30 years ago, a cataclysmic event destroyed half the world in a fire and caused a mutation that created a new race of people called Burnish. Burnish are able to create and control fire.The “Burning Rescue” fire squad put out fires caused by Burnish. The new rookie of Burning Rescue is Galo, a hotheaded man who wields “Matoi-Tech,” named after the “matoi” banners that Edo-period firefighting units used. Galo’s encounter with Lio, the leader of a Burnish terrorist group called Mad Burnish, sets the story in motion. – ANN
Availability: Theatrical Release
Episodes: 1 film + 2 ONA episodes
Source: Original
Review: Note: This review may contain mild plot spoilers for the film.
Theatrical showings of anime films aren’t exactly the “events” that they once were. In the past they were so uncommon that I’d expect to see many of the people I knew from anime fandom in the theater. Nowadays, while anime films still don’t typically get a wide release, there are enough of them shown during limited theatrical runs that I can afford to be choosy and support the ones I’m truly interested in. Still, on occasion, there’ll be an anime film that seems to appeal to a wide enough audience that they manage to capture the electricity inherent in a theater full to the brim with enthusiastic fans. The showing of Promare I attended was nearly sold-out, and the bustle of the otaku fan base definitely added another dimension to the experience of viewing this film, which is definitely what I’d call an “experience” to begin with.
One would be forgiven for comparing the rough plot synopsis of Promare to the ongoing TV series Fire Force, as on the surface they sound quite similar. Sometime in the future, individuals begin to mutate and exhibit powers related to spontaneous combustion. In the ensuing years, trained fire-fighters appear to quell the fires of these these mutants (called “Burnish”), and the Burnish attacks eventually come under control. Still, some of the Burnish don’t take kindly to their status as pariahs and continue to commit terrorist attacks. We join the Burning Rescue firefighting squad and its outgoing front man Galo Thymos as they encounter what appear to the be the last remnants of “Mad Burnish,” one such terrorist group led by the young Lio Fotia.
As with most good stories, this is not an obvious tale of “good guys” versus “bad guys,” since it’s soon clear that the members of Mad Burnish are confronting society in pursuit of something much larger than a desire for destructive mischief. In reality, they’re fighting for their right to exist without persecution within a society that’s gone overboard in capturing and imprisoning their people. The reason for that imprisonment comes into view as the film goes on; through his growing connection with Lio, Galo learns of plot to use the Burnish’s abilities in a way that literally destroys their humanity. The two sides ultimately must find a way to join together in order to tackle this larger existential threat.
While this film manages to touch on a couple of deeper ideas, namely the destructive nature of prejudice and how it dehumanizes people whose only “sin” is being born differently, to spend too much time an energy attempting to analyze it as a piece of in-depth commentary would be a mistake, in my opinion. While I think it’s admirable that it takes a decent stab at backing up its spectacle with slightly meatier cultural commentary, it’s ultimately the flashy action pieces that seem to be its raison d’etre. And that’s definitely okay with me.
Viewers familiar with Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and that series’ seemingly endless pursuit of escalation-for-escalation’s-sake will probably experience something similar while watching Promare. A lot of care has been taken to make each confrontation and action set-piece bigger and more extreme than the last, until the climax ends up having literal planet-sized implications. There’s a definite sense of exhilaration that comes along with the constant, rapid increase in size and stakes; for many fans I think this will keep them engaged and invested in the sheer visual power of the animation, although I’ll say that there were points where I definitely felt myself getting a little overwhelmed and exhausted.
Part of the reason for this film’s unique appeal is its overall visual style. The film’s unusual incorporation of bright, neon colors (including a lot of yellows and pinks for the ubiquitous flames) gives it an incredibly iconic, unmistakable look that I found really impressive. It also features Trigger’s patented manipulation of scale, as well as various scenes that incorporate background elements moving across one-another on different flat planes. There’s also a heavy use of CG throughout the film – heavier than I would have expected from a studio that comes from a longer tradition of 2D animation taken to the extreme. Pretty much all of the background settings, a lot of the character animation (at least some of the long shots and the many, many rotating shots), and the mecha elements make full use of this animation technique, and it all meshes together incredibly well. I think using CG in an action-heavy piece can be a big advantage, especially in a film that moves as incredibly fast as Promare; it provides a lot of freedom and saves a lot of energy for scenes in which more subtlety is required.
The film is incredibly entertaining, but it’s definitely not perfect. As I mentioned, it follows the storytelling philosophy of continued escalation, which definitely isn’t a foreign concept to the storytellers at Trigger. Kill la Kill certainly subscribes to this philosophy, as does the aforementioned Studio Gainax proto-Trigger Gurren Lagann. That said, because of this I felt as though the film could have ended at two or three different points, only to continue onward to something bigger and more extreme in the aftermath. This can be entertaining to a point, but with a nearly two-hour-long run time it wears out its welcome just a little bit. My other critique is more story-based, and though the movie doesn’t really prioritize its story and instead uses it as a framework for more visual opportunities, I still found myself a bit unsatisfied. Without going too far into spoiler territory, the Burnish’s collective existence is altered in such a way as to remove a fundamental part of their identity. While this conveniently “solves” a big part of the central problem, there’s literally no examination of the emotional after-effects of this change. I found this to be somewhat unsettling, especially after making comparisons to some real-life equivalent situations. It’s perhaps an angle some viewers may need to consider if they’re a member of a more marginalized group, although it struck me as something that ought to be more broadly unsettling.
Overall, though, this is a movie that I’d classify more as an experience worth having, as well as a piece of media that expresses some of the magic and joy that can be created through animation. It’s also something worth seeing in the theater if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity. There’s an encore Fathom Events showing on December 8th in the US, and I’d encourage anyone with an eye for brilliant animation and powerful gut-punching action to check it out.
Pros: Loaded with visual style and exciting, powerful animation. A lot of fun to experience in a group.
Cons: Almost wears out its welcome near the end. Resolution leaves something to be desired.
Content Warnings: Violence (including cultural prejudice), body horror.
Grade: B