Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22 Review - Best In Show

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Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22 Review – Quick Summary

In Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22, “Plot for Extinction,” Shinra and Arthur continued to battle Dr. Giovanni, whose insectoid form and abilities proved more than a match. It was only when Giovanni mentioned that Haumea was even now toying with Shou that Shinra decided to get very, very serious. Meanwhile, Viktor Licht figured out Ritsu’s plan. The White-Clads intended to use all of the Infernals as a shaped charges to completely destroy the Tokyo Empire. Viktor has an idea, but he needs certain resources to put it into place. For example, he needs a 2nd Generation Pyrokinetic who can control vast areas of fire. If only they had one, they could turn the tide! But in the Nether, where-ever can they find such a Pyrokinetic?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

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Favorite Quote from Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22: Hibana remains unimpressed.

I absolutely respect how willing she is to speak her mind. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone water plans with such intensity as Oubi’s doing! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I absolutely did not pick this quote so I could include a screen cap of Hibana. No sir. Not a chance.

Wait. Certainty doesn’t count as chance, does it? I can never remember…

At the end of the episode, with everyone reunited at the 8th’s headquarters and Maki smacking Arthur around, everything was back to normal. However, Hibana did not seem to approve. Her arms crossed, her expression skeptical, she said (22:05), “It’s like the 8^th is playing Fire Force dress-up.”

I’m not sure she appreciates Oubi’s Human Resources genius!

Best in Show Moment for Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22: Arthur invokes "Non-Self."

“Non-Self?” What the heck is Non-Self? Whatever it is, it’s super effective! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Maki Was So Close!

I was really close to naming Maki’s return as my favorite moment. It had all the hallmarks: Near perfect plot preparation, thematic fidelity, and character traits to prepare the way! But there was something in the execution that fell a little flat. What was it? Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime described it perfectly in her review called Fire Force 2 Episode 22 – The Real Deal. It had to do with how Maki’s brother Takigi Oze treated her. Maki, not Irina. It was enough dissonance that the moment felt a little flat.

Not so with the moment I selected instead. It nailed the landing. You could also say it’s been almost two full seasons in the making. It starts with Shinra’s ever-increasing ability to think on his feet. I’ve talked in previous reviews about how I’m impressed with well he has learned to quickly analyze situations. Thanks to people like Benimaru, his ability have increased significantly, too. But with his abilities alone, even with the boost he received when Giovanni mentioned Shou, he found he could not take take the villain out.

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22: Shinra got some good hits in

For a while, Shinra was able to use his hyper acceleration. But he couldn’t keep that up indefinitely. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

There was a lull in their combat as Ritsu unleashed her attack. Giovanni was shocked the attack failed, and Shinra would hear it in his voice. So Shinra decided to talk smack about how Fire Force team work had thwarted the White-Clads’ plans. Then, he turned to Arthur and suggested the two of them show Giovanni some team work.

Arthur was gone.

Delivery: Only Arthur Could Go to… Bodhisattva?

Giovanni’s Skills Seemed Unbeatable

Well, not gone exactly, but to explain where he was, and why this moment was so great, I need to take a step back. Giovanni had been able to thwart almost every one of Shinra’s attacks, no matter how fast he got, because Giovanni’s insectoid upgrades included the ability to sense pheromones. In effect, he could sense Shinra’s attacks. Shinra briefly held the upper hand when Shou’s fate so angered him, but couldn’t sustain that level for long.

Near the beginning of the episode, Giovanni had used the same power against Arthur, whose sword strike completely missed.

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22: Giovanni was fast enough to make even Arthur miss

Arthur was surprised when Giovanni dodged his strike. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Maybe I’m reading too much into this moment. Maybe Arthur acted on instinct. But unless someone presents evidence, I’m going to believe that Arthur knew he needed teamwork, and he knew he couldn’t consciously think about what he was going to do.

Arthur Found a Way

Taking advantage of Shinra’s distraction (i.e., used teamwork), Arthur invoked a new Arthur mode, “Non-Self.” What is Non-Self? No idea. But it seems to purge Arthur’s mind of conscious thought, so Giovanni couldn’t read the attack.

Arthur’s sword sliced Giovanni’s body in half. Chanting (16:34) “Nirvana. I am delivered. You can no longer read my mind,” he seemed to float to the ground. He concluded with “My sword has attained the realm of the realm of the Bodhisattva.”

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22: Arthur's sword attains the realm of

Arthur, achieving a level of consciousness rare among humans — and he’s still able to wield his knightly sword! That’s about as cool as it gets. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I had to stop the video at this point and let the greatness sink in. This was the epitome of Arthur’s character and it was a pure example of the absurd yet relevant humor that I like about the show. Not only was it hilarious, but it was plausible — and it worked!

A moment of pure Arthur goodness. I’m not sure I could have asked for anything more.

What did you think of Viktor’s resourcefulness? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22 Review – Best In Show

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22 Review – Quick Summary

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Favorite Quote from Fire Force Season 2 Ep 22