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)