Anime Review: Sousou no Frieren

It has been a long time since I’ve had to review an anime with more than 13 episodes! Sousou no Frieren has been the talk of the anime community for the past six months and with good reason. Ever since it was announced, those who were familiar with the source material (such as myself as you can find reviews of all of the English volumes of the manga here on The Outerhaven), were overjoyed that it was getting an anime adaptation (again, myself included). This means I’ll be able to look at this show from both an anime-watcher and as someone who can compare it to its source material. So, the only question that remains is… did Frieren live up to the hype?

Let’s Jam!

The Story

Describing the story isn’t going to take much effort. It’s about an elf named Frieren who, along with her party, defeated the demon lord. However, we don’t see any of that because as the title suggests, this is Beyond Journey’s End. The story starts when Frieren and the other heroes, Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter, return and are heralded for their deeds. Then wonder what to do with the rest of their lives since they are no longer needed to save the world.

Frieren, being an elf, casually says that they’ll meet up in 50 years to watch the next meteor shower, completely forgetting that humans don’t live as long as she does. To her, 50 years might as well just be a week. When she returns, everyone has aged extensively. In fact, Himmel passes away as they watch the meteor shower together and Heiter isn’t that far behind. Eisen, being a dwarf, still has some years left in him; however, Himmel’s death makes Frieren realize that human life is fragile and that she missed so many opportunities to be with the friends she spent ten years with on a grand adventure.

She learns of a place in Ende where you can commune with the spirits of the dead as if they were still alive. This show is about her journey back to Ende where she fought the demon lord to converse with Himmel and Heiter to tell them just how much they meant to her, something she didn’t say to them while they were alive.

The Characters

Of course, we have to start off with the elf of the hour, Frieren. There are many sides to this character… she’s poised and serious when she needs to be, determined and stubborn, she’s curious, cautious, radical, and, sometimes, stupid. She is a lot of things rolled into one. On the one hand, she loves going around the world and collecting grimoires. She wants to learn as many spells as possible in her lifetime. No matter if the spell is a deadly attack like Zoltrak or something nearly useless like a spell that will help polish a bronze statue, she wants them all and will not settle for anything less than owning them all. Then, there’s the part of her that never learns such as the many times she goes to investigate a treasure chest and ends up with her rear end sticking out of the mouth of a mimic.

However, when it comes time to battle, she always takes every fight a different way, showing her intelligence. Sometimes, she can come off as overconfident when she knows that her opponent poses no threat, and other times, she feels the pressure or is forced to come up with a strategy when her opponent is very powerful, such as the Seven Sages of Destruction.

To say that Frieren is well-rounded is an understatement. She is a rare type of character who can slot herself into any situation and just work. If she needs to be lazy, she’ll have to get dragged out of bed by Fern. If she needs to be clever, she’s the one to turn to when a puzzle needs to be solved. When they need some muscle, she lends her power to overcome a foe. No matter what, Frieren is the answer and you would think that this would make them seem as if they are an imbalanced character but with the way she’s written, it doesn’t seem that way at all. I would dare say that if you want a textbook on how to write a well-balanced character, study Frieren. Even her imperfections make her seem perfect!

As for the rest of the heroes, Himmel is a bit rambunctious. He’s always going out of his way to steal the spotlight and sometimes that gets him into trouble and other times it gets him revered… mostly the latter. Even though he is a bit on the caustic side, he is mostly revered throughout the land. Through the impacts he had left throughout the kingdom, he has shown that he cared more about people than Frieren gave him credit for.

Heiter, on the other hand, is just a priest who loves his alcohol. Even he has admitted several times that he’s not a good priest (in the moral sense). Despite being a priest of light and faith, he sure doesn’t have much faith in himself. All he wants is to live a life in an alcoholic haze until the end comes for him; however, there are parts of him that can’t admit that to be truth. Deep inside is a man who still worries about the end which is why he asks Frieren to look after someone he took in, a girl named Fern. Heiter is a bit of a complex character and I like that he’s not so straightforward. There are many mental layers to him, all of which he lays out on the table so there’s no mystery but what it does give him is a lot of depth! I enjoyed Heiter a lot.

Then, there is Eisen. What can I say about him? He’s just the wise old dwarf that serves as the voice of reason. I can’t really say much more about him because that’s what he is.

In the present day, we have Fern and Stark as our mainstay characters. Fern is your typical soft-spoken monotone character. She wants to be a mage like Frieren and despite her flat tone, she’s pretty serious about growing stronger. They break up this trope archetype by turning her into a bit of a mother figure for Frieren… if you can even wrap your head around that. As I mentioned before, if Frieren was lazy, Fern was the one to wake her up. She makes sure that Frieren gets dressed, stays on task, and pretty much keeps an eye on her. Funny to think that someone way younger than her becomes like a mother to her but here we are. Maybe caretaker, task scheduler, administrative assistant, or something else is more befitting but, for some reason, mother just seems right!

Stark is the idiot of the group. He was Eisen’s protégé and regarded as a hero who saved his village from a dragon. The truth is, he didn’t do anything. He stood there before the dragon and nearly peed himself. The dragon took pity on how pathetic he was and just left. It doesn’t mean he’s completely useless, though. He’s pretty strong and rather decent with a sword so he makes for a great Eisen replacement. There’s also that romance dynamic between Stark and Fern; however, it comes off as a couple of siblings arguing with one another rather than a display of affection but we all know that, deep down, they like each other… even if they are clueless.

In the later half of the show, we get a new cast of characters, two of which hold some major importance… those being Denken and Serie.

Serie has been called a living grimoire. She is Frieren’s mentor and the one in charge of the First-Class Mage Exam… aka… our tournament arc. For passing the exam and becoming a First-Class Mage, you can have any spell from her knowledge bestowed upon you, no questions asked. Unfortunately, as a manga reader, I do have to refrain from spoilers as the English releases go beyond the 28 episodes we are given here but that reward plays a major role in the next arc which given the popularity of this series, will be on full display in Season 2. So, while her role here is rather minor, the prize she offers plays a much bigger role later on… and that’s all I will say.

As for Denken… well… it’s also hard to talk about him because, just like Serie’s prize, he plays a huge role in the Golden Land arc which is right after where the anime ends. We do know he hasn’t been home to visit his late wife’s grave in a very long time and it is his desire to do so but he must do something first… that something is become a First-Class Mage and receive a certain spell from Serie. What that is… I know but I’m not telling.

The thing about Denken is that he comes off as this sniveling, scheming old man who would use any underhanded tactic necessary to get his license but the more you listen to him and his backstory, you realize that he has a strong purpose. You despise him at first but then you find yourself rooting for him. He’s also pretty intelligent, making him out to be a master strategist, if he ever wanted to go that route; however, there are times when even his intelligence fails him which shows that there are some holes in his proverbial armor. Again, without spoiling anything, if you were just warming up to Denken now, wait until the eventual season 2… he became one of my favorite characters with how he progressed.

Of course, there are many other characters we could talk about but we would be here forever. I touched upon the major characters and some key players and will leave it at that.

Art, Animation, and Sound

Art-wise, it’s a fantasy series. Backgrounds are very well-detailed, full of life, and use the type of scenery you would expect from a fantasy series. Nothing felt out of place and the characters themselves are all designed well and look like they fit into the world. Magic and CGI were pretty good, too.

Animation-wise, everything looked nice and crisp as you would expect from a higher-than-normal budget TV anime. It was pretty clear that there were some big expectations for this series so MADHOUSE took some great care to deliver upon those expectations. Plus, come on, it’s MADHOUSE… you know it was going to be good when you saw their name attached to this project.

Sound-wise, I feel this soundtrack hit all of the right notes (pun intended). Every score fit each scene perfectly. Whether it was a battle, a simple adventure, a town, or an emotional moment, the music was there to carry you through every scene and leave a profound impression on you. This is one of those soundtracks that I would recommend picking up the moment it is released.

As for the Openings and Endings… well… the second opening was decent and both endings just felt as if they were there. The first opening; however, sparked a bit of controversy. I, for one, loved it but there are some who argued that it didn’t fit the aesthetics of a fantasy series or just felt out of place for the type of show that Sousou no Frieren was. To each their own but for me, it was a banger and I still listen to it regularly to this day.

Overall Thoughts

What can I say that already hasn’t been said within the anime community?

It has been a good long while since we’ve had an incredible fantasy anime to sink our teeth into. Most often, it’s an isekai rooted in fantasy or it’s some tale about defeating the demon king. Not many series tell us what happens AFTER the demon king is destroyed. This series took that chance and delivered HARD. From the movie-length opening episode that didn’t leave a dry eye in the house, to the meaningful journey, to the comedy, to the battles, to the heartfelt moments, to the fantastic character development, and even better world-building, this show has everything you could ask for from a fantasy series and it has everything while doing something different.

That’s the key here. It’s not just moving around the world, fighting monsters, dungeon crawling, and fighting against an existential threat like many shows that came before it. It’s about just going on an adventure… seeing the world in the aftermath of a grand battle, all for a singular purpose… to find the compassion for your friends that you didn’t realize you had until it was too late. To have that second chance is only possible through magic that no one else can have normally.

Looking past the Fern/Stark comedic romance, Frieren and her many antics, the exam arc, and everything else in between, this show carries with it a singular important message that we can all take something from: cherish your friends and let them know they are cherished because if you take that for granted, they could be gone without ever knowing.

Now, as a manga reader, I have to answer the question. Was it faithful? Yes. Yes, it was very faithful to the source material which is why I am excited for the eventual second season. After reading the Golden Land arc, I can tell you that the best is yet to come. Some of the best character development in the series is on the horizon, and this story arc alone could stand on its own as a separate anime series… it is that good.

But even if you don’t read the manga. If you’re looking for a fantasy series where you can sit back and witness a journey and be entertained by it at the same time, this is the show for you. I don’t know if I would call it a true masterpiece…. Typically, the test of time will truly decide that but, I will say, it is one of THE BEST fantasy series that we have been given in a very long time.

In this case, it is perfectly fine to believe the hype.

The only complaint that I would say is that this show does have a rather slow pace so if that is something that turns you off, you will struggle with the first half of this season. Yes, it does pick up when we get to the First-Class Mage Exam arc but depending on your level of patience, maybe you’ll get that far, maybe you won’t but I will say that if you wait it out, you will be handsomely rewarded for your patience.

You can check out Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End for yourself on Crunchyroll here: https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GG5H5XQX4/frieren-beyond-journeys-end