Fire Force is a shonen anime produced by David Production. With the white clads preparing to detonate the infernals, and bring immeasurable ruin to the Tokyo Empire, the Fire Force scramble for some way to control the blast. But there’s only one person they know who could possibly control so large a blast. But will she be enough?
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Fire Force Episode 22 opens with Shinra and Arthur as they continue their battle with Giovanni. This confrontation, woven throughout the episode, is excellent. A mix of cool combat moments for all the combatants, mixed with some interesting reveals makes it a strong sequence.
Most significant of these hints are what we see of Shinra’s long-absent brother. What exactly he has been up to all season has certainly been a wonder for me. What we are shown introduces more questions than answers. Hopefully, we will learn the full story soon. Meanwhile, the rest of Stations eight and two try to cobble together a plan to prevent the destruction of Tokyo. With a blast of the magnitude they are looking at they quickly discern that they would need a second-generation pyrokinetic that can control a massive amount of flame. The only individual able to tackle such a task is Maki. But she isn’t present. Or is she?
Seeing Maki return to Station 8 was a fantastic moment for me. Seeing her defy those who would hold her back and do what she has proven herself to be great at was a wonderful, cheer-worthy moment. Even as her brother continues to protest her presence, Maki has clearly had enough of it and will not hear it. Fire Force Episode 22 gets to show all the ways in which this woman is powerful! And happily, she is finally back where she belongs. Keeping everyone safe.
The other character that gets a real moment to shine here is Arthur. During the confrontation between him, Shinra and Giovanni Arthur gets a couple of moments to truly shine. Despite his weird fixation on himself being a knight, Arthur once again proves himself to be an uncanny combatant who only a fool underestimates. And with this skill and determination, we see a colder side of the goofball. It’s stark contrast to his usual demeanor gives this side of the character a chill I wasn’t expecting.
The visuals in Fire Force Episode 22 deliver it’s a story well. The fight scenes are crisp, and clear, allowing the viewer to easily enjoy the series trademark style. While the visuals are good, they do miss out on the weirder side of the series, as the more eclectic aspects of the show are absent here.
As the episode closes, the stock is taken of much that has transpired. With Station 8 back up to full strength it feels like there is nothing the Evangelist can throw at the team they won’t be able to handle. With only a few episodes left, whatever the villain has up their sleeve will be coming in fast. It has me looking forward to what comes next for my favorite dysfunctional fire station.
Fire Force Episode 22 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.
