Fire Force Season 3

Episode 4

Everyone, I have a terrible confession to make: I don't think I love the opening theme for this new season of Fire Force. I know, I know, it's inconceivable. My affection for the show is at an all time high, and the OP is set to a Queen Bee joint. I don't know how I could possibly feel so underwhelmed by such a combination after Undead Unluck's intro became one of the biggest earworms of 2023, yet here I am. The Fire Force track just feels so…listless, by comparison. I even gave it a few weeks, just to make sure I wasn't in some kind of funk and brushing the whole thing off for no reason. Sadly, I think this might be one of those openings where I actually make use of that dreadful “Skip Intro” button.

Thankfully, the latest episode of Fire Force itself is decidedly not a bummer. It isn't exactly the overwhelming showcase of spectacle that I hoped for after last week's step down in production quality, but the whole fight between Company 8 and Gold is the kind of teamwork showcase that I love to see in a battle-oriented arc like this one. Plus, the production is much more consistent and pleasant to look at here, even if it never rises to the heights of the series' best efforts from seasons past.

As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate it when shonen anime prioritize unique dilemmas and heroes' problem-solving skills over displays of raw force (it's one of the greatest strengths of Undead Unluck, speaking of that underrated gem). Since Shinra and Joker are busy dealing with the Captain Burns problem, everyone else has to pick up the slack and take on one of the more threatening minibosses that the White Clad have thrown out. Gold's fearsome telekinesis isn't something that any individual Company 8 member can overcome on their own, so instead they have to put their heads together and figure out how to overcome a power that doesn't even seem like it should be scientifically possible.

Immediately, the episode won me over by basing capital-G Gold's magnetism powers on the interaction between lowercase-g gold and extreme heat, which this one Science Daily abstract tells me is a real property of the normally non-magnetic metal. I love it when manga authors use the obvious results of Wikipedia-hole spelunking as fodder for nifty new battle mechanics, and this particular conundrum forces every member of the team to put their heads and powers together to win the day…except for Arthur, who is busy walking to the prison after getting knocked off the truck like an idiot.

This episode would probably earn four stars just for the climax of the battle, where Hinawa takes advantages of Gold's demagnetised state to straight up shoot the lady in the head. It's a surprisingly sudden, almost cold way to conclude such a wacky fight, but that's the kind of tonal clash that I dig when executed well. Then, the episode raises the bar by having Arthur strut in like he isn't a delusional little weirdo so he can cut down the gust-blowing mook that takes Gold's place in one fell swoop. It's incredibly badass, and also funny, just as any good episode of this show will be.

My only real complaint is that the episode doesn't cut back to Shinra and Joker's fight enough to keep us more mindful of the stakes at play, which makes the otherwise shocking final moment of the episode feel just a little cheap. If Fire Force is really going to kill Captain Obi, then he damn well better get the suitably dramatic sendoff he deserves. I don't really think the show is actually going to take Obi out this easily, but then again, that's exactly the sort of cruel shattering of the status quo that would suit a series' final season…

Rating:

Stray Embers

• Lord knows that I've given Fire Force enough crap for it's reliance on Tamaki's Lucky Lecher Lure, but if I'm being honest, I think she was used very well in this episode. The girl got to display some serious power, and the LLL was utilized in a way that didn't feel exclusively in service of humiliating the poor girl. Not only does it save her life from Gold's telekinesis, but Tamaki's cursed keister ends up being the secret ingredient that saves the day when she uses her derriere to lob the molten hot glob of metal that melts Gold's gauntlet. This is the exact sort of brazenly stupid but endearing nonsense that makes me willing to put up with a few self-indulgent close-ups of Tamaki's badonkadonk.

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.