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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
This is the best volume of this manga I have read so far.
The way Fujimoto writes a trans character was so complex, so deep, it was a refreshing read.
I cannot anticipate nor expect where this story is going to go, and that is what keeps me coming back to it.
Specifically, chapter 40 was fucking amazing.
I won't be shocked if this ends up being the best volume of this series.
Fujimoto's art keeps improving, it is shocking how they do it.
I love the way that this story is a blatant allegory for blind faith, but, in regards to Agnism. Really a fascinating take on blind faith.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After every volume of Fujimoto's work I've read, this volume may be my favorite thing I've read of his.
Fire Punch has always had a meager reputation. I've only ever heard it referred to as "that other series Fujimoto made before Chainsaw Man," and before reading, I was afraid that's all it would be: an amusing if unimpressive start to an artist's career. Five volumes in, I can say happily and confidently that I was so very wrong with that assumption. Fujimoto-heads may roll their eyes reading the rest of this sentence, but not only does Fire Punch work as its own piece, I think it often proves to be even more interesting than Chainsaw Man.
It is a messy series. In a good way. It feels like Fujimoto is ad-libbing the story as it occurs, and yet that somehow never feels distracting for me. The unwieldly nature of the story is its main charm. When you flip the page, you don't know if you're about to laugh or be horrified by a sudden burst of violence. I could see someone preferring Chainsaw Man for its (comparatively) tighter narrative and its jokes being (comparatively) less crude. But something about Fire Punch just hits me in the right place.
I think one of the reasons I like Fire Punch so much is because of one of its central characters, Togata. He/she is transgender (cool) and likes movies (relatable). So much of Togata's dialogue is about movies he/she has seen. Togata's sole motivation in the manga is that they want to make a movie. Their main regret in life is that their movie collection burned. They have nothing but contempt for people who don't watch movies. Ladies and gentleman, let me just say, I have never felt more represented in a work of fiction in my life. Togata is an absolute chad/chadess and this volume spending so much time delving into Togata's desires and hopes for Agni really ignited something in me. Fujimoto is very clearly a movie-fanatic, and I absolutely love how he lets his passions shine through in the story he tells. Not only is Togata obsessed with movies, but so is the main villain. There's an entire religion that gets started because someone watches a bad direct-to-DVD film and assumes its footage of a real person. Amazing. The villain's main motivation is that they're bummed they missed out on a movie they wanted to see. Incredible. Masterpiece.
Fire Punch throws so many dumb jokes at you and then blindsides you with hard-hitting drama you never expected. Fujimoto loves doing the unexpected, but it never feels like a gimmick. It is a style of storytelling that fits his personality, and that's why it works so well. Of all the volumes I read so far, this seemed to be the most satisfying. The conclusion to Aki's desire for revenge is executed so perfectly. As I was reading, I thought to myself, 'it would be cool if THIS happened,' and then that thing did happen. It was shocking but felt appropriate at the same time. Fujimoto knows just what to do to keep the story fresh. He is a unique talent. I don't know if I've ever had an author capable of speaking so well to my generation.
Fire Punch has always had a meager reputation. I've only ever heard it referred to as "that other series Fujimoto made before Chainsaw Man," and before reading, I was afraid that's all it would be: an amusing if unimpressive start to an artist's career. Five volumes in, I can say happily and confidently that I was so very wrong with that assumption. Fujimoto-heads may roll their eyes reading the rest of this sentence, but not only does Fire Punch work as its own piece, I think it often proves to be even more interesting than Chainsaw Man.
It is a messy series. In a good way. It feels like Fujimoto is ad-libbing the story as it occurs, and yet that somehow never feels distracting for me. The unwieldly nature of the story is its main charm. When you flip the page, you don't know if you're about to laugh or be horrified by a sudden burst of violence. I could see someone preferring Chainsaw Man for its (comparatively) tighter narrative and its jokes being (comparatively) less crude. But something about Fire Punch just hits me in the right place.
I think one of the reasons I like Fire Punch so much is because of one of its central characters, Togata. He/she is transgender (cool) and likes movies (relatable). So much of Togata's dialogue is about movies he/she has seen. Togata's sole motivation in the manga is that they want to make a movie. Their main regret in life is that their movie collection burned. They have nothing but contempt for people who don't watch movies. Ladies and gentleman, let me just say, I have never felt more represented in a work of fiction in my life. Togata is an absolute chad/chadess and this volume spending so much time delving into Togata's desires and hopes for Agni really ignited something in me. Fujimoto is very clearly a movie-fanatic, and I absolutely love how he lets his passions shine through in the story he tells. Not only is Togata obsessed with movies, but so is the main villain. There's an entire religion that gets started because someone watches a bad direct-to-DVD film and assumes its footage of a real person. Amazing. The villain's main motivation is that they're bummed they missed out on a movie they wanted to see. Incredible. Masterpiece.
Fire Punch throws so many dumb jokes at you and then blindsides you with hard-hitting drama you never expected. Fujimoto loves doing the unexpected, but it never feels like a gimmick. It is a style of storytelling that fits his personality, and that's why it works so well. Of all the volumes I read so far, this seemed to be the most satisfying. The conclusion to Aki's desire for revenge is executed so perfectly. As I was reading, I thought to myself, 'it would be cool if THIS happened,' and then that thing did happen. It was shocking but felt appropriate at the same time. Fujimoto knows just what to do to keep the story fresh. He is a unique talent. I don't know if I've ever had an author capable of speaking so well to my generation.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Dysphoria