Sousou no Frieren

REVIEW IN ENGLISH - I feel genuinely confused after watching this anime and seeing that THIS is what left everyone fascinated. The absurd fame and positive and surprising comments about this work made me curious to watch it, I watched it really excitedly hoping it would be all of that or, at the very least, a great anime with good development, but I found neither. I refuse to believe that anyone who has a good repertoire of animes watched would consider this title a masterpiece. The animation is beautiful, the theme is interesting, but both the story and the characters are shallow... The anime wants to excite, but the characters are shallow and inexpressive, they don't convey the essence that the work wants to deliver, and this fact is the more disappointing. The theme and lessons about time are really something very interesting to address, I love things like that, but this anime wasn't able to give it a good development. I don't feel any attachment to the characters, any emotion, the story was totally generic and poorly developed, something very amateurish I would say. Frieren may be considered good, but it is definitely far from being a work of art. It is too distortion to believe that Frieren's script, construction and lessons are better than Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, that the emotion is superior to Shigatsu Wa Kimi no Uso, the comedy can match Spy x Family, the fights surpass Hunter x Hunter, the approach to time has been considered better than Steins;Gate and, it would even be a joke to say that there is some romance present... The fact that this title is in such a position is a disregard for real complex and exciting works, it is the feeling it causes. Unfortunately, the anime failed to develop well what it set out to convey, the theme covered demanded more than was delivered. REVIEW EM PORTUGUÊS, BRASIL - Me sinto genuinamente confusa após assistir esse anime e ver que foi ISSO que deixou geral fascinado. A fama absurda e comentários positivos e surpreendentes sobre essa obra me deixaram curiosa para assisti-lo, assisti realmente empolgada esperando ser tudo isso ou, no mínimo, um ótimo anime com bom desenvolvimento, mas não encontrei nenhum dos dois. Me recuso a acreditar que alguém que tenha um bom repertório de animes assistidos, considere este título uma obra-prima. A animação é linda, o tema é interessante, mas tanto a história quanto os personagens são rasos... O anime quer emocionar, mas os personagens são rasos e inexpressivos, não conseguem transmitir a essência que a obra quer entregar, e esse fato é o mais decepcionante. A temática e lições sobre o tempo é realmente algo muito interessante de se abordar, eu amo coisas assim, mas esse anime não soube dar um bom desenvolvimento a isso. Não senti nenhum apego aos personagens, nenhuma emoção, a história foi totalmente genérica e mal desenvolvida, algo bem amador eu diria. Frieren pode ser considerado bom, mas definitivamente está longe de ser uma obra de arte. É distorção demais acreditar que o roteiro, construção e lições de Frieren seja melhor que Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, que a emoção seja superior a Shigatsu Wa Kimi no Uso, a comédia possa se equiparar a Spy x Family, as lutas superem Hunter x Hunter, a abordagem do tempo tenha sido considerada melhor que Steins;Gate e, seria até piada falar que há algum romance presente... O fato deste título estar em tal posição é um descaso com obras complexas e emocionantes reais, é o sentimento que causa. Infelizmente o anime não conseguiu desenvolver bem o que se propôs a transmitir, o tema abordado exigia mais do que foi entregue.

The show is rated 9.37/10 on MAL at the time I am writing this review. Guess I should be grateful to all the Frieren fans for not ganging up on me when I posted on the discussion board of EP28 that "sorry, but this show is not going to be my anime of the year". To imitate what a YouTuber said, it's not Frieren, it must be me at fault here that the anime did not quite work for me as well as it did for the rest of you. But for the sake of discussion and for your entertainment, I will try to describe my experience and thoughts on Frieren after finishing Season 1. Expectations before watching: As a huge fan of Madhouse Studio, I was very much hyped to watch Frieren before it aired last year. Never read the Frieren manga, I only vaguely knew the story as an "after-adventure" for LOTR archetypes. Having also watched Record of the Lodoss War, I could kinda appreciate the aesthetics the Japanese "high-fantasy" would go for, including the "longevity drama" everyone was talking about. Actual experience: Yes, the stellar production value warrants my weekly following of the show. It was also fun to participate in the discussions with all the enthusiastic fans and Easter-egg-hunting YouTubers. However, somehow the harder I try to savor the story, the drama queen moments, the melancholic flashbacks and all the heavy-handed talks about magic talent/philosophy, the more I felt like Bilbo in his twilight years--"thin, stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread". At the same time, some elements became weird distractions for me in the show...in an annoying way. I will try to list out some notable things that worked or failed to work for me. Recommended to: I am recommending this anime to Violet Evergarden fans despite myself. Frieren in many ways offered me a similar "vibe" and experience. It's honestly not quite my cup of tea, but I am sure the Violet Evergarden fans will find something to like here. What worked for me: ++ Stellar production value. It must have cost Madhouse an arm and a leg to produce and refine this most ambitious package in recent years. 28 episodes aired across 6 months with almost every frame rendered like a classical oil painting. Fluid character animation and detailed character movement even in the most intense action sequences dwarfs even the equally impressive Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 (though Jujutsu Kaisen's action scenes are far more energetic and dramatic). It would be a no-brainer winner for all the best production design/costume design awards in "anime Oscar" (for whichever existing annual anime awards you most respect). I really cannot fault the overall audio-visual presentation of this show. It warrants a watch no matter what kind of anime audience you are. ++ Ending theme song by Milet. It's one of the most mesmerizing anime songs in recent years, and I have been a fan of Milet since her song in Vinland Saga Season 1. It's part of the show's audio-visual presentation package, but I think the song deserves a special mention. + Some well-written story arcs and nuanced characters. The initial 4-5 episodes form the beginning/embarking of Fern and Frieren's journey, which is a testament to the thoughtful composition of now and then, new and old in this show. There are subtle subtexts reverse-nested into the current plot/story, e.g. Frieren's former team discussing the meaning of "boring" adventure and taking on a disciple paralleling her new team. I really appreciate similar narrative techniques in movies. Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon and Bong Joon Ho's Madeo come to mind as masterpieces utilizing this technique. EP5-10 roughly form the "Demon's ploy" arc which discusses nature of beings and magical prowess in the midst of intense magic battles. This arc introduces the audience to probably the best written character in the show, The Great Mage Flamme who was Frieren's master. EP11-17 roughly form the "Team bonding and myth reconstruction" arc, which highlights the "feel-good" vibe of the show. For these first 3 story arcs in Season 1, I generally had a great time and would rate the show no less than 8/10. + Ambitious. If nothing else, an anime attempting to build a LOTR-type high-fantasy world and reconstruction of mythology in 2024 gets my respect and a slow clap. What did not work for me: -- Characterization. Having subdued main characters driving the story can be a tremendous asset to one's artistic vision instead of a liability. Brad Pitt was nominated for best leading actor in Oscars for his reserved and subtle performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049 did similar magics with very few words. And I found both characters and performances phenomenal. Unfortunately, if Frieren went for a similar outcome with how it handled Fern and Frieren, I really cannot honestly say they succeeded. To quote a friend who really appreciated Frieren, the titular character is a "1000-yr-old teenager going through puberty". (*Holding my pukes back*) That premise can be fun, goofy, tragic and beautiful all at the same time, but Frieren's characterization just keeps falling apart for me. There is dampened melancholy, regret from past lives and her own way of reconciliation with her history all juxtaposed here, but the whole is less than the sum of all these parts. Case in point, Frieren gets trapped by the treasure chest mimics quite frequently. So OK she's got a goofy side. But that goofy-childish side never come together with her serious side to form a robust whole. At the end of the 2nd test for the mages (EP26), the mimic got her again, which should create some desirable levity for the conclusion of one of the gloomiest arcs so far. But all that sequence did for me was making me roll my eyes hard. Fern has similar problems. OK, she's an attractive and introverted tsundere with a heart of gold and enormous potential...who shoots "pew-pew" lethal sorcery at bad guys...and...occasionally punches her boyfriend...Uh, what else? Just some gal with a permanently empty gaze. Side characters sometimes have interesting backstories, but their exploits often creates annoying distractions for me. -- Worldbuilding crumbles under the weight of the show's ambition and its glaring lack of substance. Medieval allegories and LOTR homages aside, Frieren's world feels...surprisingly empty. If the show meant to deconstruct/trivialize classical fantasy tropes/archetypes while also retroactively reconstruct them for a new generation, perhaps spend more time substantiating both the deconstruction and the reconstruction? This problem made the "feel-good" portions and the teary-eyed flashbacks a bit too forced and wishy-washy for me, almost as if they should feel good for the sake of feeling good. I guess just like Violet Evergarden fans, Frieren fans would argue that it's a "soft" worldbuilding which allows the characters to poetically emote or resonate. Unfortunately that did not work for me because main characters keep falling apart. In the show, all the talks about magic talent/ personal magical philosophy are a bit too heavy-handed without much substance. The magic system can be quite abstract or out of touch with reality. We got some jargons like "total mana", but the system never becomes robust enough to be regenerative (such as Hunter X Hunter's Nen system). For comparison, I am never the biggest fan of Harry Potter, but at least magic is interesting and intuitive in Harry Potter with its own regenerative logic. In the end I just found it the best to understand Frieren's magic power equivalent to Dragon Ball's power level. Frieren and Flamme are really just magical Freeza who happens to be "on the good side". Sorry, but I am honestly not impressed by that. While Frieren's cosmology superficially resembles LOTR, I find the author's view on power (and cosmic powers) very cynical and Nietzschean. That might not be a problem in itself. After all, many great manga/anime have similar cosmologi…

TL:DR - A decent show ruined by poor writing and strong plot convenience like no other. Whew this is a rough one. Usually when I see something popular that I don't end up liking I can at least understand *why* it's liked. This one eludes me, but we'll get what's NOT wrong with it out of the way first. The overall animation is pretty solid and consistent. It does dip down here and there with some cheaper shots, but mostly it's pretty good. Another decent point is the music. Outside of the first OP being probably one of the most mismatched intros to a show i've ever heard, the rest is pretty solid mostly. I'm not a huge fan of the scottish almost medieval feel for half of it, but i'll just say that's a matter of taste. That pretty much immediately ends the good. Tragically the characters and plot really bring down any potential the show could have. The plot is touted as something new and special, but my lord does it quickly fall into the same types of things we see on literally every other fantasy show with a demon king. The only difference is there's no demon king. The whole point of the show is to see these types of things from a different perspective, but it just never goes out of it's way to give you a new perspective. Instead it's all mainly used to give you similarities between Frieren's old party and the new one. It could be interesting, but most of the show spends it's time on incredibly tropey situations that run off some of the hardest plot convenience i've seen in ages. About to lose? Pure evil genocidal demons let you go, only for you to beat them because "jk they're weak". Lose something? "here's the reward! i'm about to give you is the spell of not losing that." Need money? Nobles popping out right on time as you complain about being poor with the literal most convenient thing possible giving you the opportunity to bag money said money. Being tested? Make a plan that ends with "and now I just need to be the luckiest person ever to use the single worst designed spell ever made" On top of all THAT we get these situations where the main cast decides they want to be more immature than elementary schoolers. The show is trying to tell this supposedly emotional story while linking it to Frieren's past, but it feels like it's self sabotaging itself constantly with the most frustrating situations and predictable writing i've seen in awhile. At some point you get a hint that we're gonna get another arc we've seen in other anime a 100 times. After the terrible "everyone is incompetent" Arc for ep 8-10 seeing that it makes you worry. What hurts more is knowing from the moment they start it, it lasts ALL the way to the end so they really drag it out. Throughout it all there really isn't any high stakes despite the show trying to act like there is despite the obvious outcome of "OP Frieren is OP". Even when the show finally decides to have a single moment where there's real danger, the reason it's dangerous just takes you out of it. Sigh... I'll finish by talking about some of the characters, which honestly aren't too much better. They do have some high points, but tragically the best characters have the least screen time while instead we just see the same garbage from Fern and Frieren most the episodes. Most the cast also feels pretty monotone. Some people say it's realistic, but honestly there's more emotion in day to day conversation with real people than most of frieren. Both Priests - Pretty solid overall and actually feels like characters. Tragically all priests are hard limited on screen time. Can't have the better characters too long. You might get spoiled having a real character around. Stark - Zenitsu from Demon Slayer, but not creepy. Also nowhere near as cool so it balances out. Solid character, but again we limit his screen time. Is in the middle ground a bit since he's also constantly involved in some of Frieren and Fern's childish personalities. A pretty standard character type with not much new to offer, but still solid despite that. Is a "coward" but not really. Fern - Lives off cute pout energy, but transitions to insufferable at times. Like if Taiga from Toradora was robbed of her depth and charm. If not pouting she's probably blank faced and monotone. Typically characters like these are an easy win for me but my god she's terrible at times. Frieren - Oldest of the group, somehow the dumbest. Apparently thinks jumping into mimics is the only option. OP to the point of being boring and even more monotone than Fern somehow. Just like Fern she thrives off cute energy. Acts like she's 5 until she has to act like she's older because the other characters are acting like they are 5. As a SoL/Romance fan, I am pretty weak to the cute energy the emanates from some of the scenes, but it's ruined so often that it makes it not worth it. There's also some real cool stuff scattered around in the show, but again it's just constantly ruined by terrible writing or characters. The deeper you look into each episode the worst most of the end up feeling as the cracks start to show. I usually don't write reviews for these type of overhyped/overrated shows, but this one just boggles me on why it's so popular so I figured i'd drop my opinion for the Frieren cult to never read but mark as funny.

Started with massive potential. I felt my heart strings being played with ever so gently but as the series crept onward - all such feelings dissipated and I was left with annoyance and emptiness mostly. The story goes through the same loop: new town, train, meet a few strangers, kill the weak badie, have a memory, Frieren like magic and repeat for 28 x 20 minutes. Like one or 2 times I get but it's unrelenting. It's like I'm in an ARPG that has every new area copy pasted from an old area. The whole story is based around the subtle character progression of Frieren. The ever so subtle smiles after a warming moment. The first time was fine but it felt like they kept pushing for moments of situations where Frieren smiles ever so gently. Additionally, her chipperness and aloofness seem somewhat contradictory a lot of the time. Is she indifferent? Is she spending 1000 years going from aloof to warm? She seems to be aloof a lot of the time and then chipper and then aloof again. No one can love her. If the story remains the same, it's as though I'm watching a 5 year old's emotional state (5 year olds are more interesting than Frieren actually) and I'm meant to believe that just because they're an elf, they remain retarded for 1000s of years. It's the show of: "Everybody Loves Frieren" for no reason. Yeah she saved the world but she could EASILY have spent the past 200 years chasing after a single butterfly with not a worry and then spent the next 200 years chasing the same butterfly. Frieren is a tool of circumstance. Every choice was made for her in the story. She's just annoying. The show is easy to watch - it's light but gets a little heavier toward the end and not heavier in the emotional sense - heavier in the bearability sense. It's watchable and enjoyable in the beginning. It's not even melancholy in the end - it's just nothing.

Frieren's overwhelmingly positive reception is mostly due to the hype and the memes associated with it rather than its own merits, as is evidenced by how discourse about the series completely fell off of a cliff shortly after its conclusion. Compare this to other shows in this site - FMA, Steins;Gate, Attack on Titan, Death Note, Higurashi, and so on, which still have people consistently talking and watching them to this day. Once you put aside the whole hype train, Frieren on its own is simply a standard (if not generic) fantasy show carried by its production quality and art, and it's quite apparent. Which makes me believe most people (willingly? unwillingly?) imposed into this show a version of itself that does not exist. (though the discourse will come back once the second season airs, but it will inevitably be more muted) The supposed themes this show carries are at best vestigial. The themes of mortality, the passage of time, and "learning how to live" are only really present in the first two or three episodes, and from then onwards the show loses its philosophical depth. That's not inherently a bad thing, but tons of people pretend as if this is the anime version of Subahibi. It's not, and all the backstory and supposed depth given to the characters are eventually tossed aside for simplified versions made for audience appeal. It doesn't last a single episode - you learn their backstory and it's back to antics as usual. Frieren does le silly face! Fern is le pouting! Stark is getting le hit! Everything you learn about the main cast seems to be cosmetic, and (so far) does not really play into anything in a grander scale. The show appears unsure of what it wants to be, whether it be something deeper or something made for mass appeal, placing it in a weird limbo. This is not a bad show, but it's also not a *great* show. The things it tries to do have been done better elsewhere, and this series' popularity and framing makes me believe it will not have a conclusion anytime soon as it's in the best interests of the upper management to keep the ball running for as long as possible until revenue runs out, which can only really be bad for the story itself. My heart can only go out to Abe Tsukasa and Yamada Kanehito if this is really the case and not just me being a pessimistic cunt. Overall, I give this a "mixed feelings" because, at least for me, this is not what is advertised - which is not inherently a bad thing but when it's on the level of being rated far higher than so many actual greats, it kinda *has* to live up to these expectations. A decent to good show at best, which somehow ended up with people collectively imposing into it a masterpiece that does not exist.

This is got to be the most overrated thing i have ever seen. Not just MAL but other forums are also going crazy over this for no good reason. I bet most people who were disappointed with this show was due to this hype. I was. Firstly Frieren does have good ost and great animation. The concept is also new compared to isekai and generic shounen. It is fine on that front. It has some wholesome moments. All over the story is ok. BUT THAT IS IT. PERIOD. Characters are OUTRIGHTLY BORING AND FLAT. There is absolutely nothing interesting about them, frieren is not a good example of someone who has lived 1000+ years, fern and stark are the most generic characters ever, neither have an ounce of complexity in them. Himmel and his party members are idealistic heroes. I remember someone bringing this up online, and they were told oh the characters are not exaggerated like other anime characters. Forget exaggerated, characters in this show do not even feel human. Humans in general have more range of emotions and are much more complex than the cast of Frieren. I cannot even imagine how complex an elf should be, but here all of them are like a pre-programmed robot. Then comes the world building. Some people actually say that this is next to JRR Tolkien. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? There can be no greater insult to LOTR than this. This show has picked the most used world building ever, which btw Tolkien established. The hero, dark lord, elves, dwarves, pray tell me what is "unique" about this. People are going on and on about the legend or masterpiece this show is. No it is not. The anime should at least try to create its own world before trying to become a masterpiece. All this hype is really wasted on this show. I feel like as if people do not have good taste anymore, they do not understand the meaning of words legend or masterpiece. They just want the most "safe" show, with nothing controversial, which does not require a lot of braincells to understand it. You can just watch stuff like this and forget it next day. There is no depth, no complexity, no thrill in Frieren. Its just a mid show which came at the right time. I love anime mostly for the innovation it brings, the other shows which people call big 3 or masterpieces or previous number 1 FMAB (i am not a huge FMAB fan, so its not like i am bitter about the ranking and writing this) have all put effort in world building and characters. And to top it they have unique premise, great ost, animation and story. They might not be without flaws, but they are popular for a reason. They are well balanced, while frieren is either mid or bad in everything. For me characters and world building are very important. The story can be slow or take a direction fans might not like. I am ok with all that and the author has the right to write what they want to. But i judge these two things strictly. If you are like me, please do not waste your time like i did. Its a 5/10.

So this is my first Review on any anime on MAL, Been watching anime for past 6 yrs. Seen a huge number of animes on the way and found outstanding animes on the way. But I couldn't see much hype, mystery, action or any other major genre in the anime to call it a good anime. just watched it because it was getting popular those days... It was a bit unique but that's probably all. Just not that good and not recommended for fans. (I couldn't see much hype, mystery, action or any other major genre in the anime to call it a good anime. just watched it because it was getting popular those days... It was a bit unique but that's probably all.)

"In the land of the blind - the one-eyed man is already king" "for lack of better, we have to enjoy the little" "No matter how handsome a man is, if he says he is more handsome than Alain Delon, everyone will call him ugly." (с) folk wisdom "Idiocracy has come..." That's how I would describe this series. If I were asked to write a thesis on the topic of "information cascade", I would take Frieren as a basis. (there may be micro-spoilers in future, but everything is within framework of synopsis) If I were asked to describe this "masterpiece" in few words, I would answer - "a sweet, measured and soft mediocre story". In this series, absolutely everything is mediocre and ordinary, except for the plot, which is kind of non-existent, and the story is based on small micro-plots and side quests, and this is kind of the show's gimmick, right...Almost everything that people attribute to this title as an achievement is simply fiction, exaggeration, or an add-on and invention of fans trying to create almost a new cult around Frieren. Even if we discard all the inconsistency and absurdity of comparing Frieren with masterpieces of cinema and cartoons,...Frieren is inferior to the same Berserk, as a fantasy, on all fronts. That is, even within the anime discourse itself, there are titles better than Frieren, but here is an example of the great advertising power that memes have. (Plot/Premise/Message). The idea that "we must value time and loved ones, because they will die tomorrow" is not revealed, is not played out, and other than the fact that this idea simply exists, nothing more can be said about it. The setup itself was made quite cheaply in terms of staging the script, and in fact is a simple tear-squeezer. This is only in the first 4 episodes, later the thread of the narrative is greatly lost, either forgotten, or very strained. For example, in "Invincible" this theme is revealed better in the season 1 finale episode than in the entire first season of Frieren. And don't give Frieren a discount just because that's what the creators "intended". You can't justify or condemn any product based on itself. (Characters). If you didn't like Frieren, you'll have trouble watching it, I assure you, because there's a lot of her here. The character is flat (in every sense of the word), annoying, uninteresting, but at the same time with a very memorable appearance. The character design is really good, it's worth admitting. But in essence, again, this can be explained by her image, and that she is alienated from the world and is alien to the attachments we are accustomed to, but this is not shown in the series, on the contrary, her actions contradict her image, which I am trying to impute to her. She loves to sleep, loves to eat, and everything we know about her as a person. And with all this, Frieren is the most obvious example of Mary Sue, seriously, why can absolutely imbalanced characters attract people so much? It is simply impossible to empathize with her, because she has nothing to overcome and she has nowhere to grow! Frieren's omnipotence is a plot crutch that prevents much from being revealed in this title. Himel is the reason why the main goal of the main character seems absolutely unjustified. Himel is a narcissist, and an absurd infantile character, and also a spineless simp.. There is literally not a single quality that this "great hero" has that would make monuments to him and make flashbacks for him. I have no desire to get to know him better, or to empathize with Frieren's desire to see him again and know more about him, because he is a completely anti-charismatic character! According to the idea of ​​the series, after Frieren's memories of Himel, we should understand why she cried, but I was only glad that he was not in the series, so that he would not spoil it with his presence further. It just seems to me that people have a distorted or perverted understanding of who a real hero is. (“a hero can even be a simple ordinary man who covers a child with a blanket, letting him know that the world is a little better than it seems” blah blah blah blah and other such pathos nonsenseXD If everyone is a hero, then no one is a hero, remember the base) Regarding Fern and Stark. They are extremely one-layered and gray characters: Fern is a tsundere who has great potential, but it is difficult for her to communicate with people, and Stark is an insecure weakling who has "great" strength, but he needs to gather up his courage. Very original and witty... And the most annoying thing is that they will remain the same until the end of the season, Fern and Stark also have no personal growth and character development, like Frieren, but unlike Frieren, they have the space and potential for this! Even after scene with ballroom dance, their relationship does not change or progress in any way, this is a clear example of filler in anime, which is inevitable (after all, you have a running time of 28 episodes), but on the other hand, it is amazing how in 23-20 episodes from the moment Stark and Fern appeared, it was not enough to at least a little reveal and grow these characters! Let's just take an example from truly well-deserved and conventionally recognized masterpiece - Avatar The Last Airbender: imagine if Zuko or Sokka remained the same whiny and impulsive and annoying characters in the book of fire as they were in the book of water? It's one thing when you specifically make characters to give them growth and see their transformation later, and another thing to make annoying characters just as an idea in itself. Another bad plot and script decision. However, it is worth praising the writing of those characters who appear with the tournament arc. There are really interesting and deep characters, although their screen time is much less than that of our trio. Later their team will be joined by a priest, quite a nice character, but as if on purpose, the scriptwriters decided to remove him from the team, although he was a gulp of fresh air, why?! In short, rare case when secondary characters are more interesting than the main ones. (although the tournament arc is very drawn out, and this is another plot crutch to make it easier to add new characters) (Graphics\visual\animation). Well, only the lazy can fail to praise the quality of the animation and its beauty. As far as anime can be beautiful and well-developed, Frieren has succeeded in this, I praise. This especially stands out against the background of general minimalism in animation, including Western works. (Fight scenes\epic\combat). Nominally, everything is pretty good, but... The problems stem from the problems I described earlier. A fight scene should not just entertain you by itself, there should be intrigue, excitement, fear for the character, but how to do this when you know exactly how the fight will end? Yes, the omnipotence of the main character is a problem here. However, this does not apply to other characters, their fights are really interesting and exciting to watch, I praise. (Visual storytelling). You know how good it is when you are not treated as a retard, and the series does not need to directly say some obvious things to convey the essence, or convey a metaphor that even a small child can understand? What a pity that this title does not see anything good in this ... After all, to see how Frieren directly says "you are such a kind girl" or Frieren says "oh, I am so strong, sooo strong! And then I will say it again and show it!" or about the fact that other characters say "ohhh, I can't even survive against Frieren". I get it, I get you series what you want to tell me, really! No need to repeat it to me in different words on behalf of different characters! (Humor). The same goes for humor, I really have no idea where people here found any humor, let alone call it good humor... But after analyzing it, I came to the conclusion that all humor is based on food, sleep, toilet and vulgar …

Proof that good production can carry anything to the finish line So, I'll admit ahead of time, I would have never checked this out if it didn't catch fire. I don't have much interest in fantasy, nor the type of "introspective" anime or whatever, you know, this stuff. It's not my scene and I acknowledge that there are shows that just aren't my type of show. And that's fine. But this is a boring show with painfully slow pacing, unfunny comedy, unlikeable characters (with the exception of Land and Ubel in the Mage Exam, although Stark is okay), and bad action. I guess I'll start with the action. I do enjoy a battle shonen or two but I'd like to think I'm a bit more cultured than that, at least enough to appreciate shows that aren't the equivalent of flashing lights in my face. The action here, however, is in like two minute bursts and only one of the characters does anything beyond a simple Avada Kedavra kinda spell. Who decided it was smart to have BOTH Frieren and Fern do just a basic shield and a basic killing spell? There's a fight later on in the season where this isn't the case and, like, why were you holding out? It's not like they were using forbidden techniques or anything, they just decide that only using fundamental spells is the Correct Way. That fight was pretty good, why are most of them based on FuNdAmEnTaLs? Stark, for what it's worth, is better since he's not a mage and can do Warrior Things, but if Frieren or Fern are at the helm, it's not very good. Not to mention it tends to shove flashbacks in the middle of fights, ruining the pacing even more. Frieren as a character is... fine. I don't like her but I don't dislike her per se. Fern's really the one I have the biggest issue with. She's sort of the team mom but she's too much of a stick in the mud to be enjoyable. There's a few instances where she's mad at someone and they have to go out of their way to placate her and that's just not fun to watch. I watched this, like, a month back and I honestly couldn't tell you what happens with a gun to my head. For some reason, Frieren attaches to Himmel's party specifically and it makes her want to get in touch with her feelings and stuff, right? And then between then and Not Johan Liebert (I honestly forget his name, I think the girl in the party was named Linne?), it's all just ~exploring~ and ~growing as people~ and ~expanding the party~ and there's a Takehito Koyasu elf and a priest with an older woman fetish and, like, I don't care about any of you people. That also goes for Himmel's party. You basically get Family Guy cutaway flashbacks to learn how Frieren's bond with Himmel's party was formed because by the end of the first episode, the party is already disbanded. And by the end of the season, I just never felt that much of a spark with the party. I will say this, Madhouse put their Madhoussy in this show. The OST is pretty good and it looks nice. There's not really much else Madhouse could do to make this show better without, well, just making something that wasn't Frieren. It does have ~themes~ that someone more interested in the show than I could explain to you but, like, I don't give a shit. Not because I'm not interested in the themes of a show or analyzing the literary value of a show but because this show was boring. If it wasn't through sunk cost fallacy and inertia, I would've dropped this at literally any point in the show. The only thing that was running through my mind was "this is what ultimately took down Fullmetal Alchemist?" (for the record, I have never seen FMA: Brotherhood [or 2003 for that matter], so this isn't me being a salty FMA fanboy. Yes, I know, I'll get to it, it's actually next on my list.). Honestly, me giving it a 3 is nice. It was devoid of value to me. The only thing that has left an impact on me is the sense that I wasted my time watching it. For comparison, I saw Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable like 3 months before watching this. Some throwaway harem show where the harem winner is about as obvious as it could be (for what it's worth, they could totally surprise me, I don't actually KNOW who wins, it's just an assumption based on what I saw in the anime) without it going "x girl wins: a Hokkaido Story" as the title or something, right? I enjoyed the show but it's not really something that'd stick in your mind. And yet I can remember more about that show than this one. I'm sure Frieren appeals to a certain crowd. I am not that certain crowd. If you enjoy shows where it's more about ~themes~ and characters meandering around, doing grunt work while ~learning about themselves~, this might be more your speed?

Firstly, I don't want to stir up controversy, Sou Sou no Frieren is an okay-ish anime with “many” good points. However, there are many other anime that are significantly better than Sou Sou no Frieren, and here are the reasons why. 1. Boring Characters Frieren is an intriguing elf with a long lifespan who doesn’t really value her time, as you can see in some episodes. Eventually, after people she knows start to pass away, she begins to rethink her life. However, she doesn’t reveal much about herself, and so on throughout the story, this becomes quite boring. The other characters in the anime aren’t much better. They are totally forgettable and nor do they change or develop, making it hard to get invested in them. It feels like they are just there, not adding much to the overall experience. Stark & Fern Tbh, I don’t really understand why Stark and Fern are so popular. They feel like filler characters who make the story dull. All they do is fight over the stupidest things, which eventually becomes annoying. 2. Non-existent plot and story The story moves as fast as watching grass grow. The journey starts after the hero’s party defeats the demon king and parts ways, which is at first interesting since a lot of anime take the opposite approach. Instead It’s filled with dull, repetitive stuff, as you keep watching and hoping for something "interesting" to happen (Spoiler Alert it doesn't). No surprises, no excitement, no nothing. Personally I think that Sou Sou no frieren lacks the WOW factor like any other anime. From the beginning to the end, around 20 eps-ish that make me feel like I'm watching an high rated anime but still it does not compare to other great anime. 3. The Pacing As I mentioned before, the pacing is all over the place. Some parts drag on endlessly (like spending 2-3 eps just to find a flower to put on an old statue), while others are rushed through without giving any time to understand the characters (for example, the background of Frieren and her friends like I still don't really know 'til this point). This inconsistency makes it difficult to enjoy or feel profoundly engaged with the story. In summary, Sou Sou no Frieren is a huge disappointment and a waste of time. My BIGGEST ADVICE is to save your time and invest it in something that actually delivers on its promise.

A Viral Phenomenon: (noun) when a piece of media is viewed and shared by millions of users online, in a short timespan. When Frieren first started streaming, I suspected its near instantaneous popularity and the memes were just part of some Viral phenomenon… And after watching, and suffering through its dull, dry exposition and lethargic pacing, its dreadfully boring dialogue and disjointed, directionless storytelling through an excruciating 28 episodes- I can now say my original suspicions have been confirmed with absolute certainty. Watching Frieren the whole way through has been one of the most disappointing, the most baffling, most frustrating viewing experiences of my entire life. It doesn’t even have any redeeming qualities that I could try and point out as a counterbalance to everything that’s wrong with the show- it’s just a painfully dull, boring, unoriginal -and I mean completely derivative- pile of cliches that any viewer of anime, or fantasy, or even Hollywood movies- has seen in any random title hundreds of times before- even Rings of Power does the same character archetypes better than this and at least has visuals far outpacing this show a million times over. This isn’t even good to LOOK AT with the sound off- it looks the exact same as every other generic D&D Fantasy that’s been done in anime since the beginning of time and does absolutely NOTHING different, or better. Tell me how many archetypes: The Dwarf Warrior. The Healer. The Mage. The Priest. A Demon King. Dragons. Magic. Grimoires. They aren’t even unique takes on any of these- apart from the slightly puffy round faces like Frieren herself has- and she isn’t even cute or pretty or intriguing to look at in any way- there’s nothing I can say about her character design other than that it’s as frumpy and unimaginative as the show she’s in. The dwarf is by far the worst- looking like a paper cutout most of the time. But watching this thing- my God- it’s like watching grass grow. Really boring grass. A typical episode has our Heroes slowly walking on paths through the greenery, on their way to nowhere in particular, calmly talking in monotone voices. Not talking about anything interesting, it’s usually Fern just asking Frieren, why does she like this kind of magic? Or why doesn’t she like to eat peanuts or why does everyone in this town walk funny or something… none of the dialogue is captivating. None of it is interesting, informative, stimulating, or necessary. But they talk CONSTANTLY. Entire episodes are literally just that- these characters, slowly walking, and talking endlessly about some relationship or other with a person in her past. Flashbacks are a well-worn trope that anime loves to use and abuse- and they are most notorious in the Shonen genre- where they can be thrown at the viewer in the middle of an exciting fight- either the protagonist or antagonist is remembering some inspirational thing said to them, or some awful letdown- before scoring a winning blow on the enemy…. But here- flashbacks are literally the entire story. Look, here’s the problem: A flashback is often used to show a dramatic memory in a character’s past that motivates them (or relates their fear) to make the next move in the plot. When they’re done really well- they actually show scenes that we’ve already experienced a previous episode- in a way to give those words (or that insult) extra meaning by reinforcing it. When used well, and sparingly- flashbacks can really add emotional weight to the story. But when the story itself never actually began- when you just introduce us to a handful of characters, proclaim that they’ve already won the honors (defeated the Demon King we never saw) and are just standing around talking- YOU CAN’T JUST FLASH BACK TO MORE STANDING AROUND AND TALKING. It doesn’t work!!! It builds no dramatic tension. It just feels tedious. Like so many new anime these days, this show is in one specific way exactly the same as all those generic isekai’s: it does no setup of its world, and does not introduce the protagonist of the story at the start of their struggle- it just skips over everything. It doesn’t show us an interesting world, or a battle, or the ruins of a town or city at the end of one. It shows a bunch of archetype characters, skips giving any background, and then just fast forwards into the future- and tries to use flashbacks to relate bits and pieces of the story it never told in the first place. Something is missing- you say to yourself if you’re paying any attention at all- as you watch this show- and the same thing is missing in EVERY EPISODE. Why don’t I care about these characters? Who are they? Why are they? Where’s the moment one of them saved the other’s life? Where’s the pivotal moment??? There isn’t one. It’s post modern is what it is- it’s “deconstructed” storytelling and decided to try just isolate the individual components and show them to you backwards, without proper context- so that the viewing experience is very dry and without meaning. Meaning is something that comes out of CONFLICT and STRUGGLE, followed by understanding. This show decides those three things can be isolated components which it can then just deliver to you individually in reverse- and no, it can’t. Sosou No Frieren is a masterful failure at storytelling like nothing I have ever seen. And the reason I’m so angry and so frustrated with it is beyond how bad it is. In truth, this show is really not bad on the level of something poorly made (it isn’t), the most frustrating thing about it is the absolutely undeserved praise it has from millions of people who can not POSSIBLY have watched the same show I have! The avalanche of praise this gets, from people who would call a nearly identical anime boring if it had a different title- is maddening. When the next viral phenomenon shows up- and it will- Frieren will be forgotten in a FLASH. No, nobody 25 years from now (or even 5) will be amazed by this, or feel like it’s essential viewing. It will be forgotten- because it’s too long and it’s not very entertaining. The world and the concept has been done a thousand times before, the characters aren’t very pretty or very interesting, the dialogue is dull, the music is flat, the action is sparse, and the magic system is inconsistent and poorly defined. There is nothing- not character design, nor soundtrack, nor fighting, nor artwork, nor dialogue that I could say was memorable. The next time a viral sensation like this spreads, the next time an anime shoots to #1 on MAL in just a few weeks- I am trusting my instincts and skipping it. You can have this show. And its boring premise and its dull dialogue- congratulations, it’s yours. I wasn’t impressed. Now I want the 13 HOURS of my life back that I wasted on it!!!

This was the most boring monotone piece of fiction i have ever watched, no one can ever convince me that this is a good show. The show starts out like Skyrim, sitting in a wagon for what feels like an eternity, only to be given the information that all that could be interesting in a show like this, has already happened.. After that you have to slave through 27 more episodes of ''I'm an old elf i don't care about time'' wich is literally the plot of the show. The main character has no emotion (some are saying its part of the show, but its just poor writing) The side characters are uninteresting and pointless

Did not like. Felt like it was written by someone who has faked their way to top or only are there because they specialize in character design or something. Story was horrible. Each episode was mind bogglingly boring and bereft of meaning to the point I was questioning if this was written by a toddler. My time was utterly wasted. Other than some cute looking characters and animation, this show had nothing to offer. It was so empty and parody-like that I have no idea how it got the rating that it has. It is horrible in too many ways. Do not recommend. It will piss you off if you're looking for any depth in stories. From someone who's enjoyed MHA quite a lot for its quality in creating compelling characters and a gripping plot line, I highly recommend you skip this one.

Generic DnD party's story to defeat the demon king retold in DemonSLayer flashback style during the parallel DnD party's story traveling through generic Tolkienesque Europe to totally not defeat the demon king. This is high-budget fantasy slop with zero originality. Literally just throwing money at the wall along with pay to win ratings. One might notice a ton of internal inconsistencies and boring monster/sidequest of the week garbage, or one might clap when the pretty colors go by. The entirely 1-note and otherwise forgettable plot just keeps digging straight to tropey shounen hell for the pointless exam-tournament arc. This generic show doesn't deserve the effort it would take to explain everything wrong with it. 2/10 (where 5/10 is average)

Frieren is one of those shows that you cannot really evaluate properly after just watching 1-3 episodes. Its tone starts out calm, stoic and almost ethereal, something that most people are not used to when watching anime, so it's easy to believe this might be a sign of great narrative depth... But once you start scratching over the surface, you quickly realize how shallow Frieren truly is. SETTING Generic Tolkienian isekaislop. Set in a trite parody of medieval Europe where nothing ever seems to progress no matter how many centuries pass, it includes humans, elves, dwarves, demons, dragons... You know, the usual. Out of 28 episodes, there wasn't a single location or enemy that was even remotely original or thrilling. If you expected some elaborate worldbuilding, you'll be sorely disappointed. STORY When something is unique and different, that means either one of two things: it's better than average, or it's worse than average. The case of Frieren is the latter. The plot is entirely driven by the characters, and the characters are absolutely OBSSESED by the past, to a sickening degree. A dead family, a dead mentor, a dead friend, a dead hero, a dead lover... It just never ends. Some reflection over the fleetingness of life is fine, but everything in Frieren is blatant nostalgia-bait with the specific intent of inducing warm and cozy and fuzzy feelings into the viewer. This is made worse by the fact that the history of Frieren is exclusively told through brief disjointed flashbacks every 10 seconds. It's like watching the trilogy of Star Wars sequels, except there are no already established elements to be nostalgic about. This obsession with the past is probably due to the fact that no character is actually interested in the present. "Who or what is a Demon Lord?", "Why does anyone fight it?" and "What's up with magic anyway?" are evidently questions not worth answering to. The original 4-hero party was essentially just a group of coworkers who once worked together on some random project and then went their separate ways. They didn't care enough about each other to meet more than once every 50 years, yet the viewer should care? CHARACTERS As previously stated, every character in Frieren is a marionette attached to the strings of the past. Nobody knows what they want in life or what they even like, they all just do what they think their (dead) acquaintances might want them to do. No personal agency, no higher morality, no future goals. In short, it feels like every character just lives to die. As for their personal growth, it's always pretty much over by the end of their introductory episodes. If I had to give some additional insight on each character: - Frieren Gotta give credit where credit is due, Frieren is the average anime watcher's ultimate fantasy: socially inept and borderline autistic, yet nigh-omnipotent, universally loved and eternally young and beautiful. No wonder everyone has a picture of Frieren as their social media avatar nowadays. - Fern Super-talented genius child who later becomes super-talented genius mother-figure. Her personality is even more abrasive and aimless than Frieren's, but cute funny faces are apparently more than enough to forgive that. - Stark Who? - Sein One of the better characters in this series, since he has at least a realistic goal to strive towards in the present (even though he's still chained to the past like everyone else). - Demons They're not even characters, just mindless plot devices. - Everyone else Dead and/or irrelevant. BATTLES The magic system of Frieren is about as fleshed out as Harry Potter's. All you need to know is that some individuals have more mana than others, everthing else is flavor. The First-Class Mage Exam could have been a good opportunity for an original tournament arc and more exposition on the battles, but it turned out to be barely more than filler. PRODUCTION The drawings are pretty, the animations are fluid and the music is both soothing and freshing. That's true. For the first few episodes. But by the 28th episode, the style gets so repetitive and boring that the viewer is at serious risk of falling asleep. This is also due to the fact that the animators took almost no artistic liberty with the designs and environments; it's all so generic it might as well have been generated by AI. The openings and endings are nice, the first-half ones in particular, I'll give them that. VERDICT Given the sheer amount of laughable 10/10 preliminary reviews and the fact that this is one of the worst shows produced by Madhouse in at least the past 20 years, a score of 1/10 is definitely appropriate.

Sousou no Frieren so personally the anime is a masterpiece because it did something that you don't see nowadays were we are just filled with a bunch cliched action animes but frieren gave this breath of fresh air because it didn't give you a typical anime yet it did not disappoint. it goes without saying that MADHOUSE realy did a good job in the animation of not just the fight scenes also the jounery the movement was flowing and smooth, the soundtrack gave it a perfect adventure feel the humor is subjective in the sense that it isn't full on humor just particular moments and gestures now i don't enjoy action anime that much but i do watch action animes and freiren action episodes are very good the power structure is not complex but quite interesting now on to the characters, the characters are all enjoyable and give the wholesome and smoothness of the anime a very good aspect so in all it is a near perfect anime with no notable flaws so i rate a 9.8/10 basically 10/10 NOTE IF YOU ARE A ACTION CRAZED ANIME FAN IT IS NOT FOR YOU DO NOT WATCH IT I REPEAT DO NOT WATCH IT

Disclaimer first, if you fall into the categories below, I emphasize to you not to watch this anime. Because you won't get the anime you want. 1. You are looking for a fantasy anime with action scattered all over the place all the time. 2. You are a person who likes mystery and psychological anime. 3. You are bored with generic fantasy stories. 4. You want an epic life story journey. I say that this anime deserves to be ranked first in 2023 and 2024 early. Not because the anime surpasses all existing anime, but because the anime provides a standard taste for the genre where most fantasy anime in this year have a bitter taste because they mix a lot of spices in it. This is like a soup that is not bad or also very expensive, this is a taste that you should be able to find in everyday life and everywhere but somehow you can't. 1. Firstly, this is not a fighting anime, where you will see the enemy hitting the main character and the main character hitting back until both of them can't take it anymore. This anime uses magic and not magic that you don't care about, the concept of magic is a normal feeling that you should imagine when fighting wizards in fantasy stories or games. This means that each attack will have a big impact but will have a short duration in a limited area. Even fighting indoors will not damage the surroundings until they leave the building. Even the impact that looks so grand will make you ask how the room came to be intact. So if you are expecting a very intense fight where they exchange attacks, forget about that. Anime ini bukan Fullmetal Alchemist series. 2. If you really like mystery, psychology and philosophy anime like Kino no Tabi, Detective Conan, and so on. Then forget to watch this anime. Unlike the genres above you won't have the structure of the world explained through Dialogue, you won't get the philosophy explained in depth. You need the glass to be half empty beforehand so you can understand. Here you yourself must be able to put together every incident, find character development, look for the causes and effects that occur. No one will explain to you all the time what happened, why it happened, what developments happened, when it happened, where it happened, and how it happened, through dialogue like Conan. If you expect to get an explanation so you understand what's going on through dialogue you'll be confused at some junctions. 3. If you hope that this anime provides an unusual perspective on the story then forget it. This is a standard story where you will see humans and Elves look like good people and Demons are evil creatures without consideration and research. You won't be able to find a story where the Demon Race turns out to be good and humans despise them. In this anime, Demons are a pure evil race and you will be presented with that reality in the anime. It's up to you to be ready to accept that reality or not. You won't get the fact that you can live side by side with Demons in Frieren's world. The world in the anime is very standard bedtime fairy tale fantasy. 4. The journey in the story is also not very deep in each episode. In general, you will continue to be faced with the main character. You won't find the development of the supporting actors very intense. You see the main character talking, remembering the past, and talking in the present based on his memories. You are almost like accompanying a grandmother (Frieren) who has have Alzheimer's. He traces his past life on his journey in the present. So each character will not get an in-depth explanation so you can love and sympathize with them. Apart from Frieren, you will only be given one or two scenes or portions that explain their background, but you won't be too attached to them. So if you are asked to study Frieren's story or that person, you are not sure about that person. Because you still want to know what happened to the main character. And when you start to become disinterested in her you don't have a supporting cast that you want to dig deeper into. So in conclusion, if you hope to get something big because this anime is ranked 1st then you have too high expectations. You will fall too hard, therefore you lower your expectations to the level that this is a boring, ordinary fantasy anime. So when you watch it you will think "It wasn't that bad after all."

All that hype for a mediocre fantasy show. Please note that Frieren Beyond Journey’s End is NOT an action-fantasy Shonen. It’s a slow-paced slice-of-life (SoL) anime in a fantasy setting. Certain episodes you do get actual battles, but most of the time you’re just following along Frieren’s own melancholy and nostalgia. The show takes place eighty years after Frieren’s journey has ended, and it re-tells that story through constant flashbacks and character references. Because this is “beyond journeys end,” a majority of the episodes have very low stakes, very little action, and not a lot of story progression. Each episode mostly reminisces on that adventure Frieren had eighty years ago. It's like hearing your grandmother daydream about the “good old days“ while she constantly mentions quotes by her dead friends. Do not believe all the hype you see on social media. This show is mainly carried by its production quality and visuals, not because it has "profound writing." Every location Frieren visits are so unmemorable they all look the same. Each episode would display something like, “In the town of X, West of…” or “In the city of Y, North of…” briefly shown on the screen. However, they never flesh these locations out. The towns and cities in this anime are mainly used as placeholders so that the party has somewhere to go. The first six episodes is just Frieren and Fern travelling between towns A, B, and C doing mundane tasks like helping villagers, grocery shopping, and finding gimmicky non-combat spells. Sometimes Frieren can be adorable when she actually shows emotion, or when she geeks over useless grimoires. But because of her apathetic nature, her constant self-loathing, and her placid poker-faced expression, she just comes off as an overall bland and boring MC. “I’m an immortal elf that lived for a thousand years. I don’t care. I remember when Himmel the Hero said…” That’s the whole premise of this show. She's just an immortal and extremely powerful elf mage with a waifu face, an aloof personality, and poor social skills. When it comes to Fern, she's just as static and aloof as Frieren. If Fern had a bubblier and energetic personality it would have complemented Frieren’s apathetic nature. Unfortunately, both of them are apathetic so their whole dynamic can be very dull to sit through across 28 episodes. In fact, Fern didn’t do much character growth either. Between the four years she travelled with Frieren, she wore the same outfit, wore the same haircut, and spoke the same voice. Fern at 18 years old is the exact same person she was at 14. I genuinely do not understand what Frieren saw in Fern that made her go, “Okay maybe I’ll change.” Even Anya from Spy x Family would be a better substitute for Fern. I swear, everyone in this show talks in a very soft-spoken voice with a face that always looks like this: 😐. It’s almost robotic and devoid of any charisma. The reason why there are so many flashbacks is because the anime wants you to experience Frieren's regret. She "regrets" not connecting with people. However, it's kinda hard to empathize with someone who had a thousand years to address that issue. She spends ten years with Himmel, ignores him, then realizes he was flirting 80-years later. She spends 50-years travelling by herself, then she visits Himmel when he's about to croak. Frieren only visits her friends when they're about to die. She attends their funeral, then she complains about not getting to know them better. It is ridiculous. It treats the audience like children with zero critical thinking skills. There is nothing "deep" or "complex" about Frieren's character. If you had a hundred years to catch up with someone, and you sat on it, that's on you. Overall, this whole season is just a nostalgia train that constantly talks about Frieren's past. It recycles cliché RPG tropes and power systems that other anime did better. Flashbacks, gift-shopping, and cheesy life-quotes all make up this very slow-paced SoL title where each episode feels like a filler. The fights are well-animated but the power system is poorly explained. A lot of the "fights" boil down to an eighteen-minute backstory and a five-second battle. A full episode would be a philosophical flashback explaining WHY Frieren can beat the enemy, then the remaining fifteen seconds is the actual fight. There is no actual plot, there is no story progression, and there is no character development. The “plot” is Frieren adopting Fern as an apprentice because it was her friend’s dying wish. The “plot” is Frieren recruiting Stark because it was a request from another friend. All three of them have some sort of objective to head North. But throughout all nineteen episodes, they just wandered around no-name towns doing absolutely nothing. NOTHING. There is no urgency to head North, and there are no real dangers blocking their way. The stakes are non-existent. I get that the story is about "the passage of time" and outliving your friends. But if you stretch that same premise across 28 episodes, it just becomes very boring and repetitive. This anime did not need 28 episodes. This entire season could have just been an email. The only positive aspects about this show are its OST and visuals. Everything else is just boring dialogue, flashbacks, and slice-of-life elements. It’s a very mid 5/10 slow-burner SoL title. It’s also overhyped and overrated across every inch of the internet.

Let’s get straight to the point: the biggest problem with Sousou no Frieren is its sluggish pacing. There are countless episodes where absolutely nothing happens. There’s no tension, no challenge, no real sense of progress, just long, contemplative sequences that try to convey depth but end up feeling hollow. The central message, “cherish the short lifespan of humans”, is handled in a shallow and repetitive way, offering nothing truly new or emotionally striking. The characters, in turn, lack any charisma. The interactions are so cold and mechanical that it’s hard to care about what’s going on. The way they talk and act gives the impression that everyone is sedated with boredom, resulting in an atmosphere that lulls you to sleep rather than piquing your interest. And before anyone says, “But slow pacing is typical of Slice of Life!”, yes, I know. I’ve watched plenty of them, and even the calmest ones had life, charm, and purpose. Frieren seems to confuse slowness with depth. The only aspect truly worthy of praise is the direction and animation. The visual care and dedication of the animators are evident, the landscapes, lighting, and rare action scenes are all of exceptional technical quality. If this anime is so acclaimed, it’s almost certainly because of that. Without its impeccable direction, Frieren would just be another pretty but forgettable title lost among the season’s releases.

"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" has garnered significant attention and praise, with many fans lauding its unique premise and emotional depth. However, upon closer examination, the series fails to deliver on many fronts, leading to a rather underwhelming experience. Here’s an in-depth look at the key aspects of the anime that contribute to its overall rating. TLDR: One of the worst beginnings to an otherwise decent anime I've seen in a while. Good plot for the type of story that it is, but not the type of story for everyone (especially me). I would give it a 7, but waiting until the 7th episode for it to START to be interesting was torturous. Worldbuilding (5.5): The worldbuilding is slightly above average, providing enough details to support the story but lacking in depth and immersion. The setting is functional but not particularly engaging or memorable. Viewer Experience (6.5): The viewer experience is fair, with the anime being generally enjoyable. It has some memorable moments, but there are also parts that might feel less engaging. Overall, it's a decent watch that can hold interest without being particularly outstanding. Characters (6): The characters are likable and relatable, with some depth and development. They fulfill their roles adequately, though they might not be deeply explored or exceptionally memorable. Storytelling (6): The storytelling is fair, holding attention and providing an interesting enough narrative. While it may not be groundbreaking or highly creative, it’s structured well enough to keep viewers engaged. Pacing (4): The pacing is mediocre, with noticeable issues that affect the viewing experience. Some parts of the anime drag or feel rushed, leading to a disjointed or uneven narrative flow. Style and Presentation The anime lacks a distinctive style, often feeling like a generic fantasy/isekai. Despite not being an isekai, it shares many tropes and elements common to the genre, making it feel unoriginal. The characters are largely unremarkable and forgettable, with little to no personality that stands out. The soundtrack is generic, and the directing is basic, contributing to a bland viewing experience. The world-building, often praised, feels superficial, with locations and kingdoms that lack importance and distinction, making the world feel less dynamic and alive. World Building and Plot The world-building is minimal, with locations that feel like random backdrops rather than integral parts of a living, breathing world. The story largely revolves around Frieren's journey and the flashbacks to her time with her former party, but these flashbacks often feel repetitive and do little to advance the plot or develop the characters. The episodic nature of the series contributes to a lack of urgency and stakes, making the overall plot feel aimless and slow. Additionally, the magic system is poorly implemented, with spells introduced conveniently to serve the plot rather than being well-established elements of the world. Character Development Character development is perhaps the most significant flaw of "Frieren." The protagonist, Frieren, an elf with a lifespan of over a thousand years, comes across as emotionally distant and unchanging. Despite the premise of her journey being to understand humans better, she shows little to no growth throughout the series. Other characters, including her companions Fern and Stark, are equally underdeveloped, often reverting to their initial character traits without any meaningful progression. The supporting cast is also filled with one-dimensional characters that fail to leave a lasting impact. Most characters are either expressionless or serve as comedic relief, with very few serious or complex characters. Comedy and Emotional Tone The anime struggles to balance its comedic elements with its serious themes. The humor often feels forced and repetitive, detracting from the overall narrative. Serious moments are frequently interrupted by flashbacks or misplaced jokes, lessening their emotional impact. The portrayal of emotional moments is often heavy-handed, with the series relying too much on nostalgia and repetitive themes without delving deeper into the complexities of its characters or their relationships. The mix of comedy and serious moments is poorly handled, making it difficult to take the emotional beats seriously. Animation and Soundtrack While the animation quality is generally high, with some beautifully animated scenes, it does little to elevate the overall experience. The art style, though vibrant, is not particularly distinctive or memorable. The soundtrack, which should complement the emotional and narrative beats of the series, is largely forgettable and fails to enhance the viewing experience. The sound design choices, especially during comedic scenes, often feel out of place and detract from the immersion. Pacing and Structure The pacing of "Frieren" is inconsistent, with many episodes dragging on without significant plot advancement. The frequent flashbacks, while intended to add depth to the story, often feel like filler content, disrupting the flow of the narrative. The lack of a clear direction or goal makes it difficult to stay engaged with the story over the long term. The plot is often slow and uneventful, with many episodes feeling repetitive and lacking in substance. Themes and Depth While the series aims to explore themes of time, memory, and the fleeting nature of human life, it often falls short in execution. The themes are repeatedly hammered in without much nuance or development. The philosophical and emotional depth that the series aspires to is often overshadowed by its surface-level treatment of these themes. Villains and Antagonists The antagonists in the series are poorly developed and lack any real sense of menace or threat. Demons are portrayed as one-dimensional villains with no depth or complexity, serving only as obstacles for the protagonists to overcome. This simplistic portrayal of antagonists further undermines the series' potential for a more engaging and dynamic narrative. Conclusion "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" had the potential to be a standout series with its intriguing premise of exploring the aftermath of a hero's journey from the perspective of an immortal elf. However, it falls short due to its lack of character development, unoriginal world-building, inconsistent pacing, and superficial treatment of themes. The anime is ultimately a collection of missed opportunities, failing to provide the depth and engagement needed to make it a truly memorable experience. While it may have some redeeming qualities in its animation and occasional moments of introspection, it does not live up to the high praise it has received.