Firefighter Daigo: Rescuer in Orange

I have immense respect for rescue workers and I always appreciate any work that pays tribute to them. Take, for instance, the movie The Towering Inferno, a classic tribute to the work of firefighters. This sentiment led me to give this show a chance. Another factor was the narrator, Kenjiro Tsuda, whose voice could soothe me from morning till night. And so, I persevered through many episodes, until the nineteenth, when I reached my breaking point. Firefighter Daigo! Rescuer in Orange has one glaring and fatal flaw. Nearly every episode recycles about 30% of its content through flashbacks. Subtracting the opening and ending, viewers are left with roughly 12 minutes of new story and shots, interspersed with the old material. There's nothing inherently wrong with stretching or fillers if done skillfully, but here it feels like no effort was made. The constant repetition of the same pseudo-dramatic shots, reminding us of previous episodes within the first few minutes, is tiresome. For example, the scene where Daigo dislocates his shoulder to crawl under the rubble is shown about four times throughout the series. As if that wasn't enough, the series includes two recap episodes. Whether the creative team is unable to build atmosphere without constant flashbacks or underestimates the audience's intelligence, I'm not sure. However, this approach kills the pace and the intended atmosphere, eventually becoming comical. It reminded me of the stretched-out fillers in Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, or even the extended battles in Dragon Ball, where at least there was a sense of something new and original. Beyond the flashbacks, what truly turned me off were the characters themselves. They lacked depth and their dramatic motivations made me question if a psychologist would realistically allow them into the rescue corps. The main heroine suffers from survivor syndrome, and the main hero seems to bear chronic responsibility for his father's actions, coupled with a lack of self-preservation. There were instances where their recklessness bordered on absurdity, especially in situations like the flooded basement storyline. Ultimately, the show falls short as a tribute to firefighters for me. I will commend it for its interesting and quality portrayal of firefighter training. However, even with that, after nineteen episodes, Firefighter Daigo! Recap in Orange receives a maximum of 3.5/10 from me. (23/03/2024)