Is Fire Force Final Season making a grave mistake? The rushed chapter-to-episode ratio, explained

Shinra Kusakabe as seen in Fire Force Final Season trailer
Shinra Kusakabe as seen in Fire Force Final Season trailer (Image Source: David Productions)

Fire Force Final Season is at a tipping point between ambition and math. If we take 88 chapters and divide by the 13 Episode season, it shows us a harsh reality. There are going to be close to seven chapters in every episode, versus three to four chapters in every episode in past seasons.

The Fire Force Final Season isn’t actually doomed yet, but it’s super risky right now since there’s no safeguard for them so far. David Production is gonna try to put The Great Cataclysm, The Final Pillars subplot, and the Soul Eater linking epilogue in about 260 minutes of airtime. If that means making a huge mistake? That depends more on how much crap they’ll have to cut out when they’ve got two things going on with the same timeframe.

Shadow figures as seen in the trailer (Image Source: David Productions)
Shadow figures as seen in the trailer (Image Source: David Productions)

In past years, we had a pattern of 24 episodes for each season, with episodes averaging around 3-4 chapters. Season 1 based its first series on an estimated 90 chapters, and Season 2 continued that pattern until about the 174th chapter. Each season also gave time for the characters to develop, the setting of the world to grow, and a way for everyone to appreciate the hot (pun intended) fights.

There were 12 episodes of Season 3, Part 1, which adapted up to approximately Chapter 216. There are about 88 chapters of really intense climax left to be adapted with part 2. Using the rumored episode count of 13 episodes, that means there will be closer to 7 chapters each episode, which is nearly twice that of the old adaptation rate.


Why some rushed adaptations destroy legacies

Brilliant fight sequence from the final season (Image Source: David Prouctions)
Brilliant fight sequence from the final season (Image Source: David Prouctions)

The anime industry is filled with cautionary stories. The adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul:re is a good example of an adaptation gone terribly wrong because of how it rushed through the major storylines in such a short amount of time.

The God of High School was really the opposite spectrum, focusing only on big action scenes rather than any character build-up, so while the anime had amazing battles, viewers couldn't emotionally connect to any of the characters involved.

Even cool shows can flop. When The Promised Neverland Season 2 came out, people were furious because it ruined everything they had built in Season 1 with a quick cash grab.

They're both examples of when a studio is more concerned about finishing something as fast as they can, rather than ensuring it's worth watching. If Fire Force Final Season is rushed as reports suggest, it'll be yet another rushed anime that should never have been allowed to happen.


The case for optimism in Fire Force Final Season

The Great Cataclysm begins (Image Source: David Productions)
The Great Cataclysm begins (Image Source: David Productions)

However, several aspects make the Fire Force Final Season different from these negative examples. David Production built their reputation on creating really complex action stories, so their experience with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure shows they're capable of handling intense energy along with good character development.

Part 1 of Season 3 has been praised for how well it has paced out this show. Although they know what is yet to come after this part was released, the studio was smart to take control and allow critical information to 'land'. They nailed the final moments with the reveal of the pre-Cataclysm world; it shows that the studio understands how to treat special moments with care.

Another possibility is that additional episodes are made available. Many recent finales (although they're not confirmed) have been released in a longer format to accommodate climactic action (lengthy episode formats). As with any series, using 30–40 minute episodes for major plot points or fights would give Fire Force Final Season more time to adapt the source material than simply counting the number of episodes.


The ultimate verdict for Fire Force Final Season

It's really unfair to call the Fire Force Final Season a failure when it isn't even out yet! Sure, there's plenty to worry about from a math perspective. And there's definitely proof in the past that a rushed series tends to end badly. However, there are also many cases of talented people creating great things when given the chance.

The upcoming premiere will reveal whether fears were justified or if David Production crafted an efficient, satisfying conclusion. Extended episodes, strategic scene selection, and focusing resources on crucial moments could transform apparent limitations into strengths.

Edited by Akihito Chakma