Is it just me, or is every new anime lately starting to feel like… artistic dog poop? Yeah, I said it. Something’s off, and it’s not just me — the overall quality of anime has been on a downward spiral. Not over a decade, not even over five years. I’m talking since last year.
The first red flag? Blue Lock. Huge hype, massive flop. It was basically a cut-and-paste PowerPoint presentation pretending to be a sports anime. Every scene felt like it was drawn in a rush… by a committee… during an earthquake. And then came the big one: The Beginning After the End. Everyone was waiting for it like it was the second coming of anime Christ — and then… it dropped. Or should I say, it faceplanted. The manhwa? Amazing. The anime? It took everything good and ran it through a blender.
And now… Fire Force Season 3. Oh yes, the one we’ve all been patiently waiting for, holding our breath like it was gonna save anime. Spoiler: It didn’t.
Fire Force — or in its original Japanese, En’en no Shōbōtai — is a manga masterpiece written by Atsushi Ohkubo, the same guy behind Soul Eater. It follows a pyrokinetic teen in a fire-ravaged world where Tokyo’s the last city standing. Cool premise, hot visuals (literally), and Season 1? Chef’s kiss.
Season 2? Ehh, a little crispy but still edible.
Season 3? We need to talk.
This is the season that was supposed to explode — metaphorically, not because the budget caught fire. Instead, we got recycled fire effects, flat character designs, and fight scenes that looked more like they were animated on a school laptop from 2006.
we’re diving headfirst into the blazing mess that is Fire Force Season 3: what went wrong, why the animation feels like a downgrade, and most importantly — should you keep watching it, or just switch to the manga where the panels don’t randomly freeze mid-fight?
But hey, let’s give credit where it’s due.
Before we start talking about what went wrong with Fire Force Season 3 (and yeah, there’s plenty to talk about), let’s take a quick moment to acknowledge what the show actually did well.
Visually, some scenes in this season still carry the creative spark that made Fire Force stand out in the first place. The color palette is sharp and cinematic — fire effects burst off the screen with crisp oranges and deep blues, creating that signature contrast between heat and shadow. You’ll notice the Matrix-style slow-motion shots scattered across key moments, adding a slick, modern flair to certain fight sequences. That flair? Still cool. Still very Fire Force. The character designs, when on model, retain their strong silhouettes and stylized edge. And the direction — at its best — manages to maintain the show’s core theme: chaos dancing on the edge of beauty. There’s a distinct visual identity here, and the series isn’t afraid to embrace bold colors and dramatic compositions. In fact, the color correction and lighting choices might be the strongest part of Season 3 — scenes are tinted with deep reds, embers floating across the screen like ash in a burning cathedral.
So yes, while there’s plenty to critique, let’s not pretend the entire season is a write-off. There are moments — flashes, really — where the artistry shines through. But unfortunately, those moments feel more like flickers in the dark rather than a steady blaze.
And that’s where the problems begin.
Character Design Inconsistency
Let’s be real — something is seriously off with Fire Force Season 3.
From the very first episode, I got this sinking feeling. Not because there was no high-stakes battle to kick things off (which, okay, fine), but because of the way everything looked. Something wasn’t just “off” — it was wrong.
As an artist, I notice these things. I’m not talking about nitpicking minor inconsistencies — that comes with the territory in animation. Faces going off-model, proportions shifting slightly from frame to frame — it happens even in top-tier shows. And usually? It’s totally forgivable. But in Fire Force Season 3, the mistakes weren’t just occasional. They were constant. The character designs looked… rough. Not in a stylistic or edgy way — just rushed. Misaligned features, twisted anatomy, weirdly stiff poses — it started to feel less like a professional production and more like an AI-generated fever dream of what Fire Force used to look like.
And no, I’m not being dramatic (well, okay, maybe a little). Shows like My Hero Academia are a great example of how you can have stylized, sketchy character designs that still work. There’s a rhythm to the messiness. It has personality. But Fire Force? This isn’t style. This is sloppiness. Even the direction feels confused. Characters move like they were animated by different people who never met — one frame says “battle stance,” the next says “twisted mannequin.” There’s no flow, no consistency. And when you can’t stop noticing how weird the faces look mid-scene, that’s a pretty big problem.
Sure, animation styles evolve. Just look at Attack on Titan. Season 1 had thick black outlines and gritty detail; by Season 4, the designs felt sleeker and cleaner — mostly due to new technology and studio changes. But those transitions felt intentional. Fire Force Season 3 feels like it dropped the baton halfway through a race and just kept running like nothing happened. The worst part? These art issues overshadow the story. You’re too busy wondering why Shinra’s eyes are pointing in opposite directions to care about what’s actually happening in the plot.
Fire Force deserved better — and so did we.
Too Many Reused Clips
Now let’s talk about something every anime fan eventually picks up on — reused animation. It’s not inherently a bad thing. Reusing animation can be smart — it saves time, reduces strain on artists, and keeps production moving. Even the top-tier shows occasionally loop shots or reuse frames. That’s totally fine. When done well, you barely notice it.
But Fire Force Season 3 doesn’t do it well. It’s noticeable. It’s frequent. And worst of all — it’s lazy.
You’ll see entire backgrounds reused over and over — the same buildings, same alleys, same lifeless skyboxes. But what really hurts is how it affects the fight scenes. These moments are supposed to be the heart of Fire Force. Explosive, wild, chaotic battles full of fire and motion — that’s what made the earlier seasons so memorable. Instead, we get repeated camera angles, stiff loops, and dialogue pasted over static shots. In one of Shinra’s key fights — where he’s supposed to be leveling up, pushing his powers beyond their limit — they literally just recycle earlier animation, slap a new name tag on it, and call it growth. It doesn’t feel dynamic. It feels hollow.
Even the editing feels off. You’ll see a fight begin, but before it builds tension — cut! Suddenly there’s a side conversation, a flashback, or a reaction shot from another character. By the time we return to the action, we’ve lost the heat. The battle doesn’t feel like it’s unfolding — it feels stitched together in post-production.
Maybe this is how the scene played out in the manga, but in animation, pacing matters. In a show like Fire Force, where fights are the emotional core, that kind of storytelling just doesn’t land. We’re not watching a slice-of-life anime where conversations carry the weight. This is fire-based martial arts with supernatural powers and death stakes — you can’t downplay that with reused fireballs and disconnected dialogue. Especially when Season 1 and 2 showed us how intense and cinematic the battles could be.
What we got instead? It feels like the show is constantly cutting corners, and it leaves the whole season feeling like a spark that fizzled out mid-burn.
Bad Cinematography
Here’s another major letdown: the cinematography — or more accurately, the complete lack of it.
One thing that made Fire Force stand out in its earlier seasons was its bold direction. The camera moved. The action felt alive. Wide shots revealed towering cities glowing under infernal light. Fights were framed with impact — you could feel the scale, the depth, the danger. But in Season 3? Everything’s weirdly flat. Fights are often shown from stiff, predictable angles. There’s no creativity, no cinematic tension. Characters stand too close to the “camera,” often filling up the frame so much that you can’t even see the background. It’s like watching action through a zoomed-in lens with zero sense of space.
And speaking of background — where did it go?
Earlier seasons gave us rich environmental storytelling. You could see the burnt cityscapes, feel the weight of the dystopian setting. We had power plants, ruined districts, and haunting interiors — all helping sell the world. Now? The world feels empty. A lot of scenes just look like generic walls or washed-out smoke — there’s no sense of place, no grounding, no atmosphere. Then comes the motion — or lack of it.
You’d expect a fire-based anime to flow. Fire is unpredictable, wild, beautiful — it should dance across the screen. But in Season 3, motion feels jagged. Animations stutter between frames, fire effects look cut-and-paste, and fight choreography loses clarity. In some action scenes, things happen so fast and so clumsily that you honestly can’t tell what’s going on. It’s like watching a highlight reel at 2x speed — but without the highlights. Whereas Season 1 and 2 delivered clean, kinetic movement, Season 3 feels like a rush job. There’s no weight. No tension. Just flashes of characters swinging through smoke and generic effects covering up the mess. And that’s the real issue here: Fire Force was known for looking hot. Now? It just looks… unfinished.
Is it Worth IT
Now look — I’m fully aware of the harsh working conditions animators face in Japan. Long hours, tight deadlines, low pay — the industry is rough, especially when it comes to seasonal shows with tight release schedules. I’m not here to ignore that. And honestly? Compared to the first two seasons, Fire Force Season 3 clearly had less budget, less polish, and way more corner-cutting. That’s just the reality. So… should you still watch it?
If you’re a casual viewer, sure — it’s still Fire Force. The world is cool, the characters are fun, and the core story is interesting enough to carry you through. But if you’re like me — someone who really cares about the art, direction, and momentum that made Fire Force stand out in the first place — then I’ll be real with you: you might be better off reading the manga. The storytelling is tighter, the action is clearer, and the emotional beats hit harder when you’re not distracted by recycled fireballs and awkward camera angles. Of course, if the animation quality improves in the next cour, I’ll absolutely be back. But for now? I’m switching over to the manga — and honestly, I recommend you do too.
Anyway, that’s it for today’s breakdown!
If you enjoyed this deep dive, feel free to check out the other articles and reviews on my site.
Until next time — keep watching, keep reading, and don’t forget to respect the animators behind the scenes.
Happy reading
