Anime 52991 Sousou No Frieren Reviews

With lives so short, why do we even bother? To someone who lives for thousands of years, it is barely worth giving the wistful existence of humans much consideration, let alone getting to know them. That is, at least, until you meet one who is worth getting to know.

From the very outset, this series does not hide that it will focus on some of the tough questions in life: purpose, meaning, our own endings. Yet embedded within these, it unpacks the many guised forms of regret. Upfront it reminds us that our lives are short; our prime is even shorter. It is easy to be ... nonchalant or carefree – or to believe we are working towards “something” – but yet, after the fact has passed, what will we wish we did instead? What should have mattered to us more at the time?

In story, sousou no Frieren is about everything that happens "in the moment”, and the things we didn’t know we had until we find time to reflect; the end is what catches up to us when there is no tomorrow to put things off until. As our lives speed towards that end, we start to learn the meaning in making those small moments count. But did we not always know this? Wisdom is as much about its meaning as it is about how we come to acknowledge it. Our teacher may be there for only one one-hundredth of our lives, yet it only takes that one person to question us on the things we haven’t yet stopped to think about. For even if we don't appreciate wisdom at the time, once that seed has been planted, do we not continue to grow it unknowingly until the season is right for it to fruit?

Visually, while peppered with small parts of almost misplaced silly humour, sousou no Frieren captures the story’s deep sentiments with detailed subtleties: slight shifts in wrinkled expressions, dirt flicking up from a wagon’s wobbly wheel, the agefulness in the differences of characters' hands, or the objects that become absent from Himmel’s cabinet between scenes. The unobtrusiveness of the character banter is paired with genuinely “normal” character flaws that serve only to make the characters more real, as they struggle with their own vices, internal demons… and regrets. The music and sounds can almost go unnoticed: the crackling of lanterns in the otherwise deafening silence of night, the rushing water as they cross a stream, or the dampening fog of the wood. Combined, the story, visuals and sounds sustain a gently forlorn yet serious undertone that ensures you always know where this story’s journey is taking you.

The studios behind this series are well-known for quality and care, and thankfully they were given the time to pore over these details for us: for example, the cut scenes in episode four, of Frieren’s “master” and the finding of her magical tome, are short but powerfully emotive. As always, it's refreshing and reassuring to have series such as these – series that know they can hold their own against the usual roll out of typical tropes, formulaic story recycling, and the essential must-have fanservice; a series that takes the time to tell its story, to unpack its themes, that takes you on a journey and rewards you for your emotional investment.

Sousou no Frieren is a series that has the power to change how you choose to live your life: to reflect now on what you may live to someday regret and choose how you will take action to cherish it in the moment while you still live it.

Frieren is the most overrated anime of this decade, and I'm going to show you why.

It's an empty anime with no story to tell, a repetitive series that dwells on the same subject in every episode: the past.

The characters are not at all interesting; they're all one-dimensional and poorly written. Frieren is a bland elf who doesn't grasp human emotions. That blue-haired guy (whose name escapes me because everything in this anime is easily forgettable) is a hero, the other group member is an alcoholic priest, and the last member is a dwarf. The group could be entirely different, and it wouldn't affect the plot ... because the characters are essentially nothing, representing nothing, and entirely replaceable.

The anime's story is dull and poorly crafted, making it impossible to convince someone to watch it by describing the plot because nothing happens in this anime. Everything is vague, simple, tasteless, and empty.

The animation is slightly above average, leading some casual viewers to believe that this anime is the pinnacle of fiction, similar to what happened with Demon Slayer. The soundtrack is forgettable; you could watch it without sound, and it wouldn't make a difference.

In summary, Frieren is an empty work with forgettable characters. The animation might fool some into thinking it's a good anime, but it's not. I recommend Frieren only for those dealing with insomnia because it's one of the most potent sleep aids in recent times.

I feel so catered to.

It feels like an eternity since I've been given such a phenomenal anime with a well thought out plot, great art and animation to accompany it, emotional thought provoking moments... more than that, it feels so mature in that it doesn't baby me with your typical anime tropes. No obnoxiously screaming kid protags, no overly ecchi scenes meant purely for fanservice, no moments where I have to groan and just deal with whatever stupidity is put before me-- Just a fun and emotional journey that is pure story and human feelings.

I'm not going to go into too incredible detail, but if ... you're a fan of fantasy and pure story elements, this is the anime for you. It focuses on the after story of Frieren, who has already well and finished her main quest to defeat the demon lord that plagued their lands. We join her at the end, celebrating the accomplishments of her and the party she traveled with. Time passing ever so swiftly as her party aged while she does not as an elf. She's always known that she will easily outage everyone surrounding her and did not think twice of how she spent her time in those many years till next they met. And then she had to come to face with reality-- The hero she'd traveled with would die. Her compatriots would surely soon follow. Uncaring as she was before, she now realizes just how much she should have bothered to care.

Thus does she go on a journey to find herself and to meet up with the others in their older ages. Thus does she take on an apprentice and decide to try and reunite with the hero waiting where they last felled the demon king.

What anyone may appreciate most will go into just how well these characters are written. Especially the women! Rarely have I seen a well written woman character that I could fall in love with... and I had just about given up hope in such a male protagonist dominated field. You'll come to appreciate that they're their own characters, with their own thoughts and emotions, with varying personalities and things that get to them in a very human way. Sometimes our emotions don't make sense and occasionally you'll see these characters on their bad days, acting out of sorts and it's interesting to see.

Everything from the art, to animation, to music, to details... all of it is wonderful on the eyes and ears. When the going gets tough and the fights begin, the battle choreography is just so gorgeous to watch. So much detail and weight goes into everyone's movement. I think my only possible gripe could be that sometimes the characters can come off as a little stiff, their faces of emotion not as exaggerated when it comes to anime standards. Maybe that's a good thing and we're too accustomed to over the top facial expressions after all this time-- but occasionally, one wonders if it's not just a little too lifeless at times.

Other than that nitpick though, I can't help but recommend this anime to all of my friends and share in all its glory! My group of friends were particularly entranced and just so pleased to have a more adult show that felt appropriate for our older age. Just don't go into this expecting it to be fast and getting into this for that quick hit of awesome epic moments. This is a slow ride and an enjoyable one as it builds its world and relationships at a relaxing pace.

Style-
Frieren doesn't have its own unique style in any way. It just feels like every other Fantasy/Isekai ever. and I know it's not an Isekai, but it certainly feels like it in a lot of ways. The characters are very uninteresting and forgettable, the ost is one of the most generic things I've ever heard, the directing is very basic and boring, and the world is also uninteresting and forgettable. It's ironic how the only intriguing location is one we never see on screen through the whole anime (The North). Besides that there isn't a single location that sticks out. So in terms of ... style this anime offers nothing that anybody who has seen more than 20 anime likely hasn't already seen before. It's not ambitious in any way and just feels soulless. I will say that for an anime to be good it doesn't have to be avant garde, or have insane directing that blows your mind, but there is nothing this anime offers that even makes up for its lack of identity (boring soulless characters and world).

World Building-
I've seen so many people praising the "amazing world building" this anime has, but I don't understand where they are getting this from.
The actual locations they go to feel like they have little to no importance in the actual world. They just feel like random kingdoms and villages, but why are these kingdoms actually important in the world? We are never really told, so it kind of just feels like they are just there to give the characters a place to go. it makes the world feel less alive and less dynamic. The world isn't changing around our characters, but rather they are changing around the world. It makes watching them journey around random areas feel meaningless. I never once during this anime thought to myself about where the characters would go next, nor did any area feel distinct from each other. There was nothing differentiating the different areas culturally and it just made the anime really boring and feel not alive. There was never a single character we met in one of these areas that wasn't also forgettable.
The world we are in is also so incredibly stereotypical. The fantasy elements aren't creative in any way and they just feel like copies of the same blueprint that fantasy stories have been using for a long time. Even Konosuba was parodying these stereotypes over 10 years ago but yet we are seeing them even more now for some reason. Regardless, Frieren does nothing interesting with these elements. The magic system is generic, the Demons are just bad guys who want to kill people, the kingdoms and villages are all generic, and I can go on and on. It just felt like this anime had a checklist of fantasy setting elements to include, but didn't bother to do anything interesting with any of them. The magic system is poorly implemented as well. Why doesn't pretty much everyone in the world use magic? It's such an advanced tool that I feel like everyone even people doing basic jobs should use it to make their jobs more efficient. It isn't a very well thought out concept and it goes back to what I was saying earlier about how they just included it because that's the norm for fantasy stories.

Animation/Art/Directing/Soundtrack
This is the strongest part of the whole anime. The animation was insane sometimes and there were lots of pretty colors that I actually liked looking at. Animation is such a non factor though this barely added anything to the experience for me. This is probably the least important category when it comes to making a good anime. As far as the art goes, I thought the background scenery was overly generic a lot of the time. Once again, it felt like I couldn't separate it from anything else. It didn't feel very atmospherically alive, but if it did I think I would've liked it a lot more. If this anime was more like Mushishi for example where each scene is just breathing life, I would've appreciated it so much more. In Mushishi there is always so much going on in the background and environmentally, even when nothing is happening it creates such a nice watching environment, that I am just completely entranced. It feels like this is what this anime wanted to be, but failed miserably. The lack of an interesting soundtrack also plays a heavy role in this. There were times where it actually felt like the soundtrack was AI generated.
The directing was very boring and there were a lot of annoying flashbacks that happened in the middle of a fight. Sometimes I literally forgot the fight was even happening because of how long the flashbacks were, which is where the problem lies for me. There is nothing wrong with the flashbacks inherently, but they were just very annoying and uninterestingly implemented. There were some scenes where a monster or demon would die, and for some reason they would randomly dissolve as if it was a video game or something. And there is also an annoying amount of explosions in this anime. To the point where explosions pretty much mean nothing since there is one every 3 minutes on average. Even when nothing happens to cause an explosion, one will just randomly happen anyways.
There were a lot of questionable sound design choices surrounding the comedy scenes that took me out of whatever immersion I possibly had left. They would use silly sound effects that didn't fit in the actual world and it felt really off putting. However, as for my first positive in this whole review, I actually really love the crystally sound effect they use whenever a character uses magic. It actually sounded really cool and it was probably my favorite part of the whole anime.

Comedy-
This anime does a poor job at mixing in its comedy with seriousness. There is one episode where Stark is bitten by a venomous snake and he was on the edge of potentially dying. Yet, the characters were being very unserious about it, as if it didn't even matter. There were many instances of this during the anime and it just got unwatchable. How am I supposed to take this anime seriously when even the people making it aren't taking it seriously.
Besides that a lot of the comedy feels like it was written by a 13 year old. The jokes just felt very forced in, and it often repeats jokes a lot as if us hearing about the drunk priest again for the 50th time was gonna be any more funny than the 49th time. A lot of the characters are purely used as comedy sticks and don't even feel like their own person. Pretty much the entire cast of Frierens old group are 1 dimensional comedy characters that got carried by Frieren to defeating the demon king. The priest is drunk every time we see him in a flashback, himmel is always acting like an idiot which is supposed to be funny because he's actually supposed to be like a hero or something, but he actually is just a goofball (its funny and stark is totally not the same character), and the beard guy never talks and is pretty much just afk. Oh and if one drunk priest wasn't enough, we get a second one midway through the anime.


Characters-
None of the characters feel like humans. They are constantly expressionless, especially during fights, and it just makes them very unrelatable. The way they talk is robotic as well. It's annoying that our main 2 characters are the most expressionless in the whole anime, and of course they get the most screen time. I already talked about the other characters from Frierens flashbacks, and that applies here too. Most of the characters are either expressionless robots, or purely comedy characters. There are very few actually serious characters and when I say very few I mean only 2. There is no character development, and everyone stays the same as they were before. After Stark defeats the dragon on his own early on, he doesn't grow as a character, he just stays as an annoying whiny brat. Fern is always mad at stark, even when their relationship progresses, it always goes back to square 1 and nothing ever happens to progress anything really.

Plot-
Boring, nothing happens between episodes 10-18. There isn't really much to talk about because there isn't really much plot to begin with. Frieren is kind of just looking after Fern because the drunk priest wanted to and they just wander around together. That's pretty much it. I guess they have an objective to go up to the north so they spend 18 episodes doing nothing, and then doing an exam so that they can try becoming tier 1 mages to go up north. It's very boring and nothing happened this entire season. This anime is more about its themes than its plot but I think the themes aren't explored very well. I did resonate with them a lot early on, but the same themes of nostalgia and time perception got really repetitive and they never really went anywhere.

In conclusion, this anime is not good in any way and honestly I gave it the most positive rating I could've possibly given it. I was bored from start to finish, and there was very little redeeming qualities in this anime. The only reason I didn't rate this anime lower is because I think there are much worse anime out there and in comparison to those, I guess this one isn't the worst thing ever, but it probably deserves a 2 or a 3 in reality. This anime is full of plot conveniences and nonsense. If you would like to see more of what I thought about this anime, feel free to check out the youtube channel in my bio. I uploaded a full length review on this anime where I talk about a lot of the things I wrote here, as well as a lot of other things I didn't go into depth about.

Through 3 episodes, Frieren appears to be a unique masterpiece in storytelling and worldbuilding, a bright spot in the middling fantasy genre, and one of the leading anime of the season, no, anime of the year candidates; I do not recommend it to 70% of anime fans.

Don’t get me wrong, this show is absolutely amazing at pretty much every aspect of being an anime, and through 3 episodes, I literally can’t find a single gripe that I have about this series. However, I can easily see how the average anime fan would find the series “boring” or “uninteresting”. Frieren isn’t a flashy series: it ... primarily deals with character development, symbolism, and storytelling. There are few fight scenes, a whole lot of dialogue, not a lot of effort spent on comedy and a general lack of the “fantasy tropes” that people expect from the genre. However, if you have seen a lot of bland fantasy anime and are looking for a change, or perhaps you have a somewhat nuanced view or sense of appreciation for higher-level stories, Frieren will be nothing short of an amazing experience for you.

Frieren isn’t an anime that you would celebrate in the group chat “DUDE that episode was sooooooo hype”. It’s more of something that you would write a thesis paper for in English class. Our story follows Frieren: an Elven girl who seeks to understand the human perspective of life: one foreign to her as her long lifespan doesn’t allow her to see the value in most human endeavors. The only deep connection she has to anything is to her 3 friends and the adventures they went on together. When the friend she has the deepest connection to dies off, she is willed to reconnect with the other friends before they die off; collecting apprentices from each of them as she looks to retrace that adventure she took for granted. Any doubts that I had about this premise on paper were quickly washed away by the masterclass of storytelling.

The story is primarily told through flashbacks rich in symbols of Frieren’s previous adventures that develop our characters and give them a general sense of direction, followed by an actual storyline acting on these flashbacks. The flashbacks are all succinct enough to remain interesting without feeling long-winded, and each and every flashback has a clear story purpose: whether that be as clear characterization or setting up Chekhov's guns for later. These Chekhov's guns are used perfectly in a way that guarantees you an “oh, *that’s* what that was for” moment every episode. Both of these positive aspects of the use of flashbacks are commonly botched in other anime in the genre, making Frieren just that much more impactful.

*Lightning round of praises*

The story is amazingly emotional, yet nuanced as it tackles heavier-than-normal topics for the genre with a degree of tact. It doesn’t try to be overtly shocking with big *gasp* moments or overtly emotional with moments that make you want to bawl your eyes out, instead, it maintains a constant level of impact on the viewer: a factor lost on some anime that have a degree of variance to their impact.

The characters are deep to the extent simply not found in most fantasy anime. The original party interacts with each other in a way that makes their friendship feel genuine: almost in a Konosuba-esque manner. The new party has fluid dynamics that can even foster a bit of comedy that never detracts from the actual story.

The animation is high quality without being overly showy or bombastic: almost in a way that reminds me of the first season of Mushoku Tensei (minus the cool bread-tearing scenes)

The op is yet another Yoasobi op with depressing ass lyrics atop an upbeat score. It admittedly took me a long time to warm up to it, but by episode 4 I recognized that it was amazing.

Frieren does the Oshi No Ko thing of having a long-ass first episode(granted this one was split into 4 episodes but I digress). This helps the viewer get into the more convoluted premise more easily, and honestly, this should become common practice for anime of this nature.

If any of this sounds appealing to you, I suggest you check out Frieren. I personally see the series as a fantastic representation of what a true higher-level fantasy anime should really be like. However, I do recognize that for some, it simply doesn’t have that traditional anime impact that you need to enjoy a series. That’s perfectly okay, but just know you're probably missing out on something truly great.

Thanks for reading, let's have more Frieren-like fantasy and less vending machine isekai.

I feel some of the other reviews say it all too well, but what makes this a masterpiece in my opinion is that it absolutely captivates the sense of time of Fireren the titular main character, and how grand her lifespan is. Entire stories and experiences, entire lifetimes of people she's met are spoken of as if they were a brief scene like depicted in these flashbacks. The series does this brilliantly I feel. It wants us to focus on her journey of where she's going now, why, and who she is now rather than dwell too much in the past but to understand that ... we've got to see into her past, her many human lifetimes worth of experiences which again we see in brief glimpses, which could depict years, decades as that's how Frieren perceives time.

As much as the current story and current journey we see in the series is fantastic storytelling as is, it leaves us wondering how many other journeys and what other kind of things she may have seen. It gets us asking and wanting to know more about her, about Frieren but also it allows us the luxury of seeing this current chapter of her life. This "one one hundreth".

The series doesn't overtell, it allows you to feel immersed into the world, which is greatly helped by the sublime soundtrack.
This is a true gem of a series that I personally feel, will be remembered as a classic in years to come and I'm absolutely grateful to be able to watch it. I hope this review helps, I don't want to share too much or spoil after all. I recommend this, watch for yourself and see how you feel. Violet Evergarden and Vivy: Fluorite Eyes Song vibes for days.

TL;DR: 5/10, I don't recommend this for anyone that has standards and enjoys a fantasy world that tells you from the very beginning at least SOME of its rules, a good or at least somewhat decent power system, not made on the spot spells for whenever the author needs them, well-explored themes, complex characters or intriguing dialogue.

This anime can easily be described by saying that it is mediocre and generic and it has no reason to be as popular and praised as it is. The reason why I believe this is the case is because of the kind of interesting premise of the show which ... makes people think that this story and characters are actually mature, complex, or even philosophical (which it isn't, only at a surface level), the waifu bait mc, the episodic Slice of Life (SoL) elements and the presence of the well loved fantasy genre which is so popular these days in the anime community, giving huge generic isekai/fantasy anime vibes (especially the world and characters). While I have no problem with people that simply enjoy something for what it is, going from that to giving this anime only 9's and 10's and calling it anything close to "deep" or "philosophical" is an insult to any piece of writing that actually are this things. If you want something philosophical or deep, I can easily recommend anime such as Kino no Tabi (old version), Serial Experiments Lane and Casshern Sins.

World Building/Power system
Almost non-existent, the author makes things up as he goes along the way. No one explains the different classes which apparently exist, the races and the relationships between them, since there are quite a few of them (apparently they are all friendly with each other, except the demons, who are supposed to be the bad guys cuz that's what all the generic fantasy anime/manga/ln's also do) and kind of explain (on a surface level of course) the presence of magic. You have no history or sense of the world and how every species lives the way they do and no well-established fighting system, which makes this world seem extremely uncooked and was just an afterthought for the author cuz he knew all too well that classic fantasy worlds easily sell and everyone understands them, so he had no reason to think about it. While the demons are made up to be a threat, although to a lower extent, they barely appeared and got mentioned throughout the anime, they were probably put in just to have an occasional fighting sequence and to build anticipation of living threats (which they aren't, cuz Frieren's power is completely broken, so there is no tension or urgency for the party).
To add to the power system argument, the fact that Frieren's main hobby is collecting spells makes the anime even worse, since we are led to believe there are spells for pretty much everything since she collects a huge amount of books regularly on her journies, even before the story starts. Too add to that, how she has so many spells and the most important and even basic ones for battles or problematic situations for some reason don't exist or she doesn't have them is beyond me, especially since she has all kinds of spells for daily chores and needs, but not spells such as one that makes you lack the need for sleep, keep you warm in the cold or makes you see what is an illusion and what is real. But of course, we need some fake tension or to show some struggle with the characters because the existence of magic is used as the author sees fit and whenever it leads to the outcome that the author wishes for and it can easily be excused by saying that "she has so many spells, we don't know which she has or which she doesn't" or "she has so many spells, she can't remember all of them".

Story
The protagonist goes on the journey to the demon king castle to relieve the moments she had with her old party members. This is the kind of show where you should simply enjoy the journey, characters and the SoL elements without putting much thought into it. Too bad that, while I will talk later about why the characters are bad, pretty much every episode Frieren and her gang go to different towns, helping people for a few days, then moving on to another town doing fetch quests and sometimes beating an average bad guy (monsters). Fans of these show will likely tell you that all these moments are to build the characters and their relationships and while that may be true to some extent between 2 of them, Frieren not only doesn't do that, but she doesn't even try to learn more about the humans about which she wants oh so much to learn about, this being one of the main reasons (beside reminiscing about the old party) for why she goes on this journey. You would think that when someone wants to learn about other people or races, they would actually spend a significant amount of time with and questioning them at every chance they get. Not Frieren though, she has never even tried to question humans about their short life spans (compared to hers), how they see themselves compared to other species, or the value of their lives, to name just a few potential questions. Instead, she spends a few days in a town, does some chores for a few townsmen and moves on, constantly thinking about the old party she had which she didn't even try to get to know better even after she had realised that she wants to learn more about them.

Art style
As generic as it can get, you have the average fantasy world with pretty, vibrant colors, cute and moe female character design, and soy boyish male characters (not all but quite many of them, as it is the current trend).

Sound
While I usually don't notice the music and sound effects in anime's, there a few exception when I do so, but not in this anime, the OST is your typical medieval fantasy soundtrack.

Characters
Pretty much all of them can be defined by a simple character trait or stereotype, such as kuudere, another kuudere (the mc and the purple haired girl), the energetic crybaby that gets serious when it counts, for the main party, and drunk priest (get it?it's funny cuz that's a contradiction), serious dwarf and energetic crybaby (again), for the old party of Frieren. They all are the typical good guys with not much else going for them. In fact, for some reason, every single person that they meet on their journey just so happens to be good, except the demons, which are bad, as we all know. the old cast and the frequent flashbacks are used to make you feel bad about Frieren (a bit of emotional manipulation since you don't know any of them in the first few episodes when they appear the most so it's better and easier to make Frieren cry after them instead of building up for at least a few episodes the characters and that crying scene), and to make Frieren realise that she actually knew plenty of things about them and actually had a connection to them. This is considered an important plot point in the story because the anime tries to hammer almost every episode (if not every ep) how much she is starting to remember and care about them, but the story keeps going with the flashbacks even though both the watcher and Frieren understand this after just a few episodes and it still doesn't matter cuz Frieren doesn't change in the least after the first few episodes since she has this revelation and starts her new journey to know more about humans (which she doesn't even try to do, as i pointed out earlier). The least I can give it is that the old party isn't, at least, simply forgotten but a reminder for why Frieren goes on her journey, even though this can be simply canceled due to what I just mentioned.
Focusing on Frieren, the main protagonist, shows just how flawed the execution of its supposed themes in this show is. The fact that she is +1000 years old is one of the selling points and main reasons why this anime is usually praised, since it's something "new" and "original" (and as we all know, new and original=quality, doesn't matter how bad the execution is), but too bad that the aforementioned execution shows that it doesn't even matter if she is +1000 years or 20 years old since you can explore the same themes that this show pretends to explore in the exact same way and you wouldn't feel a difference. Actually, it would be even better like this, since she acts like a 5 year old that constantly needs to be spoon fed, woken up and dressed by her kuudere companion, despite her age. She was also a social outcast for hundreds of years , but good thing she ain't a +20 year old shut-in male who collects figurines and posters and suddenly tries to become more social, but a +1000 years cute woman elf that collects spells and only knows how to live like this, despite the years of experience, self reflection and time that she had to change over this period of time, because it would be quite clear who would be more appreciated and liked by the watchers. It is literally impossible to suspend your disbelief that she can still act like a child and have no maturity whatsoever after all this time if you have basic human knowledge and know that change can happen, even just by getting older (not to mention the life experience that she more or less has, even by simply existing) (and since there is no explanation, as far as I know, about the difference in development of human and elves, it's easier to go by human logic since they are extremely similar, except their pointy ears and long life span, which doesn't excuse the almost non-existent development from her childlike state). Neither her behavior, nor her thoughts show anything that could make me point to her and say she is actually a deep or complex characters used to explore themes such as the importance of bonds, of life, the inevitability of death, and the fact that the author just slaps over all her childish elements "+1000" years doesn't change anything about her shallowness, she is just a moe waifu bait who is liked only because she is a cute female, seing a +1000 year old male acting and being treated by others like she is creating quite the different perception of how a person should be at that age.
While I have nothing to say about the rest of the cast except that they are generic characters that are easily replaceable (which would be preferable since it would create more interesting dynamics than the ones in here), I at least enjoyed some of the interactions between purple hair girl and red hair boy, despite the fact that they don't add anything to the anime, not in term of themes, nor of story, especially the purple haired, since this anime shows you just how bland a cast of characters can be if you have more than 1 kuudere, red hair boy being used to liven the atmosphere a little (though it doesn't change much since the show is still boring and bland and mediocre due to the many reasons I presented here).

Conclusion
So yea, this show has nothing going for it except it's empty premise which the anime fails to build upon or execute even in a relatively competent way, being one of the most generic anime i have the (dis)pleasure to watch, but I am quite curious to see if it will even try to do anything better than it currently does, or it will remain an empty premise which the author isn't capable in the least to do something with.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is unethical because it has no qualms about portraying demons as inherently flawed despite the fact that they showcase intellect and empathy that is on par with humans on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, elves, who are implied to be unable to empathize, are given preferential treatment simply because they pose no threat to humans, which in itself is a contradiction. The above-mentioned seems to indicate that Frieren is not actually about time and change, but rather seeks to promote anthropocentrism and communism. It is anthropocentric in the sense that humans are at the center of everything in Frieren, despite being substantially inferior ... to both demons and elves. To further illustrate the point that is being made, in every single scene that involves demons or elves, humans are invariably brought up. It is as if the lives of every demon and elf revolve around human beings.

This show is fervently against the exertion of power, except when it benefits humans. This is most notably seen when frieren states directly to Serie, the personification of power, that her favourite spell is one that creates a field of flowers. In spite of that, Frieren does not have any second thoughts about massacring demons despite having seemingly no motive to do so. After all, it has already been established that elves feel no attachment towards their species as a whole and lack self-preservation instincts, which excludes the possibility that she is avenging their deaths. On top of that, Frieren's obsession with killing demons predates her meeting Himmel and Flamme, which could otherwise have served as a catalyst. The only explanation is that it benefits humans. This is another case of narrow-minded anthropocentrism in which the writer is unable to imagine a world that does not revolve around human sentiments.

As for the atmosphere, it is degraded by the constant barrage of flashbacks and jokes that are more often than not inserted into serious moments, which lessens the impact. Frieren was great when it was simply a story about an elf who wanders around aimlessly with her companion, collecting spells that she happens to come across along the way. The writer, blinded by her communistic viewpoints and subconscious craving for violence, changed the course of the story to better reflect her ideal world scenario, a scenario in which wealth and power is distributed among the people (humans), as opposed to the unfeeling aristocrats (demons). To achieve this objective, she posits that a powerful state (elves) needs to intervene and redistribute the power. This is alluded to when Flamme (influenced by Serie) successfully persuaded the Emperor of the continent's largest unified empire to endorse nationwide research into magic; magic is power. Prior to that point, every type of magic was viewed as demonic practice, and prohibited as a result. Furthermore, the goddess of creation is depicted with the long ears of an elf, which is in line with the establishment of the elves as the symbol of the state.

The previously mentioned flaws detract from the immersion of the reader, while also reinforcing the belief that Frieren is not a proper fantasy. Fantasy relies on the improbable, but to be effective, it must maintain a level of believability; truth is stranger than fiction. For instance, The existence of a species (referring to elves) that does not conform to the biological imperative (drive to reproduce, will to power, etc) is fantastic in nature, but the audience is nevertheless owed an explanation as to how that can be, and Frieren fails miserably in that regard. With that said, it does not come as a surprise that a sizeable portion of the Frieren fandom have correctly surmised that it is in fact a "native isekai", rather than a regular fantasy.

It's been 3 years since I last wrote up a review.

Frieren is a slow burner. But hits so, so, good. After watching episode 10 it concludes it. Anime of the Year. I have no doubts. This is the only anime this season that I feel is worth reviewing or taking the time to write up a review about it. Being available on YouTube as well is a big plus. I look forward to every Friday/Saturday for new episodes.

When I'm watching it's like a breath of fresh air, I can smell it and it just feels so refreshing. The music ESPECIALLY the Ending Song ... is a vibe. The animation is quality, and it's just overall a goddamn banger what else can I say? I might be slightly biased.

The environment around Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is beautiful. The beauty of nature, and the character designs. The voice acting is top-notch. It's a colorful show that showcases the beauty of the medieval times.

In terms of blood, and gore, it checks out as well. A bit of a trigger warning, the way the blood drips, how thick it is, and how it's spread out, OK that sounds wrong when I re-read it. Anyways, the level of detail with the blood, the animation, and the character designs is superb.

I've been keeping up with most of the anime this season. But once again, this is the only show that I felt writing up about how good it is. Taking me off from my 3-year hiatus from reviewing anime. A lot has happened these past years but this is not about me. WATCH FRIEREN.

First time I felt compelled to write a review on this website, even though I’ve been using it for years. That’s how incredible this anime is.

Ive been watching anime for 15 years and I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed by a show than I am with Frieren. It’s absolutely a masterpiece and possibly the best anime I’ve ever seen.

Beautiful atmosphere, likeable characters, amazing music, and a good, unique take on the typical “hero saves the world” story.

If things continue like they they are now until the end of the season, it will definitely become my favorite anime of all time.

"Still, your
Words, wishes, and courage
Even now, they are surely
Alive within me"

If you have one person in your life that you care about, I encourage you to watch this anime. If you have lost a loved one, this animation will bring you warmth and tenderness.

Maybe you will find this anime boring. If so, please put it on your list and watch it again in 5 or 10 years. I am sure that the way you feel about this anime will change depending on the time you have spent in your life.

One of the best animes I have ever watched.

A point outside the curve.

In times where the anime industry seems to be stagnant in a sameness of isekais and battle shounens, Sousou no Frieren comes to bring renewal at a completely different pace than what we are used to seeing, I'm writing this review after the fifth chapter and I can already dig in which is the anime of the season.

Sousou no Frieren brings an incredible story full of sensitivity, following the protagonist's learning process in understanding something that is simple about our concepts, the anime very subtly brings to each episode the changes in the way she sees life and her regret at ... not having valued the little moments with her group of friends more, all of this is accompanied by fluid animation, great art direction and enviable soundtracks reminding us of studio ghibli films.

So far Sousou at Frieren has perfectly managed to mix the right tone of melancholy with a spark of hope that things will be better, I am extremely excited to see how this will conclude at the end of the season.

Episode starts and Frieren interacts with an insignificant and uncatchy episodic character, it cuts into a flashback of the perfect human being Himmel with his unquestionable act of truth on a similar situation Frieren is experiencing. Maybe They add an alcoholic priest joke which is so funny so why don't we do it for a hundredth time. Anyway eventually the flashback ends and Frieren smiles, how heartwarming. Meanwhile Fern pouts on either Frieren or Stark but cheers up in the end and Stark just feels sorry the whole episode as always. What am I talking about? Oh it is just the every episode of the ... Sousou no Frieren. Yes, each episode is repetitive in base of writing. Oh, I am sorry, the Chunin Exam arc is different, my bad! Series enter an unnecessarily long arc just when we started to focus personal and relationship developments of the characters other than Frieren.

In a world, what happens after the defeat of the Demon Lord? Or what will the heroes do after that? Well I don't know, because story doesn't telling it neither. It doesn't ever ask the question, we defeated the demon lord so what. Time flows and story only focuses on one character and it is of course Frieren. The other characters are just stair steps to make her shine, help our introvert and unemotional old little elf to realize the meaning of time, and quality of human life. Others only mean to make her feel like a human, they don't have any other purpose and their characters aren't important at all, hack, they don't have any personality neither: We have an always righteous all seeing knight, drunk priest(s) (Twice the fun), dwarf being dwarf, pouting robot girl, sorry feeling dude and such. Only thing changing and developing is Frieren.

Well After criticizing like this, I would like to point out that the visuals and animations are fine, credit where credit is due, but sound tracks are unnoticeable and forgettable. Its world is far from calling it identical. It is yet another mediocre fantasy / isekai world with similar atmosphere, rules and order. Its fanbase is saying it is peak but the only deep talk I see they are making is how lovely their loli elf or murderer waifus.

Don't get me wrong. Frieren is an average series to watch in my opinion, it is watchable but I don't recommend it in general. When the hype is too high about the series, you enter to it with high expectations. Eventually it becomes more disappointing to watch a series like this and it seems Frieren is praised hard as if it is the best anime of all times and I just don't buy it.

I really have no idea how this anime got such a high rating and is now considered a masterpiece, unique, legendary, etc. The only legendary and unique thing about this series is that it's so overrated, topping the list as the best anime of all time. The anime itself isn't bad, and the art is actually pretty good, but it's definitely not a masterpiece:

- There are so many repeated themes in the story with lots of elements that other fantasy anime handled better.
- The anime lacks originality and doesn't really bring anything fresh to the table.
- The plot feels a bit empty and relies too ... much on flashbacks.
- The character development centers around nostalgia, repeating the same idea over and over again.
- It's like the anime as a whole feels more like a bunch of filler episodes or OVAs.

With that being said, I think it deserves a 6 or 7 out of 10 at most.

Sousou no Frieren," an anime with tremendous potential, ends up suffering the same fate as a run of the mill anime. Frieren had something special, and that was its premise: an immortal elf grappling with the impermanence of human life after the death of her companions. However, the potential was destroyed, but how? Very slowly anime with a story lacking direction and constantly introducing unplanned events that made the viewer much more confused and forgot the purpose of the journey because not even our characters were discussing it anymore
The biggest problem with this anime is its pacing; episodes feel like a race between snails and ... dedicate too much screen time to scenes that are non-essential and do not contribute anything to the story. For example, "Frieren walks around the city and talks to a random character from whom she learns nothing, and that character will not even reappear.
As for the story, what can I say? It largely relies on flashbacks to the adventures our elf has gone through, but initially, they are interesting, and then they become repetitive and boring. We see the same moments unfolding again and again. Some flashbacks feel like they only exist to fill up time in the episode rather than being used for something more useful (like character development).
The entire series tries to drown you in emotions... Bombs of "sentimental" moments are thrown in without reason. I can't understand what the author exactly wanted to do; they try to create many dramatic moments with the "adventurers," but at the same time, we barely learn anything about them, and in the end, we know just as much as we did in the first episode about the elf's past comrades.
It started nicely, with a fascinating premise, but it fails to deliver even 50% of what it promises. The pacing is sluggish, the story repetitive, and the characters underdeveloped, ruining everything and turning it into a dissatisfying series by the end of the journey. This could have helped the viewer to question life, and the weight of time, but instead, the slow pace and awkward melancholy make the viewer lose interest in such matters. I cannot recommend this anime; I struggled with it... if I didn't watch it weekly, I probably would have been knocked out after watching 3 episodes on the same day.

To be frank, I struggle to understand how this show became so popular. Every season there is always that one anime that the masses over-hype and put on a pedestal, insisting that it be given a top 5 spot on MAL. Now typically, shows like Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, and Oshi no Ko make sense, since they just "feel" like something normies would soak up (not judging per say, just an observation). Frieren doesn't feel like those other titles at all: the writing actually feels vivid and well thought-out, as opposed to a cheap cash grab that many seasonals have become. Frieren better fits ... the "underrated sleeper of the season" cliche that only a few weebs know of, but instead it holds the spotlight.


A seinen disguised as a shonen, Frieren can be described as a "post game" to your favorite isekai or fantasy world, where our heroes have already "won" by beating the final boss. Consequently, much of the story is given to us retroactively via Frieren's memories or in conversations with her former teammates as they pass on. This format doesn't always work in anime/manga, however in this case it is a very reflective and intimate form of character development for Frieren as she tries to understand her feelings and why humans value time so much. Overall there is a very mature air that slowly cultivates, which makes me further question the "shonen" labeling since younger audiences often do not have the patience for such narratives.

That tangent aside, not only is the story and plot refreshing, the characters are extremely likeable in their own ways. It's rare for me to like every single member of a main cast, however the dynamic between Frieren, Fern and Stark has grown on me with each episode. Maybe it is because I have never seen two earnest teenagers "looking after" a troublesome grandma figure and her selfish hobbies before. Honestly, it's just an endearing quirk in their adventure together. As for the side characters, every one has their clear purpose (no wasted screen time!), and better yet they do not overstay their welcome. The world building as a whole feels profound as these interesting characters come and go, giving the impression that there was, in fact, a past full of intriguing events. As the curtain continues to unfold, it will only add to the significance of these earlier episodes.

In summary, I can't say for sure if you'll like this show, but it is definitely worth trying out at least, since nothing like it exists out there. As others have stated, it doesn't try to be more than it actually is, and more accurately it doesn't try to stand out. I think the humble nature of this story/show is partially what has drawn so many fans to it.

I've never taken part in the incel wars that have plagued the "top anime" section of MAL these past years, but I've always felt that no new-gen anime would ever top FMAB. Frieren, however, might become the one exception that I am okay with taking the mantle, assuming the rest of the story plays out as nicely as it has started.

Thank you for reading, and apologies if this review comes across as too contrarian :)

I had high expectations for this show going in. The artwork looked great and the opening was fire. But as I was watching the show I noticed there was no strong reason to watch the show as there was little to no suspense/story. The main characters didn't stand out as well, they had little to no personality. I was anticipating the show to pick up after the first episode but it was just flat all around. I don't recommend the show , unless you just want to just watch the show for the art with subtle music or you just really like this genre of ... anime. For me characters are a big part of the show, and for this series just didn't hit the nail for me. If the characters are not as strong the story should make up for it, but both were lacking.

This is a story for people who have been grieving, people who had to see their loved ones grow old and die, people who feel the passage of time around them and who noticed too late that they maybe didn't know all there was to know about their loved ones.

If any of this applies to you, you will rarely see an anime that understands those feelings as well as Sousou no Frieren.

While the main plot seems heavy in theory, it is rather lighthearted in execution. We get to see the main character make new friends and connections just as much as we see ... her thinking about the past. There is even the occasional, well-timed, comic-relief.

Whiile the series is slow, it did not get boring. The deeper themes keep it interesting so far.

Art and Animation, Soundtrack and Characters are all very good.

I've never felt the urge to write a review before, and I've been on MAL for over 12 years. That alone should tell you how incredible this anime is. Usually, when I find a masterpiece, I just suggest it to friends. However, Sousou no Frieren has led me to break that pattern. This isn't your run-of-the-mill shōnen filled with random hack n' slash and fan service, so I can see the average anime watcher just getting bored because flashy things only happen once every few episodes.

Sousou no Frieren is more than just an anime; it's a narrative masterpiece delving into symbolism, time, and, most ... importantly, emotions. To tell this story, we are introduced to Frieren, and through her, the world is presented to us. With multiple flashbacks from "a long time ago", everything that happens makes an awful lot of sense.

Frieren distinguishes itself as a storytelling powerhouse that engages the viewer emotionally, not the type that makes you cry over and over, but rather provokes thought; maintaining a consistent impact in every episode. The animation quality is high, not like every frame is painted by da Vinci, but to the extent that you notice the art style is most definitely unique and elevates simplicity. The attention to detail in the sound design definitely deserves mention: be it voice acting, footsteps, or the rustling of birds, the immersive quality of the audio consistently leaves me amazed.

There are a good number of organically funny moments that feel wholesome and contribute to the development of the characters and their relationships. While it may have its slower moments, when you bring together every element, it is one experience not to miss. From my perspective, this show stands as a stellar example of what a top-tier anime should be. If any of this - even remotely - sounds interesting, just go and watch the show.

I feel strongly that this is one of the coziest anime's that I've had the pleasure in watching. The story follows Frieren in her journey to understand life and its meaning in a very 'Tolkien of the east' type of way. The only difference here is that there is no end-of-the-world plot device at play, no mythical item to be found or boss to be defeated. How this anime will be remembered largely hinges on if they can find a landing that resonates with the viewers. I feel the one central question this anime tries to examine is, "What is life all about?"

The show begins ... following Frieren and her adventuring party after they've defeated the Demon King, making clear that the world is now entering an age of relative peace. As a nearly ageless elf, she watches her original companions age over time and laments that she didn't actively value the 10 years adventuring they had spent together and saving the world. After some time has past and some of her party members have passed away, she sets out to form a new party and relive the path north to relive her epic journey in an attempt to commune with those who are no longer living. Upon departing, she takes a young mage apprentice named Fern who, to me, is a fantastically written character that reminds Frieren to stay on task and questions her at every turn to think about her actions. We watch Fern grow up with Frieren as a mentor and almost sister like figure which is unique when considering their sizable age gap. Eventually, the duo begin to fill the party out with a typical fantasy lineup with a tank and healer who you can watch for yourself as the anime progresses.

While the shows premise sounds like many other anime that have come before it, it really separates itself from the pack by having an intense focus on the human experience and our connections to one another. More time is spent in this show around conversing with party members and notable characters, figuring out what characters want, and even eating/sleeping more than this show will ever focus on battle or combat. Suffice to say, the show still contains some great fights and the battles tends to carry a much heavier weight with the audience proportional to how much you've connected with the characters. While the lack of combat might be a deal breaker for some, those who stick around will surely be rewarded by the shows emotional highs of solving problems, uncovering memories, and appreciating time spent with each character.

The show often brings up Fririen's original party's journey and while it is a similar route traveled, this plot device allows her to discover many of the things in her life that she has taken for granted. Whether it be a festival or celebration with her party she missed due to sleeping in, or not telling someone how she felt in a powerful moment, we are able to emotionally relate to her as a viewer. Who hasn't chosen sleep over an important life moment at some point in their life?

The question to me still remains to be see about what Frieren's answer to her life will be. It has all of the makings of an anime masterpiece, from its art, to its music, and emotional writing. Once she has her answer from those she loves and she can put her life into perspective, we will know if this show will remain a masterpiece for years to come. I will be happy to update this review when that day comes but for now, I highly suggest you watch the show and find out why so many people like myself have fallen in love it.