Hi, fiction lover! So it’s not a secret that I’m in my K-drama era again. Check out my last post where I gush about my recent fave! However, I’ve also been in my return to anime. It happened while playing one of my favorite games, Unison League. There was a collaboration with an anime I’d never heard of before, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. After collecting a bunch of characters, I decided to check out the show on Netflix! It exceeded all of my expectations. Frieren is currently my top favorite anime, challenging my old favorites like Detective Conan and Fairy Tail. I just had to write a Frieren review after experiencing this gorgeous, adventurous, and emotional anime. Trust me, you’re going to want to prepare yourself before diving into this one.
A Concept to Die For
Frieren is the name of our main character, an elf who has retired from her grand adventure with three others in her party. She’s a cool and collected individual, but she’s also quite the child at heart with a love for sleeping and mimics—not really a love, but she can’t resist opening every treasure chest that she sees. Frieren is a very old mage, but don’t let that fool you into believing it’s hard to relate to her. From the very first episode, I felt a connection to her feelings and her struggles.
Frieren is ending her journey as a powerful mage who defeated the Demon King. What’s great about this concept is that we’re starting off at the “end.” While watching the first episode, I wondered whether I was watching the second season. But no, we’re starting off on the high of the Demon King’s defeat. Frieren, Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter make up her original party. As they’re returning from their great adventure and victory, it seems that Frieren is going to live a quiet life now filled with collecting grimoires, which is her passion.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the first episode already got my heartstrings singing. From the very first episode, I knew that I’d be finishing Frieren and following her on her journey. Not just any journey, but a new journey where she’s already powerful, capable, and ready to be a leader.
A New Adventure
Frieren takes off on a new adventure, but this time she’s leading a young human mage named Fern. I love their dynamic! It seems that many times, Fern is taking care of Frieren despite their massive difference in age. Another member of their party is the young and fiery Stark. I love his eager personality! Together, these three party members take off toward the northern lands, where Frieren ended her journey so long ago.
One thing I love about Frieren is the pacing. I have to admit, some adventure animes feel like an endless rush. In this anime, however, Frieren is able to take her time. Because she’s already so powerful, she’s not training or spending all her energy on gaining more skills. She’s confident in herself, but she’s working on her people skills and teaching a mage and warrior who remind her of her old party.
A lot of the time, Frieren is reflecting on her old journey, the journey that she took to save the world and usher in an era of peace. These flashbacks are not only exhilarating but also tug on the heart, especially since Frieren has many regrets. As an elf, she was not able to relate to her old party. But she very much tried.
And on her new journey, she’s trying with Fern and Stark—not only to become a good leader but to enjoy each quest.
On a side note, seeing Frieren’s power and her extent of skill is such a delight. It’s like watching a grandmaster take on enemies who have no idea that she actually saved the world. It’s refreshing, slightly humorous, but still full of excitement.
Why Emotions and Nostalgia Are Key in This Frieren Review
I touched on this a little in the last section, but I want to dive a bit deeper into the feelings that Frieren evokes.
Frieren touches on regrets that we all might have. We all have our own “old” adventures that we wish we could go back and relive. On these adventures, we have many mistakes that we made. Even though we were successful, we wish we could go back. The glory days seem so far away, yet we are hesitant to relive the memories.
Frieren’s love for her party, including the hero Himmel, reminds me that it’s okay to go back. Confront your regrets and make a new adventure. Along the way, we might meet someone like Fern and Stark who remind us that our life is not over yet.
Frieren is a solitary person, but she learns to appreciate others, including those who helped her on her world-saving journey before. Even though she’s a thousand years old, she hasn’t yet fully figured out how to deal with her emotions. But she’s willing to try. After each episode, she grows a little more certain of herself. A little more confident in showing her kindness and care.
I guess Frieren would be categorized as a “cozy” anime today. But I believe it’s so much more than that. It’s also a heart-racing kind of anime, and there are elements to the adventure that test Frieren and her new party. If the coziness, there is also urgency in the battles. The theme of good versus evil shines strongest, especially when there is still a presence of followers from the dead Demon King. And don’t sleep on the worldbuilding either, because I was surprised at how much depth was given regarding the elves, humans, and other races like dwarves.
Did you enjoy my Frieren review? If there’s one anime I wish you could watch, it’s this one! Trust me, you won’t regret it. Once you watch the anime, come back and leave a comment. Or if you’ve already watched it, let me know all about what you think. Who’s your favorite character? What do you love most about our elf Frieren? Follow me on my blog for more posts about fiction and fandom!