“I don’t want wanna rely on anything or to beg for salvation. Religion, government, all of those who manipulate people’s good will for their own advantage make the world an even worse place.”— Joker
You know that one anime that had too much hype when it came out, and you discovered it a year before the series finale?
That was me with Fire Force. I remember my brother first showing me Fire Force and not being interested at all. However, when Season 3, Part 1 came out, I decided to give it a chance and was instantly hooked!
Yes, the anime has amazing fight scenes, strong character development, and a unique world-building. But underneath all of those layers lies the relationship between religion and its role in your life.
And not that I’m struggling with my faith, but I’m rediscovering my religion as an adult, and Fire Force really had me thinking about how important religion is and the role it plays in my life. And by extension, how far are you willing to go for your religion?
Fire Force centers around the Holy Sol Temple, the dominant religion in the Tokyo Empire, which many said mirrors Roman Catholicism.
We see many biblical references: the Holy Trinity (Shinra, Sho, and their mother), God (The Evangelist), corrupt religious leaders (nuns and priests working with the bad guys), and the end of human civilization (the great cataclysm).
Religion is used as a double-edged sword here, as both sides practice the same religion. The White Clad uses religion in attempts to create the next cataclysm by setting the earth on fire. They force human combustion to soft-launch the cataclysm, saying that it was the will of the Holy Sol Temple. They also claimed that because humans created too much despair, the earth had to be cleansed to start anew with their doppelgangers, hence another cataclysm.
The fire force soldiers, especially Shinra Kusakabe (our protagonist) believe life is precious, so they see starting another cataclysm as pointless. We see him beat his viewpoint and ideology until the very end.
Uncertain of the cause of human combustion, they pray to the Holy Sol Temple when forced to “end a life,” as those transformed become a threat to society.
Once the Fire Force soldiers realized that the church was connected to the White Clad, many started to waver in their faith and go against the church, but it didn’t stop the sisters from praying for the lives lost.
Can both good and bad lay claim to the same religion? Is ending human life worth all of this? Do the ends justify the means?
These opposing views complicate judgment: must humanity end to start anew, or can we find salvation by resisting despair and fear?
We have characters like Sister Iris and Captain Obi Akitaru, who rely on the church to give peace and comfort to people.
And while we have that, we have character which as Joker and Shinmon Benimaru, who are outside the church, view the Holy Sol Temple as a tool to control people, and give followers a false sense of hope.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the series finale came out during one of the most holy weeks of the year.
The cherry on top of Fire Force was connecting it to its sequel show, Soul Eater, which came out in 2008. Fans online said that the anime did a good job showing viewers how the world of Soul Eater came to be, giving easter eggs to the show’s main cast.
Now the question is, should I embark on a Soul Eater journey?