Fire Force (Saturday Spin-off) – Hinawa and Maki

After the crew of Special Fire Force 8 fought the Knights of Ashen Flame in the Nether they were due some time off. What if Hinawa checked into a spa resort for some alone time only to find that Maki had the same idea?
What’s going on?
After last week’s spin-off idea involving Susamaru from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba which I loved, I’m going to go with something a little more lighthearted and goofy this week. I think I see this an OVA or movie and I’ll be using my two favourite characters from the series, naturally. Fire Force certainly gained some criticism for its fan-service, well, mostly Tamaki, so what better way to fight fire than with fire… Hey, if it works for Fire Force!

What’s the pitch?
After the battle with the Knights of the Ashen Flame and while Shinra recovered from his injuries, Obi gave the crew some time to rest and recover, leaving Princess Hibana to watch the district. Hinawa was excited to have some time to himself, although you would never know it from looking at him. He packed his bag and slipped out without anyone noticing him and jumped into a cab that took him all the way to the city limits and a small thermal pool resort. Upon arrival, he was greeted by the receptionist and shown to his room. He unpacked his bag, placing each item into its perfect location and slipped into his robe.
Surprisingly, the resort was quiet and appeared almost empty. Hinawa placed his robe on a seat, folding it into a perfect square, and stepped into the steaming hot pool. He sat down and leant back against the side. Just as he was about to let out a long relaxing breath he noticed a shadow standing over him. Maki stared down at him, her hands on her hips.
Before Hinawa could say anything she jumped in and sat beside him. He clenched his teeth and then asked what she was doing there. It turned out that she too had booked a vacation at the resort and they were just going to have to make the most of it. The weekend went fine until one of the customers Infernalized and the rest of Special Company 8 showed up to tackle the incident, catching them both at the spa together. And that was the last time Hinawa relaxed…

Where did the inspiration come from?
Admittedly, I just wanted to spend more time with Maki and who wouldn’t. She is strong, determined, has nice shoulders, tough, cute, and has nice shoulders. Seriously, what is it with these anime girls and their shoulders? Anyhow, I also found the regular outrage at the fan-service in Fire Force to be quite entertaining. Sure, I’ll be the first to admit that the fight between Shinra and Rekka would have been better without Tamaki getting in the way, but I’m not about to get upset and throw my toys out of the pram. I guess part of this is me giving it a natural situation for that to happen, but I also enjoy the interaction between Maki and Hinawa. They have an odd relationship but it is a lot of fun.

Other posts in the series
- Rin and Myura (Isekai Cheat Magician)
- Valkyrie (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious)
- Susamaru (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
- Hinawa and Maki (Fire Force)
- The Exercise Video (How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?)
- Cain Madhouse (To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts)
- Shizuku (Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest)
- Kohaku Lost? (Dr. Stone)
- Chio’s Daily Commute (Chio’s School Road)
- The Noob! (Overlord)
- Shizu (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)
- Noir (Fruits Basket)
- Sniper of the Dead (Highschool of the Dead)
- Liu Xuelan (Darwin’s Game)
- Two Minds, One Body (The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?)
- Plundered (Plunderer)
- Japanese Mochi! (Fruits Basket)
- Pokemon NO! (Pokemon)
- Every Action! (Infinite Dendrogram)
- Hunted to the Ends! (Somali and the Forest Spirit)
- Is It Wrong to Use Sex to Try to Beat a Dungeon? (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)
- Two Blades (Jormungand)
- Regeneration (The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor)
- Samurai School for Girls (Project A-ko)
- Meet the Takagis (Highschool of the Dead)
- Far From Fantasy (High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World!)

Meanwhile, back at Fire Force 8, Shinra steps into the showers, hearing them already running. He assumes it’s just Arthur or Licht, but when he pulls back the curtain… it’s Hibana! And then Tamaki accidentally slips and slides into the room, her clothes all fall off, and she ends up in the shower too!
And then somehow Maki ends up there too!
And then Lisa…
Fighting fire with fire…
Also, why the “Dark Fantasy” tag? Haha.
Is it that scary to run into Maki at a hot springs?!
That’s just a hangover from Fire Force. I think it fits the text book definitions of dark fantasy.
I did manage to get through almost 4 whole episodes of this show before I gave it up, and Maki was easily my favorite character while I was watching. . .
Maki was criminally under-utilized. I can see the stuff with Tamiki being quite the turn off. Once it focused on flashy fights it really took off.
I watch this spin-off! Might even consider the Blu Ray, too!
I think it would be the ideal blend of ecchi and comedy. Lots of classic slapstick style laughs and awkward situations. Plus Maki is her swimsuit…