Fire Punch

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Fire Punch rules. A free-wheeling psychedelic commentary on violence (all kinds--physical, sexual, emotional, etc) in media and our relationship with these stories. A manga that treats the traditional narrative and plot hooks of the medium with disdain as if they themselves are an act of opression, bearing down on the lives of its characters. An intelligent and carefully crafted work that refuses easy solutions or simple emotions. A story where a man who fights by hitting bullets with a baseball bat is confronted by a woman in a bikini (the world has frozen over in Fire Punch, a perpetual winter) riding on a katana as ... if it was a hoverboard. Fire Punch rules.

It's hard to blame anyone for backing out early here despite the amazing premise and promise of real scuzzy exploitation fun in the first chapter thanks to the following volume worth of oppressive and at the face meaningless cruelty. Sure there are some jokes, but it all weighs heavy on you as bad things keep piling up on each other as if that's just the truth of the world. And most reviews or impressions of Fire Punch seem to suggest that most people did stop here. They call it out as pointlessly edgy and immoral and nihilistic. And hey, I was seconds away from quitting myself. But then a character appeared and recontextualized the preceeding pessimism. Togata, a camera wielding maniac, almost literally hijacks the manga early on. The protagonist disappears, replaced by someone whose entire life is formed through stories. Someone who can't help but see the world as a narrative. She constantly and overtly discusses the narrative beats of the manga itself, explaining like an author or a critic how each scene should fit within the overarking story. Or she would be, but things keep going wrong. The manga refuses to abide by the tired and true beats of traditional manga. From here on, the form of sequential art is twisted and played with as expectations and cliches are constantly dismantled with an infectious glee: the super special ultra technique exists for a gag, the quirky and mysterious side characters are almost immediately ignored after their introductions, fights are born and raised for the sake of the anti-climax, so on and so on. The initial darkness that turned so many off is seen in a new light now as a sort of mockery. The main character, his motivations, his personality, the very world he lives in is all so silly, like some sort of joke. Except it isn't.
Except it is.
Except it isn't.

The audience is in this way confronted with how society consumes art: that is to say, constantly and hungrily. Are we like Togata, whose life has no meaning without stories to watch to pass the emptiness of life, or are we like Agni (the protagonist) whose life is, knowingly or not, shaped and defined by the violent stories society loves. Or are we like the antagonists, who tell their own fiction so much they end up believing in it themselves. The answer is, of course, a complicated "yes".

And through that "yes" an optimistic vision of creation is formed. Fiction can, Fire Punch supposes in the midst of its chaos and confusion, allow the oppressed to be free, give meaning to the meaningless, and provide comfort to the suffering. Fire punch is, after all, a manga, created by an artist who is unabashadly in love with stories.

There's a lot to talk about with Fire Punch. There's a lot to talk about with all art. The series is extremely compassionate towards minorities in a way that is rare for manga; the ending is bold and touching, transforming the work again into something even bigger; religion plays a major role, both as a concept within the series and symbolically (the main character's name, Agni, is that of a Hindu fire god--I know nothing about Hinduism but ya'll know I'm gonna be digging deep into this now). But most of all, what Fire Punch wants you to remember is that at the end of the day, movies exist. And who doesn't love movies?

Its edgy, but it has a reason to be edgy.(this and the last line are the only important points here)

It is a story about a lot of things, as any good story should be; and never gets stagnated always keeping a good rithm. Needless to say, no moment is wasted as everything has a point either thematically narratively, to be funny or a combination or both.

Worderful management of scenes, delivering huge narrative and emotional (fire) punches.

Its not meant for everyone.

Im literally a fanboy of this manga, as you can see by the 10 i gave it, but I really have thought about the quality ... of it, and even re read it and i stand by my words, its not for everyone, but maybe it is for you.

But all I have said doesn't really matters, its just a byproduct of how honest the story is and how much the author cares about it.

Okay, I just finished this today (after taking a long break on it to finish up some things) and I’ve got to say this - do not pay attention to reviews and read this yourself.

At times, I really enjoyed this manga, and other times I couldn’t believe I was still reading it. Some may say that’s a testament to its ability to drag you in and keep you in, but like many of the negative reviews have said, I believe it was mainly because I wanted to see what crazy turn Fujimoto was going to send me down next.

Now, those turns are what makes ... Fire Punch unique, and are why I rate it a 6, but you have to decide that for yourself. Many people try to ascribe a lot of different themes to this manga, themes that I don’t necessarily agree with. On its face, it’s wholly nihilistic, depressing, and little room for redemption, but that can be what draws you to it.

The difficult part for me with respect to the nihilism, and gradual recision of Agni’s character was that, I really enjoy stories with strong protagonists, one’s that I can identify with, or at least, can identify with their motives and reasons for being. Here, while the story is fantastical and, one can argue, damn near impossible to relate to much of anything going on, for much of the later story I couldn’t fathom, or even remotely understand, what the characters were doing. Or perhaps worse, how they got to thinking what they did and acting how they did with respect to the story prior, and that’s Fujimoto’s fault for the lightening fast pacing.

All in all, read this for yourself and decide. You might hate it after 10 chapters, 30 chapters, 60 chapters, I don’t know. But I think it’s worth it enough to at least try.

I initially wanted to do a comprehensive review for Fire Punch. While I hated the experience, I thought maybe there's enough passion and creativity behind it to warrant picking things apart. However, the more time I spent on trying to do that, the less value those elements started to carry, and the more Fire Punch began to look like a plain mess.

It starts with a solid and straightforward premise. Post-apocalyptic frozen world, some people have special powers called blessings, there's allegedly a big bad behind it all, and people are going crazy under these extreme conditions. Then comes a group of people trying to rebuild ... civilization and burn down Agni's village, his sister, and himself for the crime of cannibalism, even if it was in the form of eating endlessly regenerating limbs that Agni provided. He is then doomed to burn and suffer for a long ass time as his endless regeneration counters eternal fire. Years later, Agni learns to control the pain enough to think and move and goes on to get his revenge.
I don't like retelling whole chunks of the plot like that, but I saw this as the solid beginning for the series. It reminds me quite a bit of Hokuto no Ken but edgier in that regard. You have an insane unjust world in a setting where humanity is dying out, but here comes an incredible hero who nobody can stop. It's nothing especially unique, sure, but a pretty good setup for a short action story.

For a while, that's precisely how the story progresses before diving entirely off the rails towards whatever the author thought would be cool or funny or, in many cases, shocking. Fire Punch's lack of any direction or purpose is obscene. It genuinely feels like the whole thing was written without a plan in mind or at least trying to build up from what already exists. Characters appear and then get killed off for no reason. Potential thematic elements are introduced only to be discarded. There's nothing coherent about it. I had some fans tell me and tell others that it's about human connection, hope, emotions, etc., and sure, if you try, you can apply that sort of theme onto the story, but what's the point if the story itself doesn't develop it in any way?
For example, there's a moment later on in the story where a character reveals that they have gender dysphoria, and immediately that was enough for someone to say this is a topic that the manga talks about when in reality, all the discussion or commentary about dysphoria starts and ends with "it sucks." Wow, ok, good talk. Next time have a character also say that war is bad and that rich people are assholes, so it's even more profound.
Another example is Agni's whole role in this. It starts with revenge, but shortly after, the author plays pong with his motivation, what does he want, what does he live for, what does he value, and what does he hate? All these things just get flipped around for the sake of convenience.
There's nothing to take away here, just a bunch of episodes that allow fans to try and ascribe deeper meaning or value to the writing.

So what is left? The art is nice most of the time. In particular, the way Agni is drawn covered in flames is great. There are a few genuinely funny or heartfelt moments, but they're overshadowed by utterly tasteless shock content. Dogs raping kids, goons talking about how they'd rape a little boy, some necrophilia, pointlessly cruel farming of the blessed, a bunch of deaths that only happen for shock factor. It's no better than any other edgy schlock in that regard. Is this worth a read? If you want a good story or a cool action series, no. If you've read Chainsaw Man and thought, "Wow, I wanna read whatever else this genius wrote," then you probably already know the answer and only read this to find out why some asshole would give another masterpiece an unjust 3/10.

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)

I'm actually VERY surprised by the high score of this manga on MAL. I knew it was on me to save many people's times by telling them what they're getting into with this story. There are a few spoilers (? none that ruin the plot) but I'll try and keep it to a minimum.

I broke it down to 4 sections: character, art, enjoyment, and story.

Art (3/10):
The art for this manga was passable. Very rough around the edges but passable because it fit the mood of the story. Nothing amazing and of all the manga I've read, it's around the lower half in quality ... which is why I gave it a 3.


Character (4/10):
Many people would say that this story is a story of internal struggle between right and wrong. I can definitely see where they are coming from. The problem is outside of the main character, the other characters were very very weird. Not necessarily bad, but when you read about them it just gave you a feeling a WTF is with this character. (one character is obsessed with Star Wars...in a post-apocalyptic world) Their motivations are somewhat defined in a way you can understand. Halfway through, however, you begin to notice where the author is losing his motivation in writing compelling characters. The main character begins to lose his drive and he ends up doing nothing for half the story. Some chalk it up to him trying to find his place in the world; I say it's just lazy writing.

Enjoyment (4/10):
I gave it a 4/10 simply because I somehow pulled through with reading all of it. It was enjoyable to see where the author was going to take you next because the story followed zero path and random stuff was thrown in here and there.

Story (1/10):
I saved the best for last, or in this case the worst for last. This story started off with SO much potential. Main character seeking revenge after an attack on his village. Story is set place in an icy world and the MC is on fire. The symbolism is tangible. First 10 chapters started off great. You could see where the story was heading. Afterward, it just became a huge clown fiesta of random plot points, random character introductions, and random moments in general. By the end of the manga, I had zero idea what I just read. Absolutely zero. ZERO. Like it was just a huge prank the author pulled on me because I wasted an hour or so reading this garbage.

So, if you enjoy reading a manga about absolutely nothing good and the plot lines lead nowhere. You'll enjoy this.

Tatsuki Fujimoto is one of the most prominent and prolific writers out of Shonen Jump in recent memory, and it takes nothing to understand why considering how his writing stands out as being considerably more adult - both in theme handling and presentation - than the comparatively more basic presentation exemplified by many of the other series in the magazine. Before Chainsaw Man gave Fujimoto his infamy and notoriety, Fire Punch was an exceptionally overhyped series among various groups of readers for standing out and telling a more gloomy, dark story about a man who seemingly desires revenge over the woman who murdered his sister. ... And yet, to sum up Fire Punch as just another revenge story is to do a great disservice to what this series explores over its runtime.

An immediate impression one can get out of Fire Punch - as is the case with Fujimoto's works as a whole - is the way the narrative is presented. Exposition is kept to a minimum, events unfold with often no foreshadowing and there's an often surreal, dark atmosphere surrounding characters and their actions. Where Fire Punch falters a fair bit, however, is that while thematically interesting, characters are often irredeemable with no genuinely likable traits to drag in an audience, the story moves at breakneck speed too quickly for its own liking at times - with entire time periods crucial to the narrative being skipped over, leading to many characters feeling like they only exist to fulfill a particular role as a tool in the narrative rather than have any agency of their own. While this is thematically relevant, it does not change the fact that while stakes in Fire Punch are high, the constant tonal shifts and timeskipping often undermine what could have been moments that could've given more likability and layers to an otherwise straightforward story told in an unnecessarily complicated way. And that, in my eyes, sums up Fire Punch's biggest flaw; its presentation clashes badly (or perhaps this was done with the intent to contrast, but even that is hard to tell) with the kind of story it wants to tell, a story that's more about people frozen in time physically and even emotionally in some respects, who desperately seek out any kind of connection in a world that has none.

Thematically, Fire Punch explores this through various means - characters often come to a realization over an event or another that should overturn any desire they have, only to decide in the heat of the moment that they've spent way too much time on their desire to change it. In a sense, these characters lack free will over their actions because they've spent so long living their lives for a single purpose that it becomes impossible to turn them away from it. In a similar sense, finding self worth is also thematically relevant to what Fire Punch wants to achieve, with characters often referring to their roles in the work and world by extension, except this meta element is used more about how even something as basic as escapism (in this case symbolized by Togata's love for movies) can give life meaning to people, and how in this barren world where everyone is waiting to die and has no purpose that is desperately needed. Relevant to Togata, a theme involving fatalism insofar as these characters roles in the narrative is frequently discussed and addressed, with characters often talking about how their roles in the greater story are fixed and especially considering their desire to break out of that role, tying into the imagery involving characters being in a cinema over the course of the story - in Togata's case, it's taken in a more bittersweet light, where his perception of who he is clashes greatly with how Agni perceives him. This repeats itself in a later dynamic involving Agni and Judah, where Judah fills out a particular role as a replacement for another character, and more fittingly tied in the last time we see the cinema motif be used.

Fire Punch's story is told minimalistically but suffers from tonal whiplash at points where there should otherwise be a more concise tone - various times over the course of the manga the series takes itself in way too dark of a tone to the point where that becomes comedic, and the series often engages in rather unfunny comedic humor for no reason other than to offer a change of tone, which at times undermines the series. There's very little explanation over events going on and while that's more than fine, near the end the manga rushes towards a conclusion rather than proceed there naturally. Character-driven moments and dynamics - aside from the Agni and Togata dynamic at the heart of this entire manga - aren't given much room to breathe and as such relationships and dynamics between the cast are forced. The artwork, while solid and tonally consistent most of the time, is also at times at odds with the tone of the manga, to say nothing of its quality which often fluctuates over the course of the series, with it often looking great one page before flipping and looking poor the next.

Ultimately, Fire Punch is a flawed yet enjoyable series that one could definitely enjoy for what it is but tolerate its numerous and very noticeable flaws. There's a lot to like here but the series both requires some degree of patience as well as a solid understanding of what it's thematically aiming for - while most of the cast isn't noteworthy or likable, and the series often jumps at an incredibly fast pace, there's a fair bit to give thought to, and if for nothing else anyone fond of how distinct Fujimoto's works can be among Shonen Jump's lineup would be well inclined to enjoy this.

Thank you very much for reading, any and all feedback would be appreciated.

A masterpiece that'll have you thinking about it for weeks to come. Fire Punch talks about basically every dark and messed up subject you could think of- but apart from a few exceptions mostly at the beginning, it's not meant to simply shock you. It paints a picture. It gets a message across.

The art is fantastic. The ability to make fire look bright in a black and white world filled with white snow is proof of the mangaka's incredible talents. In the dark or in the light, Agni's fire burns bright. Every character is unique and deeply flawed, offering their own view on the world ... and motives. The characters with regeneration blessings who have lived for hundreds of years contrast especially well with the characters with normal lifespans.

While the overall plot is captivating and filled with interesting, flawed characters, I feel it isn't the main focus of the manga, in a way. Art is to be interpreted, but personally, I feel Fire Punch is about futility, impermanence and finding a reason to live. The plot is pointless. Our lives are pointless. Eventually, everything disappears. But stories are eternal. As long as there's someone to tell them, they'll survive. I feel this ties in with the heavy movie themes the manga has. If you're gonna live in such a cruel, twisted world, you might as well do it to leave an incredible story behind.

Everyone interprets Fire Punch differently. Some people don't think there's a deeper message and love it simply for the story at face value. That's the beauty of it. Everyone sees life and the world differently. Everyone has different reasons to live. For a manga that deals so heavily with themes of life and mortality, it's normal that everyone sees a partial reflection of themselves in it.

It's a must read if you can stomach it and fancy something that gets you thinking.

--Some minor spoilers included--

Honestly, this manga was wild ride from start to finish, and even more so during the last couple of chapters.

Story(?):

The first half of this story is your typical revenge story, and then the other half is you wondering if you're still reading the same manga.

You know the story is akin to taking a nice summer walk to the super market to get some fresh long pig from your cute sister who happens to work there, until the food suppliers there break your knees caps and set the entire place on fire.

Okay, not the best way to start the day because you're ... still on fire and traumatized from that whole ordeal, so you gotta go complain to the chaps who inconvenienced you.

And from there it pretty much escalates to the point where you're tripping balls and can't tell the difference from a potato to a severed hand, let alone deal with the conundrums of the universe.

To put simply, I think the story progresses fine in it's early chapters in introducing the world the story is set in, but it's later chapters end up being confusing, with everything prior being thrown out the window. It's definitely a weird manga to read, so it's understandable if you decide to drop it.

Just don't expect some really god-tier form of writing from the plot.

I still found it enjoyable nonetheless, although your experience may vary, but at least give it a shot.

Mod edit: this review may contain spoilers.

Welp I started reading this series called Fire Punch and the first chapter is probably the most absurd and gratuitously savage thing I've read in a while.

The world is so fucking cold and there is some dude who has regeneration powers. He rips his arm off in order to feed his people. Soldiers come to enslave them. The sergeant, who has the power to burn all out, decides to destroy and sacrifice all the town, so the regenerating guy is permanently burned while he regenerates, suffering for 8 years and over until he gets to dominate his regenerative power ... and decides to walk on fire taking revenge on people.

Oh, and between all this there is a crappy incest with his sister. 10/10 IGN

For some unknown reason then I felt like continuing reading, and now somehow I want to know what will happen next. Also, there is like some kind of odd black comedy which I kinda liked. Although I'm not sure if this comedy is intentional or just the author's ill mind. I remember one scene when there was a naked boy and a dog started like licking his genitals or something. Laughed my ass off, I gotta say.

Not much more to say. The art is pretty good, but the distribution of bubbles, drawings and panels is kinda confusing sometimes, so as the dialogues are. This last might be scanlation's guilt. Dunno.

Words can't even describe how I felt about this manga. I picked it up because of Fujimoto's other works and went in with low expectations for whatever reason; it could've been the low face value rating, the cover art, Chainsaw Man overshadowing it, etc. However, this manga killed me. There are times when it can get confusing and chaotic, but the ending stands out as the greatest wrap-up to a story I've ever seen. If you're willing to give the manga a chance, please do!

First and foremost, the story is unique. There are times when the plot seems so outlandish that you wonder if ... it should be taken seriously, only to be followed up with the most insane sequence of events.

Some touchy themes such as r**e and canni**lism are approached dispassionately, sometimes even comically. They are used appropriately though and contribute to Fujimoto's strange nature of writing. However, some may not approach the themes as such and could be easily turned away instantly.

The art is outstanding and can be regarded as better than Fujimoto's current chapters in Chainsaw Man, in my opinion. The fight sequences are fluid and easy to follow. There are so many amazing things to say about the art style but that's up to you to find out for yourself.

Once again, please give the series a chance if you can!

The series starts off badass but the plot gets more and more disjointed over time. Major events happen in the blink of an eye in a way that has 0 impact. It frequently feels like I'm reading a phoned-in synopsis for a series.

The action is still interesting but the longer it goes the less weight any action scene seems to have. Major fights that should have had a lot of care taken with them happen in a single tiny panel and it's done. It feels like the author has a lot of trouble with both paneling and pacing.

Also there's only a single interesting character. ... The protagonist is thematically cool but incredibly boring in personality.

**Spoiler Free Review**
Also, there isn't any explicit incest, don't worry.

Fire Punch is probably one of if not the most unique shounen manga I've read. While the premise of the manga initially seems rather cliche, the tone and characters in the story sets Fire Punch from the rest.

The tone is probably one of the largest highlights of the manga. Mixing together a dystopian setting with somewhat comical characters and dialogue contextualize Fire Punch of being campy as much as it is self-aware. As a result, the character banter is enjoyable and weird in the right ways that give character to the otherwise bleak world the story ... takes place in.

The phrase self-aware implies that the story itself isn't to be taken seriously, and in some ways it isn't. That being said, while dystopias are obviously nothing new to fiction as a whole, Fire Punch does a great job of building a captivating world with seemingly little to work with. The theme that characters are connected by a shared sense of insanity gives the world of Fire Punch a living and breathing feel that seems to connect with its anti-climactic tone very well.

To touch back on the idea of cliches, another large reason why I think Fire Punch sets it self apart from it's shounen counterparts is how it treats its characters. Shounen characters are generally driven by usually fairly shallow motivations (which isn't always a bad thing if executed correctly). By contrast, the motivations and what inherently drives Fire Punch's plot and characters forward are unclear. Normally this leads to a very mislead story, but in Fire Punch's case it still manages to connect these characters and ideas with a touch of cohesiveness, and the unstableness in my opinion adds to the characterizations to every facet of the story more than it takes away from it.

I don't mean to say that Fire Punch is the most flawless manga in existence nor would I say it comes close to being one of my top favorites, but I can't stress enough that this is the kind of title I'd like to see more of in Shounen magazines. It really gives an attempt at something new, which in turn carries its own value that makes me want to recommend this title to others.

Like I said, I think even typical shounen manga like Fire Brigade of Flames and Nanatsu no Taizai have value, but I think it would be an incredible shame if Fire Punch got axed because it didn't conform to the same norms as its competitors did.

Oh and the art is fantastic if any of that wasn't enough to convince you to give the manga a shot.

Very good manga
If you like Deep Dark plot , and tragedy with superheroes this is defintelly for you .
The whole plot is that in the world there are superpowers that some people born with , and as always a bad guy called Ice Witch , froze everything , and people dont have food , water . they stragle to live . then the army find a village that our main character is , and burn it all . then our main character Agni , becomes a living fire-man with a very painfull and mercyless process and thats Fire Punch . A REVENGE STORY ! but ... its not like the common stories . it has a lot of interesting characters , some are crazy , other perverted , other cute . I defintelly recommend this manga ! ITS AWESOME , and it has a lot of plot-twists

No Spoilers!

Fire punch is quite a unique series as compared to the majority of mainstream Shonen manga's out there. It is very unconventional and I feel is probably misunderstood here in mal's community as being edgy and without substance, which is just not true.

The Manga is set in a post-apocalyptic / ice age setting with few people left alive. Few of the important characters of this series are very interesting. Life has become a struggle for survival and a number of important characters are on the brink of insanity. The futures for these characters seems grim, and the events that occur seem crazy. Amongst ... all this, there's also some interesting commentary on religion and beliefs as well.

The protagonist seeks revenge for the tragedy that he faced, and the story goes on with this as his main motivation. The artwork is good with sufficient detailing and well-drawn scenes.

Overall for me, this series is one of the better shonen series in recent times. I love series with great art and that have enough uniqueness to distinguish themselves from the rest. In a market where most shonen's follow similar templates, this one is refreshing. Looking forward to reading more from Tatsuki Fujimoto. I'm gonna give Fire Punch an 8.

*spoiler-free

i got into fire punch only knowing it as chainsaw man's predecessor. i had to reaffirm my thoughts about fujimoto being a genius and i was not wrong at all. although, one thing i've learned after reading this is that the man really is much more of an artist than he is a writer.

to start off i'd like to say that fire punch is definitely not for the weak-hearted, exploring many disturbing topics such as incest up until cannibalism. much like chainsaw man, many would argue that it is used as a device, simply to make the manga seem "edgy", that it's all for shock ... value. personally i didn't think much of it in a literary sense, instead i understand it in a sense that those things are touched on simply to emphasize how shitty of a world they're living in- how it's so far fetched from our reality.

such heavy topics aren't ever to be taken lightly, but in this manga, these things are just meant to be taken in face value. hence, if you're super particular about such things then this won't be as an enjoyable as a read for you. "just enjoy the ride"- is what i'd say and how i'd always choose to approach fujimoto's work.

now that's out of the way i'd like to say how the entire premise of fire punch felt poetic. a man burning endlessly in a world cursed of ice- that man named agni, was revered as a God. this unfounded faith in agni is the story's main baseline, serving to push as its main conflict all while exploring broader themes beneath it such as love, dreams, faith, retribution, idealism, and more. all of these guised under a mask of blood & violence.

when first starting fire punch, you will notice how aimless the story feels. it feels like there is a lack of direction, and things happen just because. though many would simply dismiss it as "badly-written", i feel like it's a clear reflection of how the main protagonist is treated throughout this series. agni isn't your typical protagonist, he is only the protagonist because the story was written Around him and not Based on him like how it typically would be.

fujimoto still leaves many questions unanswered after 83 chapters and if you're the type to fret over minor loopholes and whatnot then i wouldn't recommend this at all. much like my chainsaw man review, this is a purely subjective 10/10. this was because i chose to see fire punch using more of an artistic perspective and not much so in terms of technical writing as i will admit it indeed often feels like a very rough draft.

as of september 2021, i've reread fire punch over 10 times and it has easily become my favorite piece of literary work. it was the first time that something really managed to move me- the feeling i got after finishing this manga was much unlike any other. it was as though i was watching something special unfold, this journey of agni's is definitely one to witness.

or maybe it's just because i'm a fujimoto stan? who knows. all i know is that fujimoto's artistry really shines best here in fire punch.

A masterpiece that laughs in the face of Camus' work and says "now THIS is absurdism". This is why this relatively unknown manga is my favourite of all time.

Behind the bizarreness of entire pages of characters calling each other stupid, Togata dying multiple times to get enough items to smoke or the bikini lady riding in the winter on a broomstick, lies one of the most grimdark worlds out there. An eternal and worsening ice age where the only surviving major civilization uses superhumans as firewood in a state worse than death. Agni and his sister have endless regeneration, and are hit by an endless ... burning power. Agni's sister has insufficient regenerative powers to survive it and Agni by pure will allows his regenerative power to overtake the burning, so he remains in a living hell every second of his existence, living by sheer force of will. As he journeys forth he is further compounded by mental torture, largely from the guilt of his unintentional as well as intentional moral actions. With long varied arcs creating uniquely meaningful relationships, every step of the way Fujimoto manages to create a world of pain for Agni far beyond my own imagination.

All these are important elements in the theme of existentialism. Why do you continue to live when life is much much worse than death? Throughout the plot, Agni's raison d'etre for living is constantly upended and he finds a new reason, regardless of how baseless or stupid it is. Those destroyed raison d'etres include vengeance for his sister (big spoiler but he realises it is a bad idea), being a hero to the masses (he kills much more than he saves), to deceiving himself in madness, to just following a voice that told him to Live and nothing more. Throughout the meaninglessness of the world and its eventual inevitable ice age death, Agni needs to construct his own meaning to justify taking another step in the hell that is his existence. The other characters like Togata do the same, struggling desperately to find a reason to live when their reasons dry up at every turn of the story.

But none of this heavy content is presented in monotonous exposition. The show, don't tell style is always hidden in incredibly tense moments or between humourous moments of respite. This makes it an easily digestible read and a fun read even without the deeper reading. But the deeper reading is what turns a good novel into a great one.

In conclusion, Fujimoto hides a deeply philosophical novel under the hilariously absurd interactions and gorgeous artstyle.

At first glance, Fire Punch seems aggressively mediocre, a standard, hyper-violent revenge plot set in a dystopic world. Yet as the manga progressed I began to notice something: I didn't want Agni to fight. Rather than reveling in its own extreme brutality, the manga forces you to sit and watch people kill one another in order to show you its true purpose. Agni isn't really searching for revenge, but rather for happiness. That journey is harrowing, horrifying, beautiful, tragic, heartwarming, and so many other things. It is a story that truly explores how difficult it can be to live with oneself and others yet ultimately, ... no matter what horrors and guilt may lie in the past, attempting to forgive and live is a far more difficult, and far more worthwhile goal.

If this review seemed a bit mushy I apologize, but Fire Punch is, at its core, an emotional experience and one that can not really be captured in a simple review. I highly recommend that you read it if you are willing to give it the respect and time that it truly deserves. It is one of the saddest artistic experiences I have read, but it is also strangely uplifting. Ultimately whether you consider it happy or sad, it was, to me, fulfilling. I hope you will find it to be the same.

I love how insane this manga is, and before i new it... I found myself with a clenched fist...

Fire punch is a very complicated series, yet at the same time it is a very simple series. The story initially follows Agni, our fire boy himself, and his quest for revenge for his permeant curse of always being burned alive along with avenging his sister in the brutal frozen wasteland he lives in but soon transforms into an in depth analysis of nihilism, what what it means to live, and why to continue living. The first chapter which I think is one of the most well ... written hooks to a story presents the reader with the most vile and tragic, yet over the top, backstory. In fact "over the top" is the perfect way to describe this series, characters get absolutely butchered in fights, blood and flames flying around, some characters motivations are literally to rape children, or force people to have sex with dogs, which I can see would turn people off from the series, but fits well with the environment this story takes place in, and if you're a sick fuck like me, is honestly pretty funny, but I can also see why that would turn people off so if you can't deal with that then this manga ain't for you.

While I could go on about how great this manga is I feel talking about its "problems" would be a lot easier to digest. One critique I see a lot in this series is the author being "lazy" with the way he writes the characters, plot, and even some fights. I do not find it lazy and more just unique in the way it breaks almost every Shonen trope and takes the reader far outside what their used to. I will break all these elements down one by one to be efficient.

Characters:
While the characters are written well, many supporting characters introduced are quite literally killed off after one chapter. Some characters even have goofy motivations as mentioned previously, but this story doesn't need to focus on the side characters as it is the story about Agni. While there are other "main" characters, Agni is the only one that truly matters, the protagonist. This manga is about his journey to find purpose, the other characters around him are there to guide him, or in most cases force him farther into the pit of despair. It is so clear that he is the main character to the point that in the manga characters quite literally call him the protagonist or even God. Again the side characters are still SUPER well written, goofy, cool, and some of the most funny I've ever seen, but that does not mean they matter. This author loves to put some of the most bad ass characters in front of you just to show you how little they really matter in the plot and immediately kill them off as they are not the protag, therefore why do they matter?

Fights:
This one is can be explained pretty fast. The problem some people have are not that the fights are bad, but that the author sometimes just decides to show the before and after of a fight and not the fight itself, which I think is funny, the author is quite literally spitting in the face of the viewer who is accustom to seeing every fight play out in front of them. I think that is another great part about this manga, it brings the reader out of their comfort zone, doing completely crazy and unexpected things just for shits and giggles, literally a troll, but even with it being a troll its hilarious and not to mention the fights you do see (which is the majority, very few fights are skipped) are some of the most bat shit INSANE fights I've ever seen.

Story:
Here we are at the most shit on part of this manga the story. I'm just going to be blunt this story is all over the place, the best word I can think of to describe it is RAW. Even through its many plot twists, insane motivations, and constantly spinning plot, as I said at the beginning its core story is simple. its weird because I can't think of a series that does the same that Fire Punch does in that on the surface it is this complicated mess, but the deeper you dive you begin to understand how simple the story really is. I won't spoil anything, but I will tell you if you begin questioning the plot at all, STOP, just keep reading and watch the Fire Punch beat the shit out of some people, watch as his character changes, watch the story of a man who has experienced true pain and what that pain ended up birthing.

This review was primarily focused on Agni as that is what the manga is primarily focused on, but there are other amazing characters in this story. I say the plot is simple at its core, BUT that does not mean that this manga has nothing to offer plot wise as we see differing world views, lots of symbolism and references to other works, dope ass developments in the plot, but just remember in the end this is the story of what it means to live, which is a question that is not simply awnswered, but I think fire punch did it super well.

Fire Punch is niche as fuck.

That's just the beginning though.

This is not something for the faint of heart and is not something for someone who thinks it will not appeal to them. This series is what it is and what it is is unhinged as hell. Think something like Mad Max but dropping copious amounts of acid.

The world presented is depraved as hell and unhinged and on the brink of complete annihilation, and its inhabitants reflect that. People are reduced to their base impulses at times, horrible people are given free rein to be horrible people and good people are abused and everything has ... this tinge of unreality.

One can't even summarize Fire Punch succinctly, wherever you think the plot is going, forget it. This series follows an internal logic that can't be decoded by the average reader until you finish it.

Like, just read it if it appeals to you and don't stop after volume 1. Even if you hate the whole thing by the end your life will have been enriched for reading it because you've experienced art at its purest form. A passion project that doesn't care if you like it or if it appeals to you.

Fire Punch is Fire Punch, and that's that on that.