Imagine a world without fire, where light, cooking, heating, everything has to come from somewhere because humanity has grown up around the fear of flame rather than its utility. The world of The Fire Hunter has seen countless wars that have caused human biology to change so rapidly that when a person is close to a natural flame they spontaneously burn. Humanity has turned to a new source of energy in order to enjoy the light or steam, a stone-sized material that emits light and steam contained within the bodies of monsters living in the forest.
The people who are tasked with gathering this new material are known as Fire Hunters, and our story follows Touko, a young girl, as she is saved by a Fire Hunter from such a monster, who gives his life to save Tuco. However, he is followed by the hunter’s dog Kanata and travels to return him and the fire hunter’s sickle to his kin. Meanwhile, the arsonist’s son Koushi and his sister are adopted by a wealthy family, where they learn more about the country’s ruling royal family.
The story of The Fire Hunter is based on a novel series of the same name written by Reiko Hinata and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada, and it really shines in the anime adaptation. Worldbuilding in anime often suffers from complex exposition dumps over characters detracting from the mood of the story, but The Fire Hunter world is built using tools similar to a novel through environmental references, context cues, and descriptive storytelling. . In the anime, it plays out even better than in a novel with a world view that gives the necessary environmental details.
This can be best seen through the color palette which is deep in tone and saturated to create an earthy feel in a world without flame. The art style is reminiscent from early 2000’s anime, and it suits the atmosphere of the story perfectly as the background makes you feel humanity’s struggle for this new energy source but through Touko’s story, when she travels If she does, then this world starts getting bright colors.
So far the story of The Fire Hunter anime is a simple one, with Touko’s journey being clearly cut from the get-go in the first episode, as she leaves her home village for the first time. However, this journey is a typical story for anime in that the antagonists are encountered along the way, but as it cuts between the story of Kousei and his sister, who learns about the world’s political system, history, and context. Yes, brings Tuco’s side to life. As the story unfolds she uncovers more of the world through fresh eyes. This can be seen with the train that takes Tuco to the next big city as women are sent with him to be brides, showing that life in the villages is very different from the big city and what could have happened if Tuco stayed at home.
The Fire Hunter anime as an adaptation of a novel is a new take on an older form of storytelling that hasn’t been common within anime over the years. It also goes to show the wealth of storytelling that lies within such descriptive narratives as the world is brought to life on screen, and the masterful use of a saturated color palette creates the perfect atmosphere for the story. What do you think of The Fire Hunter anime adaptation? Are you looking forward to seeing the rest of the world and Tuco’s story? Tell us in the comments!