REVIEWED: SEASON 1 – PART 1 (EPISODE 1-12) / DIRECTOR: YUKI YASE / STARRING: GAKUTO KAJIWARA, M.A.O., AOI YUUKI, SAEKO KAMIJOU, YUUSUKE KOBAYASHI, KAZUYA NAKAI / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (VOD, BLU-RAY – REVIEWED)
2019 was an incredibly strong year for anime with the likes of Demon Slayer and The Promised Neverland taking the world by storm – and they weren’t the only series to blow the minds of anime fans the world over, as arguably the hottest and most anticipated series to come out last year was Fire Force from the creator of Soul Eater.
In the Solar Year 198, the Earth is ravaged by a terrible curse – at any point, anyone can spontaneously combust and transform into fire monsters known as Infernals. A special fire force has been set up by three governing bodies to tackle this epidemic by putting the Infernals to rest by destroying their core. Our protagonist Shinra is about to join the 8th Company – however, Shinra has a troubled past and possesses a unique ability to produce flames from his feet and use them to fight and fly. His goal – become a hero and avenge the loss of his mother and brother who passed in a house fire twelve years prior.
This anime, based on the hugely popular and still continuing manga, has been sensationally brought to life by David Productions – the art style truly encapsulates the spirit of the source material and the anime faithfully brings these wonderful fleshed out characters and world to life. Within these first 12 episodes of a 25 episode season, audiences are introduced to some truly marvellous characters, including the happy go lucky Captain Obi, the cocky Knight King Arthur and the adorable yet fierce tempered Maki.
What sets Fire Force apart from its peers is its strong lead character Shinra. His story emotionally tethers the viewer to the show and brings you back week after week in order to follow him trying to discover the cause of combustion. Fire Force also has arguably the best anime opening theme since Attack on Titan first graced our screens. ‘Inferno’ by Mrs GREEN APPLE stunningly captures the high octane nature of the show and also has an incredibly catchy chorus.
At its core, Fire Force is easily one of the best anime series of 2019. The well-realised characters, great dialogue and emotional beats all mould together to form a compelling story that gets stronger with each episode. Topped off with gorgeous music and high-octane battles sequences, this is an anime you do not want to miss.
Special Features
Fire Force Season 1 Part 1 contains a selection of extras ranging from behind-the-scenes looks at a handful of episodes to episode commentary from the English voice cast. An interesting worthwhile addition for fans to watch.
- Disc 1
- Episode 1 Commentary – the English voice cast and crew talk through the series’ first episode.
- Disc 2
- Interview with Atsushi Ohkubo at Anime Expo 2019 [8:45] – the Writer and Author of the Fire Force manga is interviewed at Anime Expo 2019.
- Atsushi Ohkubo Speed Drawing at Anime Expo 2019 [1:28] – the Writer and Author of the Fire Force manga completes a Fire Force themed Speed Drawing at Anime Expo 2019.
- Inside the Episode – a behind the scenes look at three episodes with the English voice cast.
- Episode 5 [10:21]
- Episode 8 [9:53]
- Episode 12 [9:03]
- Episode 10 Commentary – the English voice cast and crew talk through the series’ tenth episode.
- Textless Opening Song
- Textless Closing Song
