Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Rewatch Episode 20 Discussion

# Episode 20: [Necessary Killing](https://files.catbox.moe/yy39i1.jpg)
***
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***
## Links, useful info:

[MAL](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991)

[Anilist](https://anilist.co/anime/154587/Frieren-Beyond-Journeys-End/)

[Anidb](https://anidb.net/anime/17617)

[Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/46474)

[Livechart](https://www.livechart.me/anime/11376)

[ANN](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=26334)

[AP](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/frieren-beyond-journeys-end)

***
## Streams:

[Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GG5H5XQX4/frieren-beyond-journeys-end)

[bilibili](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/media/2090295)

[Hulu](https://www.hulu.com/series/1d4725f8-06d1-43fb-a077-72143ac5502f)

[Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/81726714)

[Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0PHTCTLN7E6QH3XNVJ6K2NBCCT)

***
## Currently disclosed information:

### Seiyuu of the day corner

1) Taniyama Kishou

The first name which I do want to mention today is Kishou Taniyama and that is for [Wirbel](https://files.catbox.moe/b2i2ww.jpg). As to mention other known roles here, then from this I want present that. Jean Kirchstein in Attack on Titan, Nakahara Chuuya in Bungo Stray Dogs, Crow in Show by Rock, Shinomiya Natsuki in Uta no Prince-sama, Dark Schneider in Bastard, Kittan Bachika in Gurren Lagann, Tsukimori Len in La Corda d'Oro, Sawamura Seiji in Midori Days, Oswald Baskerville in Pandora Hearts, Himuro Tatsuya in Kuroko no Basket, Stiyl Magnus in Toaru, Natsume Kenji in Ahiru no Sora, Barbatos in Madome, Shima Kinzou in Blue Exorcist and many more.

And also the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Granrodeo, which performed multiple openings/endings for various shows like Bungo Stray Dogs, Kuroko no Basket or Iron-Blooded Orphans. He is a real rockerboy.

2) Itou Kanae

The second name who I want to talk about here is Kanae Itou, who happens to have the role of [Ehre](https://files.catbox.moe/mxtwo4.jpg). If there is need to list of her better roles, then these might be: Nana Astar Deviluke in To-Love-Ru, Yui in Sword Art Online, Saten Ruiko in Toaru, Kamazuki Suzuno in Devil is a Part-Timer, Airi in Queen's Blade, Kashiwazaki Sena in Haganai, Matsumae Ohana in Hanasaku Iroha, Elucia de Lute Ima in World God Only Knows, the titular character of Ambition of Oda Nobuna, Nagatsuki Sanae in Squid Girl, Eris in Cat Planet Cuties, Hinamori Amu in Shugo Chara, Shinohara Erika in Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Nikaido Mari in Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon, Amethyst in Land of the Lustrous, Tachibana Ayasa in Harukana Receive and many more.

So you see, she was the most active during the late '00s and the 2010s, especially the first half.

***
## Questions for the day:

1) Do you agree this is a true battle royale?

2) Is Wirbel a spellsword or a battlemage?

3) Is Sorganeil and the Bird-catching spell are the same?

4) Why Übel and Wirbel using spears as staff?

5) Any opinion on Wirbel's backstory?

6) Fern "killed" Ehre, was that a good lie?

7) Even an unsophisticated skill like Fern's attack pattern can be useful?

8) Skill or luck, or maybe both?

9) Is it necessary to kill here?

10) Serie got revealed, why did she decided to create the CMA?

***
## Highlights from yesterday:

1) Some people might not like this arc:

> I had no idea people hated the mage exam arc. It’s one of my favorite arcs. Different pacing for sure, but it was fun to see Frieren and Fern strut their skills, and to see other types of magic. It is hard to not binge though. I’ll admit I may have already watched all of the first exam.

> I do get the criticisms people had when this arc started. The mage exam arc clearly will be a longer one and is less personal than all the episodes we've had so far in this season.

> Reading through a few of yesterday's posts made it pretty clear just how divisive this arc really is. Admittedly while I stand by my praise from my last post, I do kind of get it now that I think about it and read some of the points people made.

> This arc is certainly divisive, as it's quite a departure from the typical type of storytelling that we've been getting with the show so far. This is our first long arc, and it introduces a whole bunch of characters very quickly. (As a side note, I do find it amusing that, right after the show had recently established how the number of mages has been declining, we're now tossed into a long arc with a whole bunch of new characters and all of them are mages.)

> Not impressed by this episode at all. The fight choreography wasn’t that good, and seeing the shounen cliche of characters talking, then resuming, then fighting again over and over just felt so wrong in a show like this.

> Also, is it just me or did the amount of panning stills and lack of real animation this episode feel disgusting? Pair that with the boring dialogue, and man, this was a snooze fest.

> There are way too many characters introduced, and the show loses the very personal, warm, homey feeling that the characters in cour 1 brought.

> It feels like the exam arc is trying to make things large scale and impressive, but it just isn’t working for me. Instead of feeling grand, it comes off as extremely unimpressive.

> Yeah, this episode feels even worse and more out of place than the last one, and that’s really saying something.

It is subjective, and this opinion might differ by other people.

2) Meanwhile u/xbolt90 actually likes it so far:

> I love Denken. He's smart and anylytical. Not to mention wise in the ways of the world. And really, especially with the dwindling mage population, should the CMA be wasting lives so casually?

> And I love the fighting styles of Übel and Wirbel. They get physical in their attacks, with Übel using her staff as a spear and Wirbel using his like a dagger.

> Ehre: "It's like fighting my grandfather." Frieren, somewhere else: sneeze

***
## Annotations from the host:

> Hanasaku Iroha

Coming in April to host that.

***
## Disclaimer notice:

Dear rewatchers, please be nice to the first-time watchers or the manga readers to the anime-onlies by simply not spoilering anything. But if you want to discuss spoiler-territory things, use spoiler tags instead. Thank you for your understanding.

For example [this is] >!a spoiler!<
***
[Until then...stay tuned!](https://v.animethemes.moe/SousouNoFrieren-ED1v2.webm)

Voir le contenu lié

Commentaires

tripleaamin2025-12-27 22:15

Rewatch: Blu-Ray Version

One of the themes in this episode is, what does necessary killing mean? As we have seen, Übel looks at killing as a clear pleasure. If the opportunity presents itself to give herself a chance to kill, she will take it. Hell, she gets disappointed when Wirbel uses his binding spell.

While for Fern, we know that pulling the trigger to kill another person is something she can't do. She is the type of person who has a more emotionless face with people she doesn't know, so her lies are quite effective. We know she would never kill, especially if the results are the same. However, mages like Wirbel don't know this.

For Wirbel he is interesting because he has the experience of a battle-hardened warrior. He knows that the world can be quite cruel. There are times when you need to kill. His view on killing is more logical, as sure, I could kill, but does it add anything to it? Can I achieve the same results without killing? In fact, Fern's lie showcases he is truly a good guy at heart that would rather not kill. As he still could have killed Übel and checked on Ehre later. Granted, Fern's threat felt real to his perspective.

Still, Wirbel's initial motivation was very typical, as you can think. Basically trying to impress his childhood crush. Though we can tell how he must have evolved, where his principles became ingrained inside of him. Though, as Ehre points out, it's true kindness even if Wirbel has trouble admitting it.

With Land, we don't spend much time with him, as he has magic capable of making clones of himself. Not too much focus is given to him, but he takes care of Scharf and proceeds forward. He gives the feel of someone who aims for efficiency.

Genau's remarks regarding this portion of the exam when Sense criticizes him are interesting. As those taking the exam might die, but he doesn't care for that, as he wants to make sure those who become a first-class mage earn it. Which is quite cruel, as luck plays a factor. His point that luck is a skill is flawed. Who you utilize and minimize the randomization of luck is a skill, yes, but you can only manage the uncertainty of luck so much. For instance, who the players are paired with. For Übel and Land, they have great luck teaming up with Fern.

In the final part of this episode, we get the topic of killing for status. We know status is one thing Frieren could care less for, so we know her answer. Though Richter is more than willing to kill the girls for it because that would eliminate Frieren that way. Beating a mage of the skill of Frieren is a hard task for Denken and dealing with the girls would be easier. Though Richter mentions privilege, it seems what he cares more about is the wish that Serie would grant him. That wish is more than enough justification to kill him. What is his wish?

We can see that Denken strongly does not agree with what Richter says. His understanding is much closer to Frieren. It does make you curious why Denken is taking this exam. Could he be like Frieren and have an objective in mind that requires being a 1st-class mage?

This episode adapted chapters 41, 42, and 75% of chapter 43. It seems the animation so far in this arc hasn't been as good as previous episodes. More than likely they aim to make the episode look good.

tripleaamin2025-12-27 22:20

Do you agree this is a true battle royale?

* Yes because there is two ways to win capture a Stille or steal a Stille from another team. At that point the latter becomes a battle royale. I assume that there might be more teams then Stills

Is Wirbel a spellsword or a battlemage?

* Both.

Is Sorganeil and the Bird-catching spell are the same?

* No. The distance when Wirbel uses Sirganeil is beyond the condition that Frieren mentions with the bird-catching spell.

Why Übel and Wirbel using spears as staff?

* Why not.

Any opinion on Wirbel's backstory?

* I like it because it shows he knows how cruel the world is. He can face reality, but rather do less harm if he can avoid it.

Fern "killed" Ehre, was that a good lie?

* Yes.

Even an unsophisticated skill like Fern's attack pattern can be useful?

* Sometimes its better to be a master of a skill then a jack of all trades. Fern's mastery of the basics is what is important.

Skill or luck, or maybe both?

* You need both.

Is it necessary to kill here?

* No.

Serie got revealed, why did she decided to create the CMA?

* Perhaps she got bored.

JustAnswerAQuestion2025-12-28 00:33

> Though Richter is more than willing to kill the girls for it because that would eliminate Frieren that way

The whole strategy is flawed, because it assumes Frieren only cares about the first-class status in the same way he and Wirbel do. And she's made it clear that she does not. Old Frieren might look at two dead girls and say "sou da". They weren't going to live long, anyways. New Frieren might stick around and deal out some punishment.

xbolt902025-12-27 22:38

**Repeat Journeyer**

*Übel is scary.*

And again we're shown just how much of a crazy powerhouse Fern is. And she's a natural liar too. The first time I watched this, I half thought that she actually *did* kill Ehre. Her deadpan matter-of-factness was very convincing.

It also showed that Wirbel really is a good guy. Without a good reason, he'd really prefer not to kill.

We also finally get to see Land's signature spell. Being able to be in two places at once would certainly be convenient.

Denken continues to be a cool old guy. Richter is a jerk. He apparently doesn't subscribe to Wirbel's philosophy on unnecessary killing. But why does Denken want to take the test despite not caring about all that? *Hmmmmmm.....*

And we finally reveal Serie. She knows *all* the spells. She's been gathering them for *far* longer than Frieren has.

> 1) Do you agree this is a true battle royale?

That's not the *explicit* goal of the test, but the structure certainly leans that way.

> 2) Is Wirbel a spellsword or a battlemage?

I'd say more battlemage then spellsword. He's certainly trained in swordplay, but he's more focused on the magic.

> 3) Is Sorganeil and the Bird-catching spell are the same?

Similar certainly, but Sorganeil is much more generalized and useful. Works at a greater distance too.

> 4) Why Übel and Wirbel using spears as staff?

They're just cool like that. [Frieren] >!Laufen has my favorite combat style among the mages though.!<

> 5) Any opinion on Wirbel's backstory?

I liked this insight into his character. At first glance when we met him, he looked just like a male Übel. But there's nuance to him and he makes sense.

> 6) Fern "killed" Ehre, was that a good lie?

Definitely, if it even fooled me.

> 7) Even an unsophisticated skill like Fern's attack pattern can be useful?

*"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."*

> 8) Skill or luck, or maybe both?

Both. Fern's party and Wirbel's party ended up lucky, Frieren's was all skill and planning.

> 9) Is it necessary to kill here?

How the test is set up certainly makes it beneficial to take out your competition.

> 10) Serie got revealed, why did she decided to create the CMA?

JustAnswerAQuestion2025-12-28 00:28

> But why does Denken want to take the test despite not caring about all that? Hmmmmmm.....

He probably wants a spell to help his dead granddaughter or something.

Hartzilla20072025-12-28 02:57

Except he made it clear he wasn't interested in the special spells.

JustAnswerAQuestion2025-12-28 05:26

Good point.

[](#hardthink)

Hartzilla20072025-12-28 02:56

>*"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."*

\[Frieren Anime\]>!Besides Übel will do a good point of showing the drawbacks of fancier magic.!<

dontoff2025-12-27 22:49

**Rewatcher (Dub)**

I was thinking about why the exam arc felt so out of place, beyond the usual criticisms, and I think one issue that is not pointed out as much is that the manga material in this arc does not translate well into animation compared to the material covered in cour 1.

Previously, in the first cour, the adaptation from manga to anime was very smooth. It was pretty much one to one because the source material was already near perfect and did not need much to be changed. Here, however, that is not working as well. Manga readers will notice that the changes from manga to anime are much more frequent, ranging from rearranging events to altering dialogue in ways that affect meaning and lead to a different interpretation, either by adding a lot of text or cutting things out.

The frequency of these changes has clearly increased so the material can better fit an anime format, which makes it obvious to me that this arc was difficult to adapt. Still, it feels like they did their best to keep it as close to the source material as possible. This is where I might get some pushback. A perfect adaptation is not necessarily a perfect anime. I think a lot more needed to be removed and added in the exam arc to prevent the pacing from suffering, especially during the first exam.

* can Wirbel not cast any other spell while using the restraint spell?
* Man, this episode was a lot better than the first two of this arc. It definitely was not perfect, but at least it was actually enjoyable.

loki-19822025-12-27 23:05

>* can Wirbel not cast any other spell while using the restraint spell?

I think this may be my main criticism about this arc (aside from it being way too long) is that the new characters are basically shonen characters with 1 signature move and they cant really do much else. I know they said demons focus on perfecting 1 spell but they never said humans did.

JustAnswerAQuestion2025-12-28 00:26

> can Wirbel not cast any other spell while using the restraint spell?

My guess was that Wirbel must himself be immobile while binding something.

dontoff2025-12-28 00:34

That’s definitely not how it works. It was mentioned that he just needs their full body to be in view; he can walk toward them as long as no part of them goes out of sight. But my question was whether he can cast another spell while using the binding spell.

Magnafeana2025-12-27 23:18

**First Timer: Beyond Dubbed’s End**

She just does all that without flinching. Fern is so cool.

Wirbel is Unmove!

Why would you *want* a fight to the death?

As cold as this sounds, why not kill her and *then* reminisce?

**Ah**.

Well, damn. I bought the lie. Her poker face is immaculate.

That’s incredible, oh my gods.

Holy shit. *Now* I get why Übel said that. He really is quite the liar.

*Holy shit*.

Wirbel is a kinder person than I thought.

I don’t know if I’m delusional or not, since Ehre doesn’t have the same hair color as Wirbel’s first love, and I’m not sure the age difference between them, but I’ll remain delusional.

What is Sense’s haircare routine? That must require a lot of brushing. I guess a spell would solve that.

Really am reminded of the hunters exam.

*Oooooh*

She’s an elf?! ***W a t***. What was that look, Frieren? 👀

***

**First Timer: Beyond Manga’s End**

Starts on p64

Manga set the action so that Übel got in close to Wirbel for her assessment of the spell. Anime switched the order, so Übel closes in to scratch Wirbel and Wirbel binds her before she assesses his spell-work.

Ch 42 at 8:02

Ch 43 page 1 at 15:58 and then back to p92 panel 4 at 16:02

Anime!Übel remarks Land is *also* a liar. Manga!Übel calls him an imposter.

Ch 43 page 2 (p96) at 16:08

Manga pitches Genau as “malicious” and specifies he made this into a hunting competition. Anime refers to him as “not nice” and he made the first exam a competition.

Manga shows Genau smiling (kinda) when he references Frieren’s group in catching a Stille.

Anime adds Serie’s name and Frieren seems to have a look when Richter says that. Manga doesn’t name the elf, and Frieren just seems to be looking at Richter.

Ends on 109 panel 4

***

**Additional Thoughts**

Some character thoughts.

* **Wirbel**: Wirbel is a kind fellow.
* **Genau**: I’m more curious in Genau and what spell he got. From what Sense says, Genau’s mindset has gotten other candidates killed multiple times. He talks about this sort of thing making first-class mages more valuable, but I’m curious on his motives. Also curious why he smiled when recalling Frieren. Was it just the spell she used, or was it her?
* **Ehre**: If the association favors combat, and Ehre’s the best her class had to offer, it does seem that the formal education mages are taught doesn’t stack up in practicals, and that’s concerning. Fern is definitely strong, but what *do* they teach in schools?
* **Land**: With his illusions having substance, how big of liar or imposter does Übel mean when she says that about him?
* **Richter**: What exactly has he done in life where killing kids is just…an option to pursue without much thought?
* **Denken**: The look that those mages gave him when he passed by, what does being an imperial mage mean for you and your peers/subordinates.

I can see how Serie would get governments to agree to this system of certification and such if she’s that powerful. I’m sure she used the church to her advantage too. Her being compared to the goddess makes me wonder how the church views her and her influence. Though granting someone one spell of their desire as the incentive—I’m surprised a kingdom would allow that. Seems risky. But then again, how can you negotiate with being that powerful?

But with Frieren’s face, she knows (or knows of) Serie. And if Serie is an elf focused on mages from that era, was she specifically *looking* for Frieren? And why? Did she want to battle Frieren, or was she looking for her to help shape magery? If Serie and Frieren encountered each other previously, how did that encounter end?

If she’s that powerful, Flamme would’ve had to hear about her, wouldn’t she? Or maybe not. I’m not sure how news would have spread and how fast it would have. But considering both were/are revered, I can’t believe they wouldn’t meet at least once.

I wonder if Serie would know about the priest from Kraft’s hero days.

Anime really elevated Serie’s name drop and Frieren’s response, so now of course I’m just suspicious about their connection. You don’t focus on a reaction with this swell of music at a namedrop without there being a connection. Was she an elf from Frieren’s old village? Did she wrong Frieren in the past?

Suspicious.

BaytaCosmico2025-12-28 05:02

>Wirbel is Unmove!

LOL I love how much of an impact Undead Unluck has had on you.

JustAnswerAQuestion2025-12-28 00:03

**First Timer**

Yes, everybody tell everybody your weeaknesses. At least, in Kenshin, he intuited them all. I don't really remember what HxH was like.

I had really hoped to flashback to Fern capturing the Stille but I guess it was too boring.

How nice to the not entirely evil trio to get their bird.

Laufen casts Blink! It's super effective!

I said Denken would be a poor politician because he doesn't have much charisma, but if he killed all his opponents.

I still say Serie is evil.

If he doesn't kill one of them, Frieren will just catch another bird and levitate them to the finish line. They don't have to be awake.

Edit: Ehre x Wrible, Land was illusionary even within his own trio.

Hartzilla20072025-12-28 02:59

>I said Denken would be a poor politician because he doesn't have much charisma, but if he killed all his opponents.

Or he used to have and he's in the too old to care phase of his life.

>I still say Serie is evil.

She runs the magic DMV.

donuteater1112025-12-28 00:28

**Rewatcher (Sub)**

A bit more of a battle-focused this time, with a number of 1-on-1 standoffs. I will say the action here isn't quite as strong as some of the other battle scenes we've seen, like in the Aura arc, but it's still good for what it is. But what's more, it really shows who some of these characters are. Fern once again shows how strong she really is, and her deception is really smart. The idea of killing to win the exam is brought up a few times, with it playing a particularly big part in the discussion between Richter and Denken, with the former being fully willing to kill and the latter thinking it unwise to kill when there's another option. And of course Ubel already had blood on her hands from her previous exam attempt. However, Fern plays it smart, using the *idea* of death to get what she wants, without the need to actually commit the act.

I'll also say I liked the development they gave Wirbel here. Besides being portrayed as someone who has, and would still kill but is reluctant to do so, we get a glimpse at his dynamic with his teammates after their respective fights. And I liked Ehre's reaction to learning about his past with the girl he liked.

Antares_de_la_Luz2025-12-28 01:21

**Rewatcher**

1) Do you agree this is a true battle royale?

* Yes. It's everybody for themselves, alliances are worth jack shit.

2) Is Wirbel a spellsword or a battlemage?

* Battlemage.

3) Is Sorganeil and the Bird-catching spell are the same?

* Sorganeil seems to be an improved version, the necessity to have the entire body within field of vision is better than the 50cm range thing.

4) Why Übel and Wirbel using spears as staff?

* Why not? looks cool and fit their personalities

5) Any opinion on Wirbel's backstory?

* I like it. Not everything is black or white.

6) Fern "killed" Ehre, was that a good lie?

* Yes, a great one. It fooled me on first watch.

7) Even an unsophisticated skill like Fern's attack pattern can be useful?

* ~~Zerg rush~~ zoltraak goes brrrrrrr

8) Skill or luck, or maybe both?

* Both

9) Is it necessary to kill here?

* Kill? no. But if you die by your own incompetence that's another thing.

10) Serie got revealed, why did she decided to create the CMA?

* [later episodes] >!To annoy Frieren of course!<

Richter is a dick

Hartzilla20072025-12-28 03:10

Rewatcher

And the devolving into Lord of Flies was the point. And we get to see the characters splitting into a debate on when killing is necessary. Oh and Serie is finally introduced, which it was weird that she shows up in the first op but doesn't show up in that part of the show, also ironic since he appearance gave future villain vibes when she is more of a unintentional bureaucratic obstacle since the main issue is s decision someone else made.

\[Frieren Anime\] >!Its funny Frieren and Denken agree on their views about the whole 1st Class Mage thing when they are also both only after that title to get past the travel restriction.!<

Friends5132025-12-28 03:24

Rewatcher, first time dub watcher

Forgot how gung-ho my guy was about wanting to kill Lawine and the other one, was pretty funny seeing that again

Also forgot that the party with the northern captain actually did find that Stille, great that we get to see more of him

Man, Fern’s magic is nuts. Often overshadowed by Frieren, but holy cow that gorge she sliced into the clearing there

BaytaCosmico2025-12-28 05:01

**First-timer, subbed**

Liked this episode a lot better than the previous two.

Wirbel seemed like a bit of a cliche at first but I found myself wanting him to continue on and not get kicked out in the first round. Ubel, on the other hand, seemed interesting when she first appeared in episode 18 but she's been pretty one-note so far and I'm losing interest in her. Win some lose some.

So that elf we saw in OP1 (is she also in the new one?) is this chief mage person. She has an evil look about her, like she's up to no good. I thought it was an antagonist character even I saw her in the OP. Could still turn out to be an antagonist if she's making mages fight to death over her any spell you want reward.

Denken gets a pass for being a decent person. His fellow group member is basically just a device to fill us in on the chief mage and the privilege. Otherwise he's null so far.

Someone was saying in the last episode thread that Denken at least should know Frieren as there are very few elves to begin with let alone mages and an elven mage who resembles all the numerous statues of the hero party should be identifiable as Frieren. Well, turns out he does know.

But he still means to fight her and keep her busy. Even if it's just for 3 hours (till sun down) that's still a pretty tall order given Frieren's skill level. Should be interesting to see how he manages next episode. I know he'll manage because this is clearly a character who will continue in the cast for longer. We've spent a lot of time getting into his head.

I'm going to have to recalibrate my expectations for this show going forward. No point wishing for the old SoL chill structure that's clearly not coming back until season 2.

LeminaAusa2025-12-28 10:12

**3rd Ranked Rewatcher**

With the new season coming up soon, my partner wanted to rewatch the First Rank Mage Exam arc with me as a refresher, so I've swapped over to watching my daily episodes with him. For the sake of this rewatch, it means my comments are probably going to be more generic and about the episode or characters as a whole as opposed to pointing out little specific stuff, as I'm no longer taking notes while watching at the PC like I usually do.

As expected, today's episode jumps in right after the cliffhanger and gets back to the battles with Fern's and Frieren's groups respectively.

Fern vs Ehre is mostly hilarious for how Ehre seems to have a problem with Fern's lack of style moreso than being beaten in general. Übel vs Wirbel is a nice and exciting battle, and it teaches us a lot about Wirbel and about the situation in the north. Once again, it seems that 29 years ago ("coincidentally" the same amount of time since Himmel's death) caused a significant rise in demonic activity in the region, and Wirbel's been on the front lines of that fight for some time now. The show initially sets you up with the expectation that Wirbel is going to be this violent bloodthirsty guy, but the reality is that this violent persona is more of a facade to help the inner Wirbel cope with the things that that the wars in the north have taught him.

We see a lot of evidence of that inner Wirbel's hidden kindness in the lengths he goes through to not kill Übel. In the end, that delaying tactic only bought time for Fern to finish her battle with Ehre and come save Übel. We don't see much of Scharf vs Land, but we get our first look at Land's preferred magical ability, which is definitely something. Ehre and Scharf and completely wiped up, but a stroke of luck lets Wirbel use his binding magic on a nicely-spotted Stille, and this group too will get to continue onto the next exam.

Later on, the focus of the episode shifts to our other pending battle. Laufen uses a quick-movement spell that lets her still Frieren's teams Stille and gtfo, leaving Denken and Richter to fight Frieren, Kanna, and Lawine. Of the two men, Richter is the most ruthless with his open inclination to want to simply kill one (or both) of Kanna and Lawine to simplify the situation.

We also find out from Richter another benefit of passing the FIrst Rank Mage Exam: The founder and leader of the CMA (Serie, another elf!) will offer to each winner their choice to learn any spell of their choosing, a very powerful boon indeed, given that Serie is known as "the living grimoire" for the vast knowledge of spells she's collected over the course of her long life.

Denken seems to have persuaded Richter to not murder Kanna and Lawine, but we still don't yet know their fate as today's episode ends on another cliffhanger with Richter raising the battlefield for his fight against Kanna and Lawine while Denken faces off against Frieren on the ground below. Looks like another action-packed episode for tomorrow!

Oh, and PS: I also love the little interlude we get with Genau and Sense, two of the exam proctors. Sense seems to chide Genau for how he set up the first exam, and I love that she's just chilling out with a Stille on her hair for most of this scene.

S1) Oooh, another seiyuu that's been around for a while, with his first filmography credit that I recognise being from X. His most memorable roles for me would have to be Kittan in Gurren Lagann, Jean in AoT and Chuuya in Bungo Stray Dogs. I also found it absolutely hilarious and great that he's the vocalist for the rock band GRANRODEO in real life and in GBF he voices in-game rock star Aoidos/Benjamin as well as Sho, and he's also Gray from FE Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

S2) She's not been around as long as Kishou, but still definitely prolific. Funnily enough, one of the few anime roles I'm familiar with her from is also a video game role first and foremost, Sturm from GBF! The only other non-Frieren role of hers I recognise is Sailor Mnemosyne from the recent Sailor Moon Cosmos movie in the Crystal remake series.

1) Nah, still too many extra things aside from pure fighting for that.

2) Maybe I guess? I don't know what either of those things mean aside from implying that it's someone who physically fights instead of just using magic. I think I'll just call him Wirbel.

3) They certainly have enough differences to show that they're different spells, but they may have similar foundations.

4) I do like that there are a wide variety of different staves shown, lets people show off a bit of their personality.

5) It certainly feels rough and is a good showcase of just how much things have worsened in the north over the past 29 years.

6) Yeah, I liked it. It was a good way to ensure that Wirbel would back off from trying to fight more due to the need for a full party to win this round. If she had told him the truth, he might have gotten even more wild and desperate. In the end, things worked out better this way for both parties.

7) "Both? Both. Both is good."

9) Definitely not.

10) I think we'll find out more about that as the show goes on!

TheDanubianCommunard2025-12-28 13:56

> With the new season coming up soon, my partner wanted to rewatch the First Rank Mage Exam arc with me as a refresher, so I've swapped over to watching my daily episodes with him. For the sake of this rewatch, it means my comments are probably going to be more generic and about the episode or characters as a whole as opposed to pointing out little specific stuff, as I'm no longer taking notes while watching at the PC like I usually do.

What daily episodes? Something different?

> Once again, it seems that 29 years ago ("coincidentally" the same amount of time since Himmel's death) caused a significant rise in demonic activity in the region, and Wirbel's been on the front lines of that fight for some time now.

This two events must have connecte to each other. Remember Aura's rampage? Almost the same.

[deleted]2025-12-28 12:19

[removed]

TheDanubianCommunard2025-12-28 13:50

Yes.

TheDanubianCommunard2025-12-28 22:04

### Second-time watcher and your host (subs),

The fighting is getting more intense. Team Übel vs Team Wirbel, Team Frieren vs Team Denken. It is all about Stille. They have the power to kill each other, but looks they are rather holding back. uck and skill are equally maters a lot. As time getting short, everybody will be desperate to survive, and for those who have a Stille, killing time is what it needs. Denken and his team decided to doing this, to take their time while using diversions.

> 1) Do you agree this is a true battle royale?

Yes.

> 2) Is Wirbel a spellsword or a battlemage?

I think he qualififes both, but rather a battlemage.

> 3) Is Sorganeil and the Bird-catching spell are the same?

Technically it is the same spell, but diverged into multiple specific variants.

> 4) Why Übel and Wirbel using spears as staff?

They can fight in melee, not just with spells.

> 5) Any opinion on Wirbel's backstory?

He was born to fight. Wanted to have a promise with a young girl, never happened. Probably hardships lead to soldier life and demon killing which is part of that promise.

> 6) Fern "killed" Ehre, was that a good lie?

Yes, a tactical tool.

> 7) Even an unsophisticated skill like Fern's attack pattern can be useful?

Yes.

> 8) Skill or luck, or maybe both?

Both.

> 9) Is it necessary to kill here?

It depends.

> 10) Serie got revealed, why did she decided to create the CMA?

She thought, this is the right time.