Content Warning: Fire in His Fingertips contains explicit sexual content. Some scenes include dubious consent and/or sex in public or semi-public places. Please check The Spice section for more information.
At a Glance
Spice level: 5/5
Mosaics: No
Recommend: Yes
Content Warnings: Dubcon
Ryo Fujihashi and Souma Mizuno have been friends since they were kids. Though they’re adults now–with Ryo working in an office and Souma a firefighter–the two still make time to hang out together. Souma is known to be a flirt and a playboy, and despite her best efforts, Ryo can’t figure out why he won’t settle down with anyone she tries to hook him up with.
When a fire engulfs her apartment building, it’s Souma that comes to Ryo’s rescue, in more ways than one. He offers to let her stay at his apartment until she can get back on her feet, but Souma seems to want to keep her off them altogether. With passions blazing, can Souma finally get Ryo to understand his feelings?
The Good
Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze is an insanely long title–possibly the longest I have ever read. But it’s not the only thing that’s long in this manga! *slaps knee*
Ok, sorry, no more bad innuendos.
The story is fast-paced and keeps the action, plot, and spice coming at you nonstop. Within the first five pages, readers are introduced to Ryo and Souma and are given a decently good look at the dynamic between the two characters. While Ryo is pretty serious and thoughtful, Souma is a boisterous and sweet flirt. Ryo knows him as a playboy who sleeps around, but then why do his eyes never seem to leave his childhood friend?
Early into the volume, it’s shown that when it comes to admitting her feelings, Ryo’s strong confidence quickly disappears. That leaves a lot of room for Souma to step up, which he does time and again. Seeing the two interact with each other while around friends and coworkers is fun, but seeing how they both change when it’s just the two of them is the sort of heart-pounding storytelling I’ve been looking for. From saving her from her burning apartment building to escorting her around town while she tries to piece her life back together, Souma is all about Ryo, and I love to see it.
The volume is very clean in terms of editing and art. The translation is great and everything is easy to understand, and considering just how much text is floating around, this is very important. Each panel boasts some great imagery as well, which is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed this title so much. From the cute scenes where Ryo and Souma are bickering in their chibi styles to the detailed riské scenes, it was just as captivating to read as it was to look at.
The Bad
I don’t have any complaints regarding the volume in terms of content, art, editing, or otherwise. There are, however, potential issues some may have regarding the sexual content, which I will go into more detail about in the next section.
The Spice (Slight Spoilers and Content Warnings)
Across the six chapters, there are roughly five separate sex scenes, some of which take place in public or semi-public areas where there is a possibility of someone seeing. Though none of the scenes are depicted as sexual assault, some do give off dubious consent vibes. While readers can tell by Ryo’s internal dialogue that she’s enjoying what’s happening, she does not give enthusiastic consent to Souma’s advances.
It’s revealed early on that Ryo’s concern for this situation is in regards to Souma’s motivations behind pursuing her physically and how it may affect their friendship and not that she’s against being in a relationship with him, but Souma doesn’t know this, which makes the waters a little murky here. While it implies Ryo wants to be with Souma but is too shy to confront either of their feelings, the fact remains that the lines between consent and SA are blurred at times. I would highly suggest readers who are not okay with anything less than clear boundaries regarding this topic proceed with caution.
The Verdict
Souma is a hunky himbo whose pecks would make the perfect pillow on which to lay and read more spicy books. Ryo is a sweet character who is relatable and a joy to read about, and Souma is a sweetie who struggles with his words. Though I loved this title and am very much looking forward to the next entry, the content is definitely not for everyone. I would suggest doing some additional research if you’re unsure whether it’s a title for you.
If you liked Fire in His Fingertips, you may like…
- Outbride: Beauty and the Beasts
- Ladies On Top
- Bloody Sweet
You can purchase volume 1 of Fire in His Fingertips on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.
Credits
Story and Art by Kawano Tanishi
Translation Jennifer Ward
Adaption Lianne Sentar
Lettering Laura Heo and CK Russell
Cover Design Nicky Lim and KC Fabellon
Editor Elise Kelsey
Prepress Technician Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein
Production Manager Lisa Pattillo
Managing Editor Julie Davis
Associate Publisher Adam Arnold
Publisher Jason DeAngelis
Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment
The Good
- Beautiful art that doesn't use mosaics
- Fun and interesting characters
- Friends-to-lovers trope feels authentic
The Bad
- Contains dubious consent scenes
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