Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End - Episodes 12-14 [Review]
Apologies, Frieren fans! Fell behind the last few weeks, but hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and a great start to your December!
I know I’m thankful for this amazing anime, so let’s get caught up on the last few weeks.
Episode 12: A Real Hero
As Frieren and the party continue to retrace the heroes’ journey, they come upon The Village of the Sword. It was here that Himmel drew the legendary Hero’s Blade from its resting place - an instrumental tool in his fight against the demon king…or so the legend says. The village chief is perturbed at Frieren’s tardiness, and charges her with clearing out the nearby monsters, which she agrees to as part of their previous agreement. While they’re busy running this errand, Fern notes that it’s Stark’s birthday. He insists that it’s just like any other day, which leads to memories of his hometown, and in particular his brother. A talented warrior, he set a high bar for the young Stark, exaggerating the disappointment their father had in his youngest son. Yet, despite the coldness from his father, Stark found refuge in his brother’s kindness. His lingering memory, as well as Himmel’s definition of what it means to be a hero, are both revealed in this episode.
Episode 13: Aversion to One’s Own Kind
While traveling, Frieren comes across a stranger who has found himself in a bit of a predicament: being stuck in quicksand and facing imminent death. While he calmly explains the circumstances that led to that moment, Frieren ponders whether or not she’ll actually save him. Of course, she finds it in her heart to extract the helpless man, who reveals himself to be a priest named Sein. Making a quick stop by the small village he calls home, the party decides to carry on, as they’re planning a larger restock in a more metropolitan location. However, when Stark becomes deathly ill, the group suddenly finds themselves in dire need of powerful healing, and Sein demonstrates tremendous ability - so much so that Frieren and the rest of the party are convinced he should join them. Yet, it’s his love of gambling, women and booze that makes him a very peculiar priest, and Frieren finds that the motivation for his remaining in the village may prove too powerful to overcome - even for a 1,000 year old mage.
Episode 14: Privilege of the Young
With Stark’s birthday in the rearview, it’s Fern’s turn for yet another birthday celebration. However, Stark fails to get her a gift, which starts things off on the wrong foot between the pair. The spat leads to some intervention, and ultimately sparks memories of Frieren’s of her own time with Himmel. Often aloof romantically, Frieren’s memories around a particular ring reveal another layer of her kinship with Himmel.
As the weeks have gone on, I’m beginning to notice more of a pattern to Frieren’s mode of storytelling. There’s a spectacular blend of so many genres: comedy, slice-of-life, fantasy, romance, action…and each narrative reveal carries emotional impact enhanced by its strategic timing. They offer callbacks to both the foundational episodes, as well as earlier in the same episode. Like a skilled hunter, Frieren refuses to let any part of the series go to waste. Nearly every scene, every line of dialogue is forging a deeper connection between the viewer and its characters, but most notably Frieren.
While Frieren may not have the same level of bombastic shonen action that Jujutsu Kaisen or One Piece might boast, the animation quality is superb on another level. The detail of the fabric movements and other nuanced elements of individual scenes is something to behold.
There’s a lovely melancholy infused in each episode. Frieren does a fantastic job of depicting a traditional Elf in the sense that they live so much longer than mortals…their concepts of time are so warped that it’s hard to grasp human concepts of love, the eagerness and excitement over what they would consider mundane. It’s an unusual way of emphasizing the beauty of everyday life, but it’s surprisingly effective.
Overall, Frieren continues to deliver some of the best storytelling I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s a gem among the currently running series, and I cannot wait for more.
