Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Fire Force – Season 1, Part 1 (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2019)

“Fire Force” is an anime series that anime fans who love action-driven anime will surely enjoy.  Exciting characters, awesome action sequences and a solid storyline, I’m looking forward to the second half of this series.  Definitely recommended!

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TITLE: Fire Force – Season 1, Part 1

ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2019

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (250 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 4×3, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: March 30, 2020

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Originally Created by Ohkubo Atsushi

Directed by Yase Yuki

Series Composition: Haishama Yamato

Music by Suehiro Kenichiro

Character Design by Morioka Hideyuki

Art Director: Takamine Yoshito

Anime Production: David Production

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Featuring the following voice talent:

Kajiwara Gakuto/Derick Snow as Shinra Kusakabe

Miyano Mamoru/Aaron Roberts as Shinmon Benimaru

M.A.O/Alexis Tipton as Iris

Suzumura Kenichi/Christopher Wehkamp as Takehisa Hinawa

Lynn/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Princess Hibana

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu/Cory Phillips as Yona

Konishi Katsuyuki/Cris George as Takeru Noto

Asai Ayaka/Elizabeth Maxwell as Lisa

Kobayashi Yusuke/Eric Vale as Arthur Boyle

Sakaguchi Daisuke/Ian Sinclair as Viktor Licht

Yuki Aoi/Jad Saxton as Kotatsu Tamaki

Yashiro Taku/Jason Liebrecht as Vulcan Joseph

Maeno Tomoaki/Jeff Plunk as Konro Sagamiya

Nakai Kazuya/Jeremy Inman as Akitaru Obi

Hino Satoshi/Josh Bangle as Foien Li

Sakamoto Maaya/Justin Briner as Shō Kusakabe

Seki Tomokazu/Kellen Goff as Rekka Hoshimiya

Chiba Shoya/Kristen McGuire as Yū

Kawanishi Kengo/Kyle Phillips as Toru Kishiri

Kusonoki Taiten/Phil Parsons as Leonard Burns

Okitsu Kazuyuki/Ricco Fajardo as Karim Fulham

Kamijo Saeko/Sarah Roach as Maki Oze

Kanemoto Asako/Sarah Wiedenheft as Asako Hague

Tsuda Kenjiro/Sonny Strait as Joker

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A crisis plagues the world: Spontaneous Human Combustion. The only ones trained to stop these blazing mortal infernos are the brave members of the Fire Force. Shinra is determined to become the greatest hero among them, but his past leads him down a different road—a path marked with the Devil’s Footprints.

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In 2015, mangaka Okubo Atsushi (known for his previous series “Soul Eater”) created the manga series “En’en no Shobotai” (translates to “Blazing Fireforce Corps”).  Serialized in “Weekly Shonen Magazine”, a total of 22 tankobon volumes were released and in 2019, an anime adaptation by David Production aired on television.

Now the anime series has been released in the US courtesy of Funimation with the first part featuring the first 12 episodes.

The series is set during Year 198.  Around 250 years before, the world was consumed in flame, nations destroyed and survivors taking refuge in the Tokyo Empire.

Tokyo Emperor Raffles I established the faith of the Holy Sol Temple and Hajima Industries was able to develop a perpetual thermal energy plant known as Amaterasu to power the entire country.

In present time, Year 198 signifies the Solar Era and special fire brigades known as Fire Force are tasked to fight incidents of spontaneous human combustion which humans turn into living infernos known as Homura Bito (Infernals).  With some Infernals being more powerful and become demons and some retaining human form but having the power of pyrokinesis.

The Fire Force would feature teams of people with powers from the Holy Sol Temple, The Tokyo Armed Forces and the Fire Defense Agency which is composed of eight independent companies.

The series revolves around a young man named Kusakabe Shinra, who has the ability to ignite his feet and his goal is to be a hero.

He becomes a Second Class Fire Soldier of the Fire Force Company 8 (a special fire force which observes the other Special Fire Force Companies for corruption) but at the same time, looking into the past in which his family was killed by a mysterious doomsday cult.  One day, he finds out that his younger brother was alive and the death of his mother was possibly due to corruption with the ranks of the Fire Defense Agency.

Kusakabe is joined by the following individuals:

• Obi Akitaru –  The Battalion Captain of Company 8 and while non-powered, he is well-respected.
• Hinawa Takehisa – Company 8’s Lieutenant who can anipulate flames through his firearm and creates bullets and make them into tank shells.
• Oze Maki – A second generation member of the Tokyo Army.  She can create fireballs and is muscular.
• Iris – A surviving nun from St. Raffles Convent fire and the team’s medic.
• Arthur Boyle – Thinks he is a knight and wants to be a king.  He and Shinra are rivals.
• Kotatsu Tamaki – A Fire Soldier of Company 1 who can generate pink flames and turn it into a shape of a cat and fights in close-range combat.

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“Fire Force” happens to be an entertaining, action-driven anime series which is an adaptation of the popular manga series by Ohkubo Atsushi.

While the series may have the banal young hero wanting to be a hero, protect his friends and defeat all evil, I have to say that the setting and the circumstances in the world of Fire Force companies taking on people who combust and turn to “Infernals” is rather interesting.

But while the character Kusakabe Shinra has the similar brash, naive but yet kind-hearted qualities along with having power and fighting skills which evolve over time, comparable to other popular protagonists from series such as “Naruto”, “Bleach”, “Black Clover”, etc.  For those who enjoy those type of anime and are willing to jump into an exciting action anime series, will not be disappointed.

You have your hero character along with other characters who are equally interesting, from the wannabe king Arthur Boyle, the often in embarrassing situations type of character with Kotatsu Tamaki and many more.

So far, the first 12 episodes does a great job of introducing these characters and their special abilities but also establish the setting and also touching upon the corruption within the Special Fire Force Companies.

And I’m looking forward in seeing where the series takes itself after episode 12!  So, I can’t wait for part 2 featuring episodes 13-24.

The anime series looks great in HD with colors looking vibrant, and while a TV series, there is a little softness. David Production did a great job with the animation, especially during the action sequences.

As for the lossless audio, the English soundtrack is presented in DolbyTrueHD 5.1 and the Japanese soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0.  Voice acting for both the English dub and the Japanese soundtrack are fantastic!

As for special features, included are:

• Anime Expo 2019 Q&A with Ohkubo Atsushi
  
• Speed Drawing Video by Ohkubo Atsushi
  
• Inside the Episodes

The Blu-ray release also includes the DVD and a Funimation Digital Code.

Overall, “Fire Force” is an anime series that anime fans who love action-driven anime will surely enjoy.  Exciting characters, awesome action sequences and a solid storyline, I’m looking forward to the second half of this series.  Definitely recommended!

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