Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1: The Journey’s End -| Review Score – 5/5
Episode 2: It Didn’t Have To Be Magic -| Review Score – 5/5
Episode 3: Killing Magic -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 4: The Land Where The Souls Rest -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 5: Phantoms of the Dead -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 6: The Her of the Village -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 7: Like a Fairy Tale -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 8: Frieren The Slayer -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 9: Aura The Guillotine -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 10: A Powerful Mage -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 11: Winter in the Northern Lands -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 12: A Real Hero -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 13: Aversion to One’s Own Kind -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 14: Privilege of the Young -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 15: Smells Like Trouble -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 16: Long-Lived Friends -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 17: Take Care -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 18: First-Class Mage Exam -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 19: Well-Laid Plans -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 20: Necessary Killing -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 21: The World of Magic -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 22: Future Enemies -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 23: Conquering The Labyrinth -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 24: Perfect Replicas -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 25: A Fatal Vulnerability -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 26: The Height of Magic -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 27: An Era of Humans -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 28: It Would Be Embarrassing When We Met Again -| Review Score – 4.5/5
With any form of media, you’ll encounter many hits or misses. While some programs provide a fair experience, others may leave you disappointed. Regardless, it’s rare to find a tale that’ll leave you in absolute awe from start to finish. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a pleasant exception!
Despite Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s manga being fairly popular in Japan, before its anime’s release, audiences elsewhere were unsure if Frieren’s quest would captivate them.
After witnessing all 28 chapters of this work, we’re confident that Frieren’s tale has the potential to go down as one of the fantasy genre’s greatest offerings yet. Directed by Keiichirou Saitou and animated by Madhouse Studios, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is set moments after Frieren and the Party of Heroes’ victory over their realm’s Demon King. After several of Frieren’s allies come and go, her companion Heiter imposes his young apprentice Fern onto her.
Frieren and Fern go on a quest through past locations she once visited with her former pals. During their travels, Frieren reminisces about her failures to form deeper connections with her previous allies. This anime’s storyline alone is enough to get many anime and fantasy enthusiasts on board.
The idea of following a heroine’s tale after she defeats the big bad of her universe sounds unique and enticing. While there are ways this could go south, the story’s creator, Kanehito Yamada, finds ways to make each of our protagonists’ outings imaginative and pleasing to watch. Whether through calm slice-of-life occurrences or action-packed endeavors, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End offers anime fans everything they’d want from a refreshing fantasy story.
From the story’s numerous flashbacks to the insightful conversations our cast has on screen, fans will admire the quality and execution of it all. Yamada finds a way to weave both devices into her tale exceptionally, leaving fans with something to ponder and discuss with others. Some chapters close with gripping cliffhangers, enticing audiences to check out follow-up episodes swiftly.
Moreover, this anime tackles mature themes that will appeal to older audiences. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End tackles notions like death and the passage of time exceptionally throughout its run. In most instances, you’ll be left with a huge smirk or a flow of tears drizzling down your face. However, that’s not to say Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s story isn’t without its flaws.
Some battles or competitions don’t produce favorable results. This show’s pleasant scenarios and slow-burn moments may not appeal to everyone either. On the flip side, some folks may not find its tournament arc to their liking since it may not capture the magic of the series’s first half for them. Besides those things, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s first season offers audiences a tale that should not be forgotten.
Alongside its marvelous plot, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End delivers a fantastic assortment of characters for fans to admire. From the wise yet quirky Frieren to her pouty yet skilled apprentice Fern, viewers will love following their travels throughout this mystical world.
Each character brings something remarkable to the table, be it through personality, backstory, or ability. You’ll cherish how well-rounded everyone feels. Audiences will cheer for these characters’ triumphs and will feel sorry for them when they’re at their lowest points. Additionally, the beautiful companionship between Stark and Fern will make audiences squeal with glee. However, one of the series’s most important protagonists, Himmel, will shock audiences the most.
Although something terrible happens to Himmel at the series’s start, Yamada finds a way to remind audiences of his importance, not only to Frieren but to her world itself. You’ll be speechless by how well-written his character is by episode 28. Like Frieren, you’ll wish that terrible instance that happened to him in episode one didn’t occur.
The supporting cast receives a great deal of screen time, too. From Frieren’s master Flamme to some first-class mage participants like Denken and Ubel, viewers will appreciate the depth they receive within season one. While some supporting cast members aren’t explored as much as Frieren, Fern, and the other main figures, the side cast’s personalities, backgrounds, and skills will leave a lasting image in viewers’ heads.
Madhouse Studios is known for producing gorgeously animated works. From 2011’s Hunter X Hunter to 2018’s A Place Further Than the Universe, fans knew to expect exceptional animation and visual quality from the studio. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s production quality wasn’t just good as it blew many folks’ expectations, ours included.
From Frieren’s exceptional fight with her replica to Stark and Fern’s well-animated ballroom dance scene, viewers could tell a lot of passion and effort went into this series’s production. Even the scenes that didn’t require much movement from the characters looked charming to the eye. That’s not to say the production quality was perfect from beginning to end.
There were moments like with Aura’s knight army, where the Madhouse Studios opted for CGI instead of animating figures traditionally. It made figures like those knights jarring to watch on screen. Fortunately, moments like that were few and far between.
For its soundtrack, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End had the likes of Evan Call and others handling its soundtrack. Much like 2018’s Violet Evergarden, Evan Call delivers an exceptional score that brings Frieren’s fantasy realm to life. It captures her world’s atmosphere exceptionally, allowing fans to immerse in her world’s happenings.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s voice acting was phenomenal, too. Whether it was Frieren’s English voice actress Mallorie Rodak or her Japanese voice actress Atsumi Tanezaki, each performer deserves praise for their contributions.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End had a lot of competition in the fall of 2023. It was competing with a juggernaut shonen like Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 and often butted heads with the loved historical mystery series The Apothecary Diaries at times. Fortunately, much like Keiichirou Saitou’s other production, Bocchi The Rock, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End found its footing in the anime industry and captured many fans’ attention.
Although Frieren’s journey is far from over, we’re optimistic that this unique fantasy tale may one day become a cinematic masterpiece.
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Verdict - 9.5/10
9.5/10