Review of Fire Force Season 2

NOW THIS IS FRESH. After a rather lukewarm, almost disappointing first season, Fire Force seriously found its groove. Atsushi Ohkubo wastes no time with developing his plot, and fleshing out his gritty steam punk world. The rather cliche conspiracy plot is flipped on its head, and while I was expecting a rather bread and butter shonen plot for the excuse of cool fight scenes, Fire Force continued to surprise me in clever ways. I loved the pacing, direction, and characters. It is a vast improvement from the choppy, half baked first season, and the characters oml the characters. While they do tend to be a littlestatic, that didn't stop me from loving them. Shinra's story continues to expand in fascinating and interesting ways. Arthur continues his role as series Best Girl with absolutely hilarious moments. Obi, Maki, and Hinawa all have their own impressive moments to share, and heck, even Tamaki undergoes some awesome changes. I really hope she moves past her dry, uninteresting fan service role and becomes a tangible person with real emotions and goals.

The change in directors and apparent budget increase allows David Productions to show its true colors, as each fight scene moves with edge, weight and purpose. The sheer amount of eye candy on display kept me entertained till the end, and I was never once bored of watching this season. The crisp, fast movements of Shinra's kicks. The precise accuracy of Arthur's sword. The Agility of Tamaki's cat-like reflexes. It all makes for some of the most entertaining fight scenes I've seen in a good while, even sometimes surpassing (dare I say it) Soul Eater. David also nailed the character designs in almost every single scene they were in. Atsushi Ohkubo's art style still brims with character and personality, and seeing this world and these characters get such high polish treatment is absolutely amazing. Good Job David, you really outdid yourself here. The OP's and even ED's were hand picked, cleanly cut and punk as all things under the sun, hitting each beat with satisfying production quality.

All in all Fire Force season 2 seems like a celebration of all things Shonen, and it knows what it is. Campy action movie fun. However, as campy as it can get, Fire Force still continues to surprise me in interesting, engaging, and even awe inspiring ways. It seems that Atsushi Ohkubo is genuinely having fun writing and illustrating this world, mashing together everything under the sun as he creates something wholly original and fresh. His raw creative energy takes this series beyond the limitations and expectations of "Shonen Anime" and ascends to new heights.

All in all, after reading Atushi Ohkubo's previous works and watching Fire Force's underwhelming first season, I can say that this second season is a much needed return to form. A return that made some of Soul Eater's best moments. If you were patient enough to make it past the first season, then I strongly implore you to check out this jam packed celebration of pure creativity. Give it about 3 episodes, and if you don't like it, drop it; I just cant help but think you're seriously missing out.