Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8: Shinra's speciality is disrupting things.
Anime Best in Show

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8 Review – Best In Show

tcrowComments(3)

Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8 Review – Quick Summary

In Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8, “Smoldering Malevolence,” Shinra heard an Adolla Link voice telling him to protect the forest. He just knew that the voice came from the Tabernacle. Victor Licht believed Shinra, and so did Scop, who told them the story of the Benefactor who had visited Scop and the other animals 250 years ago. Could the Benefactor’s influence still be alive in the Tabernacle? Meanwhile, the Fire Force team realized they were not alone. Dozens of robbed and hooded Infernals attacked them, supported by Hell Hounds. What will this do to their mission? Will Lieutenant Pan pull back or push forwards? Will the answer depend on why the Infernals are so well organized — and can speak?

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

Favorite Quote from Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8

Learning that the Infernals could talk shocked Shinra, Tamaki, and the rest. Ogun, though, was much more practical. He said (07:24), “Well, if moles can talk, why not?”

Best in Show Moment for Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8: Shinra makes a critical decision.

Their plans in shambles, Shinra had to make a critical decision. Fortunately, his team backed him, because he had earned their trust. Also, I love the Impressive Headgear! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: The Demon Infernal Changes Everything

Lieutenant Pan had organized his team to get into the Tabernacle, look for the information they needed, and get out. The hooded and robed Infernals lurking about were certainly a complication, but Pan felt confident the team could handle them.

Then Scop mentioned the big Infernal with scary horns. Pan knew immediately that Scop had just described a Demon Infernal. Their team had zero chance of dealing with that. Tamaki even said, “I guess all we can do now is turn back” (12:51). It wasn’t a statement of cowardice. It was a stark tactical assessment. Even with all of their power combined, they lacked the offensive capability to put a Demon Infernal to rest.

Pan, though, knew that they couldn’t just leave without trying to complete their mission. Plus, Scop clued them in on the Demon Infernal’s plan, which was to activate the Tabernacle and destroy the oasis, and probably the entire peninsula. Pan came up with an alternative approach: he, Licht, and Arthur would enter the Tabernacle while the rest stood guard. The goal was to get in, get out, and get away as quickly as possible. It was a good plan. But few plans survive contact with the enemy. This one was no exception.

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8: Tamaki made a lot of positive contributions in this episode

Tamaki had more to offer than usual in this episode. Here, she asked Licht if he knew of any way they could put the Demon Infernal to rest. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

What Pan didn’t know is that the Demon Infernal was intelligent. Called Tempe-sama by its subordinate Infernals, it had a plan, and the Fire Force walked straight into it.

My favorite moment had to do with how the team with Shinra reacted when Tempe and Infernals attacked. Ogun and Shinra realized their plight first, with Ogun saying to Shinra (16:39), “The Infernals set a trap for us? Do they really have that much intelligence?”

He wasn’t the only one who reported to Shinra. Tamaki was the first of the team to spot Tempe, and she called Shinra’s attention to the Demon Infernal.

Delivery: Shinra Makes the Call

It was cool how the team naturally looked to Shinra as the leader. I remember back in the first episode of the first season, when Shinra was this completely inexperienced new recruit. Now, because of his hard work, he had proven himself to his peers, and they now looked to him for leadership.

In this case, he wasn’t trying anything grandiose. He knew they were outclassed, and he knew he had to keep their objective focused: “The only thing we can do is buy some time,” he thought (17:00). He even tried reasoning with Tempe as his teammates engaged the Infernals and Hell Hounds. But Tempe was fixated on destroying everything so he could finally die and the Infernals could attend him in heaven. The situation was so dire that Takeru Noto even considered how he might serve Tempe in heaven. At least, before Tamaki set him straight.

Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8: Tamaki would make a good sergeant.

When Noto’s resolve faltered, Tamaki was right there to put him back in line. Come to think of it, she made a pretty good sergeant in this episode. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

My favorite moment was when Shinra used his leadership to rally his team. Tamaki gave him the opening by asking how they what they could possibly do with a Demon Infernal that they couldn’t put to rest.

“There’s nothing else we can do with him!” Shinra said (19:26). “We have no choice but to fight!” It sounded bombastic, but he was right. Pan, Licht, and Arthur were still inside the Tabernacle. On one hand, it was a very shōnen thing for Shinra to say. On the other, it was the product of his repeatedly demonstrated solid tactical thinking. In this case, it was also a decision his team trusted him to make. This moment in Shinra’s development as a character was my favorite moment in the episode.

What did you think of Arthur’s contribution to the the Tabernacle’s mystery? Or Licht and Pan’s reaction to Arthur’s contribution? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

Fire Force Season 2 Episode 8: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

tcrow
Copyright 2022 Terrance A. Crow. All rights reserved.
https://www.crowsworldofanime.com

Related Articles
Anime Best in Show

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady Episode 10: Favorites

tcrow

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady Episode 10 – Quick Summary In The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady Episode 10, “The Royal Succession of Resignation and Fury,” Orphans II Palletia and Sylphine Maise Palletia had to deal with the after effects of Algard’s […]
Anime

Review of Fairy Gone Episode 02: First Field Assignment and The Lingering Wounds of War

tcrow

Quick Summary In Fairy Gone episode 2, “Wolf Collar and Swan Feathers,” Free Underbar has some explaining to do after the failed operation in the previous episode. He’s ordered to keep it a secret that Mariya Noel apparently turned herself into a fairy soldier by herself and using just a fairy primordial, both of which are supposed to […]
Anime

Three Year Celebration: Sekirei Fanfic!

tcrow

3 thoughts on “Fire Force Season 2 Ep 8 Review – Best In Show”

  1. I thought this one was a lot of fun. It was good seeing Tamaki sliding the lucky lecher lure and just being part of the team.

    I enjoyed seeing Shinra remakning so focused on being a hero. Even after recent defeats and realising they were not strong enough to bring a demon down, he was still looking for ways to keep his promise to Scop.

    Reply

    1. I was good to see Tamaki that way, wasn’t it? I like her short temper.

      Shinra is just a lot of fun to watch. I love how he’s growing as a character, and his honest devotion to the idea of helping others is part of that.

      Reply

Please let me know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.