Fire Force (Episode 40) – Mind Blown

Ritsu uses her ability to create a giant Infernal with Nataku at its core. That would be tough enough, but Haumea does something to his mind and causes him to lose control. Meanwhile, Kurono considers his employment options!
Fire Force (Episode 40) – Mind Blown
What happened?
With three sides all fighting for Nataku, the Sixth Pillar, there needs to be some collaboration if anyone is to win. However, Kurono has no interest in fighting anyone but the weak. Then, Arrow and Haumea have a disagreement since Haumea switched the protectors around. Haumea doesn’t like to be questioned by anyone and makes Arrow pay before leaving her to fight Puppeteer and Maki.
Meanwhile, Kurono killed some White Clad minions which was just what Ritsu, Inca’s protector was waiting for. She created an Infernal and then reanimated the corpses to combine them into one giant Infernal. Even Charon found her powers to be creepy. She also imprisoned Nataku at the core of the giant Infernal. That would be quite the opponent alone, but Haumea messed with his brain and sent Nataku crazy. He started to produce radiation he was so rattled. Kurono got a call from the head of Haijima, telling him off or only going after the weak ones. After that, he planned on fighting beside Shinra, but it didn’t feel right. Surprisingly, Charon stepped in to protect Shinra because he was a Pillar.

What did you think?

I did not see that team-up coming! Charon and Shinra. Crazy, but should be a lot of fun, if you can get past the murderous past of Charon. Yomu, what is it with anime where anyone can become an ally no matter how heinous the acts they’ve committed in the past? Also, it feels like Haumea is out of control. Did you see what she did to Arrow, let alone Nataku?

I knew you wouldn’t like how Haumea treated Arrow. But on the flip side, it did give us some nice fan service of Arrow, which I would never have expected. It certainly is strange how we have this three-way team-up between all sides. Especially when you consider that it was a White Clad that created the infernal, to begin with. What was that girl trying to accomplish by sticking Nataku into an infernal if she knew they wouldn’t be able to control it?




Arrow was quite the surprise source of fan service and you’ll hear no complaints from me. As to the giant Infernal… well, I don’t think anyone was expecting Haumea to short circuit Nataku’s brain. She’s always been a bit crazy, but this seems excessive. Part of me wonders whether it’s the First Pillar messing with Haumea’s mind as she did with Shinra earlier in the season.
There were several bizarre moments in this episode such as the team pretty much playing basketball with Nataku, however, my favourite moment was when Kurono took a call from the head of Haijima who kept calling him an idiot.

Haha yeah, both of those moments were great bits of comedy. Just absurd enough to fit the situation. Arthur’s knightly delusions were also comical, and I look forward to seeing where things go with him and Haumea. It seems like those two are fated enemies as they always get paired up in combat, although Arthur can’t exactly fight at the moment.
I honestly expected Nataku to go nuts anyway, given that he has that guy in his mind screaming at him to push further and burn everything up. I wonder if there’s something else that the White Clad know that we don’t that gives them the fervour that they have. We know that the Church is corrupt, and things aren’t as they seem, so there could be more to things.

Yeah, there seem to be no clear good guys other than Shinra and the team. We can’t trust the church, Haijima, or the White Clad. They all have their own agenda that involves destruction and/or control. Quite the depressing message really. I’m starting to feel like they have gone too far with Arthur. I remember he had that brief scene where he went missing and then they showed him and he had a glint in his eye as if he was up to something, but now he’s just the moron that they make do stupid things. I wanted more from him.

Agreed. Arthur seemed like he had some secrets and that there was more to him, but with this season it feels like they’ve just been playing it all up as the power of delusion. That said, they can still introduce something new about him at any time, you never know.




True. I did, however, like when Ritsu made the giant Infernal and Charon stopped fighting Shinra for a second to agree with him that she has a creepy power. I love those moments of clarity that unite enemies for a brief moment. It reminds me of High School DxD whenever Issei uses dress break and his team all shake their heads.

Fire Force does a good job at balancing those moments with the more serious action. Sometimes I find things a little unbelievable, but they’ve managed to keep things making sense enough, like the team-up only occurring because they’re all interested in getting Nataku.

For sure. It does a good job of making it believable enough that you’re not questioning everything. It’s certainly not detracting from the story. I can’t wait to see who walks away with Nataku.

I’ll throw the wild option out there, which is that somehow Nataku absorbs power from the Infernal and becomes a wild card who escapes from everyone, making them all losers.

Haha! Brilliant. Can’t wait to find out!


Other posts in the series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Shinra Kusakabe Enlists
- Episode 2 – The Heart of a Fire Soldier
- Episode 3 – The Rookie Fire Soldier Games
- Episode 4 – The Hero and the Princess
- Episode 5 – The Battle Begins
- Episode 6 – The Spark of Promise
- Episode 7 – The Investigation of the 1st Commences
- Episode 8 – Infernal Insects
- Episode 9 – The Spreading Malice
- Episode 10 – The Promise
- Episode 11 – Formation of Special Fire Force Company 8 – The Mightiest Hikeshi
- Episode 12 – Eve of Hostilities in Asakusa
- Episode 13 – The Trap Is Set
- Episode 14 – For Whom the Flames Burn
- Episode 15 – The Blacksmith’s Dream
- Episode 16 – We Are Family
- Episode 17 – Black and White and Gray
- Episode 18 – The Secrets of Pyrokinesis
- Episode 19 – Into the Nether
- Episode 20 – Wearing His Pride
- Episode 21 – Those Connected
- Episode 22 – A Brother’s Determination
- Episode 23 – Smile
- Episode 24 – The Burning Past
- Season Two
- Episode 25 – A Fire Soldier’s Fight
- Episode 26 – Flames of Madness
- Episode 27 – A New Flashpoint
- Episode 28 – Groping Through the Fire
- Episode 29 – Corna (Sign of the Devil) / A Secret Plan
- Episode 30 – The Time to Choose
- Episode 31 – Road to the Oasis
- Episode 32 – Smoldering Malevolence
- Episode 33 – The Core
- Episode 34 – The Woman in Black
- Episode 35 – Dark Hero
- Episode 36 – Shadows Cast by Divine Light
- Episode 37 – A Pair of One-Eyes
- Episode 38 – The Ashen Reaper
- Episode 39 – A Three-Way Melee
- Episode 40 – Mind Blown
- Episode 41 – Boys, Be Weak
- Episode 42 – The Holy Woman’s Anguish / The Man, Assault
- Episode 43 – The Oze Family
- Episode 44 – Weapon of Destruction
- Episode 45 – Enemy Contact
- Episode 46 – Plot for Extinction
- Episode 47 – Firecat
- Episode 48 – Signs of Upheaval
- Bonus Posts
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