Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 Episode 14 – Quick Summary
In Fire Force Season 3 part 2 episode 14, “With the Sun at His Back,” Benimaru recalled when he met the previous leader of the Seventh Special Fire Brigade. The man had called him a “knucklehead” and seemed to despair of Benimaru ever becoming strong. But that man had died, and now he was back as a doppelgänger protecting the latest pillar. Can Benimaru send him back? Of all people, why did he show up? And just how did the previous leader die, anyway?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 Episode 14
Benimaru had unfinished business. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
In the run-up to Benimaru’s battle with Hibachi Shinmon, the two contenders took a moment to reacquaint themselves. As the flashback showed in dramatically effective detail, the two had a storied history.
Hibachi seemed to doubt that Benimaru would amount to anything. Or, more precisely, he doubted that Benimaru would live up to his potential – and that the failure might be spectacular. I gotta say that seeing Konro Sagamiya support the smol version of Benimaru was pretty cool. The older man saw the potential, and what’s more, he saw a path to realizing that potential.
I wonder if Konro understood the role he’d play in that realization?
Anyway, the flashback showed that Hibachi died in a pretty pathetic way. I seems that Benimaru never got past that.
“Who gave you permission to die that easily?” Benimaru demanded (15:15).
To which Hibachi answered, “Quit getting hung up on how I died.”
It was a surreal comeback in a surreal confrontation. And it was awesome to watch!
Favorite Moment from Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 Episode 14
Benimaru respected Konro enough to ask for his opinion. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Where Do You Go From Up?
I’m trying to get my head around this episode. To be clear: I loved it. The animation took my breath away (in a good way!). Someone saved their sound budget for this fight – it sounded even better with high quality headphones.
But that said, it felt like this was a standalone, self-contained episode. It’s episode 14 of the second half of the third season, and it was an arc unto itself. I loved it; but it felt out of place. Or maybe that’s because it’s a narrative form that’s not one I employ. That uncertainty is why I say I’m trying to get my head around it.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about my favorite moment. Benimaru is among my favorite characters in this series, and this episode shows why. As Hibachi said, only an “unrepentant knucklehead” could leave the Seventh Special Fire Brigade. I interpreted that as “complete idiot” in the nicest sense – someone who does whatever they think is best when they think it’s best.
Konro had his hands full helping a younger Benimaru stay in line. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
That’s pretty much Benimaru.
The contrast between his leadership and Hibachi’s could hardly be more stark. Hibachi embraced the horrors of his role. He counted each Infernal he put in the grave. He accepted the responsibility for their deaths. But the guy stopped there. He didn’t ask the next logical question: how should he help his people deal with what had to be done?
Benimaru is all about his people. As I watched this episode, I thought of the celebrations the Seventh, under Benimaru’s leadership, organized for those who had fallen. I thought of the feeling of community as they rebuilt after fires. Benimaru stepped up, complete idiot that he was, and not only accepted responsibility for the deaths. He accepted responsibility for those left behind.
Delivery: Benimaru, Man of the People
To me, that made Hibachi a tragic character, though not pitiable. He made his bed, and then instead of remaking it when he had ample evidence to do so, he accepted it. Hibachi probably told himself he was brave, and strong, though there’s evidence he harbored doubt. He considered himself a bit of a knucklehead, too.
My favorite moment is a bit extended in this episode. It started when Hibachi asked if Benimaru intended to kill him and Benimaru answered (19:09), “Have I your permission?”
That’s some seriously cool old leader/new leader stuff going on right there. That’s when Konro fired up the members of the Seventh. Those guys not only revere Benimaru; they love the guy. They celebrate him. They set off fireworks to register their support for their leader, and that leant a fantastic background for the fight.
The next moves, where Benimaru finally showed his old boss the “Iai Chop, Form Seven… Nichirin,” received some of the most exciting animation I’ve seen this season or last. Benimaru apologized to his people for being such a terrible leader that the old boss had to come back; that only fired them up more. They lent him their strength, and theirs, plus his, he wove in the Nichirin.
Need confirmation that Benimaru is strong? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
When he fired it, it was as if a solar prominence had touched the world.
In the final instant of Hibachi’s corporeal existence, Benimaru thanked him.
Back on the ground, Benimaru acted as I’ve come to expect him to act.
“That Nichirin was pretty impressive, huh?” he asked Konro (21:50).
Konro answered, “Yeah. It wasn’t bad.”
They’re going to have to work pretty hard to top this fight. Which, despite how much I enjoyed this episode, is another reason I can’t get my head around it. Given Shinra’s role as main protagonist (I think!), I can’t see how he’ll top that.
But you know what? The writers aren’t responsible for my lack of imagination. So I’ll hang around and see what’s next.
What did you think of how Hibachi died? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Fire Force Season 3 Part 2 Episode 14: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Fire Force season 3 – Episode 14
- But Why Tho? REVIEW: ‘Fire Force’ Season 3 Episode 14 — “With The Sun At His Back”
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 1: Indomitable Resolve
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 2: Prisoner
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 3: Incarnation of Flame
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 4: Golden Secret
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 5: Chance Meeting with an Arch-Enemy
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 6: Beyond Prayer’s End
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 7: Sleeping Truth
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 8: Holy Mother of Darkness / The Knight King’s Great Adventure
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 9: Holy Sword, Resurrected
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 10: Advent
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 11: The Great Kaiju Battlefront
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 12: The Madness of the Distant Past
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 13: Unaware
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 14: With the Sun At His Back
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 15: Birth
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16: Savior
- Fire Force Season 3 Episode 17: At the Center of the World
