New Fire Force Episode Delayed Following Kyoto Animation Fire

In light of the recent arson attack, Fire Force has announced that its third episode of the recently released series will be delayed. The franchise, which features both supernatural fire fighters and "infernals" which are creatures that were once human now engulfed in flame, of course uses a ton of fire imagery and arson attacks in general. With this in mind, the creative minds behind the series have decided, in light of the Kyoto Animation Studio arson attack, that pushing back the episode would be the best move going forward.

Fire Force announced the decision on their Official Twitter Account, noting that they would keep audiences updated when the third episode of the franchise would be airing:

本日25時40分より放送を予定していたTVアニメ「炎炎ノ消防隊」第3話につきましては放送を見送らせていただくことになりました。なお、各配信サイトでの第3話配信についても見送らせていただきます。今後の放送に関しましては、公式サイト等でお知らせいたします。

— TVアニメ『炎炎ノ消防隊』公式 (@FireForce_PR) July 19, 2019

The arson attack, which took place earlier this week, resulted in the deaths of 33 people and injured 36 others. A suspect has been taken into custody by Japanese authorities, reportedly sending threatening emails to the CEO and employees of the studio prior to the attack. Fans across the world have started a number of campaigns in order to show their support following the terrible tragedy that befell Kyoto Animation Studio, with the likes of Apple's Tim Cook adding his condolences.

The second episode of Fire Force saw Shinra and his team finding the horrible scene of a father succumbing to an infernal, with the fiery demon taking over his body. Regrettably, the fire fighters had to end the father's life to save the daughter and the surrounding citizens from the potential fire. It was a fairly heart wrenching episode for so early in the series and shows that the franchise isn't afraid to go into emotional areas as well as fast paced battles.

Fire Force was first created by Atsushi Okubo for Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine in 2015, and has since been collected into several volumes. The series follows an elite team of fire manipulators as they and deal with spontaneously combusting people in a alternate take on Tokyo. Kodansha USA has licensed the series for an English language release, and they describe Fire Force as such:

"Terror has paralyzed the clockwork metropolis of Tokyo! Possessed by demons, people have begun to burst into flame, leading to the establishment of a special firefighting team: the Fire Force, ready to roll on a moment's notice to fight spontaneous combustion anywhere it might break out. The team is about to get a very unique addition: Shinra, a boy who possesses the unique power to run at the speed of a rocket, leaving behind the famous "devil's footprints" (and destroying his shoes in the process). Can the Fire Force discover the source of this strange phenomenon and put a stop to it? Or will the city burn to ashes first?"