Fire Punch

First things first this manga is definitely not for everybody as my enjoyment mainly came out of very specific personal taste.

The premise is very interesting however it is not the best thing about the manga, nor is it the main focus.
The art is also very sketchy (a personal favourite style of mine) and has nearly no refinement so first impressions of the art will most likely tell you whether you enjoy the style or not.

The point I want to focus on though is the character study aspect of the story as it is both the main focus of this manga (especially the further in you get) as well as the most interesting. Agni is a character for better or for worse is incredibly hard to get a lock on and attempting to patch together the story since it is told from his (not so reliable) point of view is the almost like a puzzle. His motives are always simple, too simple some might argue however are not predictable, as he himself is not quite sure what he wants.

Overall I like this manga a fair bit and if you are looking for something different from a typical battle shounen or fantasy manga to read this is not a bad choice.

Objectively, this is inconsistent as hell. The plot bounces back and forth so much, changing focus and characters on a dime. It feels like the mangaka was doing whatever he felt like on a whim. However, despite this messiness, I really found it to be an enjoyable read. I gave this an 8, and I'm not sure if that's the right ranking, or if it's too high, given the incoherent plot. I can't even describe it well without spoiling. If you're looking for a ride for the hell of it, and can enjoy or stomach edgy and gory content, then go with this ride, and see if you enjoy it at the end. As of right now, this is the strangest manga I've read, but in a good way? I don't know. Just get past the overt edginess of the first 13 chapters and strap in for what's to come.

*Disclaimer*
Just personal scratch.
Advised, possible spoilers.
Opinion & Informal

Art: 7/10
The art overall was good but the backgrounds were sometimes lacking in tones or things to fill the space. The anatomy and proportions of the characters checked out. There were a few noticeably nice-looking environmental and panoramic shots; there were a good amount of spreads showcasing artistic skill or things about their world which I appreciated. The impact shots looked good and there was a good use of nature shots that added a bit more depth to their world. Although a bit short, The heavy action sequences looked pretty good. Overall, while I thought there could have been a bit more background in a few of the slower panels, the art was good. When there were backgrounds, they looked good. When there were impact shots, they left an impact and when emotions needed to be expressed I felt a bit of it.

Panel Progression: 6/10
The flow of the panel progression felt jumpy sometimes but overall it felt alright. There wasn't too much flair in the form of panel cutting or interesting layouts. Much of the panels and dialogue were pretty confined but that wasn't a bad thing. There were some nice mix-ups in panel layout in a few chapters such as the sequence where Togata was driving the truck and getting shot over and over. Like I mentioned earlier, there was some nice use of tones but I feel there could have been more supporting backgrounds and tones for more than a few places; but then again a large majority of the settings take place in snow/snowstorms.

Characters/Plot/Development: 6/10
I mostly disliked the characters? Agni was a bit one-dimensional for a bit of the first half and that was fine, but I sort of disliked how wishy-washy his resolve ended up being at certain parts of the story. Togata had an interesting backstory and personality. Togata was probably my favorite character. Sun/San was lame. He stayed static all the way through his introduction, capture, and rescue. Then Sun/San boringly followed suit with the atmosphere of the manga and went down the darker road: developing into a crazy worshiper of Agni. I really wanted something to develop with Sun and Agni's relationship, but that was dropped in such a lazy way. Sun/San was pretty much forgotten about for maybe half the manga despite the interesting setup he initially received at the time of his first-meeting with Agni. Furthermore, I was disappointed in how easily the Agni-Doma-revenge plot was dropped maybe 10 chapters in, picked up multiple chapters later, and then brushed over briefly in the span of maybe a chapter or two. It's annoying because that plot point is what I picked this manga up for in the first place. While I understand there was some resolution to their revenge scenario later on during the orphan-cottage bit and while I did see a point in Doma's words during his speech, I felt like the whole resolution to their relationship was stupid. Agni finally showed some growth as a character, forgoing his path to revenge to become a better person; a person, a hero, a god that would exist on a spectrum opposite that was the norm of the harsh and cold world that the story takes place in. NOPE, Agni goes back to kill Doma and all the kids. The pacing and development were a mess in my opinion. Agni mostly never grew, Doma maybe had 20 pages to himself during the whole manga, and the overall situation regarding the world-ice-age was handled in an awkward and convoluted way. Togata was the only redeeming character who had good development in this manga. I appreciate the sorts of topics that Togata's character touched upon in the story. Overall, I was unimpressed with the needless dark fantasy this manga went over: The bestiality, the cannibalism, and retro-gradation of modern ideologies such as the role of women, religion and morality.

Conclusion: 5/10
The conclusion to the story was stupid and honestly seemed half-assed to me. It was abrupt, it felt weak, and it most certainly was way too out of left-field for me to accept.

Overall: 6/10
The initial 10 or so chapters where the initial plot setup were interesting to me, but the plot got progressively more complex or forgotten from that point on. The best parts about this manga were when Togata was taking the lead or pretty much whenever Togata was involved. The answers to a lot of the plot points in this manga felt really weak and uninspiring. Warming up the earrth with a big tree that can reach to other planets? Dumb. The good things about this manga in my opinion were the art, the setting, and Togata. I didn't like pretty much everything else.

NO SPOILER

Would have given it a higher rating but the story and character development deteriorated soon after volume 4.
Togata was funny and had some depth. Agnis was not the brightest (combat wise, cool). Others that seemed interesting were not developed further. The ending felt rushed.
Hence a 6/10 for story and characters.

The art is amazing. The sketchy/messy style fits the world/genre. And although we have seen elemental powers before, the use of those powers was unique and the fighting was well choreographed and creative. I found myself eager for a fight scene and those did not disappoint. Fujimoto Tatsuki san did not slack in that bit.

An overall 7/10.

SPOILERS AHEAD AFTER FIRST PARAGRAPH
FIRST MANGA REVIEW








Read this manga. Its pretty fucking crazy. A lot of mindfucking and plot twists will leave you confused (well it left me confused and many others seemed confused too). If you want to see something badass this has it. Sometimes i don't know what to feel whiole reading the story but overall its sad and the ending left me empty but with some insight and strangely some peacefulness and happiness. It really shows us the power of religion and how easily we can be controlled by it. Out of fear, humans need to believe in something greater than themselves in order to live as comfortably as possible. Especially when living in such a metaphorically and literally cold world full of despair and hopelessness, believing in something like a god gives one hope and reason to live. This manga shows how meaning can be given to something meaningless.


OVERALL ENJOYMENT: 7.8
ENJOYMENT: 7.5
CHARACTER: 7
STORY:7.5
This is a mind fuck for me at least. A lot of plot twists left and right. It is a pretty awesome read though. I recommend anyone to read it. I wished that agni didn't lose himself and pretend to be someone else after losing his memories of original self. I liked the split personality he has throughout the series but after losing his orignial memories I didn't really enjoy it so much. It sucked to lose the main character i was rooting for at the beginning. I was hoping some miracle would happen and he would die and see his family and loved ones in heaven but instead years pass by and he lost everything even himself except for the make-believe sister Judah who became his lover. Even Judah forgot about herself. In the end the only part of Agni that remained in him, was his love for his sister. That love he had for his sister was incredibly powerful. And Judah never forgot her love to Agni even after forgetting everything else which is fucking crazy and heartwarming too.

ART: 6

Art was hard to follow during many battle scenes and people's faces were hard to distinguish which confused me.

The characters are really well made and the art is very well suited to the manga .
The MC does things for revenge and once he thought he achieved it he realises that it doesn't bring back his sister. And once he realises the person he was seeking revenge on was alive he didn't just kill him on the spot but thought about it. and the realise the only reason he was so hellbent on seeking revenge was because he wanted a reason to go on. And he ended up kill him anyways without realising it. and he also accidentally killed his friend
After all that happened he got his sister back and he was finally happy but he ended up having to face the pass.
From this the MC learns that you don't choose who you are the world does.

I started reading Fire Punch after binge-reading Chainsaw Man, and deciding, "I wanna read more manga like this!". Well if you wanna read a manga like chainsaw man don't come here go read some light-hearted stuff cuz this ain't it. Fire punch turned me off by the second chapter because of how brutally disturbing the story is. In the span of the first two chapters (spoilers ahead) The main character gets his arm chopped off at least 10 times (because he has the power to regenerate), his sister wants to have an incestual relationship with her brother, a man pees in a cup and tries to force a little kid to drink it, and a dude sues a little girls arms as firewood (which was only because she had regenerative powers and the main character graphically breaks his own arm trying to stop the guy from doing it. It was the most disturbing manga I've ever read. Now I'm sure the story is cool, and heck the concept was pretty cool, and the dude that set the village on fire was dope but it was disturbing. I give the manga a 1/10 because if you give a show a 1 out of 10 on my anime list it lists it as appalling, and the manga really was appalling it was disgusting in every way. If you like appalling stuff then read this manga, I'm sure it will make you think about how messed up you are for reading it. If you want something good by the author just read Chainsaw Man instead, its 1000x better

Its always hard to try and form an objective opinion on something that has a lot of sentimental value to you, and this is definitely one of those cases. So i'm just gonna talk about why you should read it.

Note: I wont have ANY spoilers in this, so read away.

Fire Punch is an absurd manga, everything about it is ridiculous. To simplify it, Fire Punch is about people struggling in a post apocalyptic world. But not in the same way something like Fallout is post apocalyptic, the world of Fire Punch has completely gone to shit. We are told very early that humanity doesn't have long left, and anyone who is pretending to "rebuild humanity" is kidding themselves and because of this there are essentially no rules. The world is dark and gritty, yet also humorous and quirky. The manga isn't for everyone, but if you do end up checking it out PLEASE don't take it to seriously, its only 8 volumes so just sit back with a coffee and enjoy the ride.

Story: The story is sometimes disjointed and to be honest completely nonsensical at times, yet theres something interesting about how things end up. It starts of as a relatively normal revenge story but goes in a completely different direction when a certain character starts "trying to make a movie". Theres lots of bloodshed, pain, struggling and obscure movie references.

Art: To be frank, the art isn't amazing and doesn't improve much before the end. However the art style is interesting and the characters are unique so it isn't "bad" i guess. You'll never be bored by the art thats for sure.

Characters: The characters in Fire Punch are a mixed bad, sometimes they are cookie cutter tropes and sometimes they are the single greatest thing i've ever seen. But i feel like that is done intentionally, a lot of the characters in Fire Punch seem like they are trying as hard as they can to be "normal" and cling to what they remember of normal society.

Enjoyment: This is where the series really shines. I assure you, you'll never be bored reading this manga. It's completely unpredictable and takes random turns in the story all the time. One minute you'll be reading a revenge story and within the next 20 pages the story is now about actual lunatics making a movie oh look now they're in space okay. Its horrifically dark at points and hilariously light at others.

Flaws: The characters are pretty simple, much like the art. The contestant mood and theme changes may get annoying for some people. The story isn't the strongest.

Overall: Fire Punch is an amazing ride and i hope as any people as possible read it. Its not often we get stories like this so we need it appreciate it when we do. To summarise its a crazy journey of a man on fire and his weird film addicted friend.

Fire Punch. Predecessor of the beloved Chainsaw Man and Fujimoto’s boldest, most disturbing, depressing, nihilistic and controversial work ever.

Currently the community is divided on whether to love it or hate it and it seems like the vast majority of readers seem to dislike it, dismissing it as utter nonsense and confusing, cheap edgy, and directionless writing. I too was once in their shoes, feeling absolutely lost and conflicted about whether I loved it or hated it when I flipped the final pages…

But upon several re-reads, I’ve come to the conclusion that Fire Punch is a prime example of a masterpiece, the greatest a manga can be, as a medium of art, entertainment, and storytelling. And I shall expand on why I think so.

To address criticisms about its lack of direction/narrative whiplash, Fire Punch has a direction. It was written with an end in mind after all. In various interviews, Fujimoto has mentioned that he enjoys works that “take the audience to a place they’ve never seen before” and wanted to create works that evoke the sort of feeling “where readers wonder what would happen next” (As a cinephile, he quoted the Korean flick “the chaser” where what was supposed to be the conclusion happens in 30 mins) And I’d say he certainly achieved it with Fire Punch, and later on, Chainsaw Man.

Fire Punch might read like a fast-paced, incomprehensibly crappy B movie upon first glance but when we look closely, you’ll start to see that it is surprisingly complex, thoughtful, and philosophical as it tries to subtly and delicately convey the themes Fujimoto wished to tell in this story.

“LIVE”... Existentialism and Nihilism are themes that permeate this work deeply as Characters ponder, struggle, and search for a “fuel” that keeps them going. “What is left once you’ve finally achieved the goal you dedicated your life for?” Fire Punch doesn’t force the answers down your throat with long expositions or dreary monologues, but merely shows you the varying motivations characters decide to pursue and live for…

Heavy themes like depression and suicide aside, It isn’t complete misery though as with Fujimoto’s questionable and quirky sense of humor, we get to experience some really messed up, dark jokes and banter sometimes, that reliefs all the existential dread and lightens things up, for a short while. It’s philosophical theme about “acting” and depiction of characters “performing” various “roles” in their lives was also insightful and eye-opening. But more importantly, Fujimoto’s skillful ability to weave the theme of love so naturally in the story into a satisfying, poetic, and coherent conclusion, despite the sheer chaos that preceded it, really speaks volumes about his ability as a storyteller.

Something to bear in mind is that at its core, Fire Punch is an extremely morally gray and nuanced work that continuously questions our pre-existing beliefs of what’s right or wrong? In their frozen apocalypse of a world, morals are called into question and the barbaric, primal side of human nature shows. Many messed up things happen in Fire Punch that can certainly be called edgy. However, unlike other works that are pointlessly edgy, Fire Punch presents a rather cynical but grounded and realistic interpretation of what would happen if humanity spiralled downwards. Survival of the fittest or most advantaged (the blessed) reigns supreme…

Although Fire Punch was undoubtedly a painful, depressing experience full of suffering, It’s something I thoroughly enjoyed and holds a special place in my heart as it got me through some difficult times where i struggled to find meaning, just like Agni

Overall, Fire Punch is a work that shows us the worst in humanity, yet at the very same time it's a hopeful one that encourages us to live as it puts forth the message that even if the world has gone to shit and life is inherently pointless, you can still create meaning for yourself or find a reason to live, just as the characters in the story had different reasons they chose to live for. Give it a shot, and experience true, unbridled, unadulterated Kino (or peak fiction in layman’s terms)

This is a roller coaster of a manga, it takes you through a lot of plot and character development, although absurd at times, overall it makes u curious enough about what will happen next so u keep reading it till the end.

Story: 8/10
The story starts out very interesting and logical, and the development feels somewhat slow at times since the author dedicate a lot of time to describe the characters' mental. It is interesting to read since you never know what will happen next. Throughout the manga, the story feels like a roller coaster ride, the story happens in a really unpredictable way that makes me feel confused at times, but overall is good.

Art: 7/10
The art is good, although it feels like a draft version sometimes rather than a fully completed version, but if u read other works from this author, you will realize its just his art style.

Characters: 8/10
Characters are described in a very detailed way, all the main characters all are developed distinctly and understandably. The only down side is that a lot of the characters in the story have some crazy in them, but it's completely tolerable since the story is set in a post apocalyptic world where people don't get to grow up normally in a peaceful and educated environment.

Enjoyment: 7/10
I enjoyed this manga a lot, the story is interesting enough to keep me clicking next chapter until the end, although the story is a little bit disorganized in the few last parts of the manga.

Overall: 7/10
A good manga with interesting plot, likeable characters that we can empathize with, and a somewhat sloppy but nice style of art.