Fire Force, a Frankenstein’s Monster of a Series

One of the anime that I’m enjoying the most right now is last season’s Fire Force. Fire Force is set in an alternate Japan where the phenomenon of human combustion has become a very real, very serious threat. To combat this, the special fire force, made up of various brave and talented pyrokinetic firefighters, was born. Our hero, Shinra, is one of these firefighters. The show follows Shinra as he sets out to become a hero, unravel the mystery surrounding human combustion, and discover just who’s responsible for his family’s death. 

Fire Force is super fun! It looks stunning and has a varied and entertaining cast of characters. Not to mention that I’ve loved watching the mystery at its core be slowly teased apart. But… the more I watch Fire Force, the more I realise that, for all its strengths, it’s actually pretty unoriginal. It’s like its creator, Ookubo, in a crazy bid to create the ultimate battle shounen, stitched together all of the best parts of all of the best-loved battle shounen in existence, to create this, a Frankenstein’s monster of a series…  

A Little Heads-Up

Hiya, guys, it’s me, Ty. Today’s blog post won’t be very long or very interesting. That being said, it is necessary that I put it out there. I just wanted to fill you guys in on what’s been going on with me and what’s in store for WWB over the next month or so… That is to say, not a great deal, as, regrettably, I will be going on a brief hiatus. 

These past couple of months have been chaotic, to say the least… My husband and I moved into our first home, we began working six days a week in order to facilitate this, and we soon found ourselves caught up in a very messy situation at work. I won’t go into the yucky details, but I will say that we have had to consult a lawyer and start looking for new work. The challenges that I’m currently facing require more mental, financial, and physical resources than I possess. So, while I’m doing my best, I’m really struggling. I’ve let a lot of things slide: my relationships, my spiritual life, and, yes, my poor blog. My wellspring of ideas has dried up, I’ve not been replying to your comments as quickly as I’d like, and I’m not altogether convinced by the quality of my posts. I’ve always felt that if you can’t do something well, you shouldn’t do it at all. As such, I’d rather set WWB aside for the time being, get my ducks in a row, and approach it again when I feel better able to produce work that I can be proud of. I hope that you guys can understand and that you’ll wait in the wings until my return. Until then, take care of yourselves. Your friend, Ty. 

Fruits Basket (2019) Episode 25 – Ta Ta for Now!

As expected, this week’s episode of Fruits Basket (2019) was considerably less eventful than last week’s. That being said, I still absolutely adored it! It touched upon two of the main themes of Furuba’s first season (more on that later), whet our appetites for its second season, and gave us one last look at many of its characters. So, all in all, it was an awesome episode to end an amazing first season on! 

Fruits Basket (2019) Episode 24 – the Cat’s Outta the Bag…

It’s finally here! The (for all intents and purposes) finale of Fruits Basket’s first season! During this amazing episode, one of Kyo’s deepest and darkest secrets (you’d better believe that there’s more), his true cat form, was forcibly dragged out into the open for all to see. And, despite its disgusting smell and appearance, and Kyo’s attempts at pushing her away, Tohru is able to accept him and convince him to come home. It’s a beautiful, moving episode and, like many others before it, incredibly thought-provoking… 

Dr Stone’s Unconvincing Hero

Dr. Stone is one of this summer’s most popular anime, with good reason. The show’s premise, two young men, Senku and Taiju, setting out to restore civilisation using the power of science following mankind’s mass petrification 3000 years prior, is extremely interesting and quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Another of its strengths is the way in which it walks its viewers, step by step, through everything its characters craft (including the science behind it). It feels great to have learned/been reminded (it’s been a long time since I last sat through a high school science class) so much about the world around me. I also love the fact that the show has opted for a setting that is lush, verdant, and teeming with life, as opposed to the dark, dreary, concrete wasteland that most post-apocalyptic shows seem to favour. Dr. Stone definitely has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, however, for all the show’s strengths, it has one major weakness: its unconvincing hero.