Fire Punch

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Haters gonna hate, but this might just be my favorite manga. It was incredibly unpredictable, and came up with alot of new ideas about the world, that kinda changed my view on certain things. The ending was especially beautiful with all the buildup from the last 40 chapters. Yeah there is alot of "freaky" stuff going on and im NEVER gonna admit to anyone of my irl friends and family how much i love this manga cuz they will never think of me as a normal human being again. With that said tho i love how raw and real it is since if socity ends ... up like that one day, those kinda things would also happen. i once had a project for school about the vietnam war, and oh man the things the american soldiers would do to those poor vietnamese ppl in the villages. And just like in firepunch they didnt care if she was 20, 15 or 10, which is why i can apreciate how real firepunch gets. The whole consept of what religion is and how it was first created is something i have always thought of, so it was nice to see someone (fujimoto) have the same theory as me. The main villains goal which seems lie a joke at first, is something i understand. Imaging how lonely and sad it most be to be immortal and have lived so long everyone of your friends is already dead and you dont want to bother making new ones sinces they will just die soon anyway with how fucked up your perception of time becomes (frieren logic). Her goal makes alot of sense since that movie and its prequels are what she remembers from the time she had with her friends. When we are in dark times we always think back on when we were happy, and when we think back to our childhood most of us gets nostalgic and wishes life could be like that again, and she takes that to the extreme. That movie also got cancelled because of the earth that began to freeze, so its like she is reminising about when earth was still warm and green, and she could go to the cinemas with her friends and just be happy.

I just realized i kinda went on a rant about some random background character, but you get the point. That is how i feel about pretty much about all the characters. I could maybe even write 10 pages about doma, agni, judah, togata and sun, each, but that just shows how much i love this manga. Please read would recommend 10/10, but if your the type that easily gets freaked out, maybe dont read.

Note: This review was written in early 2020 (pre-quarantine era)

It works in parts. There’s definitely a lot of creativity and novel ideas that went into the plot devices, characters, post-apocalyptic set-pieces, and world-building. The artwork, as expected from Tatsuki Fujimoto, is fantastic. But its tone and story are confusing to say the least. It constantly feels like it’s at odds with itself—trying to be both horrific and light-hearted, which rarely blends well. And no, this manga doesn’t make it work. At times, it’s a convoluted mess for no real reason, which only slows down its progression. It’s a true hit or miss.

Fire Punch is a manga that, despite its unique premise, left me feeling more frustrated than impressed. While it opens with a dark, intriguing setup, the story quickly spirals into a chaotic mess that feels gratuitous and, ultimately, narratively hollow. It’s clear that the series tries to explore heavy themes and push boundaries, but its approach often comes off as excessive rather than meaningful. The grim tone and brutal content don’t add depth to the story; instead, they often feel like shock value for the sake of it.

I love Fujimoto's chaotic art style and story telling don't get me wrong but with this manga he ... didn't quite get it right , If not for Fire Punch we wouldn't have Chainsawman , But narratively, Fire Punch struggles to stay coherent. The pacing is erratic, with scenes jumping from one extreme to another in ways that disrupt the flow and make it hard to connect with the characters. Agni, the protagonist, is certainly complex, but the story doesn't flesh him out in a way that feels satisfying or engaging. Instead of a clear, compelling arc, it’s as if we’re watching random events unfold with little purpose or cohesion.

In the end, Fire Punch feels like wasted potential. It has an interesting foundation but falls apart in its execution. For me, it was a disappointing read, lacking the narrative substance or character depth that could have made it memorable.