DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA AdventureSousou no Frieren
ANIME AdventureSousou no Frieren
ONA ComedySousou no Frieren: ●● no Mahou Part 3
ANIME AdventureSousou no Frieren 3rd Season

REVIEWS

• 

  CosmicCuune

  60/100
  How a great story drags out to mediocracy

  This will be a spoiler review, but there isn't anything to spoil anyway, just makes things easier when I can directly tell you what sucks.

  Right off of the gate we get introduced to this crystal that has AOE anti-magic effect, it is also indestructible and worth a fortune, insanely powerful artifact and there's a whole cave full of this stuff. What if they can take this with them? I mean if Stark shows up with one of these in his pocket he'd slaughter those demons we saw in season 1 wouldn't he? What was Aura going to do about it when she can't cast any spells and therefore also can't fly? This stuff would also make for impenetrable armour or shield, against both physical and magical attacks. it's also worth so much the party would be forever free of financial troubles. But of course, they toss this garbage in the river and never look back, saying they can't take it because it would stop Frieren and Fern from using magic. Really? That's it? You can't tie it at the end of a rope and drag it along with you? Can't Stark pocket it and walk a few meters away from you? You just give up?

  Mechanical nonsense like this don't always matter but I am only highlighting this as an example of sloppy writing, major world building plot holes like this happen in almost every single episode of season 2 and they are very distracting because the show has nothing to say on the thematic side either. The best proof of a severe lack in theme can be seen with the climactic demon fighting arc over episodes 34,35,36.

  This arc clearly sets up Genau as the main focus as he deals with the loss of his previous partner in a battle against demon Revolt, where the partner died because he prioritized saving a civilian. They not only loose that fight, Revolt got away and now is terrorizing a new village. What an interesting setup, how would Genau react to this mistake, how does he plan to make things different in this upcoming rematch? How will the show explore the morality of this classic trolley problem? Genau keeps saying that guy was an idiot and he won't make the same mistake so let's see...

  Well in the rematch, Genau does the exact same thing, he saves the civilian right there, except he doesn't die because his HP bar is longer than his previous partner. He keeps on fighting despite the fatal wound and kills Revolt, that's the arc, that's the moral lesson. Turns out Genau's partner was a noob, his HP bar wasn't long enough, that's his character flaw. The show has collapsed a moral conundrum into a stat problem, the demon got away not because of their moral choice, but because they didn't have the stats to power through it. If only, everyone were as strong as Genau then there would be no moral problems, you simply save the civilian, let the demon stab your heart, don't die, and then you kill the demon, it's easy, only noobs die to demons you see.

  If you're still unconvinced I'll give another example. In Episode 30 we get introduced to Hero of the South, he was previously mentioned but we actually see him now. This guy was a hero before Himmel and he had the power to see the future, he went to Frieren and told her that Himmel will kill the demon king. Who thought this would be a great idea? One of the most important episodes in season 1, was that Himmel was never the chosen one, his hero's sword was fake, he never got the sword in the stone, nobody believed he would kill the demon king. But now we basically retcon that and say nope he was gonna do it all along. Even if we overlook the issue of Himmel's free will, the next big issue is if Frieren already knows that Himmel will win, then it looks like she's simply joining the winning team. When before season 2 we had a MUCH better reason for Frieren to join, Frieren saw kindness and care for beauty in Himmel, she never needed to know Himmel was going to win.

  Season 1 was a genuinely philosophical show, there were clearly elements of Platonic ideas, Flamme straight up wears classic Greek clothing. Himmel is clearly an example of the Platonic idea of the virtuous examined life worth living, the contrast between Himmel's short life against Frieren seem to echo Plato's idea that virtue is a balance in the soul which is perfectly achievable in one lifetime, where as magic, power, experience etc are endless. The show also manages to land great echoes to its core symbolisms, the field of flowers, suppressed mana, and lifetime dedication. It was basically perfect up until the first rank mage test, which was still good but the world building got slightly messy.

  Contrast that to now season 2, where Himmel still gets dragged into flashbacks constantly, and we learn garbage like he borrowed money from the Norm Company and died without paying them back, really? Is this what Himmel would do? Even the last episode felt desperate, where Fern tells Stark that she believed in him because this is what Frieren would do. Excuse me? Ms. Fern, Frieren was right there with you! You did not need to do what Frieren would do! Frieren says that because Himmel is no longer here to do what Himmel would do! Besides, they're talking about all the way back to episode 5 now, so even if it's all straight and makes sense, it wouldn't represent character growth, growth would require something to be different now compared to episode 5.

  I would say you can watch Episode 36 for some god sakuga, but otherwise this show has nothing to offer, only character assassination via retcon.

  

  Animation quality is actually quite average outside of 36. Behold, dwarf Frieren.

  

  -1 for character assassination for Himmel and Frieren on multiple occasions.

  More world building nonsense:
  Episode 38
  The party gets blocked by a 10m wide canyon, Stark can't jump over it, and they can't fly over it when it's so incredibly narrow. A dwarf took 200 years to build a bridge 10m across, how? I'm no bridge engineer but I'd say 2 years is more than enough considering how short it is.
  A guy asks Frieren to put up anti-personnel barrier around the crystals because it's pretty. Fantastic, now how are people going to enjoy the view if they're blocked off? You didn't think to just say Frieren has an anti-mining magic to cast instead? These are all very small things but they're also so easy to fix yet nobody bothered.

  Episode 33
  Apparently Frieren can just detect precious metals like silver, what would the economic consequences be? How does the Norm Company guy know Frieren can do this anyway? If it's a magic many mages can do then why didn't he hire someone else to do it? if only Frieren can do this then how did he know this? Also if people know Frieren can literally find gold/silver for them she can kiss goodbye to her hard earned low profile anonymity.
  Frieren knew this Boshaft is garbage yet she doesn't tell the poor dwarf who ends up wasting 80 years and countless gold to find it, Himmel doesn't tell him either, they just leave. Again is this what Himmel would do?

  Episode 32
  Frieren gives Stark advice on how to entertain Fern on a date, which she heard from Heiter, which is nonsense, Fern was like 6yo and they lived in the woods. How the fuck would Heiter know what teenage Fern would prefer to do on a date with a man in a town?

  Episode 31
  The party take a week long detour to visit a hot spring which is super shallow, Stark says this is good because they can all have a foot bath together. This implies that they can't go in a normal bath together, which is really kind of weird because these are life and death party members, Frieren trusts her life 100% on Stark, why can't she go in a hot spring with Stark? Just use a weird magic like magic to make the water opaque or magic to summon steam or something. This implication distances the party members when it would've been better if it was just regular hot spring and they go in together. Or if you're really uncomfortable with that, at least don't mention this question.
  

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• 

  Fireality

  95/100
  The true magic of Frieren lies in its quiet moments

  Frieren season 2 continues to deliver what the series does best, and reminds us to stop and smell the roses rather than rushing towards our next destination. The series doesn’t try to reinvent, or introduce completely new elements, but instead builds upon the strengths that made season 1 so compelling. The characters remain as earnest as ever, with our current party now growing closer, and their bonds growing deeper. The core themes stay true to Frieren, but are now given small twists that offer fresh perspectives on lessons about Heroism, living in the present, the value of the journey, and words vs actions. The world building regarding the world of magic, demons, and how past predecessors paved the way for people of the future.
  While themes, and world building elements in Frieren are fun to discuss, the characters are what gives them weight and meaning. Just like in season 1, one of Frieren’s charms is how sincere the cast feels. The series stays true to how the characters are, and making their interactions feel genuine. As I’ve previously stated in my previous review, the show presents them through their actions, and their words tend to lie about their intentions.

  

  ---

  Characters/Story

  The biggest recent example is Genau, who shares similar aspects to Serie, who tends to contradict his own philosophy. He criticized his previous partner for letting his benevolence make brash decisions, yet he commits the same fatal mistake of protecting a demon disguised as a child despite the village already slaughtered.

  

  Methode was also an interesting addition to the Revolte troupe’s fight, where her method of beating Zorida was also a contradiction to Serie’s philosophy on magic being used for combat. Methode’s approach to magic shares similar traits with Frieren and Flamme where magic’s true value is placed on the enjoyment of the user. Methode used a non-lethal spell to clear the fog, which allowed Fern to cook, highlighting Methode’s intellect, and her experience with Fern during the mage exam. I also find it interesting that the best episode of this season has Frieren completely sidelined, and instead focused on the side cast.

  

  Stark is another character who came in full swing both in his characterization, and his development. His growth from season 1 is demonstrated during the Revolte fight when he let himself get hit to assist Genau, reminiscent of his duel with Linie. I also appreciate the subtle moments whenever they visit a town. Frieren and Fern are inquiring for useful information they’ll need for their journey, while Stark spends his time helping out the locals, and interacting with the children, also reminiscent of the personality Himmel The Hero possessed.

  

  Another aspect this season highlights more clearly is how each character has their own way of displaying affection, or love language. Starting with Frieren, embodies quality time, which is also the heart of her journey. As an elf, she has slowly learned to understand the limitations of human mortality, and cherish the memories she took for granted, while making the most out of the gift she has now, called the present. On the other hand, Fern expresses affection through gifts, such as Heiter’s staff (which she was visibly distraught with when it got destroyed during the Mage Exam), Frieren’s butterfly bracelet, and Stark’s lotus bracelet. Each gift carries its own symbolism: Fern’s staff being aesthetically simple and plain reflects the philosophy that basic spells are enough to survive the mages of today (I fear not the mage who knows a thousand spells, but the mage who has casted the same spell a thousand times), the butterfly bracelet represents Fern’s metamorphosis from childhood to a grown adult, and the lotus bracelet a quietly blossoming romance.

  

  The Hero of the South was a surprisingly fitting addition into the world of Frieren. I initially felt his future sight being revealed would undermine the narrative, however his self-sacrifice became a powerful demonstration of heroism. Rather than use his future sight to escape from an outcome that would result in his early demise, he ultimately chose the path that led the future generation to defeat the Demon King. That doesn’t mean his foresight was perfect, as despite his belief that he would be buried in history, the present refused to forget him. The use of puppetry felt very intentional too, where both Schlacht and him were bound by strings of fate.

  The Hero of the South’s foresight could parallel Flamme's impact in Frieren’s life. Just as Flamme predicted a human (Himmel) would make her want to learn more about them, Hero of the South foresaw that a human would be the reason to break her centuries of detachment. I was worried Hero’s foresight would be a thematic detriment against Himmel being a fake hero, but then again he didn’t foresaw his legacy living on either, so his idea of a hero probably wasn’t Himmel. Both icons serve the same theme: that the past plants the seeds for the present to blossom, just like how learning the spell of flowers helped humanity bloom into a peaceful era.

  

  Another key theme from Frieren since season 1, has always been about the value of the journey, rather than the destination (tropey I know). However, the series constantly adds a subtle yet unique spin into the idea. For this season specifically, it focuses more on how companions sharing your sentiments can make an arduous journey feel worthwhile, even if the destination leaves you disappointed. The Fass episode is an example of this, where he spends centuries searching for an alcoholic beverage that an elf from a millennia ago hyped up just to troll whoever finds her message. Instead of wallowing in despair, he shares his discovery with the rest of the town, and showing gratitude with his journey. Then, we have Himmel’s memoir which was sought after by the ferryman since it contained records of Himmel’s experiences. Rather than recounting grand tales of slaying dragons, exploring dungeons, or fighting glorious battles against demons, the memoir contained mundane moments in their travels. Through the first person perspective shots, it placed emphasis on how Himmel valued his bonds with his companions rather than the heroic feats the whole world boasts about. An interesting twist to this is how the memoir suddenly stops, as Frieren continues flipping through the pages hoping there’d still be more. Although it was shown that Himmel lost the book in the middle of their travels, I thought it can also be interpreted that it was Frieren’s turn to continue the story through her new party.

  AND HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT THE MAIN SHIP, STARK AND FERN. I mean the first episode shows how much both Frieren and Fern trust Stark for their lives, and while running away from the monster in the crystal cave, Fern held onto Stark’s gift to reflect the comfort and safety he brings to her. It’s even pointed out that Fern is the reason Stark took the courage to leave the village, and slay the dragon, because he had someone who believed in him. Well, their relationship definitely took at least one step forward where they finally had an official first date together, showing their gradual comfort in each other.

  

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  Animation/Direction

  The magic of Frieren wouldn’t be possible without the talented hands working in MADHOUSE. Frieren fans are blessed to have an influx of industry talents working on this series, from the directors to the key animators, down to the ethereal OST from Evan Call. The contrast between the anime adaptation, and the manga is night and day, especially with the Revolte battle being so dynamic, and possibly one of the most fluid non-rotoscoped fights I’ve seen. Beyond the animation quality, the directorial choices elevate the spectacle. For example, Fern’s zoltraak blending with the full moon was both a flashy, and an intriguing way of reinforcing her speciality in stealth, and precisions (someone show her Sniper Elite). I mean what else is there to say about Evan Call’s OST? The man always delivers.

  

  Overall, season 2 continues its character-focused narrative through bits of slice of life episodes. Although this season doesn’t attempt to break the mold the series has already established, I still feel it’s a worthy continuation of a formula that has yet to overstay its welcome. By introducing slight variations of similar stories, it reinterprets its existing core themes in ways that feel fresh and meaningful. This stopover arc gave less catharsis compared to season 1, but it still packs all the elements fans enjoyed out of the series. Personally, I’m just happy we even got to see a season 2 due to MADHOUSE’s trend of discontinuing popular series such as One Punch Man, and No Game No Life. And with season 3 marked for October 2027, and the buildup towards the Golden Land arc, it’s going to be interesting what the future holds for this series. A bit of a glaze score, but for now I’m feeling a: 95/100

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• 

  RayKatsu

  100/100
  The Good The Bad The Frieren

  This is my first time properly reviewing so I ask you dear reader to please bare with me! Thank you!!

  _Season 2 SPOILERS AHEAD!_ ___The Good and the Bad___ I would argue that this season had some of the best visuals we have seen from this series thus far. I felt like this season had less harsher outlines, enhanced hair and added outfit details. For example: This shot alone had me tearing up and quickly became one of my top 10 favorite close ups of Frieren. (if im being honest this season have given us many amazing/funny shots of her) When comparing Frieren to her S1 self we can see clear character progression. Sure, Frieren has her little idiosyncrasies but her character is much more then visual character progression. Her progression doesn't stem from physical prowess but rather emotional development. We see this from how she reminiscence her time with Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen. Therefore, reciprocating that same appreciation into her time with Stark and Fern. She has learned to enjoy the present and slowly in the series we are seeing her process how precious time truly is. In some ways she even mirrors the lessons she learned from Himmel.

  Stark throughout Season 2 remains the heart of the group. His sincerity and warmth can be felt in every scene. Season 2 shows him becoming stronger, more determined, and more capable in battle. This can be seen during his fight with Revolte. His confrontation with Genau was a spectacle as Stark was facing near death and yet pushed passed his limits to eliminate Revolte. I find this to be clear indication of strong character progression from S1 as he was afraid of dying.

  Example:
  

  Season 2 gives Fern some of her most expressive moments yet, showing that her growth is not about her magical ability (like in S1) but rather how she feels and connects with others. A big development comes when Stark and Fern FINALLY goes on a date (Episode 4). During this episode Stark and Fern spend time together exploring the town and trying to enjoy themselves despite talking about Frieren and experiencing some awkwardness. This episode isn't just about cute fan service; but rather how Fern is learning to let her guard down. Which also gives the viewer a sense of how there relationship is slowly changing to something more emotional. This can also be seen on how Fern takes care of the lotus gifts Stark gave her. Finally, a standout moment for Fern comes at the end of Episode 10, when she reflects and says, "Because that's what Miss.Frieren would do." Which also mirrors the sentiment of Himmel's line, "Do what a hero would do. but in a more personal way. I believe this also can be compared to the line "It's what the hero Himmel would have done". Ferns version of this quote reflects how she has been influenced by Frieren's guidance and wisdom letting it reshape her.

  Example:
  

  Lastly, I thought the animation and choreography throughout this season was insane. The fight against Revolte and his underlings was breathtaking. Moreover, Frierens mineral locating spell in (episode 5) caught me off guard. As a manga reader that scene never existed and yet Studio Madhouse decided to feed us GOOD. As usual Evan Call absolutely, blown us out of the water with his music. Sheesh! The music that played when we saw Denken was just chef kiss. Can't wait to see what Evan is cooking up for Season 3.

  Example:
  

  Now I do think season 2 could have been better in some areas. I really got bored of the whole "Let's use Stark as bait tactic". As a manga reader I understand why they have to resort to this since a priest (Sein) is currently absent but still. It got boring fast and I felt like they reused that ever since they entered the Northern Plateau. Furthermore, I do feel like Stark should be much stronger then he currently is and I'm hoping future seasons can achieve that. Lastly, I felt like this season could have been longer (10 episodes) just wasn't enough. I understand as to why they did this since the manga is on hiatus and we don't want to extend over to the Golden Land arc. Though it is justifiable it still bothers me I would have appreciated 2 more episodes at least. I have to give credit where credit is due this season was still impressive for 10 episodes. Therefore, I have to give this season a 100/100 or 10/10. I did find season one to be much better and yet this season still shined. Though I do have my complaints. I personally, feel like no anime is truly perfect and imperfections can be easily found if you look hard enough. My ratings/reviews are based on how the show impacted me personally and what the series is trying to achieve. If the story has good writing, progression, and decent animation I will rate it well. __The Frieren __ Now dear readers enjoy my favorite Frieren shots!!! *Our old hag...I mean girl is so goofy!!*

  

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