to feel bad for Shinra. He’s trying his hardest to save Inca, who doesn’t at all want to be saved. At one point he had to ask what was wrong with her. He was completely at a loss!
Do you think Sho will still want to talk to Shinra? Will the Evangelist have reinforced his conditioning?
I wonder if the Evangelist has a psychological corp?
For Sho I’M thinking both. The Evangelist probably has at least tried to get a better grip on him but I’m a softy and I have to think these two will ultimately be reunited.
Thats a nice attempt of making your own avatar after Shinra rin.
-k(rogueotakugamer)
Thank you
I recognised Shinrina before you spelled it out in the text. Well done.
I sort of want them to pair new girl with Joker. They give me similar vibes. I just don’t know how. No way she’d trust him. Maybe he could protect her independence form both sides, until he feels she gets in his way?
There was no way they’d go an entire season without Fanservice Tamaki, and I agree I’d like to see her more competent. Did they up the details on her body, though? I felt I could see the muscles and joints better this time round. Sharper anatomy? Not sure, I’d have to re-watch. It’s very easily possible that I’m imagining things.
Joker and wild card would be a good combo! Like I said, even with a screen cap every 5 minutes I only managed on fanservice shot and I didn’t keep it. I’m not sure if mu screen cap program got shy or there was just that little of it. In any case, I didn’t have anything to examine muscle structure on. All the characters seem to have gotten just a smidge more proportionate.
I haven’t been the first comment in a while, or ever lol. This episode is a marked evolution of where the plot goes in the future, with heavy involvement of the white hoods. That’s all I’ll say for now.
Btw, love that Shinra version of your avatar!
Thank you, it was fun to make