For a family that’s a member of elite society, the Oze family is fairly normal.
Fire Force Season 2 Episode 18 Review
It seems like Fire Force might be trying to build the backstories for the members of Company 8. I think Fire Force season 2 episode 18 did a better job of providing us compelling content than episode 19. You can attribute that to the revelation that the Holy Sol Temple is built on a false premise, but Fire Force still seemed to put a little more effort into exploring more compelling questions.
Fire Force season 2 episode 19 is all about Maki’s family. Her father is a general with the military and has an imposing presence. He turns into a ball of putty when Maki is around, though. Maki’s brother Takigi is an investigator in the Criminal Investigation Division, CID for short, of the military. Maki’s mother is the loving wife and mother.
They all have an alter ego. Maki’s father is the aforementioned doting father when around his daughter. Maki is the buff fighter. Takigi turns into a lovey-dovey ball of mush when he talks to his girlfriend. Maki’s mother turns into an intimidating force when manners aren’t being followed properly and she’s being ignored. It’s all fun as the family seems to genuinely care for each other.
The conflict in the episode stems from Maki’s father recalling her to the military and putting her in a secretarial position. He does so after Takigi suffers major injuries after investigating the Nether. A White-Clad suicide bomber tries to take down Takigi and his partner. Maki is obviously depressed for having to leave Company 8 but understands her father’s feelings.
The rest of the episode surrounds the military and it’s plans to learn more about the White-Clad. Their Fire Force squad, Company 2, is tasked with investigating the Nether with support from Company 8. The plan is for a member of Company 8 to be in each squad. All squads will simultaneously conduct their investigation.
While I get that Fire Force is showing us Maki’s disappointment with being taken off of the front lines, I felt a little bored with this anime episode. Besides the run in with the suicide bomber, not much went on.
It is nice to see a family that is a well functioning unit. The Oze family seemed to be normal when I think about how families are typically portrayed. Of course there’s always the protagonist that comes from a dysfunctional family. Their brash exterior hides a heart of gold. Then you also have the over-the-top parent type. Sometimes I just want to see parents act like normal.
That’s actually a good way to describe this anime episode. It’s normal. There’s nothing spectacular here that makes it memorable nor is there anything that makes it a bad episode. It got to the point where I wanted someone to do something that stood out.
Is Fire Force Season 2 Episode 19 Worth Watching?
It’s up to you. It’s not a bad anime episode, but it’s also not great. If you’ve been following the Fire Force story then you’ll want to watch it. If you’re vaguely aware of what’s going on and you want to watch an episode to see if you want to jump into this anime then I would recommend other episodes instead. I’m just glad we got through this one so we can get on to more action later.
Now go watch some anime!
-Nathan
