After the Asakusa arc ended with a literal bang, Fire Force is starting things afresh. We’re well past the mid-point of season one now, and some new characters are being introduced whilst some older plot threads are being picked up again. Let’s dive in and see what things have changed and what has stayed the same!
1. New arc, new opening
As is the nature of anime, the old opening theme and video have been cycled out in favor of something fresher. Interestingly enough, it’s a song written and sung entirely in English, MAYDAY by coldrain, and is more of a hardcore/thrash metal feel over the more breezy pop-rock stylings of the last intro. I found it interesting to see how polarizing this choice was with the Crunchyroll comments section below the video, with the majority referring to it as ‘garbage’ whilst a small amount finds it fun and appropriate to the tone that the original manga struck. Honestly, I find it a great pump-up to what looks to be a much more personal part of the season. Screams are not for everyone, but they do appeal to the downtrodden, lost, emo section of my soul.
Before that, however, we deal with the direct aftermath of the Asakusa arc, with Arrow reporting back to Sho, Shinra’s lost and now evil brother. We see Sho’s interest in Shinra’s Adolla Burst and further, the new Adolla Link that we saw between Shinra and Konro the last episode. Foreshadowing!
2. New recruit
As return focus back to our good friends in the 8th Company, we see that they have been ‘sent’ a new recruit to help deal with the more science-heavy aspects of their jobs: the eccentric Viktor Licht. Keen eyes who’ve been watching along might recognize this face from somewhere, and they’d be right: Viktor has been spotted in the past discussing our boy Shinra with the even more enigmatic Joker! Viktor’s dynamic with the group is immediately shakey as Lieutenant Hinawa scolds him for not using the proper Fire Soldier hand for saluting. He’s also immediately obsessed with Shinra’s Adolla Link and goes straight for his ankles. Interesting guy!
We get a classic awkward shift at this point where Obi points out the need for 8th Company to have an Engineer, so of course, Obi suggests only the most infamous and impossible mechanic around these parts o’ town, a goat skull-wearing fellow named Vulcan. Viktor, all the while, is standing to the side being awkwardly ignored with his creepy smile, and thinking about how intriguing this group will be to watch. Foreshadowing again!
3. “Casual” fashion/Rebel Mechanic
Obi explains that Vulcan, being the resident bad boy mechanic of the local area, doesn’t take too kindly to authoritative types, so he suggests that Shinra, Arthur, and Iris go to propose their recruitment in street clothing, but not to be shy about the fact that they are Fire Soldiers, either. We then, naturally, see our heroes in three-quarter pants, plain t-shirts, and somewhat boxy dress – some very casual clothes indeed! I’m of two minds about what they’re wearing because, on the one hand, it totally fits this group of characters and their super dorky/awkward personalities. But on the other hand, every other costume in Fire Force is dope as hell, so what gives?!
Moving back to more relevant matters, we meet the infamous Vulcan and his bad personality, and how he throws soda cans at authority figures. True anarchy. His innocent apprentice Yu comes out to meet our gang, however, explaining his master’s animosity towards the Fire Force since they cut him off from local part suppliers. Of course, our heroes’ good hearts shine through, and Yu proclaims he will try to convince his edgy master who I’ve now decided is my newest crush.
4. Times past
Yu smuggles our intrepid heroes inside Vulcan’s digs in the next scene. I should backtrack a bit and explain too, that the level of detail put into rendering Vulcan’s scrapyard and home is incredible. The house is a veritable kid’s dream treehouse, with an elephant head on the side to boot, and is surrounded by mounds of broken mechanical animal parts. Back on topic, Vulcan is busy trying to kick these folks out of the house, but Shinra and the gang manage to crack his exterior with their hopeless charm, pinpointed by Arthur obsessing over a toy animal that seems to be leaking water.
The gang is interrupted, however, by one captain of the 3rd Company, Dr. Giovanni, who talks with Vulcan and tries to recruit him, flexing a special and personal bond he seems to have with him. Vulcan, being all rough and dreamy, naturally says no and tells this plague mask-sporting fool to piss off. Yu tells us that Vulvan’s dad trained with Giovanni, and that Giovanni left their little school to go join the government. Capitalist asshole!
5. Hero’s Intuition
The episode wraps up with Vulcan telling our gang that he doesn’t want to join the 8th Company just yet, but wants to show the gang something special in good faith. He sets up a device that he crafted with his father and grandfather, which somehow displays holographic 3D videos of tonnes of different animals, of land and sea, and anything in between. He explains that before the disaster that made the world what it is today, all these animals lived around the world, which gives a little more disturbing context to the world of Fire Force. It’s also a surprisingly prescient and relevant theme for an action anime, dealing directly with how climate change or related disaster can lead to extinction and loss of many precious species.
Of course, there’s a literal kicker of a plot twist at the end, when Shinra feels his Adolla Link set up connection with Giovanni, who mentally suggests to him to kill Vulcan. And for some reason, Shinra seems to be going along with it?? What is the nature of this special ability, folks?! Keep your eyes on this space as we continue our exploration of this wacky show next week!
