Fire Force Episode 4 Review: The Hero and the Princess

Now we’re cookin’ with fire! Things are really starting to heat up! Okay, that last one was bad, but things are really starting to take off with Fire Force. Episode 4, ‘The Hero and the Princess’, introduces a new ‘antagonist’ as we delve into the secrets behind the Special Fire Force and the mystery behind Human Spontaneous Combustion!

Japanese Title: ヒーローと姫

Plot

Now that everything’s out in the open, Company 8 is investigating the mysterious ashes Joker used during his attack at the Rookie Fire Soldier Games. The team discovers that the ashes are the remains of dead Infernals, but before they can investigate further, a call comes in for a new mission: rescue a dog from a tree. Maki sends Shinra and Arthur out on the case, but when they get there, they discover that the dog in question is just Mamoru, one of the Fire Force mascots, who had a run in with some local teens.

After they help him down, he explains that the public has a low opinion of firefighters after a rogue firefighter, Setsuo Miyamoto, went on a killing spree. As luck would have it, Miyamoto is set to be sentenced that same day, only to be found not guilty, but before he could enjoy his freedom, Miyamoto bursts into flames and becomes an Infernal. He wreaks havoc on the courtroom prompting Company 8 to take him down, but when they arrive on the scene, they realize that Miyamoto is still self aware in his new Infernal form. He escapes and Shinra follows him, but unbeknownst to him, Company 5 and their Captain, Princess Hibana, have been watching from the shadows and decide to capture the Infernal for their own ‘experiments’…

Episode Highlights

Princess Hibana: So, if you’ve read my other reviews you know that I’m not really a fan of the over sexualization of women in Fire Force. However, I have to say that I quite like Princess Hibana’s introduction into the series. The first time we see her she is sitting on a throne made up of her male subordinates and then she walks along the backs of her prostrate men… How badass can you get? Can I have more of this, please?

Firefighters vs Fire Force: So contrary to what I thought there is a difference between firefighters and members of the special fire force. Like in the real world, firefighters take care of everyday tasks like saving animals or citizen complaints. Whereas the Fire Force is solely responsible for taking out Infernals.

Self Aware Infernals: This week’s episode reveals that there are some Infernals that still retain their humanity after they transform, which is huge since the series established pretty early on that Infernals lose all sense of self after they turn. Miyamoto becomes one of those rare self aware Infernals, and it is explained that if a person has a strong enough desire when they transform, they’ll retain some sense of self. However, the degree of self awareness Miyamoto hasn’t been seen before.

Shinra v. Miyamoto: First, I have to say the fight scenes in this anime are amazing. The animation is always so fluid and you can clearly follow the characters movements/actions. The fight between Shinra and Miyamoto is an absolute delight to behold!

Comments

I am going to admit that I like Princess Hibana and that whole alpha female/dominatrix vibe she has going on. She owns her sexuality and I’m not gonna lie: watching her sit on a throne of dudes is like Nzingha levels of badassery (and if you don’t know who that is go look her up now)! But then she literally walks on the backs of her subordinates… That was the highlight of the episode for me! And then they make her the antagonist and she literally has Shinra on his knees!! This makes up for that god awful shower scene in Episode 1 and half of that scene in Episode 3 with Tamaki… I just hope they don’t do what I think they’re gonna do with her…

The plot thickens!

Episode 4 dives headfirst into the corrupt Fire Force conspiracy, and as someone that enjoys a good mystery, I really like how each episode kind of builds on the last. There are a few deviations here and there for ‘levity’ but I’m really starting to get into the series. I want to know more about the world of the series: What is causing spontaneous combustion? Who is the guy with the afro? What happened to Shinra’s brother? Are the Fire Force really the good guys? Why does Shinra have shark teeth?

Last, but not least, SENTIENT INFERNALS ARE A THING! This changes everything we’ve known up until this point. If there are sentient Infernals does that mean people can turn back once they transform? If that’s the case that means Miyamoto is right and the Special Fire Force are murderers… and that’s kind of dark….

The Plot Thickens

I didn’t know what to expect going into this series, but after four episodes, I look forward to a new episode every week! Episode 4 is a game changer as we delve deeper into the Fire Force conspiracy, with new reveals and new characters there’s no telling where this series will take us…

I’ll be back next week with another Fire Force review, but in the meantime, be sure to check out MANGA.TOKYO’s other amazing Summer 2019 reviews!!

NEXT TIME: The Battle Begins