[Spoiler Review] Fire Force Season 3 Episode 16 (Episode 64) "The Savior"

Episode 16, where the Great Cataclysm finally becomes a tangible reality. The word "Savior" in the title carries such a bitterly ironic and heavy meaning that it left me deep in thought long after the episode ended.

Overall Impressions: Radiant Despair and the Paradox of a Lonely Hero

This episode featured a staggering contrast between visual "light" and narrative "darkness."

With the appearance of the 8th Pillar, even the full might of Special Fire Force Company 2 proves useless in a desperate situation. As the sun sets and the world is engulfed in both physical and spiritual darkness, Raffles I descends as the very embodiment of the "salvation" people had been longing for. However, what greeted Shinra after he shattered that false light was not gratitude but cries of "fear." Watching the ideal of "hero" that Shinra has always upheld become cruelly twisted by the truth of the world is truly heartbreaking.

Episode 16

The story begins at a tense scene hurtling toward destruction with each passing moment following the appearance of the final Pillar. The moment when Company 2's fierce assault on the "Giant Infernal" is repelled and light vanishes from the world was directed with a quality that truly evoked the feeling of "the end of the world."

Then, accompanied by a single ray of light, Raffles I appears. Cloaked in religious authority and divine majesty, people kneel and offer their prayers. But Shinra, who understands the laws of Adolla, can see that this being is filled with deception. Without hesitation, Shinra uses his own legs to strike down this "false god."

In this desperate moment, another character undergoes a crucial transformation: Sister Iris. The power of the "Eighth Pillar" that had been dormant within her finally awakens, and the scene where her body takes on a sacred yet terrifyingly brilliant glow was breathtaking. Despite confronting the twisted truth of the Holy Sol Temple she had devoted her faith to, and the harsh fate that she herself is one of the "Pillars that summon despair," her spirit remains unbroken.

The feelings Iris directs toward Shinra resonate with something deeper than mere camaraderie -- a profound resonance of souls. Shinra, who continues to cloak himself in flames for the sake of others even while being cursed as a "devil" and rejected by the entire world. Because Iris has watched his pain more closely than anyone, even if she bears a fate akin to that of a sacrifice, she affirms and supports Shinra's will to be a "hero." Iris's awakening appeared to be both a power meant to destroy the world and a "prayer" itself -- the sole light trying to understand and illuminate the lonely Shinra.

Yet reality is merciless. Immediately after defeating Raffles I, in what should have been a moment of praise for the "hero who vanquished evil," what appeared on the faces of the masses watching through their monitors was not the joy of being saved, but the sheer terror and dread of witnessing a "devil" who destroyed their hope.

No matter how righteous Shinra's actions may be, if the people's "perception" defines him as a devil, then in this world, that becomes the truth. The influence of Adolla, where human imagination shapes reality, casts Shinra into isolation in such a cruel manner. The bitter irony of Shinra -- who has called himself a hero, who has tried to save people with a smile -- being perceived as an existence that plunges the world into despair. And the premonition that even the awakened Iris will be integrated into this system of despair. It was a weighty and tragic conclusion that draws ever closer to the truth of the world.

Predictions for the Next Episode

Next time, Episode 17.
The focus will likely be on how Shinra maintains his spirit while bearing the full brunt of the masses' negative emotions. With all eight Pillars now assembled and Iris having awakened, the Evangelist's plan moves into its final phase.
Will the people's "fear" become further fuel to accelerate the Great Cataclysm? And how will the comrades of the Special Fire Force hold on to the increasingly isolated Shinra and Iris? We can expect even fiercer battles ahead, where the true worth of being a hero and the real power of "prayer" will be put to the test.