English Dub Review: Fire Force “Smoldering Malevolence”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Shinra and the rest further explore the oasis and the Tabernacle, which is apparently responsible for bringing life back around to the area. Scop explains that “The Woman In Black” had helped to repair the structure and taught the animals to speak, though he was never sure why he did that. However, a group of Infernals soon arrive, led by a Demon Infernal who has apparently been around since the time of the Great Cataclysm and whose only goal is to die. Unfortunately, the amount of power it would take to kill a Demon Infernal would destroy the Oasis. In fact, the Tabernacle might be just the thing to do it, as it was originally created to destroy the world.

OUR TAKE

We continue developing the revelations from last episode, mainly in further laying out how the established history that the Tokyo Empire has told haven’t been entirely true. The main one implying that Amaterasu may not have been initially made as the thermal energy plant that it is known as today, as we learn that the Tabernacle, a similar structure, was made in order to destroy the world, possibly even connected to the Great Cataclysm of over two hundred years ago, which is what the characters are here to investigate. We’re also possibly learning more about the Adolla Bursts as it seems that Shinra might be able to connect to the Woman in Black, an enigmatic and strange figure who could even be from another world. It’s adding a bunch of new things to juggle to this show’s mythos and lore, though I don’t really have any judgements of that yet until I learn how it all adds up.

It also looks like we’re headed towards another fight with a Demon Infernal, this time one that’s not only sentient, but has been so for centuries. We’ve seen sentient Infernals early in the series as far back as the fourth episode, though I didn’t know when it would come back into play. Plus, as we’ve seen from the encounters we’ve watched before, destroying a Demon Infernal takes considerably more fire power than a normal Infernal. Even the last time against the single horned Demon took the help of several Fire Soldiers, and naturally Captain Benimaru isn’t around to help, so things are rather desperate. And then there’s the problem of, even if they find the power to destroy it, it will destroy this oasis that these animals rely on, which is looking more and more like an inevitability at this point. Sorry talking mole.

The dub continues to limp behind the sub due to the pandemic still going on in the US, being six episodes and an arc and a half behind. Toonami is eager to show the dubbed season two episodes, but is giving some buffer room by airing the latter half of season one, though even THAT might not be enough time based on what’s complete so far. But regardless of how this will be worked out in broadcast, the story continues to impress and intrigue me. We’re halfway through this Chinese Peninsula arc, which doesn’t seem like enough time to wrap things up, though I imagine they have something workable in mind.