UlasanAnime.com – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, or Souzou no Frieren, excels due to two intertwining aspects: its deeply emotional narrative and its meticulously layered storytelling. This combination functions like a sieve, delivering a prolonged, subtle sense of “mono-no-aware” (or as the younger generation might say, “vibe”) in small doses as the story unfolds.
From a broad perspective, Frieren reinterprets the classic “cryo-timeskip” trope, featuring a long-lived character who carries memories from ancient times into the present or future. This protagonist, a living piece of history, connects each generation much like consecutive scenes featuring the same character in a movie, or in this case, a television series.
Spoilers ahead.
The story is profoundly emotional, largely revolving around the whims and motivations of its characters. The narrative frequently delves into the reasons behind their actions. This is why the plot meticulously explains the behavior of monsters and the origins of various natural (or perhaps unnatural) phenomena in forests and towns. We ponder Sein’s potential to become an adventurer and the reasons behind it. Even the magic test candidates seem to harbor their own backstories and motivations, despite their initial introduction solely for this plot arc. It feels like a puzzle, with each character contributing to the emotional outcome. This is how I interpret the Ubel-Land relationship, and Ubel’s character in general, as being driven by feelings. After all, Frieren’s emotions are the driving force of the series, making it natural to have a character whose magic is also fueled by her feelings – specifically, emotional reactions rather than an internal state.
Regarding the setting, Japanese fantasy stories often present magnificent, elaborate worlds akin to matryoshka dolls. Frieren follows this tradition to an extent, but what’s particularly amusing is how it simplifies many aspects to avoid extensive exposition for the audience. It doesn’t shy away from explaining certain elements, most notably “folk magic” and “mana.” While this might still be considered a form of shorthand, perhaps it will become clearer in 2024. However, the selective approach to explanation feels novel and might introduce plot holes for newcomers.
The final magic test arc can feel like a drag. One of my favorite parts of Frieren is her journey of indirectly reforming the Hero’s party, though they weren’t exactly reformed. Something had to happen after Sein left, leading to smaller, charming stories before the magic test segment. It feels like peeling chunks of a grapefruit or orange, then suddenly taking a large bite directly from the fruit. The actual story and characters remain consistent, but the shift in presentation alters the payoff from a low-key, low-intensity experience. While an action-packed climax might have been necessary to establish Frieren’s grand destiny, this arc felt like fan service for a specific audience, leaving others in a waiting period.
This is acceptable, as life itself often presents such contrasts. The juxtaposition of Lernen and Denken serves as a good example. On that note, Denken’s sentimental words in remembrance of Frieren (and Wirbel, which could have been handled better) felt rather cheesy. While this entire arc has its highlights, the low points are where we expect more from an emotional story about the passage of time.
This is likely the first time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed an Evan Call soundtrack. The ending song “Anytime Anywhere,” written by Evan Call for milet, is particularly outstanding. I find myself repeatedly listening to the Yamane Aya cover version for reasons I can’t quite articulate. It’s undeniably my favorite anisong in a long time.
There’s an orchestral concert for Frieren scheduled for August, and I anticipate experiencing significant FOMO for that show throughout the year. The soundtrack itself is quite good, although it’s largely on par with similar works in other TV shows and movies. It’s more intimate than sweeping, which is precisely what one would expect and desire from Frieren’s soundtrack. You can find it on your preferred streaming service; it’s available on all major Japanese platforms.
Given how emotional the story is, watching the anime truly enhances that experience. I can’t speak for the manga, but I imagine it might be a less impactful read if it includes another certification arc. The voice acting and music provide significant depth that the manga alone cannot replicate!
Regarding voice acting, I believe Acchan did a commendable job, though her character isn’t particularly challenging to portray. Frieren is a superb casting choice, perfectly complementing Ichinose’s vocal quality. This aspect of Ichinose’s Frieren is reminiscent of Hoshino Ruri’s casting with Omi Minami. The rest of the cast is also quite impressive.
The parallels with Nadesico are indeed hilarious and purely coincidental. Ruri’s design is strikingly similar to Frieren’s. Nadesico itself is a fantastic story that is rarely produced in similar ways anymore, so please check it out if you haven’t already.
