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Fire Force Season 3 Episode 1 – Quick Summary
In Fire Force Season 3 episode 1, “Indomitable Resolve,” things seem to be going well for the 8th Special Fire Brigade in particular and the Tokyo Empire in general. Akitaru Oubi was making his report to his chief, and they were jubilant. That’s when the army burst in to arrest Akitaru Oubi. And you’ll never guess who was with them! Can the remainder of the 8th rescue him? Are they willing to accept the consequences of even trying? And will Arthur Boyle ever start making sense?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Fire Force Season 3 Episode 1
The lieutenant vetoed Arthur and Shinra’s suggestion. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I love it when an episode gives me multiple favorite quotes to chose from. I almost chose Arthur’s method for invoking his berserker mode (what he called “hysterical strength”), but I think the quote I chose better reflects the series as a whole. And as a bonus, it also features Arthur!
Takehisa Hinawa had just received word that Akitaru Oubi had been abducted. He knew what was going on: the White Clads were trying to get to Shinra Kusakabe and his Adollah Burst. They were going to use Akitaru Oubi as bait. Takehisa Hinawa told the group as much.
It seemed like Shinra Kusakabe figured that out, too. He tried to accept it stoically. But Arthur had other ideas.
“By offering Shinra as a living sacrifice, I summon the captain!” he loudly proclaimed (17:04). Is it just me, or does he loudly proclaim a lot of things?
“Hey!” Shinra Kusakabe said. “…is what I’d like to say, but I’d be okay with that.”
I missed their dynamic so much! I hope the show stays on track, but I’m overdue for a show I can get excited about.
Favorite Moment from Fire Force Season 3 Episode 1
Well, that was unexpected. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Fire Force Is Back – And Just in Time!
Five minutes, thirty-two seconds. That’s how long it took for the episode to disrobe Tamaki Kotatsu. Not my favorite trope, but I was so giddy seeing everyone again that I can overlook it. And since Takami Kotatsu lost her clothes at the hands of Maki Oze, there was a part of my brain saying, “It’s all good.”
That part about me being giddy? I can’t believe how much I missed this show. I didn’t even realize it until I started watching it. For the last three seasons, I’ve reviewed series that didn’t spark my imagination. Yeah, it’s my fault for not choosing wisely. Fingers crossed this season gets me back on track.
Like my favorite quote, I had multiple candidates for favorite moment. For example, I so wanted Leonardo Burns bowing to the shining god and its emissary Haumea. The reason? It is such a perfect (and painful!) insight into what’s going on all around us. There’s something primitive in the human condition that inclines us to follow tribal leaders, idols, or despots. It’s like a human API that’s too often misused.
Behold the fate that experiments like the United States are trying to prevent. Idolatry is a sin for a very good reason! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
It’s why the political experiment of the United States is so important. It’s an attempt to get around those APIs. For another such experiment, see the North American cultures as described in The Dawn of Everything (affiliate link).
I want to wax poetic on how Burns’s actions are an allegory for what we see otherwise intelligent people doing all over the USA right now. All you have to do is wrap a sentence in religious iconography, and you’re off to the races.
Delivery: Haumea’s Long Game
After all, “accept a brief financial sacrifice so that we can return jobs to hard working Americans” sounds so much better than “wrecking the economy so only the top fraction of a percent profit forever.” At least, it does to me.
But for my own mental health, and out of concern for your state of mine too, I’m going to go with something else. It’s related, but dramatically speaking, it packed an even bigger punch.
The church leader dude (not the technical term, obviously) summoned Leonard Burns, his who team, and the team of the 2nd Special Fire Brigade to the Curia. He anointed that big changes were coming. Not the wreck the world, of course, but to unite the kingdom. “For the sake of the empire,” he said (11:20).
Doesn’t that sound better?
The camera changed to a shot of Haumea’s bust. Not, this is a super dramatic moment, but the sight of her bosom made me realize something. The bad guys in this series have a disproportionate number of ridiculously attractive women folk. What’s up with that?
He should have trusted his gut. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Anyway. The “camera” shows shots of the reactions from various Fire Force members as Haumea saunters onto into the room. The best was was Leonard Burns himself. His one good eye slowly widens in horrified shock (11:32).
It was a beautiful, dramatic moment, expertly presented, with a focus on its emotional impact. It changed the course of the entire series. And it put the 8th Special Fire Brigade in a terrible position. Pretty much everything you want from an opening episode!
What did you think of the glee with which Iris pushed the button? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!
Fire Force Season 3 Episode 1: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Enn Enn no Shouboutai San no Shou • Fire Force Season 3 – Episode 1 discussion
- Beneath the Tangles: First Impression: Fire Force S3
- But Why Tho? Review: ‘Fire Force’ Season 3 Episode 1 — “Indomitable Resolve”
- GameRant: Fire Force Season 3, Episode 1 Review: Shifting Powers and a Great Betrayal
