REVIEW: ‘Fire Force’ Season 3 Episode 20 — “Where Hope Is”

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20, “Where Hope Is,” sees a unified Fire Force rally around Station 8 in an attempt to quell the Great Cataclysm’s flames by restoring hope to the people. But as the mobs surge around them and a dangerous enemy steps up to break their line, only Tamaki (Aoi Yûki, One Punch Man) can bring them a victory, as the true nature of her Lucky Lechery Lure is explored. 

The surprises start early in Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20, as the first moments deliver a live-action monologue about the nature of Humanity and the Great Cataclysm. The reveals here are interesting, as they deepen the cyclical nature of the Great Cataclysm, and leave one to wonder how the impacts of past events could have altered the world into the one we know now. 

The standout element of this sequence, though, isn’t what it says, but how it says it. The live-action presentation of Sister Sumire as she lays out the history of the world and her path through it strikes a fantastic blend of the two media. The way the character moves and expresses facial expressions brings an anime-like energy to the sequence.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 opens with a live-action monologue that will surprise many.

The camera also reinforces the anime vibe as shots shift and move, further enhancing the feeling. This anime-style application allows the sequence to feel harmonious with the rest of the series, despite the change in presentation. 

Once Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 returns to its core story, we see the various Fire Force Stations doing their best to contain the fires that threaten to engulf the world. But even as they strive to make a difference, little change can be felt in the air. Licht (Daisuke Sakaguchi, Hi-Score Girl) quickly concocts a theory for why this is.

Licht’s posulations about human personality and how much the average person actually “matters” are harsh to say the least. The nature of the mob that surrounds them and how much presence individuals retain under such conditions are difficult to get behind. While not without any merit, his conclusions feel far too dismissive of people as a whole. 

The fire is not so easily quelled, making things difficult for our characters.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 soon brings more immediate concerns than the hypothetical nature of humanity when the White Clad Assault’s doppleganger shows up. The original was bested by Tamaki’s Lucky Leechery, but this version proves to be immune and quickly dismantles Station 8, leaving Tamaki alone against the seemingly unbeatable foe. 

Through this showdown, the series takes a deep dive into Tamaki and the curse she has borne since her first appearance. Her true nature and the importance of sexuality are looked into, as well as the hypocritical complaints that many have against beauty and those who are comfortable putting theirs on display. 

As Tamaki fights Assault, the crowd and one particular mother begin to condemn Tamaki as the Lucky Lechery takes effect. They ignore the desperate fight Tamaki wages on their behalf, focusing only on her body. The mother soon begins to claim that Tamaki is incapable of doing anything but strip, hopelessly counting on her body to save her in every situation. It is only when her young son speaks up in Tamaki’s defence that the mother is silenced. 

Through Tamaki’s trials against Assault, her beauty and how she uses it are dissected in Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20.

The coldly efficient way that the boy dismantles his mother’s complaints about Tamaki is incredible. His observations about beauty and the work it takes to possess it undercut many frequently paraded arguments about how those “born beautiful” get to simply skate through life. The counterpoints raised highlight how much of the merits of concepts like intelligence and skill are based on birth and circumstance as much as beauty is. It’s just that we choose to devalue the latter, reducing it to merely a twist of genetic fate. 

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 doubles down on its defense of Tamaki when the true Assault (Chikahiro Kobayashi, Scarlet Nexus) arrives, to aid in the fight against his doppleganger. As the two clash, Assault challenges his duplicate’s condemnation of lewdness and sexuality. He stresses the negative effects of reducing sexuality to a shameful thing, something that should only ever be expressed in shadows. 

This exploration of cultural squimishness and judgment brings a powerful final note to Tamaki’s character arc. Seeing her, fed up with others’ judgments, toss aside her Fire Force jacket and stockings to fight in her underwear feels like an empowering moment of self-acceptance for the character. I love this moment for Tamaki. Despite how I feel the Lucky Lechery Lure was used at times, I’ve always loved how the series has shown her deal with it. How it shaped others’ expectations of her, and how desperately the character was forced to fight to make her own way, despite those cruel judgements.

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 ends with a fantastic payoff for Tamaki.

One can still argue that there were probably better ways to explore this subject than having Tamaki’s clothes flying off of her at the drop of a hat. However, Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 makes it completely clear that, just like Tamaki, there was far more to it than just her butt and boobs being frequently on display. 

As Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 concludes, the fight is won, and the crowd, in hilarious fashion, comes to embrace Tamaki and support the Fire Fighter. While one victory is won, the fires still spiral throughout the city, promising that the war is far from over. 

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 delivers a fantastic payoff for one of its central characters. It closes the book on Tamaki’s arc, definitely showcasing the point that existed behind her in no uncertain terms. With hints that next week’s episode will follow Arthur into a grand battle, here’s hoping he can get the same stellar treatment. 

Fire Force Season 3 Episode 20 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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