Enen no Shouboutai, known as Fire Force in the west, is one of the hottest (pardon the pun) anime and manga series around. There are currently over 16 million copies of the manga currently in circulation and it’s been incredibly popular during Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block.
Still, the series has been claimed to have too much fan service by many fans in particular related to the character Tamaki who is known as the “Lucky Lecher Lure.” As translations for Chapter 280 are getting into the hands of western fans, many are saying that mangaka Tamaki Kotatsu provided commentary on the issue of fan service, censorship, and slut-shaming.
CONTENT WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
In this chapter, Tamaki is fighting Assault, a villain she has faced many times before and defeated by preying on his weaknesses by using her sex appeal. Assault goes so far as to watch porn, talking to hostesses, and even trying to sneak looks at exposed panties to remove this weakness — all to no avail.
Then comes this recent battle scene against Tamaki in Chapter 280, where he seemingly has overcome his issues as the Lucky Lecher Lure no longer seems to work. He and others in the crowd begin to shame her with lines like, “You don’t think you’re going to find a man like that, do you?,” “You’re an embarrassment of a woman!,” and one even going so far as to say, “That woman should just find an ally to die in! Children are watching!”
Eventually, Tamaki regains her confidence and drops this epic line:
“I’m sick of your whining! If you hate skin that much, I’ve got something to show you!”
Tamaki Kotatsu – Fire Force Chapter 280
Many fans have noted how this is an amazing part of her character arc as someone who goes from feeling weak and having self-doubt to showing off some incredibly serious confidence. The heroes of the manga also standing by her side despite her choice to show off her body has also been construed as an effort by the mangaka to challenge people’s thoughts on slut-shaming and fan service in general.
With those like Love Hina author Ken Akamatu and Record of Lodoss War creator Ryo Mizuno recently expressing their issues with censorship of manga and anime in the west, many also think this may be a subtle way for Tamaki Kotatsu to discuss his feelings on the matter without making an official statement.
The next Fire Force chapter is titled “The Guru of Lechery” and it looks like it will feature Tamaki in a seriously heart-racing fight. We’ll have to wait and see if any more potential commentary is shared through its story.
