Alright! Today I'm reviewing the first two seasons of the highly acclaimed 2023 anime television series Frieren, based on the ongoing Frieren: Beyond Journey's End manga series. The series follows the adventures of the elf Frieren, her apprentice Fern, and their travelling buddy Stark as they recreate a route Frieren and the Band of Heroes travelled 80 years ago to kill the Demon King.
My favorite and least favorite aspect of Frieren is how slow it can be. On one hand, every epic fantasy only becomes "epic" once the heroes spend months on end roaming, visiting villages, doing good deeds, killing the occasional monster, and bonding through conversations on the road. What makes something "epic" isn't necessarily the scale of the world, but rather how many steps the journey takes, big or small. The fact that it has been two seasons and we've just barely reached the Northern Land says miles about the scope of the quest they're on... on the other hand, it means the show can move pretty slowly, and nothing took that brunt more than the first five episodes.
Frieren is an acquired taste - not just the show, but the protagonist herself. She's a world-famous elf mage who killed the Demon King 80 years ago alongside Himmel and the Hero Party, but due to her millennia-spanning lifespan, those ten years were nothing more than a footnote in her remarkable life. When members of the Hero Party begin to die decades later, they exhort her to start paying attention to the world around her and build connections with others, leading her to mentor the mage Fern and eventually retrace the route she took decades earlier. It's a fantastic hook for a show and a great foundation for character growth.
But as a character, Frieren is remarkably deadpan, either bored or completely oblivious to every situation she finds herself in - All things said and done, she literally has the personality and mannerisms of a house cat. Like comedies that need wit, physicality, and everyman humour to be properly balanced, Frieren works best when her personality is bounced off other, livelier characters - meaning that the series is dreadfully boring for the first five episodes and only picks up once Stark is introduced.
Character work and small moments are where Frieren shines. When the core trio of Frieren, Fern, and Stark are together, magic is often onscreen (literally and figuratively), and their complex and ever-changing relationships are some of the most heartfelt growth their side of the Mississippi. The assorted cast of recurring characters are all very fun as well, although none of them make much of an impression aside from Sein (the party's priest), who I thought added a fun dynamic to the group and left far too early. I hope to see more of him in future seasons, although I have heard it's not very likely!
The other source of constant amazement in Frieren is the animation. Frieren is one of the best-looking animated shows ever, featuring beautiful countrysides, rich shadows, iconic designs, lovely colors, and kinetic action sequences. Since it's about a group of travelling heroes, the attachment to the physical world they wander is one of the most important aspects of the show, an aspect absolutely nailed by art studio Madhouse. Everything feels real yet fantastical; every piece of scenery is delightful. It's a moving painting at times, always focusing on green scenery and beautiful trees. It's a wonderful, whimsical show.
A large part of that whimsy is the lush, soulful coloring. The entire series is vibrant and bright, masterfully crafted to be appealing. The main character designs are spectacular, always combining in pleasing fashions, and I appreciate the fact that they wear winter or summer clothes that retain the characters' identities depending on the climate. While some of the outfits veer too far away from the medieval setting and look like any other anime (which is especially true for the brighter hair colors), most of the character designs are superb.
Another thing I loved about Frieren are the fight scenes. Since Frieren is a thousand years old and has been studying magic the whole time, she is ridiculously powerful and the show does a great job portraying the power scaling of this world. It's never a question about if they'll get out of a jam, it's always how. Very creative and clever solutions are frequently shown, but when a major conflict needs to be settled violently, the action animation is just as beautifully done as the scenery. The first season finale has one of the most well animated fight scenes I've ever seen between Frieren and a golem clone, at times taking cues from Neon Genesis Evangelion and other times looking like the big bang.
I also appreciated that the villains of the show (thus far) are demons with no redeeming qualities. It sounds funny to say, but I really appreciate that there are not attempts at depth, pity, misguided intentions, or anything sympathetic at all - they are demons in every sense of the word. They're not moustache-twirling villains, but they are completely and wholly bent on spreading misery (and maybe I'll eat my words as the show progresses, but for the time being, I apprecate an old-fashioned villain).
All things said and done, Frieren works as a superb D&D adaptation - all the walking, spending time in random villages, perpetual lack of funds, random sidequests from shopkeepers, and the roadside bonding are pure campaign material. I grew to love Frieren's cat-like personality, I'm invested in the slow-burn romance between Fern and Stark, the animation is gorgeous, and (most importantly) the emotional hook of the series has weight. There are very thought-provoking conversations about life, death, friendship, and the passage of time sprinkled into the episodes, and these philosophical topics are what endears Frieren above all else.
Overall, I give Frieren a 9/10. "Odd seasonal pacing aside, Frieren is a triumph of anime and the fantasy genre."
Comments
Post a Comment