Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Rewatch Overall Discussion Thread

Okay. Let me start by saying that I really like Frieren. I may have some complaints about the storyline, for example, how I think that the worldbuilding is not entirely convincing, or that the characters are sometimes portrayed as too stoic (which, in my opinion, mainly applies to the anime), but all these shortcomings are more than compensated for by the merits. Almost all of the emotional moments work, and overall, the story is told quite masterfully, which is the most important part for this kind of work. The anime adaptation is also wonderful, with excellent direction and a great soundtrack. Overall, Frieren does a really good job of what it sets out to do.

**BUT.**

I have one ***personal*** complaint about the series. One that I can't seem to shake.

And that is that I feel like I was tricked into watching a very different story than the one I was promised.

There is a manga called “Yokohama Shopping Log.” It tells the story of the daily life of Alpha, an android living in a ever-changing, peaceful post-apocalyptic world. One of the main focus in this story is on Alpha's experiences interacting with other people, as well as how her longevity and eternal youth affect her perception of time and how she must cherish these small moments. It's a very melancholic and beautiful story, and this manga is truly one of my favorites.

And I think it's not hard to see how similar the concept of Frieren is. That was one of the reasons I started reading the manga when only a few chapters had been released - it seemed like Frieren would be right up my alley.

***Continue in the reply***

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

I just want to have a hall of fame in this rewatch for those, who did distinguished themselves here:

~~Mario Lemina~~ u/LeminaAusa, the guy who watched this for the third time, did really detailed and long writeups every single time which I did enjoyed reading. A big GBF player, because recognized all the character voices from there. A frequent guest on my rewatches (with a few exceptions), and the pleasure is mine, and I do hope you will bless my future rewatches with your presence. And kinda sorry if Gabon had a really poor performance in the AFCON.

u/Magnafeana, a dub bro, who really, really enjoyed all of its moment. He managed to compare the anime and manga version to each other. And shared some fun an interesting facts as well.

u/BaytaCosmico, a guy who is really active in this sub recently, and also was really active and had good takes IMO.

u/tripleaamin, who also noticed which episode which volume covered. And a somebody who possess the BD version. Yet another detailed writeups and good takes.

u/ClemFire, who dropped out almost at the middle, when he was there, he made did this rewatch very alive. He answered where he could.

u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah, who dropped this quite early, he really enjoyed this during the brief tenure, all of it. Too bad he left, even if one of his favorite VA was there.

u/JustAnswerAQuestion, who noticed many things, and was straight to the point. Like the thing "everything what Frieren does has a meaningful purpose"

u/xbolt90, yet another diligent journeyman.

u/Brief-Fig-7506, another dropout, who did analyzed the scenes.

I will want a shoutout to anyone I didn't mention here, but I do contribution to these threads, whether full-time, part-time or just one or two episodes even dropouts. And I want to thank everyone who participated in this rewatch.

Edit: honorable mention to u/SpiritualPossible as well.

**First-timer, subbed**

Frieren more or less met the high expectations set by all the hype around it. I knew it would be good, but I was afraid it might fall short of the insane hype. And in a way it did - that exam arc really brought it down - but the last exam and Serie saved it and it definitely ended on a good note.

The show was at its best when Frieren herself and her party were the focus. I loved the early explorations into mortality and ageing and all that come with it. The slice of life episodes were the most enjoyable, way more than the action oriented ones for me, even if the action animation was uniformly good.

I really enjoyed the understated humour of this show. Even repeated gags like the mimic one worked for me each time. The only one that always fell flat was the Kanne and Lavine hair pulling thing. Those two were the weakest part of the story for me. Could've done without them altogether. Unless they have a part to play in season 2, I don't see why we needed them at all. Someone said they're important characters way at the beginning of the exam arc when I complained about them being dull as. I still don't get how unless they have a role to play in the story beyond what we've seen.

Some of the other examinees grew on me like Denken, Wirbel, Land, and even Ubel. But I still feel their introductions were muddled. Wirbel's flashback in the last episode and how he was inspired by Himmel, for instance, was so much better than the laid on thick backstory we got for him at the start (about children getting sent into war yada yada).

First cour was definitely leagues better than the second and I'm glad to learn season 2 will follow the former pattern. Looking forward to more fun travels with Frieren and party! Thanks for hosting this rewatch and helping me catch up in time for new season. Definitely more fun than simply binging on my own.

Personally this show is a masterpiece for me. It balances slice of life with action really well and expands its world with interesting things whether its a new character, new spell, new demon etc. On rewatch I noticed a lot of new things that I completely missed. Coming to more of the technical aspect I loved reading the behind the scenes stuff from sakugabooru blog about the show where the director was clever to delegate a lot of important stuff to others while working on Bocchi the Rock and how the TOHO producer was literally making the animation proposal for the show after the first chapter of the manga which is unheard of

Rewatcher (Dub)

**Before going into the more contentious points of this overall writeup for the show, I wanted to talk about the first 17 episodes.** Watching Frieren again at a one-episode-a-day pace really reinforced how deliberate and restrained this opening stretch is. These episodes function as a largely self-contained emotional arc where plot progression and reflection move together. The story advances steadily, but it never loses sight of its themes, giving us small, intimate, and beautiful moments along the way. Taken on their own, these first 17 episodes are about as close to perfect as the fantasy genre gets, and as close as any anime can get.

Most stories tend to prioritize either characters or themes, and doing both well at the same time is incredibly difficult. Frieren succeeds because its themes are inseparable from its characters; they don’t depend on just singular events or thoughts, but are built directly out of who these people are and the lives they’ve lived. Himmel, in particular, is the moving force not just behind Frieren’s journey, but behind the world past the demon kings defeat. His values continue to shape decisions, relationships, and even institutions long after his death, making him the emotional and moral center of the story despite his absence and we get to see the people he influenced even outside of frieren along the journey.

**Now comes the exam arc,** and I’ve gone through the episodes covering it with a lot of criticism in mind about certain aspects of this stretch. But before diving into specifics, there are some very important questions to ask: **what is the point of this arc?** Is it just a shounen staple the author fell into, or does it offer something of real value to the show? Would it have been better off scrapped entirely?

By the first 17 episodes, we’ve already come to understand the party dynamic very well, and we see clearly how Himmel left his mark on Frieren. This arc, however, flips that perspective: it’s about how Frieren herself has left an imprint on the world and on those around her. Up until this point, the story has kept us relatively isolated, limiting our understanding of broader society, the world’s workings, and how different our party is from the norm. The exam arc opens that lens, placing our characters in wider contexts and allowing us to see how their influence spreads.

The exam arc does a lot more than just test magic. It forces both Frieren and Fern out of their comfort zones and into situations where they can’t rely on each other. This is where we really see who they are as individuals. Frieren shows her usual careful observation and quiet leadership, while Fern surprises everyone with how skilled, clever, and capable she has become. By the time she faces Serie, it becomes clear that Fern is alot more than just frieren's apprentice and her potential seems endless.

At the same time, the arc reinforces one of the show’s most important themes: the impact of human connection. Frieren isn’t just teaching Fern. She is shaping the people around her, even in small ways. Little things, like her collection of seemingly “useless” spells or sentimental objects, end up mattering in ways that change outcomes. We see that influence reflected in Lawine, Kanne, and the proctors, all of whom respond differently because of Frieren.

The arc also reminds us that the world keeps moving, with or without the old heroes. Flame fades, magic evolves, and the next generation has to face challenges on their own. Fern is not just learning magic. She is stepping into her own role in a world that is bigger and more complex than she realized. Frieren here becomes a guide and a measure, showing how influence and mentorship can shape people long after the original heroes are gone. What at first might look like a standard shounen exam is actually one of the most important stretches of the show, but how well it lands really depends on how effectively the arc sets up things we will see in the future.

***Continue in the reply***

Rewatcher, first time dub watcher

Just as good as I remember. I mentioned it before but this is by far my favorite anime just because of the mix of different genres while still having that overwhelmingly positive and somewhat lighthearted mood

I’m incredibly excited to see what happens in S2. Let’s go!!!

**Rewatcher**

Coming back to this show as a lead-in to the second season really helped strengthen my appreciation for the series. I like how it does have certain aspects of more traditional fantasy adventure stories, and is helped by having really good action when the story requires it, but there's much more to its story and themes. The themes of the world progressing in different ways beyond the height of the age of heroes, the question of what *makes* a hero, and people wanting to leave their mark on the greater history (or in specific people's lives) are a few of the bigger recurring themes that I really appreciated more this time around.

For the characters, Frieren herself is probably still my favorite. And I'd say I liked her even more this time around. Between the themes of her near-agelessness as time progressed for her basically in the blink of an eye, and her subtle but deep affection for those she allows herself to get close to, it helps make her a very deep and interesting character. But in terms of which character had the *most* improvement in my eyes, that would probably be Stark. I remember liking some of the more serious moments for his character the first time around, but as a whole I viewed him more as a comedic relief type of character before. However, now I've come to love how much he adds to the theme of what a hero is (how he initially views himself as a coward, but Frieren and Eisen saw something greater, and we saw more of that strength as time went on). Also, I love how the basis for his relationship with Fern was their somewhat similar upbringings, being raised and trained by the aging heroes from Frieren's original parties, who either died or are reaching the end of their lives.

I mentioned this early in the rewatch, but the first time around, I got into it as it was airing and was able to speed through the early episodes before having to slow down to once a week for the rest of it. And while I was able to enjoy it that way, I did feel like the one-a-day pace helped keep things interesting more me compared to the slower pace. So maybe that's part of the reason why I was able to gain a greater appreciation for the less eventful episodes more this time around, at least as much as the more exciting moments, if not even more so in some places. It really helps the characters' stories and world-building breathe, and in many cases adds to the great emotional themes I mentioned before. As for the bigger arcs, I think this rewatch solidified the Aura arc as the better of the two main ones. I still liked the Exam arc more than I know some people do, but I do feel it was a bit more uneven than I originally thought. And the length of it does admittedly get in the way of some of the deeper themes, although they were able to fit them in at certain points in between the bigger action.

As for season 2, I'm not sure about any specifics. I do want to see more of the characters we've seen so far, although some of the Exam arc characters can wait a while to allow time apart. I think Sein and Kraft are the big ones if I were to bring any of them back. But of course, new characters are always welcome. I do think that after such a long Exam arc, it will be nice just to see the three (and any minor companions they might come across) wandering the world before having another big arc.

**Rewatcher**

This season was one of the few anime that I rated 10/10 on anidb without any doubt, sometimes I have to think a little about what I rate an anime but not Frieren. I loved absolutely everything about it. My only regret was not watching it when it aired.

I can't be partial enough to rate arcs but if you put a gun to my head I'd say the first round of the exams was the low point **to me**, up until the conclusion of that round I didn't really like any of the contestants but once that round ended and we got a bit more time to actually know them my opinion changed.

All I expect from this next season is to keep the great quality.

All in all it was fun and interesting reading y'all comments, even if I missed these threads a couple of times and/or was late at them.

See y'all soon!

**Rewatcher**

Small thing, but I finally caught on that Frieren always knows the Flamme fakes not just because she was Flamme's student, but because they're always shown to her as grimoires when they were using scrolls in Flamme's lifetime.


1) Favorite main character? Favorite side character? Least liked character?

* Favorite main is Fern, because she has pouty faces (but really because I liked watching a child's design grow in a neat way, incorporating ties to most of her relationships, and also found it neat to watch the continuation of the teacher-student arc between the four main mages of the show). Favorite side is Flamme, because I keep finding myself staring at the transition of magic moving through her and wonder what she was up to, and for the strange relationship she had with both Serie and Frieren that clearly neither want to let go of. Least favorite is hard, but maybe the Kanne/Lawine combo? Their comedy didnt click much for me, and I was constantly annoyed at the fact they're supposed to be 3rd class mages too, but seem totally underleveled for the whole test set.

2) Favorite arc? Least liked arc?

* Favorite? Probably the Prince & Pauper move with the Granat. Besides the fact that I like that specific plot in general, I enjoyed seeing into Stark's life through it, as well as watching Stark & Fern's first "solo" operations without Frieren, even when their plan was eventually to get Frieren. Her showdown with Aura is a big deal with the fans, but I really liked seeing the callbacks to Fern & Stark's practice attacks in their fights against the other demons. Least favorite? The first test of the Mage exam. It still sticks in my craw that Frieren just skips be the attention of seemingly anyone under the age of 60, especially when she's *in a mage city*; the mage from the Hero's Party should be a very easy identify there. And that specific bitch is then followed up with several episodes following some side characters I didn't like poorly receive passive lessons from Frieren. There were several fun bits and pieces, but I didn't like a good portion of the beginnings of the mage exams.

3) Best episode? Least liked episode?

* Unsure for either tbh. "Long Lived Friends" was one of my favorite episodes, so my sense of taste is clearly out-of-line with a lot of the audience.

4) Any opinions about worldbuilding, power system, lore and so on?

* The magic system is really the piece of the worldbuilding that sticks in my brain, because I like this tri-point that seems to exist between demon magic, "organized" human magic, and the "folk magic" that pops up along the way. Magic definitely has its origins coming from the demons, which is interesting in its own right, but I really want to see how the interplay between the notion of "if I believe in it, my magic can do it" that seemingly forms the bedrock of human magic plays against the very rules-focused magic system so many of the mages we meet lay down. Honestly it reminds me of a poorly assembled TTRPG campaign with RAW vs RAI or Full Maps vs Theater of the Mind. I think there's a serious story in there, based off a few of the bits and pieces the show dropped along the way about Flamme and Serie and the world, but its unclear if we really will learn anything

5) Any reason why all the names are just simple German words? Are they reflect their nature as person/place?

* Between the many anime I've seen before using butchered western languages, and my own shitty original story drafts, I half-suspect the author had placer names and just didn't want to bother finder "finals" when it was all said and done.

6) What could have been better?

* I think a lot of the national worldbuilding was very blase: just "Northern this" and "Central that", but only a handful of places ever had real names. The boots on the ground world isnt very interesting in that regard, the story relies on its magic and the characters (which are very good), and I **love** excessively developed background settings. There were a few things here and there that made me scratch my head, but most of my complaints usually end up being (possibly) tied into show themes, or could be later plot things. So I have to wait on many complaints (clever of them, I can't bitch without a new season of buying the sauce). Not the big thing, but I didn't think much of the music/sound most of the time. It's not always something that matters, but it I like that I-don't-know-what I feel with some show's sound work. I also know many people complain about pace issues, but it never really jumped out to me. But then, I've read *Wheel of Time* multiple times, I probably don't have any sense of pace remaining.

7) Any expectations from the second season? Are you excited for it?

* I am excited. As for expectations? Contact with Sein or Kraft again: both characters have some serious interesting parts moving with them, and the show made a point to make both visible to us in a way that makes me think more appearances await. Less time on Fern and Stark once we're "in" Northern Plateau, likely with more play into Fern's combat history with the party: more stuff like the Village of the Sword, or the encounters with Aura and Quall. Sadly, Frieren will probably be nommed by less mimics this year, and she'll probably be a little more murder-hobo.

8) How would you rate this on a 1-10 scale?

* 9/10. Good characters, good looking world, an amount of side plots that fits well into the traditional Journey story, and a setting hook I've always thought was an interesting concept played exceptionally well.

9) Would it be embarrassing the next time we meet again

* Have you said goodbye to someone more than once in a phone call? Yes, it would be embarrassing.

**Repeat Journeyer**

When Frieren first aired, I planned on not watching it because the premise just sounded too depressing. (Immortal elf watches all the others in her party die off, one by one)

But the reception after the premiere was *so* overwhelming, I just went "okay, fine" and gave in and watched it. I'm *super* glad I did.

After the season ended, I ordered the set of manga to read, and have kept on top of it since. (Hopefully it comes out of hiatus soon)

The story has a great deal of soul in it, and I've tried to keep in mind the biggest moral of the story: Time is precious, spend it with those you love while you can. After I finish posting this, I'm heading over to eat dinner with my parents.

> 1) Favorite main character? Favorite side character? Least liked character?

Frieren's a great protagonist. Her mannerisms and way of looking at the world, and her growth as a character.

For favorite side character, I'm tempted to say Denken. The coolest old guy.

> 2) Favorite arc? Least liked arc?

Favorite arc was Aura the Guillotine, and while it's grown on me, the mage exam is still my least favorite. The first test being the most so.

> 3) Best episode? Least liked episode?

My favorite episode has to be episode 9. My least favorite... probably 19.

> 4) Any opinions about worldbuilding, power system, lore and so on?

I love this world. It feels so fleshed out and tangible.

> 5) Any reason why all the names are just simple German words? Are they reflect their nature as person/place?

It's pretty neat. I'm sure if I spoke German, I'd find it absolutely hilarious.

> 6) What could have been better?

The first test especially felt jarringly out of place with the rest of the show up to that point. Perhaps that's part of why it doesn't quite sit right with me. In another show, it would have been amazing.

> 7) Any expectations from the second season? Are you excited for it?

As a manga reader, I am *super* stoked. All y'all are gonna love it!

> 8) How would you rate this on a 1-10 scale?

9 point something. Among the closest to a 'perfect' show I've ever seen.

> 9) Would it be embarassing the next time we meet again?

Nope, we'll see each other again real soon! In... eleven days!

And finally, a big thanks to our host, u/TheDanubianCommunard! It's been a lot of fun rewatching this with you all!

Until we meet again. See ya!

I could type a full essay with my thoughts, but I will try to keep it brief here.

Nowadays I usually read before I watch an anime. I loved the manga for this series; it was great. But holy shit, the level of the adaptation blew my mind. What people say the advantages of the anime medium are:

* Animation
* Music
* Voice Acting

That's the basic; there is probably more that can be outlined. But man, this anime nails all those aspects so well. Like the implementation with area, all 10/10. What makes this adaptation special is how creative it is. Nowadays what I seek from an adaptation is more creativity. How can you give me a new experience using the anime medium? And goddamn, Frieren absolutely nailed this part.

A big part of this show is how real these characters feel.

* For Frieren having experienced the loss of someone and not appreciating them when they were alive.
* For Fern & Stark, both have confidence issues that they work on. For both of them, they are figuring things out as they continue. Honestly, for Fern, she hasn't had a true motherly figure because, if we are honest, Frieren isn't a good role model for that. For Stark, he is a coward in many ways, but it feels more real than some other anime when it is used as a gimmick. Plus, both act like awkward teens.
* For Sein anyone who is an adult knows the feeling of living in regret of not doing what you originally wanted. Thinking it's too late to set off now.

I will mention the elephant in the room about the magic exam arc. It is my least favorite arc in the manga. It is notably below the rest. So those that have frustrations with it are understandable. But man, the anime did an outstanding job at elevating the chapters centering around the 2nd and 3rd stage parts of the exam.

Rewatcher

Well the show was just as enjoyable as the first time I watched it and the dub was good, I have to give it points over the subs when Frieren breaks the barrier becuase "then never is here" goes hard.

I'm also going to miss the ending theme when season 2 starts.

**3rd Ranked Rewatcher**

First up, I do want to thank OP for hosting another lovely rewatch, and everyone else here for participating. I wasn't at my best and didn't comment around as much as I might have hoped, but I really enjoyed watching the show again and putting up some formal thoughts on it, and I had a lot of fun reading through everyone's comments and impressions.

Frieren really is a very special show to me. It's got amazing characters, very poignant moments, and overall a very positive and inspiring message. It's comfy while still having a plot, characters are allowed to grow and change, and there's a comedic moment for every serious moment, a smile or a laugh for every tear. It does so well blending its characters and its themes that it just comes out feeling really super authentic and wholesome.

A lot of this comes down to the story itself, but the animation, music, and voice work really elevates the original manga story to a very high level. It's such a great example of anime being an amazing format for long-form storytelling.

Anyway, before I get into ramble territory, let's dive into questions.

1) One of the few anime where I can easy say that the main main character is my favourite, Frieren herself. I associate with her a lot and I also just really love her as a character. It's so very interesting to have a character who's lived so long as to see how that colours their worldview in so many different ways. As far as side characters go, I've always been a fan of Kraft and Sein, and I love how both have presenses that linger within the story to some extent, even after they're gone. Denken is my favourite from the mage exam arc, but Übel and Land get lots of bonus points for just being hilariously interesting.

2) Oh boy, I guess now is when I look and see what counts as actual arcs. Some are very easy to point out (like the mage exams) but others are a bit more fluid. I think I'll have to nominate what's referred to as the "Aura the Guillotine" arc as my overall favourite; this is where we really start to learn more deeply about Frieren as a person and the demons she's spent her life battling, and it really pulls all the various disparate character bits together into a whole now that we have our long-term goal. My least favourite is still probably the first part of the mage exam arc, which is dominated by exhausting Kanna and Lawine antics and a bit muddled by having so many new characters tossed into the fray at once.

3) The first episode honestly is probably my favourite as it's such a unique, strong, and amazing introduction to the story. Just the concept of starting off with travelling with a party who has already defeated the demon king is such an intriguing hook, and then it all just keeps building up from there. So beautiful. I can't really think of any single episode that I dislike enough to label it least favourite.

4) The world building and magic system in Frieren are part of what makes it great. It's not a particularly strong focus, but there's enough attention to really give the show some good depth and make it feel like a large world.

5) I kind of hand-waved away as being a sort of German version of Engrish a bit but also as a reference to the fact that the world of Frieren seems to be rather Germanic-coded. My German is rusty, but my Dutch is a lot stronger and they're very similar, so sometimes it's amusing. The terms do seem to be related to the characters they represent in some way which is always fun.

6) Needs to be more of the show. So that will be fixed in about a week and a half! Man it'll feel weird if they use a different ending song though...

7) I'm fully caught up on the manga releases, so I'm really excited for what we're going to see in Season 2! There's one big arc in particular that many manga readers, myself included, are very much looking forward to seeing. And then I guess we'll see where things go from there. (I've seen some speculation that the *next* large-ish arc after the main big arc that will probably be the end of S2 might work better as a standalone movie, and anime seem to like doing movies in between things these days, so I guess we'll see, but I'd honestly prefer them to just keep it to the show...)

8) Frieren is one of my few unabashed 10/10 shows.

9) Well, that's why I never make it a point to say goodbyes in a rewatch, innit? We'll see each other again next show together.

[](#toradorasalute)

And speaking of... I'm just now realising that OP has another rewatch coming up soon! I'll have to go sign-up for that when I'm done here.

I caught up independently, first time watcher (sub).

This show is absolutely something special. It treated the subject matter with incredible care and attention, from its dramatic moments to its silly ones. It exemplifies a lot of what's great about fantasy, leaving you always wanting to learn more and looking for how the world functions. The unusual structure of the plot that focuses far less on dramatic reveals and more on character growth is incredibly organic with some real gutpuch moments that leave your heart swelling with the satisfaction of the setup.

However, there are some flaws that I feel diminish the artistic brilliance at times - largely related to relying on anime and manga tropes that don't feel like they belong. Stuff like overly blatant exposition, characters like Lawine and Kanne who don't feel like they belong in the setting, over-reliance on flashbacks to carry present emotional weight, and some really weird logic especially in the third test. These things don't destroy what the show accomplishes and much of that stuff is used to good ends - like Fern's childishness or Ubel's sexy-dangerous persona - but it does mean that the whole of the story does have some weak points that I'm going to remember as much as the highpoints.

If there's one overarching criticism, it would be that I never really got much of the other characters' motivations. At the end of the exam we start to get a sense of that but I couldn't even guess at many of them; it doesn't really matter if they show up later if I don't have a good sense of what they're about as to care about why they intersect with Freiren. That's something I hope improves in Season 2 as it will make introducing new characters a bit less of an initial trepidation.

There are some remarkable things this show does as a piece of animation: Those meaningful montages, the artful quick cuts, the portrayal of magic. It's a huge moment in anime history that has set a new bar for the current style visually and directorially. Madhouse is a studio that knows when it matters and they made my favorite anime of all time as well: Nana. This has cemented my respect for them and has me looking forward to whatever they put out.

I rated this a **96/100**, as it didn't quite sweep me off my feet in the way **Made in Abyss** or **Space Brothers** did but I let myself be enchanted by it just a bit. That puts it on par with **Apothecary Diaries** S1 - which means I keep finding incredible anime to watch! I'll be there for Season 2, even if I know the weekly wait will pain me.

First Timer, and I watched it subbed! I just want to thank you for doing this rewatch, it got me past where I got stuck earlier last year. While I didn’t get a chance to do as many discussion posts due to travelling and Christmas, I still felt welcomed when I do put my thoughts out there.

Overall thoughts: Solid show, beautifully animated with a great soundtrack. The first OP will always be a favourite since I’m a big fan of YOASOBI, the second OP really grew on me, and the ED is one of the few that really stir my heart. Some of the themes and lessons were really thought provoking, and it made me really empathize with the characters. I liked that there was a balance of peaceful moments, funny moments, and battles, and that there were moments that really surprised me (like unexpected attacks). I truly feel now that it got robbed for Anime of the Year.

> 1. ⁠Favorite main character? Favorite side character? Least liked character?

I thought my fave would be Frieren, but it’s actually Fern!

My fave side character I think is a toss up between Land (who has a *really* cool power) and Methode (who got added to the possible cosplay list lol).

Least favourite, probably Sein since he didn’t really resonate with me but maybe Serie as well for being even more cold than Frieren.

> 2. ⁠Favorite arc? Least liked arc?

Favourite was Aura the Guillotine Arc, it made me really excited to watch every day. We saw our party really come together, and found out how frighteningly powerful Frieren is.

Least liked is Travels to Äußerst Arc, it felt a little slow for me. It was about as slow as the Beyond Journey’s End Arc, but the first arc really moved me.

Ranking:
1. Aura the Guillotine
2. First Class Mage Exam
3. Beyond Journey’s End
4. Travels to Äußerst


> 3. ⁠Best episode? Least liked episode?

Since I watched it over the course of a month, it’s hard for me to pick a favourite and least favourite. I think I could better answer this after a rewatch.

> 4. ⁠Any opinions about worldbuilding, power system, lore and so on?

It was actually easier to follow along than I thought for the power system. The first few episodes, while really slow, did an excellent job with the world building.

> 5. ⁠Any reason why all the names are just simple German words? Are they reflect their nature as person/place?

I only noticed that within the past week haha. When I looked up the names, I feel they’re suited well to the character.


> 6. ⁠What could have been better?

The pacing for the first few episodes. I get why they did it, and why everyone said to push through the first 4-5 eps, but it almost made me not watch it. It was beautiful but didn’t capture my attention (though part of that may have been due to starting Dandadan at the same time and getting madly hooked).

> 7. ⁠Any expectations from the second season? Are you excited for it?

I’m super excited to continue with their adventures! I have no real expectations given that I haven’t read the manga or anything.


> 8. ⁠How would you rate this on a 1-10 scale?

I put 9/10 for MAL. I was debating between 9 and 10, but it seemed to be more comparable to my 9 at this time. I rated it 7 to start (as I do with all shows), quickly adjusted to 8 after the first arc, and settled at 9 by the end.

> 9. ⁠Would it be embarassing the next time we meet again?

Oh for sure.


Thanks again! See you all in about 10 days!

Frieren, before the mage test was at a 9/10 for me, potential 10/10. As I said before, the last fantasy anime I tried to watch was Seven Deadly Sins. It was at least passable, until they started asking Vegeta what the scouter said in the first episode of the second season, and I had to drop it. Frieren was a gale of fresh air.

After the mage test, I'd give it an 8/10. I think it's still better than a 7.

Everybody commented on the animation, and it really was beautiful. There were many many cinematic cuts where they were creative in setting up a scene or adding dynamic motion with the virtual camera.

Almost nobody comments on the music from Evan Call (known for VEG, which I finally finished off over the holiday). I thought it might have been by the S&W remake composer, and thought Frieren's OST was **much** better than S&W.

I really enjoyed all the music in this series. It reminded me at times of Last Exile, old Spice and Wolf, and Conan the Barbarian, all favorites of mine, while also doing its own thing.

Thanks for hosting this, I probably would never have gotten around to watching it, and would have skipped on the second season, too!

I suppose I should watch Dungeon Meshi now.

Sell me to watch this anime plz 😭😭