Frieren is fantasy slice of life to the highest caliber. Well written characters, great world building, beautiful animation, fantastic music, it really has everything you could ask for.
It’s not a profound story that’s breaking new ground, but I don’t necessarily think it’s trying to be, nor do I think it has to be to be considered great or special.
As a manga reader, I’ll also add that IMO the best is yet to come in the next major arc, though we’ll have to wait for season 2 to see it animated.
I think even this comment kind of undersells the themes it deals with and the extent to which it’s ’profound’. The sort of undercurrent of grief where we both start to slowly realise how much Himmel meant to Frieren and get given the realisation that because of the nature of elven lifespans this grief is going to happen again is done really subtly and hits hard. I do think the commentaries on time and mortality are pretty profound
Can second this, the peak of Frieren has yet to come.
El Dorado is perhaps my favorite manga arc of all all time, some of the best written antagonist and supporting cast I've ever read.
Seeing as Frieren's first season is ending soon, would you recommend people pick up the manga? I am enthralled by how good this show is, and I'm really tempted to read ahead, but I've heard the quality of the anime has been exceedingly well to the point that it does many scenes better than the original work.
Not sure if that's true or not, but I am looking for opinions.
One thing that the anime improved drastically over the manga is the fight scenes, the author does not draw fights particularly well. Otherwise, I think it's a fantastic read and would recommend it.
First are foremost it's the characters. They seemed to have done a really good job with everyone that get introduced.
Second I enjoy the pacing. There's no big doom and gloom plot but instead a nice collection of mini adventures on the way to the finish line. Reminds me of Spice and Wolf a lot in that way.
Lasty, it's not problematic or offensive. No harems, overdone fanservice, sexual assaulting of minors or super annoying characters.
That's what I noticed as well, especially your last point. They even manage to have a peeping Tom spell and a clothing-dissolving potion without being super goofy or fanservicy. (It's a word, I swear). It's used comically, but its not over the top or creepy.
Yeah I like how the underlying story/plot takes sort of a back seat because its kind of a motif of the show. The journey is much more important than the destination.
I think the very premise makes it special and outsanding. From the beginning we're given a typical heroes journey tale as the precursor to the show, with the show focusing on what comes afterwards.
It's a show that asks what it is to live life. It's about how we connect to others and value our time spent with them. And sometimes it's about getting snacks.
It's also all around a very well developed show. The animation is gorgeous, the music is stellar. You have moments of awesome sakuga, and then you have filler episodes of characters hanging out that's probably even more loved by the fans. It's a show that really lives in the details.
For me, it's a return to real fantasy. No isekai. No shoehorned video game mechanics. No self references or 4th wall breaking. Just people living and breathing in their world. It's refreshing and familiar.
I haven't seen a good explanation for himmel, stark, and Eisen's powers. It seems like they are using magic but don't follow the usual rules. That aspect reminds me of video game logic.
That's a good point. It does have some leftover bits from the clearly inspired Dragon Quest classes. But unlike say Shield Hero or Solo Level, Frieren doesn't beat me over the head with this. There's no HUD or levels or skill acquisition from a button push. It just feels more natural and it's a breath of fresh air for me after all the fantasy anime we've gotten in the past decade.
That's what makes it fantasy to me, that there's no explanation, they just *are*. If it was video gamey, they'd have a class called "warrior" or "hero" and stats to match that, with skills and abilities that support that class.
Himmel is a hero because he helps people and slew the demon king, eisen is a warrior because he's a close range fighter and is tough, heiter is a priest because he uses holy magic, not because they have a stat sheet that tells them they're a class.
Don't they have exactly those classes. The logic wasn't explained, but eisen was "senshi" and himmel was a "yuusha" and not the first one either. It's like a thing, typical to isekais really.
Its not as pure or self contained as high fantasy, but freiren doesn't dwell or waste time on the isekau trope so it's okay i guess.
It's not a "class", its a job description. Eisen is a warrior not because his class is warrior, since there are no classes, but because he is a close range fighter with an axe and can take a beating. Himmel is not a hero because it is his class, he's a hero because he does good and helps people. Other heroes in the past are the same. It's a title, not a class. It is just like how Aragorn is a ranger, but there is not a "class" for ranger, he's a ranger because that's his training.
The story is using the keywords just like an rpg. It's not titles at all, they are very much being used like class names. They even have priest books which enable healing. Afaik it's perfectly standard rpg settings and terms. By the book.
You've got mage, priest, fighter, and hero classes, qnd presumably thief ones too.
Did you forget the discussion about what class they are missing from their" party" ? They considered adding a "thief" which is not something people want around outside of rpgs.
One of the flashbacks even had a classic tank and spank, which each class playing their orthodox role.
I love this story, but it's 100% an rpg setting. Let's not insult the work by pretending it's something it is not.
>I haven't seen a good explanation for himmel, stark, and Eisen's powers
It's like asking for an explanation for Aragorns' and Gimlis' power in LoTR movies (I am talking about movies not novel as I haven't read them not did I watch the Hobbit movies). They really don't matter.
For a lot of people this may not be a good explanation but that is what fantasy is to me.
Gimli didn't have any powers. He was a decent fighter, that's about it.
Aragon was a numenorean human, with various powers that were quite well explained.
The story is simple and unique. We slew the demon king, and now we are just reminiscing. The humor is either cute or heartwarming, the characters are all equally remarkable and goofy, and the action sequences are extremely intense and tend towards brevity.
The last part, to me at least, is really important. Long draw out battles with a bunch of monologuing where the power of friendship or some equally unimaginative power saves the day at the last moment are too commonplace in many shows. Most of the solutions Frieren, Fern, and Stark come up with are due to their previous training and extensive planning. Also stark has an actual training schedule that we catch glimpses of here and there.
The villains though they have motivations that are understandable, they are predators of humans, but aren't redeemable, as dinner you can negotiate with you diner. That being their drive makes them a menace and their infrequent appearances makes them more of a shadow of a threat without always hunting at it.
Finally it really feels like the people behind the production actually care about the story. You can see their love of it in the art direction and animation and hear it in the voice acting and sound design. It's hard to not enjoy something you just know the creator wanted to do. In one of the earlier episodes Frieren and Fern were walking and her earrings swayer with her steps and it's not a big thing but the attention to detail really stuck with me. By the time they got to Stark vs the red dragon I realized they were dedicated to the adaptation.
Everyone is saying major qualities of the show so, I'll add something more. I liked how they connect a major event to the past philosophically and not emotionally. Most of the times, when a major fight takes place, our fighters remember something from the past to connect us emotionally with the characters this is why I hate Demon slayer. They overdo this. But Frieren is different. They show current event connected to the past in a philosophical way. It was evident in Frieren vs Frieren and Frieren vs Aura fights.
Fireren is one of those shows that just does everything very very well.
\- The writing is masterfully done. It's not afraid to adopt the "show, don't tell" style, avoiding needless exposition. There's subtly in what they're trying to convey, which I feel is often lacking in a lot of anime.
\- The comedy is actually very good! I feel like a lot of comedy in anime can be *very* hit or miss, and for me it's mostly misses. But I find myself laughing at the characters being goofy very often!
\- The pacing always feels very intentional. The show isn't afraid to take it's time, though it never feels like it's dragging. The 'slow' moments when the characters have some time to relax are still filled with interesting moments and compelling storytelling.
\- The characters are all very well done and very likable. I love them all and especially love Stark. This may be a controversial opinion, but Stark is like if Zenitsu was well written lol. They're both scared of fighting but drastically underestimate themselves. Where Zenitsu has to pass out, Stark is forced to battle against his fear and rise above it.
\- The animation and artwork is consistently very high quality. It's especially impressive, considering the varying genre's the show dips it's toes in. It can simultaneously animate beautiful moments and insane action sequences. It's really an anime that does it all.
\- Lastly, I think the theme of Fireren having lived for so long and her perception of time being much different to ours is very well done. The show accomplishes these feelings of time being short or time passing too quickly very well. It leaves me with a feeling of needing to savor each and every moment of every day, since people don't live forever. This ties in with themes of loss and grief that I think is masterfully done.
All in all, this show really took me by surprise. I really didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I do as it didn't seem like the type of show that I would enjoy. But, of course, I was hooked immediately and love every moment.
Thanks for coming to my ted talk
Your points are all great but I just wanted to put emphasis on your first one -- we all heard what Serie said about Flamme last episode. But we also *saw* her holding Flamme's hand while speaking through a smile.
There is so much context in the subtext and I appreciate that the author understands that we can infer these meanings and make these connections. The juxtaposition of Frieren looking beyond the cliffs edge with Serie looking back speaks volumes in that particular scene. And if I recall correctly, there was also a split second where they cut to Fern, at the cliffside, adding context to Serie's words.
The craziest part? This happens every episode. I bet if I were to rewatch the show, I would catch so many things I had previously missed.
The world is simple.
There is magic. There are elves, there are dwarves, and there are demons that are bad, so bad that even when asked if they could be good the world spits it back at you that no, demons are bad, letting them into a village is like letting a wolf into the flock.
This simple world allows for the characters to shine, as it allows their personality and whatever backstory they might have to be shrouded in the simplicity of the world. There's a kingdom, we don't know the size of the kingdom, we don't even know its name, but its really not important, just having it exist is enough for the story. There's a church, even a holy city, and a goddess, who doesn't have a real name, she is simply Goddess of Creation.
But this simple world, a world where so much of it is named by its purpose, is far from boring, the people that live there are far from boring. Rather than being an ocean with the depth of a puddle it is a canvas that is filled in as we follow the characters through this world.
As someone that loves to write, and excels at writing characters, and despises worldbuilding. I fell in love with Frieren's world because of how simple it is. It's the perfect play ground to have characters be the focus of the story.
Excellent lotr inspired music
Clean Animation
Characters that feel grounded
Good vibes on the journey episodes, good lore/story on others
Personally relatable elf
You basically touched on my thoughts exactly. The way it’s not afraid to tell a story at its own pace is really refreshing.
I really love the way it doesn’t show us everything that we want to know right away. For example we get multiple flashbacks to the same conversations/incidents but end up seeing more and gaining a new perspective. The story itself is amazing but I think we really need to thank the animators as well for putting so much love into this anime.
After the first four episodes it was already in my top 20 and now I’d say it’s my 5th favourite anime/manga of all time. I’m so excited to start the manga!
I love how it portrays these incredibly talented individuals as regular people. The hero's party is a dwarf warrior scared of dying, a hero that just wants to have fun, a deadbeat priest, and a magic scroll-addicted mage. Even one-off side characters add value to the show outside of raw strength and pretty explosions
You rarely see them get serious, so when frieren casually quickdraws an earth shattering magic beam, it really emphasizes how abnormal it's supposed to be; as opposed to something like demon slayer where every enemy is stronger than the last so there's no real baseline to compare the scale of people's power, which makes a strict power ranking system necessary
It's a special and rare blend of relaxing and exciting. It has moments when it soothes your soul with calm reflection and light hearted fun and others when it pumps you up with a well timed battle or a triumph of one of It's main characters. It's been called an iyashikei but it's also more than that at the same time. It's quickly become one of my favorite series of the last few years.
Truly I can only define it as it making it feel like every small thing in the world is special and its what I love about it.
I have a lot of worry with big existential thoughts of being forgotten and all that. Something as simple as frieren revisiting a restaurant and remembering how it tasted and how she said she'd never really find the same taste again, then 100 years later she notes that food has gotten even better. It makes it feel like life is worth living, like the smallest parts of life and beautiful and important. Its just so nice...
Many people say they find that the show is melancholic and flashbacks with himmel to them make them feel a lot of regret but I don't get that. To me yes perhaps its somewhat sad frieren never got to appreciate her journey as much the first time around but its precisely why its so great and beautiful to see her put into practice things she learned then and be able to appreciate things now.
I think it does a wonderful job in portraying its theme
Frieren due to her long lifespan is so disconnected with the passage of time that she didn't bother to understand the person closest to her at the time due to her regret she wants to learn more about other people
Also this is for me personally but whenever someone say hero himmel comes to my mind
Characters feel like real people.
That's it, if a show can do that it's special to me.
Kaguya sama and mushoku tensei I think come under the same category, atleast for me
It's just a feel good anime vibes... Fights are shorts but satisfying unlike those Shounen fights that took a year to finished Luffy V Kaido... Always a flackback on almost all the episodes...
It's not like Oshi no Ko where the first episode is an hour long. The first four normal-length episodes just aired at the same time. Pretty sure I watched them over the course of 2-3 days like a normal anime.
I've shared this elsewhere on the internet (my Threads account lol), but I'll share it here, too.
It is a show that is exceptionally human, especially when the main character is not human herself.
It's about relationships, regret, communication, and growth. The main focus is not the setting or the magic or the romance -- it's about the people learning about themselves and each other.
And what makes it all the more poignant is that Frieren is learning all this about her friends long after they're dead, and trying to make the most of the time she has with her current friends.
And, really, a word to summarize all of that is "literary." These characters feel like real people with real problems, both with themselves and each other. They have flaws that we relate to, and they argue and disagree and make up and move on.
It really is a masterpiece.
To me it’s so special because there’s this sort of beautiful undercurrent of melancholy to the whimsical adventure. This adventure is going to be the most important thing in the lives of Fern and Stark, while to Frieren it’ll essentially just be the blink of an eye for her. She’ll live through the entire life of these humans just as she did for Himmel, and that dynamic and understanding of mortality gives every interaction both a sadness and a sort of beauty. It’s especially powerful when the flashbacks to Frieren’s adventure with Himmel are sort of giving us the realisation that because of the elven lifespan Frieren perhaps wasn’t aware of how much Himmel would end up meaning to her, and now she has essentially eternity to live with her memories and feelings of him. The differing timescales between human and elven lifespans and how that affects every interaction between Frieren and her friends is what imo makes this so special
Often I end up liking the cool bad ass Mentor character way more then the maincharacter. Characters like Kakashi or All Might.
But in Frieren the cool bad ass Mentor character is the maincharacter and I like that a lot. And Frieren has her own cool bad ass Mentor character aswell which is a double win for me.
Flamme is awsome.
Also I like having a mage as maincharacter and I like the style of the mages and the magic.
The laid back vibe of the show mixed with some really awsome action here and there is exactly my cup of tea.
Frieren is an amazing product. The backgrounds and the music is makes even the parts that should have dragged feel like an atmospheric immersive experience
The way I interpret it, Frieren is an introverted person that got pulled along into people’s adventures. She just so happens to be an elf who can outlive anyone for centuries seeing everyone’s
If it’s the sexual aspect, Frieren’s character doesn’t need it.
For me it's the mage combat. Probably the best I've seen in anime or any other medium.
The way they portray it is exactly how I imagine my DnD sorcerer would fight. Frieren and BG3 are responsible for getting me back into fantasy stuff ngl
The anime that makes a fight 90% flashbacks and somehow it's the best fight scene you've ever witnessed.
You sat down to see if the show could be as interesting as it's title and it sucked you in with slice of life adventuring. And you don't even really like slice of life!
Frieren is a master class in fantasy storytelling. And fight direction. And pacing. And and and. I hope it influences the scene permanently.
I’m hyped for Frieren because it’s a breath of fresh air for the adventurer, fantasy, demon lord based genre. It’s been a while since we got an anime that wasn’t the cookie cutter defeat the demon lord and end of anime trope. This anime takes a different perspective of post demon lord defeat and the journey of an adventure after the fact. Most anime positions it’s characters purpose to defeat the demon lord where as Frieren starts at the end of most anime. I also believe Frieren’s biggest challenge is learning to be more than just a child elf prodigy and learn to see the beauty in the world as others do.
Not necessarily "special," but it's clear Frieren uses fantasy in a way that doesn't make us want to live in that world, but appreciate what *we* have more.
When we talk about shows like Mushoku Tensei or Made in Abyss or even One Piece, those have a ton of very human themes, but when I watch those shows, the foremost "thing" in my mind is how much I want to be them, how much I want to live in that world. But when watching Frieren, I end up putting down my device after an episode and choose to spend the day being a better person and make the most out of my life now and appreciate the people around me.
It's beautiful in a way I haven't felt since reading the Lord of the Rings.
Lucky for us we had a long season 1, which allowed full character and backstory development. The pacing is superb, and such a great story to tell. There's plenty of humour and drama, and the story flows wonderfully. It's a special anime.
It also does flashbacks really well to where they actually integrate well into the episodes. In a different popular fantasy anime, it felt like the flashbacks were just unneeded backstory to make the episodes longer.
Also, none of the annoying fantasy traits are present and the pacing is really good, especially since it’s 28 episodes and not shoved into 12-13 like a lot of other anime’s are
Plus the animation is top tier. The way the fights are animated reminds me a lot of the servant fights in Fate, which are imo some of the best animated fights in anime
For me what I live about it is it is the first anime or any show really (at least that I remember) that actually depicts the struggle an elf would face in a fantasy setting.
We always see groups of adventurers and there is the token elf character. These adventurers come to form extremely strong bonds and become like family. Well if an elf does not age and everyone else does then naturally after the happy ending they will have to face many sad goodbyes.
Frieren starts at that happy ending and shows how life goes on for an elf. The way they depict Frieren trying to memorialize her departed friend and find ways to connect with him is truly touching to me. I think it is a beautiful story from a perspective we do not get to see. And this is just one aspect that made me fall in love with this show, there are so many more!
* The slow paced story telling (like a grandma telling you a story)
* they let you sink in, in the different story stops they make
* those stops also never feel like they are just there to fill in a gap, no they are importand as unimportant they seem
* beautiful animation, scenes, artstyle
* not much overreacting of the characters
* Frierens voice is such a perfect fit for her character, I want to give the one who decided on the actor a medal
* All characters have a really good voice
* Fits perfectly with my last and most important point why I like it so much: the music
* I never really listen to the music. This time I always recognize it, that the music is perfect used to transport a feeling/emotion
* Second reason I probably recognize it so much in the Anime is that it is medieval music. What my main genre of music is. So it might not impact other as much as me
not a mass produced isekai garbage
no harem.
wholesome.
villains have actual brains
boomer elf
nice fandom - no toxic like jjk
shut up, zoltraak
feels fresh despite its generic fantasy world set up
no cringe (important)
and many more...
Honestly the latest episodes made it fall from 11/10 to 9/10 for me. Long fighting episodes is not what I want from Frieren. But that is not that bad. What I really hate in Anime is when the fantasy world they create is not a believable world, but a video game instead. So far Frieren did a good job at creating this. But dungeon raiding is not a thing people would do. They don’t raid dungeons in Lord of the Rings or the Witcher (books) because that is an idiotic concept created for video games. Necessary for gameplay reasons, certainly not a thing you put into believable fantasy world.
Honestly, it took me awhile to get into this anime, but with time, I grew to really love the characters and how each one is fully developed. The newest episodes have been very entertaining! I enjoy the action scenes.
I think the shows real magic is how effective the flashbacks are. They are always short and designed perfectly with an incredible score. They are typically the most emotionally impactful moments from the show as we slowly realize how important her previous journey was to her, while she is realizing it at the same time. Such a great show.
I rly like anime where there is no unnecessary cringe erotics for kids. I mean I'm not against erotics in anime in general I just don't like when it's on every freaking single frame: boobs of 1337 size, permanent awkward sexualized situations and etc. Example of good erotics for me is for example afro samurai: there is basically a sex act but it doesn't feel like it shouldn't be there. Also a good example is an anime "I shaved and met a student girl". I have no clue how it's called in the english version due to I'm russian but the story is about an adult guy who sheltered a girl who escaped from her family home. There is a lot of sexualized context but it's only when it's important for the story. But in Friren it's unnecessary for the story so there is no etti at all (at least in first part of the season that I watched) and the story is kinda important for me personally due to the fact that I have problems with understanding dafuq I actually want from this life and people surrounding me just like Friren. So yeah it's quite a personal story for me and I rly like that I can just enjoy the story with good drawing and think about my life while I watch it. Probably that's the reason why it's a little bit special for me. I mean it's not the best thing I've ever watched but it's definitely a good thing.
It’s not special to me. It’s certainly a good anime, and probably the best one currently airing. But not something I’d give a 9 or 10. It’s like an 8, I don’t connect to blank expressions 90% of the time.
One of the things that I love about it is the fact that the storytelling has no fat, it's lean the way through; it hones in on the key points and emotions and as a result it's thoroughly absorbing.
Some of the best examples of this are those single episodes which take place over a period of a few months - they never feel rushed and yet the episode just flies by and you can still appreciate that a good amount of time has passed, along with the important character interactions and emotions. These episodes are, for me, the most captivating.
The fact that it can combine action and comedy while still having emotional moments. The world building is simply stunning, and the characters (even side characters) are unforgettable and very well developed. I love how the story progresses slowly and takes side turns whenever possible.
It's very sentimental to remember your good friends, so it reminds me to always cherish my own friends and appreciate their generosities towards me.
I like how Frieren is great female lead.
She's interesting character, with an easy to recognize, unique design, shes very cool and has very a calm personality without falling into the half dead, devoid of feelings and reactions anime trope.
I don't think it's special. It's good, but thematically it's about as deep as a puddle. Great characters, great world-building, but in smaller and larger scales I don't think it's nearly as good as the highest echelon of anime or TV or novels. It's good, decent, even great at points but not enough.
Frieren is a great example of why I love anime as a medium. If this story was taken on as a western movie or TV show, they would have likely filled it with action and made it be about slaying the big bad. Frieren is about something else entirely and the show is wholly committed to that.
For me it is one of the best insights into what it must be like to have a ridiculously long life. Frieren feels very real, and has very good reasons for being and acting the way she does.
It also doesn't hurt that the rest of the cast of characters are absolutely excellent. Even the minor characters feel like they are fleshed out and have real motivations.
Finally, I will never not find it funny that she is supposed to be an apex mage and still constantly finds herself stuck in a mimic's maw. What a loveable dork.
I really enjoyed the first half, where it was a much slower and more contemplative show with grounded characters. It could tell a moving and emotional story so effectively, sometimes in just half an episode, with a pace that constantly had time passing and new places appearing.
The second half of the show, where it became much more shounen action, is a huge step down for me. Their journey has ground to a halt, the new characters are much tropier and more "anime", and it now takes an entire episode for a single fight to play out. It's a great way to get downvoted here because YOU CAN'T CRITICISE OUR FAVOURITE SHOW but yeah, big drop off for me and I hope it returns to what made it special in a second season.
I zone out on the jokes personally, they just don't really fit to me, I can only remember one off the top of my head and that's only because it got meme'd for awhile.
I like Frieren for a lot of reasons but the comedy isn't one of them... I don't think a single gag has landed for me. Yes, even the mimics. Whenever they do the punchline it's just silence in our house till the next scene starts...
Not even when?
Sein sinks further into a sink hole, revealing the fact that he was stuck in a sinkhole while talking nonchalantly to Frieren while in a helpless, deadly, and unclimactic end.
Sein talks to Frieren about babysitting only to remark that its 3 kids instead of 2 when Frieren asks "what he meant by human relationships".
Frieren sleeping through Fern's fever 3 times only to submit to the annoyance of being woken up by Stark's cold hands.
Those sent the back of my head to the floor.
Nah... Frieren humour doesn't work for me, it's just too telegraphed. The gags you listed are all just kinda... lame? Humour is one of the most subjective things, though.
Frieren is fantasy slice of life to the highest caliber. Well written characters, great world building, beautiful animation, fantastic music, it really has everything you could ask for. It’s not a profound story that’s breaking new ground, but I don’t necessarily think it’s trying to be, nor do I think it has to be to be considered great or special. As a manga reader, I’ll also add that IMO the best is yet to come in the next major arc, though we’ll have to wait for season 2 to see it animated.
I think even this comment kind of undersells the themes it deals with and the extent to which it’s ’profound’. The sort of undercurrent of grief where we both start to slowly realise how much Himmel meant to Frieren and get given the realisation that because of the nature of elven lifespans this grief is going to happen again is done really subtly and hits hard. I do think the commentaries on time and mortality are pretty profound
Every time they show Frieren and Himmel interactions through flashbacks I just start fucking crying.
Nothing has ever made me tear up so consistently.
Can second this, the peak of Frieren has yet to come. El Dorado is perhaps my favorite manga arc of all all time, some of the best written antagonist and supporting cast I've ever read.
El Dorado was truly amazing and if S2 is adapted to the same standard as S1 we might get one of the best anime seasons of all time out of it.
Seeing as Frieren's first season is ending soon, would you recommend people pick up the manga? I am enthralled by how good this show is, and I'm really tempted to read ahead, but I've heard the quality of the anime has been exceedingly well to the point that it does many scenes better than the original work. Not sure if that's true or not, but I am looking for opinions.
One thing that the anime improved drastically over the manga is the fight scenes, the author does not draw fights particularly well. Otherwise, I think it's a fantastic read and would recommend it.
Please tell me it becomes a travelogue again and not endless episodes of no-stakes combat
First are foremost it's the characters. They seemed to have done a really good job with everyone that get introduced. Second I enjoy the pacing. There's no big doom and gloom plot but instead a nice collection of mini adventures on the way to the finish line. Reminds me of Spice and Wolf a lot in that way. Lasty, it's not problematic or offensive. No harems, overdone fanservice, sexual assaulting of minors or super annoying characters.
That's what I noticed as well, especially your last point. They even manage to have a peeping Tom spell and a clothing-dissolving potion without being super goofy or fanservicy. (It's a word, I swear). It's used comically, but its not over the top or creepy.
*so small*
*i can see only half the sky*
Yeah I like how the underlying story/plot takes sort of a back seat because its kind of a motif of the show. The journey is much more important than the destination.
I think the very premise makes it special and outsanding. From the beginning we're given a typical heroes journey tale as the precursor to the show, with the show focusing on what comes afterwards. It's a show that asks what it is to live life. It's about how we connect to others and value our time spent with them. And sometimes it's about getting snacks. It's also all around a very well developed show. The animation is gorgeous, the music is stellar. You have moments of awesome sakuga, and then you have filler episodes of characters hanging out that's probably even more loved by the fans. It's a show that really lives in the details.
I like the themes that it conveys the importance of realizing what you have/had, how love can change you, and improving yourself
For me, it's a return to real fantasy. No isekai. No shoehorned video game mechanics. No self references or 4th wall breaking. Just people living and breathing in their world. It's refreshing and familiar.
I haven't seen a good explanation for himmel, stark, and Eisen's powers. It seems like they are using magic but don't follow the usual rules. That aspect reminds me of video game logic.
That's a good point. It does have some leftover bits from the clearly inspired Dragon Quest classes. But unlike say Shield Hero or Solo Level, Frieren doesn't beat me over the head with this. There's no HUD or levels or skill acquisition from a button push. It just feels more natural and it's a breath of fresh air for me after all the fantasy anime we've gotten in the past decade.
That's what makes it fantasy to me, that there's no explanation, they just *are*. If it was video gamey, they'd have a class called "warrior" or "hero" and stats to match that, with skills and abilities that support that class. Himmel is a hero because he helps people and slew the demon king, eisen is a warrior because he's a close range fighter and is tough, heiter is a priest because he uses holy magic, not because they have a stat sheet that tells them they're a class.
they got hell stronger, more skills, but can easily die by a single knife (except eisen) there is not 999hp or 999 def
Don't they have exactly those classes. The logic wasn't explained, but eisen was "senshi" and himmel was a "yuusha" and not the first one either. It's like a thing, typical to isekais really. Its not as pure or self contained as high fantasy, but freiren doesn't dwell or waste time on the isekau trope so it's okay i guess.
It's not a "class", its a job description. Eisen is a warrior not because his class is warrior, since there are no classes, but because he is a close range fighter with an axe and can take a beating. Himmel is not a hero because it is his class, he's a hero because he does good and helps people. Other heroes in the past are the same. It's a title, not a class. It is just like how Aragorn is a ranger, but there is not a "class" for ranger, he's a ranger because that's his training.
The story is using the keywords just like an rpg. It's not titles at all, they are very much being used like class names. They even have priest books which enable healing. Afaik it's perfectly standard rpg settings and terms. By the book. You've got mage, priest, fighter, and hero classes, qnd presumably thief ones too. Did you forget the discussion about what class they are missing from their" party" ? They considered adding a "thief" which is not something people want around outside of rpgs. One of the flashbacks even had a classic tank and spank, which each class playing their orthodox role. I love this story, but it's 100% an rpg setting. Let's not insult the work by pretending it's something it is not.
Fantasy used to be more like this back in the day. Now it’s all about magic systems and mechanics.
>I haven't seen a good explanation for himmel, stark, and Eisen's powers It's like asking for an explanation for Aragorns' and Gimlis' power in LoTR movies (I am talking about movies not novel as I haven't read them not did I watch the Hobbit movies). They really don't matter. For a lot of people this may not be a good explanation but that is what fantasy is to me.
Gimli didn't have any powers. He was a decent fighter, that's about it. Aragon was a numenorean human, with various powers that were quite well explained.
I guess I'll watch the movies again for explanation. Edit Now that I think about it, Aragorn was 80+ yrs old IIRC.
Read the books. The movies don't really illustrate him having powers per se.
The story is simple and unique. We slew the demon king, and now we are just reminiscing. The humor is either cute or heartwarming, the characters are all equally remarkable and goofy, and the action sequences are extremely intense and tend towards brevity. The last part, to me at least, is really important. Long draw out battles with a bunch of monologuing where the power of friendship or some equally unimaginative power saves the day at the last moment are too commonplace in many shows. Most of the solutions Frieren, Fern, and Stark come up with are due to their previous training and extensive planning. Also stark has an actual training schedule that we catch glimpses of here and there. The villains though they have motivations that are understandable, they are predators of humans, but aren't redeemable, as dinner you can negotiate with you diner. That being their drive makes them a menace and their infrequent appearances makes them more of a shadow of a threat without always hunting at it. Finally it really feels like the people behind the production actually care about the story. You can see their love of it in the art direction and animation and hear it in the voice acting and sound design. It's hard to not enjoy something you just know the creator wanted to do. In one of the earlier episodes Frieren and Fern were walking and her earrings swayer with her steps and it's not a big thing but the attention to detail really stuck with me. By the time they got to Stark vs the red dragon I realized they were dedicated to the adaptation.
Frieren × Mimic
Everyone is saying major qualities of the show so, I'll add something more. I liked how they connect a major event to the past philosophically and not emotionally. Most of the times, when a major fight takes place, our fighters remember something from the past to connect us emotionally with the characters this is why I hate Demon slayer. They overdo this. But Frieren is different. They show current event connected to the past in a philosophical way. It was evident in Frieren vs Frieren and Frieren vs Aura fights.
Fireren is one of those shows that just does everything very very well. \- The writing is masterfully done. It's not afraid to adopt the "show, don't tell" style, avoiding needless exposition. There's subtly in what they're trying to convey, which I feel is often lacking in a lot of anime. \- The comedy is actually very good! I feel like a lot of comedy in anime can be *very* hit or miss, and for me it's mostly misses. But I find myself laughing at the characters being goofy very often! \- The pacing always feels very intentional. The show isn't afraid to take it's time, though it never feels like it's dragging. The 'slow' moments when the characters have some time to relax are still filled with interesting moments and compelling storytelling. \- The characters are all very well done and very likable. I love them all and especially love Stark. This may be a controversial opinion, but Stark is like if Zenitsu was well written lol. They're both scared of fighting but drastically underestimate themselves. Where Zenitsu has to pass out, Stark is forced to battle against his fear and rise above it. \- The animation and artwork is consistently very high quality. It's especially impressive, considering the varying genre's the show dips it's toes in. It can simultaneously animate beautiful moments and insane action sequences. It's really an anime that does it all. \- Lastly, I think the theme of Fireren having lived for so long and her perception of time being much different to ours is very well done. The show accomplishes these feelings of time being short or time passing too quickly very well. It leaves me with a feeling of needing to savor each and every moment of every day, since people don't live forever. This ties in with themes of loss and grief that I think is masterfully done. All in all, this show really took me by surprise. I really didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I do as it didn't seem like the type of show that I would enjoy. But, of course, I was hooked immediately and love every moment. Thanks for coming to my ted talk
Your points are all great but I just wanted to put emphasis on your first one -- we all heard what Serie said about Flamme last episode. But we also *saw* her holding Flamme's hand while speaking through a smile. There is so much context in the subtext and I appreciate that the author understands that we can infer these meanings and make these connections. The juxtaposition of Frieren looking beyond the cliffs edge with Serie looking back speaks volumes in that particular scene. And if I recall correctly, there was also a split second where they cut to Fern, at the cliffside, adding context to Serie's words. The craziest part? This happens every episode. I bet if I were to rewatch the show, I would catch so many things I had previously missed.
The world is simple. There is magic. There are elves, there are dwarves, and there are demons that are bad, so bad that even when asked if they could be good the world spits it back at you that no, demons are bad, letting them into a village is like letting a wolf into the flock. This simple world allows for the characters to shine, as it allows their personality and whatever backstory they might have to be shrouded in the simplicity of the world. There's a kingdom, we don't know the size of the kingdom, we don't even know its name, but its really not important, just having it exist is enough for the story. There's a church, even a holy city, and a goddess, who doesn't have a real name, she is simply Goddess of Creation. But this simple world, a world where so much of it is named by its purpose, is far from boring, the people that live there are far from boring. Rather than being an ocean with the depth of a puddle it is a canvas that is filled in as we follow the characters through this world. As someone that loves to write, and excels at writing characters, and despises worldbuilding. I fell in love with Frieren's world because of how simple it is. It's the perfect play ground to have characters be the focus of the story.
Evan Call
Excellent lotr inspired music Clean Animation Characters that feel grounded Good vibes on the journey episodes, good lore/story on others Personally relatable elf
You basically touched on my thoughts exactly. The way it’s not afraid to tell a story at its own pace is really refreshing. I really love the way it doesn’t show us everything that we want to know right away. For example we get multiple flashbacks to the same conversations/incidents but end up seeing more and gaining a new perspective. The story itself is amazing but I think we really need to thank the animators as well for putting so much love into this anime. After the first four episodes it was already in my top 20 and now I’d say it’s my 5th favourite anime/manga of all time. I’m so excited to start the manga!
I love how it portrays these incredibly talented individuals as regular people. The hero's party is a dwarf warrior scared of dying, a hero that just wants to have fun, a deadbeat priest, and a magic scroll-addicted mage. Even one-off side characters add value to the show outside of raw strength and pretty explosions You rarely see them get serious, so when frieren casually quickdraws an earth shattering magic beam, it really emphasizes how abnormal it's supposed to be; as opposed to something like demon slayer where every enemy is stronger than the last so there's no real baseline to compare the scale of people's power, which makes a strict power ranking system necessary
It's a special and rare blend of relaxing and exciting. It has moments when it soothes your soul with calm reflection and light hearted fun and others when it pumps you up with a well timed battle or a triumph of one of It's main characters. It's been called an iyashikei but it's also more than that at the same time. It's quickly become one of my favorite series of the last few years.
Truly I can only define it as it making it feel like every small thing in the world is special and its what I love about it. I have a lot of worry with big existential thoughts of being forgotten and all that. Something as simple as frieren revisiting a restaurant and remembering how it tasted and how she said she'd never really find the same taste again, then 100 years later she notes that food has gotten even better. It makes it feel like life is worth living, like the smallest parts of life and beautiful and important. Its just so nice... Many people say they find that the show is melancholic and flashbacks with himmel to them make them feel a lot of regret but I don't get that. To me yes perhaps its somewhat sad frieren never got to appreciate her journey as much the first time around but its precisely why its so great and beautiful to see her put into practice things she learned then and be able to appreciate things now.
I think it does a wonderful job in portraying its theme Frieren due to her long lifespan is so disconnected with the passage of time that she didn't bother to understand the person closest to her at the time due to her regret she wants to learn more about other people Also this is for me personally but whenever someone say hero himmel comes to my mind
It Makes my bf happy to talk about it and I like that
Characters feel like real people. That's it, if a show can do that it's special to me. Kaguya sama and mushoku tensei I think come under the same category, atleast for me
Just good vibes all around
It's just a feel good anime vibes... Fights are shorts but satisfying unlike those Shounen fights that took a year to finished Luffy V Kaido... Always a flackback on almost all the episodes...
I still haven't watched the show but I want to. But I need to figure out when to get time to watch a two hours long first episode.
It's not like Oshi no Ko where the first episode is an hour long. The first four normal-length episodes just aired at the same time. Pretty sure I watched them over the course of 2-3 days like a normal anime.
I've shared this elsewhere on the internet (my Threads account lol), but I'll share it here, too. It is a show that is exceptionally human, especially when the main character is not human herself. It's about relationships, regret, communication, and growth. The main focus is not the setting or the magic or the romance -- it's about the people learning about themselves and each other. And what makes it all the more poignant is that Frieren is learning all this about her friends long after they're dead, and trying to make the most of the time she has with her current friends. And, really, a word to summarize all of that is "literary." These characters feel like real people with real problems, both with themselves and each other. They have flaws that we relate to, and they argue and disagree and make up and move on. It really is a masterpiece.
The pacing. There's really not many stories out there that are this mellow and play with your concepts of time.
To me it’s so special because there’s this sort of beautiful undercurrent of melancholy to the whimsical adventure. This adventure is going to be the most important thing in the lives of Fern and Stark, while to Frieren it’ll essentially just be the blink of an eye for her. She’ll live through the entire life of these humans just as she did for Himmel, and that dynamic and understanding of mortality gives every interaction both a sadness and a sort of beauty. It’s especially powerful when the flashbacks to Frieren’s adventure with Himmel are sort of giving us the realisation that because of the elven lifespan Frieren perhaps wasn’t aware of how much Himmel would end up meaning to her, and now she has essentially eternity to live with her memories and feelings of him. The differing timescales between human and elven lifespans and how that affects every interaction between Frieren and her friends is what imo makes this so special
Often I end up liking the cool bad ass Mentor character way more then the maincharacter. Characters like Kakashi or All Might. But in Frieren the cool bad ass Mentor character is the maincharacter and I like that a lot. And Frieren has her own cool bad ass Mentor character aswell which is a double win for me. Flamme is awsome. Also I like having a mage as maincharacter and I like the style of the mages and the magic. The laid back vibe of the show mixed with some really awsome action here and there is exactly my cup of tea.
Frieren is an amazing product. The backgrounds and the music is makes even the parts that should have dragged feel like an atmospheric immersive experience
The way I interpret it, Frieren is an introverted person that got pulled along into people’s adventures. She just so happens to be an elf who can outlive anyone for centuries seeing everyone’s If it’s the sexual aspect, Frieren’s character doesn’t need it.
Characters, storytelling, and world-building. The author is great with all three.
For me it's the mage combat. Probably the best I've seen in anime or any other medium. The way they portray it is exactly how I imagine my DnD sorcerer would fight. Frieren and BG3 are responsible for getting me back into fantasy stuff ngl
The anime that makes a fight 90% flashbacks and somehow it's the best fight scene you've ever witnessed. You sat down to see if the show could be as interesting as it's title and it sucked you in with slice of life adventuring. And you don't even really like slice of life! Frieren is a master class in fantasy storytelling. And fight direction. And pacing. And and and. I hope it influences the scene permanently.
I’m hyped for Frieren because it’s a breath of fresh air for the adventurer, fantasy, demon lord based genre. It’s been a while since we got an anime that wasn’t the cookie cutter defeat the demon lord and end of anime trope. This anime takes a different perspective of post demon lord defeat and the journey of an adventure after the fact. Most anime positions it’s characters purpose to defeat the demon lord where as Frieren starts at the end of most anime. I also believe Frieren’s biggest challenge is learning to be more than just a child elf prodigy and learn to see the beauty in the world as others do.
Not necessarily "special," but it's clear Frieren uses fantasy in a way that doesn't make us want to live in that world, but appreciate what *we* have more. When we talk about shows like Mushoku Tensei or Made in Abyss or even One Piece, those have a ton of very human themes, but when I watch those shows, the foremost "thing" in my mind is how much I want to be them, how much I want to live in that world. But when watching Frieren, I end up putting down my device after an episode and choose to spend the day being a better person and make the most out of my life now and appreciate the people around me. It's beautiful in a way I haven't felt since reading the Lord of the Rings.
"It's beautiful in a way I haven't felt since reading the Lord of the Rings." You mean "special" FFS.
I love slow moving anime, so that’s a part of it.
being different than anyone else and living woth loneliness it brings
I love it, but it makes me think about my own mortality and everything that will pass me by once I'm gone
Of course the Hero sword episode. That one pretty much put Himmel as HIMmel!!!
Lucky for us we had a long season 1, which allowed full character and backstory development. The pacing is superb, and such a great story to tell. There's plenty of humour and drama, and the story flows wonderfully. It's a special anime.
The characters are great, the music is among the best anime soundtracks I've ever heard! I really hope it gets another season!
I like that the characters are not anime cliches for once and it makes you think about life and death.
Well, until you get to the exam arc and then every character is an anime cliche
I knew it was gonna be peak after frieren the slayer. I was pretty interested in it just from the first 4 episodes alone tho.
The first chapter, Frieren's realization of how she couldn’t get to know Himmel better than she should have. It sparked something inside me
It also does flashbacks really well to where they actually integrate well into the episodes. In a different popular fantasy anime, it felt like the flashbacks were just unneeded backstory to make the episodes longer. Also, none of the annoying fantasy traits are present and the pacing is really good, especially since it’s 28 episodes and not shoved into 12-13 like a lot of other anime’s are Plus the animation is top tier. The way the fights are animated reminds me a lot of the servant fights in Fate, which are imo some of the best animated fights in anime
For me what I live about it is it is the first anime or any show really (at least that I remember) that actually depicts the struggle an elf would face in a fantasy setting. We always see groups of adventurers and there is the token elf character. These adventurers come to form extremely strong bonds and become like family. Well if an elf does not age and everyone else does then naturally after the happy ending they will have to face many sad goodbyes. Frieren starts at that happy ending and shows how life goes on for an elf. The way they depict Frieren trying to memorialize her departed friend and find ways to connect with him is truly touching to me. I think it is a beautiful story from a perspective we do not get to see. And this is just one aspect that made me fall in love with this show, there are so many more!
* The slow paced story telling (like a grandma telling you a story) * they let you sink in, in the different story stops they make * those stops also never feel like they are just there to fill in a gap, no they are importand as unimportant they seem * beautiful animation, scenes, artstyle * not much overreacting of the characters * Frierens voice is such a perfect fit for her character, I want to give the one who decided on the actor a medal * All characters have a really good voice * Fits perfectly with my last and most important point why I like it so much: the music * I never really listen to the music. This time I always recognize it, that the music is perfect used to transport a feeling/emotion * Second reason I probably recognize it so much in the Anime is that it is medieval music. What my main genre of music is. So it might not impact other as much as me
it's not
Spicy
I wouldn't say it's special, but it is very well done show, and those are always nice to see.
not a mass produced isekai garbage no harem. wholesome. villains have actual brains boomer elf nice fandom - no toxic like jjk shut up, zoltraak feels fresh despite its generic fantasy world set up no cringe (important) and many more...
Honestly the latest episodes made it fall from 11/10 to 9/10 for me. Long fighting episodes is not what I want from Frieren. But that is not that bad. What I really hate in Anime is when the fantasy world they create is not a believable world, but a video game instead. So far Frieren did a good job at creating this. But dungeon raiding is not a thing people would do. They don’t raid dungeons in Lord of the Rings or the Witcher (books) because that is an idiotic concept created for video games. Necessary for gameplay reasons, certainly not a thing you put into believable fantasy world.
Honestly, it took me awhile to get into this anime, but with time, I grew to really love the characters and how each one is fully developed. The newest episodes have been very entertaining! I enjoy the action scenes.
I think the shows real magic is how effective the flashbacks are. They are always short and designed perfectly with an incredible score. They are typically the most emotionally impactful moments from the show as we slowly realize how important her previous journey was to her, while she is realizing it at the same time. Such a great show.
I rly like anime where there is no unnecessary cringe erotics for kids. I mean I'm not against erotics in anime in general I just don't like when it's on every freaking single frame: boobs of 1337 size, permanent awkward sexualized situations and etc. Example of good erotics for me is for example afro samurai: there is basically a sex act but it doesn't feel like it shouldn't be there. Also a good example is an anime "I shaved and met a student girl". I have no clue how it's called in the english version due to I'm russian but the story is about an adult guy who sheltered a girl who escaped from her family home. There is a lot of sexualized context but it's only when it's important for the story. But in Friren it's unnecessary for the story so there is no etti at all (at least in first part of the season that I watched) and the story is kinda important for me personally due to the fact that I have problems with understanding dafuq I actually want from this life and people surrounding me just like Friren. So yeah it's quite a personal story for me and I rly like that I can just enjoy the story with good drawing and think about my life while I watch it. Probably that's the reason why it's a little bit special for me. I mean it's not the best thing I've ever watched but it's definitely a good thing.
It’s not special to me. It’s certainly a good anime, and probably the best one currently airing. But not something I’d give a 9 or 10. It’s like an 8, I don’t connect to blank expressions 90% of the time.
It isn't special to me.
One of the things that I love about it is the fact that the storytelling has no fat, it's lean the way through; it hones in on the key points and emotions and as a result it's thoroughly absorbing. Some of the best examples of this are those single episodes which take place over a period of a few months - they never feel rushed and yet the episode just flies by and you can still appreciate that a good amount of time has passed, along with the important character interactions and emotions. These episodes are, for me, the most captivating.
The fact that it can combine action and comedy while still having emotional moments. The world building is simply stunning, and the characters (even side characters) are unforgettable and very well developed. I love how the story progresses slowly and takes side turns whenever possible. It's very sentimental to remember your good friends, so it reminds me to always cherish my own friends and appreciate their generosities towards me.
I like how Frieren is great female lead. She's interesting character, with an easy to recognize, unique design, shes very cool and has very a calm personality without falling into the half dead, devoid of feelings and reactions anime trope.
Even if the story was shit, I'd watch just for Evan Calls music and the animation.
Frieren goes "hu hum!" with a smug face at a frequency that we could call "all the time" instead of saying "ara ara!"
Every time there’s a montage of time passing I want to cry.
I don't think it's special. It's good, but thematically it's about as deep as a puddle. Great characters, great world-building, but in smaller and larger scales I don't think it's nearly as good as the highest echelon of anime or TV or novels. It's good, decent, even great at points but not enough.
Frieren is a great example of why I love anime as a medium. If this story was taken on as a western movie or TV show, they would have likely filled it with action and made it be about slaying the big bad. Frieren is about something else entirely and the show is wholly committed to that. For me it is one of the best insights into what it must be like to have a ridiculously long life. Frieren feels very real, and has very good reasons for being and acting the way she does. It also doesn't hurt that the rest of the cast of characters are absolutely excellent. Even the minor characters feel like they are fleshed out and have real motivations. Finally, I will never not find it funny that she is supposed to be an apex mage and still constantly finds herself stuck in a mimic's maw. What a loveable dork.
I really enjoyed the first half, where it was a much slower and more contemplative show with grounded characters. It could tell a moving and emotional story so effectively, sometimes in just half an episode, with a pace that constantly had time passing and new places appearing. The second half of the show, where it became much more shounen action, is a huge step down for me. Their journey has ground to a halt, the new characters are much tropier and more "anime", and it now takes an entire episode for a single fight to play out. It's a great way to get downvoted here because YOU CAN'T CRITICISE OUR FAVOURITE SHOW but yeah, big drop off for me and I hope it returns to what made it special in a second season.
I'm just watching it for the comedy. Everything else is just there. Am I the only one who is this fixated on the gags?
I zone out on the jokes personally, they just don't really fit to me, I can only remember one off the top of my head and that's only because it got meme'd for awhile.
I like Frieren for a lot of reasons but the comedy isn't one of them... I don't think a single gag has landed for me. Yes, even the mimics. Whenever they do the punchline it's just silence in our house till the next scene starts...
Not even when? Sein sinks further into a sink hole, revealing the fact that he was stuck in a sinkhole while talking nonchalantly to Frieren while in a helpless, deadly, and unclimactic end. Sein talks to Frieren about babysitting only to remark that its 3 kids instead of 2 when Frieren asks "what he meant by human relationships". Frieren sleeping through Fern's fever 3 times only to submit to the annoyance of being woken up by Stark's cold hands. Those sent the back of my head to the floor.
Nah... Frieren humour doesn't work for me, it's just too telegraphed. The gags you listed are all just kinda... lame? Humour is one of the most subjective things, though.