A human Hero, a human Priest, a dwarf Axe Master, an elf Mage and a journey to save the world from the Demon King. Sounds pretty cliché right? But what happens after that? What will become of the land that was saved 100 years later? The journey of the titular Frieren, the elven mage from the Heroes’ Party, will shed light on how people and the world change over time. And perhaps, she herself will change too.
Based on the manga of the same name, written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, the story of Frieren follows a new journey, the kind you don’t hear in epic tales. After the death of the hero Himmel, she comes to realise that she never took the opportunity to get to know him as much as she’d like. After all, what is 50 years to a woman who has lived over 1000?
Thus begins a deeply personal journey for Frieren to reunite with her remaining friends and perhaps make new ones along the way. Finding life instead of mere existence. While travelling with her new companions we also gain glimpses into her past, as well as her previous journey which began to change her life.
I was a little concerned when the series began with four episodes straight off the bat. Why would they do this? Is it so boring to begin with they need to rush through to the good stuff? Thankfully, that is not the case.
While the show does need some time to set up where it’s going, the worldbuilding is very interesting and helps draw you in so that once the journey begins in earnest, you feel as though you’re right there alongside Frieren. It helps that the main cast, as well as the secondary characters we meet, are all very endearing and easy to relate to. There are plenty of moments of laughter as well as tears, and quiet contemplation. This isn’t an action-heavy show by any stretch, however, when the time comes, the action is top-notch. Studio Madhouse has a long history of excellent series and their expertise shines in this adaptation.
The musical accompaniment for the series was done by Evan Call, who is perhaps best known for his work on Violet Evergarden, and much like his previous work the score in this show shines with a fantastical beauty. I couldn’t notice a single piece that was out of place and it helps enhance each scene to draw you in further. An excellent Japanese dub and generally very well-done English dub help to enamour you to each of the characters even further, no matter which language you choose to watch in.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End stands as a modern classic, and I believe it will go down through the years as one of the best anime of this decade. With wonderful characters, an interesting premise that sets it apart from its peers, and style oozing from every scene, I can’t recommend this series enough. I absolutely can’t wait for season two, but if you need to quench that thirst for more Frieren, the manga is available physically and digitally from Viz Media.
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