Sousou no Frieren

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

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

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

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

*Lightning round of praises*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Someone recommended me to watch this title last year months before it began airing as a similar series to Mahoutsukai no Yome, and although it also has a mage and their disciple studying, training and traveling together, and the main characters share voice actress, I don’t see much resemblance beyond the premise. Concept wise, I find it to be more similar to Fumetsu no Anata E, since it is about a long-lived non-human protagonist learning about mortality and the short live span of humans while traveling around the world and getting some friends and new abilities.

The issues with that title are that the protagonist ... didn’t have a personality initially, it was full of emotional manipulation to make you cry, the main character was becoming stronger by acquiring the abilities of his dead friends, thus coming off as feeding off of them, the secondary cast got a lot of focus on their mini arc and then disappeared from the story completely, essentially wasting time and screentime, and the protagonist changed completely after a time skip. That’s where I dropped that show but from what I understand afterwards the series mutates from a road movie type of drama to a fighting shounen which in turn drops tremendously in visual quality.

Frieren doesn’t have those issues. To start off, the animation is pretty good for the most part, there are some weak moments in the artwork and backgrounds but they are usually consistent and very good, even if typical for a fantasy series. The lighting and shading as well as the rest of the special effects are very good, except for the offensive spell that some charracters use, I don’t know why but that looks very outdated. The character designs are very simple and even kind of childish, which are not bad but kind of unfitting at first with the melancholic feeling of the show. The motions are very good at every moment, even the most relaxing ones, each character even has their own distinct way of walking, the facial expressions are very varied and well done, and the action scenes tend to use dynamic movement, like Burn the Witch, Majo no Tabitabi, Akudama Drive and some others did in 2020, and Trigun: Stampede did last year. Overall it’s pretty good in that regard, even if it doesn’t compare with Shangri-la Frontier and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, which were airing at the same time.

The presentation is good, it’s just that the aesthetics are nothing special. Same thing applies to the audio department, the sound effects are really good and impactful and not too loud and not saturated, the voice acting is ok, nothing special. The soundtrack is really fitting, it’s just typical background music for a fantasy show but it’s very well done and at times even absorbing. The ending song and the insert song (to my understanding, used as an ending for an early screening), both by Milet fit the series really well and are quite beautiful on their own, and the lyrics go very well with the anime. The openings are not as good but the second one is better than the first, which although it had good lyrics for the story, it was strangely upbeat for this time of anime, and thus didn’t fit very well. The second one had a little more energy as well, but at least it felt more appropriate for the second half of the series.

Characterization is not the strongest aspect of the anime, the main characters have a name with a specific meaning, and their whole characterization is based around that, in anime terms, the two female are basically kuuderes and the male is the typical kind hearted but misunderstood and poorly treated harem lead. No, I’m not saying nor implying this series is a harem, I’m just saying that the characters fit some of those archetypes, and although that makes them easy to remember because of that, they don’t have very elaborate nor complicating personalities for the same reason.

What they do have, however, is backdrop stories good enough to flesh them out instead of just leaving them as dry archetypes, and they more or less serve to explain the way the characters are. More and more background information about them is revealed and they also come to learn more things about the previous important party, as it also does the audience that way.

People really seem to like the possible romantic dynamic between two members of the party, I personally don’t give a shit about that, the boy is kind but treated poorly by the girl for no reason besides “comedy”. I’ve seen the same dynamic in anime from the 90s and 00s and got tired of it. At least she recognizes later on that she was acting like a brat and they become friendlier with one another afterwards, and for some people they seem to be “couple goals” or some shit like that, I don’t really care.

What’s important is that even the basic main cast here is better than the rock turned wolf turned boy from Fumetsu, he couldn’t even talk, he had no personality nor backdrop, and he changed completely after a time skip, thus that doesn’t count as organic character development.

This anime has time skips as well but they are nowhere near as big, they don’t skip the scenes of characters learning new things, especially for the main one Frieren, who comes to realize, she knew and was closer to her original party than she always thought and she gains a purpose in life by doing what they want her to do after they died at the beginning of the story, and it all happens on screen, not between time skips.

It’s even related to the themes, despite being one of the most important heroes in history, Frieren never stood out and never truly cared for anyone else, she never had ambition and never understood how brief a human life could be for an elf like her, until she found out when trying to reunite with her old party, that’s when it clicked in and when she notices that she always took that time for granted and regrets not spending more time with them or getting to know them now that there is no going back. The rest of the series she dedicates to fulfill the last wishes of her old party and recall old times in their adventure, thus coming to realize she knew and cared more about them that she ever considered to, while also collecting some more magic here and there.

That way, the series also has the chance to flesh out the older support cast that dies early on through flashbacks, and I also realized where the main appeal and value of the series might be, as a sort of company of sorts for people who have recently lost someone and regret not spending enough time with them.

Sousou no Frieren is not a tearjerker however, the drama is presented more in a melancholic tone than anything else, which is something I appreciate about it, considering that there are so many shows out there filled with emotional manipulation.

The other mains are fine on their own, they also get flashbacks and learn new things and like I said they become closer with each other, it’s just that the focus is clearly on the protagonist, so they come off as simpler and more inferior characters, especially the guy who gets completely sidelined in the second half.

Also, compared to that other series, Sousou no Frieren is clear about what it is from the very beginning. There is some action here and there and is usually well animated, directed, choreographed and has some tactics here and there, but for the most part it’s a lighthearted road movie type of fantasy adventure where the character we follow through for the whole show is the strongest, thus the stakes are low. She might not be the most powerful in-series, but we only know that thanks to some throwaway lines, we never really get a sense of urgency or that Frieren might lose or struggle against someone. It’s a show meant to relax to and look back at some of your past relationships, with some magical beams thrown around from time to time for flavour.

Some other things I want to praise the writing for is caring about some very specific things that add to characterization and world building despite being such small details. First, since elves are so long-lived, they get easily emotionally detached from everyone else, they don’t have strong feelings for anyone, neither romantic nor sexual, and that’s why there are few of them and why the protagonist herself is so cold at first. It also helps to explain why, despite being one of the most well-known heroes in history, no one seems to recognize her at first, like Luffy in One Piece, but here is far more believable because the setting doesn’t have the same technology and the main character herself does as much as she can to keep a low profile.

Another good detail is the explaining for why there isn’t any transportation magic and for why flying magic is limited, which also forces the main cast to actually travel through the fucking setting, whereas other series have several ways for the main cast to be where they need to be when the plot requires them to. This also helps in making the anime feel like, well, an adventure, because how can you have a proper adventure if there is no adventuring, no travelling, no exploring the setting? It’s not like Sousou no Frieren has a world that needs much building nor explaining, it’s a very typical fantasy setting with typical classes, creatures and archetypes, but at least is properly written and established, and it is actually explored, while it also doesn’t function like an RPG, how many other modern fantasy anime can claim the same, eh?

That’s why the characters can’t just go wherever they want and in any ways they would like, every city and every place has its rules, and since Frieren herself knows the route well, you get a bit of lore or history from them, having the rest of the party going on their first adventure also helps, since that way the author has a reason for all the explaining to be done, the exposition is excused.

Not to say that this anime is perfect of course, since there is no clear reasoning why, despite magic evolving so much for being studied for decades and even centuries, basic spells still work the best against newer, supposedly better instructed mages, or why the only mages that know how to control and repress mana in-series are the ones related in some way to the main character.

Then, the whole thing about Frieren kind of falls apart when you consider, “wait, wasn’t her teacher a human? Doesn’t that go against her whole character arc and the main theme of the show?” And the answer from me is yes, I have no excuse for that, and consider it a big flaw in the writing.

Likewise, the second half of the show is inferior than the first, exactly because it falls for the same issues as the series I compared it to. It is a tournament/exam arc that you would find in an action shounen instead of this one, it completely sidelines an important character, and although needed for the characters to keep going, the plot stops progressing completely for a lot of episodes instead of the mini adventures from earlier, and there are a lot of unimportant secondary characters getting a lot of rushed focus.

Other series do that as well (Dragon Ball, Hunter x Hunter, Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho) but being long fighting shounen, their characters don’t disappear completely from the story until way later. I’m an anime only here, thus I can’t tell if someone from the second cour is coming back at some point or not, but I hardly doubt it and I’m sure they don’t join the main party, essentially meaning that for at least this first season, they work against the plot by killing time and taking screentime for no reason.

With that said, it’s not straight up bad, since there are still moments to flesh out the two main girls and see them interacting, and there is still some cool action from time to time.

And also, well, there is hardly any plot in here, it’s just low on action and stakes basic traveling and adventuring with an overpowered protagonist that goofs around before solving most things thanks to how powerful or experienced she is, and although I like that she is kind of like Maomao from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, neither an idealistic hot headed idiot typical shounen protagonist, nor an asshole that doesn’t give a shit about people like Elaina from Majo no Tabitabi, she still doesn’t actually do or not most things on her own wish, that’s why she says things like “Himmel would scold me if I did that” or “Himmel would praise me if I do this”.

Thus, despite part of me respecting the value and appeal it might have for some emotional people and for how mostly well established the writing and presentation are, the cynical bastard I am only finds boredom in here, because there isn’t much plot, the characters are simple, the stakes are low because the protagonist is overpowered, the plot devices are not the type of which I’m usually thrilled about, the setting is basic, the energy is low, the aesthetics are simple, and the second half, although it still fleshes out two of the main characters, is inferior than the first by falling for the usual meh writing of other shows. In the end I consider it a decent relaxing time passer that can be very appealing for some viewers, but nowhere near as good as the general consensus says it is, and a complete chore to watch for part of the audience, myself included. At least I can say that this anime doesn’t have recaps neither inside nor outside the episode count, which is more than I can say about the other shows I was following at the same time.

So when exactly is this supposed to get interesting? Admittedly, I haven't watched that much, but so far we have the main character with a personality rivaling ChatGPT, an orphan whose entire tragic backstory is summed up in a 10 second flashback, and some other side characters that are entirely defined by the single quirk they possess: character A is a drunk, character B is overly confident, and so on.

All of this would be somewhat acceptable if there was a lot going on in the series, but there isn't. It's supposed to be focused on the characters and their interactions, yet they somehow managed ... to make the dialogue incredibly dull and generic. Take the encounter with the ancient, powerful and wise demon in episode 3 for example, who greets the protagonist after 80 years with the jaw-dropping line: "Hey, it's been a while, what happened to my boss? Now you must die".

The art is nice and beautiful to look at, and the animation is mostly good except for the characters faces which I think is lacking in expression. The soundtrack is pleasant to listen to but doesn't stand out in any way.

I have nothing against slow-paced series, but it needs to be built on substance and depth, and so far this doesn't cut it. I might give this another try later so see if it grows on me.

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.

After squinting really hard for a very long time I have determined that Sousou no Frieren is most likely not an isekai.

Sousou no Frieren is about a cute elf coming to terms with her autism as all her friends die.

I've always been fascinated with the concept of a story taking place after the "main" story has concluded. In this case an elf named Frieren and her companions set out to defeat the demon king with the story picking up long after their victory. With the villain defeated and the world in an age of relative peace the story shifts focus- all of Frieren's mortal ... friends are dying of old age. Regretting having taken her time with them for granted, she sets off on an adventure so she can know them better. She starts her journey by unwillingly taking on a young apprentice named Fern as they set out together to reach Aureole, a place rumored connect the living world with the afterlife. Conveniently, Aureole lies just past the demon king's old castle so Frieren and Fern can retrace the steps she took all those years ago. This creates a setup where in each episode Frieren can relive some of those memories and tell Fern about them. What a beautiful and restrained premise, I sure hope it won't get bogged down with arbitrary bullshit.

It's not long before Sousou no Frieren sabotages itself and becomes a tonally inconsistent mess by adding conflicting shounen tropes. It really starts with the introduction of the demon characters around episode 8. They are basically throw away villains just to show how strong the three main characters are. A dramatic battle ensues with the heroes looking down and out before the power of anime and friendship gives them the resolve to pull through to no one's surprise. There's even a point where Fern has one of the demons cornered dead to rights and lets them get away because there's "not enough time" or some other very contrived reason. All of this is to convey that hiding your power level is important because demons are dumb, and I guess I'm dumb to since the writers dedicated several episodes to explain this. In the later half of the season we get the Chuunin Exam arc but with magic at Hogwartz. Frieren and Fern enter a trial to become 1st class mages, but it's essentially a tournament arc where every character shouts their Bankai's name and proceed to explain to how it works in painstaking detail to their opponent.

Ignoring these are the same tropes that have been done to death, and ignoring they aren't particularly done well, why even have them in an otherwise slow-paced calming story about appreciating the people close to you? I enjoy when everything in a show- story, themes, atmosphere, aesthetics, etc. work towards a singular goal. I feel this is something most anime have forgotten how to do. I mean I get it, from a writer's or studio's perspective mixing multiple popular genre elements together, regardless of whether they fit, is probably what checks the most boxes to appeal to the largest demographic. I suppose it's hard to trust the audience will pay attention without action, fan service, or some other kind of unnecessary hook but I really wish they'd give us the benefit of the doubt sometimes.

There's a handful of other issues I had throughout Sousou no Frieren. Sometimes the slice of life antics, while not as conflicting as the shounen elements, can be just as predictable, the world building is your typical fantasy fare, and the fan service, while minimal by today's standards, isn't as seamlessly integrated as I'd like. The art, while well done when it comes to the "moe" aspect of the show, conflicts with the action and darker elements, tying back to the tonal issues. In particular the demon designs don't come across as menacing nor are they very inspired. They are not scary and some I actively want to stick my dick inside of. Compare that to the demons in Berserk, where only one of those things is true.

The characters are certainly what elevated Sousou no Frieren for me, and arguably worth the price of admission alone with most of the show's strengths revolving around their strong characterization. Frieren is perfectly depicted as an unmotivated and aloof genius mage. Likewise, Fern is perfectly depicted as the serious, responsible, but kindhearted prodigal student. The same goes for the rest of colorful cast which consists of a degenerate priest, a stern warrior dwarf, and many more, all of which I found to be endearing and charming. If I had to pick a weak link it would be Stark. Whether that's because I found his brash young warrior persona to be too trope-y or because he's not cute like Frieren and Fern I'm not entirely sure. Even then, he's not that bad and has his moments. For example, the romance between him and Fern is a fun dynamic.

At times Sousou no Frieren is a thoughtful look at the passage of time and the nature of relationships. Too often however it's the same shounen and slice of life shenanigans we've seen a hundred times. Admittedly it takes a lot skill and nuanced writing to make a story where action is not the centerpiece while still having enough of a satisfying overarching plot so that it doesn't come off as a meandering waste of time. Maybe there's no one in the industry with the talent to pull that off, maybe that's just me wishing the show was something it's not, or maybe I'm in the minority for wanting that to begin with. In the end, Sousou no Frieren is much like a sunrise- it's very pretty but not worth waking up early for.

"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 jokes. Perhaps this problem arises because the title itself does not know what it wants to be, and there is a conflict of genres that exclude each other. How to be isekai when you are trying (even if cheaply) to deal with serious themes, morality and adulthood?

(Let's sum it up) Some people perceive this anime as a trump card, something you would use if you had a task: "to recruit a person into anime culture", and that's what happened to my friends, and to me, a person who doesn't watch anime at all, and has watched 3-4 titles in my entire life. And so, having heard incredibly laudatory stories, having reviewed all the reviews on YouTube, which all assured that this creation is such a masterpiece that it will change you for the better, I decided to watch Frieren...And you know, if I didn't know all the hype around it, I would say "well, it's a good and kind anime, a solid 7, but there's nothing special about it" and pass by. But given the context of such massive and loud excitement, I see a problem with this...

And the problem is that people can't separate their personal impression from objective criteria of product quality! Also, people do not have a critical opinion, and it is easy for them to impose on someone else’s opinion or ideals, which is why they begin or continue to adore something only in public inertia! Remember people, please remember forever! Absolutely everything in this life has objective criteria of quality, evaluation and review! Starting from the quality, and freshness, and cooking of food, ending with humor and beauty!

For example, I do not consider "Shawshank Redemption" the GOAT among films, but I can perfectly understand why this film can be considered as such, and I pay tribute to it, because even if the film is not to my taste, I am able to evaluate the thing itself. Of course, I've heard the opinion that times are different now, and that anime is no longer a niche product, and that people no longer want to associate themselves with a huge man with a huge sword, but with a cute little girl, but who is an overpowered one. But I refuse to believe it, and I will never accept the fact that humanity has degenerated so much! (west has fallen, it's over...)

As I already said, I initially rated the show itself as 7 of 10. But the general and excessive praise slightly spoiled the impression from watching, because I was no longer evaluating the product itself, but put forward demands as from "GOAT" to which everyone gives this series. A true masterpiece must meet strict and high quality criteria, and Frieren, unfortunately, did not meet them.

There is nothing to openly hate about the series, and nothing to openly love about it.

6 of 10. For a niche viewer.

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 cosmologies. But for Frieren, a show about retroactive humanistic reconstruction, that is a huge problem. I will discuss why in the following paragraph.

-- Pacing among other problems in the mage test arc. For an arc spanning 11 episodes which makes up about 40% of Season 1, it taxed my patience out while magnifying all the aforementioned problems and introduced new issues. Blatantly ripping off Hunter X Hunter's Hunter test arc, Frieren's mage test arc is hilariously inferior to the Hunter test arc in almost every way. In the Hunter test arc, the worldbuilding is phenomenal as it immerses the audience in the semi-anarchical world of Hunter. Survival is not guaranteed in the Hunter test, yet there are great mentors, reliable and loyal companions among various fleshed-out saints and scoundrels to befriends with or fight against. The audience quickly find many things to love about Gon, Killua, Netero and even Hisoka despite some of them having very limited screen time. But Frieren (and its author) just wants everything in their show. Semi-anarchical world like Hunter? Check. Feel-good conclusion? Check. Half a dozen sociopaths and yanderes among the competitors? Check. Chicken-soup style life-affirming messages? Check and check. Test rules which do not make much sense? Check and check. The main tester, the 2000-yr-old grandmaster mage who is just a gloating A-hole and downright unlikeable jerk because she wields absolute power of destruction? Check! (Note to the author: you do realize Serie is not that different from Sauron, don't you?) See, in my dumb understanding, the author is essentially saying that almost all the top mages are murderous psychopaths, but it's ok and life is good simply because they stop to smell the same roses on the roadside and listen to the same fairy tales like the rest of us. I am sorry but I honestly cannot buy into that sentiment, no matter how much chicken powder the author adds to this messed-up, deeply cynical chicken soup.

-- Annoying distractions. Like I mentioned above, dangerous sociopaths have a disturbingly high correlation with top mages in the world of Frieren. This means the mage test arc is flooded with unlikeable and cringey characters. To name a few, Ubel, Sense, Serie, Wirbel, Lernen and Denken. The author wants the audience to believe that beneath their murderously pragmatic side, they are all "deeply caring and sympathetic characters carrying their own regrets and torches". I am sorry but again I cannot honestly buy into that. Another annoying distraction might be my imagination, but am I the only one who find the exposing gothic lolita outfits for many characters overdone, distracting and at dissonance with the tone of the show?


Again, like I have always said. What did not work with me might work wonders for you, and there is no shame loving something that speaks to your heart in a very personal or private way. I just listed out some reasons why Frieren did not work for me, and I am open to concessions and future corrections when my anime-watching friends shed more light on Frieren's flooring brilliance for me. But for now, allow me to just say that maybe I am just weird and cannot vibe too much with Frieren.

This review contains very mild spoilers.

What do you expect from an anime? What makes it great and valuable for you? Is it the well-thought-out and developed characters? Is it a well-narrated story? Or maybe it’s just the atmosphere? Perhaps it’s none of those things, and you just want to watch an anime that lacks them. But hey, at least she tries to get a magic license to make up for it! I can say that there are a lot of overrated shows on this site, but this might be the most overrated one as I write this review.

The main structure of this show is basically ... a shounen. When I first heard about this anime, I wasn’t very hyped, but I thought it might bring something different to the genre. To some extent, you could say that it does. Unlike some others, this one has a different approach, at least at the beginning, to the whole premise. Although Frieren is a hero, she isn’t introduced as your stereotypical “I swung this sword so much that now I’m an edgelord” character. Which she eventually turns out to be, but it was fun while it lasted. Anyway, the main idea of the anime is to tell a story about Frieren’s emotional growth while pumping out as many unnecessary characters as possible to lengthen the story, with no real narrative for that growth. Do we really need a whole arc about the mage license for Frieren and Fern? Do we need a backstory for a random rich mage wannabe? Are we really that low on ideas? If you can’t create an interesting plot point, why are you stretching the story with ideas that lead nowhere or lack depth? You already have a compelling plot point with Frieren and her entire arc. This is a common problem in shounen anime, and unfortunately, Frieren is no exception.

Another common issue in shounen anime is tonal dissonance in the narrative. Often, even in pivotal moments, writers don’t hesitate to insert jokes, which can create a tonal shuffle that undermines emotional impact. This still holds true for Frieren. If you’re trying to create a calming, methodical atmosphere but keep cracking jokes about Stark being a pervert, sure, you might get some laughs, but you’re also undermining the show’s potential. If you constantly rely on this kind of writing, it can become irritating, as viewers want a cohesive emotional experience throughout the show.

As for the characters, most of them are… well, shounen. However, we can discuss Fern and Frieren. Frieren is an unorthodox character for the genre, and I like her concept. She is a calm knowledge seeker who loves her books and plants. However, having her act like a child for laughs can be tiresome, and when you consider her age, it sometimes feels like I’m watching a child grow up through the story, which she kind of is. But starting her arc from such a low point and only revealing backstories when necessary, like with every Himmel flashback, why is she understanding all this just now sometimes I wonder? Did she really need to adopt an apprentice to figure it out? As for Fern, she’s the best character in the show so far. While the show isn’t finished, I appreciate her journey and growth. The rest of the characters mostly serve as plot points, and it’s unnecessary to go through each one.

Regarding the art and music, I like the aesthetic of the show: wands, clothes, swords... I enjoy it. It isn’t a cinematographic masterpiece, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s good as it is. I don’t have a strong memory of the music, and of course, we’re not listening to Bach, but it fits the scenes well. When the show is serious, it’s serious; when it’s goofy, it’s goofy.

As I write this, the show’s MAL score is 9.33, and it has held the number 1 spot for some time now. So, is it the greatest show of all time? No, it is not. From the same genre, there’s Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which is a stellar show. Even though it wouldn’t be my number 1, I could totally understand if it held that spot forever since it would rightly deserve it. But I just can’t wrap my head around this one. It’s not a bad show; I’ve mostly written a negative review, but it is a passable show. It has its fun moments and doesn’t require much from the viewer. However, that alone doesn’t make it a masterpiece, at least not for me.

Re-post (because evidently Currently watching does not actually mean currently watching..?)

This show is certainly overrated, but still not a bad show, although given its incredibly overly high rating, I will focus on the negative in this review.


Story:

It has no story, and is just small sub plots that are generic at best.

Seriously, there are entire episodes about random pointless nonesense. for example , there was an entire episode about 'trying this really good food that frieren had 100 years ago' There is no story progression(not that there even is a story or reason behind any of what they are doing) This entire show is more like ... a slice of life than an action adventure show.

There are many problems in the show that feel like the solutions are just made up on the spot, with no back story to support it. for example:

Frieren's weakness (spoiler I guess?) is that she stops focusing on her mana detection while casting a spell, and that shows up for the first time on episode 26 after many battles prior such as with the demon king, and first class mages and other demons. this weakness only shows up becasue, again spoiler, they are fighting a copy of Frieren, and need to come up with an excuse for why they can beat her. (literally earlier in the same episode they find the weakness...) Things like this are constantly happening throughout every episode. Its poor storytelling at its best, and feels like a cheap filler anime.


Characters:

Sure the characters are good, but they have no meaning, for example:

Fern is a mage who just so happens for literally no reason to be as strong as frieren, the mage who has studied for thousands of years....? sure a fking 16 year old just can become as strong as the multi-thousand year old who has done nothing but collect grimoires and study magic their whole life. this would MAYBE make sense if Fern was had some kind of special talent to allow her to do so, but she was LITERALLY BORN A NORMAL HUMAN, and had 'determination' as a kid.... LOL... on one epsisode, she had a 1 minute training montoge, and suddenly became strong enough to become a 'first-class' mage (highest level mage).

The warrior on the team, who I forget the name of because he only shows up in like 1 out of 5 episodes, and only actually does anything in any of the episodes he does show up in like 1/10 times? He helped save a town, horray, and since then has done literally nothing else but be a companion for Fern.
Basically I guess he is just there so that we don't think that this is supposed to be a girls-love show between Fern and Frieren, because I know people would think that if this warrior character didn't exist.

The healer / priest on the team, who was kicked off the team because he was so un-special, and served no purpose that Frieren didn't already have a spell for.

Frieren, the only character that makes even a lick of sense, is also the most unlikeable trope, Dandere. She is just an overpowered mage (or at least that's what the first 20 or so episodes made it seem, until Fern's 1 minute training montage that made her as strong as Frieren.) Other than that the story just follows her because she wants to relive her old memories, or some demented thing like that.

Why anyone follows her..? no reason given... why would you ask such a basic question?

Other
The show is not all bad, it is well drawn/animated, and does have moments that make you feel comfortable, or maybe have a chuckle. Although this is definitely not a comedy, and certainly does a barely above average job at being a slice of life / or an anime that is meant to cure your depression.

Overall i would give it a 7.5, which here is another complaint, specifically for MAL, why can't we just rate things on a decimal system, because there are many times I want to rate things between integers.

For anyone looking for an action packed adventure with a story, and good world building, this is not for you, and in terms of that, its probably about a 4/10 anime.

For anyone who is depressed, and looking for a comfortable show you can just sit down and turn your brain off, this is for you. (perhaps this explains why it has such a high score? I pray thats not the case..)

I know Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is getting a lot of praise for its melancholic tone and slow, reflective storytelling, but honestly, I just find it boring. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the beautiful animation and the concept of exploring what happens after the hero's journey, but the pacing is just so slow that it feels like nothing is really happening.

Every episode drags on with minimal character development or plot progression. I get that it’s supposed to be more about the journey and the introspective moments, but it feels like it’s just stretching out small, simple ideas over an entire episode (or more). I ... keep waiting for something exciting or unexpected to happen, but it never does.

Maybe I’m just not the target audience, or maybe I’m too used to more action-oriented or fast-paced series, but I can’t help feeling like Frieren is more of a chore to watch than a pleasure.

This is a slice-of-life show that focuses on character interactions and themes, but the individual stories that are often half an episode long are weak. An episode usually presents some idea, but does little to explore it and create an interesting "mini-arc". It's as if it goes through the trouble of setting up a story while forgetting to actually conclude it, which leaves the audience unsatisfied. Even the part where they fight demons just felt like set up for a later arc. To be fair, it seems like the show is trying to establish this overarching theme of things that aren't finished, but the result ... is very dull at times.

The best part of the show is watching Frieren learn to become more compassionate over time. However, the way her character is explored is a bit repetitive. She usually does something thoughtful for someone else, and then we have a flashback of how her memories of others influenced her. It kind of sucks though that Fern and Stark are shit characters. They barely have any characterization or meaningful interactions. Fern at least has some sort of relationship with Frieren as she often pushes Frieren to be less nonchalant, but Stark basically doesn't have a relationship with either of them. This show could have explored more unique character dynamics with how Frieren acts as their guardian and knew both of their masters, but it fails to make Fern and Stark feel like significant characters. There are probably four dead characters that are more interesting than these two. Sein probably got so sick of them which is why he peaced out.

Animation is stellar, though I don't care for the art design. I would have given this show a 6/10, but it lost a point for turning into an awful version of a battle shounen for an arc. To be fair, it could have earned the point back if it animated Denken fistfighting.

Imagine a granny going on a Pokemon adventure, hopping from one town to another with companions joining along the way to collect gym badges (grimoire) while reminiscent of past connections - that’s Sousou no Frieren, except there’s no Pikachu, no Team Rocket reciting their cheeky motto, and no ‘gotta catch ‘em all’ jingle to sing along with. In fact I dubbed it as the wannabe adult version: a thousand year old elf regreting why she didn’t spend more quality time with her mortal comrades in the ‘good old days’, similar to the lecture your parents/grandparents bombard you with when you’re stuck in a car with ... them. Look I get it, everything sparkles ten times more in youth, I’m no spring chicken either and getting old sucks. We’ve all seen dozens of anime series where the MCs want a do-over to fix themselves (i.e. ReLife and Koe no Katachi, to name a few), but what makes Sousou no Frieren so spectacular to secure the top anime spot? If you ask me that’s still a head scratcher, eighteen episodes later.

The real kicker is in the first few episodes when Fern asked Frieren whether their journey had a purpose, and her response was “not particularly” - at that moment I literally laughed out loud and applauded the candor. What is the point of watching this anime? Beats me, the protagonist had no clue either. Consequentially after the aforementioned dialogue I dropped this show, only to pick it back up during the in-between season gap with nothing else better to watch. As the story progressed it did improve a bit about a third of the way in due to it occasionally sprinkling some words of wisdom. For example, Frieren hid her mana to one up her adversary as suggested by her mentor, who probably read 'The Art of War', that is, “to appear weak when you are strong”. The flip side is “to appear strong when you are weak”, which strangely enough describes the essence of Sousou no Frieren - an anime that tries very hard to be sophisticated but turns out lukewarm. With the average human attention span shortened to a quarter of what it was a decade ago, it’s inexcusable for a series to be barely watchable until a third of the way in, and only mediocre at best. Did Sun Tzu save the show? Perhaps, at least he kept me from dropping it the second time.

Watching this anime is very similar to watching grass grow in terms of being enjoyable. You are watching the grass grow from the nicest chair, in the nicest weather, but it still fails to entertain. Don't get me wrong, I have quite a few slice-of-life anime that I have watched in my anime list, but this one somehow lacks focus on a specific enjoyable thing in everyday life that I can experience and enjoy on earth, at least in the first 4 episodes. Also, if you are a hater of anime focusing on "cute anime girls doing things" then avoid this anime.

Since the MAL AI ... is telling me to talk more about it, and suggesting ideas, here is what I think about Sousou no Frieren:

THE STORY (I only watched 4 episodes out of 28, all my points are ~13% of the entire anime)
The story seems unique in that despite taking place in a fantasy world, its focus is almost entirely not on the things that make it a fantasy, but on experiencing life through the eyes of our protagonist. It is not a story that is supposed to build up expectations but is more similar to an autobiography of an average old lady living her daily life. Because it is that way, you cannot expect to be entertained in many ways by it. Since I stopped watching it so early, I cannot predict if the story lacks entertainment until the end. If this story is about teaching young people about the value of their time, it might not be a bad story. If you already know time is short, and that's what this story wants you to learn, you might find this anime extremely average.

ART STYLE
The art style is well done, duh, since it's animated by some of the best producers in the industry. The art style is not unique. On the contrary, it is quite average.

THE CHARACTERS
The characters I got introduced to haven't done much at all from the first to the last episode I watched. While Frieren had the opportunity to remember the past and travel to visit her older companions, her companion Fern seems like she was inserted there so the lack of plot wouldn't be too unbearable for those who wouldn't be entertained with Frieren alone. It feels like she is there to cover for the everyday worrying part of life that we all experience like waking up on time, doing groceries, cooking, and other mundane tasks. Despite her being added to enrich the story, she was the sole reason I dropped the anime. It might have been better if it was about Frieren alone for at least 10 episodes rather than adding a cute anime girl just to keep the neurons of the average watcher engaged.

DO I THINK OTHERS WILL ENJOY/DISLIKE THIS SERIES?
Of course, some people like it, and some people hate it. So moving forward, there will still be people who like it and people who don't. In my humble opinion, this series is grossly overrated and I expect future viewers who were told to come and watch it to be more disappointed on average than pleased with watching it. Although, based on the ranking it got on MAL, it either has a lot of legit fans, or there was a plan to make it number one, and people mass-ranked it a 10/10 to get it in the top. I didn't get to experience anything close to a ten out of ten with regard to any genre of this series and I am massively amazed by its ranking.

An anime that I could call a ten out of ten and recommend instead in the Drama and Fantasy genres which deserves the title of masterpiece and the number one ranking is Violet Evergarden.

=====TL;DR=====

STORY (Review adjusted based on show length)

Complexity: 3
World-Building: 6
Pace: 2
Direction: 4

CHARACTERS (Review adjusted based on show length)
...
Quantity vs Quality Ratio: 6
Development: 5
Depth: 4

Art, Animation & Music (Review adjusted based on air date)

Art Style: 9
Art Quality: 8
Animation Quality: 8
Soundtrack & SFX Quality: 8

ENJOYMENT LEVEL 6/10

=====Introduction=====
I'm aware that sometimes MAL scores can be overrated, but man that was underwhelming. I don't get what makes it so popular or rated that high. We're talking about No.1 of all time! Surely there should be some redeeming qualities, right? RIGHT? NO! There are so many issues with this series that I had to force myself to finish it and not drop it, in case I missed some incredible story arc. And there was NONE! I thought that many recent mediocre anime releases were subject to unnecessary hype, and it's nice to see that I'm vindicated in my belief. Sousou no Frieren is the culmination of everything wrong with modern anime.

=====Story===== 4/10
The story is easily this anime's weakest point. Though, the core idea is not bad at all. Having a plot revolving around the aftermath of a hero's journey, looking back at those moments in a new light as Frieren travels with her new companions. It's not a style done too often. But it's not because no one's thought of that or because it's incredibly complex, but because it makes the core story boring. And it shows its weakness here. There are no noteworthy intense high-stakes action scenes. Especially scenes that generate a sense of thrill since it's established that Frieren is unbelievably OP. There is no drama present, which would've been nice since it's a slower slice-of-life-ish-styled show. But the worst of all is, there are no mind games or any form of 'clever outplay'. Every encounter in the show is as straightforward as it gets. There are no 'big brain' moments or anything that makes you go, 'Woah....that's so smart!'. There is nothing noteworthy at stake since the era is peaceful, and at most, it's a random town. Why would the viewer give two fucks about a random town anyway? So tell me, what on earth does it have? Nothing! Just pure sentimentality as they go from one place to another. Everywhere they go it's always, 'Oh, we visited this place when I came with Himmel.' Nice, did you guys fight some big monster? Did you guys have a hard time? 'No, we did some chores and ate some food.' There are barely any fighting scenes of the previous journey, which makes it more like they went on a long vacation together instead. And every single episode is filled with backstories and events of the past, way too much of it. It doesn't even have world-building significance, and events are built up as they go on the journey without any foreboding. For example, a town referenced in ep 15 won't be referenced again or referenced earlier. The foundation for the whole journey is weak as well, I forgot their purpose for it midway through the series. One of the most criminal things is the fact that this show has 28 episodes. All the runtime is ABSOLUTELY WASTED on some random chores and meaningless sentimental drivel. The pacing is the worst I've seen in a long time.

=====Characters===== 5/10
A lot of people had issues with Frieren herself, for being bland and calling her a waifu bait. I don't mind having a plain & straightforward protagonist so long as the story compensates for it. A good example would be Mushishi. But having plain characters and a weak story is just a horrible combination. Another issue is how sort of similar Fern & Frieren are. Both are characters that don't talk much & while Fern is more meticulous, the difference is only seen in times of 'comedic relief' (which is a literal joke on its own, since I guess acting like children constitutes that). Stark is decent, but many times he's put to the side, especially near the end of the season where he barely has anything to contribute and any screentime. I found Himmel & the previous members the most annoying, particularly because they don't seem to want to let go of their dumb archetypes. Himmel acting like Jesus wherever he goes, gets old and annoying really quickly. And they don't have any qualms about shoving his gracefulness down your throat either. Why not make it realistic and make it seem like he had a dark secret or a weakness, no he is Jesus and you have to accept it. The characters are not only shallow, but they don't change over time either. They work hard to keep up with the archetypes they are given.

=====Art, animation & sound===== 8/10
The art style, art quality, and animation are genuinely good. The little action scenes that it had were brilliantly animated. The colors are very vivid. The soundtrack matched the fantasy vibe that the show was going for. But guess what? Putting fresh paint over a Kia and a change of wheels doesn't make it a Rolls Royce. All this is garnish for what is, a weak Entree. But credit goes where it's due, this section was really good. Especially the spells, the sound, and the colors were so good, I wish it had more action sequences solely due to that. Sometimes I wish older shows were this good, combined with their amazing stories. Man, they'd be unforgettable. But sadly, that isn't the case.

=====Reasons NOT to watch=====
Anybody who watches this and genuinely likes it is just weak in my opinion. As I said previously, this show has no drama, not many action scenes, definitely no high stakes or thrill, and no mind games. Hence, I can only conclude that anybody who likes this just wants to watch some OP protagonist oneshot everything and everyone and dominate everything while occasionally being quirky for the camera. Oh, I don't want a complex plot since I don't have the brains to understand it. Oh, I don't want drama, since I don't have the heart to bear it. Oh, I don't want mind games, since I can't think too much. Great! Soon I can't wait to witness car driving tutorials & airplane instructions anime to be the top anime in the next four years.

=====Overall===== 6/10
BOREDOM. Exemplified. I hope we don't see more of these generic af mindless anime. Seems like both the creators & the audience don't want to use their brains these days. Sad to see the disrespect to all the cult classics by rating this mediocre garbage above them all.

Pros : 1. Frequent wholesome candid scenes with peaceful artwork + great music melodies. 2. Funny female main characters 3. Feels like you are in the journey with the characters strolling nature and making memories 4. Unique fight animations/scenes at times

Cons : 1. Too slow/monotone frequently all throughout the series. 2. Weak Male characters (No personality,forgettable,generic,looks bad too) 3. Series felt dragged on (too long) , it was ramping up nicely in the middle but crashed towards the end in my opinion in terms of satisfaction. Just felt too repetitive and boring , how many times can you do the uwu ... face emoji on Freiren? The show should have been only about 15-16 episodes in my opinion.... felt like filler often towards the end , 28 episodes was way too much.

Frieren is a show of extremes. Throughout its runtime coexist both extreme excitement and extreme boredom, occasionally in back-to-back episodes. Frieren is a show that assumes the watcher is into it before it can do anything interesting with its own premise and its appeal will rely a lot on how much pre-existing thoughtfulness it can get away with. Perhaps this phrasing is too generous, giving away the impression that it can be some sort of "acquired taste", however in many respects the show misses the mark that would elevate it to a truly wondrous show, instead falling to that weird, awkward position where it's not ... high-art enough to stimulate much thought at all long after finishing an episode like anime's classics and not junk-foody enough to glue you to the screen throughout its runtime like a lot of seasonal slop is able to. Frieren has incredible background art wasted on a shallow world, a boring magic system that creates heart-pumping battles, interesting antagonistic forces thrown away once quickly squeezed and a fresh idea of calm characters depicted in the most lifeless way possible.

Frieren as a show attempts to evoke melancholy first and foremost, from the emphasis on a deep blue sky, to a generally quiet tone in its dialogue, the show's constant use of flashbacks and its general structure of occasionally intertwining a long-past adventure with its present-time parallel constantly screams at the viewer asking "are you feeling melancholic yet?", however it lacks any sort of punch to justify most of its intended emotiveness, especially given how much the characters lack it.

In its attempts to diverge from most anime characters' well-known exaggerated, occasionally off-putting loudness, Frieren, Fern and the other dude barely ever express so much as a hint of a smile, frown or any other facial expression that would indicate human emotion, only reserved for the occasional gag that packs no punch. By itself this type of character is fine. Archetypes like the kuudere are endearing more often than not. But an entire cast built around such perfect, calculated coldness doesn't lend itself to much interesting interaction, and it shows. The first five or so episodes do only the bare minimum character-wise so it can set up an interesting journey. There's a lot of groundwork to lay at the beginning with the promise that gritting your teeth and following along will reward you with an engaging story. This promise, however, remains unfulfilled, disappointing only after it shows a taste of what could have been.

The brief demon arc is by far the highlight of the show and by itself it would be deserving of a larger spotlight than what it got. An exciting combination of a disturbing idea —the depiction of demons as Skinwalkers— with tense buildup and satisfying payoff. Had Frieren been just this, it would've been a much better show. Close to a 10/10, even. The promised great show starts here!

But it doesn't. Immediately after that we're treated to episodes 11 through 17: some of the most mind-numbing, torturously boring "Slice of Life" in this entire medium. Far from the pensive atmosphere of SoL masterpieces like Girls' Last Tour, Super Cub, and Yuru Camp, the uneventfulness is more reminiscent of Haruhi Suzumiya's infamous "Endless Eight", and at least that was an interesting artistic exercise.

The show then evens out with the magic exam arc. A moderately engaging pseudo-tournament arc of a not-so-colorful cast of characters competing with disproportionate brutality to get the magic equivalent of a black belt. Here's where the show levels out and wouldn't be out of place amongst your slightly above average seasonal darling. It is engaging enough at this point all the way to the end if taken at face value, but there's not much beyond that. Frieren tries to build up an "imaginative" magic system that, while beautifully animated, is as undercooked as your average isekai's Dragon Quest rip-off minus the videogame terminology. Those flashbacks intertwined within the story? Not any more interesting than the present events. There's not enough of an emotional connection built up from that original adventure for them to pack any punch. Frieren (show) wants to pretend that these past events are having a "deep and profound" effect on Frieren (character) and while there are tiny glimpses of that, the idea far surpasses the execution.

Frieren is a show of extremes. Some moments it had my heart pumping for reasons I didn't even understand, some others I was wondering why I was even bothering to watch this, not dropping it only so I could understand the prestige. The gorgeous magic effects might trick you into thinking there is more to this world than there actually is. The core idea behind the story might make you convince yourself that it has more to say than it does. It has fantastic production values that amount to almost nothing of interest. Sum all of its parts together and Frieren is…

…just kind of okay, I guess.

Breakdown by episode chunks:

Eps. 1-6 = 6/10
Eps. 7-10 = 10/10
Eps. 11-17 = 3/10
Eps. 18-26 = 7/10
Ep. 27 = 9/10
Ep. 28 = 5/10

All resulting in a weighted score of 5.96, rounded up to 6/10, which were my honest feelings even without the math.

Frieren is a show thats saving this fantasy genre.. with how dull every fantasy animes are frieren is a mind fresher.... Its really calm so captivating and after a long tiring day friren is what i need ... something dreamy, calming and its so reflecting which makes you realize how fleeting life is.. its so relatable.. frieren isnt an adventerous anime where you go to save the world. No its the story what happens to the heros after peace is bought in the world. its so humane even tho she is an elf.. If you want something different friren is definetly recomended... the visuals, the ... background music, the story and evrything its truly a master-piece and another thing i love is how cruelness of time in portrayed in frieren

If you’re looking for an action packed anime then Frieren is not for you, because Frieren is all in on its characters. The characters, their relationship and their development are the whole focus of this anime. To explore said characters both the plot and world building are kept rather simple. This is Firerne’s biggest Strength and Weakness. The are some interesting characters like the main charachter Frieren herself and her story is beautiful portrait, but if you don't resonate with the rest of the main cast then there is nothing else for you to fall back on and it becomes very boring to watch, if ... your favorite characters are not on screen. This becomes especially a problem when you happen to understand the Names, which are all German words. In most cases the name tells you all about the character and their behavior, making them very predictable.
Another big weak point is the overuse of flashbacks and parallels. A lot of conflicts or development is resolved by having two people having nearly the exact same experience. These flashbacks are often used to help Frieren reflect on her past and a lot of symbolism is used to enrich the characters and their relationships, but often it feels like the same story is told twice.

The anime starts strong with a unique, almost melancholic vibe that captivates and sets it apart from others. The first few episodes build a promising atmosphere, allowing viewers to overlook the lack of character depth. However, once the exam arc kicks in, it loses its charm. The pacing and tone shift dramatically, relying heavily on overused anime tropes. The exam arc feels unnecessary and stretched out, introducing a slew of generic characters.

As the series progresses, it loses the originality that made the first half intriguing. Characters become more one-dimensional, and the show loses direction, leaving predictability in its wake. The ending feels like a chore, ... with little emotional investment to be had.

While the first half may be worth watching for those seeking a fresh vibe, the second half feels like a missed opportunity. It's an okay watch if you're simply looking for something to pass the time, but it doesn't live up to the hype or differentiate itself from other typical shonen anime.

Vastly overhyped, doesn't deserve the #1 spot it currently holds.

Story: Just wandering from place to place not much story just a gathering of random events
World building: every place is the same the world is as generic as it gets the most 5/10 to ever exist which in itself is impressive i guess
characters: pout fern so cute please marry me omg booba 10/10 most beautiful series to ever exist this is a piece of art you just can't understand it. Frieren is so funny and relatable and cute and seductive she just wants to sleep and take it easy haha that's literally me 10/10 most beautiful series to ever exist this is a piece of ... art you just can't understand it. Stark is so interesting when i think about him i think about coyote starrk from bleach, it's honestly so interesting that a character is so boring you can't even think about him when you think about him does that make sense or maybe it's just that I can't understand it
humor: suicide
art: fire 🔥
music: the ending song is cute