Review of Fire Force Season 2
CONTAINS MINIMAL SPOILERS (REFERRING TO CHARACTERS + ARCS BY NAME): It's funny, I'm aware of the flaws of Fire Force but I still really enjoy the series. What is it about Fire Force that draws me like a moth to a flame? Let's go from the best to the worst aspects imo: Sound (10/10): As stated by many others, regardless of their final verdict, a lot seem to agree that the sfx are brilliant. Whether it be in the action sequences or funny little moments, they seem to be well-placed and unique. I enjoy most of the voice actors/actresses (I watch both sub + dub), and I stillenjoy the recurring OST from Season 1.
Art (9/10): Another strong part of the series. The animation carries over its strengths from S1, especially the notorious fight scenes. I must say that despite the occasional awkward still-shots, I've always enjoyed the eccentric style of Fire Force. It seems that appealing to the senses (audio, visuals) might well be the show's specialty. Great job David Productions!
Characters (8/10): I was pleasantly surprised by the turn the characters took compared to S1. My favourites since S1 are Obi and Vulcan, but this season has been great to get to know characters like Joker, Maki, and even Tamaki to some extent (a long-time bone to pick by many watchers). In terms of character arcs, I really liked Maki and Joker's little arcs, to see their backgrounds and delve deeper into their stories. There's been some nice moments with the 8th's scientist Licht, embracing his place in the 8th after having an unclear agenda, reporting back to Joker, almost like an outsider looking in. Nice to finally see Tamaki doing some more serious training, though I'm hoping this is only the very very beginning of her development. Shinra and Arthur are just as usual.
On the 'villain' side, I do like Charon for his soft, protective tendency beneath his brutish exterior, and to see the icy Arrow be a complete pushover to Haumea was interesting. Almost makes me wonder why she joined the White Clad. I don't know what to think of the child-abuser guy. But one thing that disappointed me a bit was the complete absence of Sho. He was one of the main factors pushing the story ahead, and yes being Haumea's 'doll' was probably to highlight his vulnerability, but I found that a bit unexplained. Unlike Arrow, he has an Adolla burst, so why is he a pushover to Haumea? He can literally stop time. Oh well, hopefully the extent of Haumea's power will be explained next season.
Story (6/10): Speaking of 'pushing the story ahead', I think the finale still leaves quite a lot to be desired. People complained about it in S1, but looking back I think it was a lot more cohesive than the events this season. I loved the first few EPs - to see different characters work together and devise immediate plans was EPIC!! Really special to see Licht's scientific input rather than just charging in as usual. And Obi + Vulcan's moment killed me!
Then, there was the introduction of Inca. Definitely not my favourite villain. She just does her thing then is mostly in the background.
But my least favourite arc this season has to be the Chinese Peninsula Arc. It was so long and the character line-up so bland imo. No Obi, Maki, Hinawa, Vulcan etc. Licht being stuck with Arthur felt unusual. Some mole-dude, a few talking animals... Ogun's rapid punch attack was impressive in the first few seconds but it was milked far too quickly, and I felt his character was so similar to Shinra's. I struggled paying attention through this arc. The atmosphere just felt so out of place, though it was clear the author tried to change things up a bit. Unfortunately, I think it fell short, but I understand the effort.
I breathed a sigh of relief when they were back with the 8th. From then, the progression of the arcs felt a bit disjointed, but I enjoyed each one. Joker's was absolutely mental, a change in tone that I think worked really well. The Three-Way-Melee was a really fun twist, albeit a bit all-over-the-place (understandably). Maki's was nice, and Tamaki got a bit in the end along with a new power introduced for Shinra and Arthur to practise. It seemed a bit far-fetched that they could do it within the first training session, but hopefully the concept will be developed through the series.
Enjoyment (8/10): As I said, Fire Force is an unusual case where I can enjoy it despite it's weaknesses. I loved the OPs, with Spark Again by Aimer being my favourite of the two (it gives me chills!), but I also liked Torch of Liberty because each character seemed to have a moment in it. The EDs... I can't remember the first but the last one was unique (like... an Arthur Animal Crossing sprite?)
Overall (7/10): I really like Fire Force. I find the set up to be interesting enough to keep me following the series. The characters have really been further fleshed out this season. The pacing and story-direction were the only things I thought fell a little flat. As mentioned by other watchers, there's so much going on that sometimes the story path is unclear, but hopefully there won't be too many new characters and events next season so the story could have a more direct focus.